Committee approves Howard Street rule to bar tour narration on street, sends amendment back to council

The Salem City Committee on Ordinances and Legal Affairs voted 3-0 on Oct. 8, 2025, to recommend an amendment to Section 40‑30 of the city code that would allow tour guides to traverse Howard Street but bar them from stopping and delivering narration on the street itself. The committee sent the ordinance back to the full council for second passage.

Committee members emphasized the change is a safety measure for a narrow location. The chair said the proposal was “just a safety ordinance for Howard Street, sort of an emergency measure,” noting Howard Street is signed as a shared street and lacks a continuous, walkable sidewalk; the street was reconstructed in 2021 and the existing sidewalk is frequently obstructed by parked vehicles.

Councilor Morsell, who raised concerns about tour group size and hours, said tour groups sometimes number “40 people” and that some residents reported groups operating “until 11:00 at night.” Morsell urged broader limits on group size and nighttime hours outside the single-location change but agreed the Howard Street amendment is appropriate as posted.

The committee record and public comment cited guides leading groups that pause in the roadway while narrating, including tours focused on the Howard Street Cemetery and the Giles Corey story. The amendment would permit guides to walk the street with groups but would prohibit stopping on Howard Street to speak and would prevent narrations given from the adjacent Old Salem Veil lot at the end of the street.

Assistant City Clerk Maureen Fisher attended the meeting and responded to procedural questions; the committee chair noted the ordinance has already received first passage and that the committee’s recommendation would return the item to the council for the final reading.

Action taken: Councilor Gerslow moved to amend Section 40‑30 and add the stated prohibitions for Howard Street; Councilor Morsell seconded. The committee voted 3 in favor, none opposed. The committee’s recommendation carries to the full council for the second passage required by the ordinance process.

The committee and several members said the Howard Street measure is narrowly tailored to address pedestrian-vehicle safety where a sidewalk is not available, but multiple councilors also said the city’s public-guide regulations more broadly appear piecemeal and should be reviewed in a future ordinance rewrite.