Committee sends TMF Buckley Garage permit to full council, asks police and administration to provide data

The Lawrence City intergovernmental relations committee on March 10 voted to forward item 6726 — the renewal of TMF’s permit to operate weekly dinners at the Buckley Garage — to the full council with a favorable committee report and a request that the mayor’s office, the police chief and the Department of Public Works appear to present supporting data.

TMF founder Michael Gorman, who identified himself at the mic, told councillors the Wednesday-night dinners are more than a meal distribution and described a network of services tied to the event. "We have been able to get over 100 individuals into inpatient detox," he said, adding TMF partners with Spectrum Health Systems (Westborough), ClearPath veterans services and a Lawrence District Court diversion program to move people into treatment and temporary housing.

Tom Dugen, reading an editorial in support of TMF, said he and other supporters met with the police chief and the mayor and described conflicting messages from officials. "The police chief’s response was, 'We want you out of the city,'