This week City Councilors held three different committee meetings.

Perhaps most importantly, given the impact it will have on all property owners’ tax bills, Major Joshua García announced at the Finance Committee meeting that a new school had been redesigned for the Peck School. It will become the city’s only middle school, a philosophy of educating that group of youths apart from younger and older classmates that have come back into fashion after several decades of being tossed aside.

That conversation begins at minute 30:00:00

Let’s continue with the Development and Government Relations Committee.

The committee reviewed the permits for Jay’s Bed & Breakfast on Dwight Street. According to neighbors, the B&B has not followed the special permit it was given some years ago. The list of concerns from neighbors is the high volume of noise when there are events, parking, and that more meals than solely breakfast are being provided.

The item on the agenda was the topic for most of the meeting.

Jesús Candelario, the owner of the B&B, defended his record as a good neighbor, noting that in the seven years his business has held special events, never has the police or fire department been called in response to any matter.

“It sounds like there are a lot of things we need to figure out, so I don’t think we’re going to be voting on anything this evening,” said committee Chair Tessa Murphy-Romboletti.

Documents related to this meeting can be viewed here.

The Ordinance Committee took up a proposal from City Councilor Kevin Jourdain for the mayor and Personnel Department to establish a policy for all city employees to receive job performance evaluations.

“Citizens find it remarkable when I talk to them about the fact that we have no performance appraisal system for employees,” said Councilor Jourdain.

The Finance Committee