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Home / Meetings /April 9, 2024
City Council · April 9, 2024 · 7:00 PM

City Council Meeting

Council approved the appointment of an Interim Chief Financial Officer (2024-048) and passed Administrative Order AO 2024-002 reorganizing Human Resources and Information Technology; the Council also referred multiple budget/grant orders (2024-052 through 2024-058) including a Preservation Restriction for 6 Center Street (2024-058) to committees and set dangerous dog hearings for Arthur Amirault (2024-059) and Zachary Kozdra (2024-060).

occurred Agenda PDF Minutes AI Summary
Key decisions
Passed Administrative Order AO 2024-002 reorganizing City Government (Department of Human Resources and Office of Information Technology).
Approved 9-0
Approved appointment of Sheryl Wright as Interim Chief Financial Officer (2024-048).
Approved 9-0
Approved appointment of Ben Siebecker as Ad Hoc member of the Disposition Committee for the former Trader Alan's Truck Stop (2024-049).
Approved 9-0
Approved appointment of Matt Langis to the Design Review Committee through February 28, 2027 (2024-050).
Approved 9-0
Reappointed Matt Sherrill to the Design Review Committee through February 28, 2027 (2024-051).
Approved 9-0
Approved the monthly list of licenses (monthly licenses).
Approved 9-0
Referred 2024-052 (appropriate $30,000 from Water Retained Earnings to Water Other Expenses) to the Budget & Finance Subcommittee with a second-reading date set (amendments set second reading to April 23, 2024).
Amendments passed (5-4; then 5-2-2)
Referred 2024-053 (accept and expend $19,760 grant from Newburyport Society for the Relief of Aged Women) to the Budget & Finance Committee with second reading April 23, 2024.
Referred 7-0-2
Referred 2024-054 (accept and expend $19,000 DFS Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant) to the Budget & Finance Committee with second reading April 23, 2024.
Referred 7-0-2
Referred 2024-055 (increase Retirement Board stipends; establish City Treasurer stipend) to both the Ordinance & Administration and Budget & Finance committees with second reading April 23, 2024.
Referred 7-0-2
Referred 2024-056 (transfer $50,000 from Police Salaries & Wages to Police Other Expenses) to the Budget & Finance Committee with second reading April 23, 2024.
Referred 7-0-2
Referred 2024-057 (exempt Deputy Police Chief from Chapter 31) to the Ordinance & Administration Committee with second reading April 23, 2024.
Referred 7-0-2
Referred 2024-058 (approve and accept Preservation Restriction Agreement for property at 6 Center Street) to Ordinance & Administration, Planning & Development Committee, and the Planning Board with second reading May 14, 2024.
Referred 7-0-2
Referred Dangerous Dog Hearing request for Arthur Amirault to the Animal Control Officer and set a hearing for April 24, 2024 (2024-059).
Referred 8-0-1
Referred Dangerous Dog Hearing request for Zachary Kozdra to the Animal Control Officer and set a hearing for April 24, 2024 (2024-060).
Referred 7-1-1
AI SUMMARY · DRAWN FROM THE MINUTES

The City Council meeting focused on personnel appointments, a city government reorganization, and referral of several budget and grant orders to subcommittees for further review. The Council unanimously approved the interim appointment of a Chief Financial Officer and three appointments/reappointments to local committees, and it passed an Administrative Order (AO 2024-002) reorganizing the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Information Technology. The monthly list of licenses was also approved unanimously.

Several financial and administrative orders (2024-052 through 2024-058) were referred to the Budget & Finance and Ordinance & Administration committees — many with second-reading dates set for late April or mid-May — and the Council authorized a multi-body review of a preservation restriction for property at 6 Center Street. The Council set dangerous-dog hearings for two individuals and conducted votes on amendments setting second-reading dates for one appropriation order; Councilors also discussed concerns about the Council's role as hearing authority for dangerous-dog matters and noted forthcoming legislation to address that issue. One member of the public raised neighborhood dispute concerns and was advised to coordinate with police regarding planned work times.

Generated by an LLM. Verify against the official record before quoting.

Motions & votes

AI-generated summaries of each motion's substance — not the official record. Verify against the meeting minutes or video before quoting.

APPROVE
Approved 9-0
Councilor Corcoran offered a motion to approve 2024-048 as presented.
MOVED · COUNCILOR CORCORAN · SECONDED · COUNCILOR WHEELER
APPROVE
Approved 9-0
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to approve 2024-049 as presented.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR RINALDI
APPROVE
Approved 9-0
Councilor Gilday offered a motion to approve 2024-050 as presented.
MOVED · COUNCILOR GILDAY · SECONDED · COUNCILOR HOGG
APPROVE
Approved 9-0
Councilor Gilday offered a motion to approve 2024-051 as presented.
MOVED · COUNCILOR GILDAY · SECONDED · COUNCILOR RINALDI
APPROVE
Approved 9-0
Councilor Stanganelli offered a motion to approve the monthly list of licenses.
MOVED · COUNCILOR STANGANELLI · SECONDED · COUNCILOR HOGG
APPROVE
Approved 9-0
Councilor Stanganelli offered a motion to pass AO 2024-002 as presented.
MOVED · COUNCILOR STANGANELLI · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
REFER
Councilor Stanganelli offered a motion to refer 2024-052 to the Budget and Finance Subcommittee.
MOVED · COUNCILOR STANGANELLI · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
AMEND
Passed 5-4
Councilor Wheeler offered an amendment to add that the second reading for this proposal would be had during the April 25th, 2024 City Council Meeting.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
AMEND
Passed 5-2-2
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to further amend the referral to set the second reading date for the April 23rd, 2024 City Council meeting.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
REFER
Referred 7-0-2
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-053 to the Budget and Finance committee with a second reading date of April 23rd, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
REFER
Referred 7-0-2
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-054 to the Budget and Finance committee with a second reading date of April 23rd, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR HOGG
REFER
Referred 7-0-2
Councilor Wheeler amended the motion to refer 2024-055 to the Ordinance and Administration committee and the Budget and Finance committee with a second hearing date of April 23rd, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
REFER
Referred 7-0-2
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-056 to the Budget and Finance committee with a second reading date of April 23rd, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR HOGG
REFER
Referred 7-0-2
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-057 to the Ordinance and Administration committee with a second reading date of April 23rd, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
REFER
Referred 7-0-2
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-058 to the Ordinance and Administration committee, the Planning and Development Committee, and the Planning Board with a second reading date of May 14th, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY
REFER
Referred 8-0-1
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-059 to the Animal Control Officer and to set a hearing date for April 24th, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR RINALDI
REFER
Referred 7-1-1
Councilor Wheeler offered a motion to refer 2024-060 to the Animal Control Officer and to set a hearing date for April 24th, 2024.
MOVED · COUNCILOR WHEELER · SECONDED · COUNCILOR GILDAY