The municipal council and standing committees completed a series of routine approvals during the Dec. 30 sessions, including minutes, payroll and an accounts payable warrant, license renewals and several communications.

Finance and Salaries: The committee approved the payroll warrant 01/2005 for the week ending Dec. 28 and voted to approve the accounts payable warrant totaling $3,100,113.21. The chairman identified major expenditures included in the warrant: $427,000 for trash and recycling services; $1,240,000 for a third-quarter item noted in the warrant; $234,000 related to a Plymouth assessment and valve replacement/land clearing; $224,000 for student transportation services; $270,000 for Medicare and retirement tax payments; and $447,000 for solid-waste disposal. The committee moved and approved the warrant by voice vote.

Police & License: The Police and License Committee approved renewal petitions for three Class 2 auto dealer licenses at the following locations: 632 Winthrop St. (Section A), 251 Bridal (Section B, Cora Motors) and 4066 Tremont St. (Section C, Northeast Auto Exchange, Inc.). Detective McDougall had provided an email indicating no issues with the class-two renewals, and the committee voted to approve them.

Host community agreement waiver: The council granted a waiver extending the host community agreement for Medicine Man Solutions LLC, whose HCA for a marijuana retailer at 446 Winthrop St. is set to expire on Jan. 6, 2025. An attorney for the company told the council the applicant offered to return at a later date for an update; the council voted to accept the waiver and to refer the applicant's update to Committee of the Whole or Police & License for a future appearance.

Communications placed on file: The council received several communications and placed them on file, including a Planning Board notice about a Cape Road site plan modification (public hearing scheduled 02/06/2025 at 5:30 p.m.) and a safety officer report on commercial trailers parked on East/West Water Street. The city solicitor also informed the council that a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Taunton firefighters (transcript reference: "local 1 38 I AFF") for fiscal years 2025'2027 has been ratified by the union and was submitted for council action.

Actions that passed by voice vote at this meeting included approval of minutes from prior meetings, acceptance of committee recommendations, grant of the HCA waiver, placement of communications on file, and adjournment. No roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript for these items; votes were taken by voice and noted as "Aye" with none opposed where indicated.

What happens next: Items referred for future committee consideration (for example the Medicine Man Solutions update and the Mashpee Wampanoag MOA review) will return to committees or the full council for public presentation and potential votes in coming weeks.