Quincy City Council: March 16, 2026

• Date: March 16, 2026
• Governing Body: Quincy City Council
• Meeting Type: Public Hearings, Ordinance Committee, Finance Committee, and Regular City Council Meeting
• Attendees:
  • Richard Ash, City Councilor
  • Noel DiBona, City Councilor
  • Walter Hubley, City Councilor
  • David Jacobs, City Councilor
  • Anne Mahoney, City Council President
  • Maggie McKee, City Councilor
  • Deborah Riley, City Councilor
  • Virginia Ryan, City Councilor
  • Ziqiang Yuan, City Councilor
  • Christopher Walker, Mayor's Representative
  • James Timmons, City Solicitor

The Council held public hearings for the following Council Orders regarding Utility Grants of Location:

1. Council Order 2026-020: Mass Electric, 100 Coddington Street. No public comment.
2. Council Order 2026-021: National Grid Gas, 587 C Street. No public comment.
3. Council Order 2026-022: Mass Electric/Verizon, 10 Independence Avenue. No public comment.
4. Council Order 2026-023: Mass Electric/Verizon, 58 Taylor Street.
   • Proponent: Daniel Lin (58 Taylor St) requested the pole move to allow for driveway widening, citing safety and convenience for his six-person household.
   • Opposition: Xiao Dai (62 Taylor St) presented a petition signed by 10 neighbors. He stated, "No one benefited from moving the utility pole because everyone had to sacrifice their own street parking spaces."
   • Outcome: Councilor Hubley noted the reduction in parking and indicated he would vote no.
5. Council Order 2026-024: Mass Electric/Verizon, Willard Street. No public comment.
6. Council Order 2026-025: Mass Electric/Verizon, 137 Sagamore Street.
   • Proponent: Gui-Ming Hung (Developer) cited a settlement agreement regarding the property.
   • Opposition: Ivan Chung and Lai Chao (131 Sagamore St) opposed the move, questioning why a pole was being moved to their property line for the benefit of an 18-unit apartment project.
   • Outcome: Councilor Riley suggested voting it down or holding it for more information. The item remained in committee.

The committee discussed Council Order 2026-016 regarding the administrative deferral of raises voted in 2024.

• Solicitor's Testimony: Solicitor James Timmons explained that the raises were deferred administratively via individual letters from Councilors to Municipal Finance to comply with State Ethics Commission concerns regarding Chapter 268A.
• Legal Language: Timmons advised against using the word 'repeal' in future ordinances, stating: "If the body were to vote this evening to repeal, then there's gonna be no council salary because you've repealed it... I am publicly advising you that you're gonna be creating a real problem because of what the word repeal means."
• Discussion: President Mahoney questioned if a supermajority vote could return salaries to the previous level ($29,700). Timmons maintained that individual 'declination of payment' letters were the safest legal mechanism.

The committee deliberated on a request for a $2,646,730 bond to purchase new, PFAS-free personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Fire Department.

• Financial Impact:
  • Total Appropriation: $2,646,730.
  • Financing: 10-year bond with an estimated interest cost of $785,625.
  • Taxpayer Impact: Approximately $7.97 per year for the average residential taxpayer.
• Key Testimony:
  • Interim Chief Gary Smith: Reported that cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths (80%) and that current gear contains intentionally added PFAS.
  • Tom Bowes (Local 792 President): Detailed a timeline of testing that found PFAS in gear promised to be PFAS-free as far back as 2019.
  • Professor Graham Peasley (Notre Dame): Confirmed that PFAS transfers from gear to skin and that "staggering levels" were found in current PPE.
• Committee Action: Councilor DiBona moved to approve. The motion failed to move out of committee (Roll Call: Ash-Y, DiBona-Y, Hubley-Y, Jacobs-Y, Mahoney-N, McKee-N, Riley-N, Ryan-N, Yuan-N). The item remains in committee for a follow-up meeting on March 23rd.

The Council took the following actions during the regular session:

• Council Order 2026-047: Ordinance regarding Kratom. Referred to Ordinance Committee.
• Council Order 2026-048: Resolve requesting a comprehensive fiscal and debt overview prior to FY27 budget. Approved and referred to Finance.
• Council Order 2026-050: Accepted a $250 gift from Echo Muffet. Approved (9-0).
• Council Order 2026-051: Accepted a gift from State Street Bank to the Fire Department. Approved (9-0).
• Traffic Ordinances:
  • 2026-045: No Left Turn, Hancock St Northbound at 839 Hancock St. Approved.
  • 2026-046: No Left Turn, Hancock St Eastbound at 839 Hancock St. Approved.
• Utility Grant Final Votes:
  • 2026-020, 2026-021, 2026-022, 2026-024: Approved (9-0).
  • 2026-023 (58 Taylor St): Denied (9-0).
  • 2026-025 (137 Sagamore St): Remained in Committee.

Several residents and firefighters spoke regarding the Fire Department gear bond:

• Mike Griffith (Firefighter): Shared that his father, a 34-year veteran, was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer. He stated, "I want the chance to walk my two beautiful daughters down the aisle someday... Provide firefighters with clean gear is a step towards that."
• Kristen Green (Resident): Urged immediate action, stating that delaying action with the knowledge of harmful chemicals is "negligent."
• Veronica Bertrand (Resident): Questioned the city's fiscal management, asking why free cash was not used instead of bonding.
• John Rotherfield (Resident): Criticized the Council for putting the bond into committee, calling it a "bad dog and pony show."