Regular Meeting of Planning, Zoning, and Housing Committee – May 5, 2026
Regular Meeting of the Committee on Planning, Zoning, and Housing – May 5, 2026
The meeting began with a zoning subcommittee session that held a public hearing for a certificate of location approval for Mavis Discount Tires at 615 Hartford Road. Following the subcommittee's adjournment, the full committee convened to hear and discuss the proposed FY2026-2027 budgets from police, fire, building, health, support services, recreation, and planning departments. All agenda items were referred to the full council with neutral recommendations.
Public Hearing & Zoning Subcommittee (Item 37119)
- A public hearing was opened for Mavis Discount Tires, seeking a certificate of location approval to obtain a state DMV motor vehicle repairer license. No members of the public spoke, and the hearing was closed after three calls.
- The City Plan Commission recommended approval with a condition that outside unscreened storage of tires be prohibited. However, the applicant later confirmed that all tire storage would be indoors, so the condition was considered satisfied.
- Applicant Trent Suddith (civil engineer, Kimley Horn and Associates) presented the proposal as a like-for-like conversion of a former Monroe Muffler site with no physical expansion, no change in land use, and no outdoor tire storage. Operations include tire sales, brake service, oil changes, and state inspections. Seven to ten employees, hours 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays. Tire deliveries three to four times per week (15 minutes each). No off-site improvements.
- The subcommittee voted (voice vote, ayes have it) to refer the item to the full council with a neutral recommendation.
Discussion Items – Budget Presentations (Items 37139, 37140, 37141)
- Police Department (Chief Marino): Proposed budget increase due to higher reimbursed overtime projections; no new requests beyond contractual obligations. JAG grant funds reallocated to proactive policing and traffic enforcement.
- Fire Department (Chief Ortiz): Proposed budget of $18,440,076 reduced to $18,141,394 after Mayor's adjustments. Cuts in training, conferences, water/sewage, and full-time salary estimates (now realistic step-level). 11 vacancies expected to be filled by July via lateral transfers. Service delivery will not be impacted.
- Building Department (Mike Nomack): Modest increase in full-time salaries to fill inspector vacancies. Previously operated with minimal staff (himself and an electrical inspector). Two new building inspectors recently hired; still seeking plumbing/mechanical inspector. Increase in equipment maintenance attributed to reallocation from public works.
- Health Department (Gail Coles): Budget slightly above prior year; contractual salary increases offset by efficiencies. Motor fuel and vehicle damage line items moved back to public works.
- Support Services Department (John Delgadio): Minimal increases; vacancies in 911 dispatch nearing full staffing but turnover persists. Lateral transfer process opened to attract applicants.
- Recreation and Community Services (Mallory Dupre): Increases due to union contracts, minimum wage, and paid sick leave mandates. Highlights: over 26,000 pool visits, 220 kids learned to swim, 200 seasonal staff (86% residents), $1 million returned to seniors via renters rebate, 69 youth diverted from court. No Rose Garden Festival this year; replaced with a series of events. Seeking ADA compliance funding for Veterans Stadium.
- Planning and Development Department (Justin Dorsey): Budget of $499,000; $405,000 in contractual salaries (city plan and economic development). Community development positions are federally grant-funded (CDBG, HOME, lead grant). Lead grant of $6 million over four years will fund lead abatement and related staffing. No new housing development costs appear here; they are in separate HOME funds.
- After all presentations, the committee voted (voice votes, ayes have it) to refer the general fund budget (Item 37139), the special revenue and enterprise funds budget (Item 37140), and the capital improvement program budget (Item 37141) to the full council with neutral recommendations.
Key Outcomes
- Item 37119 (Mavis Discount Tires): Referred to council with neutral recommendation; City Plan Commission's outdoor tire storage condition is satisfied.
- Item 37139 (General Fund Budget): Referred to council with neutral recommendation after departmental presentations.
- Item 37140 (Special Revenue & Enterprise Funds Budget): Referred to council with neutral recommendation.
- Item 37141 (Capital Improvement Program Budget): Referred to council with neutral recommendation.
- All votes were voice votes and carried unanimously with no opposition recorded.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everybody. I'd like to call to order the I'm sorry, is this a special meeting or a regular meeting? This is a regular meeting. Regular meeting, thank you. So call to order the regular meeting of the zoning subcommittee and committee plan on planning zoning and housing for today, Tuesday, May fifth, twenty twenty-six. The time is now six thirty-three. Alderman Nate Simson. All in favor, please say aye. All opposed, nay. The ayes have it. The readings waived. So on today's agenda, we have a public hearing for item number 37119 regarding Mavis discount tires, seeking granting of a certificate of location of approval to allow state DMV issuance of motor vehicle repairer license for property known as 615 Hartford Road. For the public hearing, if anybody would like to approach. Mr. Chairman, just a reminder that we're in the public hearing for the benefit of the public. The applicant will have an opportunity to speak to the council. Nothing precluding them from doing it now, but just for the benefit of everybody that that their opportunity to present their case will be during discussion when it's on the agenda. Yes. So what that means is you can have three minutes now if you'd like. And during the meeting itself during discussion, we can call you up and answer further questions, have more of a back and forth. And just as a note, Alder Woman Barbosa joins us at 6 35. So going once for the uh public hearing. Any speakers? Twice. Any speakers, three times any speakers? Any callers. Alrighty. Seeing no more no further speakers. I'm going to close this part of the meeting. The time is 6 35. And on our agenda is item number one. Is there a motion? Make a motion to move item number one, item number 37119 to the council with a neutral recommendation. Thank you. Just for the for the record, is this a referral? Referral, yes. Thank you. Um I have a second from Alderman Barrero. And at this time, I'd like to call up Justin Dorsey to read into the city into the record the city plan commission recommendation. Good evening. Good evening. Recommendation of the City Plan Commission. This building was constructed for automotive repair and continues to be used as such today. Any proposed outside storage of tires should be addressed, including the frequency of tire delivery and removal. The City Plan Commission recommends approval of the certificate of location application with the following condition. One outside unscreen storage of tires is not permitted. Now, if I just may for a moment, this the city plan commission uh met on April 6th to approve this. Since then, on April 8th, there's been communication between Jeff Cormier or City Planner and the applicant. Um, where the applicant addressed the question uh about the tires and said there will be not be any storage for outdoor tires. There's a designated area inside the building that will be used for tire storage.
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