Ordinance and Administration Subcommittee Meeting

The Ordinance & Administration Subcommittee met to consider four substantive items: an ordinance to prohibit parking on the Lafayette Street median (2025-045), acceptance of an easement at 12 Elizabeth Street (2025-053), renewal of an inter-municipal animal control agreement with Salisbury (2025-068), and an order to appropriate funds to purchase the property at 128 Kimball Road for water-supply protection and conservation (2025-072). Four residents of Lafayette Street spoke against 2025-045, expressing concerns that a no-parking sign could push cars onto sidewalks, worsen narrow-street conditions, and impede emergency vehicles; several speakers described the median parking as acceptable and questioned the expense. Councilors acknowledged those concerns, with one councilor noting he had inspected the street and another observing the request originated from residents rather than the police. The subcommittee voted 3-0 to return 2025-045 to the City Council with a negative recommendation.

DPW Director Joe Buckley summarized the 12 Elizabeth Street easement and answered questions about stormwater routing and the enacting language; the subcommittee voted 3-0 to return 2025-053 to the City Council with a positive recommendation while requesting clarification on assessor map/parcel references, the engineering number, and whether the term “permanent” should be added to the easement language. The subcommittee also voted 3-0 to return 2025-068 (the one-year renewal for regional animal control services with Salisbury) with a positive recommendation. For 2025-072, OCED staff presented the proposed purchase of 128 Kimball Road for water-supply protection and passive recreational/conservation use; members asked about funding sources and a typographical correction, and the subcommittee voted 3-0 to return the order with a positive recommendation pending the edit to the word “recreational.”