City Council Meeting

The City Council meeting focused primarily on stormwater management and a series of ordinance and budget referrals. The council unanimously accepted Administrative Order 2024-04, reorganizing DPW responsibilities to add stormwater into the sewer enterprise and enabling a stormwater user fee (presented as $25 per household per quarter). The Director of Public Works described the action as necessary to meet EPA stormwater requirements and avoid fines, and explained the practical reasons for placing stormwater in the existing sewer enterprise (fiscal capacity and related infrastructure work). Council discussion covered legal review by KP Law, revenue estimates, enforcement risks, and equity concerns about a flat fee versus tiered or GIS-based billing approaches to address differences in impervious surface and multi-unit properties.

Council also referred multiple bills and ordinances to committee for further review and second readings on September 24, 2024, including changes to the Community Preservation Committee membership (2024-109), adjustments to the FY25 budget for mayoral salary/administration items (2024-110, 2024-111), updates to fire safety inspection and permit fees under the new state fire code (2024-112), animal code updates to designate the police chief as hearing authority for nuisance/dangerous dog hearings (2024-114), a sewer budget amendment to account for the new stormwater fee (2024-115), and a request to authorize payment of prior-year invoices (2024-116). The council approved a mayoral-requested withdrawal of Bill 2024-113. During the elected officials/comments portion, a representative of the School Committee asked about the surplus elementary school transfer to the city; the mayor’s office said it would follow up with the necessary formal acceptance paperwork for Council consideration. No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.