City Council Notes: 13 April

Short recap on Thursday’s meeting, and a day late…but better than never! Let’s get to it…

After many, many hearings, the council skipped ahead to approve the city’s application for the federal Housing and Urban Development block grant, which is worth a smidge over $1M.

There were only two other small financial matters: $4K for sick/vacation buy backs and a small overdue vet bill from 2022 ($500). After a small chastisement for late bill payment, both matters passed easily.

The city council and the school committee will be meeting jointly on 1 May, to determine who shall replace Jim Fleming on the school committee. Letters of interest in fulfilling the position should be sent to any member of either committee or to the city clerk by end of business 28 April. NOTE: These dates are different from what is in the agenda. The council thanked Fleming for his many years of service to the city, and they will present him with a city seal.

The biggest discussion centered around Councilor Morsillo’s request for the Traffic and Parking Commission to provide the council with data on how many intersections allow right on red, and a complete inventory of signage pertaining to right on red. She noted that her concern for pedestrian safety was not in direct response to the recent fatality on Jefferson Ave., but that tragic accident is emblematic of the need for continued vigilance with regards to safe streets. Surprisingly, there were some concerns about the request for information. Councilor Prosniewski was concerned with making changes to current right on red laws, federal compliance with certain traffic laws, and the cost of procuring the data. Councilor McClain also raised concerns that this would be seen as a demand for information and not a collaborative approach with the T&P commission. Morsillo reiterated that procuring these data is essential to opening and driving discussion around pedestrian safety, and that no decisions should be made in the absence of data and cost information. McClain noted that creating a car versus pedestrian (or bikes) narrative was not beneficial to moving anything forward, but Councilor Cohen noted that pedestrians have more to lose when a driver is behaving badly. Ultimately, after a few rounds of debate, mostly between Morsillo, Prosniewski and McClain, the body voted to procure the data. Only Prosniewski voted against.

The council will ask the Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs committee (OLLA) to review the composition of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund board. President Stott said the current composition is cumbersome and unique among boards. She said the number of councilors and the total number of board members made it difficult to get things done. The matter was sent to OLLA.

The last two things that piqued my interest were continuing remote meetings, which is a good thing for democracy, in my opinion; and outdoor dining. The city solicitor was asked to establish a permanent policy around remote participation in government meetings. Councilor Morsillo, who brought the matter to committee, noted that this was a policy that would need to be revisited with technological updates. The matter was sent to the committee of the whole (COW).

The council had no objection to supporting local restaurants and outlined all the work being done behind the scenes to continue with outdoor dining. The city solicitor has been charged with drafting an amendment to ordinance to allow for it.

Finally, and very importantly, the final election for mayor will be held on 16 May in all the usual voting places. Complete information, including how to vote by mail, is available on the city clerk and elections page of the city website.

Respectfully submitted,

Jen Lynch