[Leming]: resident services and public engagement committee, April 23rd, 2024. Clerk, would you please call the roll?
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Kelly? Present. Councilor Lazzaro?
[Lazzaro]: Present.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Scripp-Helly?
[Lazzaro]: Present.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Tseng is absent.
[Leming]: Okay, so. First paper on the agenda to 4015 resolution to discuss modernizing council communications and outreach strategy. So. The so on the current agenda packet, um, pursuant to the motions that were I. Asked Councilors if they be willing to draft or if they were willing to get on a schedule to draft a, um. ended up creating a schedule of those who had who replied if there are any proposed changes tonight that any Councilors would like to make more than willing to hear them. We also, I also submitted a draft of the Medford City Council newsletter, which once it is approved in committee, we will be able to then circulate it around. Councilor, Council Vice President Collins submitted some recommendations to me after the release of the agenda, which I placed in this year and this year draft of the document essentially just asking for some more consistent language as well as links to the website for some of the for some of the ordinances projects that were mentioned in the draft as well as just smaller things like use of the word committee, to be clear, and use of, and the addition of dates to each of the items that were worked on. If any councillors have recommendations or anything that they would like to add to the newsletter, I would be more than willing to hear it. Councilor Callahan.
[Callahan]: It looks like I can't really read all that on the screen. So some of these may have already been covered by Vice President Collins. So I would say like the leaf flow ordinance, for example, doesn't need to be covered both in the general business as well as in the planning and permitting committee. It just might be confusing because it says, like if they only read one, they'll say, they'll think it's a second reading. And then under sent to committee, a home rule petition for a real estate transfer fee, that to me is a little too, strong sounding, right? It sounds like we sent a home rule petition to commit, like, if I didn't know much about the city council, I would think that there was one completely written up and this language was all finalized. So I think the phrasing should be different. Open day discussion or something like that. Gave a number to, same also with like developing a home rule petition. That's, I don't know, exactly what to do with that one, but I think in the same way that governance committee has just a one-liner, we also could put in public works committee as just a one-liner of like currently discussing roads and sidewalks, renovations as, you know, according to the assessment studies, something like that. Could be a nice simple way of just saying that, hey, this committee is looking at those things, so people care about that. Currently discussing road and sidewalk renovations. I don't have perfect language for this, but according to the pavement and sidewalk assessment studies. Something like that.
[U1EIl_L-LWc_SPEAKER_00]: Yep.
[Leming]: All right. So just, okay. And the other two you had mentioned, I'm writing this down. We're take out the second mention of leaf flower ordinance.
[Callahan]: Under planning and permitting. Yes, I would just remove it. I can't tell if Councilor Collins did that already.
[Leming]: Planning and permitting, page 12. Discussion on disability notification. Oh, I think, yeah, so that was removed.
[Callahan]: And making the language about the... Yeah, the sent to committee a home rule petition for real estate transfer fee, that one, it just, I think it's a little misleading to put it that way.
[Bears]: Okay. We sent a paper to this committee to discuss the creation of a home rule petition.
[Collins]: Great, something like that, yeah. I would also suggest a, I tried to suggest language for the rent stabilization home repetition that we might be able to create a template that works for both. Yeah.
[Leming]: Okay. Uh, okay. So how an initial meeting about, okay, let me just, just kind of thinking here, um, send a paper to committee. Let's see.
[Bears]: petition for a real estate transfer fee to discuss the before let's sort of about set a paper to committee to discuss the creation of paper committee to discuss and then you can delete the second there's two committee twice in there I think similarly under the rent stabilization, would ask the state to give the city of Medford the permission to... Wait, would ask the state to... Instead of the word for, just to give the city of Medford the...
[U1EIl_L-LWc_SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[Leming]: Okay. Okay. Councilor Lazzaro.
[Lazzaro]: I have more of a broad question. This being the newsletter draft for April and us having another week of April left and there being the possibility that we could pass a number of other items in the next few days. I am wondering, like, we have a regular meeting on the 30th. I'm wondering how we want to organize when these go out, month over month.
[Leming]: My thoughts on that are, I mean, we would call it So this first newsletter, first up, is going to be a bit odd because it is the first one, but I'm sort of trying to mention the key points that we've done since the beginning of the term. Future newsletters, I wouldn't really imagine, would have quite as much as this they would just cover the last month but I don't I don't I also don't really think that we would need to necessarily stick to the calendar month that we're going it would like my in my perception would just be like what have we done since the last newsletter so we would be like writing it in that month but it would be for like since the last newsletter these are the things that happened yeah I mean that's that's just kind of my initial thinking I mean we could you know, be strict as to only covering the events that happened in April or May and so on. But, I mean, I also don't really see why we can't be a little bit more flexible about it. And I see a hand raised. Is that, is the iPhone Councilor Scarpelli? Councilor Scarpelli.
[Scarpelli]: Council, thank you so much. Again, I've been I've been getting phone calls and people asking that they don't see my name. I think that I still haven't got my answers. And this process as a subcommittee, as you've already moved forward with this, but we still haven't answered. How are we going to get this information to the community? And I know there was bantering back and forth about, well, at least getting it started. But it's exactly the message that I didn't want to send that I've been answering questions on. It's who is getting this information? It's not, there's nothing set up. We've still yet to hear anything from the communication director to see how we can get it out to undisturbing communities, parts of a community that's underserved. How do we get them the messages? Because the truth of the matter is what I'm hearing so far and the understanding of what we're sending out is something that our city clerk does at a pretty high level in our meeting minutes. So I just want to make sure that people understand, for the record, I'm not being included in this for a few reasons, and one being that we have still found out, we have still not vetted out the process of where this information is going. It's a newsletter to do what? To go where? Now again, if it's hitting, if it's, if we put a plan in place to get everybody, especially the underserved in our community, to make sure they're getting the information, because that's who's not getting the information. But again, I just want you to know optics are a lot, are pretty big here. And if we're bulldozing this with six Councilors and one left on the outside, I want it to be noted. So we still have, I put a motion in to ask where these are going. I asked for communication from the communications department that didn't send anything of any substance. And we have still yet to know where we're handing these out because that's all I've heard. We're going to hand them out. To who? To your Lister? to your groups? Well, that's that we're using city funds to to send a message out to one organization. And I just think that's wrong. So I just wanted to share my not like it'll go anywhere. But I just wanted to make sure that I was heard. And it's on the record that I've stated that if I can Mr. Mr. Mr. Clerk, that I'm not a part of this process because I don't feel that this process is serving the whole community. It's serving people that can be reached and nothing is being done or designed to reach that underserved part of our community. Thank you.
[Leming]: So a lot of this was discussed at the last resident services and public engagement committee, which you were not present at, so.
[Scarpelli]: I read the minutes, still no answers.
[Bears]: It's going out to the city listserv, so it's going out to the same listserv that all the mayor's communications go out to.
[Leming]: Yeah, there's the other again that there is a standard set of city listservs that would go out to We could investigate other Potential listservs that go out to so we're talking with the senior center about theirs. I mean the you know, the point is that we do we do need to have a product to send to different outlets if we are going to Communicate what City Council is doing. So any other questions? Councilor Lazzaro.
[Lazzaro]: At the last meeting we also discussed texting options, WhatsApp options, paper options, and translation options. So it was discussed extensively at the last meeting that we would make sure to prioritize serving underserved communities. It's a big priority of this process.
[Scarpelli]: If I can. Councilor Scarpelli. Again, I appreciate that, but it was discussed. It was discussed. But what we're doing is we're putting something out there before we even came to a resolution. You've come to a resolution, but everything is being discussed. This is what the subcommittees are for. Now we're putting out a product that's actually going out to print. we haven't even we at least that's what I'm hearing right now. With everything was being discussed in subcommittee, nothing's gone out to the regular floor, nothing's been voted. And then nothing has been approved to move this this paper to go out to the public and making sure that did we look at we can just we can say that we're serving we're looking into serving the the underserved in our community. But just by saying it, just because you check a box doesn't mean we're doing it. So again, my recommendation is let's slow this down and make sure that we get the answers that we want, or else you're gonna leave a group of people in this community, again, feeling like they're not being listened to. Because there's things that are coming out in the city in the next couple of weeks that is directly showing that this council is saying things but doing something totally different. So I, believe me, I don't want to be the negative. It's not, it's usually in the last couple of years, it's never been my nature, but it's right in front of us. It's black and white what we're seeing. So please, to my fellow council, understand, you saying things and just putting them through, that doesn't mean that it was vetted properly. Thank you.
[Leming]: Thank you, Councilor Scarpelli. This is a newsletter that City Council is trying to circulate through the community. That's what this is. Councilor, sorry, Councilor Bears.
[Bears]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of edits under the general business. If you could scroll up just so we could see that. Could you make the committee structure a separate bullet? So after that first sentence, and then it should be, can we just say that it was technically two different papers. So we also, we voted to establish a new committee structure with the following seven committees. Okay. All right. So we also didn't even have to say also, we just, we voted. to establish a... Oh, what is that? Okay, it's editing the stuff I've deleted. You can just click before the created to see and create it. Yeah. Wait, we voted to establish. We can get rid of created. And if we could change it to committee structure with the following seven committees. Yeah. And if we could alphabetize, I think if you just copy administration and finance, then it should be administration and finance would be first, then education and culture.
[Callahan]: You saw it first.
[Leming]: I am prone to make
[Bears]: And then resident services and public engagement will be at the end.
[Leming]: Yeah.
[Bears]: Last but certainly not least. Okay. And then my only other comment, I think this is really great. Wait, which section? Actually, I have two. Now I have two. It looks like NSAssociates just said twice. End NS, OK. And maybe that comma should be a period. Associates, wait. Or after ltd, it should be which has worked, something, comma, which has worked, or who have worked.
[Leming]: in the process of updating and vetting our zoning ordinances with the city's zoning consultant and associates, which has worked with the city of Metro previously, including on our comprehensive plan, could be linked to. Okay.
[Bears]: And then I forwarded you just right as this meeting was starting, an email for the very beginning. One of the things that I, in my former career as a writer, Starting with the lead is always important. And I emailed you a suggested- I'm a scientist, so you could see that I just- It's technical. It's technical. It is technical. I emailed you and the clerk a suggested change to that paragraph, that whole paragraph. Yeah. Okay.
[Leming]: just stop share for a moment so I can check my email without it being broadcast.
[U1EIl_L-LWc_SPEAKER_00]: All right.
[Leming]: Okay, and I'm seeing also additional in my email, additional recommendations from Council Vice President Collins.
[Bears]: Okay. Yeah, that last lead changes all I have. My only other suggestion that I will stop impinging on your meeting is I think it might be valuable if the committees also went in alphabetical order, like the sections.
[Leming]: Okay. Council Vice President Collins.
[Collins]: Thank you, Chair Leming, while you're hearing from non-voting members. I just wanted to, before I leave you to your deliberations, I think that this is a really great start, a really great framework. I'm excited about this. I think what I hear from people all the time, like in my first term as well as recently, is it's so hard to know what the city council is doing. And this is of course not a perfect solution, but I think anything that we add And the beauty of essentially an e-list is that people can always be added to it, and that content can be used in other channels as well. So I think that this is a worthwhile endeavor that is only additive. It doesn't really take away from anything except for our time. I think that in general, it could be helpful for us to just have standard language for how we talk about certain things. In my email that I sent over to you earlier today, just kind of a standard sentence structure for at our XYZ meeting, we passed a resolution commemorating I just want to run through these really quickly. A lot of my comments did just kind of trying to get into the trying to get into the mindset of the average resident who doesn't know what we do. So one of the comments that I sent to you, um. Around the passage of the leaf blower ordinance. I suggested as opposed to we approved completely the new leaf blower ordinance, sending it to the mayor for the final approval. This ordinance will phase out gas-powered leaf blowers in favor of electric ones over a four-year period. And I just want to emphasize, I think it's helpful to not assume that people know what it means to pass an ordinance completely or incompletely, just to sort of use kind of specific language for what we mean by that, to kind of imply that there's two votes, rather than to use general language. And a lot of our ordinances are, of course, are very complicated. They're hard to boil down into one or two sentences. So I think that I think it'd be great for us to include hyperlinks wherever we can so that, you know, to sort of help people with their inevitable questions of what do you mean, what do you mean specifically, where can I read more about this, so that people can click to immediately get their specific questions answered to read more about it. But wherever possible, I would love to use language like giving the final vote of approval so that it's more clear what we mean by that. Similarly, in the planning and permitting committee section, I've been trying to use language of this committee began the process of updating and amending our zoning ordinances. I just think that's a little bit more specific than I know I've been using the word overhaul a lot. I think that it's like a little more precise when we say we're amending the ordinances. We're updating the ordinances. I hope that that will better signal for more people what that process actually looks like. And then I do think it might be helpful for people to include that second line that I suggested. NS Associates has worked with the city of Medford previously, including on our comprehensive plan, just to give that context that this is a known contractor that we've collaborated with before. Um, and last thing, sorry, um, if this hasn't already been mentioned, um, under the administration finance committee section, I thought it would be helpful to add some context to the draft budget ordinance. I suggested, and this I emailed to you earlier, this committee is finalizing the draft budget ordinance, which for the first time creates a timeline and meeting schedules for updates and communications between the city council and mayor's office during the annual budget development. process, and I just wanted to include some sort of implication there that we're at the final stage of this, something that was begun in the previous term, and more specifically what that means.
[Leming]: So I'm looking at what you just emailed me, and I just copied and pasted that into my draft document. So is everything you just mentioned in that email, or could you forward the recommendations to me?
[Collins]: What I was just referencing was the email that I sent to you before. Okay. So I did, so I did, I did include everything in that in the meantime, but you also sent, um, I was just noticing some language discrepancies from what I sent you and what I saw on the doc. So I just wanted to make sure that you have the specific language.
[Leming]: Okay. Cause cause yeah, I, I don't want to use like all the meeting time while everybody watches me edit. So I just do one, but that's a great idea. Yeah. Um, but I did just like copy and paste. I did just copy and paste those in there. In the meantime, Councilor Callahan.
[Callahan]: Thanks. First of all, you have the toughest job of doing the first one, getting all of these edits, so I really appreciate all your hard work doing that. I do want to mention that if we are going to use email, if we are going to use anything that uses people's phones, which includes text messaging, which includes WhatsApp, which includes Signal, we have to have opt-in. So the idea that we can't start anything until we somehow have a way to reach everyone, the way that we reach everyone is by producing something, and including, I want to make sure that we have something near the top that says, please forward this information to your friends, or here is how your friends can get on this email list, so that people will send this information to people that they know, and it will be very easy for them once they receive something from a friend or colleague, for them to get on the email list or on a mobile list or something. So getting folks to spread the word about this. And then two other things. I just want to make sure that with the real estate transfer fee that I think the wording that we chose was really great. I think also for the rent stabilization ordinance both of those because they are very hot button issues. We have to make sure that the language is accurate to what has happened, which is we're simply opening the discussion. So whatever language we're using for the real estate transfer fee, we should use a similar language for the rent stabilization. And then this is a general question, something to think about maybe for next time. I would love it if in our newsletters we can include not only what has happened in the past, but what is upcoming. so that maybe even if it's only just that very next week, if we know, so that people can make a plan to come, or even if it just includes maybe a link to the events page that shows people what is upcoming and a thing at the bottom that says if you want to know what we will be discussing in the City Council and in the committee meetings, go to this link.
[Leming]: Yeah, so I think that we don't have to have the exact draft 100% figured out, like the exact formatting 100% figured out for the first one. So what I just like to focus on timeliness for this particular draft, just to make sure that we have something out. And then in future ones, as we kind of get into the swing of things, we can come up with a more standardized format as we see what people like. So I do agree that that is, I do agree that having upcoming projects in there would be great. I also heard another recommendation from Council Vice President Collins, for instance, that we include the paper numbers in there just so that people can cross-reference it. It's just that I got a lot of very last-minute input here, so researching all the paper numbers personally takes a bit of time. Councilor Lazzaro?
[Lazzaro]: We're doing a lot of back and forth right now, and I just want you to know that I see you having to do these updates at this moment, and it could be a little bit stressful. So I think maybe in an effort to not have perfect be the enemy of good, and that, I think, can also extend to not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as far as the newsletter, and being afraid to try something because you're not sure it could reach everybody in town. I think that even if this version is not the very final, most perfect version, and as we keep learning and as we get feedback from residents, you know, we keep making it better as time goes on. I would like to, I'm not sure if I can, if I would make this as a motion, but I think I would like to speak with our DEI director and City Hall about how best to make sure we're, you know, I don't know why the sound is being weird. how best to, you know, for the purposes of this first newsletter or going forward, you know, how best to make sure we're trying to access as many people as possible. So I would be happy to do that, but I guess I would motion to speak with Director Nwaje about that. as we work to distribute the newsletter. But that's one motion that I have. A second motion is I would like to say this for me, clerk, as a motion. Make it sound Good. I think that we should bring it to the regular meeting or at our next meeting, potentially, so that we can approve it as part of the regular meeting. And once we have it in like a final form for this version. But again, it not having to be perfect, perfect, 100%. Because nothing's ever perfect when you're writing stuff. It's always a work in progress. Um, uh, that being said, I also would confirm for, uh, or agree or back up what Councilor Colin Callahan was saying about, um, I'm not sure if you were saying this exactly, but, um, maybe we can use some of our city council language, but maybe we can simplify some of it. Um, there's some terms that I think are confusing to a lot of our residents. I think home rule petition is confusing. I think even paper number can be confusing. I think a lot of people don't even know what a paper is. I think that Sending something to committee can even be confusing. Sometimes maybe there could be maybe there could be a glossary section. Maybe this isn't something that we do for the first newsletter, but maybe down the road. Maybe there's like a layman's terms version or like a like a quick summary version. Like what are the what are the need to knows in the beginning? What's the TLDR? in the beginning of the newsletter, or maybe that's just an event section that's like, what do you need to know? When are the regular meetings this month? What are the committee meetings? What do you want to try to get to? Sometimes we don't know, but we could at least let people know the really critical information so they don't have to know all the terminology.
[Leming]: So on the draft schedule, you're assigned to do the next one.
[Lazzaro]: I know, I know. I'm giving myself kind of a lot of work. I'm realizing as the more I talk, the more work I'm giving myself.
[Leming]: I look forward to your draft. I look forward to it.
[Lazzaro]: Too much brainstorming. Maybe there are some bad ideas.
[Leming]: I do want to emphasize, this is the first newsletter. We really don't need to overthink it. I know I, but it's like you said, perfect can't be the enemy of of good in this case. So I'm hearing. So, I think that there's a reasonable amount of work I could I could do on this draft prior to going to the to the regular meeting. But I think a good part of having it rotated and again, we did have I. Send an invitation for all Councilors to, uh, who wanted to volunteer to draft a newsletter for a given month and have it be edited by everyone else. And those who volunteer are currently on the schedule. So it is a opportunity for people to kind of, like, put their own practices into it. Councilor Callahan.
[Callahan]: Thank you. A few things. Number one, I will second your motion to have you reach out to Mr. Nwaje to do that. Second, you also partially answered my question, which is going to be, what is the schedule? Because I said I would do whatever was free, so I have no idea what month I'm on, but at least I'm not next month.
[Leming]: It should be in the agenda.
[Callahan]: I'm so sorry. It's in the agenda. I missed it. And the third thing is, I'm curious why I would love to avoid having these unless there's a reason having the wording of the newsletters go to the full city council meeting, it seems like really this should just be in this committee. I don't understand why we would want to send it to the full city council.
[Lazzaro]: The reason that I would want to is just mainly because Councilor Scarpelli didn't feel comfortable approving it in committee and saying that it had not been on the regular meeting schedule. But I mean, if it doesn't pass our, I mean, we're here now, if it doesn't pass, it doesn't pass. And I understand.
[Callahan]: I just can't imagine having the, you know, a 200, 300 word document be edited in a city? I literally think that's the wrong place for like that is that is not the place. I mean, this is a just a communication from the city council.
[Leming]: You're the only other person here that can second one. So it's up to you.
[Callahan]: I'm not seconding that one.
[Leming]: So Okay, so do we have any other. Okay, so the first off there was, there are some additional edits as you can see on the screen from Councilor Collins. So, I, again, I don't want to use this entire time to just to just do that considering also we have another item on the agenda to get to. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so she sent me some edits earlier and this is just some different phrasing of, and I could also, you know, but yeah, yeah, this is just some different phrasing that she wanted when I incorporated her edits earlier. So it's just, it's just wording issues. Yep.
[Callahan]: I don't want us to forget. So anywhere you can just put this so that we don't forget. Just put it in that document and then we'll look at it next time. Like that we should really have a way for people to forward this to others so they can get on the list. And then the idea of putting upcoming, like even just a link to the upcoming meetings would be great. Those two things I think we should include in every newsletter. Thanks.
[Leming]: Okay, so a link to upcoming meetings. So, I think what I'm going to do is if this is motion to be approved out of this committee directly to be sent out, then I'll just incorporate these edits on my own time and then send it out in addition to the other edits, obviously, that are in the suggestions right here. So meetings is one.
[Callahan]: The other one is a way for people if they forward it for people to get on the list.
[Leming]: OK, so just like email for the clerk something, whatever, whatever is, you know.
[Callahan]: Maybe you guys can work together to figure it out. And even if it doesn't end up in this newsletter, that's fine. But in the future, I think we should keep it.
[Leming]: So my understanding is that the links to the upcoming meetings for Zoom, and the clerk could correct me on this, is that they're basically only generated a week beforehand, and there are technical reasons for this. So if this is a monthly newsletter, I don't know if we'd be able to put all of the links.
[Callahan]: But isn't there a link that has all of them? There's a link where you can see the upcoming meeting agenda.
[Hurtubise]: So there's a calendar that's maintained on the city website that has the calendar for the month that Steve Smerdy and his team put together. The email distribution list that we run on our office with the council agenda and the committee agendas, that's a fully opt-in list, except that it also goes to all city employees. And it goes to all city employees as a matter of course, but all of the residents who are on that list have opted in, have requested to be on the list. You had another portion of the question.
[Callahan]: The question is, how can people opt in?
[Hurtubise]: That's all. They generally call me, or it's very low tech, they call me or they email me and ask me to include them on that list. I have a couple of minor concerns because this newsletter would have to basically start from scratch in terms of the opting in because that's a completely separate newsletter. And I just want to make sure because you're putting out some really good information, which I think is a really great idea, but what we want to make sure is that people understand that There's the distribution list for the council agendas and the committee agendas. And there's also going to be this distribution list for the newsletter. And we have to make sure that those are people signing up for separate things.
[U1EIl_L-LWc_SPEAKER_00]: Great.
[Leming]: So I think for the initial one, probably the best we could do is just like, here's the clerk's email if you would like to opt in. Yeah, OK. Thank you. OK, cool. Any further discussion? Any?
[Lazzaro]: I have a motion. I have two motions. Sure. If you are prepared to receive them.
[Hurtubise]: I have two from you already.
[Lazzaro]: No, we didn't get a second on my motion to send it to the regular meeting.
[Hurtubise]: Okay, I'll just reflect that. Yeah.
[Lazzaro]: Yeah, well, I have two more.
[Hurtubise]: Okay.
[Lazzaro]: I have another motion to approve this.
[Leming]: So by approving it, you'd mean send it, yeah, send it. With the edit as amended. What is that?
[Hurtubise]: I'm sorry, I missed the motion.
[Lazzaro]: To approve the newsletter written by Matt for May, April 2024 as amended.
[Hurtubise]: As edited or as amended?
[Lazzaro]: As edited. Okay. And to approve the draft schedule. That's included in the packet.
[Hurtubise]: I think we put that in one motion.
[Lazzaro]: Does that work for you Anna? Yes.
[Leming]: Okay, so we have a motion, two motions on the floor. Clerk. Yep. Okay. Wait, sorry.
[Hurtubise]: So. there's a motion to speak with Director Nwaje, then there was the one that failed for lack of a second, and then there's a, and then the last one is a two-parter. I count it as one motion to approve the newsletter as edited and to approve the draft schedule. Okay.
[Leming]: So on the motion, Councilor Lazzaro, to approve the drafting schedule and approve the newsletter to be sent out, as edited during this meeting. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. On the motion by Councilor Lazzaro to get feedback from DPI. All those in favor? All those opposed? Motion passes. Okie dokie. These late night meetings with three people. All right. Okay. And that is that 24-073 offered by Councilors Callahan, Councilor Tseng and Councilor Lazzaro resolution to establish city council listening sessions. Any discussion on the floor regarding this one? Councilor Callahan.
[Callahan]: Thank you. I believe this can be quick and exciting. So I'm not sure which of these should actually be motions and which should just be that we plan to keep this paper in committee and move forward. But I think we should, I would like to make a motion that we form a subcommittee that includes me, Councilor Tseng, and Chair Leming. I hope that's okay. That's my emotion. About the listening sessions to ensure that these listening sessions happen. And then, besides that motion, I want to open up two ideas for discussion. One, that we try and hold approximately one per month. So we try and hold maybe nine, you know, eight or nine this year. And then I would love to have a quick brainstorming session about which groups to reach out to Is that all part of your motion? No, no, no. Sorry, sorry. The motion was only about a subcommittee.
[Hurtubise]: The rest is just- Councilor Callahan, Councilor Tseng, and Chair Leming.
[Callahan]: Correct. That's the motion. Everything else is just for discussion. So that we do, you know, one a month, seven or eight this year. And then Councilor Tseng and I already came up with a short list. So we can very quickly, I think, you know, brainstorm a list of groups to reach out to this year. Okay.
[Leming]: Do we have a second on those?
[Lazzaro]: Second.
[Leming]: Okay. I have a motion by Councilor Calhan to form a subcommittee to establish listening sessions. Is there any discussion from Councilors?
[Lazzaro]: I think that sounds awesome. I think one a month is great. I would just ask, are all Councilors invited to attend? Would there be input from other Councilors on location and time and things like that? Or would it be just the subcommittee that would establish that?
[Callahan]: That is a great question. I think we'll meet as a subcommittee. We'll have to, you know, discuss exactly the logistics of how that's going to work. But we certainly can. you know, we can make the subcommittee. I think we can make a subcommittee open to as many people as our.
[Leming]: Yeah, there are three person. There are three people subcommittees with only three voting members. But I think any is pretty much as long as long as it's an open meeting that anybody can attend. Exactly. Yeah.
[Callahan]: Yeah. And basically it will be a lot of it is just going to be doing the logistics of, you know, when to have these meetings set up and who's going to be there, that kind of thing.
[Lazzaro]: probably talking to people about what space is available and who can get a conference room and what building at what time, that kind of thing.
[Callahan]: I will say that I think part of the idea is not to use conference rooms and buildings, but to really go to the place where these less represented folks feel comfortable, sort of go on their turf rather than our turf. So that'll be something that we're doing. May I open the discussion of some possible groups to reach out to?
[Leming]: Sure. Do you want to vote on your motion first? On the motion by Councilor Callahan, seconded by Councilor Lazzaro. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. Okay, so what are the groups you'd like to reach out to?
[Callahan]: Great. So first we thought there are five community liaisons. And those are, you know, five groups that we would love to begin with. And then we also thought that high school students would be a really fantastic group and we could do potentially either have just have one group or we could have separate groups for the vocational school and the other half of the school. And then we thought the senior center would also be great. And reaching out maybe to some tough student groups. And that right there is like, let's see, five for the community liaisons, one or two for the high schools. Yeah, that's nine. That's this year. Okay.
[Leming]: Who are the, what are the five community liaisons? I know that, do you know them off the top of your head?
[Callahan]: I don't know the names of the liaisons themselves, but the, you know, The groups that they represent are the Haitian community, the Arab community, the Portuguese-speaking community, Spanish-speaking, and I believe the fifth one is black residents in Medford. I hope that's accurate.
[Leming]: Okay. Okay, I guess the other question I had is just open meeting considerations with the listening sessions. So the listening sessions, would they be here or would they be? Yep.
[Callahan]: I think that is something that we should discuss in the subcommittee. I think there's going to be a little bit of trying to figure out exactly how that's going to work. And we'll do a little bit of brainstorming to sort of you know, understand the possibilities. I think that's just a longer discussion that we probably want to have to make this already pretty late.
[Leming]: Okay.
[U1EIl_L-LWc_SPEAKER_00]: All right. All right.
[Leming]: Cool. Any further discussion?
[Callahan]: If there are other groups that folks want to reach out to, uh, you know, now is great or don't hesitate to, you know, There's zillions of groups we could reach out to, of course. We don't want anybody to feel excluded, but we thought this would be a good starter set.
[Leming]: Is there any public participation?
[Callahan]: I apologize. I meant to include veterans. Veterans? Yep.
[Leming]: All right. Any public participation? All right. Seeing none, do we have any other motions on the floor?
[Callahan]: Move to adjourn.
[Leming]: Okay, motion to adjourn. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. Thank you.
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