Brockton Ordinance Committee Sends Kratom Ban and Auto Shop Rules to Full Council

BROCKTON — June 1, 2026 — Brockton Ordinance Committee unanimously advances kratom moratorium and auto repair enforcement overhaul to full City Council. The committee voted Monday to recommend two amended ordinances: a citywide moratorium on kratom, synthetic cannabinoids, and other unregulated novel intoxicants, with a $1,000 fine for first violations and Board of Health permit suspension for repeat offenders within 36 months; and a strengthened licensing framework for more than 150 automotive repair shops, requiring all facilities to file an engineered parking plan with the City Clerk by December 1, 2026. Commissioner of Health and Human Services Wadiza McCullough said the city "just don't have the ability to implement regulations to differentiate between what is natural and what is synthetic." Deputy Fire Chief Brennan Weeks told the committee that overcrowded repair lots — some with 35 to 40 cars in spaces designed for 10 or 12 — prevent fire apparatus access. A key amendment gave City Clerk Timothy Cruz independent authority to suspend motor vehicle repair licenses without City Council approval, addressing delays in the current process. The kratom moratorium takes effect 60 days after final City Council passage, expected no earlier than July.