Votes at a glance: Haverhill Council accepts donations, approves MOA, OKs MassDOT easement and other routine items

The Haverhill City Council handled a series of routine but actionable items at the meeting. Roll-call votes, continuances and hearings passed as noted below.

Gifts for Saint Patrick’s Day senior event - Accepted $100 from Melinda Barrett (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). - Accepted $500 from Haverhill Bank (vote: 8 yeas, 0 nays, 1 abstention, 2 absent; one councilor abstained citing board membership). - Accepted $100 from Sarah’s Place Adult Day Health Center (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). - Accepted $200 from Bethany Community Services (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). Councilors thanked donors for supporting the Citizen Center senior event.

City Clerk fee changes - Approved increases to City Clerk service fees: notary/justice of the peace swearing-in fee raised from $10 to $20, and a new home birth recording fee proposed to mirror the $35 fee charged to amend a vital record (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). City Clerk Caitlin M. Wright presented the rationale, citing comparable workloads and workflows.

Ordinances and orders - An ordinance to amend license fees for flammable material storage was placed on file for 10 days (vote to place on file: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). - An order authorizing the mayor to execute documents allowing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to take permanent and temporary easements and fee interests in eight parcels along Route 125 for a bridge replacement project passed on roll call (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). Mayor Barrett explained the easements are needed to extend the bridge approaches.

Permits, hearings and events - Special Permit 24‑11 (Brian Moses, 84 Madison St.) was continued to March 18 at the applicant’s request (vote to continue: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). - Special Permit 25‑2 (WP Acquisition Sub LLC; addition to Haverhill Pavilion at 76 Summer St. to add a 24‑bed geriatric unit) was scheduled for a hearing on April 8 (vote to schedule: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent). - Amusement event 25‑1 (Greek dinner dance at Hellenic Orthodox Church, March 1) was approved; roll call: 8 yeas, 0 nays, 1 abstention, 2 absent. - Tag day 25‑4 (Haverhill High School boys baseball, March 8) was approved (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent).

Other financial action - Authorized payment of a prior-year bill to the City of Methuen for $1,010.60 charged to the highway account (vote: 9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent).

Labor agreement - Approved a memorandum of agreement between the City of Haverhill and the Water, Wastewater, Office and Technical Group, Teamsters Local 170 (filed Feb. 13, 2025) on a roll-call vote (9 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent).

Minutes and adjournment - Minutes from the prior meeting were accepted (motion: 9 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent). The council adjourned by unanimous roll call (9 ayes, 0 nays, 2 absent).

Notes on votes and abstentions: Where a councilor declared a conflict (for example, Haverhill Bank board membership), that councilor abstained and the abstention is recorded in the roll call. Several items were procedural (scheduling or placing on file) and generated no substantive debate.

Why it matters: These routine approvals fund and enable near-term city programming (senior event), permit local land-use hearings, advance a state transportation project that affects Route 125 and finalize a local labor agreement for public‑works employees.