SPRINGFIELD—After an arduous two-part, nearly three hour special convocation of the City Council, there was some substantive action to show for it. Overall however, everything seemed to become an exclamation point on deterioration of both the Council’s own statutory authority and the body’s relationship with the
UPDATED 9/22/15 6:06PM: To reflect a correction. A previous version of this post misspelled the police grants officer’s name. It is Sgt. Brian Elliot, not Eliot. SPRINGFIELD—Monday night saw the revival of the infamous Rule 20, the filibuster-esque parliamentary rule that halt debates in the
SPRINGFIELD—With the close of the fiscal year anon, the City Council spent much of its time Monday night approving budget transfers to balance out accounts. There was a fair amount of policy afoot, too, from historic preservation to labor relations, although little of it generated
SPRINGFIELD—Cameras and unfunded mandates were the order of the day at the City Council Monday night. These two items dominated much of the agenda with the remainder of the agenda dispensed somewhat expediently. Council President Michael Fenton informed the Council at-large Councilor Thomas Ashe and
SPRINGFIELD—Following a more scintillating conversation with the city’s State Senators on the budget, the City Council held its first full meeting in nearly a month clearing end of fiscal year transfers, committee reports and somewhat embarrassing special act. Following one of the bigger WTF moments
SPRINGFIELD—Following his defeat in 2013 at the hands of his longtime rival, Orlando Ramos, it was quite possible John Lysak would not seek to take back the seat he had held since 2010. Yet, after three similarly casted elections, two of which he did win,
SPRINGFIELD—An agenda of some consequence confronted the City Council last night, as it echoed past debates and issues. From lobbying the PVTA to police oversight, these matters have been before the Council several times in recent years. A hint of frustration with Beacon Hill was
UPDATED 9:52 PM: NEPR reports confirm Mayor Sarno has signed the casino ethics ordinance. SPRINGFIELD—Amid some uncertainty about details in the new contract, approval of the city’s pact with its firefighters—the first in years—was nearly derailed as officials scrambled to secure the details. While ultimately
UPDATED 2/14/15 11:35PM: To reflect a correction. The vote to transfer bond proceeds to overruns on other projects was originally reported to be 13-0. It was, in fact, 12-1 with Fenton in dissent. SPRINGFIELD—Finally holding a meeting after a rush of early-week storms scrubbed its typical
SPRINGFIELD—A cautious, but generally supportive City Council approved the first step of a casino ethics ordinance Monday evening signaling more debate, discussion and possible amendment in the weeks ahead. Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton, the body’s president, and Ward 7 Councilor Timothy Allen introduced the