Rules, Ordinances, and Ethics Subcommittee Meeting – August 17, 2026
Rules, Ordinances, and Ethics Subcommittee Meeting – August 17, 2026
The Rules, Ordinances, and Ethics Subcommittee met on August 17, 2026, at 6:30 PM (presumed) under Chair John Stefanini, with Councilors Tracy Bryant and Mary Kate Feeney present. The committee approved previous minutes, advanced several proposed changes to council rules (including adding a correspondence review item and establishing quarterly executive sessions), and deferred discussion of sign bylaw revisions and digital billboard regulations pending further information. Public comment was heard from resident John Silk regarding digital billboard placement.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously by a voice vote (Stefanini, Bryant, Feeney all in favor).
Public Comments & Testimony
- John Silk (Framingham resident): Raised concerns about digital billboard regulations, specifically:
- Asked whether add-ons (e.g., cell towers, video devices) would be controlled; Chair Stefanini clarified that such additions require separate permitting.
- Urged that billboard location be defined by proximity to the Mass Pike and residential zones rather than by referencing manufacturing zone designations, arguing that using the manufacturing zone was a relic and could lead to unintended expansion. Chair Stefanini responded that the sign bylaw is not a zoning bylaw and that location will be specified through a memorandum of understanding with the mayor once proposals are concrete.
- Expressed appreciation for the committee’s thorough process and stated his concerns were addressed for the moment.
Discussion Items
- Correspondence as Agenda Item: The committee discussed adding a review of correspondence sent to the entire council or to the chair (as head of council) to the regular meeting agenda to improve transparency. Councilors Bryant and Feeney supported the idea. A motion was made and seconded, with an amendment (accepted as friendly) to clarify that the item covers only correspondence directed to the full council or the chair, not individual member correspondence. The motion passed unanimously (3-0).
- Liaisons to Boards/Commissions: The committee considered whether to codify council liaisons to groups such as the Youth Commission and Double Poles Committee. Councilor Bryant expressed reluctance to codify, noting that having too many liaisons had previously stifled certain groups. Councilor Feeney questioned whether the Youth Council ordinance already requires a liaison. The committee agreed to hold this item for further research and not to advance it at this time.
- Quarterly Executive Sessions: The committee debated a proposal to hold four quarterly executive sessions each year, covering litigation, property claims under $20,000 (initially discussed as under $25,000), contracts, and collective bargaining. After discussion on scheduling (Councilors Bryant and Feeney both supported the substance but expressed concerns about additional meetings), a motion was made to add these sessions to the council rules, with a friendly amendment (accepted) to include the mayor, city solicitor, and other pertinent parties. The motion passed unanimously (3-0).
- Proclamations, Resolutions, and Citations: Chair Stefanini reviewed the definitions: a citation can be given by any member and signed by the chair (with mayor or chair approval, no council vote needed); a resolution is a council action without the mayor; a proclamation is a joint council-mayor statement. Councilor Feeney noted that the rules might need a reminder to announce citations at meetings. The committee decided no rule changes are needed, but Chair Stefanini will circulate a prior memo clarifying the distinctions.
- Other Agenda Items (Deferred):
- Local Business Procurement Preference (Councilor Feeney’s proposal): Chair Stefanini agreed to send the proposal to the city solicitor for review while awaiting input from the interim purchasing agent.
- Sign Bylaw Update: Councilor Feeney is working on a comprehensive update; she reported receiving materials from resident Rick McKenna and others, and will present a draft at the next meeting.
- Digital Billboards: Chair Stefanini stated the committee will not proceed until location details are provided; two companies (Clear Channel and Outfront) are involved. The topic will be taken up once more information is available.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for Monday, September 28, 2026, at 6:30 PM, subject to calendar conflicts.
Key Outcomes
- Adopted (unanimous): Motion to add a correspondence review item to the council rules (amended to cover correspondence directed to the full council or the chair).
- Adopted (unanimous): Motion to add quarterly executive sessions with the mayor, city solicitor, and other relevant parties covering litigation, property claims under $20,000 (noted discrepancy: earlier discussion referenced $25,000), contracts, and collective bargaining.
- Deferred: Codification of council liaisons; sign bylaw and digital billboard regulations; local business procurement preference (sent to solicitor); formatting/naming of proclamations (deferred to September meeting).
- Action Item: Chair Stefanini will send a memo on proclamations/resolutions/citations definitions to the full council.
- Action Item: Councilor Feeney will compile sign bylaw revisions for the next meeting.
- Adjourned: Motion to adjourn passed unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the meeting of the rules, I mean the rules, ordinances, and ethics subcommittee. Present are uh counselor Tracy Bryant, Counselor Mary Kate Feeney, and myself, John Stefanini. Uh we uh shouldn't have a long meeting tonight as we're still waiting for some information to uh advance a few matters. Um, but we have a few things for us to go through. First on the agenda we have minutes from the previous meeting. Is there uh comment or a motion to approve? Motion to approve. Second. Second. Um discussion. All those in favor. Uh Tracy Bryant? Yes. Mary Kay Feeney? Yes. And John Stephanie, yes. The minutes are approved. Next turn agenda, we have a discussion of uh council rules. I was hoping tonight that we would send a few of these to the council for their consideration. And um in no particular order. The first item was relative to correspondence. This is something we looked at doing, I think uh Tracy, you and I had proposed something like this a few years ago during the temporary rules committee, and it ended up we ended up not advancing it, but given some things that have happened recently with Norwood Hospital, condominiums and uh uh a whole bunch of different things. It seems to me that correspondence that goes to the chair officially for the council, or correspondence that goes to all counselors, um at every meeting, we should just have a list and go through it at the end of the meeting and see if there are any items that members would like to talk about. It increases the transparency. Um provides an opportunity for people who actually correspond with us by email, snail mail, or something else for us to get the comments as though they come to the microphone in front of us. Thoughts? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I I actually I really agree with this because I I'm thinking back to a couple of months ago when a letter from Mastot came talking about uh the work that they're in the early stages of planning for Route 9. And uh while it went to the entire council, um, some counselors hadn't seen it. And so I remember the conversation that I had with Frame when Framingham State was with us. Um it took some people by surprise. So that uh and a lot of people wanted to talk about it, so that's a really great example of something that is coming from a state agency. While it may pertain to me as the counselor for that area and counselor Adviani a bit more than others, uh it still is something that the entire council should know about and be talking about. So I think this is a great move. Um we've received a lot of email recently uh that's directed to all of us. Um but uh this will be another way to be more transparent and also just keep us all on the same page about these issues. Ms. Bryant, do you have any thoughts on this? I do. I concur um wholeheartedly. There is actually quite a bit of emails also and phone calls, but mainly emails that will go directly to the chair that is for um the entire council to deliberate on. And um, or sometimes there's something with finance, but uh often we just hear about it, and you've had to ask, I've had to ask counselors have had to ask sometimes in the meetings to see it after you know, like, but by the meantime, we're getting a summarized version of it. Um, you know, people that we could have maybe, you know, residents and stuff that maybe wanted to say something on it. Um it's it's after the fact. So it would be good for this um get like you said, transparency and give us an opportunity uh as counselors overall to um read the actual document for ourselves and um you know investigate or have questions ready for the meeting um when it's first mentioned. Okay. Um I would entertain a uh motion to uh submit that to the council. I'll make a oh go ahead.
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