🔨 No Joke: A 4 Hour Council Meeting!
Union Ave Construction Season Begins | Biotech Company Leaves Framingham | Preview of this Week's Council Meeting | New CPO Hired | Community Events | Civic Week Ahead
Happy Opening Day of Union Ave Construction Season, Framingham!
That is correct, our favorite years long road construction project kicks off another stage today. According to MassDOT, the reconstruction of Union Avenue to Proctor Street is 78% complete. Will there ever be a time this street isn’t being worked on?
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The 4 Hour Council Meeting
Not April Fools: We’re only three months into the new Council session, and already this Council has had 3+ hours meetings and gone past the 10pm hour four times...out of seven meetings in 2024.
In comparison, in the 2022-2023 session, the Council met past 10pm seven times. Only once in that particular session did a meeting come close to the automatic adjournment of 11pm. This year? It has been three times, with two of those meetings ending a minute or so before 11pm.
The Council meeting on March 18 was one of those times…ending at 10:57pm.
So….what did they talk about for four hours? Here are a few highlights.
Update from the Legislative Delegation
Two hour discussion: Senate President Karen Spilka, State Representatives Kate Donaghue, Danielle Gregoire, Jack Lewis and Priscila Sousa joined the Council for their yearly visit.
State budget: Senator Spilka stated the legislature is starting their budget season on a cautionary note due to the slowing of state revenues for the last nine months.
State $$ for Framingham: Chapter 70 Funding (for education) from FY22 grew from $57,000,000 to this year's funding of $85,000,000. Framingham schools saw an increase of $28,000,000 in three years.
Additionally: Governor's budget for FY2025 recommends an increase of $1,000,000 to Chapter 70 Funding. Local aid for FY25 was $12.5 million, an increase of $375,000 and Chapter 90 Funds was $1.7 million with an additional $800,000 from Fair Share Funds for roads and bridges.
New courthouse: State is working through their processes to design the new regional justice center at the old Danforth Building.
General Chemical: Spilka organized a meeting with MassDEP regarding the clean up of the General Chemical site on Leland Street. Thanks to Spilka, the state has already marked $12 million for the clean up.
School Violence: Councilor Cannon asked about the school violence issue. Sousa responded they (the delegation) had been trying to collaborate with the Superintendent and Chief of FPD to see what could be done. Sousa said there were ongoing discussions with the Department of Children and Families, and said she and the delegation will do everything possible to address the issue.
Framingham Union: Leombruno, Long and Ward advocated for more help with the ongoing issues at Framingham Union. Spilka agreed Framingham Union needs to be strengthened and said the role of the legislature was to look for ways to prevent this from happening again.
MCI Framingham: Ward and King inquired about the status of the prison. Spilka said about 100 to 150 women currently live in the facility. She said no decisions had been made other than a few renovations. Gregoire spoke of the General Government Bond Bill that had placed a temporary moratorium on all construction and renovations of facilities in Massachusetts.
What They Said: “Expectations need to be reasonable… I’m grateful for the Mayor, Susan Petroni… the larger team have been very helpful and in touch with us about very tangible things we can advocate for, like earmarks, or bigger picture concerns we know are coming…” - Lewis
The Mayor’s Report
“I’ll try to make it brief,” said Mayor Sisitsky, jinxing the rest of the meeting, as he began reading his report at 9:16pm.
No Staff at Council Meetings: Councilor Long questioned why Mayor Sisitsky ordered his staff not to attend Planning and Zoning Subcommittee meetings. Before the first subcommittee meeting, Long was informed neither the Building Inspector or the Director of Planning and Community Development would attend the meeting. She says the Council is trying to work collaboratively, and is confused by this decision.
Sisitsky’s Reasoning: Remarking he had stated this a few times before, Sisitsky felt having his staff attend comparable meetings held by subcommittees would not be the best use of their time. On the issue of zoning review, which is why Long asked the question, Sisitsky reiterated it made sense his staff works with the Planning Board, which he appoints, because the “Planning and Zoning Subcommittee is a creature of the City Council”. He continued to state nowhere in state statutes or Framingham Charter does it discuss a “standing committee” on planning, and “few communities” in Massachusetts have that committee. He considers the Planning Board and other people he appoints part of his administrative team.
Hold up…Planning and Zoning Subcommittees aren’t a thing?: There are 59 cities in Massachusetts, and a search of their Councils found that most Councils actually have a subcommittee dealing with zoning and planning issues. Marlborough has a Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, Lowell has a Zoning Committee, Newton has two committees that deal with zoning issues, Zoning & Planning, and Land Use, and Taunton has a Committee on Zoning, and Salem actually has a councilor serve as a liaison to their Planing Board. You get the gist…
Why is this important: Sisitsky Administration started a review of the city’s zoning. As I wrote a few weeks ago, there is a bit of a tug of war between the Sisitsky Administration and some of the councilors, especially Long, on the Council’s involvement in this process. Sisitsky has focused his staff on working with the Planning Board in zoning review. Sisitsky says the Planning and Zoning Subcommittee members will be invited to Planning Board meetings in an effort to work efficiently.
Too many meetings: The Mayor further said he has a “problem” with the number of “meetings, committees and office hours the Council has” and “it is putting a tremendous demand on the hours my department heads are expected to attend.” In a change of operations, Sisitsky says he will meet with Chair Ottaviani to set new “ground rules” on when staff would go to meetings and under what conditions.
“Not their staff”: Sisitsky remarked department heads are not the Council’s staff. He used Bryant’s upcoming Public Health, Safety and Transportation Subcommittee as an example for it had “six or seven department heads listed to attend to give updates” without reviewing with the Mayor or submitting questions ahead of time, “per the Charter.”
What does the Charter say?: Actually, the Charter says any member of an agency or employee can be requested to appear before the Council to provide any information that is within the jurisdiction of the Council. “The Mayor shall receive notice of any such request…” but does not say the Mayor has to give permission nor does it say questions are to be submitted beforehand.
The only time questions are provided in writing is when the Mayor is requested to appear or when the Council is giving notice to an individual via certified mail to appear in front of the Council.
For 50 minutes: Councilors went around debating the need for department heads to attend neighborhood meetings, their office hours, with the why and what they do.
Steiner said he would not apologize for having department heads come to his last D1/D3 neighborhood meeting in Nobscot, due to the possible construction project in the area.
Mayor’s report ended at 10:05pm. Per Council rules, a motion was made to continue the meeting past 10pm.
File Under: Nothing Good Happens After 10pm: As history has shown with the Council, meeting well after 10pm becomes an embarrassing mixture of short fuses, round about discussions, and a desire by some to quickly end the meeting. A half hour was spent debating Mayoral appointments, including the Human Relations Commission, which Appointments subcommittee Chair Leombruno said “she was embarrassed by the discussion” about the reappointment of an individual who had served on the committee for five years.
Oh, wait, something good!: Council voted to purchase 499 Central Street for $650,000, to be taken out of the Affordable Housing Account. The city will partner with the Framingham Housing Authority to provide affordable housing for a veteran. The rest of the property provides new, better access to Simpson Park. What a win-win for Framingham!
More about those subcommittees: Chair Ottaviani announced White Harvey declined the appointment to the Education, Library, Arts & Culture, Elder & Veteran Service Subcommittee, which he said was her first choice for a subcommittee. White Harvey stated that she had given it a lot of thought and did not feel it would have been the best use of her time. Leombruno volunteered to serve in her place.
Additionally, two ad hoc groups were created: Capital Projects & Facilities Ad Hoc Committee, with Ward the Chair and named Long and Steiner to the group. The ad hoc committee will review the city’s capital plan. The Pole Ad Hoc Committee is reconvened with Alexander continuing as chair to tackle the issue of double poles.
Meeting ended at 10:57pm.
/scene.
Biotech Company Leaves Framingham
Heading East: BPGbio announced it is relocating its headquarters from Framingham to Waltham. According to the Boston Business Journal the new space is closer to the center of Massachusetts’ biotech industry.
“Vibrant culture”: Niven Narain, CEO, said “The move to the vibrant culture and biotech talent pool in and around Waltham positions BPGbio onto a successful growth trajectory to serve patients. Our employees are excited with the additional space which enables BPGbio to accelerate development of therapeutics and diagnostics in our pipeline.”
What’s so great about Waltham?: The company is moving into 70,000 square feet of lab and office space, taking up two floors, at 300 Third Avenue. Located on Route 128, the new building includes a roof deck, fitness center, cafe, and free shuttle to Alewife T station.
According to a Boston Globe article from 2022, “Waltham . . . now has the highest combined office and lab inventory in the Boston suburbs”
Random fact: Stanley Tucci sits on their Advisory Board as the Senior Advisor of Patient Advocacy and Social Awareness.
Preview of Tuesday’s Council Meeting
Four things to know about Tuesday’s meeting:
New Citizen Participation Officer Nominated: Mayor Sisitsky nominates Nicole Horton-Simpson to serve as the CPO. Horton-Simpson currently works for the City of Cambridge managing the municipality’s inclusion initiative, where her team supports youths with special needs.
The position has been vacant since January 1, 2024. She is the fourth person to be nominated for the position since the beginning of the Sisitsky Administration.
The CPO is the liaison between the city government and residents, and supports the city’s nearly 40 boards and commissions.
Traffic Commission proposes amendments to traffic regulations: The current regulations were last amended in December 1988 (MKF note: I was in Kindergarten.) Major changes include: on-street commercial parking prohibition changes, adding a new prohibition against parking within 7 feet of a residential driveway, and revising parking fee and fine amounts. Read the memo here.
Community Presentative Act projects sent to Finance Subcommittee: The next step in the CPA process is for the Finance Subcommittee to review the projects for final approval by the Council.
The acceptance of charitable donations in honor of longtime community member Elizabeth "Betty" Chipman for the Carol Getchel Trail in Saxonville: Betty Chipman made a donation to the Getchel Trail upon her passing, and her family has requested others make donations in her name. This request would allow the city to accept these funds for the trail’s maintenance.
Community Events
Thursday - Mayor’s Forum in D6
Up next, D6: The forum takes place on Thursday, April 4 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Framingham State Entrepreneur Innovation Center.
This is the Mayor’s third district meeting so far this year. He started in District 9, then last month District 5.
4th Annual Great Framingham Cleanup!
Keep Framingham Beautiful is excited to announce our 4th annual Great Framingham Cleanup [GFC] to be held from Friday April 5th to Sunday April 21st. There are many ways to participate either in one of our group events, or please pick up litter wherever and whenever you can.
Click on the link April Events for a description of the cleanups 4/6, 4/14 and 4/19. and registration. Note: KFB needs an extra set of hands for our Route 135 Pre-Boston Marathon cleanup event on Saturday 4/6 @ 9am. But, please help however you are able to during the two week April event.
We ask all volunteers to please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/3VXD1t6E1t12NB3V9.
Let us know if you have any questions or need any supplies such as litter grabbers, gloves or tee shirts. We hope to see you out there!
Thanks for Keeping Framingham Beautiful!
Get Those Leaves Ready!
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, April 1
3:30pm: Board of Library Trustees Library Director Search Subcommittee Agenda
6:00pm: Council Environment & Sustainability Subcommittee Agenda
6:00pm: Keefe Technical High School Committee Superintendent Evaluation Subcommittee Agenda
7:00pm: Bilingual Parent Advisory Council Agenda
7:00pm: School Building Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Keefe Technical High School Committee Agenda
7:00pm: Women, Children, and Families Commission Agenda
Tuesday, April 2
Wednesday, April 3
Thursday, April 4
7:00pm: Planning Board Agenda
In Closing…
As I wrote in the last issue, a new chapter begins for Mary Dennison Park on Beaver Street. It was good to gather with community leaders, residents and the team from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for the groundbreaking on Tuesday. It was a decade in the making.
Whew. This was a long issue. In the next few weeks, we’re going to talk about the upcoming budget, school buses, capital plans, and follow up on other things we’ve discussed. There is a lot to cover. As always, thank you for reading this newsletter every week. I hope you walk away feeling a bit more informed about our city.
Have a great week,
Mary Kate
Great informative issue again... laced with a nice "Folksy" demeanor.
Very talented... We are fortunate to have her (MKF) in Framingham.
Nick