OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Framingham City Council Meeting - December 3, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, December 3, 2025
BodyFramingham, Massachusetts
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, December 3, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:37:27

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

The City Council is the sole legislative body of the city of Framingham and is therefore responsible for passing city ordinances.

0:07

The city council is made up of 11 members who exercise the legislative powers of Framingham.

0:12

Two of these members are known as counselors at large, and nine members are known as district counselors.

0:16

The city council serves as a link between the citizens of Framingham and their municipal government.

0:21

Counselors help constituents by connecting them to resources, services, and city departments.

0:25

And also serve as advocates for all Framingham residents.

0:29

The following city council coverage is brought to you by the government channel, a service of the City of Framingham.

0:56

City Council will come to order on December 2nd, 2025 at 7 p.m.

1:00

Uh in the Blum room in the Memorial Building.

1:03

This is version two of the agenda posted in the public meeting portal and published in legisl I to legislate on Tuesday, December 2nd.

1:12

First order of business is public participation under public participation.

1:17

We have a whole bunch of folks signed up for a speaker.

1:21

Everybody's gonna get three minutes.

1:31

But the first speaker is Joe Simonella, 64 Nick.

1:33

Oh, I don't have to give your address.

1:35

Joe, you're up.

1:37

Thank you, Joseph Simonelli.

1:39

Nixon Road, Framingham.

1:42

Um I uh wanted to talk about an item that was um, I guess uh public participation ended uh two weeks ago at the last meeting.

1:53

I was out of state, and so I couldn't make the meeting.

1:56

It has to do with well, it's a combination, but has to do with the um energy um special energy code that you folks are discussing.

2:05

Um my background, I have a license in civil engineering, licensed and mass license structural engineering.

2:11

I also have a construction supervisor's license, which is state of mass.

2:15

It's also called a builder's license.

2:19

Framingham's not a wealthy community.

2:21

Framingham is not Lexington, Newton, Needham, Brookline, or Whalen.

2:25

The renters and rents in Framingham are not the same economics as the more wealthy communities.

2:31

When a developer builds, he's obviously in it for a for a payback.

2:35

And when a lower rental market, the developer does not have the margins for added cost of the special energy code.

2:42

And I think it will hurt development of additional rental units in Framingham and affect the tax base.

2:49

The City of Boston permits are down right now.

2:53

And a study was done by a local building contractor, and they compared building one beds and studios in New York City and Boston.

3:02

And lo and behold, they found and they set aside um permitting costs and land costs.

3:08

And they found that it was more expensive to build in Boston than it was in New York.

3:12

And that has to do with all these added costs.

3:16

Materials, it's a lot more expensive to bring materials into to New York City than it is to Boston.

3:22

But in my lifetime, it's always been in my professional experience, New York City has always been more expensive.

3:29

But that's where some of these things are taking us.

3:34

And I know your hats are in the right place to help the renters and electric bills.

3:39

And I think you're if you look at electric bills, your efforts would be better better serve the underprivileged renters by having mass save rules changed and electric bills for renters changed.

3:51

Under Mass Save, this is my understanding that a landlord cannot participate in Mass Save.

3:57

That's not true.

3:59

What is the Okay?

4:01

The bill has to be in your name.

4:03

That's not true.

4:04

Okay.

4:04

Well, anyways, so but so therefore, no benefits.

4:09

And renters are paying for um charging stations.

4:13

Why should a renter have to pay for a charging station to be more convenient for somebody that lives in, you know, a Newton and Edom or Lexington or whatever, and to be more convenient for them.

4:25

These people can't even put food in, they haven't struggling between paying electric bills and putting food on the table.

4:30

But so it's not issues with, you know, these things need to be addressed with uh with with the DPU.

4:38

And uh just imagine all the apartments, the one beds, two, you know, I mean the the triple deck is double those those that are all different ones that are in different towns, like Lawrence Lowell, Lynn.

4:50

And so, anyways, that's um wrap it up with three minutes, Joe.

4:54

Thank you.

4:54

Okay, that's it.

4:55

I'm done.

4:56

All right.

4:57

Next speaker, Chris Leonard, three minutes.

5:02

Christopher Leonard, 20 Sewell Street.

5:05

Thank you for recognizing me.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Zoning████████████12%
Public Safety████████8%
Personnel Matters████████8%
Procedural███████7%
Planning And Development██████6%
Public Participation█████5%
Mental Health Awareness█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Framingham City Council Meeting - December 3, 2025

The Framingham City Council met on December 3, 2025 (the meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. on December 2 and continued past midnight) in the Blum Room. The agenda included public comments, the mayor's report, a discussion on the appointments process, a public hearing and vote on a zoning amendment to grant the City Council special permit authority for large projects, and a vote to adopt the specialized opt-in energy code. Several other items were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Joe Simonella (Nixon Road) expressed concerns about the proposed special energy code, arguing it would increase costs for developers and hurt rental housing development in Framingham. He suggested the council instead work to change Mass Save rules to lower renters' electric bills.
  • Chris Leonard (Sewell Street) recited an excerpt from George Bernard Shaw's play Man and Superman as a commentary on human destructiveness and humility.
  • Corey Spaulding (Prospect Street) alleged an ongoing criminal conspiracy involving federal violations by the school committee, city council, police, and legal counsel, and requested the matter be placed on a future agenda.
  • Kathy McCarthy (Precinct 3) announced the Senior Heroes Award nominations (December 9 – February 9) and advocated for better communication with residents who apply for volunteer boards and commissions, noting she learned of her non-reappointment through the agenda.
  • Larry Stout (District 3) urged the council to protect immigrant communities, address housing shortages, control energy costs, and support state representatives.

Discussion Items

  • Mayor's Report: The mayor recognized Framingham Fire Department firefighters for meritorious conduct at the Nicholas Road Fire and Interfaith Terrace fire, reported on the Callahan Center's first theatrical production, DPW leaf collection closings, the Hometown Hero Banner Program, the Turkey Classic 5K, and the upcoming tree lighting ceremony.
  • Appointments Process: Multiple councillors and residents (Kathy McCarthy, Councillor White-Havey, Councillor Steiner, Councillor Bryant) raised concerns about applicants not being notified of their status. Mayor and Councillor King defended the process, citing improvements. A future meeting with Nicole (Human Resources) was proposed to review the process.
  • Special Permit Granting Authority (Order 2025-00603): Continued public hearing on a proposed zoning amendment to make the City Council the special permit granting authority for multifamily/mixed-use buildings, assisted living facilities, and cluster developments over 125,000 square feet. Councillor Long advocated for approval, citing other cities' practices. Councillor Cannon expressed concerns about rushing and lack of a thorough process. A motion to table failed 8–3. The public hearing was closed, and a first reading vote passed 9–2 (in favor: Long, Bryant, Liam Bruno, Ward, Alexander, Steiner, King, White-Havey, Ottaviani; opposed: Cannon, Malik). A second reading is required.
  • Opt-In Specialized Energy Code: Motion to adopt the specialized opt-in energy code (pursuant to 225 CMR 22/23, effective July 1, 2026). Councillor Cannon and Councillor Long voiced concerns about costs, lack of input from the business community, and the removal of local control. A motion to call the question passed 8–3. The vote to adopt passed 9–2 (same vote breakdown as above).

Key Outcomes

  • Special Permit Granting Authority: First reading approved 9–2; second reading to be scheduled.
  • Specialized Energy Code: Adopted 9–2; effective July 1, 2026.
  • Eversource Gas Main (Order 2025-082): Approved unanimously (11–0) for a 530-foot gas main on Colonel James Halpin Drive.
  • Five-Year Bus Lease (Order 2025-079): Approved unanimously (11–0) for a five-year lease with New England Transit Sales at a total cost of $10,674,640.
  • Affordable Housing Funds (Order 2025-080): Approved unanimously (11–0) for $10,231 to support a housing production plan update.
  • Traffic & Parking Changes (Order 2025-084): Approved unanimously (11–0) to create accessible parking on Hillside Street and parking changes including a bike lane on Danforth Street.
  • Appointments: All four appointments (Elise Rodrigues, Matt Brown, Cynthia Villanueva, Francis Alves and Stephen McCarthy) approved unanimously.
  • Referrals: Order 2025-085 (Funding for library MOA) referred to Finance Subcommittee; Order 2025-123 (Council on Aging appointments) referred to Appointments Subcommittee.
  • Future Discussion: A meeting to review the appointments and volunteer notification process will be scheduled with Nicole.

Meeting Transcript

The City Council is the sole legislative body of the city of Framingham and is therefore responsible for passing city ordinances. The city council is made up of 11 members who exercise the legislative powers of Framingham. Two of these members are known as counselors at large, and nine members are known as district counselors. The city council serves as a link between the citizens of Framingham and their municipal government. Counselors help constituents by connecting them to resources, services, and city departments. And also serve as advocates for all Framingham residents. The following city council coverage is brought to you by the government channel, a service of the City of Framingham. City Council will come to order on December 2nd, 2025 at 7 p.m. Uh in the Blum room in the Memorial Building. This is version two of the agenda posted in the public meeting portal and published in legisl I to legislate on Tuesday, December 2nd. First order of business is public participation under public participation. We have a whole bunch of folks signed up for a speaker. Everybody's gonna get three minutes. But the first speaker is Joe Simonella, 64 Nick. Oh, I don't have to give your address. Joe, you're up. Thank you, Joseph Simonelli. Nixon Road, Framingham. Um I uh wanted to talk about an item that was um, I guess uh public participation ended uh two weeks ago at the last meeting. I was out of state, and so I couldn't make the meeting. It has to do with well, it's a combination, but has to do with the um energy um special energy code that you folks are discussing. Um my background, I have a license in civil engineering, licensed and mass license structural engineering. I also have a construction supervisor's license, which is state of mass. It's also called a builder's license. Framingham's not a wealthy community. Framingham is not Lexington, Newton, Needham, Brookline, or Whalen. The renters and rents in Framingham are not the same economics as the more wealthy communities. When a developer builds, he's obviously in it for a for a payback. And when a lower rental market, the developer does not have the margins for added cost of the special energy code. And I think it will hurt development of additional rental units in Framingham and affect the tax base. The City of Boston permits are down right now. And a study was done by a local building contractor, and they compared building one beds and studios in New York City and Boston. And lo and behold, they found and they set aside um permitting costs and land costs. And they found that it was more expensive to build in Boston than it was in New York. And that has to do with all these added costs. Materials, it's a lot more expensive to bring materials into to New York City than it is to Boston. But in my lifetime, it's always been in my professional experience, New York City has always been more expensive. But that's where some of these things are taking us. And I know your hats are in the right place to help the renters and electric bills. And I think you're if you look at electric bills, your efforts would be better better serve the underprivileged renters by having mass save rules changed and electric bills for renters changed. Under Mass Save, this is my understanding that a landlord cannot participate in Mass Save. That's not true. What is the Okay? The bill has to be in your name. That's not true. Okay. Well, anyways, so but so therefore, no benefits. And renters are paying for um charging stations. Why should a renter have to pay for a charging station to be more convenient for somebody that lives in, you know, a Newton and Edom or Lexington or whatever, and to be more convenient for them. These people can't even put food in, they haven't struggling between paying electric bills and putting food on the table.

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