Hillsborough council adopts IRB sale for Salem Home and updates to public-offense and traffic codes

The Hillsborough City Council adopted three ordinances that update municipal code and authorize conduit financing for a local health-care facility.

Ordinance 14-11 authorizes the issuance and sale of industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) for Salem Home. Staff and the city’s legal representative said Salem Home — not the city — will be responsible for principal, interest and costs; the city’s role is as conduit issuer. The underwriter’s blended true interest cost was reported as under 6%. The council polled and each listed member voted yes and the mayor will sign the ordinance.

The council also adopted Ordinance 14-12 to update the Uniform Public Offense Code (UPOC) for 2025 with two local additions. Staff explained one addition inserts language into the criminal-littering section to give the city a way to address intentional or reckless placement of grass clippings, leaves, branches and other vegetative material in the street — conduct that can create a hazard for motorists and motorcycles. The second addition adds a targeted public-exposure provision to address non-lewd nudity that otherwise could fall outside existing statutes; staff said the change is precautionary and not in response to local incidents.

Finally, the council adopted Ordinance 14-13 to incorporate the 2025 Standard Traffic Ordinance (STO), which staff described as mostly definitional and administrative updates with occasional changes relevant to stationary vehicles, worksite utility vehicle operation and compliance provisions.

Each measure was moved, seconded and adopted on the council’s roll/poll; staff will publish the codified changes and the mayor will sign the ordinances as required by local procedure.