[Frances Nwajei]: And then I just want to let everyone know, Megan is going to attempt to listen in, because she's not going to be able to, you know, be in a location where she can take notes. So the hope is that somebody else can take notes until Megan can join on. Danny is not joining us today. I didn't say daddy, I said Danny. Oh my gosh, is not joining us today. So, but I'm hoping that we will still be able to meet our quorum.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think we're at it now.
[Tom Hamel]: Nine members. Yes.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yes. Only eight really. Yes. Yes. So we're at it now. We've got a quorum now.
[Frances Nwajei]: I will turn it over to you, Susan, for what could very well be... My last meeting as chair.
[Susan Bibbins]: Okay, I actually don't have the agenda in front of me. Okay. So if you would help me. Yep. First, we need to decide who is going to take notes, because that's very important. Do I have any volunteers? I'm happy to do it. Oh, yeah. Gabby, would you do it, take notes for us? That would be wonderful.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Yes, hopefully they're as detailed as they need to be, but yes, I will do my best.
[Frances Nwajei]: Thank you very much. Gabby and Heather, my hat's off to you because I am the person that would need to be voluntold. Half the time I can't even read my own notes. Thank you for being willing to do that.
[Susan Bibbins]: Thank you very much. I know that introductions are always first, but I think we all know each other by now. And then I'm lost.
[Frances Nwajei]: The June meeting minutes, approval.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yes. Did we all get copy of the amended meeting minutes? And when do we all read them? Okay. Do we all want to take a minute to read them now? Or go over them and skim them? All right.
[MCM00001360_SPEAKER_03]: Is it the Google doc that was updated? Is that what the amendment was? Yes.
[Susan Bibbins]: Okay. Yes. Are we all set with the meeting minutes and stuff like that? Are we ready to vote on them? Yes, do I hear yes? Yes, okay. Do we have any amendments or questions on them? Discussions? I'm hearing crickets. Okay. Um, so we're meeting to we're voting to accept the minutes, as a man, as amended by Francis by director nausea. Excuse me while I use your title.
[Frances Nwajei]: I still don't like either. Directing Miss Marge. I'm not quite sure. You get to be whatever you wish. I just want to be Frances. That's all I want. I just want to be me.
[Susan Bibbins]: Bye Frances. Um, so all in favor of accepting the minutes of, um, which were amended by Francis, um, say aye. Aye. All in favor, um, all, uh, dissenting say nay. All abstaining.
[Unidentified]: Okay. So we have, um,
[Susan Bibbins]: four ayes and one abstention. So motion passes to accept the minutes as amended.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay, so I will forward those over to City Clerk for them to do their, their piece of things and I will save them officially as the minutes in our folder. Awesome. Okay, that's. So next on the agenda with the election Susan for the officer position.
[Susan Bibbins]: Hey, so we have. elections. Should we... Nobody else is coming, right? Or Megan?
[Frances Nwajei]: Megan, let me just quickly read the email again. I do believe it's Megan's intent to join us. And Linda, we haven't heard from... Oh, I miss these other ones. My apologies, I didn't see the email quick enough about the list of goals.
[Tom Hamel]: Oh, that's, that's okay I just sent it.
[Susan Bibbins]: I couldn't find them.
[Tom Hamel]: Yeah, I couldn't, I couldn't find them, but that that's okay.
[Frances Nwajei]: but would you like me to email Neil to see if he has them from his time?
[Tom Hamel]: Well, I mean, I think I, well, no, I don't think we need to. Maybe after the meeting, let me see how the brainstorming goes.
[Susan Bibbins]: Okay. As for elections, this is it. This is who's coming and we're gonna elect new officers. Does anyone want to hold an office?
[Tom Hamel]: Can I ask a question first? Sure. Did you get a chance to reach out to the people not here?
[Susan Bibbins]: I didn't, no.
[Tom Hamel]: Did anybody reach out to the people not here? Not about that.
[Frances Nwajei]: And I think we didn't... Tom, what do you mean the people not here? You mean like Danny and... I saw Danny today, so he told me that he was not going to be here, but he also told me that his time as a commissioner is up. told me that his time had expired, which is something that I was not aware of. And I'm trying to find the email that Megan had sent saying that I'm not able to make it right at the start of the meeting and will join later on.
[Tom Hamel]: So I didn't know if Danny's time is up, then we We can't, we can't vote him for vice chair.
[Susan Bibbins]: And so I didn't know if there was, um, I had nominated Linda.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah. Nominations made. Okay.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah. Nominations were made at the last meeting.
[Tom Hamel]: So maybe we have what, so why don't you start with the nominations that are on the table and then we'll, okay.
[Susan Bibbins]: Um, Nominations were you for Tom for chair, Linda for vice chair, and Megan for secretary again. And now if anyone wants to run against them, they were given a chance to in the minutes to let someone know or now to run for, you know, speak up now also. So.
[Tom Hamel]: And both, I think Megan said she would accept and Linda also said that. Okay.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yes.
[Unidentified]: In the last meeting.
[Susan Bibbins]: Does everybody feel comfortable that we have sort of all our ducks in a row as far as elections and giving enough time to for other people on the committee to say, hey, I wanna be an officer.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Yeah. Can we vote to accept the slate? Can we vote to accept the slate?
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah, as long as everybody feels comfortable.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I make a motion to accept the slate.
[Susan Bibbins]: Okay. Um, I think, um, okay. Uh, all in favor of accepting the slate, um, as is for officers, vice chair, chair and secretary, um, say aye. Aye. All dissenting, say nay. All abstaining. Okay, motion passes unanimously. Okay, elections are over, closed. Any discussion? Tom, congratulations.
[Tom Hamel]: Thank you.
[Susan Bibbins]: You start next meeting.
[Tom Hamel]: What's that? I start next meeting, yes.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yes.
[Tom Hamel]: I appreciate everyone's support.
[Susan Bibbins]: I'm not gonna let you, just throw you to the wolves now.
[Frances Nwajei]: Congratulations to all the new officers. It's very exciting. And Tom, you know, next meeting, I'm hoping that all the interested commissioners that applied will join and attend and you'll get to lead with them.
[Tom Hamel]: Great. Sounds good. We'll wait. Yeah, we'll connect before the next meeting.
[Susan Bibbins]: And if you have any questions, just, you know, contact me.
[Tom Hamel]: I will do that.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Yes. I have a different question because my term has expired. I thought it was supposed to be by now.
[Frances Nwajei]: So your term has expired as well.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Yeah. I was only appointed for a year. Maybe now you want to kick me off.
[Adam Hurtubise]: I think, Marsha, my term has expired a few times. I think at least twice since I started for the one year. And I usually just get something in the mail basically saying that it was extended. But I think that there is a term limit overall, which is what Danny is referring to. Is that right?
[Marcia Kirssen]: This one year. Before that, I was a volunteer.
[Adam Hurtubise]: They like officially write them on as one year at a time, but I think that what Danny is referring to, maybe is it like five years or something?
[Frances Nwajei]: Danny said he's already served two terms.
[Susan Bibbins]: As an officer, he can't serve more than two terms in office, same as me. And as a member of the disabilities commission, you're not, technically the, there's something in the commission, in the, not the bylaws, but the other thing.
[Unidentified]: The ordinance.
[Susan Bibbins]: The ordinance, thank you. It says you're not allowed to serve more than three, one, two, and three year terms or two. However many years you served. And I've served for that long, but they're not gonna kick anybody off who wants to serve because they have had so many, so it's such problems with this commission, particularly finding people who are qualified and have the drive and the, want to serve. So they didn't kick us off, even though one guy had served over four years. And so, but now that might change.
[Frances Nwajei]: I, you know, I agree, Susan, that it might change, but I think it's still going to be dependent on who wants to serve, right? You know, we're not a, we're not a commission that, you know, there's a stipend attached, you know, I don't even offer you virtual coffee. It's very different, you know, people that serve on this commission are here because of the passion. It's something that's within them. So yes, I'm excited. I believe it was nine or I want to say, well, I don't I don't want to mix them up. but I believe it was nine interested candidates that filled out the application. So I'm really excited about that. But now when I go back and I say, hello, thank you, got your application, we would love to invite you to a future meeting, that nine could very well dwindle down to five and could very well dwindle down to four. Because it is like you said, we, you know, we want people to qualify people that are going to be willing to do the work. This is not a, it's not a resume booster, right, you can't just put it on your resume and not show up. you know, there is accountability that's attached to this role. But I know one of the applicants is really eager because the applicant kept reaching out to me and I could not meet my, I told them that I would get back to them. And then we got a thing saying like, hey, open meeting law is about to expire. And I was like, so that means we've all got to meet in person. Where are we all going to fit? How am I going to make this work? And so, and the applicant had reached out during that time and I was like, I'm trying to, you know, figure out where we're all going to meet in how this is going to work. And then fortunately City Solicitor got back and said, it's been extended on, because I really, you know, I really didn't know like how that would work it adds another layer of complication, you know. bad. I'm hopeful that out of the group that have applied, we'll get at least three that are really like, you know what, yeah, I really want to do it. If not all nine, I wouldn't say no.
[Susan Bibbins]: Right. Yeah, I mean, I don't want to step down, but I will if I have to. to give somebody another turn?
[Frances Nwajei]: Well, and again, you know, does it, you know, I think like these are the things that we have to look at moving forward. You know, it's always good to have a look at the ordinance, right? Right. You know, yes, the committee has to have X number of members, right? Does it say that it cannot have more?
[Susan Bibbins]: It has to have no more than nine members, and it says in the ordinance.
[Frances Nwajei]: Does it say no more? Because when you tell me no more, then I interpret that as I could have seven.
[Susan Bibbins]: No more than nine. That's what it says.
[Frances Nwajei]: So that means that we could have five and still be the committee.
[Susan Bibbins]: Right. No less than five, no more than nine. Yeah.
[Frances Nwajei]: That's difficult. Yeah. But let's see. Let's see what happens. You know, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah, exactly. We'll burn that bridge when we come to it.
[Frances Nwajei]: I was gonna ask is the next on the agenda Susan is the brainstorming, and I was gonna ask if it was all right with you. A variance thing that I got a couple of days ago as I was trying to like catch up with my emails and I saw persons with disabilities commission and I quickly sent it off.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yes, I was very interested in that email. And what does it mean? And do we want to? Yes.
[Frances Nwajei]: So I don't know if we can do new business first and then put the brainstorming as last, because I'm not really sure what that is. And I kind of feel like I just shipped it off and was like, we'll discuss this on the new business.
[Susan Bibbins]: Um, I, um, I think that's wise, um, to switch around. Um, I think, um, this needs our attention before the brainstorming. We get caught up in the brainstorming of goals and ideas because it's something that could potentially involve us. And I don't remember if we weighed in on, well, could you please explain what it is?
[Frances Nwajei]: So I'm going to pull up the screen share, because even I myself, I'm not quite sure. I guess it's a notice about a public hearing. in regards to a location of Boston now, Tufts?
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I think that's right. Yes. Okay, a variance wants a change in the zoning of the city. So what they want the way I read it, is they want an exception to the ADA or something like that. And they do not, they make it difficult to get the variance, which is interesting. And not only that, the platform that you can use, I don't have, it's a work platform, I believe. And I don't know if it costs money to get.
[Frances Nwajei]: So does anybody know if there's history with this? Is this the first that we're hearing of it?
[Susan Bibbins]: I think, I'm not sure if it's something we weighed in on.
[Tom Hamel]: Well, I see it. You can request, I guess, their application of a variance. and then we, someone could review it and then decide if we need to weigh in on it.
[Marcia Kirssen]: It doesn't say request. It says a copy of Z request is available for public inspection, business hours. It does not say where.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think what happened was, um, Wait. Oh, this is notice of a request. Okay. They went to hearing because the zoning board thinks that either it's more complicated or they're leaning towards no. Now, whether they want our input or have sent us this for just general knowledge remains unclear.
[Unidentified]: So,
[Marcia Kirssen]: Is this from the Medford Zoning Board?
[Frances Nwajei]: No, this actually came from the Office of the Architectural Access Board.
[Susan Bibbins]: Oh, then the Medford Zoning Board said no.
[Frances Nwajei]: You think? Yeah, I, and the thing is that I'm not reading it that way. I'm because I'm looking at the CCs here, and the CCs are going to the local building inspector, independent living center, the only independent living center that I'm familiar with is the Boston Independent Living Center, and then the local disability commission. So I'm feeling that we need to be, or we need to plan somehow on being present at this hearing so that we could ask questions.
[Susan Bibbins]: It's a Zoom meeting though.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah. And there's a link and everything, the link, I just, I forwarded the email. So all the link and everything was in there.
[Susan Bibbins]: I would talk to our lawyer.
[Tom Hamel]: Can we write back to Bradley Souders, who I guess works for the Architectural Access Board and ask them or ask him for the variance application?
[Frances Nwajei]: I guess we could, Tom, but I don't want to get us roped into. Yeah. Because if you notice with the email, I think the email came to Neil. The email came to Neil. I don't want to get us roped into something that we don't have to go to. And I don't want to say like we'll become a distraction, but something that's just not, something that's not like in our best interest or our real purview, like if this is formality, then okay.
[Susan Bibbins]: We also don't want to weigh in when we don't have to, because then we're on the hook for something we don't need to be.
[Tom Hamel]: You think it's weighing in if we make the request? I was just thinking we'd look at it and see what it is. And if it's not applicable, we'll just let it go.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think if there's a chance, if we go, then we'll have to weigh in.
[Frances Nwajei]: I'm listening.
[Tom Hamel]: Yeah, I'm just saying.
[Susan Bibbins]: They'll ask us to weigh in.
[Tom Hamel]: instead of going to the meeting, we make the request for the application so we can look at it ahead of time. And then if we think, oh, we should go to the meeting, we do that. But if we don't think to, we, you know, need to go to the meeting, then we don't have to.
[Susan Bibbins]: I'm wondering if Neil got requests like this or notices like this all the time.
[Tom Hamel]: And he just didn't, I feel like he has sent it to us before, but I can't remember what we did.
[Susan Bibbins]: I remember nothing. I mean, I remember that we did nothing with it.
[Tom Hamel]: Yeah. I don't know how we made that decision.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think he said, you can go if you want as public. Because it was about the Broadway near the Dark Horse Tavern, the Broadway building, apartment building. And he said that you can go, but you don't have to feel obligated.
[Tom Hamel]: I think. I'm searching my email now and I see one about Barnum Hall and Packard Avenue back in 2020. And we, you had this, we had the same conversation actually, Susan, you asked if we needed to do anything with it, but I don't see any response. It's not really helpful, but.
[Susan Bibbins]: That means we, we needed to do nothing.
[Tom Hamel]: The fact that I guess Neil didn't respond. He might've just responded to you, but I don't see anything.
[Susan Bibbins]: No, I, um, I think he, he didn't respond to me either. And I think we needed to do nothing.
[MCM00001360_SPEAKER_03]: Okay.
[Tom Hamel]: Oh, he did attach. Well, I'll forward it. I'll forward it to you guys.
[Susan Bibbins]: Okay.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Tom, what if we contacted the city inspector? Maybe they would know. Because they're included.
[Tom Hamel]: It might make sense to just ask Neil if he has experience with this.
[Susan Bibbins]: yeah i think the easiest thing what we need to do to contact neil to ask neil who if it's that it's francis the person to do that um i think francis would be the person francis has gone on holiday
[Frances Nwajei]: What is Francis doing? Working anyway.
[Susan Bibbins]: If we have to do anything about this.
[Frances Nwajei]: Oh, here's Linda. Okay. So what I think that I'm going to, and I should have done this, I should just forward that email to our city solicitor and find out like, is this within our purview? And then also ask Neil, has something like this come through before? And is this just a, hey, we're just letting you know, or is this, people actually expect something from us. You know, I just want to also make sure that in the event that we, you know, we do show up for things like this, and we either support or we don't support, there is no liability, right? Right. Attached to any of it. None of it is really clear. I'm not, you know, are you seeing me because we're the local disability commission and you're just being nice and you're checking the box or is there some valuable input? Right.
[Tom Hamel]: Sounds good to me. Okay.
[Frances Nwajei]: Hi Linda, welcome. Congratulations on your new position.
[Smith]: Thank you. Sorry, everyone. I just had a mad migraine and it is dissipating. Really sorry for being late.
[Frances Nwajei]: No worries. No worries. No worries. So does anybody want to fill in on this whole, I don't know, what are we calling it? The variant CC? I think that's the nickname.
[Susan Bibbins]: The variants kerfuffle. The variants, I don't know what, to call it the variance paper, the variance notice. What it comes down to is we don't know quite what to do with this information of the notice. And so it all boils down to What should we do? Do they expect us to do anything with it? And do they expect us to go to the hearing? So Francis is going to pass it on to, uh, Kim Scanlon, the city solicitor, and also, um, ask Neil if this kind of thing has been, um, uh, received before and what do they expect from us?
[Smith]: Awesome. That's great. I can, if, um, if we do need, I'm trying go back to the message to figure out when the hearing is, because I wanted to check my calendar to see if, if we did need someone to attend, I was gonna see if I was going to be able to.
[Susan Bibbins]: August 8th at two o'clock.
[Smith]: August 8th at two o'clock. Let me quickly check my calendar. It's a Monday. You said at two? Yeah, too. I'm, I'm currently free on that day and time so if someone needs to attend. I can put that on my calendar. advice, talking points. Yes. I'm not sure. I realize this is more of a like physical disability rather than a digital disability. So if anyone has more insight on can help me can fill in more of the physical disability part of things that would so I'm not like going into it completely unawares. That would be great.
[Frances Nwajei]: Well, I have just emailed Neil. Um, okay. Sorry, Tom. I'm just trying to read. Oh, so Tom, you have something from 2020.
[Tom Hamel]: Yes. Yes. It's just the only other instance I could find in my email. There may have another, but of getting one of these requests for, and it appears we didn't do anything at that time. Okay.
[Frances Nwajei]: Well, I've just emailed Neil and asked him our questions like, how, what is this, are we expected to do anything, is this a formality. Is there a process. Should this go to the city solicitor, please advise. And I'm going to forward it to him as well. And then. Linda, whatever I'm told, I'll make sure I let you know. I mean, if it's a, hey, you know, you can go if you want to, but really just play more of the listening role, I'll pass that information on to members of the commission.
[Smith]: Okay, awesome. Thank you.
[Frances Nwajei]: I just want to make sure that if we open our mouths, that doesn't make us liable for anything.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah, because sometimes it does. All right. Thank you. Okay, and now goals and ideas. Are we at that place where goals and ideas are on the agenda? Okay. So now we're, I guess we're gonna talk about goals and ideas for the next year. For the commission. And I know that Marsha sent around a really good list of some creative goals and ideas for the commission for next year, which.
[Marcia Kirssen]: No, they were not intended for one year. Ah, no, they couldn't be done in one year.
[Susan Bibbins]: The future.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I had shorter term ones and longer term ones. Yes. And, and unfortunately I couldn't print out my, my computer is misbehaving. I don't even have a copy in front of me.
[Frances Nwajei]: Would you like me to screen share the, what you sent us? It's fine. I remember enough. With anybody else? I think, I believe you shared it with all of us. I did. I sent everyone a copy. Would it be helpful to screen share? I would like that. Marsha, you are outvoted on your own list.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Okay. I don't mind being outvoted on anything, by the way. Let me pull it up.
[Unidentified]: Oh, okay. Disabled participants.
[Frances Nwajei]: I hope everyone is able to enlarge the screen for themselves so that we have better visibility.
[Unidentified]: Okay.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Okay, just to orient you, their goals and then their actions related to that goal.
[Frances Nwajei]: And the goals start with the ADA and coincidentally yesterday was the 32nd birthday of the ADA. whilst Monday was National Hard Rush Sunday. And today is National Crème Brûlée Day because yes I am that person that looks at these odd things. So when I look at the ADA, you know, tell me, would it be helpful? Because I know, you know, Marsha is saying join like the consortium of communities in pursuing ADA compliance. Are you, are you talking about like when there's the big group that's working on the community rail access? Is that what you're talking about when you say consortium of communities? There is one. Okay.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Oh, there is an actual consent. There is really a consortium and I found it to the AARP site, which I think I forwarded to everybody that talked about Salem implementing the ADA. And it mentioned a consortium of community. Do not know any more than that. but it sounded like a good idea. And I know that Somerville also, I know that Somerville has worked hard to implement the ADA. When I was living there, there was a woman that worked on curb cuts alone for 10 years in Gotham. Okay. So I don't know how many other communities are in this consortium. That's all I know. I didn't, you know, It takes a long time to research this. I'd have to find someone, contact them, and so on and so on. So there's a lot missing.
[Frances Nwajei]: But I, it's such a it's such a great idea because there is, you know, there is strength in numbers, right. There's like, there's a D, there's a regional statewide DEI group. And granted, I don't know, Medford is not ready for the implementation of the plan. But with the whole group, you're able to get a lot of, a lot of ideas and get support with regards to some of the nuances within your own city, or your own town. You know what people have done. Yeah. So, it would be nice to know more about the consortium, especially if it's, especially if it's just if it's open if it's just like, you know, not a, you know, only in the Northeast, if it's not broken up, it would be even more helpful on because I think that the more folks that are involved. the better the support, right? And the better the responses to some of those really unique situations. I mean, Margie, you say curb cuts, and I just like shut up. I might have to go and start doing them myself.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I need one. I need one everywhere I walk. I need ramps to every store and building or I can't go in. Yeah, it's true though, it's yeah. So I mean, and those things are way beyond the ADA. So when I was thinking about it, it should be easier to get ADA compliant. That's what I was hearing at city council when I went before. And I was angry because I want so much more, but at least that's a place to start that's backed up by law. Do you have a link? I sent things and now I have, God, just keep your fingers crossed that my computer is not dying. It's new enough, and it's a lemon, okay? And I need to consult with you, Linda, desperately. So yeah, I can look into it in my months off, during which there's a birthday and God knows, well, two birthdays. But you know, I'll try. And certainly Somerville would be a good resource. And I can call City Hall there. I'll just look for the right people to connect with.
[Frances Nwajei]: Well it's interesting, I just did a quick Google search. about the, you know, I just said consortium of ADA, blah, blah in Massachusetts. And it's, it's giving me like the New England ADA Center. Oh, okay. It's a good place to start. Yeah. And that's a resource that I hadn't, I've never heard of before. And then it starts to break down more into like the mass accessible housing and Olmsted rights and ADA commission but in the different towns like in Maynard and stuff. Let me, I'm going to bookmark and write down the New England ADA Center because it would be worth looking at.
[Unidentified]: Yeah, that's a great point.
[Smith]: What do people think about just throwing this as a broad structural idea out to the group? If I need to make a motion and all of that formal stuff, I'll do that based on if people want to do this. or like the idea, what do we think about using this document that Marcia brought up as kind of a starting point, but adding notes to it as we go through it, so that we kind of keep track of what we've done so far? We can It's really, really great to have something to start from. And then if we want to manipulate it or rearrange it, add stuff to it, that could be good. I wonder if it would be possible to make it like a shareable Google Doc. I feel like we have a Google Drive folder somewhere as a submission. We do?
[Marcia Kirssen]: that we know. OK, I remember that the survey was on Google Docs, but we had to go. I had to go through the website to get it. I went to the website.
[Smith]: Yes.
[Marcia Kirssen]: OK, so I went to the Google Doc. OK. And so I'm the computer dummy here. And I don't know how to get the Google Docs from email yet. That's what I need consulting.
[Smith]: OK. Yes. On our web page, we have a link to meeting agendas and meeting minutes that goes to a Google Drive. That's what I was thinking of. They are super old. And it doesn't look like we've maintained them since Well, very much at all. We can look at that part later but I'm wondering if we want to, and Marcia, having a, you don't even have to have like an email or anything, I think you just click on a link. Yeah. and you can edit it.
[Marcia Kirssen]: We'll talk about it, but why don't you put the website on our list?
[Smith]: Yeah, we can do it. But I guess if we had to figure out some way that this can be a shareable document that we can all contribute to, I guess, or some way to collect ideas centrally that then somebody puts on our list. I guess those are two ideas. So I wanted to kind of throw out to the group before we dive too deep into any of these so that we have kind of a structure that we're working with and we know how to kind of figure out what we're looking at and where we're at with these things. Does anyone have any thoughts on that?
[Frances Nwajei]: So the website information, I got an email. I need to look at the two websites, so this ours and the Human Rights Commission one, because it's for updates. So it's going to be updated. I don't know what that entails, but I figured it might include language. It would include making sure that the commissioners and the proper positions are listed and things of that nature. I don't know if I'm the person that's responsible for putting the minutes onto the website, but somehow I don't think so because I'm not the person. I don't put the agenda out. I send the agenda to City Clerk in QAMS. So I feel that those things need to be sorted out so that we approve the minutes today, boom, last thing I do before I leave, I send those minutes out so that they're in the up, where they should be in a timely manner. I like the idea of the Google Doc. A Google Doc is easier than a Google Drive, because if something lives in a drive, then you would have to have some sort of Gmail account, let's say, to access that information. So the Doc is easier because there's a link And you just click the link and poof, the thing opens up and, you know, we can add our stuff. And this time next year, we won't say, Tom, do you happen to have an old list? And I think that it will be helpful.
[Unidentified]: I agree.
[Tom Hamel]: I also agree.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah. So, believe it or not, one of the goals, then we can actually add on there is to update our website. You know, and by that, that means I think I believe like the zoom recordings are supposed to be going somewhere too.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Yes, I checked. They are on the on the community TV station, but they're old. Because I wanted to find out what happened in the meeting.
[SPEAKER_10]: Yeah, they're not there because they're living in my system.
[Frances Nwajei]: You know, somebody needs to say to me, Frances, it is your responsibility to take this from point A to point B. Otherwise, Frances is going to think like, hey, I've done my piece. I'm moving on to the next one.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I tried to contact, I sent an email to Community TV saying, do you have more recent ones? And I never got a response.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah, so I have, I will have this month, I have June, I have May. No, I think May we missed. Nothing to do with you. But I have the recordings. Yeah. So I'm supposed to, I found out that I'm supposed to send the recording somewhere so I have three months worth of recordings that I need to pack up and put on a plane somewhere. If we say update the website, I can definitely make sure that that's worked out. I will encourage everyone on here to please check the spelling of your name on the website as it is now. So if it is not accurate, I can get that, make sure that that's corrected.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I have one other thing that might be more, to be possibly on the agenda today, which is the idea of getting an intern, because it involves getting money. And I know, Tom, we've discussed getting ARPA funds for an architect, which are millions of dollars. This would be substantial, but it wouldn't be millions of dollars, and I'm wondering if how everyone feels about putting in a request. To that input has been sought. So an intern for the commission. With all the work we have to do and can't get it all done to help us meet our goals more rapidly. Okay. For example, doing some of the research that that could be done on the ADA commissions and so on, and doing more outreach. It takes a lot of work to do it. Some of it.
[SPEAKER_12]: Can ARPA funds be used to pay salaries?
[Frances Nwajei]: Yes, I don't know if they can be used to pay salaries, I think, I believe. I want to say yes right, because generally the funds can be used for impacted communities right. So I think it's about how we word it. Okay, you know, um, we're not creating a position and saying hey you know we're creating this full time, you know, position, and, you know, here's, you know, here's a salary. We're asking for something to support the work that we do, which affects impacted, I mean communities.
[Susan Bibbins]: Okay.
[Frances Nwajei]: I don't know, I remember when the pandemic first started and everybody was running around about the masks and, you know, people thought that I was joking when I was saying, do they make clear masks? Because I know people who are hearing impaired and don't sign. Right? So now, everything is covered, and you've just taken away this person's communication, right? So there's just, I'm looking at one of the things that I filled out for Arthur. I mean, there is a section that says governmental services, day-to-day operations, staff. Okay.
[Marcia Kirssen]: So, what would you suggest we ask for specifically? And should we do it as a group or individually?
[Frances Nwajei]: As individuals, did we all complete the office survey that went out? What survey? Survey for ARPA. Yeah, so as individuals- No, not yet.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I want feedback here before I act it.
[Frances Nwajei]: No, but as individuals, this survey, I thought I shared it. It came out in a press release last week, asking for input from the public. I saw. Yeah. So I said, No, I hope I can find it. Yes. Okay, I will look again, let me make an asterisk. So I will, I will look, and I will send that out to, to everyone, so that everybody has it because I think it would be great as individuals to complete that. But this is the commission, making the request this is not me as an individual that's making the request, this is the. PWDC commission, you know, saying, as a group, we have identified that this is a need.
[Tom Hamel]: Are you saying we should do both both fill out the ARPA survey as an individual, and then as a commission put together a letter requesting spending.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yes, fill out the ARPA survey as an individual and then as a commission, you know, you can put something, you know, put something together, send it to me and I can complete the project request form, right? And attach what you've put together.
[Tom Hamel]: which would be in what we put together I assume we want to you know why why do we want an intern and their expected responsibilities and how much time we anticipate we would need from them. Are there other things that we need to include in there?
[Frances Nwajei]: I would say salary, you know, the expected, you know, salary is always important.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I have some idea of it. I know hourly rate. Yeah, it's hourly. with intense is 17 to 24 hour. Yes. Okay, you know it, but I found out, I didn't know you knew it so I'm sorry.
[Frances Nwajei]: No, that's no, that's, that's okay because it means that we're on the same. And I cheated. The only reason I know is because new higher packets come through me. So I see the rate. So I cheated I didn't.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I have another question, though. When we do it as individuals, should we say, I'm a member of the Disability Commission, and important goals that would improve the community, dah, dah, dah.
[Frances Nwajei]: So the survey, if I'm not mistaken, I don't think that there is a lot of free-form writing section.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Oh, okay, it's a survey that they made up and you check boxes.
[Frances Nwajei]: You check boxes, but there are certain sections, but I can't remember, but I remember it's not a lot of free-form text. Okay.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I think it's very- If it is, I will ask the question in an email again before I do it. I won't put my ideas in it, because this is a group project.
[Frances Nwajei]: I think it's best to open up the survey, right? Yeah, yeah. Because the survey is different, right? So the survey is basically you as an individual. How do you think the city should spend the ARPA funds?
[Marcia Kirssen]: That's not enough for my wish.
[Frances Nwajei]: Exactly, you know, but what we're doing as a commission, making this request is separate but parallel. Okay.
[Tom Hamel]: So is everybody on board with the intern idea? So who wants to put together the letter? I'm happy. I'm actually happy to do it. I can take a first shot at it, but then I will want feedback on it. Cause I know I won't remember everything.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Look at the goals and objectives.
[Tom Hamel]: That's what I would do.
[Susan Bibbins]: Why don't you take the first stab at it and then put it, send it, email us and we'll kind of round robin it.
[Tom Hamel]: Okay. I will try to follow Linda's lead and create a Google doc that we can look at.
[Smith]: Yeah, just FYI, everyone, I didn't want to put it in the chat. So I sent an email. So then that way you could also like bookmark it or save it or whatever. But I just copied and pasted Marcia's list into a Google Doc and then send the link out to everyone. So if you're able to edit it or whatever, if you have any problems with the link and you're not able to edit it, let me know. And that way we can also take notes in there, which I've already added a couple in there. And Yeah, so back to the intern request. Is there a deadline for these requests? Sorry if I missed it.
[Frances Nwajei]: So there isn't a deadline for the requests. But I would say that we shouldn't be turning the requests in in March of next year, let's say. We should try to move forward. I have a template that was shared with me. And I can look at that template that's been used to see if it is helpful. And if it's helpful, then, you know, I can work on just like a very, very rough draft because I don't want it to just be like Frances's idea, but a very rough draft of what the intern job description would look like. So that, you know, whilst, you know, the commission is working on getting the letter to me, I'm on the other end working on the next step, which is what we would need to submit. Because we can't just say, oh, we need an intern. Because folks are going to say, so what do you need the intern to do? Oh, here's the job description. You know, so I can, you know, so we can do that concurrently so that hopefully by the time we finalize the letter, we've got the job description, I filled this out and I say, Mayor, we need some moolah. You know?
[Marcia Kirssen]: Either way, they have a debt to us from last year's outreach table. They have a what? A debt to some of us. A debt. They owe us money, the city. The city owes you money? Yes. Not much, only $70. I mean, you know, if it has to be. But I bought for an outreach table. And I think Megan bought other things, or did you, Tom? For the first one.
[Tom Hamel]: I think Megan did.
[Marcia Kirssen]: OK. It just never got taken care of. We try to do more than we can do. That's where my idea comes from.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay. Do we have the receipts? I'm just worried because we've gone past the fiscal year. I don't care.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I don't care about the $70. I'm just mentioning that there are incidental expenses sometimes. there should be an easy way to access a little bit if we would like reimbursement.
[Frances Nwajei]: So just off the top of my head, I would say that the easiest way would be it would come out of my budget, the budget for this office. But I'm also finding out that some of the things that are needed It's not so easy to access. So for example, I have $2,900 that has been approved for specific signage, right? It's not a, I go to WB Mason and buy the signs from WB Mason. No, these are approved universal worldwide updated ADA signs. They come from a specific website. Well, the city uses purchase orders. So I now have to figure out, how am I going to get the purchase order and the online website system that produces these things to work? Yes.
[Marcia Kirssen]: That's why we need to be nonprofit. Yeah. Well, again, we discussed it last year. My son volunteered to me, publicly though, to set us up.
[Frances Nwajei]: I mean, it would be great, but I think it's all tied into the city ordinances, isn't it? I don't think that one commission can go off and be non-profit.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Yes, you have a separate non-profit supporting group that meets for 20 minutes after the meeting. It involves a couple of people that have to represent us. So it's a whole different group. Yeah, well it's, it's a subset or could be a community member who would like to volunteer. One of these people that aren't appointed as a commissioner or something.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay, that's that's right now is way over my head. I'm trying to figure out, well, how would that work and not violate open meeting laws? So I think that I'm, I think, I think I'm misunderstanding. Something's not connecting for me somewhere.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I'll talk about it more, or you can talk to him directly. I'll make him. You know, I'm not talking tomorrow. The commission didn't quite get how easy he was going to make it, I think.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay. All right. So maybe you and I could have a different conversation like during the break. We can, anytime.
[Marcia Kirssen]: No, not anytime. Any afternoon. I retired.
[Frances Nwajei]: We have sorted out that one of the things that we've added is the intern. Right. So, Commission, Tom, thank you so much, is going to be the brave one to test out just how cold that pool water is. And then we're all going to support Tom when Tom is ready by looking and reviewing. Whilst Tom is doing that, I'm going to pull up the internship job description, just like it's a random draft, and see if I can start adapting it to what I think the commission might need is requesting. It does not mean that it is set in stone. It's just so that we can have the two documents sort of like being tweaked at the same time. I will share that with everyone. And then when everyone has had their say or feels that it's good to go, I will then attach it to the formal project request form and send that in. Okay. And is that a request specifically for the ARPA fund? Yes, there's a specific ARPA project request. Now it's early, but where would we be looking at for interns?
[Marcia Kirssen]: They can come from Tufts, possibly from MIT, where they have a community, city development. Okay. Just has a master's degree from from MIT from that department.
[Frances Nwajei]: Heather says the CCSR student. Okay. at the high school?
[8kUnsaXIsWQ_SPEAKER_06]: It's a group of students at the high school who do community service and that sort of thing. So they're very civic minded.
[Frances Nwajei]: They don't require payment.
[Marcia Kirssen]: They do not require payment. So that's a whole different kind of thing. This is someone with a different It's different working with volunteers who may or may not do what you want, and an intern who you say do X and they better do it or they get a bad review.
[Frances Nwajei]: I'm also really curious to see, even if we did get an intern, how could we get somebody from the CCSR working collaboratively with the intern, right? And do the students from the CCSR, can they get some sort of credit for this? really important project work because they do it.
[8kUnsaXIsWQ_SPEAKER_06]: They do a capstone type project every year. They break out into small groups and they do projects every year. So it might be something that we really want to think on approaching the academic year.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yes. Yeah, I agree, Heather. I agree. And then that satisfies my own curiosity, is how do you get younger people interested in local government, in being civic-minded, right? Okay, that's great. Thank you for bringing that up.
[Adam Hurtubise]: I was going to say yes to, I think that, especially having younger students do you know interning and different research projects is a great idea. But I know that Marcia if you were interested in legal research specifically like with ADA requirements and things like that. A lot of the law schools in the area have either health law clinics or disability law clinics. And a lot of times people, once they fulfill their health law clinics, they're looking to do similar work. So if we're looking for like specific legal issues to be researched and things like that, I'd like, I know Suffolk has a health law clinic. And also those will work for free. So if funding was an issue, I probably- You can have free interns.
[Marcia Kirssen]: Then the responsibility is to fill out an evaluation, probably, if it's for a school.
[Frances Nwajei]: It's harder. Work-study is different. Work-study, we don't have to pay. But I don't think we should worry about the financial mechanism at this time, because this is too solid of an idea to let the monies become the barrier. If this is what it's going to take to help the commission move forward, because again, this is not a commission where there is a stipend attached. you know, Gabrielle, you can, I don't even know, you know, if you're working, but you can like, let's say, leave your job to go join a Zoom on our behalf, you know, it's not a stipend of that manner. So let's, the APA funds are there. This is, I feel like this is really valid. I feel like this is really important. And I think that sometimes, you know, when people talk about, you know, all the different abilities, folks don't realize just how complicated it really is. You know, it's complicated. You know, somebody said to me, why are you guys just doing the signs? I'm like, because we don't have a billion dollars to tear the building down, bring the building back up, you know, change the roads. Yeah. So we want to start with something.
[Tom Hamel]: I think when I put the letter together, I will I'm taking notes and will include what I can in there. And then I think it will be important to decide or. to share your input on what we want the intern to do or multiple people, right? If it's not, if we have different types of people helping out and then we can kind of farm out or divide out those responsibilities.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I think it's easier to have one person to start this process because every volunteer that you get has to be right into supervised, right into the goals. It's not the same as saying, you know, you go to the library and find out this law. So I guess the reason I suggested that, I wasn't aware of yours, Gabby, but I know the high school one, and I think it's great. But I also know what it takes to coordinate volunteers because I've done it. Well, that's a full time job. If you have a lot of volunteers and projects that are happening. And I know you're split so many ways is going to do that.
[SPEAKER_10]: There's lots of me around. I come in many different forms.
[Frances Nwajei]: But you know, this is actually timely because I'm also going to be relocating my office. The reality is that I'm on the second floor and as much as I love being in the same suite as the mayor, it is not conducive to the role and it's not the most barrier free location. So if I was to have somebody come in, it would be difficult for a person to maneuver if they were using any sort of mobility device. There's no space for me to put a table if somebody preferred to transfer out of a chair and sit comfortably at a table. I don't have a table where a person can even pull their chair in and be comfortable, you know? I will be relocating to the first floor that has a much, much better and better setup. And I'm, you know, also if somebody had a visual impairment and use the cane. it would be difficult, not to mention, you know, some of the other things like other aspects of my role. But, you know, Marsha, I really, really am grateful for you starting that. And I do see that we could, I see that there's a way that we could have an intern leads the project, right, because interns typically are for lengthy periods of time, they're not for two months, and I also see how we could weave in the CCSR students, granted they're more time limited, agree with what Heather said, get it, you know, saying at the start of the academic year, we are going to have some of these opportunities, you know, so that at least this way the students know. And then if we have a, we run into a situation and we need like some legal research or some specific ADA research, we could reach out to the legal clinics and see, hey.
[Marcia Kirssen]: I wasn't disagreeing with you in any way. I understand the value of it. to understand from having done it, that it requires a lot of time of a leader. You're pulling in people who are very busy with other things. It's not the only thing in their life. And it's not necessarily a full-time job, but it will take, cut into your time or someone's time.
[Frances Nwajei]: Commissioners, we are at 7.02. Susan, I think this is where we ask for this public participation is next on the list. Okay.
[SPEAKER_12]: I don't see any public, but I am not sure.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah, I don't see any either.
[SPEAKER_12]: So I think we can move on.
[Frances Nwajei]: Correspondence and announcements.
[Susan Bibbins]: OK. Any correspondence or announcements?
[Smith]: No? Other than the announcement that There is now an official Google doc for our vision, our goals. I think I called them goals. And at least two other people are in there editing it. So yay, we have new notes.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yay. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Okay.
[Susan Bibbins]: And now are we at an end?
[Frances Nwajei]: A huge thank you to you, Susan, before we end, for serving as chair. Welcome, welcome, welcome, Tom, Linda, and Megan. And thank you to all the other commissioners for continuing to serve. Please don't forget, no meeting next month because you're all on holiday. Enjoy.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yay, okay. Do I have here a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. I'll second it. Okay. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye, okay. All not in favor. All abstain. The eyes have it. That's unanimous. Okay, I will see you in September.
[Tom Hamel]: Thank you, Susan.
[Frances Nwajei]: Bye, everyone. Make sure you stay hydrated. Yes.