Council president proposes ordinance to authorize permanent speed humps; committee sends draft to DPW, police and city attorney

Council President Giovanni Rodriguez introduced a petition seeking a new ordinance to authorize permanent speed humps across Lawrence and asked staff to review the draft language.

Rodriguez told the Personnel Committee the ordinance would define permissible designs and identify which department has authority to approve permanent speed humps, distinguishing them from temporary removable speed bumps used seasonally. “What it does is, first of all, define the limitations of the speed humps, including any specific designs,” Rodriguez said, and he asked that the draft be reviewed by the city attorney, the Department of Public Works and the police department.

Councilors pressed for technical and safety review; members said DPW and the police historically review traffic-control measures and should confirm siting, materials, and cost estimates. The chair and others noted that the administration would still identify specific locations based on traffic data and that costs would depend on materials and contractor pricing.

The committee moved to table the ordinance for now and requested formal recommendations from the city attorney, the police department and DPW before returning the item to committee or forwarding it to the full council.

Next steps: staff review by DPW and the police department and a legal review by the city attorney; the committee did not adopt specific locations or a budget at this meeting.