REVISED City Council Meeting
Council unanimously approved Resolution 2024-088 supporting a Massachusetts PARC Grant application for renovations to the Brian Eldridge Memorial Skate Park and approved updated Council Rules 2024-002; three zoning ordinance amendments (2024-085, 2024-086, 2024-087) were referred to the Planning Board and relevant committees with second readings and public hearings scheduled for September 24, 2024.
The City Council's July 9, 2024 meeting focused on a handful of substantive land-use and procedural actions. The Council approved Session 14 City Council Rules & Procedures (2024-002) with four corrections after reviewing proposed edits, and the body unanimously approved Resolution 2024-088 endorsing the City's application for a Massachusetts PARC Grant to support renovations to the Brian Eldridge Memorial Skate Park; discussion about the skate park included a question about how much has been raised, with a councilor reporting that a nonprofit currently holds approximately $100,000–$140,000.
Several zoning ordinance amendments received their first readings and were referred for further review: 2024-085 (WRPD/Cluster Residential amendments), 2024-086 (Historic Preservation - Special Permit amendments), and 2024-087 (extension of the Retail Marijuana Overlay District). Each ordinance was referred to the Planning Board, the Ordinance & Administration Committee, and the Planning & Development Committee for review and was scheduled for a second reading and public hearing on September 24, 2024; 2024-086 was additionally referred to the Historical Commission. The meeting also included routine council communications (including an announced August recess and reduced summer hours at City Hall), committee updates, and recognition of recent community events; there were no public comments during the meeting.