Boston Disability Board Hears Snow Enforcement Data, Nominates 2026 Officers

BOSTON -- January 14, 2026, Boston Disability Advisory Board opens 2026 with snow enforcement update and officer nominations. At its January 14 meeting, the board heard from staff member Andrea Patten that the city had already issued 290 failure-to-clear sidewalk violations in the first days of 2026, against a full-year 2025 total of exactly 5,943; property owners must clear a 42-inch path within three hours of snowfall ending, with fines ranging from $100 for small residential buildings to $500 for commercial properties that leave both a sidewalk and a curb ramp uncleared. Director of Architectural Access Patricia Mendez demonstrated the city's new Citywide Project Tracker website, covering both city and private development projects by neighborhood. Commissioner Krista McCosh announced that participatory budgeting voting opened January 15 and runs through February 15, with 13 finalist ideas including housing stability and workforce training. McCosh nominated Zari for board chair, current chair Jerry Boyd for vice chair, Olivia Richard for secretary, and Tara for treasurer; all four accepted, with a formal vote set for February. Member Carl Richardson reported that Massachusetts Senate Bill S. 2714, creating a commission to study service-animal discrimination, has passed out of committee to Senate Ways and Means, while a companion House bill targeting rideshare driver fines faces complications from ongoing driver unionization efforts and must clear committee by March.