THE
BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AND I'M CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES AND INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY. TODAY'S AUGUST 26, 2025 AND IT
IS 10:03 A.M. IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025 MODIFY AND CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THE OPEN READING LAW IN RELIEVING PUBLIC BODIES OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT
PUBLIC BODIES CONDUCT ITS MEETINGS OF A PUBLIC SPACE THAT IS OPEN AND PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE CITY COUNCIL WE CONDUCTED THIS HEARING VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM IS HEARING HAS BEEN RECORDED.
IT HAS ALSO BEEN LIVESTREAMED AT BOSTON. OUR OF THAT CITY THAT COUNCIL THAT TV AND BROADCAST ATLANTIC SECURITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIREHOUSE
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TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY HAVE NOT DONE SO PLEASE EMAIL CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON RON COBB RON DARCY OBB BOSTON DAGA FOR
THE ZOOM LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON A DOCKET NUMBERED 0554 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS PUBLIC AUTHORITY ORDERED TO PRACTICES
IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR LIZ BREADON. WE'LL JUST FORWARD TO THE COMMITTEE ON APRIL 16, 2025. TODAY I JOIN MY COLLEAGUES IN
ORDER RIVAL COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE AND COUNCILOR LIBERATED OC.
AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO THE LEAD SPONSOR OF THIS HEARING. COUNCILOR LIZ BRYANT IN FOR AN OPEN STATEMENT. THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S HERE THIS MORNING.
WE'RE REVISITING THIS ISSUE ABOUT GOING WAY BACK IN 2021 AND MYSELF AND COUNCILOR EDWARDS FILED AN ORDINANCE TO REGULATE WHAT WE CALLED PREDATORY TOWING AT THAT
TIME WHICH SEEMED A RATHER AGGRESSIVE TERM AT THE TIME A PREDATORY TOWING PRACTICES TO ESTABLISH A TOWING BILL OF RIGHTS LARGELY INFORMED BY THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF MASS PAROLE.
SO BACK THEN WHILE IT WAS WELL-INTENTIONED, THE PROPOSAL BACKED SEVERAL TOO BIG CHALLENGES. THERE WAS JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS SUCH AS REGULATION OF INVOLUNTARY TOWING FALLS
ONTO THE STATE WHICH IS WHY I CAME HERE TO TALK TO THAT TO TALK TO TALK ABOUT THAT TRANSPORTATION OVERSIGHT, TO MENTION THE STATE'S DEEP TO YOU .
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES, TRANSPORTATION OVERSIGHT DIVISION AND THEN CIVIC CAPACITY. THE ORDINANCE WOULD HAVE PLACED REGULATORY RESPONSIBILITIES ON BTU WHICH WAS NOT FEASIBLE AT
THE TIME. SO AGAIN, WE'RE COMING BACK TO REVISIT THE ISSUE OF TOWING AND THE CITY OF BOSTON GIVEN THAT OUR PREVIOUS ATTEMPT WAS NOT REALLY ON TARGET BUT WE'D LIKE
TO REALLY GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WHAT TOWING PRACTICES WE HAVE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A STRICT CLEANING CONTRACT BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER CONTRACTS THAT
PERTAIN TO CITY FACILITIES AS WELL AS SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS ETC. SO GIVE US A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THE TRAIN LOOKS LIKE. BUT TO TAKE A PARTICULAR LOOK
AT THE THE TOLLING CONTRACT FOR STREET CLEANING BECAUSE IT IS UP FOR RENEWAL AT THE MOMENT SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE EDUCATIONAL FOR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WHO ARE WATCHING AND VERY OFTEN ARE TOWING REGULATIONS ARE VERY CONFUSING FOR FOLKS BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE, THERE'S DIFFERENT RULES, THERE'S DIFFERENT SPACES
OF IT'S A PRIVATE SPACE LIKE A COMMERCIAL PARKING LOT, THERE'S DIFFERENT RULES ABOUT THAT AND SOME ON THE PUBLIC STREET ETC. SO IT'S VERY CONFUSING FOR CONSUMERS AND I HOPE THAT THIS
HEARING WILL HELP ENLIGHTEN FOLKS AND MAYBE HELP US TIGHTEN UP SOME OF OUR ENFORCEMENT AS WE GO ON AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. OKAY. SO IN RESPECT OF TIME I THINK I WANT TO GO DIRECTLY TO JUST THE
PRESENTATION FROM OUR FIRST PANEL WHICH IS MALCOLM KIM LOWELL WHO IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE WIDE TOLLING ASSOCIATION. NICK SO AS ALL THE FLOOR IS YOURS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION IF
YOU SO I HAD PARTICIPATED BACK IN THE ORIGINAL MEETINGS THAT WERE IN 2022 I BELIEVE AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS THE TOLLING
BILL OF RIGHTS THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY MASS PER AND IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE WAS NOT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOLLING INDUSTRY IN GENERAL.
AND TYPICALLY THERE ARE THREE PIECES TO THE TOLLING INDUSTRY THERE, TWO OF WHICH ARE REGULATED AND THOSE ARE IN VOLUNTARY TERMS. THERE ARE THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY TOLLS WHICH ARE THE STREET
SWEEPING THE POLICE SORTED TOLLS, THE MUNICIPAL HOUSING TOWING AND THEN THERE ARE PRIVATE PROPERTY IMPOUND WHICH ARE VERNACULAR KNOWN AS
TRESPASS AUTOS TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ANIMALS. AND AS A RESULT IT MOST OF THE
ISSUES ARISE OUT OF THE PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWS STATEWIDE AND WE SEE THAT ACTUALLY NATIONWIDE. SO WE SEE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO I THINK AND THEN LASTLY THERE ARE THE VOLUNTARY TOLLS YOU BREAK DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD YOU NEED A JUMP START, YOU NEED TOWED TO YOUR
REPAIR SHOP, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. SO AND IN THOSE CASES YOU'RE NEGOTIATING A PRICE OR YOU'RE YOU'RE GETTING A PRICE FROM THE
TOWING COMPANY THEY SET THEIR OWN PRICES IN THE INVOLUNTARY TOWING SCENARIO. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES SETS THE TOWING RATES
UNDER CMA TO TOW CMA TO SEVEN TO THE VEHICLE STORAGE FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES IS SET UNDER MASS GENERAL LAW 159 B SECTION
SIX B THAT ONLY APPLIES TO PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECOGNIZED THAT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TAKE MORE LABOR AND MORE SPACE.
SO THAT'S THE QUICK OVERVIEW FROM 50,000 FEET AS FAR AS THE TOWING BILL OF RIGHTS. I MY TESTIMONY BACK THEN WAS I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY ONE SIDED
AND I ALSO CAUTIONED THE CITY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME THAT THEY NEEDED TO LOOK FURTHER AT THAT AND POSSIBLY ESTABLISH SOME STANDARDS FOR THE TOWING
COMPANIES BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY NEED TO BE PROFITABLE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M AT AT THIS POINT AND THAT'S WHERE OUR INDUSTRY IS THAT THERE HAVE
BEEN NUMEROUS VARIOUS CITIES AND TOWNS EITHER HAVE REGULATED NOT REGULATION BUT STANDARDS FOR THEIR TOWING COMPANIES. SOME HAVE CONTRACTS. I WILL TELL YOU ONE OF THE BIG
STICKING ITEMS WHICH WAS A BIG ITEM WAS THE ACCEPTANCE OF CREDIT CARDS. WE DID A SURVEY OF OUR MEMBERS BACK IN MAY OF THIS YEAR
BECAUSE IT IS BECOMING A IT'S A REAL PROBLEM. IT'S IT'S PROBABLY 15 TO 20% OF THOSE THAT ARE THOSE CHARGES
THAT ARE PUT ON A CREDIT CARD FOR AN INVOLUNTARY TOLL END UP IN A CHARGEBACK AT THIS POINT. SO WE SURVEYED OUR MEMBERS AND 65% OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
DOING INVOLUNTARY POLICE ORDERED TOWING WE DID NOT TOUCH THE TRUST TEST TOWING WOULD NOT PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES IF THEY WERE REQUIRED TO ACCEPT CREDIT
CARDS BECAUSE OF THE CHARGE BACK ISSUES. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE'RE AT AT THIS POINT AND I'M OPEN TO QUESTIONS OBVIOUSLY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NO, THANK YOU, MISS LOWELL. OKAY. I'M OUT OF MY KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR HENRY SANTANA AND COUNCILOR WILLIAM HILL AND JUST
REMINDING FOLKS THAT WE ARE LISTENING FOR FIRST TIME OUR FIRST PANEL HERE AND THAT COULD DIRECT THEIR STATEWIDE TO AN ASSOCIATION HALL. AND WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE Q&A STARTING WITH LILY'S SPONSOR COUNCILOR BREADON AND
THEN WE'LL GO AND ORDER ARRIVAL SO COUNCILOR FLYNN LOUIJEUNE SANTANA BE HERE, MY COUNCILOR BRING THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US AGAIN. IT'S NICE TO CONTINUE THE
CONVERSATION AS DOING COMPANIES IS A BIT LIKE GOING TO THE DENTIST TOO. YOU KNOW THIS IS SORT OF DREAD WHEN YOU SEE YOUR CAR BEING TOWED AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW
PAINFUL IT'S GOING TO BE. THE THE ISSUE ABOUT CREDIT CARDS I KNOW FROM LOOKING AT THE CITY OF BOSTON STREET
CLEANING CONTRACT THAT'S THAT YOU KNOW DRUG COMPANIES ARE EXPECTED TO ACCEPT CASH ON CREDIT CARDS THE IT'S SO YOU
SAY THAT THE THE THE CHARGEBACK THAT THE FOLKS JUST PAY WITH CREDIT TRYING TO WALK OFF THE LOT AND THEN THEY CALL A CREDIT CARD TO CALL THEIR CREDIT CARD COMPANY AND SAY IT WAS AN
UNAPPROVED TRANSACTION IS THAT HOW THAT WORKS? YES, ACTUALLY THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES HAVE MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT IF YOU DID NOT REQUEST THE SERVICE THEN
IT'S A VALID CHARGEBACK. WELL, YOU DON'T REQUEST THE TOW WHEN IT'S STREET SWEEPING. YOU DON'T REQUEST THE TOW WHEN YOU'RE ARRESTED FOR DRUNK DRIVING. YOU DON'T REQUEST A TOW WHEN
YOU'RE IN AN ACCIDENT YOU DON'T REQUEST A TOW WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING UNLICENSED AND ON AND ON AND ON. SO ALL OF THOSE HAVE STARTED AND THIS IS A NATIONWIDE ISSUE
JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ISOLATED TO MASSACHUSETTS AND THERE'S NO RECOURSE ONCE THOSE CHARGEBACKS COME THROUGH. WE HAVE DOCKETS MOUNTED
INCIDENTS OF TOW COMPANIES FIGHTING AND FIGHTING AND FIGHTING AND THEY NEVER WIN. IT'S IT AND IT IT'S BECOMING A
REAL IT HAS RAMPED UP OVER THE YEARS AND IF YOU GO ON I THE LAST ONE I THINK I SAW WAS ON REDDIT SO IT'S GETTING SPREAD HEY THIS IS HOW YOU BEAT A TOWING CHARGE.
YOU KNOW YOU GOT ARRESTED. OH WELL YOU KNOW, PUT IT ON YOUR CREDIT CARD AND THEN BACK CHARGE IT. SO OUR MEMBERS ARE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE AND I ONLY SEE IT GETTING WORSE.
SO IT'S A REAL PROBLEM NOW THE WORKAROUND FOR THAT MANY COMPANIES HAVE INSTALLED ATMS WHICH GIVES THE THE FOLKS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, USE THEIR CREDIT CARD, TAKE THE MONEY OUT, PAY THE TOWING COMPANY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE USER FEES FOR
THAT AND MOST COMPANIES THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE THOSE SET THEM AT THE VERY MINIMUM THAT GOES TO THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY, THE ATM COMPANY FOR
COVERING THE SERVICE. SO IT'S ACTUALLY LESS MONEY THAN IF THEY USED A PORTAL WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH BUT IN MASSACHUSETTS IT'S A YOU CANNOT
CHARGE EXTRA FOR USING A CREDIT CARD. HOWEVER, IF YOU USE A THIRD PARTY VENDOR THAT HAS A PORTAL THEN THAT PORTAL CAN CHARGE A FEE. NONE OF IT GOES BACK TO THE
TOWING COMPANY BUT THEY ALSO DO NOT GET IT WITH THE CREDIT CARD FEES. SO IN THOSE CASES THEY'RE THE ATMS ARE COMPARABLE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LESS COST TO THE
CONSUMER. OKAY. I HAD A QUESTION ALSO CAME ABOUT YOU KNOW, THE USE OF BLOGS AND THE IDEA OF OF PHOTOS BEING DONE TO TAKE A
PHOTOGRAPH OF EACH CORNER OF THE CAR SO THAT IF THERE'S ANY DAMAGE THAT THE OWNER OF THE CAR CAN HAVE A RECORD OF THAT. HOW COMPLIANT ARE COMPANIES
WITH THE KEEPING OF THE LOG OF WHAT THE WHERE THE LOCATION OF THE PICKUP AND THE REASON FOR THE PICKUP AND ALL THOSE THINGS IS THAT AND HOW ARE
THOSE LOGS AUDITED? SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CITY OF BOSTON SPECIFICALLY BUT I CAN TELL YOU MOST CITIES AND TOWNS REQUIRE AUTO COMPANIES TO
KEEP DETAILED LOGS OF THE PLACE THAT WAS PICKED UP WHERE WHERE IT WAS TOWED TO THE TIME THE DATE TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. AND MOST PROFESSIONAL TOWING
COMPANIES TAKE PICTURES BECAUSE OUR INSURANCE IS ASTRONOMICALLY EXPENSIVE. THE LIABILITIES INVOLVED IN TOWING A VEHICLE NO ONE'S HAPPY
WHEN THEIR VEHICLES TOWED SO THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME AND WE'RE THE EASIEST TARGET. SO MOST AUTO COMPANIES WANT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. NOW THE CAVEAT TO THAT IS IS IT
SAFE FOR THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR TO DO SO AND THAT'S THE ONLY RUB AND THAT TYPICALLY COMES WITH THE PRIVATE PROPERTY IMPOUND, TRESPASS, TOWS NOT THE
POLICE ORDERED TOWS BECAUSE USUALLY THERE'S AN OFFICER I MEAN WITH STREET SWEEPING IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A SUPERVISOR FROM YOUR TRAFFIC DIVISION AND A SUPERVISOR FROM
THE TOWING COMPANY ON SCENE WHEN THOSE ARE DONE. SO I DON'T SEE THOSE AS BEING AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM BUT THAT'S
MOST TOW COMPANIES KEEP VERY, VERY ACCURATE LOGS AND A LOT OF THEM ARE ELECTRONIC TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AND IT ALSO CAM AND QUESTION MORE ABOUT A GENERAL GENERALIZED
SORT OF COMPLAINT PROCEDURE. I KNOW COMPLAINTS TEND TO GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES. IS THERE IS THERE SOME SORT OF A A AN OMBUDSPERSON FROM
YOUR INDUSTRY WHO HELPS GUIDE THOSE SITUATIONS OR YOU LEAVE IT ALL UP TO THE DPU SO I FIELD A LOT OF CALLS PROBABLY I
WOULDN'T SAY A LOT LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC I PROBABLY FIELD TEN OR 15 A MONTH WITH QUESTIONS FROM CONSUMERS IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK
THAT YOU KNOW I CAN EXPLAIN TO THE CONSUMER AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY I WILL REFER THEM BACK TO THE TOWING COMPANY
FIRST IF THEY TELL ME THEY HAVEN'T HAD THAT CONVERSATION THEN WITH THE TOWING COMPANY OWNER AND IF THEY DON'T GET SATISFACTION THEN I REFER THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES NOW THE CAVEAT WITH
THAT IS A LOT OF CITIES AND TOWNS HAVE THEIR OWN COMPLAINT PROCESS. THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE HAS THEIR OWN COMPLAINT PROCESS SO IN THOSE CASES WILL REFER
THEM BACK TO THE ORDERING AUTHORITY FIRST AND ONE THING THAT WE SEE AND CERTAINLY IT
MAKES PEOPLE THINK REALLY BAD I THINK IS THE WHOLE ISSUE AND I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC TOWING TODAY BUT IN PRIVATE PROPERTY IN HOMES AS YOU CALL THEM, THE TRESPASS TOLLS WE
FIND THAT IN SOME LOCATIONS THAT THE TOW COMPANY HAS ACTUALLY HIRED A SPOTTER TO SIT IN THE PARKING LOT AND CALL IN WHEN SOMEONE POPS OUT OF THE
CAR TO GO RUNNING AND GET A CUP OF COFFEE OR WHATEVER AND IT JUST SEEMS VERY IT'S I'M NOT GOING TO USE THE WORD I'M NOT GOING TO USE THE WORD BUT IT
SEEMS UNFAIR. IS THAT A SORT OF A STANDARD PRACTICE OR IS THAT FROWNED UPON WITHIN THE INDUSTRY? YEAH, FOR THE MOST PART WE FROWN UPON IT. WE ASK THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO
CALL AND REPORT THOSE THINGS ON THE PROPERTY MANAGERS NOT INDEPENDENT SPOTTERS FOR THE TOW COMPANIES AND MANY MANY CITIES AND TOWNS AND STATES
HAVE PROHIBITED SPOTTERS AT THIS POINT SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AGREE WITH YOU. I MEAN I SEE BOTH SIDES OF IT. THE PROPERTY OWNERS WANT TO USE
THEIR PROPERTY. THEY WANT TO HAVE IT FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. THERE IS A AN INCREASE OF FOLKS NOT RESPECTING THAT PROPERTY.
RIGHT. WE'VE SEEN THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL. AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WANT IT CLEARED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU FOUR I'LL JUST
USE A COFFEE SHOP LIKE A DUNKIN DONUTS IF SOMEONE PARKS THERE AND RUNS ACROSS THE STREET FOR 10 MINUTES, THEY COULD HAVE LOST TWO CUSTOMERS IN THAT TIME FRAME. SO I UNDERSTAND THE POINT
BECAUSE THEY'RE TURNING OVER HIGH VOLUME. YOU RUN IT AND YOU GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE AND YOU LEAVE. SO IT'S A FIVE MINUTE TRANSACTION IF SOMEONE'S TAKING THAT SPACE FOR TWO YOU KNOW,
TWO CUSTOMERS THAT GETS EXPENSIVE AS THE DAY WEARS ON IF THEY'RE OPEN, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THAT HAPPENS FOUR TIMES, SIX
TIMES A DAY THAT'S 12 CUSTOMERS THAT THEY'VE LOST. SO I SEE BOTH SIDES OF IT. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT SPOTTERS ARE QUESTIONABLE COST
SUCH IT SHOULDN'T BE MY I NOW ANOTHER QUESTION I'M SURE ONE AT A TIME AT THIS POINT OR SORRY YEAH DEFINITELY YOU KNOW WHAT AND THEN THE OTHER THING
IS JUST IN TERMS OF TOLL OPERATORS COMMUNICATION WITH THE TRANSPORT LIKE THE BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OR THE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IT
ISN'T THE SAME AS IS IT LIKE THE AGENCIES FOR A TOLL FOR DIFFERENT OPERATORS DO THEY HAVE THE SAME PROCEDURES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT OR IS IT IS IT ON THE IS IS IT THE RESPONSIBLE OF THE OF THE CITY TO CENTRALIZE AND ANALYZE ALL OF THAT DATA?
SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WITH BOSTON ATV, WITH THE STREETS SWEEPING THAT THEY HAVE TO CALL EVERY SINGLE ONE IN BEFORE THEY TOW IT AND GET A TICKET NUMBER FOR IT.
THAT'S UNIQUE AS FAR AS I KNOW TO BOSTON MOST CITIES AND TOWNS USES WILL CALL THE TOW COMPANY AND SAY TAKE EVERYTHING ON ABC
STREET WE NEED TO CLEAN FOR SNOW REMOVAL STREET SWEEPING WHATEVER. ONCE YOU'VE THE ONCE YOU'VE GRABBED THOSE SO OR HOOKED UP TO THEM WHATEVER TERMINOLOGY
YOU WANT TO USE PLEASE BE SURE TO CALL IN AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU'RE TAKING IT BACK TO YOUR YARD. GIVE US THE PLATE NUMBER THE MAKE THE MODEL AND WE'LL LOG THAT IN SO THE DISPATCHERS LOG
IT AND AFTER THE FACT THERE'S NO TICKET NUMBER ISSUED OTHER THAN A PARKING TICKET WHICH YOU KNOW TYPICALLY IS ALREADY ON THE VEHICLE WHEN WE PICK IT UP. SO FOR THAT POINT THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE I BELIEVE TO BOSTON. I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER CITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH THAT USES THAT PARTICULAR SYSTEM AND I WILL TELL YOU I'VE HEARD A LOT FROM
TOWING COMPANIES THAT THEY FIND THAT EXTREMELY BURNHAMS BURDENSOME THAT THERE HAS TO BE A SUPERVISOR ON SCENE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE CALLED IN AND GET ISSUED A TICKET NUMBER
BEFORE THEY CAN TELL IT. IT'S IT'S VERY TIME CONSUMING. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. MR CHAIR. I THINK THAT'S MY TIME OVER.
THANK YOU. NO, NO, NO WORRIES. NO WORRIES. I ALWAYS LIKE TO ALLOW THE LEAD SPONSOR TO ASK QUESTIONS THEY HAVE. ALL RIGHT. SO I ALSO WANT TO WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR FITZGERALD
. THANK YOU FOR JOINING. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO AND ORDER ARRIVAL THAT STARTS WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE COUNCILORS AND GENTLEMAN HERE AND THEN
FITZGERALD SO OH IS THAT COUNCILOR FLYNN MAY HAVE LEFT OKAY SO WE'LL COME BACK TO HIM. IF HE COMES BACK WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE
THANK YOU MR CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR RATE IN FOR FILING THIS. THANK YOU TO KIM FOR THE EXPLANATIONS. AM I CORRECT IN HEARING THAT THEIR CREDIT CARDS ARE
AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED? NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO SPECIFICALLY. WHAT DO YOU MEAN AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED AND YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I DIDN'T HEAR
THAT THE CREDIT LIKE INDIVIDUALS CREDIT CARDS AREN'T BEING AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED BECAUSE THEN I WOULD MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE LIKE HOW DO THEY HAVE THE CREDIT CARDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO AUTOMATICALLY CHARGE THEM? NO, THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
THAT IS NOT AT PRESENT THE ACTUAL CARD AT THE TIME TO CLAIM THEIR VEHICLE IF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CREDIT CARDS AND THEN AN ISSUE THAT'S HAPPENING THAT BIT TOWARDS
OBSERVING IS THAT THE DISPUTES OF THE ACTUAL CREDIT CARD CHARGES AND IT IS LIKELY THAT THE CUSTOMER IS SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE DISPUTES. THAT'S CORRECT.
OKAY. AND WHILE THEY ALLOW FOR THEY HAVE THE MONEY MACHINES AND THERE ARE THE ITEMS THAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE OUT MONEY THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT THAT THEY DO SO
CURRENTLY THERE IS NOT. OKAY. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT UNDER THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE HERE, THE HAVING INDEPENDENT SPOTTERS IS ACTUALLY NOT PERMISSIBLE.
HAVING A THIRD PARTY CALL IN A TOW OR THE TOWING COMPANY YOU KNOW, PAYING SOMEONE TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT WHEN A TOW WHEN A CAR IS YOU KNOW, ILLEGALLY
PARKED IS NOT PERMISSIBLE AND IT HAS TO BE CALLED IN BY EITHER THE OWNER OF THE PUBLIC PARK OF THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OR BY A STATE OR CITY OFFICIAL. DO I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY
AS WELL? I BELIEVE THAT'S YOUR THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. YES. IT IS NOT CURRENTLY A LAW OR A REGULATION IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. OKAY. BUT THERE ARE OTHER
JURISDICTIONS WHERE THAT'S THE CASE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. YES. OKAY. SORRY OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY IN WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH AT THIS POINT . OKAY.
UNDERSTOOD. AND THEN WHO MAKES THE DECISION ON WHERE ARE THE AUTO COMPANIES
THAT WE'RE USING IN THE CITY? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STREET SWEEPING IS A CONTRACT BUT THE POLICE ORDERED TOWING IS HANDLED BY THE INDIVIDUAL
DISTRICTS AND THERE ARE NO CONTRACTS. SO IT'S JUST THE INDIVIDUAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT BASICALLY SELECT A TOWING COMPANY TO USE OR TO CALL
WHENEVER THERE NEEDS TO BE A CARTEL WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON. YES, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY. UM, SO EACH POLICE STATION GETS TO MAKE THAT DECISION FOR
THEMSELVES. JUST EACH DISTRICT. YES. THAT'S LIKE ENDING AND YOU KNOW, I DO NOT DO TOWING IN THE CITY OF BOSTON SO I YOU KNOW,
I'VE GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM OUR MEMBERS BUT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND THAT'S KIND OF UNIQUE BECAUSE MOST CITIES HAVE SOME KIND OF STANDARDS FOR
THEIR TOWING COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE POLICE SORT OF TOWING SO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CAM. MR CHAIR, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AT ALL OF MY KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR AARON MURPHY AGAIN, WE ARE LISTENING HERE TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
MAYOR'S POSITION AND WE ARE JUST DOING Q&A. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IN LINE IS COUNCILOR SANTANA.
GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR, FOR MEETING US AND WE WANT TO THANK THE LEAD SPONSOR, COUNCIL PRESIDENT DAVID KEMP FOR JOINING US. AND I THINK I'VE LEARNED A LOT
AND THIS HEARING THIS IS SOMETHING IS A TOPIC THAT WE HEAR AS COUNCILORS FROM CONSTITUENTS A LOT BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED, NO ONE LIKES THEIR CAR TOWED.
IT'S HOW I WOULD MAKE MY QUESTION. I THINK MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. I THINK I WAS. MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION WAS ALONG THE SAME LINES AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE AND WOULD YOU LIKE MORE INFORMATION
MAYBE IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE CHOOSING THE TOWING COMPANIES IN DISTRICTS THAT I THINK CAME OUT AS GIVEN ENOUGH INFORMATION ? I THINK FROM WHAT SHE KNOWS ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO ON THE RECORD.
MR CHAIR OF BEING ABLE TO REQUEST THAT INFORMATION IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, HOW WE CHOOSE IN OUR DISTRICT WHAT PHONE COMPANIES AND THEN YOU
KNOW, I THINK IN GENERAL WHO HOW HOW ARE WE HOLDING COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE IN GENERAL? I THINK I MAY START AT THE BEGINNING MAYBE WHEN WHEN KIM
WAS TALKING. BUT IF YOU DID MENTION THAT I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK TO THAT ACCORDING I'M NOT HONESTLY I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE CITY OF BOSTON HOLDS THE AUTO COMPANIES
ACCOUNTABLE ON A STATE LEVEL. IT GOES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES BUT I'M NOT IT I'M VAGUELY AWARE THAT IT PROBABLY THE COMPLAINTS GO TO
THE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON BUT I WOULD NOT SAY FOR CERTAIN THAT THAT'S THE CASE. I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING THAT ANSWER FOR YOU ON THE WAY.
THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. SO HAVE THE CHAIR. THOSE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE ON THE RECORD TO BE TRY TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THROUGH THE CHAIR BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU BEING HERE AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILOR BRAYTON AND THE CHAIR FOLLOWS IN THIS HEARING. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN SANTANA WE
DO HAVE A PANEL WITH WITH ADAM AND SO FOLKS FROM BTG SO MAYBE THAT'S THOSE ARE APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS FOR THE EVENT. YEP OKAY I WILL WAIT MY ONE WE'LL FOLLOW QUESTIONS FOR THE
SECOND PANEL. THANK YOU. AND THEN OF COURSE NO THANK YOU COUNSELOR TO HIM FOR RESOURCE I GOOD MORNING EVERYONE THANK YOU
TO THE LEAD SPONSOR AND THE CHAIR AND ALSO I'M HAPPY TO LISTEN IN HERE AND LEARNING ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF THE TOWING SAGA THAT SO MANY OF US GET
CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT OH MY GOD MY CAR HAS BEEN TOWED . BUT I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION AND I AND I KNOW THAT THE ADMIN MIGHT BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE PANEL TO ANSWER BUT I'M JUST
CURIOUS IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AND WHAT YOU'VE HEARD KIND OF WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR THE FEEDBACK THAT PEOPLE HAVE WHEN TOWING COMPANIES HAVE IN THEIR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON LIKE IN TERMS OF JUST OVERALL LIKE WHAT'S THE TONE AND TENOR AND RELATIONSHIP I FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM THE
MEMBERS THAT THE THE FRUSTRATION LIES IN THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF STANDARDS OTHER THAN THE CONTRACT FOR THE STREET SWEEPING BUT I DO BELIEVE I
HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE SAY THEY CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS THAT THEY WORK FOR. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MINOR
ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, PATROLMEN INTERPRETING THE LAW AND I, I PROVIDE THEM THE INFORMATION OFFER TO ACT AS A LIAISON AND TYPICALLY I'VE
NEVER HAD TO ACT AS A LIAISON. THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE THEY HAVE A SUFFICIENT RELATIONSHIP TO BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES THEMSELVES. GREAT. THANK YOU AND I KNOW CHAIR THIS
MIGHT YOU MIGHT BE THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS BUT I'M CURIOUS AND SINCE I HAVE SOMEBODY HERE WHO PROBABLY HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE KNOWLEDGE REGARDING TOWING THERE'S THIS PERCEPTION OR AT LEAST THAT
I'VE HEARD FROM FOLKS THAT ONCE A TOW COMPANY COMES IF IF YOU TRIED TO STOP THEM FROM TOWING YOUR CAR JUST LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE LIKE WHEN STREET CLEANING HAPPENS OR WHATEVER
AND THEY RUN OUTSIDE BUT THE TOW TRUCK IS ALREADY THERE AND THEY TRY REALLY HARD TO PERSUADE THEM DOWN TO MAKE MY CAR. THEY HAVE PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT
ONCE THAT ONCE THE LEGS HAVE BEEN DROPPED OFF OR WHATEVER IT IS TO LIFT UP THE CAR THAT'S IT. YOUR CAR HAS TO GO. YOU CAN'T TALK WAY OUT OF IT. I'M CURIOUS IS THAT TRUE OR
NOT? JUST FOR THE RECORD, KIM, LET'S JUST PUT PEOPLE AT EASE LIKE WHAT IS THE NORM AROUND LIKE IF YOU RUN OUT AND YOU TRY TO STOP THE TOW CAN YOU STOP IT?
SO YES OR NO IT'S NOT THAT EASY . TYPICALLY HERE'S THE HERE'S THE RUB PEOPLE WILL RUN OUT AND SAY
I'LL MOVE IT, I'LL MOVE IT AND THE MINUTE THE TOW TRUCK LEAVES THEY DON'T MOVE IT AND THEN THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR OR THE TOW COMPANY GETS A COMPLAINT FROM THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY.
YOU DIDN'T TELL THAT VEHICLE SO TYPICALLY YES. ONCE THEY PUT THE PUT THE WHEEL LIFT DOWN OR THE BED DOWN AND HAVE A CHAIN ON IT, YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT AND YOU HAVE TO
MOVE IT OR THEY'RE TAKING IT AND YOU HAVE TO MOVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND THE PROBLEM COMES WHEN PEOPLE DON'T YOU KNOW, THEY COME OUT IN THEIR BATHROBE AND THEY DON'T HAVE
THEIR CAR KEYS AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK IN AND THEY NEVER MOVE THEM. I WILL TELL YOU I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 42 YEARS. 90% OF THEM THINK I WON AND THEN GO BACK IN AND THEN THE
OPERATOR GETS THE COMPLAINT THAT THEY DIDN'T DO THEIR JOB. SO YEAH. YEP. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU SAID THAT KIM BECAUSE I NEED EVERYONE WHO'S TUNING IN HERE. TAKE YOUR CAR, PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS AND DON'T SAY YOU'RE
GOING TO JUST DO IT WHILE YOU'RE THERE AND LET IT GO. OKAY, SO THEN MY LAST QUESTION AND I KNOW THAT WHEN I HEAR IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS OUT OF ALL OF THE
TOWING COMPANIES THAT ARE INTERFACING WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON, WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THE DEMOCRAT LIKE ARE MOST OF THEM BOSTON BASED COMPANIES?
ARE THEY OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIKE DO YOU DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW KIND OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM?
MOST OF THEM TO MY KNOWLEDGE ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON. OKAY. SO YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE MAY BE I'M TRYING TO THINK YEAH, MOST OF THEM ARE WITHIN THE CITY.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE LOCATIONS NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE OTHER LOCATIONS THERE. THEY CAN HAVE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS BUT THEY DO HAVE A PRESENCE WITHIN THE CITY.
ALL RIGHT. I CAN THANK YOU. I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD YOU HOSTAGE ANY FURTHER. MY MOST OF MY QUESTIONS WILL BE FOR THE ADMIN. SO THANK YOU CHAIR FOR ALLOWING ME TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I'LL BE
STANDING BY FOR THE ADMIN PANEL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILOR HERE SEE WAS NICE. THAT WAS COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.
COUNCILOR BISHOP GEORGE THANK YOU CHAIR THANK YOU COUNCILOR BREADON FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT FOR FOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LOL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE I APPRECIATE ALL
YOU DO ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH BUT I WILL PROBABLY HAVE MORE POINTED QUESTIONS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU JEFF. THANK YOU COUNCILOR COUNCILOR MURPHY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU KIM FOR BEING HERE. IT'S IF I'M READING CORRECTLY THAT YOU REPRESENT OVER 200 TOWING COMPANIES. HOW MANY TOWING COMPANIES ARE
THERE IN THE CITY OR THE STATE? I ASSUME YOU OVERSEE THE STATEWIDE SO HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY UNDER YOUR JURISDICTION? WELL, WE'RE AN INDEPENDENT
PRIVATE ASSOCIATION SO WE'RE NOT WE DON'T HAVE A JURISDICTION PER SE BUT WE DO COVER THE ENTIRE COMMONWEALTH CURRENTLY THERE ARE 536
CERTIFICATED CARRIERS WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH. THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE A CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES TO PROVIDE INVOLUNTARY TOWING
SERVICES. YEP. INVOLUNTARY. YEAH. OKAY. OFF OF THOSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT LESS THAN 300 ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES.
THEY HAVE THE LICENSE BUT THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE DOING OTHER CORRECT. OKAY. LIKE WHEN YOU CALL TRIPLE J LIKE MOST OF THE TIME I WILL I WOULD SAY MOST OF THE TIMES I
NEED A TOW. IT'S VOLUNTARY. YEAH, NOT INVOLUNTARY. THAT MAKES SENSE. AND I KNOW THAT THE ADMIN MAY HAVE MORE DIRECT ANSWERS BUT I THINK SOME OF THE SAME
QUESTIONS JUST TO KIND OF GET A FEEL OF HOW EACH SIDE'S ANSWERING BUT WE YOU MENTIONED THE DISTRICT SO IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU'RE
SAYING DISTRICT BY THE POLICE DISTRICTS THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, CORRECT. OKAY. BECAUSE AND ALSO ON AIR BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I'VE ADVOCATED AND
LOOKED AT THE LIST AND I KNOW WHEN NAMES FALL OFF IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY COVETED LIST TO GET YOUR NAME ON TO. AND I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY WHO'S AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS SO
JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IT ONE PERSON AT HEADQUARTERS WHO OVERSEES IT AND THEN EACH DISTRICT HOLDS THEIR OWN LIST ALSO WHEN YOU MENTION THE STATE
PUBLIC UTILITIES IS WHERE THEY GET THEIR LICENSE. IT'S JUST INTERESTING BECAUSE THAT HAS COME UP WHEN WE HAVE SPOKEN ON THE COUNCIL LIKE UBER AND LYFT FALL UNDER THEM ALSO
CORRECT. SO IT'S LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE POLICE ARE OVERSEEING IT BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE JURISDICTION OF IT. THAT'S JUST A BIGGER THING. I THINK WE ON THE COUNCIL SHOULD MAYBE LOOK INTO
THAT WE YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT AUTHORITY BACK OR TAKE IT OVER KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IF EACH DISTRICT HAS A LIST DO YOU KNOW HOW OFTEN THE
LIST IS UPDATED? DO YOU ADVOCATE LIKE WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY WHEN YOU HAVE A TOWING COMPANY INSIDE BOSTON WHO WHO FINDS OUT LIKE TO GET ON THIS LIST?
THERE IS A PROCESS. DO YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THAT? AS MUCH AS I CAN THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE ISN'T REALLY A PROCESS.
IT'S A REQUEST AND EVERY DISTRICT DOES IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY AND I WILL SHARE WITH YOU THAT THAT USED TO BE THE WAY THE STATE POLICE DID IT EVERY BARRACKS HAD THEIR OWN
ROTATION LIST AND SOME WERE EASIER TO GET ON. YOU KNOW THEY HAD STANDARDS BUT THE LIST TENDED TO GET CLOSED AND THEN I WILL TELL YOU, YOU
KNOW, FROM THE TOWERS POINT OF VIEW, THE MORE PEOPLE ON IT THE LESS PROFITABLE IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAN SOMETHING 24 HOURS A DAY.
SO THERE'S A THAT'S THE RUB BUT HAVING SOME STANDARDIZED REQUIREMENTS I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU WANT THEM YOU KNOW,
THINGS LIKE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR THE DRIVERS. MM HMM. MM HMM. RIGHT. SO WHEN IT GOES UP LIKE THAT THOSE WERE THE CONCERNS WITH UBER AND LYFT WHEN WE'VE SPOKEN
IN LIKE A CITY INCIDENCES AND THE FEW THE TIMES THAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ADVOCATE OR LIKE TO LOOK MORE INTO THE PROCESS ON THE LIST IT DOES SEEM LIKE IN EVERY DISTRICT MAY BE A
LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT THERE IS A NUMBER AND THAT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE LIST AND IT'S NOT WORTH IT. BUT WHEN SOMEBODY EITHER FALLS OFF THE LIST BECAUSE THEY LOST
THEIR LICENSE, THEY MAY HAVE RETIRED OR SOLD THE BUSINESS BUT THEN THE PROCESS TO OF LIKE HOW DO WE GET IN WHAT WHAT ROLE DO WE PLAY ON THE COUNCIL? I THINK THE NEXT PANEL MAY BE
HELPFUL OR JUST WONDERING ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN THAT ADVICE OR HEARD FROM TOW TRUCK DRIVERS THAT IT SEEMS KIND OF LIKE A A LIST YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE
OR IT'S A POPULARITY LIST OR IS IT BASED ON OTHER STANDARDS? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IS EVERY DISTRICT HAS THEIR OWN STANDARDS OR LACK THEREOF.
SO I'VE HEARD THAT IT'S WHO YOU KNOW TO A CERTAIN EXTENT WHAT'S VERY MUCH ANTIQUATED WAY
OF DOING THINGS, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE YOU DO GIVE AND THE CITY WOULDN'T RUN I KNOW STREET CLEANING SOME DAYS I'M RUSHING
OUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IT THE SECOND FOURTH WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK IT IS BUT JUST THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT YOU GIVE THIS INDUSTRY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, JIM.
THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. OKAY, I I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR HIM AS WELL. IT'S A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THE I THINK IT COMES FROM THE OTHER BROUGHT IT UP ABOUT WHEN
YOU'RE OUTSIDE AND THE TOW TRUCK IS OUTSIDE DOES MASSACHUSETTS HAVE A DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY CALL IT A DROP FEE TO HAVE YOUR VEHICLE RELEASED? YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES.
THE 220 CMA 272 SAYS THAT THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR MAY CHARGE ONE HALF THE TOWING STATE MAY DOESN'T SAY THEY HAVE TO THEY
CAN CHARGE THE FULL AMOUNT THEY CAN CHARGE NOTHING. THAT'S THE INTERPRET LEGAL INTERPRETATION. SO IT'S A SLIPPERY.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS ANOTHER STATE LAW THAT THEY CANNOT CHARGE MORE THAN HALF OF THE FULL TOWING RATE IF THEY'RE ON SITE. SPECIFICALLY THE LAW STATES MAY
CHARGE HALF. IT DOESN'T SAY THEY SHALL CHARGE HALF. OKAY. SO IT'S A LITTLE YEAH AREA THERE. IT'S AMBIGUOUS. YES, FOR SURE.
YEAH BUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS UP TO THE THE TO SAY OKAY I'LL DROP THE CAR HERE YOU PAY.
WELL IT'S CERTAINLY UP TO THE COMPANY TO SET THEIR POLICY ACCORDINGLY AND THE DRIVER TO FOLLOW IT. OKAY. AND I WILL TELL YOU WE SEE LESS
AND LESS OF THAT AS THE RATES AND WITHOUT GETTING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL THE RATES ARE HAVE BEEN SET ARTIFICIALLY LOW FOR YEARS SINCE 1970.
THEY SET IT LOW IN 1970 AND THEY'VE BEEN BUILDING ON IT EVER SINCE. SO IT IS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE FOR THESE TOW
COMPANIES TO DROP FOUR ONE HALF WHICH IS LESS THAN $70. SO WHAT IS IT WE'RE LIKE 132 OR
132 FOR THE HOOK? YEAH. AND THE MILEAGE IS BASED ON ROUND TRIP OUT AFTER FIVE WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING DOESN'T APPLY VERY OFTEN IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. SO.
GOTCHA. OKAY. AND THAT'S GOOD FOR ME TO KNOW TOO. JUST BECAUSE WHEN WHEN THOSE LAWS ARE IN PLACES LIKE SOMETIMES RESIDENTS THINK THAT THAT IS THE LAW BUT NOW IT'S LIKE IT'S UP TO INTERPRETATION
BASED ON THE COMPANY. SO YEAH, IT'S GOOD FOR FLAHERTY FOR ME AS WELL. AND WHEN WAS I REMEMBER THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECENT THERE WAS
A STATE LAW OR SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT GOING ON WITH THIS WAS HOW REASONABLE WAS THAT? I'M SORRY. WAS THERE SOMETHING ON THE STATE BALLOT RECENTLY FOR LIKE
PINS FOR TOWING PRACTICES OR SOME SORT OF LEGISLATION? I'M JUST TRYING TO REFRESH MY MIND. THERE'S THERE'S A NUMBER OF BILLS EVERY YEAR FILED. THERE ARE PROBABLY EIGHT OR
NINE RIGHT NOW AND YEAH. YEAH SOME WE HAVE FILED AND SOME ARE SOME ARE YOU KNOW
FILED BY OTHERS THERE IS THE BROWNSBURG AH BILL MIRRORS THE DRAFT THAT YOU FOLKS ADDRESSED IN THAT YOU FOLKS CREATED IN
2022 WHICH HAS BEEN FILED AND REFILED AND REFILED AND WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH HIS STAFF ABOUT THAT AND THE SENATOR AS WELL AND SENATOR
BROWNSBURG. OKAY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT, COOL. MR PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE ANY
FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR AS LITTLE. YEAH. I WAS WONDERING ABOUT IN TERMS OF DO YOU FOLKS HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT SORT OF FOR YOUR OWN
MEMBERS THAT AND IF THERE'S DO YOU HAVE ANY ANY ANY POWER TO CENSURE OR REPRIMAND AND OPERATOR WHO'S BRINGING YOUR INDUSTRY INTO DISREPUTE?
UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER OF LIKE THE MEDICAL BOARD OR THE BAR ASSOCIATION. WE WE DO HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO
ANYTHING WITH IT OTHER THAN YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM FEEDBACK. WE DO, YOU KNOW, RUN CLASSES ON BEST PRACTICE IS WE WE PUSH FOR
PROFESSIONALISM. WE TRY TO TEACH THEM THAT THE THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE EMPATHY EMPATHY WORKS MUCH BETTER THAN CONFRONTATION. BUT I WILL TELL YOU IT IS
DIFFICULT SOMETIMES YOU KNOW THAT DEALING WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THEY'RE ANGRY IT'S IT'S A SKILL SET. YOU REALLY IT'S DIFFICULT
SOMETIMES NOT ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES HAVE THOSE SKILL SETS. YES. I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I HAVE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS FOR
FOR OUR CITY PANEL ADMINISTRATION PANEL. SO THANK YOU, KIM. I'M SURE WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH A FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE THINGS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE SERVICES AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET, IT'S LIKE THE DENTIST SOMETIMES HAPPY TO SEE THE DENTIST. SOMETIMES THE COMPANY IS THE SAME THING. IF YOU'RE BROKEN DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD YOU'RE
RELIEVED TO SEE THE TOW COMPANY COME. BUT YEAH, A LOT OF THE TIMES IT'S NOT SUCH A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND WE APPRECIATE THAT THE WORK IS NECESSARY BUT TRYING TO EASE THE PAIN FOR OUR
CONSTITUENTS BUT ALSO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT WHAT AND WHAT'S REASONABLE AND WHAT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS ON THE STREETS OF BOSTON SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU MS. LITTLE FOR BEING HERE OR YOUR PRESENTATION AND FOR ENJOYING THE QUESTIONS OF MY COLLEAGUES AND I. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I'M OKAY WITH THAT. YOU ARE DISMISSED AND YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO WATCH OR YOU CAN YOU CAN GO ALONG WITH YOUR DAY. BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION OVER TO THE CITIZENS
PANEL AND THEN SEE WHO IS HERE .
I THINK I SEEN COMMISSIONER GOVE IN THERE.
AWESOME. COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, LOUD AND CLEAR. THANK YOU. NOW OF COURSE FIRST JUST TO MAKE SURE ANYONE ELSE FROM YOUR TEAM JOINING US I BELIEVE JOHN
ROMANO IS GOING TO JOIN AS WELL AS MELVIN BOGGS. OH, OKAY. I DO SEE THEM AS SO CAN WE MAKE THE PANELIST AS JOHN MIGHT BE
AS JOHN SO IF THAT'S YOU JOHN MAKE YOURSELF JOHN ROMANO HELP
IT THERE HE IS PERFECT. HEY, JOHN. HEY. HEY, MELVIN. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE COLLEAGUES WE ARE NOW ON THE SECOND PANEL HERE LISTENING FROM BOTH FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
WITH COMMISSIONER GOV. JOHN ROMANO AND MELVIN BOGGS. COMMISSIONER, HONESTLY THE FLOOR IS YOURS WITH ANY OPENING REMARKS OR ANY OPENING PRESENTATION THAT YOU MAY HAVE. GREAT. THANK YOU.
SO AGAIN GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS NICK GOVE. I'M DEPUTY CHIEF FOR TRANSPORTATION HERE ALSO SERVING AS COMMISSIONER OF THE BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. JOHN ROMANO OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS IS HERE AS WELL
AS MELBA BOGGS WHO'S THE SUPREME SUPERVISOR OF OUR TOWN HALL TEAM AT BTD. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR HAVING US HERE TO DISCUSS PUBLIC AUTHORITY TOLLING PRACTICES AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. I DO WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON SOME OF THE CITY'S REMOVAL OF VEHICLES PARKED IN OR STANDING IN VIOLATION OF LAW
AND PUBLIC WAYS IN ACCORDANCE WITH MDL CHAPTER 90 AS WELL AS THE CITY OF BOSTON TRAFFIC RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE CITY OF BOSTON IS AUTHORIZED TO REMOVE VEHICLES FROM THE PUBLIC WAY WHERE
STOPPING STANDING OR PARKING IS PROHIBITED. SO EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE OBVIOUSLY DOUBLE PARKING AND BLOCKING FIRE HYDRANT PARKING WITHIN HPD PARKING WITHOUT A
PLATE OR PLACARD PARKING SIDEWALK OR PARKING ON A STREET WITH TEMPORARY NO STOPPING REGULATIONS FOR SNOW EMERGENCY SPECIAL EVENTS OR STREETS
STREET CLEAN BUT ALSO ADMINISTERS THE PRIVATE TOWING CONTRACTS THAT SUPPORT THE BOSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT STREET CLEANING PROGRAMS WHICH
ARE CRITICAL TO THE CITY'S HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE AND SANITATION OPERATIONS. PUBLIC HAS TWO PRIMARY STREET CLEANING PROGRAMS THE BIWEEKLY DAYTIME PROGRAM STREET CLEAN
PROGRAM THAT RUNS FROM APRIL TO NOVEMBER 30TH IN MOST NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS THE YEAR ROUND NIGHTTIME STREET STREET SWEEPING PROGRAM WHICH FOCUSES ON CLEANING ROADS,
ARTERIALS AND IN MAIN FAR AWAY WHICH IN MANY OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS OF THE CITY THESE PROGRAMS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.
OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEMS PERMIT OFTEN REFERRED TO AS NYPD'S
REGULAR STREET SWEEPING IMPROVES VISIBILITY AND REDUCES ROADWAY CRASHES FOR ALL USERS. IT REDUCES SLIPS AND FALLS FOR PEDESTRIANS, IMPROVES AIR QUALITY BY REMOVING DUST,
PARTICULATE MATTER AND OTHER AIRBORNE POLLUTANTS. IT PROTECTS AND EXTENDS THE LIFE OF THE PAVEMENT BY REMOVING ABRASIVE MATERIALS LIKE SAND AND GRAVEL AND IT
IMPROVES WATER QUALITY AND REDUCES FLOODING BY PREVENTING POLLUTANTS LIKE OIL, HEAVY METALS AND DEBRIS FROM ENTERING OUR WATERWAYS AND CLOGGING OUR STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS WHY STREET SWEEPER IS CRITICAL TO CLEAN TO CURB POST WINTER AND EARLY IN THE EARLY SPRING AND IN THE FALL AFTER WE'VE.
WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NOTIOE SERVICE WHICH WILL REMIND YOU OF STREET CLEANING ACTIVITIES AND SCHEDULES. YOU CAN DO SO BY SEARCHING STREET SWEEPING LOOK UP AND VOTER REGISTRATION ON CITY'S
WEBSITE. IN THE EVENT YOU THINK YOUR VEHICLE MAY HAVE BEEN TOWED FOR ANY REASON I WOULD SEARCH ON OUR ONLINE DATABASE USING YOUR LICENSE PLATE NUMBER OR BY
CALLING BPD AT 6173434629 OR BTD AT 617635 3900. ONCE FIND OUT WHERE YOUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO WHETHER IT'S THE TOW LOT OF 200
FRONTAGE OR ONE OF THE PRIVATE TOW COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE CITY YOU CAN GO PICK IT UP. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TOWING AND STORAGE FREE AS WELL AS WHAT YOU NEED TO RELEASE YOUR VEHICLE JUST AGAIN LOOK UP HOW
TO GET YOUR CAR TOWED BACK. OBVIOUSLY BOSTON WEBSITE. LASTLY AS MENTIONED BY THE PREVIOUS PANELS IN THE COMMONWEALTH MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES
DPU MONITORS AND REGULATES PRIVATE TOWING COMPANIES WHO CHARGE RATES FEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR REGULATIONS. SPECIFICALLY THAT CMA THAT WAS REFERENCE TO 2272.
IF YOU DO FEEL THAT YOU HAVE A GRIEVANCE YOU CAN FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE BOSTON MOVIE OR COMPANY WITH TDP OR IF NECESSARY. SO WITH THAT I WANT TO I WANT TO OBVIOUSLY ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE. I KNOW I HEARD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS PANEL BUT WELL, WE'LL WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM IN WHATEVER ORDER THE COUNCIL CHOOSES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH Q&A FROM THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCIL IN BRIGHTON AND THEN
AGAIN WE'LL GO ON ORDER OF ARRIVALS. SO THANK YOU AND GOOD TO SEE YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TOWING AND THEN BOSTON AND I THINK THIS IS
AN OPPORTUNE MOMENT TO SORT OF REVIEW WHAT WE DO AND AS THE CONTRACT FOR STREET CLEANING AND RELATED TOWING IS UP FOR RENEWAL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SORT OF CAME TO LIGHT REALLY THE IDEA THAT A TICKET AND TOWING ARE THE TICKET AT A VEHICLE
MUST BE TICKETED BEFORE IT CAN BE TOWED FOR STREET CLEANING AS THAT IS A GENERAL PRACTICE ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY. THAT'S CORRECT. VEHICLE HAS TO BE ISSUED A
VIOLATION AND BEFORE WE CAN TELL IT AND THIS UP I THINK IN THE PREVIOUS PANEL BUT THE PROCESS THAT WAS REFERENCED IS THE SO FOR EXAMPLE WHEN WHEN
WE'RE DOING STREET SWEEPING WITH THE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS FOR THE STREET CLEAN PROGRAM THEY ARE REQUIRED TO CALL INTO THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
TOW LINE TO RECEIVE APPROVAL FOR THAT TOW BEFORE THEY CAN LIFT A VEHICLE. SO WHAT MANY FOLKS HAVE PROBABLY SEEN IS IT'S OUR
PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HOW WE'RE DOING THE ISSUANCE OF THE INITIAL VIOLATION. BUT BEFORE THAT CAR CAN BE ACTUALLY MOVED IT HAS TO BE CALLED IN AN APPROVED BY THE
DPD TO LINE. SO THE OWNER ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO HAPPEN IS. SO THE STREET CLEANING EVERYBODY CLEARS THE STREET THE STREET CLEANER COMES ALONG
BETWEEN THE HOURS OF SEVEN AND 12 WHATEVER THE TIME IS THE STREETS CLEANED AND THE RESIDENTS CAN SEE THAT THE STREET CLEANER HAS BEEN HERE AND HAS GONE THE STREETS CLEAN.
THEY PUT THE CAR BACK ON THE STREET AND THE TOW COMPANY COMES ALONG AND TELLS THEM AND IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE IT'S JUST AN OPERATOR THAT IS
PARTICULARLY PROBLEMATIC. BUT I THINK WE SEE THAT IN OUR DISTRICT THAT THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A TICKET ON THAT CAR BUT THE CAR IS STILL TOTALED BEFORE IF IT'S IN THAT
STREET CLEANING PERIOD IT'S A WAY TO YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S DIFFICULT YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T YOU'RE YOU KNOW, PARKING ENFORCEMENT FOLKS ARE NOT GOING
TO GO BACK AND TAKE THE CAR ON THE STREET THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CLEANED UP THAT DOES THAT SEEM REASONABLE? YEAH, I YOU KNOW, WE DO WE DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO AVOID
PARKING IN THE IN THE ENTIRE PERIOD WHICH YOU KNOW, IT'S RESTRICTED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THE SPRING AND FALL BECAUSE OFTENTIMES LIKE PARTICULARLY
THE FIRST STREET SWEEPING OF OF THE SPRING WE WE HAVE TO MAKE MULTIPLE PASSES TO TRULY CLEAN THE STREET TO THE CURB AND WE
HAVE THE SAME ISSUE IN THE FALL WITH WITH WITH LEADS. BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT OUR PRACTICE THAT ONCE WE GO THROUGH AND WE ARE FINISHED
WITH THAT CLEANING SESSION WE DON'T WE DON'T GO BACK AND JUST ARBITRARILY ISSUE VIOLATIONS TO VEHICLES. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IF IF THERE
IS A PARTICULAR CONCERN THAT SOMEBODY WAS TOWED WITHOUT A VIOLATION BEING ISSUED, THEN THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO INVESTIGATE BECAUSE THAT IS NOT IT'S NOT OUR PRACTICE.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION WAS REALLY ABOUT THE TOTAL LIKE DO WE DO WE AUDIT THOSE ALL THREE AND DO ANALYSIS ON THE TOW LOGS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MOST TOWING HAPPENING AND BY
NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU JUST SEE WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AND I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU IN THE PAST YOU KNOW THAT THE NOTION
THAT SOME STREETS IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON ARE TICKETED AND TOW AND OTHERS FOR STREET CLEANING AND OTHERS DON'T HAVE ANY AND THEY'RE ALL RESIDENTIAL SIDEWALKS SIDE STREETS DON'T IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN TERMS
OF WHAT KIND OF STREET IT IS BUT SOME GET TICKET AND TOLD SOME DON'T GET THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT SAYING FOR A TOTAL OF STREET CLEANING AT ALL SO IS
THERE ANY SORT OF UNIFORMITY OR WHAT WHY IS IT SO WHY ARE THESE ANOMALIES ANOMALIES? SURE. I CAN GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF QUICK DATA POINTS BUT TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES WE DO . WE DO TRACK MONITOR AND EVALUATE ALL OF ALL OF THE DATA TOWING FOR FOR SCOPE OF THIS.
IN FISCAL 25 BP ISSUED ALMOST 107,000 PARKING VIOLATIONS FOR STREET CLEANING. OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL OF THOSE VIOLATIONS RESULTED IN A TOW BECAUSE MANY, MANY PEOPLE MOVED THEIR VEHICLE BEFORE BEFORE ITS
TOWED BUT WE DID TOW IT ALONE DID TOWED 13,504 VEHICLE SO JUST WANT TO FRAME FRAME OF SCOPE THERE AS FAR AS COMPLY
SINCE YOU KNOW WE HAVE IT REALLY VARIES BY NEIGHBORHOOD AND FRANKLY SOMETIMES EVEN EVEN STREET YOU KNOW THERE ARE OFTEN SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS
OF COMPLIANCE OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW EARLY SPRING SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET UNFORTUNATELY IN AND AROUND THE SEPTEMBER ONE MOVE IN IF YOU'RE YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE MOVED TO NEW
NEIGHBORHOOD OR MOVE STREETS, THAT CAN ALSO BE A TIME WHERE WE SEE AN INCREASE. SO BUT WE DO MONITOR THIS AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE UPCOMING YOU
KNOW, SOLICITATION FOR NEW CONTRACTS WILL BE WILL BE EVALUATING KIND OF WHERE WE TOW AND SO WHERE AND WHY AND WHETHER WE NEED TO YOU KNOW
EITHER ADD OR REMOVE STREETS FROM FROM THAT LIST. UM I KNOW I'M READING THROUGH THE OLD CONTRACT FROM 2023 AND
IT SAYS THAT YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF METHOD OF PAYMENT THAT THE PAYMENT CAN BE MADE IN CASH OR AS WELL AS CREDIT CARD AND WE JUST HEARD FROM TIM FROM KIM
LOWELL THAT YOU KNOW THE THAT'S THAT'S PROBLEMATIC FOR MANY TOOL COMPANIES IS AH AND I KNOW FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE I'M FORTUNATE TO GET TOLD IN THE
LAST YEAR OR SO AND I WAS SHOCKED THAT I COULDN'T PAY MY CREDIT CARD IS HOW DO WE ENFORCING THAT LIKE ARE WE HOW
DOES THAT WORK LIKE IT'S A TOOL COMPANY JUST SAYS IT'LL TAKE YEAH I MEAN AH YOU KNOW THAT'S A REQUIREMENT OF OF OUR CONTRACT IT IS BUT IT IS YOU
KNOW OTHER OTHER CONTRACTS IT MAY NOT BE A REQUIREMENT OF BUT WE YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF RESIDENTS WE FEEL THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT
THAT IS A REQUIREMENT YOU KNOW ON THE ON THE PROCUREMENT AND SOLICITATION OF THESE CONTRACTS. YOU KNOW, IT IS IT SHOULD BE
NOTED THAT YOU KNOW, THIS TOWING AND STORAGE IS IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS EXEMPT FROM CHAPTER 30 B SO YOU KNOW,
MUNICIPALITIES OR ANY TYPE OF PUBLIC ENTITY BUT NOT REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH THE TYPICAL BIDDING PROCESS WHEN HIRING TOWING AND AND STORAGE COMPANIES.
THAT SAID, BPD DOES CHOOSE TO DO A REQUEST FOR CALL QUALIFICATIONS PROCESS WHICH FRANKLY CLOSELY MIRRORS THE CHAPTER 30 D PROCESS BECAUSE WE
WANT TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS FOR THESE CONTRACTS BUT ALSO CLEARLY LAY OUT, YOU KNOW WHAT WE EXPECT FOR PERFORMANCE
AND HOW THE CONTRACTS HOW THE CONTRACTORS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. YOU KNOW DURING DURING THE COBALT HOUR FRANKLY WE
STRUGGLED TO FILL ALL OF THESE CONTRACTS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE WE HAVE SEVEN CONTRACTORS UNDER AGREEMENT WORKING FOR US UNDER THE STREET CLEANING PROGRAM.
BUT AS AS WE'VE DISCUSSED COUNCIL WILL BE PUTTING OUT THAT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS LATER THIS FALL. AND YOU KNOW, WE HOPE TO WE HOPE TO AT LEAST MAINTAIN IF
NOT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VENDORS THAT THAT WE HAVE UNDER CONTRACT IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. I SEE IN THE OLD CONTRACT THAT
THE DROP THE VEHICLE QUESTION WE RAISED WITH KIM A A DROP OF A VEHICLE SHOULD BE MADE AT NO CHARGE SHALL BE ASSESSED PROVIDING THAT THE DRIVER
OF THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO CLEAN THE CAR BEFORE THE TOW TRUCK HAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE CURB AND WHERE THE TOWING UP A ONE OF THE APPARATUS HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE ON THE
NO CIRCUMSTANCES THE DRIVER OF SAID TOW TRUCK IS TO DEMAND OR IMPOSE ANY FEE ON THE MOTORISTS TO TO DROP THE THEY DROP THE VEHICLE. AGAIN I THINK WE FIND THAT
THAT'S AN AREA WHERE THERE'S A LITTLE LICENSE TO TAKEN ON THE PART OF SOME TOW TRUCK DRIVERS THAT THEY DON'T COMPLY WITH THAT REQUIREMENT.
YEAH YOU KNOW THE YOU KNOW THE PRIOR PANEL DISCUSSED KIND OF THE MAY VERSUS SHOW AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, STATEWIDE LAW ON THIS BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD CERTAINLY
LOOK AT AN UPCOMING CONTRACT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW WE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE YOU KNOW, WE
WANT TO MINIMIZE CONFLICT TOO TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THAT WE COULD FIRM UP THE LANGUAGE ON FOR OF THE UPCOMING CONTRACTS BUT
IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE'D WANT WE'D CERTAINLY WANT FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL ON AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HEAR FROM, YOU KNOW, THE TOWING CONTRACTORS AS WELL.
SO I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT IT SAYS THAT ALL VEHICLES TOLD MUST BE DOCUMENTED ON THE THESE SMART SHEETS OR OTHER SOFTWARE SELECTED BY THE CITY BY EACH CONTRACT A DAILY DO SO
CONTRACTORS LOG IN ALL THEIR TOLLS EVERY DAY AND THAT'S A REQUIREMENT AS WELL. YEAH YEAH THE CONTRACTORS ARE REQUIRED TO TO LOG ALL OF THEIR
TUBS THAT INFORMATION IS IS CROSS-REFERENCED VERSUS THE TOW LINE IN WHICH THEY CALL INTO FOR APPROVAL. AND THEN YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR
OWN CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION PROCESS FOR THESE CONTRACTS JUST LIKE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CITY CONTRACTS. SO BEFORE I BEFORE I A COMPANY
CAN TAKE SOMEBODY EVEN IF IT'S AN ILLEGAL IT'S PARKED IN FRONT OF A HYDRANT OR SOMETHING CAN THEY GO OF THEIR OWN VOLITION AND TAKE SOMEBODY OFF FROM IN FRONT OF A HYDRANT OR DO THEY
HAVE TO BE TICKETED? NO, THEY THE TOW HAS TO IN THE CASE OF BTD WE WOULD HAVE TO ISSUE A VIOLATION TO AUTHORIZE THAT TOW AND SAME THING FOR
BOSTON POLICE. THEY HAVE TO AUTHORIZE THAT. SO I THINK THAT IS THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE COUNCILOR THAT I THINK IS GOOD TO YOU KNOW TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
IS THAT FOR TOWING WITHIN THE PUBLIC WAY ANYWHERE WITHIN THE PUBLIC WHERE THAT HAS TO BE AUTHORIZED BY UBER TO BE A YOU
KNOW, A VIOLATION OR THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT? YEAH. AND I APPRECIATE IN OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION WITH CAM THAT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN A PRIVATE SPACE WITH A
PRIVATE PARKING LOT OR WHATEVER AND A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF RULES TO THAT. BUT CERTAINLY WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO CLARIFY WHAT WHAT WHAT'S WHAT WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC WAY AND HOW PEOPLE CAN
LEARN TO COMPLIANT AND COMPLYING WITH THE RULES? MR CHAIR, I THINK I'LL HOLD THAT FOR NOW AND MAY COME BACK WITH FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILOR. OKAY, LET'S SEE COUNCILOR JO
LIVED WITH COUNCILOR SANTANA. YES. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, FOR BEING HERE WITH YOU AND
YOUR TEAM. DEFINITELY WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY COLLEAGUE JOHN ROMANO JUST AS AMAZING WORK AND AS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR OUR CITY AND OUR
RESIDENTS COUNCIL BRADING NICE AMAZING QUESTIONS AND I THINK IT GIVES SOME GOOD RESPONSES. SO YOU KNOW IN THOSE IN THAT CONVERSATION AND WHEN THE QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT TRACKING
DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND HIGH TOWING AREAS, IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN YOU RECEIVED THAT DATA THEN YOU CONCENTRATE IN THAT AREA FOR
MORE TOLLING OR DID I HEAR THAT INCORRECTLY? I THINK I WAS SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY COUNCILOR TO KIND
OF TOWING FOR STREET CLEAN BUT I THINK YOU RAISE A GOOD QUESTION AND I, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF I CAN EXPLAIN KIND OF THE LANDSCAPE
OF TOLLING IN THE CITY. SO OBVIOUSLY DURING DURING THE SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL THE STREET CLEANING PROGRAM IS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FOCUSES OF BPD
TO SUPPORT PUBLIC WORKS BUT ASIDE FROM THAT IN YEAR ROUND IT FOCUSES ON TOWING NOT JUST FOR STREET CLEANING BUT FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS.
WE TOW FOR AS PART OF OUR ABANDONED VEHICLE PROGRAM WHICH IS PART OF A BOOTING PROGRAM. OBVIOUSLY WE TOW FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, OBSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND SNOW EMERGENCIES IN THE IN
THE WINTER BOSTON POLICE OBVIOUSLY SAME THING YOU KNOW THEY TOW FOR PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARDS AND THREATS THEY SUPPORT BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
A BIG TOW FOR DISABLED VEHICLES VEHICLES THAT WERE IN CRASHES VEHICLES HELD FOR EVIDENCE AND AS WELL AS SAFETY VIOLATIONS THAT THAT WE TELL FOR SO FOR
EXAMPLE NO STOPPING AND THEN ALSO STOLE VEHICLES BEEPS ALSO TOWS MOSTLY FROM FROM THEIR PROPERTY FOR FOR FOR TRESPASS
WHICH IS FOR UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLES PARKED PARKED ON USUALLY IN THEIR PARKING LOTS AGAIN AS I REFERENCED PUBLIC WORKS YOU KNOW WE SUPPORT MOST
OF THEIR TIME FOR CONSTRUCTION. THEY ALSO DO SOME TOWING FOR THEIR OWN WORK MOVEMENT OF HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES, APPARATUS, ETC.. BOSTON FIRE DOES THE SAME THING .
AND THEN THERE'S YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE STATE OWNED ROADWAY BRIDGES AND TUNNELS AND BUS WAYS WHICH YOU KNOW, FALL UNDER THE VARIOUS CITY STATE AGENCIES WHEN THOSE FACILITIES SELL
MASSDOT TO MASSPORT. SO IT'S A IT'S A COMPLEX LANDSCAPE OF OF KIND OF WHO WHO IS TOWING WITH YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE PUBLIC WAY. BUT I JUST WANT TO TAKE A
MINUTE TO KIND OF GIVE THAT THAT OVERVIEW OF THAT EXTREMELY HELPFUL. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. AND JUST A FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS
THE GOAL IS I MEAN LET ME REPHRASE THIS QUESTION IS THERE FOR PEOPLE NOT TO REGULATE THE GOAL POINTS FOR PEOPLE NOT TO DO THAT AND OVER
AND OVER AGAIN RIGHT. SO AS IS YOUR WAY OF ENFORCEMENT THAT IS IS IT TO AN TO MORE OR DO YOU ALSO HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM
THAT'S EDUCATING RESIDENTS AND PROACTIVELY IN AREAS WHERE THERE'S YOU KNOW THERE'S MORE TOLLING HAPPENING ARE THERE ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAN TOLLING
MORE THAT WERE THAT YOUR TEAM IS DOING. YEAH IT'S GREAT GREAT QUESTION COUNCILOR SO YOU KNOW THE TOWING IS REALLY KIND OF OUR
OUR LAST EFFORT TO MANAGE A VIOLATION NOW OBVIOUSLY THERE'S EXAMPLES WHERE FOR SAFETY REASONS YOU KNOW WE HAVE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE RIGHT AWAY THAT'S USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE
MOST EGREGIOUS OF VIOLATIONS. SO FOR EXAMPLE PARKING IN FRONT OF A HYDRANT OR BLOCKING STREET RIGHT THAT EITHER A FIRE TRUCK OR TRASH TRUCK CAN'T GET DOWN.
BUT YOU KNOW OUR ARTEMIS LOCATION PROCESS STARTS OBVIOUSLY WITH OUR POSTED SIGN REGULATIONS AND OBVIOUSLY WE WE SUPPLEMENT THAT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
YOU KNOW WE DO WE DO A BUNCH OF NOTICES THROUGH ON S WE THROUGH THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC. WHEN WHEN WE'RE EITHER CHANGING REGULATIONS OR THERE'S
GOING TO BE SOME TEMPORARY REGULATIONS FOR AN EVENT AND THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW THE ISSUANCE OF THE VIOLATION IS KIND OF OUR FIRST STEP RIGHT
BEFORE TOWING AND I WILL SAY THAT YOU KNOW PARTICULAR TO THE TOWING OPERATIONS THAT MELVIN AND HIS TEAM RUN, YOU KNOW PARTICULARLY AROUND LIKE
SPECIAL EVENTS WE WE WE DO A LOT EVEN DAY OF OR MORNING OF TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO MOVE THEIR VEHICLES WITHOUT TOWING
SO THEY HAVE A LOGO DOWN THE STREET WITH WITH BULLHORNS ON IN THE VEHICLE TRYING TO REMIND PEOPLE TO REMOVE THEIR CARS IN SOME CASES THAT PEOPLE IF WE HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFO THROUGH
THE NO TOW PROGRAM OR EVEN THE IRP PROGRAM WILL ATTEMPT TO CALL PEOPLE SO TO COME OUT WITH THEIR VEHICLE SO YOU KNOW, THE TOWING IN MOST CASES IS IT'S
REALLY THE LAST OPTION FOR US AND IN CERTAINLY NOT OUR OUR PREFERENCE IT'S THAT'S EXTREMELY HELPFUL TAKE A COMMISSION ANYTHING AGAIN THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR BEING
HERE AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS I KNOW FOR THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE I THINK YOU THANK YOU COUNSELOR COUNSELOR COUNSELOR HERE FOR RESOURCE. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING HERE. SO AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LOVE HEARINGS. I THINK THAT WE HAVE SUCH AN
AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE OUR FOLLOWERS JUST I THINK THAT KNOWLEDGE IS DEFINITELY POWER AS YOU KNOW AND I THINK THAT THE MORE THAT YOU KNOW, THE BETTER YOU KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE SYSTEMS.
SO I JUST I'M GOING TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS WITH THAT LENS HOPING THAT WE CAN HELP EDUCATE OUR OUR CONSTITUENTS HERE ON SOME OF THE INS AND OUTS OF THE TOWING WORLD.
OKAY. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS ARE COMING FROM AND YOU MAY LIKE WHY IS SHE ASKING THIS BECAUSE I GET THESE QUESTIONS ASKED ALL THE TIME ALL SO I'M CURIOUS I KNOW WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT DISTRICTS. DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHICH DISTRICTS YOU KNOW FROM 1 TO 9 HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF TOWING LIKE AND WHICH WHICH DISTRICTS
? YOU KNOW, WE SEE A LOT OF TRACTION AND UNFORTUNATELY NO, I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA POINT COUNSELOR OFF HAND IT'S
SOMETHING WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP AND AND PROVIDE CARE AND AND SPEAKING OF DATA, DO WE HAVE A A WAY OF KNOWING KIND OF LIKE
JUST FROM JUST TO HELP US PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT IN TERMS OF JUST MAYBE AREAS THAT WE MIGHT POTENTIALLY NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE EDUCATION ON REGARDING TOWING THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ASK IS BECAUSE IF
WE KNOW THAT IN LIKE DORCHESTER, ROXBURY, MATTAPAN AREA WE SEE THERE'S MORE TOWING IN IN THAT SPACE AND WE KNOW THAT THERE IS PEOPLE WITH MULTILINGUAL NEEDS IN TERMS
OF COMMUNICATION AND CONSERVATIVE OUTREACH INFORMATION TO GO OUT TO FOLKS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GETTING TOLD TO BEGIN WITH. RIGHT. SO IT'S KIND OF WANT TO OFFER
THAT AND THEN WE KNOW THAT IN ALLSTON AND BRIGHTON AND THAT THERE YOU KNOW AND ALSO IN LIKE SPACES AND PLACES LIKE NEWBURY STREET AND BACK BAY THOSE ARE
HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS WE SEE WE SEE A LOT OF TRAFFIC IN THOSE SPACES AND PLACES AND I'M CURIOUS THE TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT THAT YOU HAVE WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN
SURROUNDING THOSE HIGH NEED AREAS LIKE WHERE YOU CAN'T JUST RUN IN AND OUT. SO JUST CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF HOW HOW ARE YOU ALL MAPPING OUT YOUR YOUR STRATEGY WHEN IT
COMES TO DIFFERENT SPACES AND PLACES THAT WE MAY HAPPEN TO OPERATE IN? SURE I I CAN TELL YOU IS IS PART OF AS PART OF OUR UPCOMING SOLICITATION FOR THE STREET
PLANNING PROGRAM AS I MENTIONED EARLIER WILL BE WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT THIS DATA AS FAR AS YOU KNOW BY NEIGHBORHOOD VOLUME OF TELLING AND THEN EVEN GETTING DOWN TO THE LEVEL
OF LIKE CERTAIN STREETS TO TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW YOU KNOW, DO WE NEED TO ADD TO REMOVE BUT I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO YOU KNOW, INCREASE COMMUNICATION WHETHER THAT'S IN
THE FORM OF EITHER IMPROVED OR NEW SIGNAGE OR YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, DOING SUPPLEMENTAL FIRING IN THE IN THE SPRINGTIME.
YOU KNOW, WE WE WANT TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO TRY TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NOTO PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, THAT HAS BEEN HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT KIND OF ADDITIONAL WAYS ON ON HOW TO EDUCATE PEOPLE HERE BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR YOU KNOW, OUR OUR PREFERENCES IS NOT TO TELL
PARTICULARLY STREET CLEANING HERE BECAUSE WE GET A TICKET AND WE GET IT ALL RIGHT. THAT'S HOW WE HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WE WE BOTH TICKET AND WE TOW SO THEN I'M THINKING
ABOUT ALL THESE FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY JUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT IS THE THE THE ENTIRE IMPACT THAT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THE CONSEQUENCE
RIGHT SO YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO GETS A $90 A TICKET AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT A LOT OF TOW COMPANIES LIKE WELL I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS WHATEVER IT IS 150 AND FOR EVERY LIKE IF
YOU THE LONGER YOUR CAR'S IN THE TOW I THINK THE MORE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID HERE I THINK MAYOR WALSH, THERE WAS A
POINT A TIME AND MAYBE I'M MAKING CITY WAS UP IN MY HEAD I DON'T REMEMBER BUT THERE WAS A A POINT OR AT LEAST I CAN'T CONFIRM OR DENY THIS AND EVEN THOUGH I'M SPEAKING INTO THE
RECORD STRIKE IT IF IT'S INCORRECT BUT THAT THERE WAS THIS NOTION THAT IF YOU GOT A TICKET YOU WEREN'T GOING TO GET TOWED AND IT WAS EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER IS THAT IS THAT IS
THAT TRUE OR NOT? I COUNCIL I BELIEVE DURING SO DURING THE PANDEMIC YEAH AND I'LL DEFER TO MELVIN OR JOHN HERE AS WELL BUT DURING THE
PANDEMIC IN THE EARLY START OF THE PANDEMIC THE CITY ESSENTIALLY STOPPED ALL TOWING EXCEPT FOR REAL REAL PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
AND THEN I THINK TO YOUR POINT I THINK TOWING FOR STREET CLEANING WAS PAUSED FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE YEARS OVER AND
YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONLY THE VIOLATION THAT WAS THAT WAS BEING ISSUED. BUT LET'S LET'S LET'S CORRECT THE RECORD ON THIS BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE FOR THAT. SO MELVIN JOHN, IS THAT IS THAT
CONSISTENT WITH WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED MY MIKE ON GOOD AFTERNOON. YEAH. TICKETS ARE ONLY ISSUED IN
CHARLESTOWN BECAUSE WE DON'T TOW IN CHARLESTOWN SO THE TICKETS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE I THINK THEY'RE TICKETS LIKE 100 OR $120 IN CHARLESTOWN AND THEY AGREE TO THAT SO THEY DON'T GET
TICKET AND TOWED AND THE COMMISSIONER IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT DURING THE PANDEMIC WE JUST TAGS WE ONLY GET SAFETY VIOLATION FOOT ON BOTH THANK
YOU FOR THAT MELVIN AND OKAY SO THAT'S THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW I AM ALSO CURIOUS BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF ELDERS WHO HAVE REACHED
OUT TO OUR OFFICE FOR SUPPORT. I AM GOING TO MAKE A PLEA HERE COMMISSIONER AND I DON'T YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST AN ACT AND I MAY BE PUTTING THIS I DON'T
KNOW HOW BUT IS THERE A WAY FOR OUR ELDERS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR ELDERS FORGET THE STREET CLEANING ALTERNATE DAYS AND YOU
KNOW IT'S AGE YOU KNOW YOUR AGE YOU WANT YOU KNOW NOT TO SAY THAT EVERYBODY DOES HAVE HAVING YOU KNOW, MEMORY LOSS ISSUES BUT A LOT OF OUR ELDERS FORGET THAT THEY LOOK FOR THE ALTERNATE STREET CLEANING
WOMAN. THEY END UP WITH A TICKET AND A TOW AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT IF ANYTHING HAVE YOU HEARD THE CITY TRYING TO DO TO HELP ALI ALLEVIATE THE TOLLING
HARDSHIP FOR OUR ELDERS IN PARTICULAR? THOSE ARE THAT THAT IS DEFINITELY A PRIORITY FOR US THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH WHETHER THEY GET THEIR FEES WAIVED OR WHATEVER.
BUT LIKE HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES AND OR WHO ARE ELDERS? CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH THE TOWING SAGA THERE TOO?
SO YOU KNOW ARE ARE TOWING IF YOU'VE BEEN BOOTED OR TOWED FOR FOR WHATEVER REASON SIMILAR SIMILAR TO WHEN YOU'VE BEEN
ISSUED A VIOLATION THE OFFICE OF THE PARKING CLERK HAS YOU KNOW A PROCESS FOR APPEALING THOSE THOSE VIOLATIONS.
RIGHT SO SO JUST LIKE ANY PARKING TICKET YOU CAN YOU CAN APPEAL THAT YOU CAN HAVE YOU CAN HAVE A HEARING AND AND WE
DO HAVE A PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH LIKE PAYMENT PLANS FOR EXAMPLE, SO THAT YOU DON'T END UP ON THE BOOTING LIST OR THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, HAVE A WAY
TO TO TO TO PAY OFF WHAT YOU ARE. SO WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY SPECIFIC WORK WITH WITH IN STRONG ON THIS RELATED TO SENIORS BUT IT
IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HAPPY HAPPY TO INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER I KNOW MY TIME IS GOING TO BE UP AND I'LL JUST MAKE ONE MORE LAST PLEA WHILE WE ARE HERE TOGETHER .
I DON'T WANT TO HIJACK COUNCIL BRADEN'S YOU KNOW, HEARING WATER WITH OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BUBBLED UP BUT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TOWING THEM AS WELL JUST GET IT IN WHAT I CAN IS THAT THE WHOLE NOTION
WITH ELDERS I THINK THAT I AM OF THE MIND OF PREVENTION INSTEAD OF THE INTERVENTION BECAUSE ONCE THAT YOU KNOW, ONCE WE TRIGGERED THE PAYMENT PLAN AND THE APPEAL THAT IS
ALSO AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF HARDSHIP FOR FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO JUST MAKE THEIR ENDS MEET. SO THIS IS JUST ONE EXTRA THING THAT THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. I'M CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A WAY
FOR US TO YOU KNOW HOW WE GET PLACARDS FOR CITY OFFICIALS IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU CAN PARK IF THERE WAS JUST TO HAVE AN ALLOTMENT OF A PLAQUE WHICH FOR ELDERS THAT THEY CAN PUT ON
THEIR CAR SO THAT IF THERE IS STREET CLEANING THAT THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE MERCY ON THE ELDERS AND MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN DO THE EXTRA STEP AND KNOCK ON THE PERSON'S DOOR
. I DON'T KNOW. I JUST I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE PLACE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT IT BUT I AM A PROBLEM SOLVER AND I WANT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM ALONGSIDE YOU ALL BECAUSE OUR ELDERS RIGHT NOW ARE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING
THEIR HOMES AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY YOU KNOW, WE CAN HELP THEM AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M COMMITTED TO AND I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, COMMISSIONER. SO I'M AN AGE JOHN SO I JUST
WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING AS IT RELATES TO TOWING THAT I WANT TO BE A SUPPORT WITH AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE EXTRA TIME TO SPEAK COUNCIL CHAIR BUT BEING
AND I'LL I'LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU COUNCIL APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU COUNCILOR MEJIA AND I THINK THAT ALL HEARINGS ARE ALWAYS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO
ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT BY THE COUNCIL OF COUNCIL IF IT'S
TRUE. SO COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR MURPHY, IF YOU'RE
STILL ON THE FLOOR IS YOURS. I AM SORRY I JUST PULLED OVER PERFECT TIMING. I DIDN'T KNOW JOHN LEFT SO THANK YOU FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP. ONE THING THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IS WHAT IF YOU COULD TALK THROUGH HOW CHARLES TOWN AND WHY THAT CAME ABOUT WHERE THEY DON'T GET TOWED THERE?
SURE I WAS NOT HERE AT THE TIME BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS BACK IN 2017 OR 2018 JOHN OR MELVIN AGAIN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG AFTER THIS BUT THE CITY PILOTED
A PROGRAM OF ISSUING VIOLATIONS ONLY RATHER THAN THEN TOWING AS AS AN EXPERIMENT TO SEE IF IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH COMPLIANCE.
THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE CONDUCTED A SIMILAR TYPE EXERCISE SEVERAL YEARS AGO EXCEPT THEY WHEN THEY WENT CITYWIDE FROM FROM THE
DATA WE'VE SEEN UNFORTUNATELY IT HAS IT HAS NOT EVERYBODY FROZEN LET ME JUST YOU I THINK
AS YOU COUNCIL SO UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT YOU KNOW IT IS NOT REALLY HELPED WITH WITH COMPLIANCE SO YOU KNOW THAT YOU
KNOW THAT PROGRAM HAS ESSENTIALLY BEEN THEN LEFT AT CHARLES TOWN AND NOT EXPANDED TO ANYONE YEAH LIKE WHY DID IF WE KNOW THE DATA SHOWS IT'S NOT WORKING JUST LIKE THE FIRST
PANELIST SAID THAT NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN UNFORTUNATE ONLY IF YOU TRY TO GET IT OFF THE BACK OF THE TRUCK THE CAR ISN'T GOING TO MOVE. RIGHT. SO WHY DID WE LET CHARLES TOWN KEEP IT IF IT'S NOT EFFECTIVE?
YEAH THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO MAKE AS PART OF OUR NEXT CHANGE TO OUR TRAFFIC RULES AND REGULATIONS. WE WE ADDED A FEE SPECIFIC TO
THAT AT THE TIME WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTED IT WAS JUST CHARLES TOWN AND IT DIDN'T GET EXPANDED BECAUSE IT WAS FOUND NOT TO BE EFFECTIVE OR IT WAS MORE THAN JUST CHARLES DON'T
KNOW MY UNDERSTANDING AT THE TIME IT WAS IT WAS PASSED OUT OF THAT IN CHARLESTOWN AND THEN SO THE PILOTS JUST NEVER BEEN LIFTED EVEN THOUGH THE DATA HAS SHOWN AND I'M NOT I KNOW IF
ANYONE CHARLES TOWNS LISTENING HAS AN AT LARGE COUNCIL LIKE BUT IT IS TRUE THAT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET THE TICKET AND YOU KNOW I LIVE ON A STREET WITH STREET CLEANING AND I SEE
NEIGHBORS WHO MEAN AND SHOUT OUT TO THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHO I KNOW AND YOU KNOW THE TRANSPORTATION TRIES TO DO THEIR BEST BUT THEY HAVE TO CLEAN THE STREET AND THEY HAVE TO TOW THE CARS TO DO THAT.
BUT I DO THINK SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHY CHARLES TOWN OR WHEN THEY WERE TOLD THAT PILOT WOULD BE LIFTED. YEAH WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP
WITH SOME KIND OF HISTORIC DATA ON ON IT WELL CONFIRMING EXACTLY WHEN THAT WAS PILOTED AND YOU KNOW SOME OF THE HISTORY AND BACKGROUNDS TO WHY THAT DECISION WAS MADE, WE'RE
HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT COUNCILOR. SO ALSO THERE'S TIMES WHEN YOUR CAR GETS TOWED AND YOU GO TO FRONTAGE ROAD AND THERE'S TIMES WHEN YOUR CAR GETS TOWED AND IF
IT'S SUPPLIED WITH COMPANY YOU END UP YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE USUALLY ON SOME REALLY DARK SIDE STREET OR IN A PARKING LOT TRYING TO PICK YOUR CAR UP AND
CAN YOU EXPLAIN ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE LISTENING THE DIFFERENCE AND WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL DO WE GET LESS I WOULD ASSUME LESS OF THE MONEY WHEN WE'RE CONTRACTING OUT IN WHICH
STREETS AND HOW DO WE DECIDE WHICH WAY WHEN WE HAVE PRIVATE COMPANIES TOTAL BECAUSE I KNOW THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS REALLY NO WAY TO
SUPPORT OR TRY TO HELP THEM WITH ANY TYPE OF FEE OR WAVE IF IT'S A PRIVATE COMPANY THEY HAVE TO FIND THE CASH, HAVE TO SHOW UP WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME. ARE THEY GOING TO GET ANOTHER
FULL DAY OF FEES AND SOMETIMES THAT FEES MORE THAN WHAT YOU PAY WHEN YOU GO TO FRONTAGE ROAD IF YOUR CAR ENDED UP THERE ? YEAH ANOTHER GREAT GREAT QUESTION COUNCILOR YOU KNOW WE
WE WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IF THEY CAN TO SEARCH THE ONLINE DATABASE BECAUSE THAT IS THE QUICKEST WAY TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN TIED TO. SO WHETHER IT'S WITH US
FRONTAGE ROAD OR ONE OF THE YOU KNOW PRIVATE ENTITIES AND AND THE REASON WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT IS BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO CAPTURE WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN TOLD BY US WHETHER YOU'VE
BEEN TOLD BY DPD RIGHT SO THAT THAT DATABASE IS UPDATED IN REAL TIME. SO THAT'S WHY WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THAT BECAUSE IT'S IN MOST CASES IT'S THE QUICKEST WAY TO FIND OUT YOU KNOW, TO
CONFIRM A VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED AND THEN AND THEN THEN WHERE IT IS IT'S NOT YOU KNOW GO AHEAD, SIR. NO, NO, THAT'S RIGHT. NO, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO IT. YEAH. SO IT'S NOT I'M NOT ASKING LIKE
HOW DO WE HELP PEOPLE FIND WHERE THEIR CAR WENT, WHAT DIFFERENTIATES WHO CHOSE AND IN WHAT SITUATION AND WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT STREETS. SURE. SO SO FOR THE STREET CLEANING
PROGRAM WHICH AGAIN YOU KNOW REPRESENTS WELL LET ME STEP BACK SO BEATTY WE TOE FOR ALL OF OUR OWN SAFETY VIOLATIONS
FOR OUR BOOTING AND TOWING PROGRAM FOR ALL OF THAT WE DO ALL OF OUR OWN TOWING FOR ALL THE STUFF I MENTIONED EARLIER SPECIAL EVENTS, ALL THAT FOR
THE STREET CLEANING PROGRAM RIGHT NOW AGAIN WE HAVE SEVEN SEVEN DIFFERENT VENDORS UNDER CONTRACT FOR THIS BTD. WE DO WE DO A LITTLE BIT OF THE
STORM ACTUALLY A BIG PORTION OF THE SOUTH END AND THE REASON FOR THAT WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE OTHER CONTRACTS
WHERE WE DO IS THAT OBVIOUSLY 200 FRONTAGE ROAD IS VERY CLOSE TO TOO MUCH OF THE SOUTH END AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW WE ALLOCATE THE REST OF THE
CONTRACTS FOR THE STREET CLEANING PROGRAM. RIGHT. SO HOW MANY DO WE CONTRACT OUT? WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF WHAT BTD DOES IN
THE SOUTH END WE CONTRACT ALL OF THE REST OF THE PRIVATE STREET CLEANING AND SO SO FOR EXAMPLE LIKE TEDISCO, RIGHT THEY HAVE THE CONTRACT FOR THE
STREET CLEANING PROGRAM IN EAST BOSTON. SO OBVIOUSLY IF YOU DO GET OUT THERE RIGHT, IT'S EASIER FOR YOU TO GO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE WHICH IS IN THE EAST RATHER
THAN HAVING TO EITHER COME OVER THE BRIDGE OR THROUGH ONE OF THE TUNNELS TO THE OTHER. SO SO THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PICK A COMPANY WHERE THEY'RE YOU KNOW, THEIR GARAGE WHERE YOUR CAR
GOES IS CLOSER. I KNOW WHY MY TRUCK WAS TOWED ONCE LIKE LINING UP FOR THE BRIGHTON PARADE ON THE TOWED PLACE WAS LITERALLY ONE STREET OFFICER IS ABLE TO RETRIEVE IT
QUICKLY AND GET BACK IN LINE TO THE PARADE LIKE I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT WHAT IS THE REASONING FOR CONTRACTING OUT BECAUSE WE COULD ALSO WRITE LIKE HOW MUCH
MONEY DO WE PAY OUT IN THESE CONTRACTS AND HOW MUCH OF THAT PERCENTAGE OF THE FEE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE PAYING ARE GOING TO THESE PRIVATE COMPANIES BECAUSE I MEAN AN ARGUMENT CAN BE MADE THAT YOU KNOW, THE FEES
AS YOU KNOW ARE REVENUE GENERATED IN YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY WHEN IT'S A CITY OWNED TOLL. SURE. SO THE THESE THESE CONTRACTS
ACTUALLY WE DO NOT THESE ARE WE DON'T PAY FOR THEM RIGHT IN ACTUALITY THE UNDER UNDER THESE CONTRACTS THAT WERE ISSUED IN
IN 23 THE THE VENDORS ACTUALLY PAY THE CITY A FEE CURTAILED SO IT DOESN'T IT DOESN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING. WELL I MEAN THAT'S ONE WAY TO
PUT IT THEY GET WHATEVER SAY $150 SO THE TELL YOU GO GIVE THEM CASH AND FOR EVERY CAR THEY TOW IN THE CITY THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO KEEP A RECORD BECAUSE YOUR TICKET HAS TO BE
CLEARED THEY GIVE A PERCENTAGE BACK SO IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU LOOK AT THAT. SO HOW MUCH DO THEY GIVE BACK TO THE CITY THEY EACH TOLD THAT THEY'RE TAKING FROM OUR
RESIDENTS BASED ON CITY ISSUED VIOLATIONS. THEY PAY A FLAT FEE OF $35 PER TOTAL UNDER THE STREET PAINTING
CONTRACT. SO FOR EVERY AND WHAT IS THE IS IT THE EXACT SAME FOR ALL OR IS IT DEPENDING ON THE COMPANY WHAT IS THE FEE RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR CAR GETS TOWED FOR STREET
CLEANING THAT IS THAT THE THE RATE IN THAT CONTRACT IS A FIXED FLAT RATE PER VEHICLE FOR ALL FOR ALL SEVEN CONTRACTORS
THAT DOESN'T VARY BY YOU KNOW AND WHAT IS THAT AMOUNT $35 NO NO NO I'M SAYING WHAT DOES THE RESIDENT SAY WE DON'T THE RESIDENT DOESN'T ONLY PAY $35
WHEN THEIR CAR GETS TO I APOLOGIZE. I'M SORRY I MISUNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION. SO ALL RIGHT SO SO FOR THE THE IT'S $132 FOR THE TOP.
OKAY AND THEN YEAH, THE CURRENT RATE FOR FOR A 24 HOUR STORAGE PERIOD IS IS $35 RIGHT AND SO FROM A BUSINESS MODEL ANY
PRIVATE COMPANY IT'S LIKE THEY'RE LOSING MONEY AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE $97 OR CLOSE TO THAT LIKE EVERY SINGLE CAR SO IT'S NOT IN LIKE THEIR
BEST INTEREST TO DO ANYONE A FAVOR ON THE STREET BUT THE ONES THAT HAVE LIKE THE CITY OWNED TOW TRUCKS I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT THAT COULD GET INTO
SOME ETHICAL QUESTIONS. QUESTION ABOUT THE POLICE TOLLING LISTS AND HOW AND FIRST
I'D LIKE THROUGH THE CHAIR TO REQUEST A COPY OF EACH TOW COMPANY THAT IS ON THE LIST AND WHAT PROCEDURES I EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STATED THAT EACH POLICE
DISTRICT HAS THEIR OWN DIFFERENT WAY OF HIRING AND MANAGING THOSE TOW COMPANIES THAT THEY PUT ON A LIST, IT MUST BE IN WRITING SOMEWHERE
RIGHT? LIKE YOU MUST HAVE THAT INFORMATION EVEN THOUGH IT MAY DIFFER. SO COULD I GET THAT INFORMATION ALSO THE COMPANIES THAT ARE ON THE LIST AND WHAT WHAT ARE THE
RULES EXPECTATION AND YOU KNOW ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMPANY THAT GETS ON THE LIST LIKE HOW LONG THEY GET TO KEEP THEIR CONTRACT, HOW THEY REPLACE COMPANIES THAT MAY FALL OFF THE LIST IF THERE'S
OPENINGS LIKE HOW THE WHOLE PROCEDURE WORKS FOR EACH DISTRICT. YES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING THAT THAT
QUESTION TO TO PPD AND AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE OUR LIST OF CONTRACTORS IF THAT'S HELPFUL BY MY NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL. YEAH IS BPD ON THIS CALL NOW IS
IT JUST THE TRANSPORTATION NOW JUST JUST JUST US FOR ME TO BE OKAY. OKAY. THAT'S IT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR. COUNSELOR OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO DO A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS. IT'S BECAUSE WHAT I THINK COUNCILOR MEJIA IS UP TO YOU HAVE NO I JUST WAS I DID HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE A SECOND ROUND BUT NOW THAT WE DID I WAIT MY TURN. THANK YOU. YES. OKAY, PERFECT.
COUNSELOR BREADON OR GEORGE? COUNSELOR BRAIDED THANK YOU. I THINK JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE
THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON STREET CLEANING FOR THE TOWING PRACTICES FIRST AND STORAGE FOR VEHICLES PARKED IN VIOLATION OF SPRING CLEANING THIS STREET
CLEANING IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS WHERE WE HAVE CITY ORDINANCE TOWING AND I THINK MANY OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT CONSTABLE MURPHY WERE RAISING PERTAIN TO OTHER TOWING FROM PRIVATE LOT OF PRIVATE SPACES LIKE AND
UNDER THE TWO I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AT AUTO COMPANY TOWS FROM A PRIVATE A PRIVATE SPACE THEY CAN CHARGE A DIFFERENT RATE FOR TOWING AND
THEY CAN CHARGE A DIFFERENT RATE FOR STORAGE THAN WE REQUIRE IN THE CITY CONTRACT. SO I THINK JUST KIND OF TO SAY THAT IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE
CONTRACT I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN PERUSING THIS PRETTY CAREFULLY ,COMMISSIONER ARE THERE PARTICULAR AREAS IN THE IN THE OLD CONTRACT THAT YOU THINK MAYBE A LITTLE TWEAKING OR
CHANGING OR A NEW ADDITION TO THE CONTRACT THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? YEAH, I THINK YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, COUNCILOR, WE WE WE
THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE DATA WE HAVE AND AND FIGURE OUT YOU KNOW ARE THERE LOCATIONS WE WANT TO ADD OR REMOVE FROM FROM
STREET CLEANING OR TOWING FOR STREET CLEANING RATHER YOU KNOW THAT'LL BE A CONVERSATION THAT'LL BE DRIVEN BOTH BY THE DATA AS WELL AS OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH PUBLIC
WORKS AS FAR AS WHERE YOU KNOW THEY THEY ARE HAVING ISSUES OR PLACES THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE CURB MORE OFTEN AND THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW OWNERS WILL BE PART
OF THAT PROCESS AS WELL. YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE CONTRACT IS CONCERNED, YOU KNOW ,WE WILL DEFINITELY BE SOME AREAS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TIGHTEN UP SOME OF THE LANGUAGES, SOME OF THE LANGUAGE
ARE RELATIVE TO PERFORMANCE. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO WORK CONTINUE TO WORK WITH BP ON ON WAYS TO EXPEDITE THE APPROVAL OF TOWS THROUGH THE TOW LINE AS IT WAS
MENTIONED BY THE PREVIOUS PANELISTS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT CAN OFTEN BE A POINT OF FRUSTRATION FOR THE TOW COMPANIES BUT FRANKLY SOMETIMES
FOR RESIDENTS AS WELL. SOMETIMES IT TAKES US A WHILE TO TO GET THROUGH AND CLEAN A STREET SO YOU KNOW, WE'D LOOK WE'D LIKE TO WORK ON THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IN THIS IN THIS UPCOMING CONTRACT. AND ARE THERE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES ACROSS THE CITY FOR
DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS WITH REGARD TO, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT JUST AN EXCEPTION FOR CHARLES TYPE IN THE PAST AND AS A PILOT WITH JUST A TAKE IT OR
NOT AT ALL ARE THERE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES IN PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THIS CONTRACT YOU HAVE TO BE PRETTY ROBUST.
OPERATOR YOU NEED YOU NEED A 24 SEVEN OPERATION 12 MONTHS A YEAR. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TRUCKS WITH CERTAIN CAPACITY TO TOTAL DIFFERENT SIZED VEHICLES. YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOU KNOW, YOU
HAVE TO DO ALL THESE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. SO IT'S IT'S NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT ASK IN TERMS OF WHAT THE VENDORS HAVE TO DELIVER.
ARE WE AND I DON'T MEAN TO LET THEM DROP STANDARDS NECESSARILY BUT I APPRECIATE IS IT DIFFICULT TO GET VENDORS TO SIGN UP FOR A CONTRACT LIKE
THIS? IT IT IS AND YOU KNOW WHEN THIS WHEN THIS CONTRACT WAS FIRST SOLICITED IN 2023 I AT THE TIME
WE I DON'T WE DID NOT FILL IT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADD SOME CONTRACTORS OVER THE LAS COUPLE OF YEARS BUT YEAH I MEAN
THE REALITY IS IS WE HAVE SOME WE ARE HOLDING THE CONTRACTORS UNDER THE STREET CLEANING PROGRAM TO A HIGHER STANDARD AND FRANKLY FOR A LOT OF THE BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THE
FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY AND YOU KNOW WE THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT RIGHT SO WE WOULD WE WOULD BE REALLY HESITANT TO LOWER THOSE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILOR, I THINK THE
STANDARDS THAT ARE IN THERE HAVE YOU KNOW, KIND OF WEEDED OUT SOME OF THE SMALLER OPERATORS WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PERFORM IT.
AS FAR AS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS, AGAIN, YOU KNOW THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY STREETS WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE WE HAVE REALLY NARROW STREETS WHERE YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S ON
ONE WAY OR ON A HILL PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. RIGHT. LIKE WE HAVE CERTAIN LOCATIONS THAT ARE HISTORICALLY CHALLENGING FOR ACCESS. BUT AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR A LOT
OF OUR CHALLENGE IS FOCUSED AROUND KIND OF THE SEASONALITY OF OUR OPERATION. SO SO FOR EXAMPLE THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK IS
INCREDIBLY BUSY TIME US PARTICULARLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE ALLSTON AND BRIGHTON YOU KNOW WE'VE YOU KNOW YOU KNOW I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER BUT
WE'RE WELL OVER 3000 MOVING PERMITS ISSUED FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST SO FAR SO YOU KNOW YES THIS WILL BE A STRESS POINT THIS COMING THIS COMING WEEKEND
DUE TO THE SEPTEMBER ONE MOVE DATE AND SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CITY OBVIOUSLY PLACES LIKE FENWAY,
ALLSTON, BRIGHTON MORE SO BUT YOU KNOW WE HAVE SIMILAR TYPE ISSUES WHEN YOU KNOW WE HAVE OUR KIND OF HEAVY SPECIAL EVENTS CYCLE THAT BEGINS IN IN JUNE RIGHT THROUGH JULY.
SO IT'S IT IS REALLY A KIND OF A SEASONALITY MOVE AS FAR AS WHERE WE HAVE CHALLENGES ACROSS THE CITY. YOU KNOW THINGS LIKE CONSTRUCTION CAN CAN INCREASE
THE NEED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SWEEPING WEATHER EVENTS OBVIOUSLY ARE JUST POST WINTER OPERATIONS AS I'VE MENTIONED. AND YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, YOU KNOW
WHAT WE'VE DEALT WITH THIS SUMMER IT'S AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE TRASH STRIKE, THE ABILITY FOR OUR TRUCKS TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE CURB AND HELP WITH THAT SUPPLEMENTAL CLEANING HAS
BEEN HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT. ONE ISSUE THAT COMES UP HERE AND ALSO IN BRIGHTON IS THAT THE BDC WE HAVE RESIDENT PARKING ONLY ON STREETS THAT WE
DON'T ALLOW FOR FOR BUSY GAMES BUT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE MAYBE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEY COME IN AND THEY PARKED AND THEY DON'T IT'S JUST SAYS
NO PARKING ON A BUSY GAME BUT I KNOW IN NEWTOWN THAT THIS IS PROBABLY A CONVERSATION THAT I NEED TO HAVE WITH C THEMSELVES IS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF A QR CODE WHERE YOU COULD CHECK OUT
WELL IS THIS A GAME DAY OR IS THIS NOT A GAME DAY IF IT'S A HOME GAME BECAUSE YOU KNOW PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS UNLESS YOU'RE A BIG EAGLES FAN YOU'RE NOT REALLY PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO WHEN BUSY GAMES
ARE. SO I THINK YOU KNOW, AGAIN THOSE THOSE ARE THE LOOKING ELLIE NIGGLY IRRITATING THINGS OF JUST LIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE HAVE
SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE COLLEGE GAMES HAPPENING AGAIN A CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WITH B C TO SEE IF WE CAN DO THE SAME AS THEY DO FOR
NEWTOWN AND POST THE AND GIVE US SOME BETTER WAY TO IDENTIFY I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BRING UP A COMMISSIONER. IT'S JUST THE WHOLE SIGNAGE ISSUE. I KNOW THERE'S A LEVEL
OF CONFUSION SOMETIMES WITH SORT OF STREET SIGNAGE IF THERE'S MULTIPLE SIGN SIGNS ON THE POST THAT SORT OF CONTRADICTS EACH OTHER AND I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS OF MAYBE HIRING SOME MORE A
SIGN MAKER OR WHATEVER BUT I PROGRESS IT'S GOING ON THAT YEAH THANK YOU COUNCILOR SO YOU KNOW WE'VE WE'VE COMPLETED IT'S PART OF OUR NEW ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS KIND OF THE CITY'S FIRST REAL INVENTORY OF OF SIGNS TRAFFIC OF PARKING REGULATION SIGNS AND WE HAVE OVER 200,000 SIGNS IN THE CITY
AND SO WE'VE AS PART OF THIS EFFORT YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, WE HAVE AN MODERNIZED OUR SIGN SHOP AND WE ARE WE ARE WORKING TO FILL
WITHIN THE SIGN SHOP WE ARE MAKING WE'RE MAKING SLOW BUT GOOD PROGRESS THERE WE HAVE WE HAVE BEGUN THIS YEAR IN EFFORT
TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY START TO REPLACE SOME OF OUR OUR OLDEST AND AND AND KIND OF SAW YOU KNOW SIGNS THAT ARE FADED BECAUSE WE REALLY WE REALLY
WANT TO GET THIS INVENTORY TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN YOU KNOW MANAGE IT ON ON YOU KNOW MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE
WE FRANKLY DIDN'T KNOW UP UNTIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THE COMPLETE INVENTORY OF OF WHAT WAS WHERE AND WHERE WE NOW HAVE THAT THE OUR OUR SYSTEM THAT WE
USE TO TRACK THIS WORK CAN ACTUALLY HELP WITH IDENTIFYING THE CONDITION OF THOSE SIGNS AS WELL. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE STARTED TO
BUILD AN ANNUAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR SIGNAGE AND YOU KNOW IT'S IT IS ALREADY SHOWING BENEFITS BUT WHERE WE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE STILL HAVE
WORK TO DO HERE AND OBVIOUSLY WE'LL USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLUG THE VACANCY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM ASIDE, SIR. SO THANK YOU.
I HOPE YOU GET UP TO SPEED WITH SOME OF COMPLEMENT OF WORKERS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT. WOULD IT BE HELPFUL FOR CONSTITUENTS TO IF THEY SEE A SIGN THAT'S IN A TABLE OR LEGIBLE OR DIFFICULT TO READ
WOULD IT BE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR CONSTITUENTS TO PHOTOGRAPH THAT AND CALL IT IN 2311? ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. YEAH. YES 311 IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE
BEST THE BEST WAY TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO US. PICTURES ARE GREAT IF THEY IF THEY CAN ACCOMPANY THAT BUT WE WE APPRECIATE IT AND YOU KNOW
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO YOU KNOW CERTAIN SIGNAGE REGULATORY SIGNAGE IS PRIORITIZED OVER OTHERS. RIGHT. SO IF A STOP SIGN GOES DOWN THAT IS AN IMMEDIATE PRIORITY TO REPLACE.
BUT WE EVEN IF IT TAKES US, YOU KNOW, A FEW DAYS OR A WEEK WE WE WILL GET THERE. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE SUCH A DAY. THANK YOU.
THANK I WONDER ENOUGH WILL. LET ME JUST WRAP UP AND SAY LIKE MAYBE JUST A CLOSING STATEMENT WHEN THEY'RE READY. ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME COUNCILOR WITH FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS SO I'M GOING TO GO
WITH THEM BEFORE WE DO ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS. BUT ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS. YEAH, BUT BEFORE I GO THAT I JUST KNOW COUNCILOR MEJIA HAS A
FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THANK AND SO I IT'S TWO QUESTIONS AGAIN, THIS IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES RIGHT WHEN WHEN THERE
ARE THE STREET CLEANING A SIGN IT SAYS LIKE OPEN SPACES IT SAYS LIKE FROM 8 TO 12 SOME SAY FROM 1 TO 4 OR YOU KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF IT
DEPENDING ON WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD YOU GO INTO. AND I'M CURIOUS THAT JUST IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS, FIRST OF ALL, IF YOUR CAR IS PARKED IN A STREET CLEANING SIDE
ALTERNATE DAY YOU GET TAKE IT AND THEN YOU GET TOWED AND THEN DO THEY CLEAN THE STREET BECAUSE IS THAT THE WAY IT WORKS THAT THEY CLEAR OUT THE STREET AND THEN THEY BECAUSE
I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE SNITCH HERE BUT I'M GOING TO BE THE SNITCH HERE. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I'VE SEEN CARS THAT MAKE IT'S AND THEN THE STREET CLEANING GOES
AROUND THE CAR THAT WAS LEFT THERE SO THERE'S NO TICKET AND NO TOWING AND I'M NOT SURE WHY THOSE THINGS HAPPEN BUT NOW
THAT I HAVE THE CAPTIVE AUDIENCE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHY SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE ME WHY THEY DID THEY GET TOLD THAT I KNOW HOW TO WHAT TO SAY TO PEOPLE BECAUSE I'M LIKE I DON'T KNOW. DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT HAPPENS? SURE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST WE WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS IS WE DO NOT WAIT TO START SWEEPING BECAUSE FRANKLY IF WAITED TILL EVERY STREET WAS CLEAR WE WOULD NEVER GET THOSE ROUTES DONE EVERY
EVERY DAY. SO BASICALLY WHAT YOU OFTEN SEE IS THE STREET SWEEPERS ARE GOING TO START AND IF THIS CAR IS STILL IN PLACE THEY'RE GOING TO GO AROUND THEM BECAUSE IF
NOT AGAIN, WE JUST WE WOULD RUN OUT OF TIME EVERY DAY. IN SOME CASES WE ISSUE A VIOLATION AND THEN THE VEHICLE IS IS MOVED IN SOME CASES OFTEN
DUE TO WEATHER. SO WE'VE HAD LIKE REALLY HEAVY RAIN IN THE EARLY MORNING. WE WILL CANCEL TOWING FOR STREET SWEEPING. WE WILL STILL HAVE SWEEPERS
OUT. WE JUST WILL TELL YOU THAT DAY RIGHT. OKAY. SO THERE ARE THERE ARE LEGITIMATE REASONS AS TO AS TO WHY WE DON'T AND YOU KNOW THAT
SO THAT DOES HAPPEN WE TRY TO MESSAGE THAT OUT WHEN IT WHEN IT DOES OCCUR BUT THAT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY CAPTURING THE EXAMPLES THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM THANK YOU FOR THE RECORD YOU
ALL NOW YOU KNOW IT'S NOT PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE SIGNAGE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN PEOPLE LIKE IT'LL SAY FROM
8 TO 12 OR FROM 1 TO 4 AGAIN FOLLOWING THAT EXAMPLE WHERE YOU MOVE YOUR CAR THEY STREET CLEAN YOUR YOUR STREET LIKE AT
LIMPETS FROM 8 TO 12 THEY STREET CLEAN YOUR STREET AT LIKE NINE AND YOU COULD TELL THAT THE STREET HAS BEEN CLEANED. IS IT SAFE TO PARK YOUR CAR AFTER THE STREET HAS BEEN
CLEANED OR DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE 12:00 OR THE 4:00 TO PARK ON THAT SITE AGAIN JUST BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER AREA OF CONFUSION FOR SOME FOLKS BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE THEY'RE
LIKE OH, I CAN'T PARK HERE AGAIN UNTIL I DON'T KNOW. I JUST NEED I JUST NEED TO ASK THIS QUESTION WHILE I HAVE YOU ALL HERE SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS REGARDING THE TIME
FRAME PLEASE AND THANK YOU. SURE. YEAH. NO, WE WE REALLY DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NOT RETURN THEIR VEHICLE TO THE RESTRICTED AREA
UNTIL THE TIME IS IS PASSED AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS AS YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF TIMES PARTICULARLY LIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER IF WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY WEATHER OR THERE'S BEEN NO
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY WE CAN WE CAN GO THROUGH AND COMPLETE A STREET CLEANING AFTER YOU KNOW ONE OR TWO PASSES AND YOU KNOW WE WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE TO
RETURN BUT IN THE OFTEN TIMES PARTICULARLY IN THE SPRING AND FALL, YOU KNOW WE YOU MAY COME OUT WE'VE GONE THROUGH ONCE BUT AS WE'VE MENTIONED IF THERE'S
STILL CARS TO MOVE OR FRANKLY THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DEBRIS FROM THE WINTER OR LEAVES IN THE FALL, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK MULTIPLE TIMES TO MAKE
SURE THE STREET IS CLEAR AGAIN JUST LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT IN THE SPRING FOR THE LAST STREET SWEEPING OF THE YEAR. RIGHT. WE REALLY TRY TO GET THE CURB
AND GET EVERYTHING UP, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE WE DON'T HAVE ISSUES WITH STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE GETTING BLOCKED, THAT KIND OF THING. SO WE REALLY DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, DON'T RETURN
UNTIL AFTER THE REGULATIONS HAVE LIFTED. THAT SAID, IF WE HAVE COME THROUGH AND CLEANED AND WE'RE NOT COMING BACK, WE DO NOT YOU KNOW WE DON'T WE DON'T ISSUE
VIOLATIONS. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. AND THEN FOR THOSE WHO ARE TUNING IN, NORMALLY WHAT I'VE SEEN IS IS THAT STREET CLEANING
USUALLY HAPPENS THE DAY AFTER YOUR GARBAGE GETS TAKEN OUT. THAT'S KIND OF LIKE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE FOR EVERYBODY BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'VE SEEN ACROSS THE DISTRICTS LIKE IF YOUR STREET
YOU KNOW, PICK UP YOUR GARBAGE ON THIS DAY, THEN THE NEXT DAY WE WE WE DO THE STREET CLEANING. IS THAT THE NORM TO DO OR ARE THERE STREETS THAT GET TO STREET CLEANINGS PER WEEK
BECAUSE OF JUST THE HIGH LEVEL OF TRAFFIC AND JUST THE VOLUME OF TRASH THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY LIKE IS THAT IT'S JUST ONCE A WEEK OR WHAT? AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT TO
KNOW IS A GREAT QUESTION SO YOU KNOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DAY TIME STREET SWEEPING PROGRAM YOU KNOW THAT IN MOST NEIGHBORHOODS AGAIN THAT'S LIKE APRIL ONE
THROUGH THROUGH AND IN NOVEMBER YOU KNOW THAT IS BI WEEKLY. HOWEVER WE HAVE OUR NIGHTTIME YEAR ROUND STREET SWEEPING PROGRAM AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
WE HAVE AREAS THAT GET GET SWEPT EVERY NIGHT AND AGAIN THAT'S BECAUSE THESE ARE YOU KNOW, HIGH TRAFFIC YOU KNOW IN IN IN BUSINESS DISTRICTS WHERE
WE'RE TRYING THAT SERVICE IS TRYING TO COMPLEMENT OUR OVERALL SANITATION AND OPERATION RIGHT SO STREET CLEANING RIGHT PART OF OF
PUBLIC WORKS AND HOT IN THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS OVERALL KIND OF SANITATION PROGRAM SO YOU KNOW IT STARTS WITH THE HOKIES WHO ARE PICKING TRASH EVERY DAY OUR CURBSIDE
COLLECTION SOLID WASTE RECYCLING STREET CLEANING IS PART OF THAT. SO THIS IS THIS IS AN ELEMENT OF THAT OVERALL SANITATION PROGRAM. AND YES, TO YOUR POINT THERE IS
IT IS THERE IS A THOUGHT AND A AS TO WHEN THAT HAPPENS. SO SO FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S WHY HOKIES ARE OUT REAL EARLY IN THE MORNING. RIGHT TO TO DO THAT INITIAL
PICK UP OFTENTIMES YOU MAY EVEN SEE THEM ESPECIALLY AFTER A SPECIAL EVENT THEY WILL MOVE STUFF INTO THE THE GUTTER FOR THE STREET SWEEPERS TO GET. SO YES, THIS IS STREET CLEANING
IS KIND OF ONE ELEMENT IN THE OVERALL CITY SANITATION PROGRAM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO EDUCATE ALL OF US.
I THINK THAT'S WHY I LOVE ATTENDING THESE HEARINGS. IT'S NOT JUST YOU GUYS ARE NOT IN THE COURT OF LAW. YOU ARE JUST LITERALLY INSIDE OF A VIRTUAL CHAMBER RIGHT NOW AND THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LISTEN
AND TO LEARN AND TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ASK US THAT WE DON'T KNOW AND THEN TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE GAPS AND AREAS THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE AND HOW WE CAN MAKE ALL
OF THIS WORK BETTER FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME WITH ALL OF MY SILLY QUESTIONS SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILOR.
THANK YOU COUNSELOR. COUNSELOR DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR NO COUNCILMAN. HE HAD TOUCHED ON IT. I WAS WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED
A FULL CLEAN PASS THROUGH BECAUSE OFTENTIMES AS I DO SEE AND HEAR THAT PEOPLE TALK TO THE STREET CLEANER, MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE OUT AND FRIENDLY
WITH THIS WORK FROM HOME. MANY PEOPLE'S CARS ARE IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSES MUCH MORE THAN THEY HAD BEEN BEFORE COVID. SO WHAT IS CONSIDERED A FULL
PASS THROUGH AND CAN YOU AND HAVE THERE EVER BEEN A CAR TICKETED MORE THAN ONCE IN ONE DAY? SO AS FAR AS THE WHAT'S
CONSIDERED A FULL PASS THROUGH I MEAN YOU KNOW THAT THAT DECISION IS MADE KIND OF BY BY OBVIOUSLY THE INDIVIDUAL OPERATING THE STREET CLEANER AS WELL AS THE SUPERVISOR WHO IS KIND OF OVERSEEING THAT WORK IN
THE PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD. I I THINK THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM DOES HONESTLY AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND DEMONSTRATED REALLY GOOD JUDGMENT AS FAR AS YOU KNOW WHEN THEY NEED TO SPEND MORE
TIME GETTING TO THE CURB AND AND WHEN THEY DON'T YOU KNOW AS AS FAR AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEBODY GETTING TWO TICKETS
IN A DAY, I I GUESS IF IF YOU CERTAINLY IF YOU WERE IF YOU WERE TO MOVE FROM ONE POST TO THE AREA SAY THAT ERICA POSTED IN THE MORNING AND THEN YOU
MOVE TO ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS POSTED IN THE AFTERNOON. YEAH YOU COULD GET A SECOND VIOLATION. SO AGAIN KNOW I THINK YOU KNOW
THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE YOU KNOW ALWAYS ASK PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE POSTED REGULATIONS TO TO
AVOID THAT TYPE OF SITUATION. OKAY THANK YOU CHAIR AND GOOD COUNSELOR MURPHY OKAY, LET'S
SEE TO BE HAVE ANY OF COUNCILOR ANSWERING. WELL, MR CHAIR, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. I'M JUST LOOKING THROUGH IN MY NOTICE AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT STREET CLEANING
AND PUBLIC WAY QUESTIONS. ONE ISSUE THAT COMES UP IS WITH REGARD TO PARKING AND TOWING PRACTICES AROUND I MEAN AND INCONSISTENT AT SCHOOL
FACILITIES BOTH FOR FACULTY AND STAFF DURING THE SCHOOL DAY AND FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS PARKING SCHOOL AND OVERNIGHT AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT
CONTRACTED TOWERS IS NOT ALWAYS POSTED. I KNOW THIS IS MAYBE NOT IN YOUR POCKET, COMMISSIONER, BUT HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST WE MAYBE
ADDRESS THAT WE GO STRAIGHT TO BEEPERS AND THAT THOSE ISSUES ARE YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS JUST HAVING APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE ON THESE
SPACES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO TRESPASS TOLLS. IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK IT'S THEY DON'T SEE A SCHOOL PARKING LOT AS A PRIVATE SPACE WHICH IN
AND IT IS SORT OF CLASSIFIED AS A PRIVATE SPACE IN THE TOWING UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TOWING WORKS IN THE CITY OF ANY THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS ON THAT
SURE CONCEPT YEAH SO WE I THINK MYSELF JOHN PROBABLY MELVIN TOO HAVE ALL BEEN TAKING NOTES HERE. WE KIND OF HAVE A RUNNING LIST OF ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON AND I WILL ADD THIS TO
THE LIST SO WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING THAT QUESTION OUT TO BEEPS. WE THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. NEXT COUNSELOR. OKAY. NOW I WANT TO SEE DO WE HAVE
ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONY ONLINE OR ON NOW THAT WAS A NOT THAT'S A
NO. OKAY. THEN WE COULD GO ON TO CLOSE STATEMENTS COUNSELOR BRITTANY WHEN WE MAKE ANY CLOSING REMARKS. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE
PANELISTS THIS MORNING AND THANK RON AND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL STAFF FOR FACILITATING THIS GREAT CONVERSATION THIS MORNING. I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE ESPECIALLY
AS WE'RE REVIEWING OUR CITY CONTRACTS FOR TOLLING AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS MY COLLEAGUES BROUGHT ON AND TO COMMISSIONER GOALS AND HIS TEAM
FOR THEIR VERY THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES AS WELL. I THINK CONFUSION AND MISCOMMUNICATION AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAN LEAD TO A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH REGARD AND
FRUSTRATION WITH REGARD TO TOLLING PRACTICES AND I THINK WE'VE I THINK THESE CONVERSATIONS HELP EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY THIS MORNING AND AND
WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS AS WE GO FORWARD. KEEPING OUR STREETS CLEAN AND SANITARY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART. I KNOW FIRST WITH INCREASED STORM AND EXTREME WEATHER AND
TORRENTIAL RAINS KEEPING OUR STORM DRAINS OPEN IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF IT AND OUR AIR QUALITY OF THE STREET CLEANING IS NOT JUST AN ESTHETIC THING IT IS THAT BUT
IT'S ALSO A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. SO WE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT IT'S EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS DON'T FEEL
UNDULY PENALIZED FOR THE THINGS THAT SEEM BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT THIS MORNING AND THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND
COUNCILOR COMMISSIONER MEMBERS FOR ANY FINAL STATEMENTS AND CLOSING REMARKS. I JUST THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO HAVE US HERE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HELP US EDUCATE FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
THIS. WE APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILOR AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR INTEREST IN THIS TOPIC AND AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS ABOUT IT.
SO THANK YOU SWEET WELL, I'M ALSO VERY THANKFUL TO COUNCILOR BRAYTON FOR BRINGING THIS HERE TO THE CHAMBER TO MY COMMITTEE ESPECIALLY VERY
GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT THE BOSTON HARBOR DEPARTMENT DOES ON THIS VERY JUST NUANCED CONVERSATION AND TOPIC OF TIMING WHERE I LOVE THE COMPARISON TO THE DENTIST YOU KNOW, NOT ALL PEOPLE LIKE IT
BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S IT'S NECESSARY TO KEEP JUST THIS SOCIETY MOVING SO I LEARNED A LOT QUITE A BIT TODAY AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE RESIDENTS THAT DID AS WELL SO IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION AND
FOR EVERYONE'S WORK. SO THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 0554 IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU. CHAI