ATHOL – At its meeting on Dec. 17, the Selectboard heard from Public Works Director Dick Kilhart regarding the possibility of giving more flexibility to the town’s winter overnight parking ban.

The ban is enforced between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. The Selectboard, at its Dec. 4 meeting, asked Kilhart and his team to weigh the potential impact of any alterations to the policy, since this would affect DPW workers, particularly those driving plows following a significant snowstorm.

“Since you asked me about this,” Kilhart told the board, “I’ve had conversations with our police chief, our town manager, and our staff. This policy goes back quite some time, and the policies in every town and in every direction that you look – some are more stringent than others.”

Kilhart said the ban runs from Nov. 15 to April 1, and pointed out there have been many times when storms occurred prior to Nov. 15.

He went on to say that, according to Police Chief Craig Lundgren and the chief’s executive assistant, Amand Carey, during the storm on Dec. 4, “Zero tickets were written. There were warnings that were issued prior to that snowstorm, but no tickets were no tickets written during the storm. Typically, our crew would call the police department if we couldn’t get a street cleared.”

To illustrate some of the difficulties faced by his plow crews, Kilhart said, “I’m not picking on the folks on Cottage Street, but that’s a very small neighborhood street. If you get two vehicles (parked) on both sides of the road and we get a plowable event, we can’t get through there. That means your ambulances and your fire trucks and your police cars probably aren’t getting through there either.”

The DPW chief said that the town has thus far issued just a handful of stickers for off-street parking, “and we have a whole bunch of spaces available for $5 for off-street parking. So there is availability for people to get off the road if they so choose.”

Bridget Armentrout, administrative assistant to the town manager, said there are 40 off-street spots currently available.

“It would be my recommendation,” Kilhart said, “that you keep the policy as is. Not to be too cliché, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

He went on to explain that changes in topography from one section of Athol to another can lead to different depths of snow being deposited. People, he explained, might argue they need not be off the street overnight in downtown Athol due to a lack of snow, while at the same time uptown Athol is getting several inches.

“In order to keep the streets clear,” he added, “cars on the road will unfortunately, will sometimes get buried, and damage happens when the snow is deep and pieces of blacktop and sometimes pieces of front lawn are associated with that” resulting in damage and insurance claims.

Board member Kala Fisher said she brought up changing the policy at the board’s last meeting because she has been approached by a number of constituents.

“People were saying they’re getting ticketed,” said Fisher, “but I understand they are not. And I couldn’t see a way around it, either. But I needed to bring it up so that people realize that it’s not something that we just throw out there lightly because we don’t want you parking on the street.”

Kilhart told the board it typically takes his department anywhere from 48 to 72 hours to clean up Athol following a storm. In addition to streets time must be spent clearing sidewalks as well.

“If my crews are out for 16 hours,” he added, “they have to be given some break time. If they work most of the night, with a short break, more than likely we’re not doing sidewalks that next morning. That’s another 24 hours when, hopefully, they get cleaned up.”

“I have to agree with keeping it as it is,” board member Brian Dodge said. “You warn the people. The Police Department is giving them warnings; snow is coming. With today’s communications – cell phones and everything we’ve got today – there’s not a lot people who don’t know a storm is coming.”

Ultimately, the board decided to abide by Kilhart’s advice, with no one offering a motion to change the existing winter overnight parking policy.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.