More snow, next resident council meeting on the way

Feb 6

I hope you’re all swell and surviving snowmageddon!

Thank you so much for your patience as the city and neighbors continue to clear the two feet of snow that blanketed our streets a couple of weeks ago.

And don’t put away those shovels yet! As much as six inches is expected to fall overnight tonight (Friday) and Saturday. So the City will implement snow-emergency parking rules beginning at 8 pm tonight (Friday, Feb. 6) and extending through Saturday night.

That means parking is allowed on the ODD side of non-emergency arteries, residents can continue to park on the legal side of streets with one-side-only parking, and any vehicles blocking snow operations can be towed. Please don’t park within 20 feet of an intersection, and please use driveways whenever possible to make plowing easier!

A reminder: residents and businesses are responsible for shoveling the sidewalks in front of their properties, and businesses that fail to do so are subject to fines. And of course everyone is encouraged to help any neighbors who are unable to shovel themselves.

With temperatures expected to drop, residents who lose power or heat can call the Department of Emergency Management at (617) 376-1105. Information from National Grid is available at their outage page. For assistance with snow issues, residents can use the City’s snow request application at snowhotline@quincyma.gov or call the DPW's 24-hour snow operation hotline at (617) 376-1927. For updates and emergency notices, please tune to Quincy Access Television; visit quincyma.gov and follow the City of Quincy’s Facebook or Instagram Pages.

Updates

Here are a few things I’ve been up to since my last update:

Submitting my proposals on redoing politicians’ raises as ordinances (ie, laws). Ahead of our first working council meeting on January 20, I submitted four orders proposing that the council repeal the raises at the earliest opportunity afforded by law and begin a data-centered process that includes public input to calculate new raises.
After that, I learned that because the raises were enacted through ordinances, they must also be repealed through ordinances (see section 21 of our city charter and of the corresponding state law). So at our February 2nd council meeting, I introduced all the orders, which state the intent, and the ordinances, which specify the legal language, and the council voted unanimously to put them into the ordinance committee for debate at a future public meeting.

My hope is that by redoing the raises in a transparent, inclusive, sensible way, we will help restore faith in local government that many constituents lost when the previous council pushed through the raises without a single public hearing or any review of comparable elected officials’ salaries.

Meeting with the multitalented John F, who has graciously agreed to serve as admin for an online platform where “resident councilors” – interested folks living in any Quincy ward – can research local issues together, in addition to having in-person and Zoom meetings. Then they can present this research (on anything from accessibility policies to neighborhood improvements) to the full city council at open forums, which we hope to establish at the start of every council meeting going forward. (As I said in a recent interview in The Quincy Sun, boosting civic engagement is where I plan to focus my energy this council term!)

If you’d like to participate in the councils, please fill out this form (be sure to click through until you see the “submit” button). We are planning to have an in-person resident council meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 25 @ 6 pm where John can help folks get set up with the online platform and people can get started on projects (I can offer the meeting space but will step back so residents can lead the work). Please fill out the resident council form to get more info about the councils and the Feb. 25 meeting!

Responding to constituent concerns about snow and questions about snow policies. Mostly I message the mayor’s chief of staff with my questions and requests, and he has been incredibly helpful and responsive, working through the weekend and seemingly at all hours. I really appreciate the hard work that so many folks have put into storm-related communication, snow removal, and other help for our neighbors. And I know there’s room for improvement. At last Monday’s council meeting, Ward 1 Councilor David Jacobs put forward a request for a briefing on the city’s snow response that will take place at the next council meeting, on the evening of Monday, February 23 (stay tuned for the exact time). Residents are welcome and encouraged to attend!

A snow plow in Wollaston — *Image: City of Quincy*

Learning about ways to keep our community safe in the face of lawless, inhumane, and violent acts by federal agents and officials all over the country. If you see federal agents in Quincy, please stay a safe distance away and call LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts with as much information as you can so they can verify the sightings: (617) 370-5023.

Upcoming events and reminders

Next few weeks: Fill out and mail back the 2026 City Census form that arrives in your mailbox! From the City: “Compliance with the City Census is a state requirement, which provides proof of address for school age children, voting rights, veteran’s bonus, housing and related benefits – as well as to ensure voters remain on the active voting list. For assistance, please call the City Clerk’s Election Department Office at 617-376-1144.”
Throughout February @ Second floor of main library (40 Washington Street): Come see the first solo art show by my lovely friend and neighbor Susan Riegler.
Friday, Feb. 6, 6 – 8:30 pm @ The Fours (15 Cottage Avenue): Quincy Votes! Fundraiser. Featured speakers include State Senator John Keenan, Dr. Kimberly Dong of Tufts University, and Quincy Votes! President Liz Speakman. (Note: While I support and applaud the work that Quincy Votes! does to increase civic engagement and voting, I am no longer a member of the organization, and I have never made any money from my involvement with the group, which is run by dedicated volunteers.)
Monday, Feb. 9, 10:30 am @ Main library community meeting room (40 Washington Street): Free, weekly Tai Chi class.
Monday, Feb. 9, 7 pm @ Quincy High School (100 Coddington Street): State of the City Address by Mayor Koch. Reception to follow.
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6 pm @ First floor of Old City Hall (1305 Hancock Street) and on QATV: Planning Board meeting. Please note that a battery energy storage system that was going to be proposed for the parking lot of Ward 5’s 99 Ranch supermarket will not be discussed at the meeting after all. I will keep you posted if the proposal is resubmitted at a later date!
Monday, Feb. 16, 12 – 5:30 pm @ Hancock-Adams Common: Presidents’ Day Winterfest (free): Ice sculptures, fire shows (2:30 – 5:30 pm), and free hot cocoa; inside Old City Hall: musical performances (first floor) and birds of prey (basement); in the Church of the Presidents: magic and puppet shows. More information here.
Sunday, Feb. 22, 11 am – 3 pm @ North Quincy High School: Lunar New Year Celebration.
Monday, Feb. 23, 6:30 pm: City Council Meeting (agenda to appear online the previous Thursday). Some committee meetings, including a briefing on lessons learned from recent storms, are planned.
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 6 pm: In-person resident council meeting. Sign up here for info.
Friday, March 6, 9 am – 3:30 pm @ Quincy Health Department (440 East Squantum Street): Blood drive. Each donor will receive a $15 Target or Amazon gift card.
Before March 15: Free Trees for Kids registration. Kids (or their caretakers) can register for a free tree, through a partnership between the library, Neighborhood Forest, and the Quincy Tree Alliance.