The Public Safety & Transportation Committee approved the following (see Report and watch video on NewTV):
- Request for an amendment to City Ordinances to continue outdoor dining. Outdoor dining season begins April 1, “the draft ordinance language will enable the city to put into place permanently, what we’ve been doing for the last two years with outdoor dining.”
The Committee voted No Action Necessary on the following:
- Request to grant administrative authority to the Commissioner of Public Works, the Director of Planning and Development, and the Police Chief to seasonably approve the use of on‐street parking spaces for restaurant outdoor dining.
The Committee held the following:
- Discussion with the Chief of Police on crash data. Centre and Washington Streets are the highest crash location in the City with 19 crashes.
The Police Chief had no data on the number of warnings or citations for driving while talking on a cell phone. 74% of crashes occur in good weather, during daylight. 8AM and 3PM are peak crash times. The city removed flex posts that were installed as a temporary measure to prevent pedestrian and car crashes. A request to review the policy regarding the removal/needs for these posts was made.