MassVoter.com← Taunton Municipal CouncilTaunton Municipal Council · 2022–2023 Council · Regular meeting
September 12, 2023
45 recorded votes, 3 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
Attendance
Present: Kelly Dooner, Phillip Duarte, Estele Borges, John McCaul, David Pottier, Christopher Coute, Barry Sanders, Lawrence Quintal, Jeffrey Postell
Absent: None
Every vote, in order
So Voted.
To go out of the regular order of business to Unfinished Business
From the minutes
“Motion was made to go out of the regular order of business to Unfinished Business. So Voted..”
Continued from September 5, 2023: Vote on Solar Lease Agreement at Taunton Land Fill.
To invite the TMLP representatives into the enclosure
From the minutes
“Motion was made to invite the TMLP representatives into the enclosure. So Voted..”
She expressed gratitude to the representatives of TMLP for coming in this evening and for answering the questions she has had over the last few weeks regarding the solar array.
To excuse the parties with the Council's thanks
Yes: Borges, McCaul, Quintal, SandersNo: Coute, Dooner, Duarte, Postell, Pottier
From the minutes
“Motion was made to excuse the parties with the Council's thanks. … On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, four Councilors voted in favor (Quintal, Sanders, McCaul and Borges), five (5) 5 Councilors voted in opposition (Postell, Coute, Pottier, Duarte and Dooner). The motion does not pass..”
Councilor Dooner echoed Councilor Duarte's comment that referring this matter to the Committee on Public Property is a formality and she hopes there are no predetermined votes made for that Committee and she looks forward to it being pulled out for a full vote of the Council next
To refer to the Committee on Public Property and invite the TMLP to discuss the Power Purchase Agreement and the Interconnection Agreement
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Public Property and invite the TMLP to discuss the Power Purchase Agreement and the Interconnection Agreement. On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, nine (9) Councilors voted in favor..”
She stated that the Purchase Power Agreement is separate from the RFP and are only tied together by the building of the solar array.
To excuse the parties and revert to the regular order of business
From the minutes
“Motion was made to excuse the parties and revert to the regular order of business. So Voted..”
Upon the joint petition submitted by the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant and Verizon New England, Inc. proposing to relocate one (1) joint pole location; EL58 25 feet on Broadway (Route 138), Taunton.
To open the hearing and invite the representative into the enclosure
From the minutes
“Motion was made to open the hearing and invite the representative into the enclosure. So Voted..”
Hearing: Upon the joint petition submitted by the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant and Verizon New England, Inc
To open public input for this hearing
From the minutes
“Motion was made to open public input for this hearing. So Voted..”
No one spoke during public input.
To close public input and grant the petition
From the minutes
“Motion was made to close public input and grant the petition. So Voted..”
On the petition submitted by Mary Barchard, 120 Christine Lane, Taunton, MA 02780 for the issuance of a personal Kennel License per City Ordinance Section 3-24 to allow a Grade 1 (4-6 Dogs) Kennel License for personal use/dogs, not bus
To invite the interested parties into the enclosure and open the hearing
From the minutes
“Motion was made to invite the interested parties into the enclosure and open the hearing. So Voted..”
Hearing: Upon the joint petition submitted by the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant and Verizon New England, Inc
To open public input for this hearing
From the minutes
“Motion was made to open public input for this hearing. So Voted..”
They stated that if the use of this license is strictly to have more than three (3) dogs personally owned, then they are not opposed, however, if this is for a kennel business use then they strongly oppose in an effort to keep their neighborhood quiet, safe and purely residential
To make the above listed communications a part of the record
From the minutes
“Motion was made to make the above listed communications a part of the record. So Voted..”
He stated that he has seen the actions that have been described by his neighbors.
To close public input for this hearing
From the minutes
“Motion was made to close public input for this hearing. So Voted..”
So Voted.
To go out of the regular order of business to Appointments
From the minutes
“Motion was made to go out of the regular order of business to Appointments. So Voted..”
Councilor Coute stated that they would be doing their due diligence to get feedback from the City officials who have had interaction with the Barchards in order to make a determination that the rules will be followed.
To continue this hearing until next week and invite the Zoning Enforcement Officer and a representative from the Police Department
Yes: Borges, Coute, Dooner, PottierNo: Duarte, McCaul, Postell, Quintal, Sanders
From the minutes
“Motion was made to continue this hearing until next week and invite the Zoning Enforcement Officer and a representative from the Police Department. On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, four (4) Councilors voted in favor (Coute, Pottier, Borges and Dooner), five (5) Councilors were opposed (Postell, Quintal, Sanders, McCaul and Duarte). The motion does not pass..”
Councilor Sanders stated that he does want to keep these issues separate as he does feel there are issues that need to be dealt with in a separate forum, but he is concerned with the potential for the rules not being followed.
To grant the petition for the kennel license with the conditions that this is for private use only, no more than four (4) dogs, no breeding of the. dogs, no outside boarding of the dogs and no kennel structure being built on the property without prior approval of the Council, the Animal Control Officer visit the home and report back to the home in ninety (90) days, and installation of the fence as described
From the minutes
“Motion was made to grant the petition for the kennel license with the conditions that this is for private use only, no more than four (4) dogs, no breeding of the. dogs, no outside boarding of the dogs and no kennel structure being built on the property without prior approval of the Council, the Animal Control Officer visit the home and report back to the home in ninety (90) days, and installation of the fence as described. So Voted..”
Councilor Coute voted in opposition.
To close the hearing and excuse the party
From the minutes
“Motion was made to close the hearing and excuse the party. So Voted..”
So Voted.
To recess at 8:49pm
From the minutes
“Motion was made to recess at 8:49pm. So Voted..”
Reappointment of Judith Chambers, 332 Dighton Avenue, Taunton to serve on the Golf Course Commission for a term of one (1) year expiring April 2024.
To approve
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve. So Voted..”
Reappointment of Judith Chambers, 332 Dighton Avenue, Taunton to serve on the Golf Course Commission for a term of one (1) year expiring April 2024
To approve
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve. So Voted..”
Appointment of Seth Turner, 25 Logan Drive, Taunton to serve on the Golf Course Commission to fulfill the unexpired term of Rolland Robillard expiring in July 2024.
To approve
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve. So Voted..”
Appointment of John-Paul Thomas, 98 County Street, Taunton to the Airport Commission to fulfill the unexpired term of Craig Foley which expires August 2025.
To approve
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve. So Voted..”
Councilor Postell voted in opposition.
To revert to the regular order of business
From the minutes
“Motion was made to revert to the regular order of business. So Voted..”
City licensed contractor, road opening, and/or trench; the City reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time.
To make all of the above listed communications a part of the record
From the minutes
“Motion was made to make all of the above listed communications a part of the record. So Voted..”
Councilor Pottier stated that the applicant submitted a resume, a timeline, product offerings, a security plan, a listing of vehicle policies and buildout costs.
To make the documents submitted by the applicant a part of the record
From the minutes
“Councilor Pottier motioned to make the documents submitted by the applicant a part of the record. So Voted..” (Motion: Pottier)
Councilor Borges stated that although it is not in the ordinance, they need to continue the precedence and get the HCA under control and continue the hearing.
To continue the hearing to Tuesday, September 19, 2023
From the minutes
“Motion was made to continue the hearing to Tuesday, September 19, 2023. So Voted..”
So Voted.
To excuse the parties
From the minutes
“Motion was made to excuse the parties. So Voted..”
Com. from the Superintendent of Public Buildings requesting a transfer of $120,600 from Repairs of Public Building HV AC Contracted Service to Repairs of Public Building Payroll Miscellaneous Employees account, due to the company retiring and closing.
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So Voted..”
Com. from the Superintendent of Public Buildings requesting a transfer of $120,600 from Repairs of Public Building HV AC Contracted Service to Repairs of Public Building Payroll Miscellaneous Employees account, due to the company
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So Voted..”
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So Voted..”
To refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So Voted..”
Com. from the Assistant Executive Director of Retirement notifying of the retirement for Superannuation of Richard S
To approve and send the appropriate scroll
From the minutes
“Motion was made to approve and send the appropriate scroll. So Voted..”
Com. from the Chairman, Taunton Planning Board stating that the Taunton Planning Board is in receipt of a Site Plan Review for property at 74 Weir Street to allow an addition to an existing one-story building for the construction
To receive and place on file
From the minutes
“Motion was made to receive and place on file. So Voted..”
There is only one ballot style. Election Day ballots are typically white, while ballots used for alternative methods of voting (in-person early, absentee, vote by mail) have a yellow header.
To receive and place on file
From the minutes
“Motion was made to receive and place on file. So Voted..”
Com. from Father Edward Murphy, St
To refer to the Mayor's Office and the Police Department
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Mayor's Office and the Police Department. So Voted..”
Com. from Jillian Woods, 1106 Cohannet Street, Taunton expressing gratitude to Kevin Garcia of the Taunton Animal Control and Tyler Nichols of the Taunton Police Department for their service during a personal incident
To receive and place on file and put this in their personnel files and send a letter of appreciation and invite Kevin Garcia, Office_r Tyler Nichols and Jillian Woods to next Tuesday's meeting to be recognized
From the minutes
“Motion was made to receive and place on file and put this in their personnel files and send a letter of appreciation and invite Kevin Garcia, Office_r Tyler Nichols and Jillian Woods to next Tuesday's meeting to be recognized. So Voted..”
Com. from Attorney Scott Rubin, 71 Legion Parkway, 3rd Floor, Brockton, MA on Behalf of his Client Herbal Logic, LLC requesting an 18-month extension of their Host Community Agreement
To refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole for next week
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole for next week. So Voted..”
Committee reports
For Committee Reports to be read by title and approved
From the minutes
“Motion was made for Committee Reports to be read by title and approved. So Voted..”
Councilor Pottier requested to bring up CCC new rules and regulations and their effect on Taunton.
To refer to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills. So Voted..”
16 Councilor Pottier requested to bring up Marijuana related businesses licensing procedure and number.
To refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole. So Voted..”
Councilor Pottier brought up extending an invitation to members of the TMLP to attend a Council Meeting to discuss their successes and their plans for the future.
To refer to the Committee of the Needs of TMLP, invite the TMLP Commission and General Manager to the meeting
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Committee of the Needs of TMLP, invite the TMLP Commission and General Manager to the meeting. On discussion, Councilor Borges requested to add to this motion, item #9 under new business which is to discuss initiatives and item #10 which is to discuss the TMLP's plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 as required by state law. So Voted..”
Councilor Pottier requested to bring up a municipal payment error for a north of Boston community.
To the Committee on Finance and Salaries
From the minutes
“Motion was made to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So Voted..”
Councilor Pottier requested to bring up the intersection of Burt Street and Route 44.
To refer to the Safety Officer, the Department of Public Works and the MassDOT for a letter explaining what the situation is at that intersection
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer to the Safety Officer, the Department of Public Works and the MassDOT for a letter explaining what the situation is at that intersection. So Voted..”
Resolutions: NONE
To refer the Solar Ray RFP to the Inspector General for the review of the RFP process
Yes: Borges, McCaul, Quintal, SandersNo: Coute, Dooner, Duarte, Postell, Pottier
From the minutes
“Councilor Borges motioned to refer the Solar Ray RFP to the Inspector General for the review of the RFP process. … On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, four (4) Councilors voted in favor (Borges, McCaul, Sanders and Quintal), and five (5) Councilors voted in opposition (Dooner, Duarte, Pottier, Coute and Postell). The motion does not pass..” (Motion: Borges)
Scanlon provide specifics as to what should be placed on this Committee's agenda regarding this topic before it is scheduled.
To refer the Zoning Ordinance to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills and obtain a letter from the City Planner related to this issues that he has determined need to be updated
From the minutes
“Motion was made to refer the Zoning Ordinance to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills and obtain a letter from the City Planner related to this issues that he has determined need to be updated. So Voted..”
So Voted.
To refer to next week's agenda for a discussion regarding 120 Christine Lane, Taunton and the issues that the neighbors are having with this property
From the minutes
“Councilor Coute motioned to refer to next week's agenda for a discussion regarding 120 Christine Lane, Taunton and the issues that the neighbors are having with this property. So Voted..” (Motion: Coute)
From the official minutes kept by the Taunton City Clerk (agendas and minutes). From the Taunton Municipal Council’s official minutes, posted in the city’s Agenda Center. Most items pass by voice (“So voted”), and the minutes record only the result for those; how each councilor voted is shown for roll calls. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Councilor photos: City of Taunton Municipal Council page (taunton-ma.gov). Former councilors show initials.
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →