Taunton council approves payrolls, multiple license renewals, a cannabis host-community waiver; union contract approved in executive session

Taunton’s municipal bodies approved routine finance warrants, several license renewals and other procedural items and took a mix of approvals, referrals and one denial at the Committee on Police & License and the Committee of the Whole.

Finance: The Committee on Finance and Salaries approved the weekly payroll warrant for city departments in the amount of $4,520,668.68 and an accounts payable warrant for $6,478,430.97. The committee noted the largest accounts payable items included $1,240,000 for the quarterly assessment for Bristol-Plymouth, $255,000 for school solar panels, $190,000 for student transportation, $282,000 for federal and Medicare tax payments, $3,900,000 for group health insurance payments and $151,000 for electricity payments. Both warrants were approved by voice vote.

Police & License renewals and decisions: The Committee on Police and License reviewed and approved multiple renewals and petitions, including billiard table license renewals for Bobby’s Place Inc., Eagles Soccer Club and Willoughby Inc. The committee approved a 24-hour hours renewal for Cumberland Farms (660 County Street), junk collector and livery renewals, secondhand and pawnbroker license renewals for City Pawn, and a transfer of a Class 2 license for Scott's Service Center, Inc. to a new owner at the same location. The detective’s office gave positive recommendations on most renewals. Separately, the committee recorded a negative recommendation and then voted to deny a petition from an applicant seeking an online-only retail permit after the applicant could not specify what would be sold online.

Cannabis: The Committee of the Whole approved a host-community agreement waiver for Commonwealth Alternative Care Inc. at 30 Bison Boulevard (retail) but referred the license change-of-ownership itself to Police & License so that committee can consider the retail-license transfer. Councilors also discussed odor mitigation tied to cultivation at the site and directed additional review; the retail purchaser stated he is acquiring only the retail operation (to be rebranded In Good Health) and not the cultivation operation.

Executive session and labor contract: The Committee of the Whole met in executive session under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 21, to discuss a successor collective bargaining agreement with Public Employees Local Union 1144b. The council reported one public roll-call vote taken in executive session: approval of the contract on a 7–0 vote.

Community items and scheduling: Mayor Shawna O’Connell presented an Earth Day proclamation and city volunteers outlined the 34th annual citywide cleanup scheduled for April 26. The council referred a request from BKA Architects asking for a moratorium waiver on Court Street to the DPW committee to allow the Boys & Girls Club to install gas service for a new commercial kitchen at 20 Kings Court. Finally, councilors voted to move council meeting dates that conflict with a May 13 primary and a June 10 special election.

Votes at a glance (selected): - Payroll warrant: $4,520,668.68 — approved (voice vote) - Accounts payable warrant: $6,478,430.97 — approved (voice vote) - Cumberland Farms 24/7 hours renewal — approved (positive recommendation from detective) - Transfer of Class 2 license (Scott’s Service Center) — approved (positive recommendation) - Online-only retail petition — denied (negative recommendation from detective; motion to deny carried) - Host-community agreement waiver (Commonwealth Alternative Care retail) — approved; change of ownership referred to Police & License — approved on voice vote - Successor collective bargaining agreement with Public Employees Local Union 1144b — approved in executive session; recorded 7–0 vote

The council and its committees approved the items listed above during a meeting that included committee reports, communications from the mayor, and multiple routine referrals to committee for upcoming hearings and inspections.