The council meeting last night was uncontroversial and productive. Before I start:
Councilor Sargent was absent
Andrew Jackson still hangs in chambers
The chairs they brought in for the poll workers were comfortable and far superior to the ancient things they have in there now; I’ll be sad to see them go
The meeting started with Mayor Driscoll providing the council with an update on Salem 400, our city’s quadricentennial anniversary. The effort started with Imagine Salem and has a mission to connect our rich history with the current and future generations. The two themes they are working with are community and sustainability. The goal is not just to have a big party, though there will likely be big parties, but to commemorate and recognize the anniversary; spotlight and encourage community and civic engagement; move signature projects forward; and promote historic and cultural discoveries.
Driscoll went into some detail about the signature projects aspect, since that would be the area most firmly in the remit of the city. The signature parks initiative is underway and would improve, preserve, upgrade, and make more accessible city parks, most notably: Forest River, Winter Island, the Willows, the Common, and Pioneer Village. On the topic of Pioneer Village, she explicitly mentioned the swap that we’ve all been hearing about (Pioneer Village and Camp Naumkeag). The anticipated date of this swap is 2023, with a goal of opening the PV museum and visitor center in 2026. She also talked a bit about the Century Tree Initiative, which would plant “century trees” around town and commemorate the effort with plaques.
The working group has been meeting informally and is currently composed of Salem stakeholders, but the Mayor mentioned that this is in its infancy, and she is looking for partners and ideas.
Appointments and reappointments spanned five pages of agenda. It’s great to see so many people serving their community! The beautification committee is actively seeking volunteers.
A resolution to support the creation of a South Salem Commuter Rail Station was approved. The feasibility study was conducted in 2016, and the economic impact study in 2017, but this has been in discussion phase for two decades now. It’s time to move it forward.
An ordinance to provide auxiliary aids and services in public meetings was referred to OLLA (co-posted with the committee of the whole [COW]), but I expect it will move through quickly, as the School Committee has already adopted something similar and access to government is important.
The Inclusionary Zoning ordinance made its debut. It was sent to the planning board for a joint public hearing. The full ordinance is available and we will be posting about it presently.
If you were worried about this, you can rest easy, the Irish flag will fly on St. Patrick’s Day.
Traffic nonsense. Councilor Madore rightfully once again lambasted the procedures to make traffic changes. A handicap placard was on the agenda, as were two stop signs. The current procedure is that the matter is taken to the city council, where it requires two passages. In the meantime, the stop sign is missing or the person who requires a handicap spot is struggling…for two months, at least. We have a traffic and parking commission, and perhaps it is time to relinquish control over these matters to them.
Councilor Dibble put forward a request to hold a meeting to draft an ordinance that would ban: single-use plastics, straws, styrofoam, cigarette butts, nips, and balloon releases. He has invited many of the groups working on environmental issues to join, including our own Environmental working group, so please let us know if you are interested. He followed that up with a draft ordinance banning gas hook-ups in new developments. He invited the same groups to review the draft prior to introducing it to the council.
Money: About $205K was requested to take care of water main breaks. The bulk of that (~$142K) was sent to the finance committee, but the rest was approved. About $24K was spent on park maintenance (electric at Leslie’s Park, building repair at Winter Island). The museum garage money was approved (about $1.1M total, which includes contingencies). The council approved the $140K for the expensive and lengthy lawsuit filed by Jerry Ryan against the city. And, they approved $40K for the Highland Avenue corridor study. A note about the study: it is not a traffic study, that was conducted by the state, and this will complement that work. This study is to envision growth in the area (roughly from Salem High to Lynn) so that development is planned and what they term “smart.” The goal is to create a space within Salem where people can live, work, and recreate in a walkable distance.
The meeting concluded with two second passages: the Greenlawn ordinance, which allows staff to remove trash, and the solid waste ordinance codifying current practices.
Respectfully submitted,
Jen Lynch
Note: The image was from Mayor Driscoll’s presentation and shows the city statement from the tricentennial in 1926.