[SPEAKER_02]: Verifique um dois
[Fred Dello Russo]: Boa noite, tudo. É o meu prazer distinto em nome do governo da cidade de Medford acolher todos no primeiro discurso do estado da cidade do prefeito Burke. Neste momento, chamo o tenente Casey e os membros da guarda de honra do Departamento de Polícia de Medford para apresentar as cores. Agora damos as boas -vindas à câmara, os chefes de Departamento da cidade de Medford. Agradecemos conosco clero distinto na câmera. Stacey Clayton, reverendo Noah e reverendo Wendy. Junte -se a nós agora serão membros de funcionários eleitos da cidade de Medford, que representa a cidade de Medford. Eles serão processados e se estabelecerão na primeira fila à sua esquerda. Você pode estar sentado. E damos as boas -vindas à senadora Patricia Jalen, representante Sean Garbali, representante Christine Barber, promotora distrital do condado de Middlesex, Marion Ryan, secretária de tribunais do condado de Middlesex, Michael Sullivan, Comissário da Autoridade de Recursos Hídricos de Massachusetts, Frederick Lasky, meus colegas da cidade de Medford, John Falco, Adam Knight, George Scarpelli e nosso presidente, Rick Caraviello. Temos dois convidados especiais conosco, ambos os presidentes se aposentaram da cidade de Medford, Paul Camuso e Presidente Emérito Robert Mayarco, membros do comitê escolar, Kathy Kreatz, Mia Mastoni, Erin Dibenedetto, Annmarie Cugno, Paulette Vanderkloot e Robert Skerry e nosso ex -prefeito, o honorável Michael J. McGlynn. No momento Para nos guiar na promessa de lealdade. Neste momento, convidamos conosco, o prefeito de Medford, a honorável Stephanie Mochini Burke. Sim! Obrigado, Sra. Prefeito. Uau. Agora, para nos guiar na promessa de lealdade, recebemos quatro estudantes de nossas escolas primárias a aparecer. Sean Sullivan, da Primária McGlynn, Sophia Hernández, do elementar McGlynn, Gina Macedo dos Brooks Elementares e Sebastian Simeão dos Brooks Elementares.
[SPEAKER_12]: Prometo lealdade à bandeira dos Estados Unidos da América e à República pela qual está localizada, uma nação, sob Deus, indivisível, com liberdade e justiça para todos.
[SPEAKER_11]: Obrigado. Obrigado, crianças.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Se nos recebermos agora, permaneça para que o hino nacional seja cantado por Stacey Clayton.
[Clayton]: Oh, digamos, você pode ver com a luz inicial do amanhecer? No último brilho de Twilight, cujas listras largas e estrelas brilhantes através da luta perigosa O'ER, as paredes que vimos, eles estavam transmitindo tão galantemente? E o brilho vermelho dos foguetes, Dazzle as bombas que explodem no ar deram provas durante a noite em que nossa bandeira ainda estava lá, oh, eles dizem que o Star Banner Jogue na terra dos livres e na casa dos corajosos?
[Fred Dello Russo]: Agora convidamos o reverendo Noah Evans da Igreja Episcopal de Grace.
[2hZdDePQb_Y_SPEAKER_26]: Amar a Deus, nas escrituras que você diz, busca o poço -ser da cidade onde eu o enviei e oro ao Senhor em seu nome. Porque no seu poço -você encontrará o seu poço. Aqui e visitamos, oramos, as cidades da terra, especialmente Medford, este é o nosso lar. Envie seu espírito para nossos funcionários eleitos, trabalhadores da cidade, nossa polícia, bombeiros e departamentos escolares, nossos negócios e nossas famílias. Renove os laços de respeito mútuo que formam nossa vida cívica. Envie -nos líderes honestos e capazes. Em sua escrita, você diz que é a luz do mundo. Uma cidade construída em uma colina não pode ser escondida. Oh, santo, você abençoou esta cidade com muitos, muitos presentes, incluindo nossa extraordinária diversidade. Pessoas de diferentes habilidades, nacionalidades, culturas, história étnica, orientações e expressões sexuais, crenças religiosas e políticas e muitas gerações. Ajude -nos a ver e conhecer o belo deste presente. Neste momento de divisão em nossa nação e em nosso mundo, está conosco enquanto celebramos nossa unidade e nossa diversidade. Então, somos a cidade em uma colina e uma luz para o mundo. Dê -nos força, dê -nos coragem, dê -nos a esperança de defender o direito de nascimento de todas as pessoas de conhecer liberdade e liberdade. Ajude -nos a proteger os direitos de todas as pessoas, incluindo aqueles cujos direitos podem se sentir precários ou ameaçados neste momento. Para que esta cidade possa prosperar e possamos viver juntos em unidade e paz, construindo essa comunidade para o bem de todos, para o bem de todos nós e para o bem do mundo. Pedimos isso em seu santo nome. Amém.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Neste momento, sente -se. Neste momento, gostaríamos de convidar estudantes que nos proclamarão a resolução da unidade que foi aprovada por unanimidade pela cidade de Medford em dezembro passado. Então, se você apareceu. Na primeira parte, Nathan Ville, da Andrews Intermediate School.
[SPEAKER_00]: A força de nossa nação deriva de sua história de diversidade que enriqueceu nossas comunidades com uma variedade de culturas, fé, tradições e pontos de vista.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Emma Burke, da Andrews Intermediate School.
[SPEAKER_01]: A cidade de Medford é uma comunidade que hospeda e valoriza a variada composição racial e étnica de nossos residentes e
[Fred Dello Russo]: Matt Moran, da Vocacional High School.
[2hZdDePQb_Y_SPEAKER_26]: A cidade de Medford apóia todos os grupos de imigrantes e recém -chegados ao perseguir o sonho americano e ... Josephine Rizzo, da Roberts Elementary School.
[SPEAKER_06]: Enquanto a cidade de Medford trabalhará para modelar nossa cidade como um lugar seguro e aconchegante que também incentiva todos a procurar progresso pessoal e residir em satisfação pacífica em Medford e ...
[Fred Dello Russo]: Vivalin Chavatona da escola primária Roberts.
[SPEAKER_12]: Enquanto a cidade de Medford rejeita todas as palavras e atos de ódio, indiferença e intolerância que prejudicam as comunidades de nosso bairro em nossas escolas que frustram a promessa de igual justiça e ... Sinto muito.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Amin Nazi da McGlynn Intermediate School.
[SPEAKER_02]: Enquanto nossa nação se baseava no princípio fundamental de que todas as pessoas têm o direito de igual proteção da lei, oportunidades iguais e desfrute aos direitos civis e humanos.
[Fred Dello Russo]: JASPREET KAUR de Columbus Elementary.
[SPEAKER_11]: Agora, portanto, a cidade de Medford orgulhosamente apóia o projeto de conversas de Medford para promover o diálogo e a colaboração sobre raça e etnia em Medford e além.
[Fred Dello Russo]: E Gabriel Rossi, do Columbus Primary.
[SPEAKER_03]: Eu sou Medford. Nós somos Medford.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Obrigado. E os alunos lem para nós e compartilharam para nós com bastante eloquência a mesma resolução não apenas votou por unanimidade pela cidade de Medford, mas também pelo Comitê Escolar de Medford e pela Comissão de Direitos Humanos. Agora é uma honra para mim apresentá-lo, fazer seu primeiro discurso estadual, a honorável Stephanie Muccini-Burke, prefeita de Medford.
[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Good evening, elected officials, clergy, Ms. Clayton, you who sung so beautifully, city and school employees, and fellow Medford residents. Thank you so very much for being here, and thank you to all of those watching from home. To the youth of our community who just recited the proclamation, you inspire us. You have been raised in a time of tolerance and compassion. You embrace the diversity of our city and our country. Remain vigilant. These are trying times for our nation, no matter our personal views. But as Tip O'Neill always said, all politics is local. We're together this evening as one city because we are strong and believe in writing this chapter together. The current state of the city of Medford is summed up in three words, sound, stable, and sturdy. And as- As your mayor, I stand ready to work with you to chart a new course into an even greater tomorrow. It seems like the inauguration was just yesterday when we, as a community, collectively said, it all starts today. Well, since that day, much time has been spent among our residents, business owners, and staff working in collaboration with one another and elected officials on all levels of government to have a high-level dialogue to renew and improve our city. And I am very proud of the work done thus far, because it continues today. And I'd like to start with a focus on our finances, because a sound financial foundation is the catalyst for continuing our progress. The city's unemployment rate on 12-31 was 2.3 percent, compared to Boston's 2.5. Medford dropped from 3.7 percent this past June. Our bond rating is AA from Standard & Poor's and AA3 from Moody's, high-quality ratings. Average single families' homes are assessed at 476,000, and Medford has a stable housing market. We closed out fiscal 16 with free cash of $9.7 million. This is our city's rainy day fund. And since last February, Treasurer Irwin has aggressively pursued tax title cases, having collected $1.9 million, thus far compared with— Compared with 900,000 the previous year, the treasurer and assessor are implementing the Community Preservation Act, CPA, which was passed by the Medford voters this past November of 15 and went into effect on July 1st of 16. We project fiscal 17 collections to estimate $1.2 million, which will be available for use beginning in July. Its purpose is for affordable housing, open space, and historic preservation initiatives. We are accepting applications until February 12th for the four at-large appointments to the Community Preservation Commission. We have reinvented the senior work-off abatement program, allowing 35 seniors to earn up to $1,500 in abatements during this current fiscal year. This successful program This successful program was a win for us seniors, it was a win for City Hall, and it was a win for the residents as a whole. Thank you so, so much for your dedication to the city. Thank you, Ruth and Vivian. The roles included assisting in early voting, which we got 20,000 people to early vote this year, greeting people at city hall, handling the mail and other tasks. We're looking to open up the program again to new seniors starting April 1st. In addition to this abatement, the city offers many statutory exemptions for seniors and veterans. I will also be forwarding a request to the city council to raise the exemption levels by 50% for veterans and seniors in the coming months. We are also working with the State Division of Local Services to review the owner-occupied exemption calculation. We know there's a fundamental flaw in it, and we're going to work with our partners at the state to try and correct it, at least for Medford, if not for the whole Commonwealth. So the focus on finances continues today. In March, our community signed on to the Governor's Community Compact, which is a commitment to best practices. Through this compact, we are pursuing two major initiatives that directly impact the quality of life in our city. The first is Complete Streets. Complete Streets changes the thought process when performing road projects. It provides equal weight to all modes of transportation, whether it be walking, biking, wheelchairs, transit, as well as motor vehicles. We were awarded a $400,000 grant from the state to implement this strategy. This funding will allow us to focus on six projects that will provide the reconfiguration of intersections, pedestrian signals, bike lanes, signage, and crosswalk enhancements. The Complete Streets team, led by our engineer, Cassandra Koudelidis, We'll be holding forums the next two Wednesday nights to review the plan so the construction can begin in the spring. One such project is a major reconfiguration of Tufts Square. The second compact item is the Medford Square revitalization plan. We have received $90,000 from the State Technical Assistance Grant and the Barr Foundation Grant to facilitate the planning process. Director Lauren DiLorenzo has spearheaded public meetings, which provided great input and feedback. In March, we will be ready to move forward and ensure that this planning comes to fruition. In coordination with this process, I am very, very proud to make an announcement tonight that the Rudra Hospitality Group has closed on the property at 101 George B. Hassett Drive, just next door to us. They will be applying to construct a 124-room Premier Brand hotel with a sky bar and a 350-seat rooftop function room. This $25 to $30 million investment will create 200 construction jobs, an estimate 50 permanent jobs, and projected tax revenues just at construction cost, not value, Mr. Assessor, is $600,000 per year to start. I want to thank the team that includes John Veneziano of ERA Andrew, Realtors, and the Rudra Group for working with us to be the first domino to fall in the revitalization of Medford Square and trusting in this city's vision and process. Thank you very much to the group, John and the Rudra. I know you're here. The end. Thank you. The city was also awarded a land and water grant of $250,000 that will match city money to reimagine the Riverside Plaza adjacent to the burial grounds in Medford Square. We envision this multi-purpose space to act as a common of sorts for our community events. As Vince Lombardi said, individual commitment to a group effort, that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. It is this commitment by my transition teams, citizens, city employees, and elected officials on all levels of government that has fostered this cooperative effort. Economic development and development in general is necessary to maintain a financially strong municipality. Prop two and a half without new growth barely covers contractual obligations, let alone health and pension costs. We rely on new growth to be able to augment services, such as offering a year-round recreation program that is being recommended by our focus group, which Councilor Scott Peli is spearheading with a group of committed residents. Thank you, George. With the housing shortage forecast from the state, we must continue to invite varied housing opportunities in our community. And I applaud Councilman Knight, Chair of the Zoning Subcommittee, for work toward revising some outdated zoning ordinances on our books. To assist in this process, we have applied for a technical assistant grant with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, specifically for the Mystic Avenue Corridor. Thank you, Adam. So economic development continues today. And while we stress economic development, we cannot forget the richness that the creative economy brings to our city. The Chevalier Theater is the gem of our community and adds tremendous value from cultural events, musical performances, and much, much more. And while the first request for proposal, or RFP in our world, for management of the theater was deemed non-responsive, we have formed a new evaluation team. It is comprised of three members of the commission and three members from City Hall to craft a new RFP, which is nearly complete. We learned a great deal from the first round, and we will use this to select a partner that will invest in the infrastructure of this historic gem while managing it with a focus on partnerships with local businesses and organizations. Speaking of organizations, as a community, we are so very blessed to have entities such as Medford Arts Council, Cachet, Mystic Makerspace, Mackey, the Farmer's Market, Chamber of Commerce, Brooks Estate Land Trust, and the Human Rights Commission. You enrich our being every day. And I... I thank you for the selfless work you do each and every day to embrace and promote our creative, historic, and cultural perspectives. We also want to thank those that served on the library building committee led by Barbara Kerr, our library director, and our president, Rick Caraviello. Proud to say we have submitted the grant to the state for library funding, quite an accomplishment in such a short amount of time. And also, I ask you, how do we make you aware of all the things we're doing? First, we have created linguistic capability to have ConnectCTY, better known as hashtag Barry called, to reach out to the community via phone, text, and email in 11 different languages. Thank you, Diane McLeod, for spearheading that. Thank you. We are on Facebook. Twitter, and of course, the web. Second, public access will be back on the airwaves by late spring. The studio is being constructed at the front of Medford High School, where we will get a double bang for our buck. The students will learn media tech during the day, while the public will have access during the evenings. Who better to tell the stories of Medford than you, the citizens of Medford? Thank you, Mayor Mike McGlynn, for leading this. Bringing arts and culture to the forefront continues today. This winter, I signed on to the Metro Mayors Mitigation Compact to become carbon neutral region-wide by 2050. This raises This raises environmental consciousness with every decision the City makes going forward. To this end, we initiated the process last fall to purchase the streetlights that are owned and managed by National Grid, with the goal to convert to LED over the summer. We anticipate savings in electricity usage, thus reducing environmental emittances. And based on direct maintenance by us of the lights, there will be a less than 5-year payback from converting to LED. In addition, In collaboration with the City Council, we are experimenting with increased lighting in Medford Square for our decorative lights. Once finalized, we will fully install for a safer streetscape in our square. Our Office of Environment has been hard at work to receive the following grants for additional projects. $250,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation to build a dog park at Riverbend Park, which will be built this spring. And thank you, PAWS4. A grant from the Mass Coastal Zone Management for $125,000 to build the city's first green infrastructure to naturally clean stormwater before it flows into the Mystic. This is a partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association, or MIRA as we refer to it. a partnership grant for the Clippership Connector from DCR to design and engineer the half-mile multi-use path between Medford Square and Riverbend Park. This is in partnership with Block Medford and Myra and a generous donation from Wegmans for $23,000. Thank you, Wegmans. They're not even in our city and they're already contributing to these wonderful things. So we're very lucky to have them coming and they expect construction to end by next October, November timeframe. We received a green community grant, another green community grant for 250,000. That's for LED lighting in our schools, which will be installed over the next few weeks. These grants would not be possible without the hard work of the team in the energy and environment under the leadership of Alicia Hunt. Alicia recently received the Mystic Municipal Leadership Award from the Mystic River Watershed Association. Thank you very much, Alicia, for all your hard work. And I also want to thank Eagle Scout candidate Calvin Lambert. I believe he's in the audience. Calvin. He's working with our environmental office and our Department of Public Works to build bridges around Wright's Pond for sensitive areas. So thank you very much, Calvin, for your efforts. Lastly, we have created the Go Green Medford Coalition, which will be an umbrella entity for all sustainability-minded groups in Medford to coordinate activities and track outcomes. Environmental focus continues today. As chairperson of the Medford School Committee, working with committee members, administration, and faculty, our public schools continue to make great achievements. Examples include. increased access to career and technical education for Medford students. The integration of Medford High and Medford Voc Tech has enabled our students to simultaneously participate in both rigorous academics and occupational exploration skill development. Nine new Chapter 74 technical programs are now available. Thank you, Heidi, Riccio, and the superintendent. Enrollment of ninth grade students in career tech education has doubled under her leadership. We've also secured over $1 million in new grants to revitalize our vocational technical learning environment, and we've also captured out-of-district tuitions and generated new sources of regionalized revenue to support expansion of educational opportunities for our youth. We have maintained a comprehensive curriculum that provides a full range of core academic subjects and specialized electives. Medford offers 16 advanced placement courses, among the most in the area, as well as a full complement of art, music, technology, foreign language, and health education programs. Thank you, Mr. Superintendent. and members of the school committee. We have two standout Medford students with us tonight, Joseph Farah and Ketty Toussaint. Joseph, a Medford High School senior, took first place at the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair in developing scientific models, while Ketty graduated last spring from Medford Tech and is currently enrolled at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services. As an immigrant from Haiti, she left her homeland at the age of 11 with her dad. She worked hard to learn the English language and excelled in her technical program. Ketty also earned college credit through a dual enrollment program at Bunker Hill Community College. Both of these young adults demonstrate the Medford Public Schools advantage, MPS advantage, in our commitment to you. We have introduced before school programs at our elementary schools, while after school programs are growing exponentially. They provide substantial coverage and constructive activities for students after regular hours. We are enhancing our programs and activities to provide inclusive opportunities for all students. In order to accomplish this, substantial professional development with an emphasis on social and emotional learning in our schools has been made. We have added counseling and behavior support staff to our teams. Lastly, we're recognized by the National School Board's Journal for School Security Practices. We have tightened security at all schools by adding staff and the Raptor ID system. Investments in our school children continue today. Augmented security measures at our schools would not be possible without collaboration with our public safety professionals. Safety is a core component to an individual's comfort in and desire to be in a community. We have invested in state-of-the-art self-contained breathing apparatus for our firefighters and a second set of turnout gear. Thank you, Medford City Council for voting that last night, for supporting this initiative. These are to provide the most current apparatus for firefighters' safety and ultimately for your safety. Nine new firefighters graduated the academy last month and one entered this past Monday. We are working hard to keep up with retirements by accelerating the civil service process. Kudos to our Board of Health for receipt of a seven-year, $100,000 per year grant from the Mass. Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse to provide opiate abuse prevention services for six cities and towns in our area. We all understand the impact this drug has on our society, and we are making every effort to raise awareness, erase the stigma, and provide assistance for those suffering from addiction, as well as support for their families. We have formed a team approach under Mary Ann O'Connor, who recently came to us in the last several months, for our prevention and outreach. We have an outreach manager, a recovery coach. We work with Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the Police Department. Every life matters, and we thank our police and firefighters for volunteering to administer Narcan in this cause. And while we are not declared a trust act city, be assured that our police department protocols do not allow for profiling. Witnesses and victims are not asked about their immigration status. So be sure, and that's the way it is. If you would ask me what the question posed to me most often, I would have to say it's when are we getting a new police station? I hear it day in and day out. And today, just this morning, I announced that we will be submitting a loan order to the city council next week on February 14th, requesting funds to commission an architect to begin the plans for a new station. We have turned this city upside down looking for a new location. We've toured commercial spaces. We've contacted property owners. Property owners have contacted us. And in the end, the right location, with no land costs and no relocation during construction, is the current site of the training facility on Main Street. The current facility will be demolished, and the proposed 35,000-square-foot, three-story new construction will house all amenities of the state-of-the-art resilient headquarters, including deserved equal space for our female and male officers, technology upgrades, and, most importantly, safe interior space for our offices' well-being. Public safety investments continue today. In conclusion, this city of ours, this great city of ours, continues to move forward on a foundation built on dialogue. A dialogue that echoes in this building, allowing the voices of all residents to be heard with an attitude of inclusion and fairness. A dialogue of renewal, where creative and imaginative ideas are brought forward to better the quality of life in our city. A dialogue that resonates with the message that Medford is on the move, embracing a future of possibilities, embracing a future of hope. On this night, in our beautiful city hall, and I say that the state of our city is sound, it is stable, and it is sturdy. And as your mayor, I stand as committed as ever to foster this dialogue with you as we continue to cultivate a city on which we can be partners in progress. God bless Medford, the Commonwealth, and the United States of America. Thank you all very much for being here this evening, and good night, and be safe tomorrow with the upcoming blizzard. Thank you all very much.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Uau. Por favor fique. E para a invocação e bênção final, convidamos o reverendo Wendy.
[7G1mRGUN6Dk_SPEAKER_09]: Uau. Você está inspirado? Estou inspirado. Eu estava pensando, não gosto de parecer estável e resistente, porque isso parece muito sólido, estável e resistente. E ele estava pensando que se sentia bastante espetacular, provocando e segura para todos e Stephanie. Então, estou inspirado a convidá -lo a fazer algo por mim, cidadãos de Medford. Gostaria de saber se, por apenas um minuto, poderíamos ter toda a nossa equipe escolhida e a equipe, a equipe da cidade, sentar -se por um segundo. Funcionários escolhidos e a cidade. E todos os outros, pedirei que me ajudem a abençoar essas pessoas. Você estenderia a mão para as pessoas que estão servindo você hoje? Porque ele continua hoje. E junte -se a mim no espírito da bênção. Grande espírito, amoroso e indulgente do universo. Deus de tudo isso é. Deus desta cidade. Deus dessas pessoas. Deus da bondade, mudança e resistência e futuro e ontem e hoje. Continuar. E então pedimos sua bênção a essas pessoas boas que escolhemos e deram a responsabilidade de servir. Agradecemos sua sabedoria, por sua coragem, pelo dia a dia para fazer tudo para nos tornar resistentes, estáveis e sólidos. Ajude -os a serem corajosos à medida que avançamos hoje à noite. Ajude -os a ser o que precisamos nesta cidade para nos fazer despertar, emocionantes e orientados para o futuro enquanto estamos baseados em tudo o que fomos. Deus, agradecemos e perguntamos sua bênção a todas essas pessoas. E agora se todo mundo voltar para você Vou abençoar tudo. Que Deus continue hoje para nos abençoar e ficar. Que Deus continue hoje para nos mostrar o caminho e ser gentil conosco, brilhar sobre nós. Que Deus continue hoje a olhar para Medford com bondade, graça e amor. E oramos tudo isso em nome do amor. Que as pessoas dizem amém.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Mi, MI, pode orar. Tenente Casey, remova as cores. Obrigado a todos, e o prefeito convida você a se encontrar com refrigerantes, alguns bolos e um pouco de café na rotatória se os Munchkins não tiveram todos eles. Obrigado a todos.