Welcome to a new year and a new council! It was exciting to see so many new faces and I have to say that the first meeting went very well. I continue to have high hopes for this group. As a reminder, since the November election feels like it was years ago:
Ward 1: Bob McCarthy
Ward 2: Caroline Watson-Felt
Ward 3: Patti Morsillo (President)
Ward 4: Lev McClain
Ward 5: Jeff Cohen
Ward 6: Meg Riccardi
Ward 7: Andy Varela
At Large: Domingo Dominguez, Ty Hapworth, Alice Merkl, and Conrad Prosniewski
The meeting started with appointments and reappointments, which is a good time to remind you civic-minded people that there are board openings and opportunities to serve.
Councilor McCarthy moved the free cash transfers to Administration and Finance Committee (A&F) so the new councilors could attend to learn more about some of these more routine matters; particularly in light of the large sum ($7.4M). There was a lot of discussion around the $650K proposed for repairing the Nathaniel Bowditch ferry. Councilor Dominguez wanted clarification about the responsibilities pertaining to ownership and operation, ticket sales, and pier rental and asked to send it to A&F. Councilor McClain noted that the supply chain delays added urgency to the matter, since the vessel would need to be repaired off-season. McCarthy offered to answer any questions at the A&F meeting, but urged the council not to hold up the funds. Dominguez withdrew his motion to send to committee and the matter passed. The council voted to re-authorize the capital improvement funds with a small change to the language (changing the ability to apply funds to all public school bathroom renovations, not just Salem High).
The council voted for first passage to expand the safety enhancement zone by one mile outside of downtown, because tourist activities are not restricted to downtown. Fines are tripled when this zone is enacted. Speaking of zoning, the council is going to clean up the marijuana dispensary zoning ordinance so it is in compliance with state law. McClain noted that it may be worth modifying the language around houses of worship in the same way they are schools. The matter was sent to Ordinances, Licenses, and Legal Affairs (OLLA).
There will be a couple of joint public hearings coming up with the planning board: one about zoning for solar and the urban agriculture ordinance. The council also unanimously endorsed the Green Futures Act, which is under consideration at the state level. The Act will provide funding to support environmental initiatives by closing loopholes on the pollution fee.
There was a little bit of debate around the results from the environmental samples taken at Overlook Acres. The motion on the table was to enter into legal proceedings, which gave the council pause. Councilor Prosniewski asked if the city had asked for the information directly, and Councilors McClain and Merkl agreed that all alternate routes should be explored before taking anything to court. The council concurred that it was best to try to obtain the test results through the owners of the report without court action.
Councilors Watson-Felt and Cohen were appointed to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
The Waterfront Overlay District zoning matter was sent to OLLA.
That’s about it…it was a well run meeting, with respectful discussions, and a lot of really exciting matters already in front of the council. I feel like it’s going to be a good year!
Respectfully submitted,
Jen Lynch