[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6559626,"mediaKeyId","3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649","parentId",3198885,"title","Votes at a glance: May 5 Quincy council — utility grants, budgets to Finance, clerk election and traffic items","audioSeconds",142,"startMs",2424000,"endMs",2566000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649&start=2424&end=2566","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649/thumbnail_2424000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6559626/Quincy-City/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-May-5-Quincy-council-utility-grants-budgets-to-Finance-clerk-election-and-traffic-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559626-a03915ae6ab15a652283ec64f736eeac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213670&Signature=FciG3G3bydGWWc6bThP0s4wOORV3wr8T48S3AeLZMAy-BvpYGw88-62H8pCV26BLP4Sxt3~dcYYjfOhXqj6yLK0jBrP0Bv6~u1blWtjy8XIUx02xfs93kiIZcJbzk4FXFXCfAOBS~ybhoCbFApxK93Yxg8xTuwudC7OyzJPAB-IuzhteASzCDcLn01BnAcuWjXveUfOhE92b4wOJECiAGlQfJVZNikh3qNRVTytnmj8BYYuVex21QDN2jVyacQqps3zM8RtqegPLpNXDslueW00OBq9aACfgB7-pIK1Fu-A1JYJhIifQVL9coLWTrlVODKqroiUd2NX82Kz~UNkbkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Quincy City, MA","date","2025-05-06T13:48:15.717Z","article","This summary lists formal actions recorded at the May 5 Quincy City Council meeting and the committee reports attached to that meeting. Items with little debate were advanced or received committee recommendations; the council or committee recorded votes as noted below.

Utility grant-of-location public hearings and committee approvals
- Council Order 2025-045 (National Grid conduit, C Street at Southern Artery and Overlook Road): Public hearing held; no speakers for or against. Public Works Committee gave a positive recommendation and the council recorded approval. Committee roll call recorded the measure as approved by members present.
- Council Order 2025-046 (National Grid pole, C Street and Southern Artery): Public hearing held with no speakers. Public Works Committee recommended approval; council approved the recommendation.
- Council Order 2025-047 (Mass Electric/Verizon, 59 Spear Street): Public hearing held with no speakers. Public Works Committee recommended approval; council approved the recommendation.
- Council Order 2025-052 (National Grid gas, Penn Street and Thomas Bergen Parkway — MBTA bus maintenance facility): Public hearing held with no speakers. Public Works Committee recommended approval; council approved the recommendation.

Budget appropriations moved to Finance
- Order 2025-053 (FY26 General Fund appropriation): Motion moved to Finance Committee for hearings and departmental presentations; council approved the motion to move the item into Finance.
- Order 2025-054 (FY26 Sewer Enterprise budget): Motion by Councillor McCarthy, seconded by Councillor Campbell to move the sewer enterprise budget to Finance; the council voted to move the item to Finance.
- Order 2025-055 (FY26 Water Enterprise budget): Motion seconded by Councillor Campbell to move the water enterprise budget to Finance; council approved the motion.

Other committee referrals, ordinances and items
- Order 2025-056 (Nomination and election of City Clerk): Nicole (Nikki) Crispo was nominated by Councilor Liang, seconded by Councilor McCarthy; nominations were closed and the council confirmed Nicole Crispo as City Clerk by voice vote.
- Order 2025-057 (Designation of early polling places for September and November elections): Motion approved to designate early polling locations at City Hall and other sites; council voted to approve the schedule and locations.
- Order 2025-058 (Ordinance amending zoning Section 8.5, Transit Oriented Districts): Motion made to move to the Ordinance Committee; the motion was approved and the item sent to Ordinance for further consideration. Councilor Liang recorded an abstention on the motion.
- Order 2025-059 (Ordinance establishing a Public Art and Placemaking program): Motion to move to Ordinance Committee approved.
- Order 2025-060 (Gift $100 to Quincy Animal Shelter from Richard and Mary Cox): Motion to accept the gift approved by roll call.
- Order 2025-061 (Gift $500 from the Follow House Cafe): Motion to accept approved by roll call.

Traffic and handicap parking requests
- Order 2025-048 (Stop sign recommendation on Lancaster Street at Grafton Street): Committee recommended approval; council approved.
- Order 2025-050 (Handicap parking request at 53 Spears Street): Committee recommended approval; council approved.
- Order 2025-051 (Handicap parking request at 232 Billings Rd): Committee recommended approval; council approved.

How to read the votes: Many committee recommendations were reported by committee chairs and approved by the full council with roll calls indicating unanimous support by nine members where recorded. Where the transcript recorded only a voice \"aye\" vote, the council chair recorded the motion as carried.

Ending: Items moved to standing committees (Finance, Ordinance, Public Works) will return for hearings, final votes or implementation steps as indicated in committee reports.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Quincy City Council: May 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","This summary lists formal actions recorded at the May 5 Quincy City Council meeting and the committee reports attached to that meeting.","taxTitle","Quincy City, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",4293,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6559631,"Ordinance committee recommends amending Floodplain Overlay District; map change would remove about 300 properties",2824,278000,3102000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649&start=278&end=3102","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649/thumbnail_278000.jpg","/articles/6559631/Quincy-City/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Ordinance-committee-recommends-amending-Floodplain-Overlay-District-map-change-would-remove-about-300-properties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559631-25e6d72431cfa261ac99d5ebabde532a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213670&Signature=jEmTP4QoWo8V8fySQEwJVFxTLy-DFWg4nPpb2PS-kx3z-zV52D~79o48luv-PGYyrOuCAFU5lBAWoAWdIlcY3SessjD0SBDCmG3m9gXwUHF~kNFkPSEqTRvsGaxYdAOCrukgvCD0mmdGjRTbqb-kBGMgircuCmRjNsU8uwjuv7I1ED8LKz5n074l90Fw0UTsznidzVSMkmUA73VTf1YB1Kry7hciGwHHA-15p6fHQGX7EGje6PGflw79q9c~9eU3OHs73jppDh21XH59ETb1kFVsRoZAEm6pt8zXcHBtQnK1i0eC9XPX6cotrt1HudbEdS7ywggTRaPxuclqv5Yt7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Quincy Ordinance Committee voted May 5 to give a positive recommendation on an amendment to zoning Section 8.1, the Floodplain Overlay District, sending the measure toward full council consideration after committee review.

Chris Walker, the mayor's chief of staff, said the matter had been presented and deliberated at a March 3 meeting and that the outstanding procedural step was the committee vote on the ordinance. Walker and consulting engineer Joe Shea (Vernon City Partners) told the committee the updated map and engineering work would remove \"upwards of 300 properties out of the flood plain,\" an outcome the administration described as the result of multi-agency technical work.

Ward-level context: Councilor DeMagg noted Ward 4 contains \"7 of the 11 watersheds\" and emphasized localized surface-water flooding as the driver of many floodplain designations. He described streets such as Alrick Road as having chronic flooding and said removing properties from the overlay can meaningfully reduce insurance costs for some residents.

Committee action and next steps: Councilor McCarthy moved to approve the ordinance as amended and Councilor Devine seconded; the committee approved the motion. The ordinance committee then recorded a formal roll-call positive recommendation (committee vote recorded as unanimous by the members present) and will send the ordinance to the full council for further readings and final action.

Ending: The committee vote advances a technical zoning map and code amendment intended to align local overlay boundaries with current engineering and federal mapping; full council consideration and additional public notice will follow.","The ordinance committee gave a positive recommendation May 5 to amend zoning section 8.1 (Floodplain Overlay District) after a follow-up presentation and discussion; staff and consultants said the updated FEMA engineering and mapping will move roughly 300 properties out of the floodplain.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6559636,"Mayor previews FY26 general fund budget, flags pension bond peak and public safety hires",1016,662000,1678000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649&start=662&end=1678","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3198885-1b0cbe97f06860264a3afe6318ec0649/thumbnail_662000.jpg","/articles/6559636/Quincy-City/Norfolk-County/Massachusetts/Mayor-previews-FY26-general-fund-budget-flags-pension-bond-peak-and-public-safety-hires","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6559636-38525578fcac499a0b195a1100ad52dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771213670&Signature=X4gs0~c0bfyOV7I1vsZzx507vxWDIIaJikf-bJZSVoIPv8QH4pQDDGieJbIo8DXW6~HePhxAcu8IOh5O5gEj8HiR6BSwlvLKA72lczX7ap7kgkCCPtosx5vSAisCm6q5MVzj5DELPEv28tXX5G3eDMnOBiIWdmw4LBUlpp7ovoi8C6jufF3s-P38rD-6dofbA4OY9aBSb9F-ydGGxaRhmq022xSftkQtecrB-DqxM76YMWl6X3k-azSZRm5pmt2~mrhe1PGVQeClefIf0N0l8HlXhtjsJoUpRbQYQckNAOFXOL1QwB~sTPyJPf5bgRasJfwGHOkNOPdXHJ3L0dnNLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Tom Koch gave a citywide preview of the proposed fiscal 2026 general fund budget at the Quincy City Council meeting on May 5, saying the package is focused on maintaining services while absorbing a planned peak payment on a pension obligation bond.

The budget \"continues to invest further into our schools and our public safety units,\" Koch said. He told council members the budget increase this year is \"largely due to the pension obligation bond\" and that the bond structure produces substantial multi-year savings: \"the savings is approximately 168,000,000 over those years.\" He also said the city obtained a favorable rate on the bond at about \"2.62%.\"

The mayor said public safety and education are the chief drivers of the increase, and listed other upward pressures including health care, trash and recycling, and energy costs. He told the council the administration built an 8% assumption for health insurance increases into the plan.

Koch outlined staffing and capital priorities tied to the budget: the fire department currently has recruits in the academy (\"27 men and women in the academy,\" he said) and the city received a federal SAFER grant for 16 new firefighter positions; the police budget includes funding for four new officers, a senior investigative liaison and an evidence-control specialist. The mayor also described ongoing investments in roads, sidewalks, water and sewer work and school projects.

Why it matters: the general fund is the central operating budget that pays for public safety, schools, public works and most city services. The pension obligation bond payment is a known, scheduled cost that raises the near-term budget baseline and affects choices about new programs and staffing.

Details and context: Koch thanked municipal finance staff and outside advisors for structuring the pension transaction and said employees also contribute to the retirement system: \"9% comes right out of the check and over 35,000 another 2% comes out of their check,\" he said. He said the administration used federal ARPA and ESSER funds in prior years for school-related projects and cited a $10 million award tied to the Southern Artery project secured through the city's grant team.

Council response and next steps: Councilors praised the administrations investments. Councilor McCarthy called the presentation \"a real positive feeling, that we're in a good place here.\" Councilor Campbell asked about federal funding risks; the mayor listed recurring federal streams such as CDBG and Title I and said the city continues to monitor programmatic and formula changes. The council voted to move the FY26 general fund appropriation into the Finance Committee for detailed review and departmental hearings.

Ending: The administration said department-level budget hearings and school-side deliberations will follow in the coming weeks. The Finance Committee will hold a public hearing and department presentations before the council considers final adoption.","Mayor Tom Koch presented an overview of Quincy Citys proposed fiscal 2026 general fund budget at the May 5 council meeting, highlighting a peak pension obligation bond payment year, planned public safety hires supported by federal grant funding, an 8% healthcare cost assumption and continued investment in schools and infrastructure.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: May 5 Quincy council — utility grants, budgets to Finance, clerk election and traffic items

Ordinance committee recommends amending Floodplain Overlay District; map change would remove about 300 properties

Mayor previews FY26 general fund budget, flags pension bond peak and public safety hires