Ordinances

Amesbury approves a petition by National Grid and Verizon New England to locate and install utility poles on Market Street, including a new joint pole and a midspan pole, with underground laterals allowed and space reserved for municipal wires.

The City of Amesbury is authorized to accept and expend a North Shore HOME Consortium grant totaling $91,983 to support a Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Program. The funds come from 2024 and 2025 program years, with up to $2,759 for administration. The program aims to help income-eligible homeowners repair health and safety issues, with federal requirements and reporting obligations.

New ordinance updates Amesbury's cemetery Chapter 237, codifying a fee schedule and modernizing rules for hours, definitions, decorations, and interment procedures. It shifts interment costs to city-approved fees and clarifies ownership and cemetery operations.

Amesbury accepts a $20,000 state grant to fund Phase II of a Downtown Amesbury Parking Study to assess citywide parking capacity and future development needs, including paid parking strategies.

The City Council authorizes the Mayor to accept a $49,000 state earmark grant to purchase Chromebooks for third-grade students in the Amesbury Public Schools. The Mayor will administer the grant per state guidelines and use it for technology in the classroom.

City Council authorized the Mayor to accept a FY26 Massachusetts Legislative Earmark Grant of $40,000 to digitize and preserve Amesbury's municipal documents. The funds will be expended to support a targeted records preservation project.

The City of Amesbury will use a $3.6 million MassWorks grant to fund infrastructure upgrades along Route 110 at Elm Street and Clarks Road. The project will include roadway and intersection improvements, traffic signals, utilities, sidewalks, and crosswalks to support multimodal access and housing development in Amesbury and nearby Salisbury.

This order authorizes the Mayor to accept and spend FY26 formula grant funds from EOEA for the Amesbury Council on Aging. The grant supports programs for residents 60 and older and is allocated via a per-person formula.

Amesbury will receive a $19,760 grant from the Newburyport Society for the Relief of Aged Women to fund a Council on Aging job trainee. The Mayor will accept and expend the funds to pay the trainee’s compensation, supporting COA programs for one year.

The City of Amesbury will accept a $24,060 grant to purchase 40 Personal Safety Rope Systems for the Fire Department. The equipment will be NFPA-compliant and available to all uniformed firefighters to aid rapid self-rescue. No local funds are required beyond the grant.

City transfers $231,535 from the Streets and Sidewalks Stabilization Fund to the DPW Downtown Business District Sidewalks account to fund crosswalk upgrades. Work covers about 28 downtown crosswalks, adding ADA tactile pads and a cohesive design, prioritized by the Public Works Director under Bill No. 2023-098.

The City of Amesbury authorizes a transfer of $94,100 from Water Retained Earnings to Water Consulting to fund engineering design for the Main Street Water Main Replacement, part of a federally funded infrastructure project affecting housing and residents.

The City Council approves a $100,000 appropriation from Sewer Retained Earnings to the Sewer/Stormwater Enterprise Fund to cover emergency repairs to Arch Brook Culvert, supporting water management for Meadow Brook Pond watershed toward the Powwow River.

This ordinance authorizes a one-time internal budget transfer of $103,376.95 from the FY26 Salary Reserve to fund retirement sick leave and vacation buyouts for Police and for the Treasurer/Collector. The funds are split between the Police Sick Leave Buy-Back and the Treasurer/Collector Sick Leave Buy-Back accounts.

This ordinance appropriates $100,000 from Free Cash for City Hall fit-out at One Market Street. It funds furniture, fixtures, equipment, and incidental items identified after occupancy to make City Hall functional and welcoming for staff and residents.

This ordinance appropriates $200,000 from Free Cash to the General Stabilization Fund to replenish funds used to support the FY2026 General Fund budget. It follows Council Order 2025-104 and affects city finances citywide.

This ordinance authorizes moving existing funds within Amesbury's School capital accounts to cover costs of the Diamond Field project at Amesbury High School, using surplus balances from completed projects.

Authorizes payment of three prior-year invoices totaling $1,735.21 from FY26 budgets. Affects Municipal Buildings, DPW, and Police departments. Payments go to Safer Nature Pest Control, iMotion, and Konica Minolta.

This ordinance rescinds Amesbury's prior acceptance of state parking enforcement provisions and adopts the updated provision to allow mailed parking violations, subject to Council approval. It signals potential future changes to how parking tickets could be issued and enforced.

The City of Amesbury will lease-purchase a new multifunction copier for use by all departments at 62 Friend Street. The Mayor is authorized to execute the five-year lease using Sourcewell pricing (Contract 112124-KON) at $185.57 per month for 60 months.