Everett Police Sgt. Joe Gaff, chairperson of the Everett Traffic Commission, said the city’s handicapped parking sign process is being updated and will include a provision that applicants must notify the Commission every two years that the parking space is still required.
“We currently have all the handicapped parking assigned spaces and signs on file and we’re going to implement a program that applicants will have to contact the Everett Police Department that the space is still in use,” said Gaff, who also oversees the EPD Traffic Division.
Gaff’s announcement comes after Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky brought up the issue of handicapped parking signs for discussion at the Oct. 10 Council meeting.
Gaff said some handicapped parking signs were still situated in front of residences even though the original applicant for the handicapped sign no longer lived at the address for which the sign was intended.
“The issue at hand is that people pass away or move away and the [handicapped parking] spot still stays there,” said Matewsky. “I received a couple of calls, one on High Street, that the man moved away, and the sign is still there. I got a call the next day from a man on Reynolds Avenue at Malden Street, and according to him, the person who originally requested the sign moved away ten years ago.”
Matewsky said he was pleased that Sgt. Gaff was well into the updating process for all handicapped parking signs in the city and that the matter was being handled so expeditiously and professionally by Gaff and the Traffic Commission.
In addition to Gaff, the other members of the Everett Traffic Commission (according to the city’s website) are Transportation Planner Jay Monty, Director of Parking Chad Luongo, James Lavecchio Sr. (Ward 1), Frederick Cafasso Jr. (Ward 2), Theresa Naimo (Ward 3), Stephen Altieri (Ward 4), Leo Pizzano (Ward 5), and Al Lattanzi (Ward 6), who is also the Ward 6 city councilor.