Committee holds non-criminal ticket rewrite for Feb. 13 public hearing

MARLBOROUGH -- February 9, 2023, Marlborough committee pauses non-criminal ticket overhaul over school-smoking fine gap. The Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee voted 3-0 Thursday to hold order 23-108796 in committee until after a Feb. 13 public hearing on Mayor Arthur Vigeant's proposed rewrite of City Code Chapter 315, Section 2. The amendments would conform the 1991 ordinance to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 21D, set default penalties of $100, $200 and $300 for first, second and third offenses, and replace dollar ranges in the building and stormwater sections with fixed amounts. Councilor Robey objected to a new row 24-1 that fines school-building smoking at $25 while the Board of Health's 2015 regulation fines other municipal-building smoking at $100. Board of Health Director John Garside called the tool "a lot more comfort" for enforcement; Council President Michael Ossing moved approval, then withdrew it.