<div>Data center discussion tabled until next meetingThe Everett Police Department and Traffic Commission are considering a pilot program in which one-side parking would be instituted on some streets in January and February. It would affect 95 streets, none of which are major arteries. At the City Council meeting on Monday, November 9, Police Sgt. Joe Gaff, Executive Director of Public Works Bob Knox and Parking Director Adriana lndrisano told the members the measure would improve snow removal, facilitate street cleaning and lower response times for emergency vehicles.Their appearance was to inform the Councillors and the public that the issue will be discussed at their next meeting of the Traffic Commission on Wednesday, November 18. “We’re here to try to make sure we’re not throwing something out there without input,” Gaff said.The regulations would be independent of those during snow emergences when all vehicles need to be removed from streets. “It’s for the storms that fall short of emergencies,” Knox explained. “This will give us a fighting chance to get the streets clear.”“We don’t mind work, but it’s getting too dangerous at certain times,” Gaff added.He also said there would be efforts made to educate the public on the plan, including warnings placed on illegally parked cars in the first weeks of the program. “We’ll give you a heads up that we’ll tow your car so you can figure out where to park,” he said.He thinks more cars parked on driveways would help alleviate parking problems to some extent. “We’ve got to let people use driveways,” he said. “Landlords have to start letting people use driveways.”Regardless, Knox said, “It may be inconvenient to park on another street, but I’m more concerned about getting fire apparatus to a house to save lives.”Ward 5 Councillor Vivian Nguyen said she likes the idea of “prevention education letting people know where they can park” and suggested the Police and Traffic Commission work with other city departments on actions to reduce street parking. She wasn’t specific about what, however.Ward 6 Councillor Peter Pietrantonio expressed a favorable opinion of the plan. “We have to do something,” he said.Gaff, Knox and Indrisano also presented data showing that the number of vehicles towed jumped from 200 in 2025 to 400 in 2026, primarily due to snowstorms in January and February. The number of snow-related calls to the police jumped from 64 to 575 and 911 emergency calls from 21 to 90, also as a result of the storms. “We had a tough winter,” Gaff admitted.Other businessIn other business, Mayor Robert Van Campen introduced new Everett Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Chairman David Ela and new Housing Authority Executive Director James Holt to the members. He added that a reconstitution of the Board of Commissioners and the hiring of a new Executive Director were steps taken to “deliver the type of affordable housing people deserve in facilities we can be proud of and services that provide people with dignity.”He also mentioned the possibility of the City partnering with developers to deliver services in light of the “incredible regulatory restrictions Housing Authorities operate under, including how they finance themselves.”Holt, who’s been on the job for about two months, confirmed the Housing Authority gets its funding from the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and has its own reserves. They have $5 million in funding for nine projects and $2.9 million in reserves, about which Holt warned, with 670 units, “We can eat that really quickly.”He added that he is aware of issues with air conditioning and bug and mice infestations and other issues at 381 Ferry Street and other facilities. “We’re starting to tackle those,” he reported. ”Hopefully, they’ll be few and far between.”He also said, “Our buildings look good, but a couple of complexes need work, and I’ve seen a lot of day-to-day services that need to be streamlined. I’m not sure our capital improvement budget can cover all that. That’s why we’re talking to developers.”Another agenda item, to discuss and vote on restrictions on data centers, was tabled until the next meeting. A number of people spoke in Public Participation on the matter, anticipating a vote, including Stephanie McColaugh, Jeff Parente and John Burns. All expressed concerns about the negative environmental and financial effects they feel come with data centers.A data center is a facility that enables the internet by processing data — email, web searches and virtually everything the internet is used for. The Science Feedback website reports there are 9,000 in the world, but more are needed and planned. “Without them, our tightly interconnected civilization would not exist,” it explains. It is not a simple computer room, of which there are many all around the area.Science Feedback also reports data centers need and use a lot of power, often drawn from local grids, including power needed for cooling. Up to one-third of the power needed may be for cooling. They can run on solar and wind power, but the inconsistency of those sources requires conventional sources of power as well.Data centers also use water for cooling, the volume of which could increase water use rates for the residents because the volume of use will increase. The same is true for electricity. In effect, residents could be subsidizing the data center by having to cover the cost of more water and electricity being used citywide.At various Council meetings earlier this year, potential data center developer Davis Companies’ Vice President of Development Ben Masselink said new technologies use less water than older technologies but require potable water.</div>

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The Everett Police Department and Traffic Commission are considering a pilot program in which one-side parking would be instituted on some streets in January and February. It would affect 95 streets, none of which are major arteries. At the City Council meeting on Monday, November 9, Police Sgt. Joe Gaff, Executive Director of Public Works Bob Knox and Parking Director Adriana lndrisano told the members the measure would improve snow removal, facilitate street cleaning and lower response times for emergency vehicles.

Everett weighs winter one-side parking pilot on 95 streets

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The Everett Police Department and Traffic Commission are considering a pilot program in which one-side parking would be instituted on some streets in Janua

Everett weighs winter one-side parking pilot on 95 streets

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