Newton Schools are closed! City Hall is closed! A Snow Emergency has been declared effective 9 a.m. But, wait, trash and recycling collection is currently on schedule for today!
How are the streets & sidewalks in your village?
by Greg Reibman | Feb 5, 2014 | Newton | 52 comments
I totally understand why schools would be closed, especially given that the heaviest snow is expected at about the time when schools are getting out. But is anyone else troubled by this recent trend to close City Hall every time we get a half-dozen inches of snow or so?
Greg Reibman — I can see why they don’t want people driving to City Hall. Not sure if closed means every department is empty. But I gonna assume the expensive labor can do their job from home like the rest of us. If everything is shut down with no expectation that anything gets done, then yes, that’s not the way it should work.
Trash is cancelled according to an email this morning
It is good that there are few cars on the road. The plows can do their job and it will be safer for all when the snow fall ends.
What NativeNewtonian said.
Snow storms are terrible for a small business nowadays . The city request closing to promote public safety , so if you open you are viewed as negligent , or a greedy operator..Not to mention your staff think you are unfair .
I’ve been out and shoveled once already – about the first 5″ – and I saw three neighbors on my street in Upper Falls doing the same. I plan to do another round before rain comes down on top of it and makes it heavier.
Jerry Reilly must be out selling books… The King’s Handbook of Newton has an interesting description of Lower Falls train service during an 1848 snowstorm. (Today is the anniversary of the eve of the Blizzard of ’78):
“The village [Lower Falls] is connected with the outer world by the Newton-Lower-Falls Branch Railroad, diverging from the Albany main line at Riverside, about five minutes distant, and crossing the river twice in its short course, which ends among the factories. The trains on this branch were in old times run under the direction of the energetic General Stephen Cate, who became, in his way, the dictator of the line. In the great snow-storm of 1848, he made his passengers dig the train’s way through mountainous drifts, and reaching Boston on schedule roared out to the town, in a voice audible as far down as State Street: “Yes, sir, the Newton- Lower-Falls express always arrives on time.””
City hall should have been opened today. This is ridiculous. Did they take a personal day or are we paying them for this day? In the real world if you dont go in you dont get paid or have to use a personal day – even for snow or a snow emergency.
@Hoss. Thanks for including the item about the Lower-Falls Branch Rail line. It’s the second thing from Newton’s past I never knew existed until this past week; the first being the Riverside trail between Auburndale and Lower Falls I walked on this past Sunday with guides Jim Larner, Jerry Reilly and Jonathan Yeo. During that walk, we came upon the remains of the Lower Falls Line when we crossed 128 from Auburndale into Lower Falls. I had been trying during the week to find what part of the City or state this old line served, but until you put your comment up, I really didn’t know. Now, it all fits in.
BOB BURKE. That is from the top of p 226 in case there’s more there that interests you. I love the way these things get exaggerated in this very visual style of writing. I mean, why would a train have enough shovels for passengers to use? And if they did get out and use them, how on earth would the train be on time? I suspect it was all in inside joke — i.e., they asked Cate how he got in on time and he said something like, ‘why, I got the passengers to shovel’!
@Hoss. Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.
I would hope that city employees can work from home. I hope our government isn’t that archaic. But who knows? Zero-based budgeting might mean that not everyone needs laptops.
Our tiny little street (Spring St) is often the last street in the city to be plowed … or not at all. I’m happy to report that Spring street has been plowed and salted and is in great shape this afternoon. The only one not happy is my daughter – “THEY RUINED THE SLEDDING!”
We had to drive down the Mass Pike and Storrow Drive during rush hour this morning. There were very few cars on the road so it seems that many employees in both the private and public sectors stayed at home today.
This was one storm that I agree with closing the schools. Not everywhere is closed. I am working from home, while the kids do homework. I am ocurious about City Hall employees. Is today a paid day? Are people working from home? I agree that businesses should open if they can. We live in New England. Snow happens.
Funny how the Waltham City Hall and the Watertown Town Hall are open all day today – but Newton City Hall could not open.
Gail – just curious what kind of work at home would for example the person that collect money at the treasurers office be able to do from home??
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. We even had a mail delivery.
Joanne –
Not everyone would be able to work from home, obviously, but not all City Hall employees interact with the public.
If I had a bill to pay at City Hall today, I’d be happy it was closed. That way I wouldn’t have to leave my house. I’m not justifying the decision. That’s just not the argument I’d make. The question is simply…when the decision was made, did the forecast predict that the weather would be too dangerous for city employees to make it to the office? I don’t have a clue. Besides I’m biased. I learned to drive in Syracuse and don’t consider driving treacherous unless there are “white-outs.”
Sidewalks are partially done. The ones on Crafts St. are poorly done and need to be properly redone. The cars on the road travel very fast and kick up streams of brown slush to anyone walking this busy street.
Throughout the side streets about 40% of walkways are clear, not good for the letter carriers.
Gail Spector — what if you need a municipal lien certificate? I agree w Joanne — who shuts the office these days because of snow? Theres only something like 220 work days anyway (net vacations) and if you take away a few, it’s costing taxpayers to make up for the lost efforts.
It’s not a recent trend to close City Hall. Mayor Cohen used to do the same thing. City Hall should be open day or night during snow emergencies. That doesn’t mean every non-essential worker has to be there. But the Mayor should not allow a snow storm to shut down local government. The City is there to serve the people, especially during a weather emergency. They can’t be of service if they’re closed. Even from a purely symbolic perspective, closing City Hall is pathetic.
On a brighter note… I continue to be impressed with the snow clearing effort on Newton’s roadways. I noticed them moving equipment into position last night BEFORE the storm, which tells me the DPW is really on the ball.
Ok. Never mind. Open City Hall.
Roadways might be good, but there has been no plowing of Grant Ave sidewalk (on the City’s sidewalk plow route) and major mounds pushed onto the curb cuts along Grant Avenue again by the City plows. Always very annoyed to find a 3 ft icy snow mountain on the curb cut after I’ve shoveled the sidewalk. Makes one wonder how carefully the plows are being driven.
Just in case anyone here thought life in any part of the work world continued as usual today, we just drove home from Boston during rush hour and encountered minimal traffic. The roadways on the major thoroughfares in Boston and Newton are well treated and ready for a regular workday tomorrow. Both local and state government focused on snow removal today, and we’ll appreciate that tomorrow.
Newton did a good job of getting the streets plowed as it does on most occasions. The only time there seems to be trouble is when there is a snow to rain mix followed by a quick deep freeze. I’m amazed how well the City works around even that kind of one, two, three punch. Ranting against Mother Nature or the City is kind of counterproductive when you think about it. There’s only so much we humans can do to get everything completely back to normal in the time we want. I didn’t budge from the house today, but Dickerman Road is well plowed and cleared and ready for traffic tomorrow morning. I can’t really ask for much more than that. I’ll shovel my sidewalk tomorrow, sometime.
To answer the big question….members of the City Hall Associates (almost all City Hall and Library employees) get paid for the day when the Hall is closed. People who work in Customer Service, taking all the calls about plowing issues and any other routine calls get paid time and a half for the time they are working. They get this compensation because they put their lives on the line to get into work while their Union equals are snug in their homes getting paid as usual. Teachers get paid for staying home so folks on the “city side” should get the same benefit. To be clear, I am a Union member that has a job considered to be “essential” so I have to go to work no matter what the weather is. And I went to work today. And yes, I got extra pay to compensate me for working when others were at home. And no, I don’t feel bad about it.
How about next time the Mayor telling everyone like they do in businesses in the real world – City Hall is Open – if you do not feel safe coming to work – you can use a personal day. No instead he gives them a paid day off to stay home or Time and Half if they come in to do their job. Then we wonder why we have financial issues in this city.
So how were they able to clean the roads and keep the City Halls Open in Waltham and Watertown? Did it not snow there too?
Roads were not terrible in Newtonville, lots of drains clogged so major slush puddles at the side of the road when trying to cross the streets. Sidewalks are a mess, business district on Washington was a mess. All the while snow plows were driving down Washington clearing slush from the already perfectly clear 4+ lanes. How about instead of wasting time and resources clearing the sides of a road that is already perfectly clear they get some folks out to clear the business districts and the bridge (it was also a mess). That said DPW folks do a pretty great job in general, and the heavy wet stuff is just plane messy no matter what you do. Here is hoping that nice fire breathing dragon snow melting machine gets a good workout! (I would say it was a worthy investment!)
Well, my husband just came inside steaming mad! We had shoveled our sidewalks, so that we could walk around the corner. . . . while we were eating dinner, the city plow PILED the snow on our corner (freshly shoveled with a cut out to get the kids to the bus stop on the other side of the street).
I just left a 311, and nice to know that the city will solve this problem in SEVEN business days. By then the snow will be gone (I hope), but meanwhile the kids have to walk down our street and cross the street, because our nicely shoveled sidewalk leads to a six foot pile of snow!
Grumble – grumble. My husband walks with our younger child, but my middle schooler won’t want an escort across the street. . . . (mind you the sidewalk that the middle schooler shoveled).
TheWholeTruth . . . those in the private sector do not get time and a half on a snow day . . . . . those in the private sector without a union go to work (or work from home) and we work. We work for the same pay every day. I like my job, and I am happy to do it, but getting time and a half for doing your job because it snowed sounds like a snow job . . . . just my two cents.
@Joanne, had City Hall been open today, I would have gone to work and got a regular days’ pay. Instead, the powers that be in this City decided it was too dangerous to open schools and City Hall and decided to tell employees to stay home and stay off the roads. Gov.Patrick did the same thing asking non-essential State employees to stay home and off the roads. All of the people who stayed home under these orders got paid for the day. If I stayed home, it would have cost me a vacation or sick day. This is unfair to me as a member of the same Union of people who were home, getting paid. So the Union and the City AGREED that under these circumstances, employees that must get in should be compensated more for their risk. I understand that you disagree but while everyone else was hanging out at home, I was up at 4am, driving in to work to make sure the streets and sidewalks were safe for all of you. Instead of bashing me, you might consider thanking me for my devotion to my job and to the City because I did go to work, even with the risk. It has only been in the last few years that this compensation issue has been in place for the Union members. All the many years prior to that, I went to work every day for a days pay and nothing more, simply because it is my job.
And Newton Mom, streets don’t get plowed from home. It is great that you can work from home and not have to drive in conditions that are dangerous. Not all of us are that lucky. It’s nice that the City appreciates our position and thanks us for being there when everyone else was not. At time and a half, thats my three cents.
TheWholetruth……would you have gone to work for regular pay or just time and a half? Cvs, target and other employers expected their employees without time and a half.
So Whole truth – My family members are still out plowing at 9 pm – and don’t get time and half. And they are way too busy plowing snow to post on this blog. They will be lucky if they get home by midnight. And most likely will be up again at 4am to make sure that everything is sanded and safe.
So while we all appreciate your work – don’t think that others were not up at 4 this AM. My husband went to work and did not get time and half – the last storm that he could not get in he got to use a personal day.
Unfortunately the Mayor was wrong and should have kept City hall open today just like they did in Waltham and Watertown.
My 2 cents because I don’t get time and half.
Does anyone know when the snow emergency ends? It looks like Boston lifted theirs at 5pm, but I don’t see anything on newtonma.gov about when ours ends.
@Newton Mom, yes I would have gone to work regardless of whether I got paid extra or not. Just because other employers don’t pay their employees extra pay does not make it wrong for me to get extra. I do love my job. I’ve been doing it for close to 30 years. And for 28 of those years, I did for straight pay. But now I get extra because the City values my job enough to make it essential.
@Joanne, many people were up much earlier than I was and will be working much later than I did. I thank them for their work and for helping to keep all of us moving as quickly as possible.
Greg posed the question about the Hall being closed and wondered if people were getting paid. I stepped up to answer that question as honestly as I could and explain why some things are not so black and white. I’m not the bad guy here. Many people have asked why other cities and towns were able to open their offices and Newton was not. That is really the biggest question. Maybe someone should call the Mayor and ask him. And to be clear again, I would have gone to work regardless of the conditions and regardless of the compensation. But nobody here can tell me they would not accept the bump in pay for the day if it was part of the package. I also want to be clear about one more thing. This pay package affects approximately 30 people at most. We are not talking about every City employee who worked today, just a select group of people in a unique Union circumstance and situation.
TheWholeTruth _ I come from a union family so I respect your answers and opinion. The basic question is for the Mayor. Is Newton gov’t similar to other important enterprise where we serve clients first? Is Newton gov’t similar to for- profit enterprise where we optimism overhead costs respecting investors? Both questions have to do with leveraging valuable resources and if even 1% days of production is lost in a sea of 1,000 people the message to Newton is the taxpayer (client) is last in consideration.
The sidewalks in my little part of Waban, ( Fuller St @ Chestnut ), are basically impassable. Between snow plowing contractors plowing driveways and leaving 5′-6′ mountains across sidewalks, city plowing contractors leaving even larger piles at certain corners, and neighboring real estate developers with complete but unsold houses, that have not been shoveled / cleared once this winter, one wonders what is the point of shoveling. ?? Because it’s the law now?
Just in case there might be an enforcement action ? Pretty small chance of that it seems.
It’s good exercise,.. that must be the point.
@The WholeTruth. You make an articulate and convincing case for all the good things government workers do and the dedication that the vast majority of them have to their jobs and public service. I worked in federal and state agencies for many years and observed exactly what you have observed. Thanks.
TWT, I don’t know who you are, but Thanks for what you and the others do. We all know it’s the city employees who run the city, not the Mayor or the COO, etc. You guys make the city what it is today and you all do a wonderful job. The one good thing the city does is hire good solid, dependable, caring people. Some people fall between the cracks, but 99% don’t, which is a good track record.
As far as this policy is concerned, I’m rather torn. While I understand Joanne and Newton Mom’s viewpoint I think it happens so infrequently that our energies may be best used elsewhere.
I am more concerned about the sidewalks that aren’t cleared. Thats a safety issue that affests everyone from school kids to parents to working people. It’s a real problem. I dont think it’s taken serious enough. While the Mayor is in Las Vegas or Phoenix we have to deal with these issues.
In my neighborhood, the city is using Bobcats on the sidewalk plow route instead of whatever snow-blowing equipment it used to use. Is this the new standard? For this last storm and all storms so far this year, I’m finding that:
the equipment is wider than before and is taking out city trees
the sidewalk plow must weave on and off the sidewalks at narrow points, leaving sections unplowed
where it does plow, it is going nowhere near the concrete. I’m talking anywhere from 2-4 inches of snow left on the sidewalk. Tire marks are also left behind, which quickly freeze and turn to ice
I had seen slow but steady improvements in the city’s sidewalk plow routes the last few years. This year is a huge step backwards.
What @Adam said. I’m also finding that it contributes to – instead of helping to fix – the problem of piles of snow at crossing points and intersections.
Intersections are terrible. Neither plow seems to want to “own” the corner, so mounds of snow are left in place and are dangerous.
For the first time in 4 years, the day after a snowstorm my daughter and I were able to walk from our house to the bus stop without having to walk in the street.
The worst offenders were always condo complexes, developer owned empty houses, and the sometimes the city. Between individual 311 calls and involvement by the Upper Falls Area Council the word does seem to be getting out to the habitual scoff-laws.
What a difference it makes for pedestrians to have all the sidewalks clear. We’re hoping this is the new normal in the neighborhood and not just a one time fluke
We walked to and from a friend’s house for dinner on Wednesday evening and found that along Parker Street the sidewalks were mostly clear until we got to Route 9 and had to wade through knee-deep snow on the bridge. Is this some sort of DMZ where no one ventures with a plow or shovel?
I do want to say one thing about my other comments. I am not a plow person but I do have a job that requires me and a few others to be there regardless of the weather. For privacy reasons, I do not wish to be more specific about what my job is. I also understand the questions that Joanne and Newton Mom were asking and I tried my best to answer them. But I also felt that I was being attacked for having a job that requires me to leave the comfort and safety of my home no matter what the conditions are outside. I also feel like I’m being made to have done something wrong by being paid extra for my devotion to my job. Again, I would have gone in to work no matter what. Sometimes, people decide that extra compensation is not only fair but also earned. I am not responsible for what happens to those who work in the private sector who don’t get these “advantages”. Once again, the bigger question is why was the Hall closed when so many other cities and towns seemed to function just fine. I can’t answer that. I thank those of you who were kind to me in your posts and hope that the other folks can be a little less judgmental.
@Adam and Chris. I’m surprised they are using bobcats. I remember they used them on some of the sidewalks during the 60’s or 70’s and the results were as bad then as Adam describes them now. Actually, the wooden v shaped horse drawn plows in the 40’s did a great job.
Bob, I knew this was going to come back to the horse drawn plows…
TWT,
I don’t think Joanne or Newton Mom were directing their comments at you. You just happen to be the only one on the blog, so the questions were directed at you. I can’t speak for them, but it sounded to me that they were angry with the decisionmakers (ie Mayor)….not you. No one can blame you for going into work and the half pay is gravy for you.
Thanks Tom – that is correct – I am angry at the Mayor – Not TWT.
The Mayor should have opened City Hall- it was done in Waltham and Watertown why not Newton. He could have even had them come in at 1 pm.
Seems to be a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation – the new Boston mayor got grief for not closing City Hall.
The city was by my corner today and made it right! Thank you DPW!
THT, I am more upset that the mayor makes these decisions, when in reality it not only hurts this years budget, but the expectation is in future storms, that if the schools are closed, City Hall is closed. I think closing schools and closing City Hall are two different things. And I am sorry if I was angry, but I was not happy with the decision to close City Hall. If a private employer closes, the private employer has to work his/her budget. . . . which is different when a mayor closes City Hall.