Reparations Commission Approves Backlog of Minutes in 5-2 Vote

Other Committee · Meeting of May 5, 2026

Northampton Reparations Commission returns from a months-long hiatus and splits 5-2 on approving January minutes. Chair Felicia Goodspeed presided as commissioners Lundquist, Perry, Newman and Sudan joined her in approving the backlog, while Marcia Morris and Renika Montgomery Tamaclo voted no; February and March minutes passed 7-0. City Solicitor Alan Seawald warned the panel it lacks a fixed quorum number, since its charter sets membership at nine to 11 members, and told commissioners "reply-all" emails among a quorum violate the open meeting law.

Morris pushed back, saying Seawald was "the first person that ever said we had to follow this rigid process." Separately, Commissioner Garrick Perry announced Northampton's first Juneteenth celebration June 6, and commissioners learned a state House bill to study reparations was effectively killed in March while a Senate companion, sponsored by Sen. Liz Miranda, survives in Ways and Means.

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Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.