Easthampton City Council Approves $346,583 to Replace Aging Plow Truck

EASTHAMPTON — November 6, 2024 — Easthampton City Council votes to spend $346,583 replacing a worn-out 23-year-old plow truck. The council unanimously approved the supplemental appropriation from capital stabilization funds at its November 6 meeting, funding a new Western Star heavy-duty truck to replace Highway Division Truck 62 — a 2000 International 2554 pulled from the fleet last year after rust damage from its assignment to Coil Street and Mountain Road snow routes made it "beyond repair," according to Highway Director Greg Nederman. The council also amended two zoning ordinances, removing seasonal restrictions on political signage after the city solicitor agreed with the ACLU that the prior rules violated the First Amendment, and adding a formal definition of "surveyor" to the code requiring Massachusetts licensure. The meeting opened with remarks congratulating Council President Omar Gomez on his election Tuesday to the Massachusetts House of Representatives; Councilor Rod O'Reilly used the occasion to note that 72 percent of state voters had approved a ballot question granting the state auditor authority to audit the General Court, calling the result "a unified win" while warning that legislative leaders intend to challenge it in court.