sarno-vs-the-city-council.jpg

Mayor Domenic Sarno, left, and the Springfield City Council (all rows left to right): top row, Tim Allen, Thomas Ashe, Melvin Edwards; second row, Mike Fenton, Adam Gomez and Justin Hurst; third row, Orlando Ramos, Timothy Rooke, Kenneth Shea; fourth row, E. Henry Twiggs, Kateri Walsh, Bud Williams, Marcus Williams.

(THE REPUBLICAN FILE)

SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council meets Monday night, and will consider overriding a recent veto issued by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno in which Sarno accused the council of trying to usurp his powers related to granting waivers of the city's residency requirement.

The council meeting begins at 7 p.m., at the council chambers at City Hall.

On March 21, the council voted to alter the mayor's powers to grant new waivers of Springfield's residency requirement. It would prohibit him from granting any new waivers to city department heads and deputy directors, and would require additional steps, including council notification and re-posting of city job openings, when there is a residency waiver request, according to the ordinance.

Sarno, however, vetoed the ordinance the following day.

"This is an attempt to limit the mayor's authority and conflicts with the Plan A strong Mayor charter," Sarno said in part.

It marked Sarno's second veto related to the residency waivers since 2013.

The 13-member council will need a two-thirds vote - at least nine votes - to override the mayor's veto.

However, the council also has a legal opinion from City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula, claiming the council cannot legally invoke an ordinance change that would alter the mayor's powers.

Council President Michael Fenton said Friday that the vote will be considered coupled with councilors' analysis of Pikula's legal opinion.

Fenton stated again that Sarno has "no standing to invoke the charter on this issue, it's the very document he has ignored by refusing to appoint the residency compliance commission." The commission's role in overseeing residency has been rendered insolvent without any mayoral appointments, he said.

In other action, the council will consider approving a resolution that asks Sarno to implement a 180-day moratorium on any city demolition of buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places or eligible for the historic register.

The request comes as bids are being advertised for demolition of two houses on the register at 62 Bowdoin St. and 74 Yale St., in the McKnight Historic District, and one building at 803-809 Liberty St., recommended for listing, the council resolution states.