Brockton council accepts grants, notes appointments and approves firefighter residency waiver

At its Nov. 10 meeting the Brockton City Council accepted and placed on file multiple mayoral communications and grant authorizations, and referred financial items to the Finance Committee for appropriation review.

Clerk/Staff read appointments: Dr. Vic Victor Sebastian was reappointed acting commissioner of Health and Human Services effective Oct. 19, 2025; William Forte was appointed interim commissioner of Buildings effective Nov. 7; and F. P. de Gaskins was appointed to the Cemetery Board through November 2029. These communications were accepted and placed on file.

The council also accepted and placed on file a two-year, $425,000 Parkland Acquisition and Renovations Grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for Tower Hill parking improvements (year 1 design, year 2 construction), with a required match of $127,500 from the DW Field Trust; the item was referred to Finance. A $194,150 grant from the MassDevelopment Finance Agency to assess and address environmental contamination at 307 Montello Street was likewise accepted and referred to Finance.

The fire chief requested a waiver of the city’s residency requirement for Firefighter Derek Scully. Staff noted Scully’s prior service as a Brockton police officer and roughly ten years of residence in the city; the communication was accepted and placed on file and the order to waive residency was referred to Finance.

Clerk/Staff also read an order granting a nonexclusive easement to Eversource Energy over city land at 466 Forest Avenue; the council referred that easement to Finance for review. The council recorded an order affirming the Brockton Retirement System’s $66,500,000 unfunded accrued actuarial liability and referred pension-bond authorization matters to Finance.