Councilor Stefanini Wants More Transparency With Framingham Contracts and Marijuana Licenses

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FRAMINGHAM – District 8 City councilor John Stefanini has proposed a new ordinance to make contracts, financial disclosures, and marijuana licenses more transparent to the public

The purpose of this Ordinance is to “inform public decision-makers and the public-at-large of the identity of, and extent of the interest held by, all persons having any beneficial interest in significant development projects, large contracts, and marijuana licenses that are subject to review and approval,” said Councilor Stefanini.

This proposed Framingham law will apply to any “proposed Project that requires a Special Permit or Zoning Relief… one or more contracts in a fiscal year totaling $100,000 or more… person or entity holding a license to sell, manufacture, or distribute marijuana.”

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The full City Council sent the proposal to the Council’s Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee, which is chaired by Stefanini.

With this ordinance, Councilor Stefanini hopes to “increase transparent and ethical decision-making.”

He said the proposal join other cities like Boston that already have similar articles in place.

The proposed ordinance calls for “a process under which officials making land use, licensing, and contracting decisions can identify and avoid conflicts of interest.”

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Liberty Perron is a SOURCE intern and a student at Keefe Technical High School. This is her first published report.