Salem, MA voted unanimously to eliminate and replace 619 gender-specific words from city ordinances
The Salem City Council voted unanimously to eliminate 619 gender-specific words from city ordinances and replace them with gender-neutral language. The Council decided against changing the city's charter and zoning code due to issues of complexity. The Council also decided to preserve the gendered term "manhole" because the gender neutral alternative term "maintenance hole" already refers to a different kind of in-street infrastructure which could confuse emergency response services.
Salem, MA
United States
Salem, MA partnered with SiFi Networks to create a citywide fiber optic network
The City of Salem has partnered with SiFi Networks to create the infrastructure for a citywide fiber optic network. The Salem City Council signed a 30-year contract with SiFi Networks which allows them to charge service providers for using the network. In exchange, SiFi Networks is covering the estimated $35 million in setup costs. The arrangement will provide much needed competition with Comcast as it is currently the only reliable high-speed Internet option available in the city.
Salem, MA
United States