The council meeting started off with some oohs and ahhs, when Chief of Police Lucas Miller introduced the adorable new community service puppy, Derby. Councilor Dominguez asked for Miller to clarify the dog’s job, all cuteness aside. Miller explained that traditional K9 dogs are working dogs, trained to sniff out bombs, drugs, and so forth. Derby brings solace and comfort to people suffering a tragic event and he helps take the edge off police presence. Derby works with the community impact unit, which is more engaged with providing services than issuing citations. He went on to explain that Derby and Jessica, his handler, are on-call, and though they have regular working hours, they can be available in emergency situations. All the costs associated with Derby are provided by donations.
We then rapidly descended into a never-ending hearing about AL Prime Energy and inflammable storage. Councilor McClain said his constituency was largely opposed, but the matter ultimately passed. There were very little questions on the other two hearings: Comcast to install a conduit; National Grid to install a conduit and reconstruct a gas pressure regulator. Both matters carried.
Mayor Driscoll introduced a request to provide the MBTA with a wish list that included making the Newburyport-Rockport commuter line electric, improving station accessibility by making them step-free, and implementing rapid bus transit from Peabody to Salem. The council concurred.
Councilor Hapworth will be hosting two meetings at the Government Services committee, co-posted with the Committee of the Whole, with contributions from the police. The first is to discuss recent traffic violence and pedestrian safety; the second, to discuss illegal dirt bikes. He also introduced an ordinance to detail sidewalk maintenance. The ordinance will cover materials and ADA compliance, and it should allow the city to better budget and plan for sidewalk maintenance. This matter was referred to the Government Services committee, where the details will be hammered out.
Committee Reports
Administration and Finance filed a few financial reports. Then they moved money around and reauthorized payments from this year to cover last fiscal year bills. Tsk, tsk…pay those bills, Salem. The overlooked bill was for ~$9K in old phone bills and it slipped through the cracks when there were personnel changes.
Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs (OLLA) has been busy, busy, so Councilor Riccardi provided a ton of updates. First, cab fares will go from $5.50 to $7.00/mile. The ordinance governing livery services has not been revised since 2012, but much has changed since then (rideshare apps; Salem Skipper; etc.). In the meantime, the taxi operators have been charging $7 and not the $5.50, so this motion was to match the law to the reality. (Gas and insurance rates are higher and the taxi operators adjusted rates.) The council approved the change in rates and police have asked taxi operators to post their rates. The rest of the ordinance will remain in OLLA for review and updating as appropriate.
The Green Infrastructure ordinance needs to make it to the council floor by the next meeting, since it is a zoning ordinance amendment and has a time limit from the public meeting; but for now it will stay in committee. A few definitions still need to be clarified.
Urban agriculture: OLLA has had a lot of feedback and support from the community on this ordinance. Here is a general overview on the edits to the ordinance; the council voted on a red-line, strike-out version:
Beekeeping: Sale of products. Honey can be sold year-round. Produce and eggs have seasons. Honey and hives must be produced on-site, but you could collaborate with a neighboring hive. Hive rentals are a thing…beekeeping is a skill; not everyone can do so successfully but could have hives on their property. Clarified the space and positioning of the hives from the abutters.
Coop sizes: Some breeds don’t need more than 2 sq.ft.; others need more. Aligned the language with state guidelines.
Riccardi noted that this bill has been under review and development for two years. COVID really illustrated how fragile our systems are and how important urban agriculture can be to self-reliance and community engagement. She thanked the numerous people in the community who helped develop the bill; and was in turn thanked by council for leading the charge on this matter.
Vote on the amendments: Roll Call Vote (RCV) = 10 affirmative; one abstained; Vote on first passage: RCV = 10 affirmative; one abstained. Varela recused (abstention).
Entrance corridor zoning amendment: Planning board’s (PB) recommendation was received and filed. Riccardi requested to add an amendment to 8.25, as suggested by the PB: “Trees are a crucial component of the entry corridor, available in a broad range of species and sizes. Shade trees are preferred for their medium to large canopy width and height for a full range of community benefits identified in the tree ordinance, including cooling and stormwater uptake.” Vote on amendment: RCV = unanimous; Vote on 1st passage: RCV = unanimous
Bridge Street neck special district zoning amendment: PB’s recommendation was received and filed. Riccardi moved to refer the matter to OLLA co-posted with COW. The PB had a lot of recommendations that need to be reviewed and considered. Dominguez expressed a number of concerns with this zoning amendment. Councilor Watson-Felt encouraged him to review the numerous materials on the Salem website and reminded everyone that this zoning ordinances was the product of multiple community forums and thoughtful engagement from the community in the Neck, as well as planning board members and city officials.
Unfinished business:
2nd passages:
Senior tax abatement amendments: Matter carries
Gender neutral and inclusive municipal codes (changing citizen with resident, etc.): Matter carries
Traffic matters (no drama)
Respectfully submitted,
Jen Lynch