Curtatone grants amnesty on "snow emergency" tickets

[easy-wind.livejournal.com]

Mayor grants amnesty for tickets issued in snow non-emergency
By Associated Press
Thursday, January 29, 2004

SOMERVILLE, Mass. - The city's new mayor granted a reprieve Thursday to
thousands of residents whose cars were ticketed or towed from city streets
for a snowstorm that never materialized.

Because of forecasts calling for up to eight inches of snow, Mayor
Joseph A. Curtatone declared a snow emergency at 7 p.m. Tuesday, before a
flake had fallen. Within hours, 3,000 cars had been ticketed and another 200
were towed before the ban was lifted at 4:20 a.m.

By then, meteorologists had downgraded their forecasts because the
storm veered south. The Boston area received about an inch of snow.

The tickets cost $50, and the tow jobs $145.

Curtatone had said he planned to enforce the fines and towing fees,
which would have meant a possible $179,000 windfall for the city.

But he reversed course Thursday morning, telling WRKO-AM he would
forgive the fines - but just this once.

``We're going to grant - one time, one time only - amnesty on all
tickets given as a result of not following these snow emergency policies,''
said Curtatone, who took office earlier this month.

Curtatone said he would continue the city's policy of declaring a snow
emergency at the prediction of four or more inches, giving residents four
hours to remove their vehicles.

And next time, the mayor said, residents who park their cars on snow
emergency streets won't be given a reprieve.

``We're going to enforce this policy more strictly the next time
there's a significant snow storm,'' Curtatone said. ``You must check your
local news station, cable access station, web site or call city hall for
further direction.''

Most of Somerville's neighbors, including Boston, Cambridge, Watertown
and Arlington, did not declare a snow emergency or deploy additional
personnel. Chelsea did have a snow emergency, and police Capt. Brian Kyes
said 50 cars were ticketed and towed.