City Council Meeting

The City Council meeting on June 25, 2024 considered multiple zoning, budget, grant, and service items. Councilors approved Ordinance 2024-065 to extend the R-40 zoning district along Haverhill Road (including the Planning Board map) and Ordinance 2024-066 to revise the Amesbury Gateway Village Smart Growth Overlay District (with a text correction from “stores” to “stories”). Planning staff answered council questions about timing, MBTA consistency, and estimated unit counts for the overlay update. A Merrimack Valley Planning Commission representative presented the regional multi-hazard mitigation plan update earlier in the meeting and confirmed the draft is available online and expected later in the year.

On fiscal and service matters the council accepted a $298,834 Elder Affairs grant to fund the Elder Mental Health Outreach Team for FY25–FY26 (2024-078), approved substituted inter-departmental transfers (2024-079), and appropriated $32,699.28 from the Quality of Life fund for Collins Street Park improvements (2024-080). The council also approved a $6,063,254 appropriation for the AMS Performance Center roof replacement (2024-081) after an architect presentation and discussion of cost, HVAC, financing, and roof lifespan. The council renewed the inter-municipal animal control agreement with Salisbury (2024-082), referred the proposed Community Preservation Committee ordinance (2024-083) to the Ordinance and Administration subcommittee for a second reading, and accepted a late-file dangerous-dog request (11 Willowdale Ct, 2024-084), referring it to the Animal Control Officer with a public hearing set for July 25. A property owner raised a safety/liability concern about a city-owned fence during public comment and the council asked the administration to address the issue.