Gloucester Council OKs $2.5 Million Fleet Loan
Gloucester City Council approved a $2.5 million bond to replace aging DPW vehicles and buy nine school buses outright.
Select Board · Meeting of August 11, 2026
Gloucester City Council approved a $2.5 million bond to replace aging DPW vehicles and buy nine school buses outright. The 8-0 vote, with one member absent, followed testimony from DPW Director Mike Hale that roughly 55 percent of the city's fleet is past its life expectancy, including a rubbish packer with rusted-through floors. A school department representative, Cody Marshall, said the district got a $480,000 bid to buy buses it had been leasing.
Earlier, councilors split 5-3 on a $17,000 MassDevelopment grant amendment to continue redevelopment planning at 65 Rogers Street, with Councilor Patty Ann Page arguing the city should wait for pending state ferry and fisheries reports first, warning contract language about "the potential impact of an ongoing MBTA ferry study" was "a major problem." The council also adopted a rewritten hawkers and peddlers ordinance requiring door-to-door sellers to carry permits for the first time.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,514 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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