LIVE: Quincy City Council - September 22, 2026

The Municipal Technology Committee convened to discuss Council Order 2026-036, "Resolution ordering a preview of resident interactions with City Hall and opportunities to expand accessible online municipal services."

• Administrative Overview: Mayor's Representative Christopher Walker presented an administration report evaluating department interactions. He noted that approximately 61% of top resident requests can be completed entirely online, 22% partially online (such as referrals), and 15% require in-person interaction due to statutory notary requirements, physical signatures, or confidential social services like Veterans' Services.
• Website Accessibility & ADA Compliance: Web Administrator Gordon Jones outlined major upgrades undertaken for Title II ADA compliance in partnership with Doc Access. Key changes include:
  • Removing special characters (ampersands, at-symbols, pound signs) that disrupt screen readers.
  • Adding descriptive alt tags and removing text embedded within images.
  • Converting short-text PDFs directly into web pages and routing documents from 2025 onward through Doc Access AI transcription to enable screen reading, phonetic multilingual translation, and ARIA Assist.
  • Replacing directional language (such as "see below" or "click here") with responsive terms such as "select."
• Treasury and Collector Platform: Treasurer-Collector Molly Soares reported on the new online billing portal launched for Fiscal Year 2027, noting that the office processed over 246,000 transactions in Fiscal Year 2026. Since the portal's launch, the system has seen over 26,000 visits, nearly 2,000 autopay enrollments, and almost 700 e-billing sign-ups. Standard electronic check (ACH) transactions cost $0.50, while credit card transactions incur a 2.99% fee.
• Council Discussion: Councilors emphasized improving front-page search navigation to reduce required clicks, implementing a centralized constituent service request tracking system across departments, and establishing public-facing road paving databases.

A public hearing was convened regarding Council Order 2026-121 for a utility grant of location petitioned by GoNetSpeed at 29 Sargent Street and Shedd Street. No members of the public spoke, and the hearing was closed.

During the public comment period, several members of the public addressed the Council:

• Squaw Rock Parking Lot Project: A member of the public raised concerns regarding the design of the Nickerson/Squaw Rock parking lot, stating that the current bid plans fail to meet city codes regarding low-impact stormwater management, tree canopy preservation, and natural drainage. The speaker requested that the city halt the project and develop a comprehensive master plan.
• Specialized Stretch Code: A member of the public with commercial construction experience spoke in opposition to adopting the specialized stretch energy code, asserting that continuous ventilation requirements like Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) raise consumer electric bills and strain the existing electrical grid.
• Elected Officials' Salaries and Public Art: A member of the public expressed support for creating a Public Art Commission as well as proposed salary adjustments for city officials, recommending a minimum salary of $225,000 for the mayor.
• Municipal Governance and Compensation: A member of the public questioned municipal power structures, arguing that any city council salary adjustments must appear on the general election ballot pursuant to Section 17A of the Quincy City Charter.
• Flock Surveillance Technology: A member of the public expressed strong privacy concerns regarding the Quincy Police Department's deployment of Flock automated license plate readers, highlighting risks related to for-profit data handling, lack of regulation, and inter-agency data sharing.
• City Pension Management: A member of the public raised concerns regarding city pension management, questioning why approximately half of the non-teacher municipal pension portfolio remains locally managed rather than allocated to the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Trust (PRIT), and requested an update regarding $3.5 million lost in a 2020 cyber incident.

The City Council presented an official commendation honoring 22-year-old Quincy resident and South Shore YMCA swim instructor Renzi Daly for her heroic actions on July 5, 2026. While at Wollaston Beach, Daly observed a distressed swimmer offshore in turbulent waters, swam out into rough surf, brought the woman safely back to shore, and dialed 911.

City Clerk Nicole Crispo delivered a comprehensive report regarding the September 3, 2026 Massachusetts State Primary Election and preparations for the November general election.

• Voter Turnout & Registration: Turnout was approximately 22%. In June, Quincy had approximately 70,000 registered voters. Following state-mandated confirmation mailings of over 30,500 postcards to residents who did not return the annual municipal census, inactive voter rolls were updated, yielding a net gain of 363 active registered voters heading into the fall.
• Vote by Mail: Over 8,750 mail-in applications had been processed to date, with projections exceeding 10,000 prior to ballot distribution.
• Language Access: The City deployed 16 translation-enabled iPads at polling places to assist non-English-speaking voters.
• Equipment Troubleshooting: Addressing an incident at Southwest Middle School, Clerk Crispo clarified that a tabulator experienced a paper jam, which was resolved on site in consultation with the vendor, and emphasized that emergency auxiliary ballot bins are maintained at all precincts.
• Board of Registrars Inquiries: Councilors inquired about the compliance, appointment cycles, and party balance requirements of the Board of Registrars under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 51, Section 15. Clerk Crispo agreed to review the appointment process ahead of the April cycle.

Public Buildings Commissioner Paul Hines introduced Council Order 2026-122 regarding lease agreements and locations for rooftop solar installations atop the two newly constructed General McConville Way parking garages.

• Unlike the Public Safety Headquarters garage, where Quincy funded the steel structural supports, this agreement requires the solar vendor to finance and construct the steel trusses and equipment.
• Commissioner Hines noted that while net revenues are tighter in initial years, the city avoids National Grid electric delivery and demand charges (around 15 cents per kilowatt hour) while generating clean power.
• Councilors debated whether to deliberate immediately or refer the item to allow review of the 200-page packet.
• Outcome: Referred to the Public Works Committee and Finance Committee. Passed 9-0.

Council Order 2026-123, ordering a formal review and discussion of fair, data-driven compensation adjustments for elected municipal officials, was taken up.

• Outcome: Referred to the Ordinance Committee. Passed 9-0.

Council Order 2026-124, an ordinance amending Chapter 12 of the Quincy Municipal Code to establish a formal Public Art and Placemaking Program and review board, was introduced.

• The measure seeks to establish an appointed commission composed of mayoral, city council, and planning appointments to evaluate and approve artwork on public municipal property.
• Outcome: Referred to the Ordinance Committee. Passed 9-0.

Council Order 2026-125, a resolve requesting the administration, Planning Department, Department of Public Buildings, and Inspectional Services Department to present on the impacts and benefits of potentially adopting the Massachusetts Specialized Stretch Energy Code, was presented.

• Outcome: Referred to the Oversight Committee. Passed 9-0.

Council Order 2026-126, a resolve entitled "Resolution for no surprise government," was introduced and read into the record by its sponsor. The resolution calls upon the administration "to end a no-ask, no-tell approach to government and adopt a no surprise approach in which the City Council and the residents are informed whenever reasonably possible, before not after significant governmental actions are taken."

• Specific Concerns Cited:
  • Undisclosed implementation of Flock automatic license plate readers dating back to 2020, with public records showing between 600,000 and 700,000 monthly searches of Quincy Flock data by external agencies between January and July 2026, the majority without case numbers.
  • The unannounced expenditure of approximately $850,000 in public funds for two religious statues at the new Public Safety Headquarters.
  • A $700,000 bid to pave green space for parking and access near the Nickerson Post/Squaw Rock area without timely Council notification.
  • Management of roughly $2 billion in municipal debt.
• Councilors voiced support for improved advance notice regarding neighborhood-level changes, including school yard pavement alterations at the Snug Harbor/Athenian school grounds.
• Outcome: Referred to the Oversight Committee. Passed 9-0.

The Council considered the favorable committee report from the Public Works Committee regarding Council Order 2026-121, granting a utility grant of location to GoNetSpeed at 29 Sargent Street and Shedd Street.

• Outcome: Passed 9-0.

The Council voted to remove seven traffic matters from the Ordinance Committee and approved each measure:

1. Stop Signs on Rock Island Road (Council Order 2026-114): Adding two stop signs northbound and southbound at Bird Street to establish an all-way stop. The ayes have it.
2. Stop Signs on State Street (Council Order 2026-115): Adding two stop signs eastbound and westbound at Palmer Street creating a two-way stop. The ayes have it.
3. Stop Sign on Rock Island Road (Council Order 2026-116): Adding a stop sign northbound at C Street. The ayes have it.
4. Handicap Parking at 189 Taffrail Road #1 (Council Order 2026-117): Approved. The ayes have it.
5. Handicap Parking at 99 Chubbuck Street (Council Order 2026-118): Approved. The ayes have it.
6. Handicap Parking at 19 Connell Street (Council Order 2026-119): Approved. The ayes have it.
7. Handicap Parking at 6 Pierce Street #2 (Council Order 2026-120): Approved. The ayes have it.

• Memorial Reading: Councilor McKee read an obituary honoring longtime resident Leah (Walsh) Shea, who passed away on August 24, 2026.
• September 11 Remembrance: Councilor Hubley recognized the annual 9/11 memorial ceremony hosted at Quincy Fire Headquarters and paid tribute to the victims and their families, particularly Susan A. MacAllen and Kevin Patrick Connors.
• Council Discussion on Open Forum Rules: Councilors discussed potential structural adjustments to the Open Forum public comment portion, considering whether speakers should be required to declare specific agenda items.
• Council President Remarks: Council President Mahoney addressed recent administrative comments made in public media regarding council oversight, reiterating that the City Council has a constitutional duty to question significant capital spending, including the use of off-budget accounts, debt limits, and vendor technology policies.