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Lowell City Council approves local ordinances, adopts IPM recommendation and OKs several staff requests
Summary
Council adopted ordinances on electric vehicles and a cultural-council reserve amendment, moved to integrate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) into permitting, endorsed a National Grid pole relocation, and approved staff requests for a street-sweeping schedule, a FY27 budget update and a school-area crosswalk.
At its Dec. 2 meeting the Lowell City Council took a series of routine and policy actions: it adopted an ordinance amending the traffic code with provisions for electric vehicles, approved an amendment to the Lowell Cultural Council reserve system to allow prepayment of grants consistent with state statute, and recommended a National Grid pole relocation at 138 Cross Street after a utility hearing.
The environmental and flood subcommittee reported unanimous support for including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) language in land-use applications and permitting following a public presentation by Jim Joyce; the subcommittee moved to have the law department and the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) draft the necessary permit language, and the motion was adopted.
Councilor Scott and others secured motions directing the manager to provide a complete 2026 street-sweeping schedule (dates and routes) and a year-to-date budget update with an FY27 forecast, with the budget update to be referred to the finance subcommittee. Councilor Scott also successfully requested the manager investigate installing a crosswalk near a bus stop at Woolburn and Easton Streets, citing student safety and heavy traffic at the off-ramp.
The cultural-council ordinance change implements a prepayment option for small artists and organizations in conformance with section 58 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, which CFO Baldwin said will reduce barriers for grantees who cannot front project costs.
All motions and ordinances passed by the council were recorded by roll call.
