(8-minute read)
For residents looking to stay up to date on key town matters, this recap highlights the major takeaways from the Snow Shoveling Bylaw forum held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Watch the full meeting here on RCTV’s Youtube page.
Review the full proposed Snow Shoveling Bylaw.
Review more about snow removal and accessibility in Massachusetts.
Key takeaways
The proposed bylaw would apply townwide, not just downtown, after a narrower downtown-only version narrowly failed at last year’s Town Meeting. The town said accessibility complaints last winter, including one filed with the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, made clear that without a bylaw shifting responsibility onto property owners, the town remains legally responsible for clearing every sidewalk itself, something it can’t do physically or financially.
The bylaw sets compliance windows (12 hours for commercial properties, 24 hours for residential) and a progressive enforcement system starting with a warning before fines, but intentionally leaves the waiver process undefined, a choice that drew significant pushback over vagueness and fairness.
Residents voiced broad support for accessible sidewalks but raised concerns about enforcement, snow pile placement after plowing, liability for injuries, and whether DPW can keep up with its own share of the work.
Presentation [0:07:10]
A townwide update to last year’s bylaw
Town Manager Jayne Wellman said the Commission on Disabilities and Bylaw Committee asked to revisit the proposal after a downtown-only version, with a 4-hour clearing window, narrowly failed at last year’s Town Meeting. Last winter, the town received several accessibility complaints after a string of storms made it difficult to keep up, including one complaint to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB). Wellman said MAAB informed the town that without a bylaw, Reading remains legally responsible for clearing all of its sidewalks, something the town can’t do physically or financially. The town also heard from parents at this past spring’s Town Meeting about the impact on children who walk to school.
The new draft applies townwide, extends the compliance window, addresses curb ramps, includes residential properties, and would be enforced through the Department of Public Works, which would have broad discretion to grant waivers or extend deadlines during repeat storms. Director of Equity and Social Justice Albert Pless said Reading is an outlier among nearby communities; several, including Wakefield, North Reading, Lynnfield, Stoneham, and Melrose, already have some form of sidewalk-clearing requirement, each with its own balance of timing and enforcement. Woburn clears sidewalks through municipal services rather than placing the responsibility on property owners.
Commission on Disabilities Chair Mike Moschella opened the discussion by framing the bylaw as neighbors helping neighbors, stressing that accessible sidewalks matter well beyond residents with mobility issues. It lets older residents keep their routines, keeps children out of the street on their way to school, and helps residents reach downtown businesses.
What the bylaw requires
The bylaw’s stated purpose is to keep sidewalks safe and accessible after snow, slush, and ice events. Property owners or managers are responsible for the public sidewalk, driveway crossings, and curb ramps abutting their property, clearing a path 42 inches wide or the full sidewalk width, whichever is less. Wellman said the town is aiming for a practical path of roughly 36 inches rather than measuring to the inch.
Commercial properties would have 12 hours after a storm ends to comply, and residential and other properties 24 hours. The clock would not start until snowfall ends, and the DPW would extend deadlines during unusually heavy storms. Curb ramps and other accessible routes would need to be cleared along their full slope, without blocking crosswalk signals or buttons. After a municipal snow-clearing operation, commercial and industrial properties would need to re-clear within 4 hours and residential properties within 8 hours. DPW Director Chris Cole said the town maintains a limited number of salt barrels, 19 currently, with more planned, for resident use, though residents are expected to buy their own supply for routine needs.
Enforcement and Waivers
Pless said the bylaw emphasizes guidance and voluntary compliance before financial penalties, with each property’s violation count resetting each fiscal year. Wellman cited a downtown business that drew repeated complaints last winter as the kind of case the bylaw addresses: a first violation brings a warning, a second a $100 fine, and continued violations $200 per day until compliance.
Waivers would be available for good cause, though the bylaw does not spell out specific qualifying criteria. Bylaw Committee Chair Jesse Arnold said the committee deliberately kept the waiver language general, after extensive deliberation, rather than listing qualifying conditions that might exclude someone who needs a waiver but doesn’t fit a predefined category, which would require sending the bylaw back to Town Meeting to fix. The committee worked with town counsel on the approach and plans to publish frequently asked questions (FAQs) explaining how waivers will work in practice. Pless added that the town is launching a new Snow Patrol volunteer program this winter to connect residents who need help with those willing to shovel, including high schoolers who can earn community service credit.
Community Discussion [0:39:06]
Service gaps and accommodations
Several residents asked how the town proposal addresses sidewalks abutting town-owned property with no adjacent homeowner, and properties left unattended over the winter. Cole said the town would need to identify such sidewalks for DPW to clear directly, and acknowledged that the town’s trackless plowing equipment can leave a layer of snow behind, meaning residents are still expected to apply ice melt afterward.
Several residents described physical difficulty meeting the requirements, including older residents who rely on hired plows or student helpers, and one recovering from recent surgery who confirmed they would qualify for a waiver. Others argued the bylaw places an unfair burden on older and disabled residents, questioning whether enough volunteers exist to help hundreds of households that might need assistance. Wellman said not every struggling household will need a volunteer, since many residents simply pay for removal, and that the town already has a sense of which households may need support.
Liability and waiver criteria
Asked about liability, Town Counsel Ivria Fried said a resident who makes a good-faith effort to clear their sidewalk generally does not owe pedestrians a legal duty under the bylaw, since that duty falls to the municipality, unless the resident intentionally created a hazard. A separate state statute similarly limits a shoveler’s own liability if the sidewalk was otherwise safe for travel.
The bylaw’s lack of specific waiver criteria drew the most sustained pushback. Several residents said they supported the bylaw’s intent but could not support it without clearer, more consistent criteria, with one calling the draft not ready for a vote and its enforcement language unclear. Arnold reiterated the committee’s reasoning for keeping the waiver language general and said an FAQ is planned, while Wellman noted that most other communities’ bylaws rely on similarly general language.
Where plowed snow ends up
Multiple residents raised concerns about where plowed snow ends up, describing piles that block sightlines for children and the need to repeatedly reclear corners where plows keep dumping snow in the same spot. One resident living at a cul-de-sac described piles reaching 10 to 12 feet after back-to-back storms. Cole said the department is working on a new process this winter to spread plowed snow more evenly, and Wellman noted that DPW staffing and rest requirements between shifts limit how much can change year to year.
Equity and logistics
One resident questions the equity of holding property owners to a clearing standard the town’s own plowing equipment doesn’t fully achieve. Cole said the DPW plows roughly 40 miles of sidewalk and salts to reach bare pavement, with residents expected to finish the job with ice melt. The town posts its plowing routes online. Wellman said the town will need to evaluate equity concerns and may adjust which areas get priority for clearing and salting.
Residents also asked who clears MBTA properties; Cole said that responsibility is split between the town and the MBTA depending on location. Asked whether overnight plowing changes when the compliance clock starts, Cole said it does not; the 24-hour window still applies. And on whether residents fined while unable to comply could appeal, Wellman said that would fall under the DPW director’s latitude.
Fine structure and MAAB’s role
This reporter asked about a reported $10,000-per-violation-per-day fine structure from the state. Wellman clarified that the actual fine is $1,000 per violation per day, not $10,000, though fines across multiple properties in violation townwide could add up to $10,000 in a single day. This reporter also asked whether leaves would eventually fall under similar rules, and Fried said the current draft addresses only snow and ice, and that leaves would need further research. After a previous question about MAAB and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this reporter described MAAB as a state body that meets biweekly to review complaints and variances and, in some respects, sets stricter standards than the federally enforced ADA.
A dissenting voice, and broad support for the spirit of the bylaw
One resident, who said they have plowed in Reading for 49 years, argued forcefully against the bylaw, saying they would rather pay fines than comply. Cole said sidewalk clearing follows road clearing because plow operators need rest after exhausting shifts, though some sidewalk work begins immediately after, depending on how long crews have already been out.
Several residents closed the discussion by supporting the bylaw’s underlying spirit, framing it as a chance for the community to look out for one another, while encouraging the town to consider positive incentives alongside enforcement. Wellman thanked everyone who attended and encouraged residents to continue sending feedback ahead of the bylaw’s vote at Town Meeting.
Watch the October 21, 2026, Snow Shoveling Bylaw forum on the RCTV Youtube page.
