MANCHESTER, N.H. – A special meeting of the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Committee on Public Safety was held on Monday to address concerns from constituents about the city’s ticketing and towing policies during snow emergencies, a problem that has impacted the city for many years.
Manchester Department of Public Works Director Kevin Sheppard told the committee that decisions on snow emergencies are made between noon and 2 p.m. on days when significant snowfall is expected overnight, leading to an overnight parking ban on both sides of roads to allow plow trucks to clear snow.
Manchester Police Department Captain Christopher Goodnow then told the committee that following the announcement, he reaches out to assigned officers that scour the city to find violating vehicles to issue tickets and potentially tow vehicles, with the city working alongside approximately half a dozen towing companies.
However, with only four officers currently available for the role and limited number tow trucks, between 130 to 160 of the approximately 400 to 500 cars that need to be moved during each snow emergency are towed and the city’s impound lot can fill up quickly.
Sheppard told the committee that the DPW has been doing what it can to get the word out on snow emergencies, including posters to local businesses in English and Spanish, press releases to media outlets and alerts through the city’s Nixle app in addition to flashing lights at every stoplight in the city.
However, members of the committee and other Aldermen felt that a lack of communication with some residents, especially new residents who may not be aware of the parking ban, could be adding to the number of cars that need to be moved.
Alderman At-Large June Trisciani said to Sheppard that ultimately every single resident views information through different methods and new methods need to be looked at, jokingly adding that the DPW could provide dance-related alerts through TikTok videos.
Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long and Ward 10 Alderman and Committee Chairman Bill Barry also noted that more communication is needed regarding odd/even street parking restrictions during non-snow emergencies. Long said he has heard from constituents that issues with illegal parking have increased in his Ward in recent years and joked it’s gotten to the point where he will happily help the Manchester Police issue tickets to offenders if allowed or drive to homes where cars are illegally parked and continue honking his horn until the owners of the cars come outside and move their vehicles.
Ward 12 Alderman Erin George Kelly said that people believe the bans are a joke because they continue to park illegally during emergencies without consequences. She asked Goodnow if certain sectors of the city could be targeted if the entire city could not be patrolled effectively during snow emergencies.
Barry also said that there should be a focus on clearing streets near hospitals and other areas where emergency vehicles may have difficulty getting through.
Goodnow replied to Kelly that the police aren’t just looking to get cars off the road to allow plows by, but also help get cars back onto the road as soon as possible.
Goodnow also said that additional patrol officers could be added if overtime payment was offered, noting that the funding for this is not currently available in the department’s budget but could be easily be paid for if tickets issued for violators went toward paying for the overtime.
He also said that adding a second impound lot could help alleviate the problem of illegally parked cars during snow emergencies.
Kelly also voiced concern over the lack of free overnight parking lots for city residents beyond the current three (Victory Garage, West Side Arena and the Pearl Street Lot), noting that the lack of walkability to those sites for many residents creates a barrier to access.
She also felt that waiving tickets or towing fees for first offenders may help serve as a notice to make residents more aware of the consequences of parking on the street during snow emergencies.
Barry asked Sheppard to present a plan to the full Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday night, but Sheppard said he would be unable to accomplish a plan on such a short time frame, with the two sides agreeing that early March would be a reasonable amount of time to create a response plan to the problem.