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[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Now call the city council to order at 8:00 on Monday evening, June 22nd, 2026.

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This meeting is being recorded. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

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justice for all. >> Thank you. We have 15 items on this evening's agenda, and I will ask the city clerk to please read agenda item number one. >> Minutes of the city council meeting, June 8th, 2026. >> Council vital. >> Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion to accept and place on file the minutes.

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>> Motion's made and seconded to accept and place on file the minutes. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? The minutes are filed and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number two. >> Communication from Councilors Osing and Niven regarding municipal aggregation June 2026 update.

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>> Councilor Niven. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Here we are again. Um I just want to note a couple of things um in the last quarter um the residents who have signed up for the municipal aggregation plan um have saved $274,587. Um they continue to do so. It's a it's a

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modest amount um by comparison to some quarters, but still we're doing quite well and that is to make up um that is with us making up the day-ahead ancillary charges um for ISO New England. So, we continue to do well and that rate is still below the national grid um basic retail rate. Um

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we also have 100% renewable energy um which is part of this contract and that is further um that is further savings for um by comparison to the national grid green rate. We have saved to date um $38,636.

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That's for all residents who are participating in this program. Um and so whereas the numbers may seem um you know, relatively modest quarter to quarter, um they certainly are adding up to real dollars. And then finally, I do also want to note that um the municipal aggregation committee will be meeting on June 30th um for an update and to

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discuss pending challenges that we are facing. So, with that I recommend move to recommend that we accept and place on file. >> Motion made and seconded to accept and place on file the communication. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Communication's filed and the

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vote is 10-0. Agenda item number three. >> Communication from Councilor Doucette regarding additional information regarding geothermal energy order number 26-19726. >> Councilor Doucette. >> Thank you very much, Mr. President. Motion [clears throat] to accept and place on file

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the information. There is a link that is on this page. I'm going to be building into a QR code so you can actually scan it because if I press the here button it don't go there yet. So, I'll work on that. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Thank you Councillor Doucette. And it should work. So, it's so

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it should work on the PDF online. I will try it on all and it is on it is on the city clerk and city council website. >> Excellent. Thank you folks. Appreciate it. >> On the motion to accept and place on file the communication, any discussion on the motion? Seeing none of those in favor, opposed, communication is filed and the vote is

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10-0. Agenda item number four. >> Communication from the mayor regarding grant acceptance in the amount of $59,500 from the Mass Division of Conservation Services awarded to the city to be used for the preliminary measures needed to evaluate the potential acquisition of the Hood Tree Farm property. >> Councillor Irish.

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>> Thank you Mr. President. Motion to approve the grant, please. >> Motion's made and seconded to approve the grant. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none of those in favor, opposed, the grant is approved and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number five. >> Communication from the mayor regarding proposed ordinance amendments to the

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city code chapter 125 personnel section five preparation of classification descriptions and to chapter 125 personnel section six salary schedule relative to the position of recreation coordinator. >> Councillor Irish. >> Thank you Mr. President. Motion to refer to the finance committee, please. >> Motion is made and seconded to refer to

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the finance committee. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none of those in favor, opposed, the item is going to finance and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number six. >> Communication from the mayor regarding the appointment of Aaron Ragusa Catone as city collector assistant director of finance for two-year term from the date

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of council confirmation. >> Councillor Arum. >> Thank you Mr. President. I'm going to recommend that we refer this to the personnel committee. >> Motion made and seconded for this item to the personnel committee. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none of those in favor >> income deed restriction on the unit at

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64 Village Drive, excuse me, unit four in proper legal form, order number 26-1009754. >> Councilor Roby. >> Thank you, Mr. President. First, I'll push my button back again. And then move to accept and place on file the communication. Then I would

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like to suspend the ask for a suspension to move agenda item number 15 up to this item rather than holding it. >> Yeah, yeah, you're not that suspension. You just make a motion to move item 15 up with to discuss with number seven as well. >> So. Move. >> Most Motion has been made and seconded

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to move item 15 up to agenda item number seven. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor? Opposed? Item 15 is now along with item seven. Councilor Roby. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to move to approve the release of the

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affordable housing restriction, which was the recommendation of committee and which is in proper form from the solicitor. >> Motion is made and seconded to approve the deed restriction removal. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? It is approved and the vote is

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10-0. You're all set, Mr. Cipriano Cipriano. Agenda item number eight. >> Communication from Assistant City Solicitor Jeremy McManus regarding proposed salary ordinance amendment pursuant to Chapter 125 Personnel, Section 6 Salary Schedule relative to the positions of City Collector,

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Assistant Director of Finance, City Collector, Recreation Director, Assistant Recreation Director in proper legal form, order number 26-100967 9697D. >> Councilor Irish. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, motion to move down to reports, please. >> Motion made and seconded to move this

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item down to reports of committees. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? This item's going down to reports of committees and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number nine. Application for junk dealer second hand dealer license by Paulo Dumont DBA Amigo

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Gold Financial LLC, 257 Simerano Drive Suite 150. >> Councilor Picillo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Move to refer the junk dealer license to the Public Services Committee. >> Motion made and seconded to refer the junk dealer's license to the Public Services Committee. Any discussion on the motion?

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Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? The same is going to Public Service and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number 10. >> Communication from TVI Inc. DBA Savers regarding a request to amend condition number four of the junk dealer second hand dealer license for the hours of operation of the store at 222A East Main

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Street. >> Councilor Picillo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um after reviewing the amendment to the condition, uh I am moving to approve uh the change in the hours of operation. >> Motion made and seconded to approve the hour the hours that amend the current

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hours at Savers, which really reduces them. Uh it's rid of the what? October set of hours that they had. The motion made and seconded to approve the amendment to the hours at Savers. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor?

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Opposed? The motion to amend the Savers hours is approved and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number 11. >> Petition of Mass Electric and Verizon to install one joint owned pole on Pleasant Street beginning at a point approximately 250 ft northwest of the center line of the intersection of West Main Street. National Grid to install a

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50-ft class two pole. The pole will be installed between pole three and pole four on Pleasant Street on the same side of the road as pole three and pole four. Pole will be labeled P350 on Pleasant Street. >> Councilor Picillo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I move to set a date for a public hearing on July 20th

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and to refer to the City Engineer. >> Motion made and seconded to set a public hearing for July 20th and we refer this item to the City Engineer. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Excuse me, the [clears throat] item is approved to have a public hearing on July 20th and referred to the

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City Engineer and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item number 12. Petition of Mass Electric and Verizon to install one joint owned pole on Sudbury Street beginning at a point approximately 400 ft south of the center line of the intersection of Carver Hill Carver Hill Road. National Grid to install a 50-ft class H1 pole. The pole will be

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installed between pole 36 and pole 37 on Sudbury Street on the same side of the road as pole 36 and 37 and the pole will be labeled P3750. Councilor Ficillo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Mass Electric and Verizon are keeping us busy. I move to hold a public hearing on July 20th

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and refer to the city engineer. >> Motion's made and seconded it to hold a public hearing on July 20th and refer this item to the city engineer. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Motion carries. This is going to be a public hearing on July 20th and

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we'll refer it to the city engineer and the vote is 10-0. Agenda item 13. >> Minutes of boards, commissions, and committees. >> Councilor LaDue Sir. >> Mr. President, motion to accept and place on file the minutes. >> Motion made and seconded to accept and place on file the minutes. Any

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discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Minutes are filed and the vote is 10-0. Reports of committees, who would like to go first? Councilor Irish. >> Thank you, Mr. [clears throat] President.

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Finance Finance Committee met on June 15th, 2026. Meeting convened at 6:30 p.m. We had two items on the agenda that evening. First item was order number 26-19765. Creation of the Lizardt Drive

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stabilization account and transfer request in the amount of $200,000. On a motion by Councilor Ficillo, seconded by the chair, the committee recommends approval of the transfer request in the amount of $50,000 from the undesignated funds free cash to the

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Westside fire station stabilization account. That carried vote carried 5 to 0. Next was uh, on a motion by Council Ficillo, seconded by the chair, uh, the committee recommends approval of the order to create the Lizard Drive uh, stabilization account. That vote carried

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5-0. On a motion by Council Ficillo, seconded by the chair, uh, the committee recommends approval of the transfer request in $50,000 and $100,000 from the undesignated fund free cash to the newly established Lizard Drive uh,

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stabilization account. That vote carried 5-0. Next up was uh, order number 26-109697D. Uh, attached salary ordinance for the following positions: City Collector, Assistant Finance Director, City Collector, Recreation Director starting

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at step four, and Assistant Recreation Director. Uh, on a motion by Council Vidal, seconded by the chair, uh, the committee recommends the seven-step salary ordinance for the positions of City Collector, Assistant Finance Director, uh, City Collector, Recreation

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Director, and Assistant Recreation Director, which shall be based on 40 hour per week with an effective date of August 1st, 2026, uh, be sent to the City Solicitor to be placed in proper legal form, uh, which is attached. That vote

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carried 5-0. Uh, the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Mr. President, that's the end of my report, and I will be asking for two suspensions. The first one would be on order number 26-109765. >> Motion made and seconded for a suspension for order number 9765, which

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is the lot Lizard Drive stabilization account. All those in favor of suspension, opposed, suspension is approved, and the vote is 10-0. Council Irish. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, move the recommendation of committee to approve the Lizard Drive stabilization account along with the transfer request, please.

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>> Motion made and seconded to approve the Lizard Drive stabilization account and the two transfers, one for 50,000 for the West Side fire station and the second $150,000 into that newly created Lizotte Drive stabilization account. Any discussion on the motion?

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Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? The motion carries. The transfers are approved along with the creation of the Lizotte Drive stabilization account and the vote is 10-0. Councilor Irish. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I will also be asking for suspension this evening for order number 26-19697D,

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please. >> Motion's made and seconded to suspend the rules for order number 9697D, which is the salary ordinance seven-step salary ordinances for the four positions. All those in favor of suspension? >> 54510 >> Uh the mo- the suspension carries and

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the vote is 10-0. Councilor Irish. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I uh move the recommenda- I move the recommendation committee to advertise, please. >> Motion made and seconded to advertise the salary ordinance for those four positions. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor?

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Opposed? The four positions will be advertised and the vote is 10-0. >> Thank you, Mr. President. >> Anything else, sir? >> Yes, uh thank you, Mr. President. Uh public service announcement, the Finance Committee will be meeting on July 13th, 2026. And just a quick point of order to, Mr.

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President, if I may ask. Um during those transfers, that did include the 50,000 for the West Side fire station. >> It did. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. >> Who wants to go next? Councilor Robey. Such a gentleman councilor by the way. >> Most certainly, I am.

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>> Thank you, Mr. President. So, the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee met on Wednesday, June 17th at 7:30. We had two items on our agenda. The first one was order number 26109747, an application for modification of a special permit from Matthew Donnely on behalf of Target to amend condition

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number nine, signage requirements, to increase the wall signage from three to four for the Target located at 423 Donald Lynch Boulevard. Present for the applicant was Matthew Donnelly. Uh, the chair read through the comments from the department heads and no one had an issue except for the building

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commissioner Payton questioning whether we were going to allow the increase in the maximum square footage of the signs. I also read a letter from the assistant city solicitor stating that the council could amend the conditions, but the

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planning board would be required to do a variance because it was over the 300 square foot allowed. So, the applicant was given that information. A councilor Chilla moved to amend the current permit 9A to read wall signage two signs located over the store

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entrances, one pharmacy sign, and one sign to read drive-up. All the sign locations are as depicted on the front elevation and left elevation as shown on signs on the plans dated May 10th, 2025. The motion was seconded and carried, and [clears throat] then there was a motion

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to recommend approving the current sign permit as amended, which also carried. Um, this is in proper form, so I can ask for a suspension to take it up this evening. >> It I don't think it's >> sorry, it's not I'm confusing myself

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with all this. I suspend the rules to refer it to the solicitor to be put in proper form. >> A request for suspension of the rules to for the Target special permit to be sent to the solicitor. All those in favor of suspension? Opposed? Suspension carries 10-0. Councilor Roby. >> Thank you. Move to refer this to the

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solicitor to be put in proper form for the July 20th meeting. >> Motion made and seconded to refer this item to the solicitor to be put in proper format for our next meeting on July 20th. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Item carries, and the vote is

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10-0 to refer this to the solicitor put in proper format for our July 20th meeting. Councilor Robey. >> Thank you. The second item on the agenda was order number 26-197-05, a communication from attorney Robert C. Buckley on behalf of Redgate Real Estate

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Advisors LLC regarding the proposed zoning amendment to chapter 650 zoning to add a new section to create the Forest Street Residential Overlay District, FSROD. Present for the applicant were attorney Buckley and attorney Christine Hung from

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Reimer Bronstein and Lisbeth Bello from Redgate Real Estate Advisors. The chair read through the May 22nd letter from the planning board with its generally favorable recommendation subject to the inclusion of the board's recommended modifications.

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The modifications included, and I listed what they all are. I'm not going to read through them. The chair just started The chair stated we would discuss those as we went through the draft zoning, and she began reading the amendment to

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chapter 650 to add the Forest Street Residential Overlay District. Again, I'm not going to read through all these, but I would like to point out a couple that I think are important from the planning board's recommendations. The first one is the planning board recommended limiting the number to 400

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with the option for 50 townhouse style units. It was agreed that the maximum number was what was key, and the type of units would come with the special permit. Councilor Chillo moved to amend by adding after multifamily dwellings the following: Provided that the total

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number of units within the entire FSROD shall not exceed 400. That was seconded, and the vote carried three to one. Uh in discussing multifamily housing, there was a discussion on the ability of the council to vary the 12% affordable

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units with suggestion for the solicitor to strike everything after 80% of the area median income. That was seconded, and the vote carried. And the planning board recommended increasing the required perimeter property setbacks from 20 to 50 ft.

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Councilor Prescod moved to amend C by striking 20 ft and inserting 50, and by striking in D 25 ft and inserting 50. And in E by striking 80 ft, which is the height, and inserting 60 ft exclusive of

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rooftop mechanicals. The motion was seconded and carried. Uh again, Councilor Fratello moved to recommend amending chapter 650 by adding the Forest Street Residential Overlay District language as amended and suggested review by legal department. It was seconded and carried. So again, I'll

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ask for a suspension to refer this to legal to be put in proper form. >> So my request for suspension of the rules to report out the uh information for the Forest Street Residential Overlay District. All those in favor of suspension, opposed, suspension carries 10-0. Councilor Robey.

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>> So move to refer this to the solicitor to be put in proper form for the July meeting. >> Motion made and seconded to refer the amended Forest Street Residential Overlay District to the solicitor to be put in proper format. Any discussion on the motion?

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Seeing none, all those in favor, opposed, motion carries 10-0. This will go to the solicitor to be put in proper format. Anything else, Councilor Robey? >> No. >> You good. Councilor Vidal. >> Mr. President, thank you. Uh City Council's Public Safety

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Committee met on June 15th. Voting members present were myself, Councilor Irish, and Councilor Gould. Uh we were talking discussing order number 26 19773, which is a City Council resolution in

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support of a nicotine-free generation policy. I read a resolution in support of a nicotine-free generation policy that I that I researched uh across the the My research showed that if we had an annual estimated health care cost

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directly attributed to smoking of 400 4 million 4 billion 74 4.74 billion, of which approximately a third of that goes to public health care. There's also around 7 billion dollars in annual productivity losses due to smoking related illnesses and premature

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deaths. And about 9,300 Massachusetts residents died last year from smoking related illnesses. My My goal of bringing it up tonight was I I felt that it was important for us this body to say once and for all instead of kicking the can down the

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road, Father. We've known about the dangers of nicotine since the 1960s. It's about time that we stop and we tell the young the next generation, we made mistakes. We don't want you to make the same mistakes. Um On a motion made by Councillor Gould,

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seconded by the by the chair, the committee recommended acceptance of the city council's resolution in support of nicotine-free generation policy on a vote of two to one. Uh Councillor Irish voting in the in the nay. The recommendation of the public safety

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committee is to approve. >> Thank you, Councillor Vital. Any other reports of committees? Hearing none. What do we got left? 14. >> Mr. President. >> We're waiting for that one? >> Mr. President, excuse me, sir. Do we need to have a vote on the resolution?

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>> You didn't ask for a suspension. You can again, but you didn't ask for one. >> I would like to have a suspension to vote on the resolution tonight. >> Motion made and seconded for a suspension. All those in favor of the suspension. Opposed, suspension carries 10-0. Councillor Vital.

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>> I would like to move the move the recommendation of the public safety committee is to approve the resolution. >> Motion's made and seconded to approve the resolution. Any discussion on the motion? Councillor Vital. >> Thank you, Mr. President. In further research, I found out that Northampton

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just recently, last week, approved the nicotine-free generation policy. Theirs is going to go into effect on July 1 next week, and they will become the 26th 26th community in Massachusetts to adopt this this type of policy. So, I thought

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that was a more up-to-date uh finding that I found. Thank you. >> Councilor Vigeant, Councilor Doucette. >> Thank you very much, Mr. President. Um this is really something that uh I am seriously debating about.

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I'm not [clears throat] a fan of prohibition. I know what the issues are with tobacco. My father smoked most of his life. Um and when I went to high school, there was a smoking section outside where the kids and the teachers smoked together.

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But now, we have dispensaries like selling stuff, and we're making tobacco illegal. So, I have a hard time supporting this. Uh I I respect where it came from, but I can't in total conscience uh

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support this, and I apologize to my associate uh because I respect him and what he brought to the council. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilor Doucette. Councilor Orth. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um I'll start off with the fact I don't want to age

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myself, but I started interning here in Marlborough in 1977. Add up the years, it's close to 50. But more importantly is this resolution. Um Councilor Vigeant, thank you for leading the charge. I work in a town that's looking at this right now, and

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the towns near us have already adopted it. You couldn't have said it better. We're we're trying to let our future generations know the mistakes we made back in our generation. Mr. President, you You I know there was a smoking area

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in Marlboro High School, too. But again, it was a norm and I can't more than respect the fact that you brought this to the council floor. I remember maybe 10 years ago one of my board members saying, "We should be charging $50,000

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for a permit cuz that's the medical" and this was a doctor on my board. "That's the medical cost for every license we submit, maybe more. Maybe he said 500,000." Cuz there's a major cost to the medical needs that

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anyone that smokes faces, most likely, and it's sent out to the general public. So, I see that as another issue. So, I'm in support of this resolution and hopefully the Board of Health down the road will consider adopting it. Thank you, Mr. President.

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>> Thank you, Councilor O'Malley. Any other councilors? Councilor Vacallo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I I commend my colleague Councilor Vital for proposing this resolution and although I would like to like to support it because I think it's a a strong cause, I do worry about its infringement on personal liberties in our community.

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I also worry about the potential for black markets to continue to arise, right? I I know for a fact that there are, you know, sad to say, but children who were born after 2010 in our community who are already attaining these products, although they cannot legally purchase it.

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So, in my mind, although I I agree with the premise of this issue, I think that we really and not necessarily us as a body, but the federal government and the state government needs to hold accountable big tobacco companies and these lobbies that for years have done terrible things in our community, right? False advertising and I know that

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there's been years and years and years of work put into that and many attorney generals across the country have sued these these companies, but again, I worry that this resolution will not really be be getting us to where we need to be going, right? That

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it would only kind of be exact, you know, this problem will still persist regardless of this resolution. So, um for that reason I will not be supporting the resolution tonight. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Council Paciello. Council Irish. >> Thank Thank you, Mr. President. Um very commendable resolution. I was a no

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in committee. Um with Council Duset, this is on on route to a prohibition. Um what could happen next is that now we're going to start having a resolution on diet soda. Um there's a lot of data on that information as well. I think it's to personal liberties and our

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personal use. And I just don't think it's a resolution that I can support. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Council Irish. Council Paciello. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um I actually am surprisingly in support of this resolution um despite what my other some of my other counselors uh have agreed to. Um

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but >> [clears throat] >> I mean, the truth is that, you know, these tobacco companies do exploit people. They exploit people under age, um teenagers, even younger. Um they exploit adults as well um by, you know, making these products really tempting

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for underage users. Um they make making them really like like trendy and whatnot. Um I I can agree that it does sort of infringe on personal liberties, but um if we are going to hold these tobacco

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companies accountable, this is I think a a right step in that direction um since they are not doing anything to protect our communities. Uh we should be the ones to be protecting our own community. Um this does not prohibit you know, overage smokers. It does not prohibit

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all tobacco products. Um so, they are still able to get those tobacco products. It just limits what is available to them. What is available right now is the most temp some of the most tempting tobacco products for for teenagers. Um and I would like to keep our community

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safe um considering that, you know, smoking is a pre-existing condition on a lot of insurance forms. So, that does say a lot to me. And to compare uh to have the comparison of marijuana to a tobacco

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cigarette, I think is almost a false comparison. We have an extensive amount of data that tobacco products do contain a lot of carcinogenic ingredients, toxic chemicals. So,

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to say that one is just like the other, I think is a bit facetious, but to each his own. But I today I will be in support of this resolution. >> Thank you, Council Preciado. Any other councilors? Councilor Vidal.

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>> Thank you, Mr. President. I think many of you know that I'm the executive director of the Addiction Referral Center. And every day I have to deal with individuals and help individuals who have addictions. And we can keep putting our head in the sand and say that this doesn't matter. My parents did. Oh, and by the way,

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another reason why I am having this go forward is my mother passed away to cancer attributed to cigarette smoking. And another reason why I'm promoting this is that vaping is rampant in our school systems here in Marlboro. So, if

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this body cannot tell our kids that we're against this, that we put our foot down and we say enough is enough, we're going to be the ones who stop it. We're the ones who are going to tell our kids that smoking is not acceptable.

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Now, I want to address counselor the whole idea of freedoms cuz freedom's really important to me, too. But it's not necessarily freedoms. If I choose to smoke and I get cancer and I don't have health care, well, now all of you have to pay for my

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mistakes. The mistakes that I made through cancer. So, it's not just my personal freedom because So, this is this hits home really a lot with me from many different areas. I want to be able to tell the kids in my

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school, the kids that I coach, that I did everything I did could do to keep these harmful products away from you. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Council Vitel. Council Ficello. >> Thank you, Mr. President. And I I do very much appreciate Council Prestiato

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and Council Vitel. And I do think you bring up some strong points. My I guess my major concern here is that there's this notion that it will not prohibit overage consumers, which eventually it will, right? There will be 25-year-olds, 35-year-olds, 45-year-olds who are not able to purchase tobacco products, which

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I agree on a premise is a good thing. But I'm very concerned that it creates this permanent class of consumers who will not be able to legally purchase these products, and therefore it will just fuel illicit sales across the state, across the country, right? I think we saw very similar and I know prohibitions have been brought up a few

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times, but we saw the same thing with alcohol when this when this was done before. Um you know, I I I'm happy to come back to the drawing board and discuss this. I do think it's an an important issue, and it's something we can address in our community. Happy to work with the Board of Health on that one, but I again, I'm

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just I am concerned that this leads um not to less nicotine use in our schools. I I just I I'm struggling to see how this resolution will will take away these products from our students. If anything, I see a a black market of sales continuing to increase

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over years to come. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Thank you, Council Ficello. Council Doucette. >> Thank you very much, Mr. President. Um as [clears throat] what Council Ficello was talking about, um you know, prohibition was an issue after

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it was gone. You know, like we're slowly notching this away, but you know, the the issue is that if you can't get it legally, you'll find a way to get it illegally. Um and that's true of alcohol during

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prohibition. It was true with marijuana before it was legalized, and it will probably be true with tobacco if it's made totally illegal. And the problem is that once the stuff is illegal, you don't know what's in it. And that's a that has big health concerns.

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Because, you know, what gets diced and, you know, put into the stuff is worse than uh if it was done through a proper manufacturing process with quality control, which happens in you know, in businesses, but don't doesn't

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happen in the black market. So, um you know, I I ended, you know, my my father also had cancer issues and with his uh breathing and stuff. So, >> [clears throat] >> it's something with me. It's been

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serious, but I think that uh we should be doing what we can to keep it out of school, but completely eliminated from the market, I don't think is uh a long-term win. Thank you. >> Thank you, Counselor Doucette. Anyone else?

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On the motion to approve the resolution for the nicotine-free generation. All those in favor, please raise your hands so I can count them. 1 2 3 4. All those opposed. 1 2 3 4 5 President

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makes 6. The motion does not carry on a vote of 4 to 6. Agenda item 14. >> City Council resolution uh commemorating the 250th anniversary of Marlborough declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain,

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submitted by Councilor Forcillo. >> Councilor Forcillo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I've been waiting for this one. I uh first and foremost, just wanted to give a little bit of contextual uh background as to why I'm digging something up from 250 years ago. Uh, but for those who do

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not know, this is the 250th anniversary of the United States, and I know we have many members of Marlborough's Revolution 250 Committee here in attendance tonight. You know, I see Steve, I see Brendan, I see the Rose, I see Kathy. Um, and I really appreciate them being here tonight because about over a year

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ago, I was approached by some of the members of the committee um, to help out with some various events going on to properly commemorate our city's role in the last 250 years of this nation. Um, some of you had attended our ghost tour that we held. I know many councilors came by to that.

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Um, we had a really great event down at the country club to celebrate the Williams Tavern, um, which was a real hit. Um, and really saw some great community buying over the last year or so. Um, with that being said, this week is a big week for the committee. Uh, there's going to be a large celebration this Saturday, and to commemorate that,

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and to also commemorate the town council's resolution declaring independence, I wanted to submit the following. A, uh, one moment. Told Lindsay I would do this. >> [laughter] >> A resolution to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Marlborough declaring

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independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Whereas the city of Marlborough recognizes that on May 28th, 1776, the then town of Marlborough voted to declare its independence from the King of Kingdom of Great Britain. And whereas the town voted that quote, "If the

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honorable Continental Congress shall for the safety of the United Colonies declare them independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, we the inhabitants of Marlborough will solemnly engage with our lives and fortunes to support them in the measure." And whereas the city acknowledges the importance of this

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historic milestone, honors the contributions of all Marlborough revolutionaries, and looks ahead toward building the future for the next generation and beyond. and whereas the city recognizes that a joint volunteer group known as the Marlborough Revolution 250 Committee has been organizing for over two years to

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celebrate the city's history and role in the American Revolution and whereas on June 27th, 2026 the Marlborough Revolution 250 Committee and the city of Marlborough will host a major community celebration featuring several integrated events including a patriotic parade, an old-fashioned muster with food and music

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and a live artillery demonstration. Now therefore be it resolved that the city of Marlborough commemorates the 250th anniversary of the city's independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and before I make a motion I did also want to acknowledge that Councillor Sargent has been a huge partner in

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getting a lot of these events off the ground for us. So with that I move to approve the resolution. >> Motion made and seconded to approve the resolution. Any discussion on the resolution? Seeing none, all those in favor, opposed, the resolution is approved and

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the vote is 10-0. Well done. Councillor Viciello. >> Thank you Mr. President. Move to adjourn. >> Motion made and seconded to adjourn. All those in favor, opposed, we are adjourned. The vote is 10-0. We're adjourned at 8:36. Have a good evening everyone.