Committee on Ordinances Meeting Summary - November 20, 2025
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Committee on Ordinances Meeting Summary - November 20, 2025
The Committee on Ordinances convened on November 20, 2025, with Vice Chair Sean Oliver presiding and four council members present (Ian Abreu, Leo Choquette, Joseph Lopes, Brian Gomes, Derek Baptiste). Councillor Giesta submitted a letter noting inability to attend due to prior business commitments, which was received and placed on file by unanimous consent following a motion by Councilor Lopes and second by Councilor Abreu. The primary agenda involved a public hearing on an ordinance amending Chapter 9 to add Section 4200 regarding solar energy systems, which included a favorable recommendation from the Planning Board. The meeting concluded with the continuation of the hearing to November 15, 2025, followed immediately by adjournment at 7:17 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Receipt of Absence Letter: Councilor Giesta's letter stating inability to attend due to prior business commitment was received and placed on file by unanimous vote (all in favor, no discussion).
Public Comments & Testimony
- [No public comments recorded]
- Speaker Positions: No members of the public or speakers expressed positions during this segment; the only communication was a written absence notice from Councilor Giesta.
Discussion Items
- Solar Energy Systems Ord Amendament (Item 1): The committee reviewed a communication from Mayor Mitchell proposing amendments to Chapter 9 (Comprehensive Zoning) to add Section 4200 regulating solar energy systems in residential and non-residential zones. Acting Director of Planning, Laurel, noted that the Planning Board held a public hearing on November 12, 2025, voted to send a favorable recommendation for the ordinance amendment, and submitted this recommendation on November 14, 2025. The chair opened the public hearing at the request of Councilor Lopes (motioned) and Councilor Abreu (seconded).
- Continuance of Hearing: During the public hearing session, a motion was made by Councilor Lopes and seconded by Councilor Abreu to continue the public hearing. The motion passed unanimously (all in favor).
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Continue Hearing: The public hearing on the Solar Energy Systems ordinance amendment was officially continued to November 15, 2025 (time unspecified in record, location confirmed as City Council Chamber).
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 PM following a motion by Councilor Abreu and a second by Councilor Choquette, passed unanimously.
- Discrepancy Note: The transcript begins with a reference to "Committee on Appointments and Briefings" but immediately self-corrects to "Committee on Ordinances," noting that the latter is the correct agenda for this date (November 20th) and the previous item was last week. The summary reflects the final corrected agenda.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everybody. We are joined in the council chamber today for the committee on appointments and briefings. Date is November 20th. Oh no, ordinances. That was appointments and briefings was last week. Yeah. Yeah. Committee on ordinance. You'll read anything on the prompter. Yeah, that's it. Who put that there? Uh it is time's it. Uh 7 13. 7 13 on uh November 20th, 2025. Uh we are meeting in the council chambers. Uh please note that this meeting is being live streamed and recorded on city council and committee meetings can be viewed on the city of New Befits homepage under the quick links, then meetings. I am joined in the council chamber today by my colleagues in government, councilor at large, Ian Abreu, Councillor uh Ward 1, Leo Choquette, Council Ward 5, Joseph Lopes, Councillor at Large, Brian Gomes, Councillor of Ward 4, Derek Baptiste, and I am Sean Oliver, the Ward 3 City Councillor and Vice Chair of the Committee on Ordinances. I have one letter to read in the record, Mr. Chairman. Um it's a from Councillor Giesta. I am writing this letter to inform you that I'm not unable to attend the committee on ordinance meeting on Thursday, November 20th, 2025 at 7 p.m. due to a prior business commitment. I ask that you read this letter into the record to make my colleagues and the public aware of the reason for my absence. Motion to receive and place on file by counselor lopes, seconded by counselor Abreu. Any discussion on receiving and placing on file. Seeing none, all in favor, say aye. Item number one just read that. Item number one is a public hearing on a communication. Mayor Mitchell to the city council submitting an ordinance, amending chapter 9, comprehensive zoning by adding section four forty-two hundredd, solar energy systems. It was referred here on September 25th, 2025, and do the advertising standard times on November 6th, 2025, and November 13th, 2025. 1A is the ordinance, which was referred here on the same day. 1B is a communication and laurel, acting director, planning department to councillor J. Pereira, Chairman, Committee on Ordinances advising that the planning board held a public hearing on Wednesday, November 12th, 2025 to discuss a request made by the city council for the planning board to review and make recommendation relative to amending chapter 9, section 4000 by inserting section 4200 D, solar energy systems, including the associated use regulation table for the purpose of regulating solar energy systems in residential and non-residential zone districts. The planning board voted to send a favorable recommendation for uh the ordinance amendment and that was received on the 14th of November 2025. Is it the chair's intention to open all the hearings at the same time? Uh it is. The chair would be in favor of uh a motion to open all the public hearings. Without objection. Motion made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Abreu. Any discussion on open public hearing? Say aye. Uh what am I doing here? Okay. Nope. I'll stop that. Somebody's gonna make a motion to continue. Okay, second. Right. That's been first and second. Public hearing is open.
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