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Council refers proposed Affordable Housing Trust to committee and solicitor for review
Summary
Councilor Andrew Fitch’s ordinance to create a municipal affordable housing trust (council paper 12,481) was referred to the General Government committee and the city solicitor for language review, after public comments urged attorney review and members requested a vetted return in May.
Councilors voted on April 22 to send an ordinance to establish a North Adams Affordable Housing Trust to the General Government committee and then to the city solicitor for legal review, after several residents and council members urged revisions to the draft language.
Councilor Andrew Fitch introduced the ordinance (council paper 12,481) and said he had based the draft on models used by nearby communities. “I looked at several different ordinances… and then made it a little bit more North Adams,” Fitch said, acknowledging a mistaken land-court citation in the text and offering to correct it.
Public commenters strongly supported the idea but urged caution. Josh Valley told the council an affordable housing trust would provide “direct overseeing of funds to provide for the development of affordable housing” and said it “should be given speed in its development.” Resident Paul Mardi urged legal review, saying the draft “looks like something that was put together in rush fashion” and recommended the city solicitor examine membership and voting provisions.
Council debate focused on process and wording. Several councilors said General Government should consider the ordinance first so the committee can refine membership language and policy details. Councilor Shade and others recommended that the committee review the text before it is sent to the solicitor so that the solicitor receives a more complete draft; one amendment adopted directs that the proposal go to General Government followed by the solicitor so the council receives a vetted draft when it returns.
Councilors set a suggested return in May to allow committee review and solicitor input. The referral does not adopt the ordinance; it sends the proposal for committee and legal review. Council members repeatedly stressed that proper drafting and solicitor review were necessary before any final adoption.
What’s next: The ordinance (12,481) will be considered by the General Government committee, reviewed by the city solicitor as directed, and returned to the council for further action and potential amendment.
