[{"_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",6058071,"mediaKeyId","3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49","parentId",3298062,"title","Council asks staff to study hawkers and peddlers licensing and reentry supports","audioSeconds",297,"startMs",1027000,"endMs",1324000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49&start=1027&end=1324","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49/thumbnail_1027000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6058071/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Council-asks-staff-to-study-hawkers-and-peddlers-licensing-and-reentry-supports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058071-f997b0a0c2e6f22df70284866334b597/orig.mp4?Expires=1775749457&Signature=hELTK4J5dEGE7aFP~0JHcYbOpaEZ6c3Kb5~xSJDHfd849GJhOQJpugsOYo-yNpt5Z3s7UibnciLmlUEwtq2mqZUbZ9gu4~jiLPOL12oVt4y9FxV38kmR7d-tWoPklSyUW9bWxiHGdepUDe0x7KxP-Dj3ZIiahK3WEWpg01bLVtW~A~xmuzuzxBvrUbEhNrVfAK87DrYvOftvw1CE6~QZAGc0MWJG624MuPE9FlNktVWTL91k-PqCO-0p6aJpu1WrpgmyduYaxNeSIMsjV-e0lavrIfLH0m5GijSCDhD~ottNQuBHMHcjK0xN8neoQqlGHZ0sWSzwOtQOLMBcVWHf1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lowell City, MA","date","2025-05-14T16:57:56.467Z","article","Councilors discussed opening a staff review of the city’s hawkers and peddlers licensing process and whether the city could create a pathway for people with criminal records — particularly those in reentry programs — to obtain hawker permits after meeting conditions such as training or letters of recommendation.

Councilor Robinson introduced the discussion and said she had spoken with local reentry programs that provide culinary and ServSafe training and asked whether licensing policy could allow the police chief to consider evidence of rehabilitation rather than applying automatic denials based on older convictions.

Councilor Goodyear asked the manager for data about how many hawkers licenses the city issues annually. The city manager said staff did not have the exact number at the meeting and agreed to collect three‑year counts and return with a recommendation. The manager said police have broad authority in the licensing process and suggested staff could discuss whether letters of recommendation, program completion certificates or other documentation could be provided to the chief to inform discretionary decisions.

Police protocol was discussed in general terms; the meeting transcript records that staff suggested the chief could consider letters from reentry programs or other documentation as factors when making case‑by‑case determinations. The council did not adopt an ordinance or motion to change policy but directed the manager’s office to return with data and options for a potential pilot program that would balance public safety review and reentry opportunities.

Next steps: city staff will gather hawkers and peddlers licensing counts for recent years, consult with the police chief about discretionary criteria, and return to council with recommended next steps and potential pilot program parameters.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lowell City Council - May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilors discussed whether hawkers and peddlers licensing rules should include a pathway for people with criminal records to obtain permits after completing training or recommended programming. Staff were asked to gather license counts, options for a pilot and to consult police on discretionary sign‑off criteria.","taxTitle","Lowell City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",4223,"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},6058074,"Council authorizes MOU for Wexford parcel in Hamilton Canal Innovation District; developer aims for R&D facility",682,7117000,7799000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49&start=7117&end=7799","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49/thumbnail_7117000.jpg","/articles/6058074/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Council-authorizes-MOU-for-Wexford-parcel-in-Hamilton-Canal-Innovation-District-developer-aims-for-RD-facility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058074-d3ba54e93e89e78ca5f43bcfe518e274/orig.mp4?Expires=1775749457&Signature=WdndASHCQjWwpygTz1gkbP6f6SzsHRgBq68OdRDuteMFgis6BSZMcLLlhzCiTue6R2fsFYPl5Osu32Q-wg6gZFEAFjpcfe5H53oXh5ATRNNp1FT2vxFvhhc-eGjJTfj51BSx1DZORl-VUM7w3T9GdDTIZ71K~iUrUO7QAWTKjrz9dLkva3EOa9-NPHOwqCAPmObbbcFiHuQb5C9Exlp-Nf2BiR8JCEoBZ4IITVM264tTtCC2NTBXlkpOL-gnmCwQ32YiMeeq5k6aXcCK4u3DAaoiI7GRd9zj8cNIp8FdT9~PufoBVEZ5KRtDgZW9QLJTWWxEWYbY35EIbt8xPuUciQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council voted on May 13 to authorize the city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and temporary access agreement with Wexford Development LLC for Parcel 15 in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District (HCID).

Assistant City Manager Yovani Baez Rose told the council the MOU begins a time‑limited due diligence period for a proposed commercial research and development building that a Wexford client would occupy. Baez Rose said the developer intends to build under the district’s existing form‑based code and that early design discussions include balancing public‑facing curb appeal with the tenant’s elevated security needs.

Baez Rose said the planned timeline would give Wexford roughly a three‑to‑four‑month due‑diligence window followed by a 90‑day period to negotiate a land disposition agreement (LDA) and prepare for construction. She told the council the parcel, historically used as a National Park parking lot, was identified in the HCID master plan as a commercial parcel and the proposal is consistent with that planning work.

Councilors asked about jobs and parking. Baez Rose estimated the building could employ roughly “50 to a hundred” people depending on the project, and said employees were expected to use the Hamilton Canal garage, bicycle or walk rather than rely on site parking in keeping with the HCID form‑based approach. She also said the city will address an on‑site dirt pile before the property transfers and that the city has ongoing discussions with the National Park Service about improved maintenance and possible upgrades to the canal walkway.

Resident Isaac Blanchard, who had earlier highlighted the HCID in the meeting, supported the MOU and said Wexford’s focus on university‑aligned R&D made the project “a perfect fit” with UMass and the Link project. The assistant city manager said the parcel deal is intended to advance economic development in parallel with the Link efforts and is not meant to supplant other Link tenants.

The council approved the MOU and temporary access agreement by roll‑call vote; the item authorizes the manager to proceed with the limited due‑diligence period and continued negotiations toward an LDA.

Next steps: the city will complete the due‑diligence period, pursue a land disposition agreement if due diligence is successful and work with the developer and federal park partners on walkway maintenance and site preparation.","Council authorized a memorandum of understanding and temporary access agreement with Wexford Development LLC for Parcel 15 in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District. The proposed research‑and‑development building would follow existing form‑based code, house an estimated 50–100 employees, and move forward on an expedited due‑diligence timeline.",{"_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},6058080,"Lowell manager presents $617.4M FY2026 budget; superintendent, parents warn school cuts would hit students",5266,1871000,7137000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49&start=1871&end=7137","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3298062-db1fdb8b0aa7b559da33aba1bb78bb49/thumbnail_1871000.jpg","/articles/6058080/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Lowell-manager-presents-6174M-FY2026-budget-superintendent-parents-warn-school-cuts-would-hit-students","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6058080-58a157a6796a315caa230ce985b75a71/orig.mp4?Expires=1775749457&Signature=jpF9JJKKMntcew7ws6aUbzSgC95MsP0JBLjeXzu0z8ouPh52H4B-2QZEdPS7B1wLZDiFwzrzXmKxNaZn0D0sE4g~iIRahJMD97oMy-1-fYepz2ZtczBKR65117VI8JX9UBMhANyiz6C0ZNy5x7ZMwEXT~fV9f-EwfbpMdpi0pTb81JQeXBcpXKc86qdEc8Yi69CJk5mILLfuS-Cw8JDk8sLQ7o0JV-cVXOoy2tA7CSBq6dbvskj0Ab~T5HOuhZ8AzBudd-wsTsCy70sqGJL99cEbPwTewPlPhUR2809yfAzh65DySiTbMzpzKnREZorg186vyf6jV7bVZtK5JdjfVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Manager presented the city’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget on May 13, asking the City Council to accept the timely submission and begin deliberations on a $617,355,830 spending plan and proposing a 2.5% levy increase, a 6% water rate increase and a 15% sewer rate increase.

The budget presentation said the city’s general fund total is $617,355,830, an increase of 5.9% from last year, and outlined a rainy-day balance that has risen from about $13,900,000 to roughly $17.1 million. The manager told the council the plan is intended to “prepare for future uncertainty” and reduce reliance on one‑time stabilization draws.

The budget quickly became a focal point for public testimony. Liam Skinner, superintendent of Lowell Public Schools, told the council the school department did not request an increase in city cash and described the practical effects of proposed reductions: “I need the council to understand there are practical implications of that, and there are moral implications of that. Not least because 53 of our staff will lose their job.” Skinner said the school budget before the council proposes $10,000,000 in city cash, down from roughly $14,000,000 last year and short of a $14,900,000 contribution he said would match a 22% cash proportion of net school spending.

Several school staff and parents described specific program impacts. Rebecca Duda, coordinator of special programs for Lowell Public Schools, said her office “is looking at a $400,000 decrease according to the proposed cuts. That is a decrease of 38%,” and warned that the change would cut direct services to about 3,000 students who use before‑and‑after‑school and summer programs. A middle‑school student, Lily Ramirez, and parent speakers urged councilors not to cut summer STEM and Latinx scholar programs that they said help students pursue advanced courses and careers.

Councilors pressed the administration for options. The city manager said the administration will continue discussions with the superintendent and explore alternatives, including using one‑time reserves and seeking other revenues: “We will petition the public employees committee ... that is currently sitting on approximately $3,000,000,” he said, and added the administration would look for budget reductions and other one‑time measures to help bridge the gap.

City Chief Financial Officer Connor Baldwin described the timeline for state aid and how the council could act if state chapter 70 numbers change after the council adopts a budget: “There’s a fairly simple procedure whereby the city manager would recommend to the council a supplemental appropriation, and that can happen as soon as the state budget is passed,” he told the council, saying any additional state funds could be added later by majority vote.

Councilors and the manager discussed tradeoffs between raising taxes, drawing reserves and cutting services; several councilors urged the manager to work with Superintendent Skinner to avoid losing frontline staff before potential state aid materializes. On a procedural vote the council accepted the timely submission of the budget and referred the appropriation order to a public hearing on May 27.

What happens next: the council will hold a public hearing on the FY2026 appropriation order on May 27, additional budget deliberations are expected over the next two weeks, and the city manager and superintendent signaled they will continue negotiations about restoring school funding if feasible.","City Manager presented a $617,355,830 FY2026 budget and proposed tax and utility rate increases; Lowell Public Schools officials and parents urged the council to restore about $4 million in city cash after proposed reductions that would cut frontline school staff and programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council asks staff to study hawkers and peddlers licensing and reentry supports

Council authorizes MOU for Wexford parcel in Hamilton Canal Innovation District; developer aims for R&D facility

Lowell manager presents $617.4M FY2026 budget; superintendent, parents warn school cuts would hit students