[Henry Miller]: Democratic City Committee is not feeling well, so he couldn't come here today to do the welcoming. We were blessed to have the treasurer of the Medford City Democratic Party, Mr. Bruce Cooley, who will give the welcoming.
[SPEAKER_12]: Good evening, everyone, and thank you all for coming and for those of you who are watching on TV. On behalf of Paul Donato, I would like to welcome you to tonight's City Council Candidates Night. And I'd also like to thank Henry Milleron, the Ward 6 Chair, for organizing this event this evening. Thank you, Henry.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Bruce. And now we have my co-moderator, Julia Novia, who will walk us to a salute to the flag.
[SPEAKER_08]: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you. Thank you. Before coming here, we All the candidates were instructed via email and letters to go directly to room 207, where in 207 we conducted a lottery drawing. The lottery drawing is what established the sequence, because we get 14 of them, okay? So we decided each of them will have five minutes, and they will speak on the podium.
[SPEAKER_08]: So the purpose of this forum is to give each candidate an opportunity to address policy issues that are vital to our city's future. There won't be any interactive. Ah, there we go. Thank you, Henry. I was missing from over there. Is that better? Sorry. Start over. So we didn't get enough questions from the community to do more of like a debate Q&A forum, so we instead opted to allow each candidate to make a prepared statement. So the purpose is to give them an opportunity to address a variety of issues that are vital to our city's future. We gave a list of issues to all the candidates for them to address, including, this is a very long list, I don't think I need to read them all, but community planning, city growth, parking, education, charter school, opioid crisis, inclusion, school system, land use, infrastructure, environmental sustainability, public safety, economic development, et cetera, et cetera, budget, taxes, et cetera. So we gave them a list of issues, probably can't cover all that in five minutes, but we'll see which issues they choose to cover. and how they address them. So we want to know what actions you will take if elected in these areas to enhance the quality of life for the people of Medford.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Julia. We strongly believe it is important, if not crucial, as we, the citizens of this great city of Medford, I can call it great, I live here. participate in the election process in a meaningful way, and this is the reason we choose to conduct those events, the forum. It is not good enough to just go in the booth and select a candidate whose name we recognize. We must and need to make such decisions based upon the candidate's qualification, records of community and public service in their statement. Addressing issues, you heard some of them. We will never have all the issues lined up, but we can do it. The vote that we cast as citizens are important. In most cases, we will spend the next two years complaining about it. We will spend the next two years coming here every Tuesday night cursing them out because we didn't have an interaction with them. So therefore, we have an opportunity here. Each candidate will have the same amount of time. There's no division, no preference here. We will have five minutes each to make a statement. And the statement you can pay attention to was that candidate address my issue or not. I believe this is a great opportunity for the candidate. I believe it's a great opportunity for the citizen of Medford.
[SPEAKER_08]: So I think this was explained to the candidates already, but just so the audience knows, we're going to have a timekeeper system. So as Henry already said, each candidate will have five minutes to give their statement. When they have 20 seconds left, if they use their full time, they will be given a 20-second warning. Chris, if you want to show, one of our timekeepers here will hold up a little yellow warning sign, like red, yellow, green. And then when their five minutes is up, and Henry will also say out loud they have 20 seconds, and then when their time is up, Chris will hold up the red to let them know their time is up. And he'll probably let you finish your sentence if you are mid-sentence, but if you are starting to go over, the moderator, co-moderator, my co-moderator Henry has the right to cut off the microphone when your time is up, just to keep the timeline strictly enforced.
[Henry Miller]: One thing I will to the audience, I will say, please hold your applause. Try not to applaud a candidate while they're talking because if we had to go through it for each of the 14, that will take more than we wanted to. But I will reserve after he or she make a statement, you have the right to applaud, okay? And the next candidate, whether your number is up, wait until we announce you so you can go towards the podium. That way we get things done in an orderly fashion. Thank you. With that said, now you're going to introduce the candidates.
[SPEAKER_08]: Introduce them all.
[Henry Miller]: One by one. As your name is called, stand up. I know we know each other, but at least it is formally an introduction from us to the audience, from us to the one that's at home watching. Because remember, this is being broadcast live on Comcast channel 22 and Verizon channel 43. So when my co-moderator call your name, please stand up, wave, and sit down. That's easy.
[SPEAKER_08]: And I'll call them in the order that they just chose in the lottery. I have the order here. So first up will be Adam Knight. Natalie Breen. Ann Marie Cuno. Curtis Tooden. Michael Marks. Brianna Lungocone. Frederick Dello Russo. Robert Cappucci, George Sacco, John Falco, Remo Scarfo, George Scarpelli, Richard Caraviello. I think that was it. Did I miss anybody?
[Henry Miller]: I'm sorry.
[SPEAKER_08]: Oh, you missed one.
[Henry Miller]: Did I skip one? You missed one.
[SPEAKER_08]: Who did I miss? Oh my goodness, sorry, Cheryl.
[Henry Miller]: Cheryl, what did you get?
[SPEAKER_08]: They're not in order, so sorry about that.
[Henry Miller]: I thought I was with somebody. That's what I said. Sorry. All right. Thank you, Julia. So you know why she left you out, Cheryl? Because you're too close to Scarpelli. That's his usual seat. All right. With that said, Councilor Adam Knight, who chosen to be first, you get five minutes, sir.
[Adam Knight]: First out of the gate. Thank you, Henry. Thank you to the organizers for this event. I really appreciate the opportunity to get up here and speak to you. My name is Adam Knight. I'm a candidate for reelection to the Medford city council. I'm number four in your ballot. And I'd ask for your consideration on November 7th. Um, a little bit about myself. I reside in West Medford with my wife, Alison and our sons, Ryan and Brendan, uh, Ryan's three and Brendan's one. I'm a product of the Medford public schools graduating from MHS in 1996. I then went on to earn a bachelor's degree in political science from Merrimack college. and a master's degree in public administration from Suffolk University. I have nearly 20 years' experience working in government, first for the late State Senator Charlie Shannon as his Director of Constituent Services, then as an organizer, a field representative, and a contract negotiator in the labor movement, and now as an arbitrator with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. It's through these experiences that I've had the opportunity to work on many initiatives that have made a difference in our community, items like marriage equality, affordable health care, the long-term leasing of our skating rinks, Flint and La Conte, the school building assistance program, and the Greenland extension, just to name a few. And I think it's safe to say that in a city that has a $166 million operating budget and a council that's made $13 million worth of appropriations in the past two years, that qualifications and experience do matter. I'm very grateful to have earned your trust and to have had the opportunity to serve as your city councilor for the past four years. And since my election, I've always embraced the philosophy that results are more important than rhetoric. and this has been a very successful council that's produced a number of results. From a legislative standpoint, I've worked with my colleagues to implement changes to our city ordinances that benefits our quality of life and improves the operation of government. Successfully fighting for measures that have reformed the vehicle for higher ordinance to better protect consumers, increased the legal age to purchase tobacco products in the community to protect our public health, the implementation of a university accountability ordinance to safeguard our neighborhoods, and the wage theft ordinance to ensure proper distribution of tax dollars to public contractors. From a financial standpoint, the city's on solid ground. For the first time in recent memory, the city's passed a unanimous budget. We have suitable reserves and an A++ bond rating, allowing us to borrow at low rates, and a capital plan allowing us flexibility to meet our demands and spending needs. Today, our streets are safer. We've reduced the speed limit on city streets to 25 miles an hour. We've created and funded positions in the budget to combat addiction. We've purchased 12 new police cars and critical equipment for our fire department. But most importantly, we've appropriated $2 million for the design of a new police station and have a commitment to deliver new police and fire headquarter buildings by the year 2020. This is a commitment that I will not forget. We have great schools. Great schools open a world of opportunity for both our kids and our community. and I'm committed as a parent and as a city councilor to that end. In the past term, we've opened a new media center and a full service culinary arts program at MHS, expanded course offerings, implemented before school programs, and have the lowest class sizes in the region. In the next term, I'll work with the school committee to further expand and strengthen our opportunities for our youngsters and to deliver a new public library to the city of Medford. The strong infrastructure is the backbone of our community. We need responsive public works to provide the basic but essential services that we rely on every day. I've made a commitment to that end, improving service delivery with the funding of 12 new pieces of equipment for our DPW, securing over $2 million for water mains to bolster our light abatement programs. In the next term, I'll push to build upon this progress by fighting for increased staffing levels, improving maintenance and upkeep of our sidewalks and roadways, and improvements to our transportation infrastructure. Vibrant downtowns add to our economic stability and greatly contribute to the overall success of our community. We're making great progress addressing this priority through initiatives that help make our business district thrive, like the public-private partnership to bring headline acts to Chevalier Auditorium, the construction of the Crystal Campbell Peace Garden, the Riverside Plaza, and the Clippership Connector to generate foot traffic in our square, and most importantly, the master plan for the revitalization of Medford Square. Next term, I'll work with the stakeholders in our business district to ensure that we put that plan to use. I'm proud of the accomplishments that we've made just by working together. We've made safe streets, great schools, strong infrastructure, and vibrant downtowns our top priorities because these are the key to a strong quality of life. But there is more work to be done, and I would like to be a part of this work. I believe I have the qualifications, the experience, and the knowledge of the issues to continue to make a positive impact on our community, and I'm asking you for the opportunity to continue to serve. My name's Adam Knight. I'm number four on the ballot, and I thank you very much for listening. I'd appreciate your support on November 7th. Thank you very much.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Council Knight.
[SPEAKER_08]: Natalie Breen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hi, everyone. Hello. My name's Natalie Breen, and I am running for Medford City Council. I'm 24 years old, a lifelong Medford resident, and a very proud graduate of Medford Public Schools, having attended the Forest Park, the Andrews, the McGlynn, and Medford High class of 2010. I graduated from Suffolk University in 2013 with a degree in marketing, and I now work in commercial real estate and development. I am also an appointed member of Medford's Commission for Persons with Disabilities, making sure the city is accessible for all. And I am also a first-time candidate for public office. My brother, Patrick, is a bagger at Stop and Shop and a graduate of Medford Public Schools as well, as well as volunteering at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital. My mom, Karen Breen, has been a nurse for the Medford public school system for 20 years. And my father is on the board for the Riverside Yacht Club here in Medford, as well as a former Medford youth girls softball coach. I can assure you I would be a much better city Councilor than I was a softball player. I was very, very bad. My dad actually had to make a position for me so I could play. But that's a little bit about me. So why am I running? It's pretty simple. I love Medford. I love this city. I grew up here. I plan to stay here for a long time. I would love to raise a family here. I'm very personally invested in bringing Medford to the next level. I want Medford to be the best it can be. I'm a firm believer that you can't be what you can't see, and I think we really need a young female voice on the council to speak for people in our city. I think I can bring a lot of energy and new ideas. And I grew up surrounded by people who have dedicated their lives to public service and helping others. My uncles are firefighters, my mother's a nurse, and I just feel this is my way to contribute back to the community. And while I have no past political experience, this is actually a good thing. It means I have no notion of how things have to be done or things have to be done a certain way. I can think outside the box. I offer a fresh new perspective. What's great about Medford is we have all the resources to bring Medford to the next level. Everything's here. We just need people to roll up their sleeves and make it happen. And when I say resources, what I'm referring to is the Mystic. It's flowing through our downtown. We're not making use of that. We have access to Boston by bus, train, car. We're so close to one of the most vibrant cities. We have one of the biggest national educational institutions in Tufts right here in Medford. We could use them a lot more, create a stronger partnership with them. We have the Fells. We have countless historic buildings. We have the Chevalier Theater, which I think is going to bring a lot of energy to the square, which desperately needs it, as well as the Brooks Estates, which is a passion project of mine and I think could be a really great revenue generator for the city. So everything's here. We just really need to put it together and make it happen. But areas that are at the top of my priority list, based on what I've talked to people about walking around the city, is one, our infrastructure. I think that's the bare basic. I've heard a lot about roads, about sidewalks. I think everybody can agree. So we definitely need to start there, making sure our roads are safe and accessible for pedestrians, cyclists, vehicle traffic. in making sure we are improving and maintaining our streets on a regular and reliable schedule. It means when a contractor comes in to do work for the city, we're making sure they leave the street better than when they found it. Next, public safety, so our police officers and our firefighters. They're understaffed, which will become more of a problem as Medford continues to grow. I'm sure everyone's aware of how much development is going on and how many people will be coming into the city. They lack resources, and they're working in subpar conditions. I can say as a female, what the female officers have at the Medford Police Station is an atrocity to me, and I think it needs to be fixed now. We need to stand up for people who put their lives on the line every day for us, for sure. And we cannot cut corners when it comes to public safety. It's a must. There's no questions about that. Also community access, so making sure the city government is accessible and transparent. A lot of feedback I got when walking around the city is that people didn't know about something until it was already happening or maybe after it happened. And while we all love our Barry calls, I think we could do a lot more in terms of communicating with the residents and the constituents of the city and making sure that departments are collaborating with each other. I think there's a lot of untapped potential there if we joined forces. Also a charter review so our charter has not been reviewed in 30 years I think any document that has been around for 30 years is well worth taking a look at regardless of 20 seconds. Yep and Development so making sure we are thinking of develop development responsibly So these are some things I plan to bring to City Council and ideas that I have and I hope that on November 7th You guys come out and cast one of your seven votes for me. Thank you. I
[Henry Miller]: Thank you Natalie. I thank Anne-Marie Cugno. You're next.
[Ann Marie Cugno]: Good evening, everyone. Thank you to the Democratic Board Committee and to all of you for coming here this evening. My name is Ann Marie Cuno. I graduated and received my Bachelor's of Science degree in foreign languages and in criminal justice. As a lifelong resident of Medford, along with my husband, Michael, we were married after graduation, and we've been married for 30 years. We have four sons, and they have all graduated from the Medford public school system, pursuing their careers and education, continuing on their road to success. I've been on the Medford School Committee for the past 12 years and served as president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, a position which allowed me the opportunity to work on state and national levels, continuing to represent Medford on discussions of important issues. Why am I seeking city council? For the same reason I ran for school committee, to make constructive changes and a positive difference. During my tenure of the Medford School Committee, I introduced changes and presented fresh ideas. Collectively passed many successful programs along with my committee colleagues. We approved and implemented changes ranging from technology to building upgrades and educational programs, some utilizing state and federal grants to underwrite the cost. I have worked and collaborated with local, state, and federal elected officials, appointed to the state local government committee with both Governors Patrick and Governor Baker, Advocated in Washington, D.C. for the Massachusetts Federal Relations Network Delegation, meeting with members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican alike, while always having time to meet with our students, parents and teachers and administrators. Replying honestly to all and keeping true to myself, building consensus along the way, and at times agreeing to disagree. As a city councilor, I will bring the same positive changes. We as elected officials need to make the correct, non-partisan decisions on the issues, not based on the party line or a special group, but based on what is beneficial for our city. We have a master plan, but now it is time to implement it. There is a lot of discussions about the revitalization of Method Square. The talk needs to stop, and we need to make it a reality. in this community. We need to take pride in our city by starting with cleanup for all retail squares, such as off hours, trash removal in the retail areas, upgrade the lighting to be brighter and more inviting. With Chevalier Theatre partnering with Professional Management Company, we have a window of opportunity to make the heart of our city, Medford Square, more appealing. welcoming upscale stores, art galleries, restaurants, adding affordable housing, a proper city parking facility, and maybe even a movie theater. Our neighborhoods also need attention, not only the streets and the sidewalks, but proper planning in our zoning to keep our city a community. Comprehensive plan to repair our streets, All the city streets, we need to hold contractors to a higher standard. They need to return our streets to safe and passable ways. Anything less is not acceptable. Making our city into the vibrant, exciting and upcoming city it can and it will become, just as the ones around us. We need to incorporate the appeal of our city to all ages, including our children, by giving them an opportunity to want to return to an affordable and vibrant community. Let me ask, what has changed? The amount of land in the square has not shrunk. Our family and community values have not vanished. I am aware we do not have the amount of land space that other cities have, but with a comprehensive plan, we have enough space to get to the next level. By doing so, the other jewels of our city will also benefit, such as Haines Square, West Medford, the Hillside, Wellington, Glenwood, in all our entire city. Revisit the parking issue, making it sensible for all, providing a more concise and transparent program. We need to be realistic. Under these circumstances, things will not change over at night, and it will take time, but it can be done. We cannot afford for discussions to continue based on who to blame instead of going forward in a positive and a productive manner. I am a candidate who votes on the issue, not a promise for the vote. I am a proven candidate. I have made changes, not just by talking, but by rolling up my sleeves and getting the work done, which in itself makes me a uniquely qualified candidate. Continue bringing new ideas, integrity, hard work, and passion to the City Council. It will positively impact our community. I ask for your trust in me and your vote. Number 10 on the Medford City ballot.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Anne-Marie.
[SPEAKER_08]: Curtis Tootin.
[opOzyZvPRK0_SPEAKER_29]: Hello, friends, honored guests, and all fellow Medford residents. My name is Curtis Tudin, and I am a candidate for Medford City Council. As a lifelong resident of this wonderful city, with years of experience working and volunteering in our community, I know I deserve your vote this election season. This is my first run for public office, but I have great confidence thanks to tremendous early support from residents. Together, we have what it takes to win. Frankly, we need a win right now. People in our city are tired of the current political climate. Thankfully, Medford's November 7th election is a great opportunity for change. Voters out there asking, why should I cast a vote, my most important civic responsibility, for a Curtis student? Let me tell you, there are many reasons, all of them good. First and foremost, I'm the best candidate in support of Medford's environment and public schools. My campaign is based on the need to take action in response to climate change, and my career working for Medford Public Schools gave me an ideal perspective of the city's most important public service and largest budget item. There are so many important steps our city can take to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change, Unfortunately, our city council has lacked leadership. After years of volunteer service and as current chairperson of Medford's Energy and Environment Committee, I know how to increase renewable energy use and save residents money on their electricity bill at the same time. My first act as city councilor will be to help pass community energy aggregation in Medford. It's one of many steps towards meeting our goals. Others include fixing toxic gas leaks, planning for severe weather, expanding recycling services, supporting community gardens, and much more. If elected, I promise to responsibly lead Medford through all the work that needs to be done, prioritizing sustainability and protecting natural resources. Of course, the city's most important natural resource is our children. We protect and empower them by supporting public schools. Every day, thousands of students and their teachers do great things in Medford, but there is vast room for improvement. The same can be said for all public services and infrastructure, from potholes to police and fire departments. So if elected, I promise Medford will do more to meet the needs of its residents and workforce. A resolution to the opiate addiction epidemic is one need currently not being met. In 2016, there were over 64,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States, and Medford has suffered its share of tragedy. It has also taken some steps to relieve the issue, most recently by appointing a recovery Councilor and supporting Team Medford programs. But we need to do more to end drug use stigmatization, implement additional prevention and intervention policy, and make sure there is funding available for innovative programs that address this public health crisis. Overall, my campaign's commitment to running free of financial donations ensures my priorities are earnest. By working together on municipal projects, we can achieve great things, but the key to success is not leaving anyone behind. Many will only, Medford, excuse me, will only progress if all community members are involved, which is why social justice issues are a primary part of my campaign. A clear next step is for Medford to become a sanctuary city and create policy that welcomes diversity and is free of fear. Then, through the process of charter reform, our city can promote equity and work to end injustice, whatever form it may take. Events like tonight get me excited for all the progress we can make together after election day. Thanks to the Medford Democratic City Committee and all volunteers who helped bring us together. And thanks to everyone watching the video. Your participation in person and online makes our democracy stronger. If elected, I promise to emphasize collaboration so all perspectives are represented in the political process. I'm working hard for your vote, but I'll work even harder as your city councilor. People will have unprecedented access to their local government with me as an elected official. Whatever the issue, Medford residents can count on me to care, listen, and give voice to their cause. For more information about my campaign, please call my phone at 781-572-7196, email me at curtis.tootin at gmail.com, visit votetootin2017.com, or find me on Facebook. Most important, make sure to vote on November 7th, and remember, A vote for Curtis Tudin is a vote for change at City Council, for a prosperous future, and local politics to be proud of. In conclusion, Go Medford. Vote Tudin. Thank you very much.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Curtis. Council Marks, you're next.
[Michael Marks]: Good evening. When I first ran for office back some 16 years ago, my slogan was, time for a change. Now I've updated my slogan to, experience counts. Let me begin by saying what I hope all of you already know about me. I love this city. It has been the passion for as long as I can remember. It is why I've devoted the better half of my adult life to public service here in Medford. We are poised on the threshold of a new and exciting era. A step forward, front and center, reaching into the 21st century. If you give me your support, your confidence, and your trust, we can soar. We can make our city the envy of its neighbors, the pride of its citizens, a legacy of generations to come. Let's make Medford the miracle city on the Mystic. What are your ideas, you ask? What have you accomplished? What can we expect from Michael Marks? All fair questions. So let me give you a broad overview of my accomplishments and what you can expect from me over the next two years in both style and substance. My agenda as your representative will be driven by you, the residents, and by public input. It will be a collaboration. My goal is to be both transparent and accessible. As your city councilor, I have never shrunk from the big contentious issues. I will continue to take them head on as I always have. My message to the neighbors is this. I am your voice. I will continue to hear you. You always have a friend in Michael Marks. I will yield to no one in my support of the neighborhoods. During the past 16 years as your city councilor, I have dedicated myself to doing the people's business. And to this end, I've worked tirelessly to be worthy of your trust. Over that time, I've become experienced in a broad and expansive range of issues, and I would like to think I learned what makes Method heart beat. The revitalization of Method Square is central to our success as a thriving community on a cusp of a new, innovative future. Economic opportunities abound, but we must reach out for them. Today, one of those opportunities exists in plain view. three city-owned parcels of land on the eastern edge of Medford Square. As your city councilor, I will encourage an invigorated Office of Community Development to take a more proactive role in attracting new investment and to charting the future of our community. Seniors. Seniors will always be on my radar. We forged a connection many years ago while I was a novice city councilor. And to this day, I actively support issues important to our seniors and will continue to marshal all the resources at my disposal to ensure that seniors always get a fair shot. You guys can count on it. As your city councilor, I proposed and want approval to reduce the speed limit citywide to 25 miles an hour to create Method's first raised crosswalk, improving pedestrian safety. I advocated for a complete review of our current zoning laws to encourage smart growth concepts and neighborhood protections. I proposed a resolution which resulted in an improved emergency preparedness procedures for Method public housing. I supported the hiring of a traffic engineer to review public safety, traffic calming initiatives, and roadway improvements. As your city councilor, I will continue to support and offer suggestions to reduce the unrelenting airplane noise over our neighborhoods. I offer the resolve which led to the home rule petition to create a charter review commission in order to review ways of improving how city government operates. I also organized a group of residents and established the Medford Dog Park Committee, securing a private grant of $250,000 from the Stanton Foundation, and we are in the process right now behind the McGlynn School and Riverbend Park to build Medford's first dog park. As your city council, I successfully led the charge to take back city ownership of the Hegner Center with the intent to create Medford's first art center. I sponsored resolutions to create temporary pop-up community space in our parks, business districts, and unrented storefronts. I was the originator of the resolution to have solar panels installed in the DPW facility, reducing our carbon footprint. As a daily public transportation user, I will continue to support programs to build and improve upon public transportation in Method, including public bike paths and walkway improvements. I offer the resolution which created Method's rain barrel program, to conserve and repurpose rain runoff water. And now that you know who I am and where I plan to journey with you over the next couple of years, let me finish with these words. I am and always have been motivated by a sense of duty.
[Henry Miller]: 20 seconds.
[Michael Marks]: A summons to serve. What can I do for my community? And how can I improve the lives of my fellow citizens? And yes, I have an obligation to the people of Medford to get it right. I also would like to thank the Medford Firefighters Local 1032, and the New England Laborers for their endorsement. I thank you very much for your time tonight.
[Henry Miller]: Thanks, Councilman.
[SPEAKER_08]: Breanna Lungo-Koehn.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Good evening, and thank you all for being here and listening. My name is Breanna Lungo-Koehn, and I am a candidate for re-election to the Medford City Council. I was born and raised in Medford, My parents are Edward and Susan Lungo, and my sister is Ariana Lungo. I attended St. Joseph's School, and I graduated from Medford High School in 1998. I've been a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 2006. I opened a law practice in Wellington Circle, Medford, over eight years ago with my longtime friend, Kathleen Collins, called the Law Offices of Lungo, Kern, and Collins. My husband of 10 years, David Kern, is the owner and operator of Boston Physical Therapy and Wellness on Mystic Ave in Medford. Dave and I are extremely lucky to have three great children and raise them in a city like Medford, Bailey, Calloway, and Cody. When I first ran for the Medford City Council, I stated that one of the seven should be close to the youth, and now more than ever, that statement is true. I have fought for and will continue to fight for low class size, for my children and yours, safer security measures within the schools, safer access to the schools, and better management of the schools. Medford needs a succession plan for our superintendent of schools, and we need to start a nationwide search now. I, along with many parents, tried to push for this last year, but the votes were not there. This needs to be a priority in Medford. It's time to bring our schools past the middle of the pack. In the past, I've worked hard to help implement a girls' varsity hockey team, establish an affordable summer camp at Medford High School, maintained funding for Medford's Park League program, and many others. I've also worked hard and pushed for better maintenance of all our school and municipal buildings. As chair of the Public Safety Committee, I helped make people aware of the deplorable conditions of the old DPW facility and was a positive vote to create a new one. I've been vocal on the rundown conditions of the police department and the fire stations. This past year, although in the minority, I was extremely vocal in requesting that our fire headquarters be renovated at the same time as our police department. I am never afraid to voice my opinions, ask the appropriate questions, and demand answers for what I believe is in the best interests of Medford. Within the last few years on the Medford City Council, I have moved for, fought for, been vocal on, and supported charter review, filing suit against our Board of Appeals for approving 11 variances and allowing 500 unit development in our city, without the proper traffic study, without the required parking spots, and then some, all of which would have crippled that neighborhood. That helped set the tone in this city that our neighborhoods have to come first. Our residents have to have a say and be included in what goes on development-wise in every area. I have supported the Senior Citizen Work Program, the hiring of a recovery coach and substance coordinator to help combat the opiate crisis. I am continuously requesting higher maintenance budget for our infrastructure, streets, sidewalks, parks, and municipal and school buildings. These basic city services and maintenance should take precedence in our budget. I helped eliminate the odd even parking ban during the winter months. I moved for an 18-month demo delay to protect Medford's historic properties. I've supported reducing the speed limit. I've requested new radar guns and speed monitor signs to make our streets safer. Air traffic noise awareness is a goal of mine, was a goal of mine, and after I spoke about it numerous times on the council floor, two wonderful representatives were appointed and are leading the charge in trying to get resolved and keep Medford educated. I'm advocating for and working on an ordinance to stop level three gas leaks. I support an ordinance that holds universities accountable for students that live in Medford. I've requested and will continue to request we hire a grant writer. I will continue to fight for transparency in government because I still believe it is lacking. Finding out about a plan about a new police station from the press is wrong, and I will continue to fight for transparency. If reelected, I will continue to be vocal and work on these issues. I will continue to request funding to hire an outside company to help this Medford City Council update its zoning ordinances. I will continue to request citizen advisory working groups and task forces to guide the city in future development. If re-elected, I will continue to work hard to make a difference within the city of Medford. I will continue to do my homework so that each and every vote I make is the right vote. The vote that I believe will benefit the city of Medford and our citizens. I promise that I will continue to be a leader and not a follower. I will never be an automatic yes vote. I will be an independent voice. I thank you for the support you've given me so far, and I ask for your vote on November 7th. Thank you.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you to the Democratic Committee for giving us this opportunity to speak tonight. It's a pleasure to be here, and it's been a pleasure and an honor to serve you, the people of Medford. My name is Fred Dello Russo. I'm a candidate for re-election to City Council. I've served on the council for nearly 12 years now, six terms. I'm in the end of my sixth term, up for reelection to a seventh. I am part of a family that's lived in this community for four years. I'm the fourth generation of my family to live in Medford. I'm the third generation of my family to live in the same house. I had to buy the house from my father, but it was the house that he had to buy from his father as well. And I'm the third generation of my family to operate a business in Medford. I love this city. I've had a lot of opportunity in my life to do other things, but this is where I choose to be. This is where I choose to serve, to live out my family's heritage of service in this community. It's something that's shaped who I am as a person. The only time I lived out of the city was the 12 years I was in religious life. And that experience too, both academically and spiritually, shaped who I am as a person as well. And finally, One of the things that shaped me is doing the work of being a city councilor and serving all of you. It's been a good experience. It's been challenging at times. It's been disappointing at times. But at the end of it all, I'm glad I'm doing it and I want to continue to do it for all of you and for all of us because in that we grow and prosper together. I've learned a lot over my years on the council. And one of the greatest issues or lessons I've learned is that we only get things done by working together. So I could rattle off to you a long list of things that I've accomplished in the 12 years that I've served on this council, and I've had a share in virtually all of them that have happened in this city, though there are some that I perhaps can't put my name to. However, I've learned that nothing gets done here unless we're working together. We work together by listening to the community, and I've done that throughout the years, and I continue to do that. My opinion has changed on issues because of that. I was a skeptic with the Green Line, and yet I've come along, and I see its benefit. I was concerned on how it will affect many of the neighbors, but I've worked hard and long on that with many of you, and I've come along on that, and I see its benefit. I've established good relationships in this community among the greater business community because I'm a businessman, but also because I'm a city councilor, and I see how people who live here, work here, and invest in this community really make it a great place. I've established great relationships with the people who work in this building. That's how we get things done, by having solid, good, working relationships with people. The people who work in this building are committed to you. They are committed to you. They don't come here because it's a great building to work in. The bathrooms are terrible. This ceiling was caving in until a couple weeks ago. And the roof was leaking until a couple months ago. It's fresh. It's redone. We still got a ways to go. But people are committed to you. The people in public safety are committed to you. I was not afraid to stand alone, to move forward on the bonding of money, to begin the process of the new police station, which has been a long-term goal of mine, which we'll finally see come through. I've been honored to work with a group of people, one committee that sort of fizzled out in its momentum, through no fault of anybody, I think. But, and then to work with the new Revive Committee that's working on Medford Square. This is gonna be the thing that we're on the cusp of moving on. We're closer than ever before. There's stuff underway. We're building a new park in the square. We have possibly a hotel that's going out right next door. And plans are being drawn for it. And it's gonna be part of a revitalization a renewed program for the revitalization of Medford Square. I'm excited to be a part of that and I want to continue to work on that. I've been an advocate for education and improving it. It comes from my background as a Benedictine monk. Who better to know the importance of having a new library in this community than someone that shared in that Benedictine tradition? I'm enthusiastic for that.
[Henry Miller]: 20 seconds.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you, Henry. I'm enthused to be working towards improvements in all of our squares. I'm also looking forward to continue to work on the budget. You know, this year was in my 12 years on the City Council, this was the best budget that I had the opportunity to work on. and I'm gonna work hard to give you a new budget, and I ask for your vote, November 7th, for Del Russo number three, two, on the ballot.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Councilor Del Russo.
[SPEAKER_08]: Robert Cappucci.
[SPEAKER_05]: Thank you to the organizers for this event tonight, so that these candidates can come and bring our message to the city of Medford. I'm Robert Capucci. I'm 47 years old. I'm the youngest of seven kids in my family. I'm a lifelong Medford resident. I graduated from Franklin Pierce College in 1994. I went into teaching, and then after a few years of that, I joined the Army Reserves, and I currently work in electronics, making laser scalpels for a company up in Lexington. I heard a lot of the candidates touch upon The issues that were sent to us, the city committee here sent us actually 30 different topics to discuss with five minutes to talk. So I chose five, and I'm going to just answer them directly. The number one I chose was the opioid crisis. I lost my best friend in 2003 to drug addiction. A couple weeks ago, at 46 years old, he had to bury a high school graduate, a classmate of mine. It's the number one killer of people under 50 years old in America, and it needs to be addressed. I think Medford should start leading the way in research and how many prescriptions are actually being given for opioids, to whom, for what purposes, and to investigate to our fullest to ensure every single prescription is right and proper. I will continue to support and advocate for worthwhile community programs like candlelight vigils, various drug addiction rehab facilities and groups, and other initiatives we have here in Medford such as Team Medford and the new drug officer recently appointed by the mayor's office. I'd also like to establish here in Medford a kind of a tough love approach. and send out coordinated, communicated messages to all the residents on a regular basis to get people to realize their problem and light a fire under their butts to get the help that they need so they stop dying and they can enjoy the holidays, child graduations, weddings, all the things that make this life worth living. The Medford City Council should start leading the way on this initiative. The next topic I want to talk about is inclusion. I think the best way we can be more inclusive of our diversity here in Medford is something that I've been calling for throughout my campaign and for years before. and it was highlighted just last night in these chambers by the excellent speech of Dr. John Stirella of Metcalf Street in two words, term limits. If we had a three-term term limit for the elected right now in Medford, there would be five open seats on this council. for this city to take advantage of and run for. There would be four seats on the school committee. We'd have two new challenging candidates for mayor. Nothing else would lead the way to include the diverse population we have in Medford so that we can hear from all different kinds of people to come up here and act, all different new ideas, new initiatives to include all of Medford in our wonderful city. Parking. I recently had a conversation with the manager of Carol's Restaurant. We discussed something that was recently featured on a news program, Chronicle. That report was called the Amazon effect, whereby mom-and-pop shops across Medford, across Massachusetts, across the country are getting walloped because more people can easily just go online and order from various, you know, internet services, and they're not being able to keep up with these internet companies, the mom and pop shops. So what cities and towns are doing to combat this and make our city squares more attractive is Offer no-fee parking. I lead the way to get us out of the contract with Republic Parking. We need to revitalize these city squares. That's the best way to do it. If we offer no-fee parking with strict two-hour limits so that we don't have that problem we used to have that's probably still going on on the outskirts of the city, we make sure that people that come here and park and leave their cars all day, after two hours, they're towed at their own expense. Taxes. I am actually for the city to collect more taxes and have more taxes in their coffers. We need these funds for hiring more police, firefighters, teachers, teachers' aides, infrastructure repairs. What I don't believe in... 20 seconds. Oh, really? That quick already? Gee whiz. Well, what I don't believe in is constantly raising the tax rate. What I think is what we do is we create more taxpayers, and the way we do that is to cut taxes. With my last few seconds, I want to make an appeal to the 28,000 registered voters who don't vote. Come out and vote on November 7th for Robert Cappucci. Thank you. That was really good.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Mr. Cappucci. Next two years, we'll give you 20 minutes, and we will charge you extra money. George Sacco.
[M203rzS4cvE_SPEAKER_12]: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming. My name is George Rick Sacco, and I'm a candidate for Medford City Council. As a community advocate, volunteer, husband, father, grandfather. I want to work in bringing more leadership and positive action to the citizens of Medford. I'm a lifelong resident of Medford. I've been married for 46 years to my wife, Sandra. I have two sons, Brian and Eric, and six wonderful grandchildren. I'm a Medford High School graduate. I served three years in the United States Army, serving one year in Korea. I'm a veteran in pride in honor to have served my country. I attended Hampshire College, graduated with a business degree in management. I have retired from the General Electric Company after 38 years of service as a senior sales engineer. I was a member of the Mayor's Energy Commission for six years, and I received the Medford Green Award for citizen participation in that program. Medford has very specific needs that must be met to improve our quality of life in our neighborhoods. These are just a few of those needs that I've outlined. I can't get into specifics on each one, but I would like to discuss the opiate crisis, the charter review, and the street and sidewalk program, the issues which I should have mentioned, I am going to mention, uh, the charter review, sports zoning issues, adequate funding for our police and fire department, parking enforcement review of the existing contract, the opiate crisis and historical preservation of our buildings and our open spaces. I'd like to start with the opiate crisis. I want to give some statistics. Medford in 2015 was ranked 25 in opiate deaths in Massachusetts. 2010 to 2015, 71 opiate drug-related deaths in Medford. 2014, we lost 14 people. 15, we lost 20. 16, we lost 17. 2017 numbers are in yet, but they're gonna be double digits. 2016 to 2017, 610 deaths in Massachusetts alone, opiate and drug related deaths. July 2016 to June 2017, in this city, Our police department responded 52 times to narc drug users, basically brought back 52 people to life. We have a crisis. When I'm elected city councilor, I'm going to ask the administration for a line item in the budget geared specifically for the opioid crisis. And included in that budget, I'm going to ask the administration to supply and equip our police and fire first responders with the latest personal protection equipment. They're the first ones that go in these buildings, and the first ones as far as health issues. They have to be protected. As far as the charter review, 30 years. The charter is our most important document. It's like our Constitution. Our Constitution is looked at. Congress looks at it. The people look at it. We make changes, we don't make changes. We have to do that for Method. 30 years, we have not looked at this charter. It's a review. The people vote. Whatever comes out of the commission, the people vote, any changes up or any changes down. So it is a people's involvement, the citizens of Method's involvement in the charter review. As far as street repairs, sidewalk repairs, currently, Our streets are repaired on a yearly basis. The council gets a budget.
[Henry Miller]: 20 seconds.
[M203rzS4cvE_SPEAKER_12]: I'm going to end. I'm looking forward to serving as a Medford City Councilor. I appreciated you coming tonight. And vote for me for City Council. I'd appreciate it very much. November 7th. Thank you.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Mr. Sacco.
[SPEAKER_08]: John Falco.
[John Falco]: Hello, hello. My name is John Falco, and I'm a candidate for re-election to the Medford City Council. I am currently in my first term. I'd like to begin by thanking the Medford Ward 6 Committee for hosting this event tonight, and I'd also like to thank each of you for being here tonight as well. My wife Jackie and I reside at 123 Fulton Spring Road with our three sons, John, Joey, and Jack. All three of my sons attend the Medford Public Schools. I'm currently an assistant vice president at an investment management firm in Boston and have over 25 years of finance experience in both public and private global organizations. The city of Medford provides a welcoming home to people from all over the world. I'm proud to live in a city that embraces diversity and inclusion. As a first term city councilor, I have advocated for issues that I believe benefit all of Medford. I believe in a transparent government that supports the men, women, and organizations that are the backbone of our community, our schools, our police, and our fire departments, arts and cultural organizations, and citizen-led groups in an effort to increase transparency and community involvement. I led the effort to purchase legislative software which will increase transparency by providing 24-7 on-demand access to all public meetings and documents. As a parent, I know firsthand the value of small class size, improved technology, special education services, infrastructure improvements, and new program offerings, which is why I continue to advocate for additional funding to support the educational needs of our children. My commitment to public safety is unwavering. I implemented neighborhood community police meetings to cultivate engagement between the residents and our police officers in the interest of building stronger neighborhoods. I have also supported a new police station in turnout gear for our firefighters, and will continue to advocate for additional resources, equipment, and staff to protect our police and fire departments and Public Works employees. As we all know, traffic throughout our city is a problem. that continues to have a negative impact on the quality of life for all residents. The first resolution I offered was that the city hire a traffic engineer to study this significant problem. Week after week, I staunchly advocated for this position because I believe it will aid in improving public safety and the quality of life. Through this hard work and determination, a traffic engineer was finally included in this year's budget. I supported lowering the speed limit to 25 miles per hour in the interest of public safety, but I know there's more work that we need to do. My resolution to hire an outside consulting firm to conduct a zoning needs analysis began the dialogue among my colleagues about this real critical issue. Our zoning has not been reviewed in 50 years, and a complete assessment is needed to guide future smart and responsible development. I have been and will continue to be proactive in protecting our neighborhoods from oversized irresponsible development, whether it be in North Method, South Method, Wellington, West, Hillside, I also supported extending the demolition delay on historic properties from 6 to 18 months because I am committed to protecting the integrity of our neighborhoods. I continue to advocate for more resources in our Office of Community Development to support current and future business owners. I am committed to making these areas more welcoming with improved lighting, safer and cleaner streets, and a beautification program that includes public art. With its access to Mystic River and new management of the Chevalier Theatre, now is the time to revitalize Medford Square. I will continue to advocate for the creation of walking paths from Hormel Stadium to Medford Square as part of this revitalization. Medford is changing, but it's important to remember that we need to maintain what we already have. I believe it is critical that we maintain our schools, city buildings, in parks. We need to repair and pave our streets and sidewalks. We need to maintain all of our investments, old and new, for current and future generations of Medford residents. We also need to think about environmental sustainability for the next wave of Medford residents. I was the only city councilor to support municipal aggregation, and I'll support it when it comes up again. And I also supported charter review. Medford continues to be a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family. With its rich past and promising future, we are a city on the rise with a great deal of opportunity and potential. Over the next two years, I look forward to working with you and advocating for you to move Medford forward. For more information, please go to my website, johnfalco.org. I respectfully ask for your vote on Tuesday, November 7th. I'm John Falco, number three on the ballot. And if you want to contact me, 781-395-1290 or falco4medford at gmail.com.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Councilor Fargo. Thank you. Mr. Scalfo, you're next.
[BW-5g1WATfg_SPEAKER_18]: Good evening, everyone. My name is Ray Scalfo, and I'm a candidate for the Medford City Council. My wife Nancy and I have made Medford our home for better than 30 years. Together, we own and operate a successful HVAC, home heating oil business in Medford. We employ a diverse workforce, and these employees have been key to our success. We have been instrumental in advocating employees' education, training, and in several cases have helped some start their own business in this field. Helping people and caring is what we do. There are many aspects to running a successful business that are similar to running a city. Important in running a business is the implementation of a concise, functional, and realistic budget, including projections for personnel, equipment, facilities, and new growth. The same should be set forth in running a city. So as you see, there is a little difference in running a business or running a city. So with this in mind, I hope you understand why I'm running for the city council. There needs to be major change and the administrative process. If you take a close look on how the city council operates under the city charter, you will see that in actuality, this body has no ability to affect real change in the city. Unfortunately, they have no real power. This is what's wrong and needs to be addressed. Although we have a few councilors who fight hard for the citizens and put in many hours, we have some who do not. It is a lot easier to go along, to get along, but this is not why we elect city councilors. You need and you deserve positive results. The outdated and flawed city charter is part of the problem. It gives sole power to the mayor. There are no checks and balances unless four members of the council make the mayor accountable for her actions. We as citizens are pretty much kept in the dark in spite of what you hear coming from the administration. Who is watching out for our taxpayers? The present city council is not doing its job in this regard. When the council had the opportunity to bypass the signature required of approximately 6,000 signatures to get the charter review, it was voted in favor by a four to three vote. However, when it was sent to the state legislation for approval, it was voted down as the legislators felt that Because it was not a unanimous vote, there was not much interest on behalf of the citizens to have a hearing for the review. Doesn't the legislature operate on the premise that majority rule? Why then did they not accept the city council vote and have a public hearing at the statehouse? Our state-led delegation was among the missing and failed to act on behalf of the Methodist citizens. is an issue I strongly believe in, and if elected, will work with and for you to get it accomplished. We have a candidate for school committee who has been collecting signatures for the long process version of the charter review and has incredibly collected over 4,200 signatures. Moving forward, I realize how easy it is to make promises as a candidate running for office. It's all political talk, but the fact of the matter is that it really falls on deaf ears. And as every candidate makes the same promise year after year after year, just look at some of the sitting city councilors, not all, mind you, and their election year promises from previous elections are all the same. Nothing changes. We all know the despair and terrible conditions of our streets, sidewalks, signage, squares, lighting, and most of the municipal buildings are in. And we all know to serve shortage of personnel and equipment necessary to get the job done. We all know that the budget is flawed and that the process must be changed. Why are we being charged a new bimonthly tax called a water connectivity tax in addition to our regular water and sewerage bill? Knowing there's an approximate $6 million surplus in the water and sewerage enterprise account, Why are the seniors being charged $25 per year for parking when it was promised by this administration that they would park for free? We must start to build a practical, solid business model and move forward. With your help, we can get this done. So in closing, I promise you this, and only this, to listen to you and to act on your behalf to the best of my ability. I hope to earn one of your seven votes this November 7th. I care about you and the city. I, Ray Scaffo, candidate for city council, number 13 on the ballot.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Scaffo.
[SPEAKER_08]: George Scarpelli.
[George Scarpelli]: Good evening. Two years ago, I stood before you and I told you that I have a vision. of making Medford a better place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Well, hello, my name is George Scarpelli, and I'm running for re-election for the Medford City Council. Let me thank Henry and the Medford Ward and City Committee for holding this event this evening, and let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm a lifelong resident of the city of Medford. I was born and raised on Parris Street by my wonderful parents, Lily and Aldo. I'm married to my beautiful wife, Dina, and I have two wonderful children, John, 14, and Gianna, 12, who both attend the Medford Public Schools. Growing up, I attended the Medford Public Schools and graduated in the class of 1987. I received my bachelor's degree from Salem State College in Education and then went off to Cambridge College to secure my master's degree in school administration. Many of you may know me because I've coached children or have while volunteering as a coach at Medford High School, or my Medford High School coaching career for 20 years, or as a teacher in the Medford Public Schools for over 15 years. Well, nine years ago, I was given the opportunity to oversee the recreation department for the city of Somerville, where I oversaw staffing of over 100 employees in a multi-million dollar budget. I'm a proud member of the Medford Mustang Hall of Fame and the Mass State Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame. I was a member of Medford's school committee for six years before running for seat on our Medford City Council last term. While walking the streets of Medford, I spoke with our residents and listened to their concerns and issues. I put a plan in place that if elected, I would attack these important issues head on. One of the top priorities was having more collaborative city council, a city council that the city of Medford would be proud of. One good example of that collaboration was a 7-0 unanimous vote for this past budget that was unheard of. A few key initiatives that I championed over the last year and a half was first the implementation of a year-round recreation department. Thanks to the mayor and the city administration for naming me the chairperson for a focus group on recreation, this leadership role involved involved working with committed volunteers in the community that worked to put the recreation program in place, which was unanimously voted in support of a full-time rec department. a recreation department that will provide programming for senior citizens to preschool-age children, a department that will provide programming for our school department, Friends of the Fells, our arts community, our vice commission, the Friends of Chevalier Theater, the Mystic River Association, our business community, and many other partners. Another important issue to me and the residents of Medford and across this country is the horrible opiate crisis, which has personally affected many of us. After attending too many heart-wrenching funerals, we knew this issue needed to be addressed as soon as possible. The Mayor and the City Council has attacked this sensitive issue with great force by adding funds and hiring a recovery coach who works with the Board of Health and the Police Department that has helped families and individuals affected by this horrible epidemic. Next is public safety. Concerns of our citizens making sure we as a council supported all of our public safety personnel on the police and fire departments. We move forward the process of building a new police station, purchasing of 12 new police cars, new safety gear for our firemen and women with new breathing apparatus and turnout gear. Finally, for the future, we have a plan in place for a new training tower and fire headquarters. My continued support to public schools, The city council secured educational funds through the budget that allows our class sizes to be arguably the best in the commonwealth, and to continue to give our teachers the ability to move our most important assets, our children, forward. This funding provided the resources necessary to add nine new programs in our vocational technical high school that included robotics, a restaurant, and a new media center. Also, we increased funding for capital improvement projects, Those are a few key points that I've championed in such a short time. I'm asking you to help me to continue with our shared vision for this next election season. We have accomplished a lot, but there is more hard work to go. I will continue to focus on existing successes, push forward with the full review of our zoning laws and assist us in smart growth and development, continue with the development of Medford Square, and continue to work with the Medford Community Preservation Community to assist in positive endeavors for affordable housing, historic community, recreation and arts. I thank you all again and respectfully ask for your vote on November 7th. I'm joining you on November 7th on the ballot, hopefully number one in your heart. Thank you.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you Councilor Scarpelli. Next, Councilor Caraviello.
[Richard Caraviello]: I'm the only left-handed person here, so we gotta switch to this side now. Good evening. I would like to thank the Ward Six Committee for having this forum this evening. My name is Richard Caraviello, and I am running for re-election for the Medford City Council. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our city and its residents for the last three terms. During this time, I've learned how complicated this job is, and the wide range of topics and issues I need to know. My years of experience as a businessman and community leader in the public sector have given me the skills to understand how our city truly operates. I've had the privilege to serve this community in many ways. As the president and executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, I have been a distinguished president of the Metro Kiwanis, and I serve the city as its representative to the Eastern Zone on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, for which I am the chairman of that committee also. My wife Carol and I are married 41 years, and we've both lived in this community for our whole lives. We have raised our family here. Our children and our grandchildren all attended the Medford Public Schools. I have volunteered in our community in children's literacy, schools, arts, sports, and charities. With nearly 30 years of business experience, including being an owner-operator and administrator-director, I possess the necessary skills to carefully examine the many issues we face and to put resident interest first and keep Method moving forward. In my role as council president, I am proud to have been a part of one of the most successful city councils in many years. And I take the responsibility of developing policies and setting priorities seriously while ensuring we work with the administration to balance our budget. And I was proud to be part of a 7-0 budget, which is something that hasn't happened in many years here. I have the proven ability to collaborate with our mayor and city staff to determine a common ground, develop solution, and analyze information objectively, which is an asset to the city council as we face crucial decisions. Being the last incumbent up here this evening, I have the ability to tag on to everyone's accomplishments because There's no accomplishment that any one Councilor did by themselves. It was done as a group and a collaboration. So again, we all share the same goal here in our city. And without collaboration, there would be nothing to ever get done in the city. A challenge for us now is how to respond to the accelerated growth in the city of Medford. What we can do to preserve our small city feel we love and how to determine and how we continue to build on the great diversity in our community and to ensure housing affordability. These are the kinds of problems I have experienced and can tackle. I am committed to advocating for our aging population by supporting programs to help our seniors and veterans who have served our country so they are able to live in the city of Medford. I will support young families and advocate for the development of affordable housing and smart growth throughout our city. Progress takes time, and it's now time that we start reinvesting in our community. I have supported many of the projects the mayor has proposed, such as the police station at Riverside Plaza, and the revitalization of Method Square, so it can be better utilized in creating an environment where our businesses can flourish. A new fire training facility is in the works, and we were recently awarded a $12 million grant for a new library, which I took an important role in. The newly founded Library Foundation will play a vital role in raising private funds to help lessen the cost to the city of Medford. These projects are not taking place at the same time as many will lead you to believe, but with responsible fiscal policies, these all can be achieved within the next five to six years. Something that no one's talked about here at all is the issue of grave appointments, which is the status of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital. As our community grows in age, this asset of the local hospital grows in importance. Our seniors have become dependent on this facility for care for themselves and their loved ones. When you're having a heart attack or a stroke, that extra 10 to 15 minutes driving the ambulance can be vital. Or when you have a child that is injured or sick at 2 a.m. in the morning, the importance of having a medical facility minutes away is essential. I have been the only public official that has attended the Department of Public Health hearings and spoke out to keep this facility open and viable to our community. I'm telling you now, please don't let what happened in Baldwin happen here in Medford. An effective Councilor is one who gets things done. Richard Caraviello was a Councilor who doesn't talk about getting things done, but gets things done. Remember, government is about the people, and a core part of this principle is an attention to basic quality of life issues and responding to requests for basic city services. Your vote makes a difference and your opinion wins. Thank you. Again, I respectfully ask for one of your seven votes on November 7th, 2017. Ian, I am the number one name on the ballot. Thank you.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Counsel Caraviello.
[SPEAKER_08]: And last, but certainly not least, I haven't missed her name before, Cheryl Rodriguez.
[Cheryl Rodriguez]: Hi, my name is Cheryl Rodriguez, and I'm running for a seat on the Medford City Council. Thanks to the Democratic Committee of Ward 6 for hosting us. When I received the email listing the nearly 30 City Council topics, my first reaction was, wow, that's a lot of stuff. I think that's what intrigued me about running for City Council. It's a pretty unique opportunity. You get to wear lots of hats, but it all boils down to quality of life. I'm a graduate of Medford High School. I have a daughter who graduated in 2014, and a nine-year-old in the Roberts. My parents also live in Medford, and my husband Alexis Rodriguez is a candidate for school committee. I'm a mom in the community who is heavily involved in the Roberts School PTO. I'm proud to say that I have committed to creating enrichment nights, running fundraisers, and applying for grants to help our children create memories at school. I'm grateful to the teachers and principal for trusting me and working tirelessly on these inclusive events. And thanks to all the parents who've helped in ways you never thought you would, like lugging a U-Haul's truck worth of yard sale items out of my house, or punching holes in nearly 600 pieces of artwork for our art show. I love Medford because there are so many great volunteer and service-oriented groups in the city. I would really like to find a way to link them all. Often I hear, I wish we had a group that was working on X, and oftentimes we do. I've met many amazing groups of people working to make the lives of people in our community better, and I've tried to help whenever I can. Many of the events that we enjoy throughout the city are run by volunteers. My commitment to the city made me want to run for city council to try to help in a different way. I've attended meetings, met with elected officials for years to try and get assistance on various issues and needs around the city. I've stood with Locust Street of Butters to stop overdevelopment. I've collected signatures outside Stop and Shop for charter review. I've advocated for airplane noise relief, fought for small class sizes, and to this day, I still continue to go to zoning board meetings and stand with residents. I want to be that person that you feel comfortable reaching out to, the one who will not only listen to your issue, but will dig in to find the best solution. I would also like to help push for a portion of our budget to be set aside for future maintenance projects. We all know that roofs don't last forever. It doesn't have to be a scramble every time one springs a leak. This will speed things up and help manage expectations. Money set aside each year in the budget for streets and roads will allow us to fix more in our limited construction season. This is just one part of our needed city plan. We hear that Medford is hot. We need to take control so that the projects being built here enhance our city. Medford needs to be a place where people work, eat, play, and live. A proper plan will keep us from turning into a bedroom community that creates no places for the people who live here to work. I see Mystic Ave as our blank space, our next big opportunity. I know a project with 500 apartments and a tiny amount of commercial is proposed for the center lot. I think placing it there would be a mistake. We need to think bigger. We need to stop the small-town thinking. Projects should not be approved because it is better than what is there now. Yes, most anything is better than nothing. But remember, Medford's hot. Cities that are hot don't just take what is offered. We ask for what we want and what we need. That is how you move the city forward. That's how Medford will come alive. Mystic Ave could be our premier commercial area. It could hold lab space, office space, an entertainment complex, a beer garden, a doggie daycare, restaurants, a hotel. The sky's the limit. If there seems to be a need for some residential, it can be placed at an extreme end of the street to not impact our commercial growth. Picture a center island with trees on it, bike lanes, beautiful wide sidewalks, a shuttle to the train station, another bringing people to the square to enjoy lunch, dinner, a show at the Chevalier Theater. This is the biggest opportunity in Medford to create this shining new district. All we have to do is ask for it. Don't settle. While we're at it, we should move to our zoning reform. In addition to stopping overdevelopment and parcelization that is burdening our neighborhoods, our zoning should be updated so that all new construction housing projects that don't meet the threshold to add affordable units pay into our housing affordability fund to be used in conjunction with CPA money to create affordable housing in Medford. This is a minor ask and one that other cities don't hesitate to require. Medford is growing, but like anything, we need to nurture it and guide it. In a well-planned city, that growth maintains a balance of commercial and residential. We need to leverage enough new commercial to be able to afford needed infrastructure improvements. I'm excited to dig in and be a part of this pivotal time in Medford. I'm a first-time candidate, long-time advocate for Medford. Please cast your vote for Cheryl Rodriguez, November 7th, and you have until 1159 tonight online to register to vote. Please do so. Thank you.
[Henry Miller]: Thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez. I don't think I'm the only one who observed it. All 14 candidates had done an excellent job tonight. I believe they are just... Let's give them a round of applause. Thank you. Job well done.
[SPEAKER_08]: So before we depart, my co-moderator Henry and I want to thank everyone who assisted us in putting this together. We especially want to thank Representative Paul Donato and Nancy White, co-chair of the Medford City Democratic Ward Committee, for their continued support. We thank our television crew member, Ralph Shouret. We thank the Medford Transcript, Medford Patch, and every other media that helped us advertise the event.
[Henry Miller]: Certainly, we need to thank the members of the Medford Democratic World Six Committee. They did an excellent job. Without them, we couldn't put this together. Can you stand up so you can be seen, member of World Six? Thank you. Stand up. With that said, I want to remind you, you heard it. What was recorded tonight will be rebroadcast in a few more days. I don't know when exactly. We shall find out by tomorrow. on channel 22 for Comcast or channel 43 and 47 for Verizon. I don't know the deadline because I know the prior event that we have are still, okay. I don't know if any of your friends failed to get in touch with City Hall today. I'm doing that as a citizen because I had friends who were supposed to call in today to register to vote. They couldn't do it because there was an issue with the telephone. I don't know how they deal it, so I don't know where we're standing on that. It's important. But most certainly, we must remember, vote on November 7th. Okay, thank you and good night.
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