Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 13, 2026 PARKING PILOT | FROM PAGE 1 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 peoNEW DIRECTORS | FROM PAGE 1 Jhenny Saint-Surin, Director of Multicultural Affairs & Community Engagement Saint-Surin brings more than a decade of experience in municipal government, community engagement and organizational leadership. Her career spans public service, nonprofit organizations and the private sector, where she has led initiatives focused on language access, workforce development and connecting underserved communities to critical resources. Fluent in Haitian Creole, Spanish and French, and conversational in Portuguese, Saint-Surin brings a multilingual and multicultural perple 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 spective, along with deep connections across Greater Boston. She recognizes that communities can share common priorities while having different experiences and expectations of government. Her background includes managing teams and coordinating complex programs, with partnerships spanning government agencies, businesses, educational institutions and community organizations. In Everett, she will focus on strengthening relationships between residents and City Hall and expanding opportunities for civic participation. Building on her community engagement experience, Saint-Surin has pursued certifications and advanced training in data and business analytics, human-centered design and tough winter,” Gaff admitted. Other business In 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 artificial intelligence. She aims to combine strong community relationships with thoughtful use of technology to identify service gaps and make government more accessible and accountable. “Building a welcoming and connected Everett means making sure residents from every background feel heard and represented by their city government,” said Mayor Van Campen. “Jhenny’s language skills and experience building community partnerships will help us strengthen those relationships and give more residents a voice in the work we do.” “Communities can share the same priorities but have very different experiences with government,” said Saint-Surin. “I look forward to listening to Evstate 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, anticerett’s residents and building partnerships that help us meet people where they are. What we fail to measure, we risk failing to see. But data alone cannot tell the whole human story. Numbers reveal the gaps, people give them meaning, and good government turns both into action.” Danielle Palazzo, Director of Youth Development & Enrichment Palazzo brings more than 20 years of municipal experience, including 16 years with the City of Somerville’s Parks and Recreation Department. In Everett, she will lead efforts to provide meaningful opportunities for young people through youth programming and enrichment activities that support their growth and development. During her time in Parks and Recreation, Palazzo helped coordinate and expand programs for residents of all ages. She managed registration and scholarship processes to support equitable access, worked with schools and youth organizations on programming and supervised part-time staff supporting programs and events. She also served as a direct point ipating 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, PARKING PILOT | SEE PAGE 17 of contact for residents and families. Most recently, Palazzo served as Deputy Director of Finance and Administration for Somerville’s Department of Public Works, overseeing financial and administrative operations across multiple divisions. Her background combines experience in community programming with the operational skills needed to support a busy municipal department. “Investing in our young people means giving them meaningful opportunities to grow and discover what they’re capable of,” said Mayor Van Campen. “Danielle brings years of experience supporting community programs and the leadership to help strengthen what Everett offers its youth and families. I look forward to working with her to build opportunities for Everett’s next generation.” “I spent many years working with families in parks and recreation, and I know how much a good program can mean to a child,” said Palazzo. “I’m excited to get to know Everett’s youth and hear what they’d like to see. I want families to feel welcome and kids to find something they look forward to coming back to.”
17 Publizr Home