[Nicole Morell]: 16th regular meeting of the Medford City Council, April 19 2022 is called to order Mr. Clerk, please call the role.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Vice President Bears Council carabiello Council Collins Council night has informed us he's going to be absent tonight.
[Nicole Morell]: motions, orders and resolutions to to dash 316 offered by Councilor Scarpelli be it so resolved that the city council discuss a plan dealing with the future trash and recycling contract. Councilor Scarpelli.
[George Scarpelli]: Thank you, Madam President. We recently know that we just received information from the mayor's office that they're putting together a task force to look into contract trash removal contract that's up and coming. This resolution was driven for the fact that conversations with people that really aren't truly in tune with the recycling format and, and this came about and having conversation my neighbors is, we were looking at what we were, what people were throwing away and how many people don't really use as much trash, and the recycling bin being being overflowing with talking to maybe asking the city to do it twice. You know, doing it every week with the recycling, and the basic. understanding of opening, it sounds bad, but we went through one of my neighbor's recycle bins and it was comical. They said, I'm a very good recycler. I know exactly what I'm doing. And then you notice that what the rules are and what people don't know in the city of Medford, at least people that really aren't in tune to it, that I gave them an example that they had a pizza box and the pizza box has said, yeah, it's empty. And I said, we'll see this grease spot on the pizza box. Recycling, if you enter that into the recycling in Redemption Center, they take that and they void that whole barrel. because that grease on that carton voids it. So it's really trying to make sure that we have a way to educate all of our constituents. It's nice to think that everybody's in tune to recycling, but not understanding the true rules and what takes and what they don't take and understanding that if they go through something and they see a jar of peanut butter that hasn't been cleaned out, that voids the whole barrel. From what I've been told, it's not apples to apples as we look to true data when we go to the contract. So the hope is, I saw the contact from the mayor's office and that we're starting, did anybody else get that? Yeah, so they're starting a task force. And I think one of the biggest pieces we need is just, Part of this is to make a resolution and put it out there that we ask for a process that we find a way to educate our constituents on the do's and don'ts of recycling. Something simple, bullet points, even a one-page tutorial which shows the basic concepts, because I don't think people understand for the fact that what the contract will look like moving into our next contract negotiations because it's going to be expensive. It's going to come back to the taxpayers. So I just want to make sure that I brought that up this evening. I'm excited to see that the mayor is already moving forward with this and putting together a task force that's going to be addressing this. I just ask that, you know, really an education piece has to be in the forefront. So thank you, Madam President.
[Kit Collins]: Thank you, Councilor Scarpelli. Councilor Collins. Thank you, President Morell, and thank you, Councilor Scarpelli for putting this on the agenda tonight. This is, you know, as we know from last week, an issue that I'm very passionate about as well. know, and I think when we're talking about, you know, looking ahead to the opportunity to have a new contract with a waste and recycling hauler, you know, I think you raise a great point, which is that it's not just, you know, what they're doing on their end to make sure that we're recycling and disposing of waste with maximum efficiency, but also making sure that constituents have the knowledge that they need to really take full advantage of that. So I think it's really important that, as you say, an education campaign be a part of wherever we go from here. So just be happy to support this tonight and really looking forward to getting more clarity on the scope of the Solid Waste Task Force from here on out. Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you, Councilor Collins. And if I could from the chair, I want to thank Councilor Scarpelli for bringing this up, particularly the recycling issue. In the interim, despite cities and towns having vastly different policies as far as, you know, single stream, stuff like that, there is a website, RecycleSmartMA.org, That applies for the whole state. You can put in, as Councilor Scarpelli was saying, you can put in the item you're trying to recycle. It'll tell you if it will be processed or not, because he's exactly right, that items contaminate, and just the way the process works, they will, you know, a whole load that you think you've got recycling is going to the trash. So I really thank you for bringing that up. And it's recycledsmartma.org. So I do have Councilor Scarpelli, a resolution asking the administration to develop a process for education regarding recycling and trash, please.
[George Scarpelli]: And it would be nice is to share this site this is this is perfect that it realizes that as part of the education piece I think that once, and it's not the people like I said it's not, it's not the person that's really invested in recycling, it's the common person that really doesn't understand, and, you know, when you look at the numbers when it comes down to it. we're losing a lot in trash where people think they're doing the right thing. So education, I think is key.
[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. Councilor Scott is right. I remember going to a meeting with waste management a couple of years ago and they actually had a list of the things and I realized all the stuff I was throwing out was really bad. So people think, you're right, people think they're doing a good job by just throwing it in. Do we know when our contract is up? I think the chief of staff has said, with waste management and when we're going to be, or has it already gone out to bid?
[Nina Nazarian]: I would have, thank you, through you, President Morell, Councilor Caraviello. I don't have the date in front of me. I believe we're about a year and a half out, but I can double check that.
[Richard Caraviello]: Okay, I'm just curious. I don't know if we're coming up this year, but about a year and a half.
[Nina Nazarian]: Roughly in a year and a half is my recollection.
[Richard Caraviello]: Somewhere around 2022. That's my recollection. Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Any further discussion? Comments from the public? So on the motion of Councilor Scarpelli as amended by Councilor Scarpelli and seconded by Councilor Collins. All those in favor? All those opposed? Motion passes. Councilor Tseng.
[Justin Tseng]: I just saw that there are a few people in the audience here and I believe on Zoom who are here to talk about the SOI, the statement of interest. I was wondering if I could motion to take this out of order.
[Nicole Morell]: on the motion of Councilor Tseng to suspend the rules. Paper number 22-three, two, four, seconded by councilor Caraviello. All those in favor. I suppose the rules are suspended. 22-324 to Honorable President Morell, Honorable President and members of the Medford City Council. Dear President Morell and members of the City Council, I respectfully request and recommend that your honorable body approves the Massachusetts School Building Authority, MSBA statement of interest on behalf of Medford High School that has been prepared by the Medford Public Schools for consideration for the MSBA's core program. The submission is in follow-up to the March 31st letter you received from the superintendent of schools. Superintendent Maurice-Edouard-Vincent and Assistant Superintendent David Murphy will be on hand at your meeting should there be any questions or additional information that members would like to obtain. Thank you for your consideration. MSBA required form of vote to submit statement of interest. Resolved. Having convened in an open meeting on April 19th, 2022 prior to the SOI submission closing date, the City Council of the City of Medford in accordance with its charter bylaws and ordinances has voted to authorize Superintendent Maurice Edouard Vincent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The statement of interest formed dated April 2022 for Medford High School located at 49 Winthrop Street, which describes and explains the following deficiencies and the priority categories for which an application may be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in the future. The Medford City Council hereby further specifically acknowledges that by submitting the statement of interest form, the Massachusetts School Building Authority in no way guarantees the acceptance or the approval of an application, the awarding of a grant, or any other funding commitments from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, or commits the city of Medford to filing an application for funding with the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
[Kit Collins]: Chris Emeril.
[Nicole Morell]: Councilor Collins. Motion to waive the reading in lieu of a summary. On the motion of Councilor Collins to waive the reading for overview from the superintendent. Seconded by Councilor Caraviello. All those in favor? All those opposed? Motion passes. Superintendent, if you'd like to give us an overview about what's being requested and what we'll be voting on tonight.
[Marice Edouard-Vincent]: Thank you, President Morell and honorable body. We thank you for your support of this MSBA application, our statement of interest. Again, our high school is in serious need of repair and renovation. And we are hoping that with your support, we will be able to This time be approved by MSBA to be considered for renovation, or how can I say it, a new high school to be able to be built for us here in Medford. It's our statement of interest and we are asking MSBA to approve us for the core program. And we explained statutory priorities number five and number seven. Those are the two key areas that we are requesting that MSBA consider for Medford High School's core program. I don't know if you have a question.
[Nicole Morell]: Statutory, unless you want to read what those two priorities are just for folks who might not have.
[Marice Edouard-Vincent]: Statutory priority number five is regarding replace, renovate and modernize the school facility systems, including the roofs, windows, boilers, heating and ventilation to increase and improve energy conservation and decrease energy related costs in a school facility. And statutory priority number seven was replacement of. In addition to obsolete buildings in order to provide for a full range of programs, consistent with state and approved local requirements.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you.
[Zac Bears]: Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Vice President Bears.
[Zac Bears]: Thank you Madam President Thank you Madam Superintendent for being here. I think everyone, really everyone in the community is aware of the condition of our high school. It's probably one of the public buildings that people visit the most in our city. And having attended the school relatively recently, I can attest to some of the statements made in here. I think, you know, this is, it's essential for us as a city to show a unified front, to move through the process and make sure that the MSBA understands that we really are serious about this and it's something that we want to address. So I'm hopeful tonight that we can move this forward, get our statement of interest in and make sure that this process really gets off to the start that it needs to get off to. So I'll certainly be voting for it tonight. I would also say, you know, I think we know that this community has a lot of capital needs across the board. We're not talking about how we're going to address all of those tonight. You know, this is just a statement of interest to go to the MSBA, get a proposal in front of them. start thinking about how much money that might cost. But I certainly think that this project and a number of other projects are due immediate consideration by the city and I'm hopeful that we can fund all of them promptly. So thank you again for bringing this forward and I support it.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you very much.
[George Scarpelli]: Madam Superintendent, I know that this is something that I think we would be foolish not to support this evening. I think my biggest, my first question is, when would we know if we would be accepted or what we would be awarded if that's the case? Do we have a timeline with that?
[Marice Edouard-Vincent]: I'm gonna ask Mr. Murphy to come give some of the specifics. Thank you. Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations.
[David Murphy]: Thank you, Dr. Edwards. Thank you, Councilor, for your question. There is not a very specific timeline, but I will quote one of the MSBA officials that I had the opportunity to speak with in the course of preparing the documentation before you this evening. And I believe her exact words, if you don't hear from us for a very long time, as in several months, don't panic. And so sometimes it can be six months, sometimes it can be closer to a year. It depends, frankly, on how many communities submit the statements of interest to try to get into the MSBA pipeline. And then from that point, their sort of internal work begins. So it would be measured in at least months.
[George Scarpelli]: Okay, thank you. And the reason why I bring that up is because of what cuts have is did say that it's definitely will be substantial. And what we need to look at is not just the high school, but as we're moving forward other capital projects are other new schools that are new anymore that following disrepair themselves. we can go on and on fire station, we could talk about, uh, different city buildings and, you know, other wishes and hopes. So I think that, um, not, I don't know how I don't want to put this, just I think to put, put the administration on notice that when it comes to money and that vote, we're all would hope we'd all vote unanimously to see where this goes tonight. But as we move forward, I think it would be travesties that we don't have true numbers. When you look at what else we have to do in the city. Because the worst thing I want to see is, you know, pitting one group against the other what we need, we don't need this in our community. So I think that having that capital plan in place so we can look at actual figures. So we can make educated decisions when the time comes because I, I certainly don't want to deny it when it comes time for talking about money. And I don't want to deny it because I don't know what the rest of the needs of the community going to be. So that's all I would ask. Um, not that it's a warning, but it's just a just to get the word out there. I don't want to be. The council says no on a money paper dealing with improvement of schools when we don't know what's happening with the rest of the community. So I would hope that, um, the administration really pays attention to that as we move forward because I, you know, I walked to the school the other day and my daughter goes there and my son graduated there and I coached there for years and it's just can't keep ahead of it, it's just a, it's, it's nobody's fault but times, and it's it's a mess so we know it has to be done there's a lot of Um, I think we're losing our kids now. I think unfortunately we're losing a lot of kids to different school systems, whether it be Matt and on, you know, we will, we all thought just a few years ago, Matt and on was a school of the past. Now, all of a sudden it's revitalized and we see droves of method kids leaving. And that's one of the reasons why parents tell me they're leaving is because of you've seen Medford high school. And that's just. not the way to be. I think, you know, we're very fortunate that we have great teachers, administrators at the high school that, uh, make me feel comfortable knowing that my daughter is getting a great education and she's gonna move forward for the next step chapter in her life on a solid footing. But, um, you can't defend some of the things we see with some of the parents that lead for that reason. So, um, I hope my colleagues all support this and, like I said, when it comes down to the real thing and we start talking about real money that we need to find a way to make sure we fund these, these important issues, so thank you. Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you. Thank you.
[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for coming. You know this is something you know I've supported many years many times in the past, sort of a Christmas list to the state. If they were to come back with just one thing, what would your number one choice, what would your number one thing want to come back with? I know we asked for a lot of stuff, but what's the number one biggest concern that you have?
[Marice Edouard-Vincent]: If MSBA was gonna give me one thing, it would be that they would approve our petition to go for the core program. In the past, sometimes we've also attempted to go for the accelerated repair program where they just focus on a small section of the high school and repair a small section, but I think right now where the building is over 50 years old. there are so many areas that are just starting to show their age and it wouldn't be to just go and focus on one area. We need to really fix the entire structure from bathrooms to leaks to the pipes bursting. So my wishlist would be that MSBA approves us for the core program. It takes a very long time. So from this point to actually Having something done could take anywhere from eight to 10 years. There were many, many steps, but we do need to start somewhere. And right now the building's 50 years old. If it were to take a full 10 years, the building would then be 60 plus years old. So that would be my wish that we would be approved, receive full approval from MSBA.
[Richard Caraviello]: You know, being being one of the first graduating classes out of that 50 years ago i'm showing my way. But again, you know. These are things that come up with every year and again, you know they're all they're all good things and. They're all things that we need, and you probably left out a lot of stuff here that you need also, and I get it. I say I've supported this in the past, and I will support it again tonight. And like Councilor Scott said, we need to have a plan going forward there, so that even in the event that we get some money, we're gonna have to put money in too. This is not a freebie program, it's a loan. So I think people need to understand that.
[Marice Edouard-Vincent]: I think one other piece that people need to be aware of as well when we merge both high schools, the vocational side and the comprehensive side. We now have about 45% enrollment on the vocational side of the house the CTE side. And so we currently have 15 programs there but there are other programs that we would like to offer. to really give our students the greatest opportunities and again the limitations with the physical plant that would limit us from doing being able to offer some of additional programming for our students. So I really feel like if MSBA If your body approves our application and MSBA receives our statement of interest and allows us to move on to the next phase, it will allow us to really keep Medford out in front of the eight ball and really giving our students the greatest opportunities possible.
[Justin Tseng]: Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you, Councilor Caraviello.
[Justin Tseng]: Thank you so much for coming to the city council meeting to present. Um, you know, being a recent student from there, I can attest to how great the education in the building is but I think a lot of people, they you know they see the building, and they don't realize how you know how great our education there is which leads to this problem of outflow. And, and there's also the problem that you've mentioned in the statement of interest that, you know, with around a third of the classrooms not having natural light with the, what you describe as a bleak environment that students feel and I, as someone who's gone there recently I can definitely tell you that this is what most students there feel. the education that we could be giving to our Children. Um, and it sounds like, um, given the merger of the two schools to that there are, you know, there are significant, um, differences in programming between what we could could be offering to our kids versus what we are currently offering to our kids. And so I think these are important points to bring out in this meeting. I also I just thought this statement of interest was very well put together and I wanted to quickly bring up some points that you guys have brought up so that our residents of the city could also hear them. But you mentioned that there's suboptimal ADA accessibility, fire safety, security, and technological aspects. And with the security point, you explained that while the school is a safe environment, sometimes the age of the building does pose some challenges compared to what we could optimally be having in the building. You've, you've discussed the environmental aspects of this, the challenge of the institution right now as well, where MHS is estimated to be expending 77% more energy than an average American school facility which is really shocking.
[Unidentified]: Unbelievable.
[Justin Tseng]: And you've also mentioned that there are considerable challenges with respects to the cost and removal of hazardous material when it comes to air filtration, which we all I think now realize is such a priority for all of us. And I think you really bring out the point in this report that there are costs to the renovations that we need to keep this building in operation. And so if we are constantly renovating bit by piece without a grand scheme, without a grand plan, which we would need estimates for, we could be spending more money in the future than if we actually had an actual plan. And so that's another reason why I think absolutely approving this tonight is so important, right, because it actually is fiscally prudent, if we can get a bigger picture if we can get all the information that we can get from MSBA to know, you know, to know what should we be spending on? How much is it gonna cost? And compared to not going on with this plan, what does that look like? So I think you did a really good, your office did a really great job with presenting that in this report. You also have described wildly fluctuating temperatures and relocation of classrooms, I think, and malfunctioning HVAC systems. I think you really capture for I think all residents in the city, the real gravity of the situation in that building and the urgency of action. And so I just wanted to bring those points out because I thought this was very well put together. And I think all of our residents deserve a chance to hear what you've put in this report.
[Marice Edouard-Vincent]: Thank you so much. Thank you to the team as well who worked on putting everything together. Thank you, Mr. Murphy. and all the others that worked. And again, I think the report actually details many, many of the things that need addressing. And the fact that the building is not air conditioned, and sometimes we have very hot summers. There are a lot of things that our students graciously put up with, but we know it's not easy for them. So this is our hope to give our students the best quality education in the best facility possible if we are granted by MSBA and by your body to move forward. So I humbly request your support with this statement of interest application. Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you, Councilor Tseng. Thank you, Dr. Edward-Vincent. Any, all right, Councilor Bears.
[Zac Bears]: Just an aside, Councilor Tseng reminded me of, and I think this is important for everyone to realize, you know, sweating through an AP physics test in lecture hall two or the MCAS or, you know, SATs, PSATs. I mean, these are, there's documented studies about the impact of the environment on student outcomes directly. You know, if you can't sit through a test, that's gonna make it hard for you to take the test. So just another reason to be supportive of this. Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: The motion of Councilor Caraviello. Are there any further discussion from Councilors or would any members of the public like to speak? Absolutely. Just, I do have one letter to read into the record. I don't see anyone who wants to speak in person, seeing on Zoom. I do just have one letter from a resident to read into the record. This is from Luke Prisner at 144th Street. Dear city councilors, I address you this evening to ask for unanimous support for Medford High School's application to the state's School Building Assistant Program via Statement of Interest, SOI. Today's vote is about SOI priorities and community unity. It should not be confused with other subjects such as tax levies or project specifics, neither of those is in play as a result of this vote. Instead, the district working on behalf of thousands of Medford parents and residents ask each of you to endorse the priorities they've selected to highlight before the MSBA Board of Directors. Medford's application will be one among probably 100 such applications to the MSBA this year, out of which only about a 10th are selected into the MSBA program. Therefore, it's very important to show the MSBA that we in Medford are all united in this cause. The high school is now over 50 years old and fixing all of its problems on our own falls far beyond the current needs. We need MSBA's help. MSBA can only help school districts that compellingly state the case for need and urgency and are admitted into the MSBA program. Selection is a game changer and may put Medford on a structured path in a several years long process to resolve our high school's woes, perhaps even in time for the graduating class of 2029. The current SOI is Medford's third in the past five years. It is normal and common for a district to apply multiple times, making refinements along the way. In 2018 the City Council endorsed the district's SOI priorities, but unfortunately the MSBA did not select Medford that year. Then again in 2019 this process repeated the City Council support for SOI priorities, but the outcome was the same. In between then and now the COVID-19 pandemic began disrupting normal activities starting in 2020. Now in 2022, normal activities are resuming and the acuity of Medford High's need and urgency has grown. As a community, we must act together and act quickly to re-engage on the SOI process. It's the first step. No money is committed and no decisions are made apart from the decision to ask the MSBA for support. That is the real purpose of today's vote. Namely, do each of you agree that Medford High School needs either rehabilitation or renovation? If you do, then please vote yay. Many residents I've spoken with believe it is time, and we all hope you agree. Medford High School's condition has not improved over time. In many ways, the burdens on its old bones have increased, and the urgency with which we must act has never been greater. I thank you for your thoughtful consideration on this matter. Please unanimously endorse the district's SOI priorities today. Best regards, Luke. Anyone else like to speak on the motion of Councilor Caraviello second by second bears. Mr. Clerk, please call the role.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Vice President Bears. Yes. That's a career. Yes. Council Collins. Yes. Councilor nine is absent. Councilor scruplet. Yes. Councilor Tseng yes. President Morell.
[Nicole Morell]: Yes. Six in the affirmative one absent the motion passes. Vice President Bears. And thank you, Dr. Gordon said and assistant superintendent on the motion, Vice President bear second second by Councilor Kelly all those in favor. All those opposed. The motion passes. 22-323 to the Honorable President and members of the Medford City Council regarding the Board of Election Commission appointment. Dear President Morell and members of the Medford City Council, I respectfully request and recommend that your Honorable body confirm the appointment of Mark Crowley, R of 59 Boynton Road to the Election Commission for a term to expire March 30th, 2026. Mark will be present for the meeting and a copy of the appointment letter is attached. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter. Your first class mail to Mr. Mark Crowley. Dear Mr. Crowley, thank you for your interest in serving on a board or commission with the city of Medford. I am pleased to appoint you to a term to the Medford Board of Election Commissioners, which expires on March 30th, 2026. Please take the enclosed employment letter to the office of the city clerk to be sworn in at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to the city of Medford. Sincerely, Brenna Lundgren. Is Mr. Crowley here or would anyone from the administration like to speak on this?
[Unidentified]: Do not see him on Zoom. Would anyone from the administration like to speak on this paper?
[Nina Nazarian]: Thank you, President Morell. If I may just speak generally on the next four items that were taken out of order. These are candidates that are put forth before the city council for the city council's consideration. We understand that there's a time sensitivity to this matter relating to establishing an elections commission so that the process can take place in a timely fashion as it relates to items that are upcoming in May and just procedurally to ensure that we have all of our ducks in a row for planning and outlining the next election process, considering this is new for the city. And so at this point, I don't have any specific comments for any specific candidates, but before the city council is our four candidates, which meet the criteria established by the mass general law relating to the breakdown between enrolled parties, and happy to answer any specific questions relating to specific candidates the best I can.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you, Chief Staff Nazarian. Councilor Caraviello.
[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll speak for Mark Corrales. I know Mark well. Him and his family, they're a good family. Mark's wife, I know volunteers have to say, but Mr. Corrales, what do you say? He's a person of good character and good moral flavor. And I think he's already on the board now. but I think he would continue to make a good representative to the city. So I would support his motion here. Motion to approve.
[Nicole Morell]: Second. On the motion of Vice President Bears to approve the appointment of Mr. Crowley, seconded by Councilor Scharpelli. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[Nicole Morell]: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. of Tony Nardella, unenrolled, of 33 Frederick Avenue to the Election Commission for a term to expire March 30th, 2026. Tony will be present for the meeting and a copy of the appointment letter is attached. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter. Sincerely, Brianna Longahern, Mayor.
[Zac Bears]: Madam President, motion to waive the reading.
[Nicole Morell]: A motion by Senator Bears to waive the reading of the appointment letter, seconded by Councilor Caraviello. Do I have a motion with regards to Mr. Nardella's appointment? Is Mr. Nardella here? I do not see him on Zoom either.
[Unidentified]: I don't use it on Zoom either, unless he's under a different name, but I do not see him there.
[Zac Bears]: I would motion to approve.
[Nicole Morell]: On the motion of Vice President Bears to approve, seconded by Councilor Caraviello. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Adam Hurtubise]: to confirm Mr. No, vice president bears. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[Nicole Morell]: And then so we do have, we just have the appointment letter for Mr. Miller. So should I just, I know we have a paper number for it. Should I just read the appointment letter? Yes. Okay. There was a little confusion. We do have a paper number for this. So that is something that we can work on tonight. So 22-327, your first class mail to Henry Miller. Dear Mr. Miller, and thank you for your interest in serving on a board or commission with the city of Medford. I am pleased to appoint you to a term to the Medford board commissioners, which expires on March 30th, 2026. Please take the enclosed appointment letter to the office of the city clerk to be sworn in at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to the city of Medford. Sincerely, Brenna Lundgren, Mayor. I do see. Councilor Scarpelli.
[George Scarpelli]: I know Mr. Miller is here this evening, but speaking on, for one, Councilor, he's Anything you see with the name Henry Miller and associated has to be something that's upright and and for the best of our communities always been someone that's taken the lead. There have been times that I've gotten phone calls from the gentleman and he didn't like what you heard in the other line but it was the truth and it made you open your eyes. You wish the city had 1000 Henry Miller and and to see that he steps up again to volunteer to be part of one of the most important commissions that we have in our community is speaks volumes for the gentleman so. This is a no-brainer to support Mr. Miller on this commission, so thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: Thank you, Councilor Scarpelli. Mr. Miller, if you'd like to speak, you don't have to. I do, Councilor Scarpelli, if we had 1,000 Henrys, I'm not sure my phone plan would work.
[Henry Miller]: Your battery would die. That's shocking. This is my first opportunity standing in front of you as the last time you and I was reverse. I was there, you were here. And today I'm there, you're there. But fortunately, through the chair, I'm humble, as you know, I'm a man of word, I'm a man of very responsible. Medford happened to be my native country, as an American, I didn't say native city. But I've seen more years in Medford than I did in my native country, for those who knows me. I was humbled by those words from, you know, Councilor Scarpelli, because we've gone a long way. I've seen a lot of faces here growing up, and the thing is, the responsibility I'm entrusted to, I think I have what it takes to make everybody proud of it, because I'm so ambitious. Everything Medford does, that I'm a part of it, I want that to be a model. where somebody else, other city and town can come to. And I do appreciate it for the support. I look forward to see what I can deliver. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[Nicole Morell]: On the motion of Councilor Caraviello, seconded by- Second. Vice President Bears, Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Vice President Bears. Yes. Councilor Caraviello. Yes. Councilor Collins.
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Councilor Naito's absent. Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. Yes.
[Nicole Morell]: Yes, six in the affirmative one absent the appointment is confirmed congratulations. 22-328 to Honorable President and members of the Medford City Council. Dear President Morell and members of the Medford City Council, I respectfully request and recommend that your Honorable body confirm the appointment of Joyce Paul, Republican of 8 Mason Street to the Election Commission for a term to expire March 30th, 2026. Joyce will be present for the meeting and a copy of the appointment letter is attached. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter. Sincerely, Brenna Lungo-Koehnt, Mayor. appointment letter to Joyce Paul.
[Zac Bears]: Motion to waive the reading.
[Nicole Morell]: On the motion of Vice President Bears to waive the reading of the appointment letter, seconded by Councilor Caraviello. All those in favor?
[Zac Bears]: Aye.
[Nicole Morell]: All those opposed? Motion passes. Do I have a motion on the floor with regards to this appointment?
[Zac Bears]: Motion to approve. Second.
[Nicole Morell]: On the motion of Vice President Bears to approve. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll. Seconded by Councilor Caraviello.
[Unidentified]: Vice President Bears. No. That's trivial.
[David Murphy]: No.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Tonight is absent. Yes. No.
[Nicole Morell]: No, to the affirmative for in the negative the motion fails.
[Zac Bears]: Motion over to the regular order of business.
[Nicole Morell]: Second, on the motion of ice was embarrassed or regular order of business second by Councilor Scarf Kelly, all those in favor. Hi, I was opposed the motion passes. 20-573 offered by Vice President Fares, be it so ordained by the Medford City Council that the revised ordinances of the city of Medford as most recently amended is hereby further amended by changing the language of chapter 74, quote, streets, sidewalks and other public places, article three, sidewalks, section 74-114 entitled removal of snow and ice. Said section presently states, section 74-114, removal of snow and ice. Whenever the sidewalk or any part of a sidewalk adjoining any building or lot of land on any street is encumbered with ice or snow, it shall be the duty of the tenant or occupant, and in case there should be no tenant or occupant of the whole of such building or lot of land, it shall be the duty of the owner or of the person having care of the sidewalk to cause such sidewalk to be made safe and convenient for public use. or travel by removing the ice or snow or by covering the area with sand or some other suitable substance. In case such tenant, occupant, owner, or other shall neglect to do so for the space of six hours during the daytime, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of $25 for the first offense and 50 for each successive day that the sidewalk shall continue to be encumbered. Any person shall not throw or put or cause to be thrown or put any snow or ice into any street in the city. The fine for violation of this section shall be for the first offense $50 and for the second offense and subsequent offenses $100. The language of said section 74 dash 114 shall hereby be amended to read as follows. Section 74-114, removal of snow and ice. A, removal of snow and ice from sidewalks. Whenever snow or ice accumulates on a sidewalk, the owner, tenant, occupant, or agent thereof, any land or building abutting a sidewalk or walking path shall remove the snow and ice to provide a minimum passage of 36 inches for pedestrians on the sidewalk abutting the owner's property and the entrance to a pedestrian crossing abutting the sidewalk. The owner, tenant, occupant, or agent thereof shall also remove snow within 36 inches of a fire hydrant within or abutting a sidewalk that abuts the owner's property sufficient to allow access to the hydrant. The owner, tenant, occupant, or agent therefore shall remove the snow or ice or treat the sidewalk with calcium chloride pellets or other suitable and preferably environmentally friendly material to permit safe passage to pedestrians. The owner tenant occupant or agent thereof shall not be responsible for moving snow on an abutting sidewalk if an excessive amount of snow is plowed onto the sidewalk by private municipal or state vehicles in the course of applying a public way, which cannot be reasonably removed as determined at this discretion of the code enforcement officer. The owner, tenant, occupant, or agent thereof shall remove snow and ice within six daily hours after the snow stops falling or a snow emergency has been lifted, whichever is later, and the city may extend the deadline set forth in its discretion. B, throwing or putting snow and ice into the street, a person shall not throw or put or cause to be thrown or put any snow or ice into any street in the city. C, enforcement. The city's code enforcement officer or his designee shall enforce the ordinance in a manner provided in sections 1-13 of the ordinances and Massachusetts general law of chapter 40, section 21D. If non-criminal disposition is elected, then any property owner who violates any provision of this bylaw shall be subject to the following penalties. First offense, $50, second offense, $100, third and subsequent offense, 200, and the cost of removal of snow and ice as determined by the commissioner of public works. Upon third violation during the term of ownership of the property of the duty imposed by the provision of this section, such duty may be performed by the Department of Public Works at the expense of the person liable to perform the same and the city may place a lien against the property for expenses incurred. The city treasurer with approval of the mayor may in civil actions prosecute and adjust claims inuring to the city under the provisions of this section. Vice President Bears.
[Zac Bears]: Thank you, Madam President. Whereas this is an ordinance, I think it's important that it be fully read. So I really appreciate you doing so. We've talked about this a lot. We recently had a committee of the whole on this matter. but essentially we're modernizing the snow and ice removal ordinance for the city of Medford. We worked with all of the relevant departments with our DPW, code enforcement, the legal department, as well as many residents, groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Walk Medford, to really get to both best practices and making sure that the ordinance reflects the practices that the city You know thanks will will maximize the clearance of snow and ice from our sidewalks to make sure that there's access for all people throughout throughout the year. So so that that's where we got to hear the next item on our agenda is a set of policy recommendations which were outside the scope of the ordinance but that the subcommittee. you know, felt was important that we send to the mayor and the relevant city departments. So that will be the next item. But I just want to thank Councilor Marks, Councilor Falco, Councilor Caraviello, Councilor Tseng, Councilor Sparpelli, who have all been on this subcommittee at some point in the past three years, as we move this forward, as well as all the other folks that I mentioned, everyone who came to our meetings, Commissioner Moki, and our code enforcement staff, Commissioner Karens and Commissioner McGivern at DPW, as well as staff over there, Solicitor Scanlon, who's guided us through this process as well. We did receive a letter today from Steven Pompeo, who I think was not able to make the committee of the whole, but did have a couple of suggestions. I'd like to propose that we accept a couple of those. So I do have two small amendments to make here. In the last paragraph of the new section A, instead of six daylight hours, changed the word six to the word eight, so eight daylight hours. That came up as essentially the idea is to make sure that if snow stops falling and someone's gone to work, that they can get home and have enough time to clear it. And the second change is in the second to last paragraph of section C, which would be Upon a third currently reads upon third violation during the term of ownership of the property. I would just propose the amendment that we change the term of the ownership of the property to the phrase a five year period, so that people do have some sort of respite if you own a property for 70 years and you violated this three times. You know, I think you should have a second chance. So those would be the two amendments. I have forwarded that language to the city clerk as well for his records, but those are my proposed minutes I was second.