Trash barrels left in the middle of the sidewalk after pickup are blocking the way for Chelsea residents with disabilities, members of the city’s Disability Commission say, and the commission has been drafting a letter to the city’s trash hauler about it.
The complaint is laid out in minutes of the commission’s September 22 and October 6 meetings, which the city posted on Friday. They show a commission that agrees on the problem and has been working out how hard to push.
How it came up
At the September 22 meeting, member Fran Roznowski raised concerns about where barrels are placed after the city’s vendor empties them, according to the draft minutes. Other members shared the same frustration. Roznowski proposed writing to the vendor on the commission’s behalf.
She brought a draft to the October 6 meeting. The minutes say she stressed that barrels are not being put back properly on the sidewalks, “creating an issue for residents and especially residents with disabilities/mobility issues,” and that she strongly believed the vendor should be more considerate when returning them. Member Susan Backstrom said the issue should be addressed in one form or another.
More than the hauler
The discussion widened from there. Member Alexander Floyd-Vargas, who the minutes say spoke from his experience as a wheelchair user in Chelsea, raised the uneven width and condition of sidewalks and the availability of curb cuts across the city, and said many factors beyond the vendor play a part. Member Jennifer Rosa said the slope of a sidewalk or curb cut is sometimes the obstacle and is something the city should look into.
Member Marie Montgomery offered the hauler’s side: crews have to cover an entire city in a short time and are most likely trying to be as efficient as they can.
The commission talked about recasting the letter to be, in the words of the minutes, “less aggressive and maybe more as an invitation to collaborate.” Members also discussed campaigns to remind residents to bring their barrels in quickly or to set them out in a way that blocks less of the sidewalk. They agreed to look at another draft at their next meeting.
Where it stands
The agenda for the commission’s November 10 meeting lists a “Draft Review of Letter to Garbage Disposal Company.” Minutes of that meeting have not been posted, so the record does not yet show whether the letter was approved or sent. The minutes do not name the vendor or include the text of the draft.
Also in the minutes
- United in Ability. Members reviewed the July 11 event in Chelsea Square. Those who attended praised the programming and the range of organizations, and said the bouncy houses drew passersby in. For next time they want volunteers assigned to help people who use wheelchairs and others get around the sidewalks and the event area, with specific accessibility roles. Ideas for future years included sign language classes for toddlers and young children, live music and other activities for children with sensory needs, and a mobility parade.
- Chelsea 5K. Backstrom and Floyd-Vargas reported on this year’s road race, including what the minutes call the inaugural wheelchair division.
- Disability resource brochure. Julissa Sandoval of the Health and Human Services Department showed a brochure of resources in Chelsea and nearby communities that she has been preparing. It was to be sent to members for comment.
- Cultural council grant. Bernabe Rodriguez, who staffs the commission, plans to apply for a Local Cultural Council grant on its behalf. Ideas included a photo exhibit, an art show and a theatrical performance about disability and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Delia Harrington, the city’s Manager of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, explained the grant process on October 6, and members were to be polled to pick a project.
- Access rules. Members asked to learn more about what the ADA requires of new construction, businesses and restaurants in Chelsea.
Reaching the commission
The Disability Commission meets in Room 302 on the third floor of City Hall, 500 Broadway, and its November meeting was also offered on Zoom. The contact printed on its agendas and minutes is Bernabe Rodriguez in the Executive Department, [email protected], 617-466-4160. The minutes are on the city website: September 22 and October 6.