[Caraviello]: Good evening. The third regular meeting of the City Council, January 19, 2021. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Council Bears.
[Caraviello]: Present.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Falco. Present. Vice President Knight. Present. Councilor Marks. Present. Councilor Rao. Councilor Scarpelli?
[Caraviello]: Present.
[Hurtubise]: President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Present. Please rise and salute the flag.
[Falco]: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[Caraviello]: Pursuant to Governor Baker's March 12, 2020 order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law, general law chapter 38, section 18, and the governor's March 15, 2020 order imposing strict limitations on the number of people that may gather in one place. This meeting of the Medford City Council will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. Specific information and general guidelines for remote participation by members of the public and their parties with the right and the requirement to attend this meeting can be found on the City of Medford website at www.MedfordMA.org. For this meeting, members of the public who wish to listen or watch the meeting may do so by accessing the meeting link contained herein. No person in attendance or members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access proceedings in real time via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so, despite best efforts, we will post on the city of Bedford or on the community media website, an audio or video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive recording of the meeting as soon as possible. All right. Motion to authorize the resolutions. 21021 offered by Councilor Marks. Be it resolved that the state legislator once again vote to allow local cities and towns the ability to waive interest and penalties on late tax payments due to the pandemic.
[Marks]: Councilor Marks. Thank you, Mr. President. I think this was an item that Councilor Knight mentioned a few weeks back during some of our discussion. This is an issue, Mr. President, that deals with this pandemic, in my opinion. This hits to the very heart of trying to assist people that are in tough times right now. And back, I believe it was almost a year ago that the state legislature voted to allow cities and towns to waive interest and penalties on late property tax payments due to the pandemic. And that relief expired actually in June of last year. And I am asking that we take a vote as a council to ask our state delegation to once again implement this program that allows people that may be a little late on their property tax. to not garner the 15% interest on their property tax payment, Mr. President, and penalties. So I would respectfully ask that we send this to our state delegation, asking that they renew the legislation that allowed cities and towns to waive the interest and penalties on late property tax payments, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilor Locks.
[Bears]: We have another, Councilor Bears. Thank you, Mr. President. I fully agree with Councilor Marks' motion, and I'd like to propose a B paper that we get an update from the City Treasurer on on-time and late payments for fiscal year 2021.
[Caraviello]: Treasurer on-time and late payments? Thank you. Yes, yep. Thank you, Councilor Bears. For 20 and 21? Yes, 20 and 21 will be fine. Yeah. 20 and 21. Thank you, Councilor Bears.
[Knight]: Councilor Knight. Mr. President, thank you very much. I'd like to thank Councilor Marks for bringing this paper forward. I believe it was two and a half years ago that this council voted to reduce the interest rate on payments that were in arrears from, I think it was from 18 down to 14 or 15 as Councilor Marks noted. And that was in an effort to assist with individuals that needed some relief, the individuals that weren't able to meet their obligations here underneath these certain times. So with that being said, I'd like to thank Councilor Marks for bringing the paper up. Ultimately, there's a lot of discussion about housing in the community, and a lot's being asked of the residential property owner here in the city of Medford, Mr. President. You know, the community only has so many ways that it can raise money, and residential property taxes shares the brunt of the burden. So anything that we can do to help our residential property owners, I think, would make sense, Mr. President, and I support the matter wholeheartedly. Look forward to hearing from our state delegation.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Knight. Mr. Navarre has his hand up. Mr. Navarre, name and address of the record, please.
[Navarre]: Thank you for recognizing me, Councilor, President Caraviello. William Navarre, 108 Medford Street, apartment 1B. I wanted to say that I strongly support Councilor Barks' resolution. The tax on real property, of which our only direct tax on land is a component, is a very important tax in our community. going forward, the city will be asked to make difficult decisions about a Prop 2.5 override about the residential factor, and one can only hope land value taxation. As we prepare to confront these policy decisions in the coming years and decades, the city needs to reaffirm to owners that property tax is not a gotcha that will ruin an owner's life when they are short on cash for a short time. While taxes on lands are needed to fund our city services and to discourage the holding of follow land, there is no good reason that the city needs to rush to penalize owners who find themselves in a rough patch. I would also suggest that once the emergency is over and maybe the Council has a chance to catch its breath, it also look at the tax deferment program available to seniors. The 8% interest rate, I think, is really rather punitive, and I think it would benefit our seniors and our community if that could be reduced to something less insane. Thankfully, it's not the 15% you mentioned, but I think it doesn't even need to be 8%. Could it be reduced to 4% or 5%? Because they give people a chance to come up with the money, for example, by selling their house. Thank you. I very much support that. Thank you for putting this on, Councilor Marks.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Mr. Navarre. Any further questions? Okay, second the motion. On the motion by Councilor Marks.
[Falco]: Seconded by- If I may, Vice President Caraviello? Councilor Felke, I'm sorry. If I may, really quick, and I want to thank Councilor Marks for bringing this forward and supporting it 100%. On the B paper, are we asking for any specific information, Councilor Bears? It just says update. Are we looking for a number of properties, total balance? Is it just, do we want to define this more?
[Bears]: I was looking for percentage of payments or percentage of properties that were paying on time. I'd be happy to entertain other metrics. Total balance would be good too.
[Falco]: Yeah, if you wouldn't mind, if we could just be a little bit more specific. I just wanna make sure we get back the data that we want and not get something that is convenient for them to pull. So yes, if we could get, let's see. Yeah, if we could just find out the balance, how many properties are late. How many people owe penalties, interest, as much data as possible, but those are some specific things that I could think about.
[Caraviello]: Are you amending Councilor Bears?
[Falco]: Yes, if I may. If Councilor Bears is okay with that.
[Bears]: That's fine with me. Thank you, Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, Councilor Bears.
[Caraviello]: On the B paper, offered by Councilor Bears, seconded by Councilor Knight. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: On the B paper. On the B paper. Council Bears. Yes. Council Falco. Yes. Vice President Knight. Yes. Councilor Marks. Councilor Morell. Yes. Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. President Caraviello.
[Caraviello]: Yes. 7 in the affirmative. The B paper passes. On the original motion offered by Councilor Marks, seconded by Councilor Knight. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: On the main paper, Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Yes. Councilor Marks?
[Falco]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Morell?
[Falco]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes. 7 in the affirmative, motion passes. 2-1-022 offered by Councilor Marks, be it resolved that long-time Memphit police officers William Butz and Robert Kelly be congratulated for their three decades of tremendous service and commitment to the citizens of Medford.
[Marks]: Councilor Marks? Thank you, Mr. President. What an honor and distinction, Mr. President. These two offices have served this community, the residents of this community, for a combined 66 years. Officer Butts, William Butts, as we know him as Buttsy, we refer to him as. 34 years, Mr. President, served this community. You never met a nicer, kinder gentleman, always willing to help his fellow citizens, and he will be sorely missed, Mr. President. And then Officer Robert Kelly, the same thing, served with distinction for a number of years, was always the first to step up in line when something was needed in the community. And he too will be sorely missed, Mr. President. I hope someday we allow our police officers to come back and do details like they do in other communities. And allow them to be part of the community, Mr. President, and bring back the experience they have for a combined 66 years in this community. So someday, I hope to see that come to fruition. And just one other point, Mr. President, I'd like to make while honoring these two officers, is just recently we all received a call, a reverse 911 call, very serious matter about a woman that was lost within our community on a very cold night, Mr. President. A very dangerous situation, and the way it was handled by Medford Police, the number of cars, the number of officers that were on foot, the number of residents that had gone out in the community. I know Councilor Scarpelli is aware of some firsthand. Honestly, our whole department needs to be congratulated on their fine work, Mr. President, in bringing this woman back to safety. And I just want to personally thank, on behalf of this council, the entire police department, how they handled that situation. Thank you. Councilor Scott Beally.
[Scarpelli]: Thank you. And again, I thank Councilor Marks for bringing this forward. Officer Kelly for all his dedication. Thank you. Officer Butts, I will tell you that he was a very special officer, I think, in our family. Someone that the old time police officer that made sure he knew the families he was policing. And getting to know them, getting involved in the church that He worked in there in helping them move the city forward, making sure that everybody felt comfortable, where people aren't afraid of their policemen and feel comfortable going to him. And I could tell you stories where I often remember Officer Butts, being called in with family disturbances, not as a representative of the law, but as a friend that can reach out to a troubled kid and understanding the family dynamics and trying to be the mediator and making sure that everybody handle the situation with cool hand and did the right thing. So I really appreciate everything he's done for Medford and our residents. And I thank Councilman Mox again. Again, it's When you talk about community, what happened the other evening with the reverse 911, social media, the police officers and fire department. I mean, people just rallying around trying to find this person in need that was walking around. And I'm going to toot my own daughter's horn that My daughter called me while this was happening, she was out with her friends, and she called to ask permission that dad, they were in the area where they last saw this person. Do I mind if her and her friends would walk the neighborhood to see if they can help? And I think that just wasn't my daughter, but people in general really came out of their homes and instead of walking a daily walk one way, people walked. toward where the missing person was, and I think that, and thank God it turned out to be a happy ending. So, I thank Councilor Marksley for bringing this forward, and I wish our retiring police officers the best as they move forward, and hopefully our young officers can fill their roles. So, thank you. Thank you, Councilor Escapoli. Councilor Knight.
[Knight]: Mr. President, thank you very much. Building on what Councilor Scarpelli said, those are two pair of very big shoes to fill if young officers want to fill these shoes. Officer Kelly and Officer Butts have been long time fixtures in our police department for a number of years. Individuals that earn the respect of the community because of their efforts and actions, Mr. President. Not because they wore a badge and a uniform, but because of what they did while wearing that badge and uniform. I've met Officer Kelly a number of times. Had the opportunity to develop a decent friendship with Officer Butts over the years. And he's someone that really has quite a great outlook on the way things work, great outlook on life. And I know that his compatriot, Officer Kelly, shares that same outlook, Mr. President. To have the opportunity to have a professional career in law enforcement and be able to work for over three decades. And at the end of that career, have the opportunity to stand in front of your colleagues and retire. And safely go home to your family for that last call is something that really deserves to be recognized. These two officers have put their life on the line for the residents in this community, and that should be recognized. I thank Councilor Marks for bringing this matter forward, and I wish them both the best of luck in their golden years, Mr. President. It's been well deserved, and I hope that they are able to pursue all their dreams and wishes in retirement. Because it's all too often that we hear the statistics of individuals in police and that when they retire, they usually don't retire in good health. And I understand that both Mr. Kelly and Mr. Butts have a lot of good life left in them and they're going to be able to collect that pension money for a long time and enjoy it and spend it. So with that being said, Mr. President, I echo my council colleague's sentiments and congratulate them both. Thank you, Councilor. Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, President Cavioli. I also want to echo the sentiments of my colleagues and congratulate Officer Botts and Officer Kelly on their retirement. Wish them well in their retirement and good luck and thank them for their service. I mean, when you think about it, three decades in one job is really amazing, especially a job as dangerous as this. And we thank them for their service, their commitment to our community. throughout the years and thank you to our first responders for finding the woman who was missing last week. So thank you to our first responders and congratulations to Officer Butts and Officer Kelly on their retirement. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Council Member. Council Members? Anything, Councilor Morell, no? Personally, myself, I want to thank Officer Butts and Officer Kelly, Officer Butts and myself. long time friends, we go back to the early 1970s, and Billy's been a tremendous, a good friend, and a good policeman along with Officer Kelly. They've done, let's see, three decades of work is a lot of time for anybody, and I want to wish them both well in their time there. And I, just on something Councilor Marks said about, you know, the woman going missing the other night, I know where they're coming from. I had an incident with my mother-in-law on election night last year. She went missing for three hours and the police were standing, combing the streets and looking for her. And at the end of the day, it was Councilor Marks' daughter and a friend who ended up finding my mother-in-law walking the streets. So again, When a call goes out, the community, we respond. So again, I want to thank the police and everybody who helped out there. So thank you.
[Marks]: Mr. President, if we could send two council accommodations to these very fine offices. Yes. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Okay. On the motion by Councilor Marks, seconded by second by Councilor Scarpelli. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears. Yes. Councilor Falco. Yes. Vice President Knight. Yes. Councilor Marks. Yes. Councilor Morell. Yes. Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. President Caraviello.
[Caraviello]: Yes. 7 in the affirmative. Motion passes. 21023 offered by Councilor Marks be it resolved that the deadline discount program be discussed. Councilor Marks.
[Marks]: Thank you, Mr. President. This issue was brought up last week by former councilor Bob Penter, who appeared before the council. He asked that we put it on the agenda, so I sponsored it, Mr. President. This is a little different than my first resolution. which would give people the ability to waive interest and penalties if they're late on their property tax. This would actually allow people to get a discount if they pay their property tax ahead of time. I would respectfully ask, Mr. President, that this be laid on the table until our February 2nd meeting, because I am waiting on additional information regarding how this program could potentially work, and some additional information. So I would ask respectfully that it be laid on the table for two weeks.
[Caraviello]: On the motion by Councilor Marks, it would just be tabled to the 2-2 meeting, seconded by Councilor Scarpelli. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: To table until February 2nd. The table to the February 2nd meeting. Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight?
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Yes. Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes. And the affirmative motion passes. 2-1-0-2 fair offered by Councilor Falco. Be it resolved that President Caraviello schedule a committee of the whole pre-budget meetings with the various City of Medford department heads to discuss the current budget in the fiscal year 2022 budget and answer any questions, answer any If the department has related questions, Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, Mr. President. One of the most important responsibilities we have each year is to review and either pass or reject the city budget. You know, tonight I offer this resolution to shed light on a process that I think is somewhat flawed. You know, every year we meet in June with the city of Medford department heads to discuss their budget and discuss the proposed budget for the upcoming year. More often than not, it's our only formal meeting that we have with department heads throughout the year. And I think more often than not, Those meetings become more, we're asking questions probably that are more than just budget related questions. Sometimes they're policy questions and whatnot. So this here tonight is basically a proactive approach that I'm asking President Caraviello if in the upcoming months of February, March, April, and May, if you could schedule pre-budget hearings with each of our department heads to go over their current budget, To take a look at the goals and objectives to see if they're accomplishing what they've said that their goals and objectives are for this current year. So basically, it's a proactive approach, and it gives us an opportunity to ask department heads questions that sometimes aren't even budget related. So it's to hopefully streamline the budget process when we discuss the budget in June. So I think that we have to pass this budget, or actually pass or reject this budget each year. This is really large, and we need to make sure that we have all the information that we need to make that decision. And I think meeting with department heads more than once a year is something that we should be doing. Me meeting them once a year to have a quick budget meeting in June, to me, doesn't cut it. So I think that what we need to do is budget meetings so we can actually have a nice conversation that is full of information. And if there's items that we need to follow up on or they need to follow up on, that's fine. We're not doing it last minute in June. So therefore, I would ask if you could please schedule budget meetings, maybe two or three a month. Starting in February would be ideal. So I would respectfully ask for my colleagues to support this and I move approval. Thank you.
[Scarpelli]: Thank you. Councilor Scarpelli. Thank you Councilor Falco for bringing this forward. I think that one thing we saw as school committee members was the difficulty during budget time and that's one thing. is one thing that we changed in the city school committee is having the pre-budget meetings where department heads came to us and it was so informative that each department or at the time principal came in from each school and gave us their wish list to understand what their greatest needs were. And what we realized We were lacking legally in some positions, making sure that we fulfilled our legal requirements as school committee members. And I think that what this does, I think that it's time consuming, but at the same time, it eliminates the fluff that goes on during the regular budget meeting to get right to the point and understand where we are. If Councilor Falco will let me amend this paper, I'd like to amend this paper and asking that when we do the pre-budget meetings, as long as we're out of the red, I'm hoping that the department heads themselves, being that the chamber alone can hold 200 people, that if we call two or three departments, that there's enough room and space that these department heads can come in person and stand at the podium. And without any interruption and go through these very important items that are going to be in front of us. So if we could, I'd like to get that approval. And that is a council wish that that be mandated, that that happens as long as we are out of the red. So thank you, Councilor Falco. I appreciate the time.
[Marks]: Thank you, Councilor Scarpelli. Councilor Marks. Thank you, Mr. President, and like Councilor Falco mentioned, I remember those days where we used to get the budget 24 hours before we were asked to vote on it. And as you know, it's a couple hundred page document that's very involved, and there's no way you can do your due diligence on behalf of the taxpayers of the community without having these pre-budgeted meetings. It was last year that Councilor Falco I think for the first time in a long time, asked that we meet in, I think it was February or March. And then we had COVID hit in March, and naturally that put a kind of a damper on the pre-budget meetings and pushed them down the line a little bit. But that is a magnificent idea, getting ahead of time. This way we can discuss, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, about using other tools in our tool belt. So if we do have a new system that we got an email today regarding C-Click Fix that the administration's been working on, use C-Click Fix to find out what the needs are in the community and base your budget on facts that are coming from C-Click Fix. So these are the things that we can use during the budget process, which have never, to be quite frank, have never been used in the past to make an informed decision. And by starting early, it'll give us the ability to sit down, not under a time clock that's ticking, ticking, ticking, but be able to sit down and methodically go through the budget and ask the questions on behalf of the communities. the community so we can provide the services that they've come accustomed to, Mr. President, and enhance our services at the same time. So I want to thank Councilor Falco for his leadership on this. We've made several changes to the budget. I think, again, one of them was Councilor Falco's request to add the year over year and the projection and so forth. And that way you're not just looking at a budget line item. We can compare it to previous years and what's budgeted, and that's been a very helpful tool as one member of the council. And I want to thank Councilor Falco for his input on this.
[Bears]: Thank you. Councilor Bez. Thank you, Mister President. And thank you, Councilor Falco, for proposing this. I wholeheartedly agree with having these pre-budget meetings. And I think hopefully, similar to what Councilor March just said, we can really use these to start setting goals of what services and the level of staffing are needed for our various city departments and our school department and how each budget is helping us get there and what the gaps are. That's really something I've been talking about since day one on the council for myself is we need to assess need and understand what the community actually needs with services. One of the major issues with city finance and municipal finance in Massachusetts, as everyone knows, is that Proposition 2.5 limits revenue growth to 2.5% a year, while our costs and our fixed costs are going up much more than 2.5% a year, which means that the amount of money we have to provide city services goes down or is crowded out by these fixed costs. So figuring out how we can stop having departments that are trying to do too much with too few staff, setting goals for what that department staffing should look like, and then seeing every year how each fiscal year's budget can help us achieve that goal, I think is very important undertaking that we as a council can do. And I would also ask just to councilor Scarpelli's amendment. You know, if there are department heads who may not want to attend in person, as long as you know, just that they have the discretion to make that decision, if that's all right, councilor Scarpelli.
[Knight]: Isn't everyone going to be vaccinated by then?
[Scarpelli]: The option?
[Bears]: Yeah, just if, you know, if there may be a department head who might, an option to come in person, but if they want to come by digital means.
[Scarpelli]: Again, I think that it's under their privy, but I'd welcome them in person. I know that if people have some underlying issues that they're afraid of, I can understand that. But truly, I'd like to see everybody here that can make it here in person. I think it'd be important. This is a big budget, and really having that personal touch and the personal involvement. And again, I said, if it's making sure that we're out of the red, that's when I would support that. So I appreciate it.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Falco.
[Knight]: Councilor Knight. Mr. President, thank you very much. I was saying, I think that this was something that we asked Councilor Falco to do last term. But then with the pandemic and everybody wanting to work from home continuously still to this day, makes it a little bit difficult sometimes to get everybody in the same room, Mr. President. But I really think it's important that we look at this. And for the last several years, this has been a discussion and a topic at this council. The format and presentation of the budget, what's required by the administration per law versus what's requested of the administration by the council so that we can make informed decisions. And I think one of the most important things that we need to do. is to make data-driven decisions, Mr. President. And that goes right into what Councilor March was saying about utilizing the 311 of the see, click, fix information that we have at hand to see where our needs are and doing this needs assessment and looking at service delivery. We could talk all day about why the diversity director shouldn't be merged with the HR director and eliminated. But at the end of the day, the services that the people in this community want to see is their streets paved. They want to be able to pick up the phone and call the DPW and get a tree taken down and not have a stump there for the next 11 years. And then when the stump comes down, they want to make sure the sidewalk gets fixed. They don't have to wait another five years for that, so it's not a 25 year plan. That's what the people want to see in this community, Mr. President. They want to see services delivered and they want to see a return on their investment of their tax dollars. So I think it's very important that we start talking about this. And I personally feel as though the most vital department that we need to start this conversation with is with our public works department. Everybody wants to pick up the phone and be able to call the DPW and get a result. And right now, you can't get that. You get put on a list and it takes a year or two or three years. For 11, 12 months now, we've heard about a pavement management plan. I'm still dying to see what that looks like. I'm very excited to see what this pavement management plan looks like because we have about $7.5 million in 2016 money worth of emergency arteries. that could be replaced tomorrow, because the condition of our roadways is subpar, Mr. President. So there's a lot of work that needs to be done, but it all comes down to the mighty buck, the mighty dollar. And unless we're all sitting in the same room, working together towards a common goal, we're never going to get there. We're never going to get there. So with that being said, I think Councilor Marks bringing this matter forward. I support them. I mean, I constantly Falco for bringing the matter forward. I support this resolution wholeheartedly and I look forward to working with you, Mr. President, to put a schedule together for us to conduct these pre-budget hearings. Thank you. Councilor Morell.
[Morell]: Thank you, Mr. President. I have to say what hasn't already been said, but I want to thank councilor Falco for bringing this forward. I think this approach and starting as soon as possible, we'll really address some of the issues that came up in our committee of the whole prior to this. Rather than asking these questions seven months after a budget has been passed, we can ask them many months before and be able to make much more educated decisions when it comes to budget time so that we're not having these conversations after the fact and wondering to make a decision. And I was also going to say what councilor bears brought forth. Just making and I think councilor Scarpelli for noting, you know, making sure we're out of the red, but just, you know, that the language is clear that if department heads do not feel comfortable attending in person, that they know that it's not something that is mandatory. It's encouraged, but it's not mandatory. So I just want to make sure that that is clear. So thank you.
[Knight]: Thank you, Councilor. On that point, Mr. President, I disagree. I really disagree. It should be mandatory. Councilor Knight. I disagree. It should be mandatory that they come and appear before this body if they're going to be talking about how we're spending taxpayer dollars. As long as we can do it safely and within the guidelines that have been put out by the CDC and the Board of Health, we should have our department heads in here. It's going to be seven city councils, the city clerk, and one other individual. We could find a room big enough to fit all those people in here if need be. We have the personal protective equipment available. We put up these Sneeze gods, I guess you want to call them, Mr. President. But I disagree, you know what I mean? I think that we can do this, and we can do it safely, and we can do it in one place. The department heads are coming to work every day. This is part of their job. This is part of their work. And they should be willing to meet with us as a body. So with that being said, it's neither here nor there. I want to get the meeting started. It's not going to be something that's going to affect my vote this evening. But I disagree. I think that we've got to roll our sleeves up. When we're talking about something as serious as the finances in this community, how we're spending taxpayer dollars, we should all be in the same room doing it.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor.
[Morell]: Mr. President, if I could. Councilor Morell. I don't want to go down this road once more, but taxpayer dollars also go to community health, which is a decision based on that. And that's where I stand. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Council Member Rowe. Any further discussion on this? Move approval. On the motion by Councilor Falco, seconded by Councilor Knight. I'm sorry, by Councilor Marks, as amended by Councilor Scott Paoli. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll. Mr. President.
[Bears]: I amend it as well, Mr. President.
[Caraviello]: Okay, as amended by Councilor Scott Paoli and Councilor Bears. Mr. President.
[Marks]: Councilor Marks. Thank you, Mr. President. Just if I can add, the pre-budget meetings are great. I would also add that we have our council priority list again. I know we did one last year, in the previous year, but times have changed, things have changed, administrations have changed. And I think it's important, Mr. President, that prior to going to a pre-budget meeting, that the council get together and deliberate on what we feel are council priorities, Mr. President. And I would ask that you include that. prior to the pre-budget meeting so we can have those discussions. And maybe members can start jotting their issues of priorities right now so we can get together. And I think it's healthy to have the discussion, healthy to have the maybe disagreements, and move forward what we feel is a council priority on behalf of the community, Mr. President. So I would ask that that be part of the pre-budget deliberations as well.
[Bears]: Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Councilor Bears, could you please repeat your amendment for the clerk, he didn't get it?
[Bears]: Yes. My amendment was just that in-person attendance would be at the discretion of the individual employee.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Bears. On the motion by Councilor Falco, seconded by Councilor Marks, as amended by Councilor Scarpelli, and amended by Councilor Bears. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Marks]: And I amended Mr. President for the Council priority.
[Caraviello]: Council priority.
[Hurtubise]: Who seconded the motion?
[Caraviello]: Council Marks seconded the motion. Okay.
[Hurtubise]: As for approval as amended. Council Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Yes. Councilor Scarpelli? Yes.
[Caraviello]: Yes, 7 in the affirmative, motion passes. 2-1-0-2-5, offered by Councilor Falco. Be it resolved that the City Administration provide an update to the Medford City Council with regards to the C-Click fix system. Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, President Caraviello. Recently, I received calls from residents regarding the C-Click Fix program. For many people that might not know, that's a program that we use to basically, the residents can enter into any type of issues that they're having, and then they're assigned to the appropriate department head where hopefully they can be resolved in a timely fashion. Recently, I was notified that The issues that were logged by a number of residents were basically cleared out and deleted. So they no longer appear on the list of outstanding issues. And from what I'm hearing, this is the second time that this has happened. I think when the previous administration crossed over to the current administration, they cleared out C-Click Fix. And then when recently, I think they may have an upgrade or something, and they did the same thing, they cleared out issues again. So what they're doing is basically they're clearing out issues that have never been resolved. And I think one of the reasons why it was closed was because it was a seasonal issue. It may be an issue that couldn't be dealt with because the weather was getting cold. But from my opinion, that doesn't mean that the issue's gone away. And I think that's what's happening now is we're losing, there's really no transparency when something like this happens. Because if you're just deleting issues because maybe you can't take care of them in the wintertime, that doesn't mean that the issue's gone away. That means the issue still exists, it should still be in the list. And then what happens is they get this email back saying that it's a seasonal issue, and then they ask the person, I believe, if it's been resolved. As far as I'm concerned, that's the city's responsibility, is whether or not an issue's been resolved, because the ticket's been assigned to someone in the city. So if we could please get an update from the city administration as to what's going on with CClickFix. If issues are being deleted, why?
[Caraviello]: I think as chief of staff, Roderick is still on the call here? Dave, you still on the call? I know we got something from the mayor late this afternoon and I didn't have a chance to read it myself. I don't know if Dave is still on the call here. Mr. Rodriguez, are you here? Obviously he's not. On the motion by Councilor Falco. Mr. President, I think I might have it here in front of me if you want me to read it.
[Knight]: Councilor Knight has it in front of him. I think, I'm looking for it. See, click, fix.
[Falco]: Councilor Knight, if you wouldn't mind, what time did that email come in at?
[Knight]: I believe it came in at 10 past 1 today, January 19th. And what it says is, Dear President Caraviello and Councilors, I wanted to reach out and give you an update on C-Click Fix. Over the last several months, Lisa and Daria have been getting trained on the system we had in place and have been working to update our system by meeting with department heads and City Hall staff. They have customized it to fit Medford and our needs. Trainings have started and we will continue throughout the next 30 days. I actually received a training today and then a pothole email request came in and I was able to log it through C-Click Fix quite easily. We plan to publicly launch the newly updated system in February. Our hope is that all city-related requests can be logged in through C-Click Fix and we ask that you use it as well. Daria and Lisa can meet with you anytime to train you. I have CC'd them both so you can easily set up an appointment. Brianna.
[Falco]: Thank you, Councilor Knight. If I may, if I could also amend my resolution to find out what it means when they say fit method and our needs. So I guess C-Click Fix needs to work differently in Medford than it does anywhere else. So I would like to know if they could please specify what that means. Because I think there's a lot of uncertainty right now as to C-Click Fix, how it's managed, how it operates, when you're deleting issues that haven't been resolved, I have a problem with that. Basically, you're saying the issue doesn't exist anymore when it does.
[Knight]: Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Councilor Layton, would you like to speak again?
[Knight]: Mr. President, I just want to thank Councilor Falco for bringing this up. C-Click fix has been a, I guess we'll call it a bee in my bonnet for quite a bit of time. Ever since it's been rolled out, I've requested a lot of data because I'd like to make those data driven decisions when it comes down to what our needs are. And for some reason, the information that gets put into see click fix always seem to be, you know, the fruit from the poisonous tree that no one was ever allowed to touch. And if we ever saw it, you know what I mean? We'd have to sign on old, the secrecy or something. So I thank councilor Falco for bringing this up and I welcome the opportunity to sit down and see where we are with the open requests, the requests that remain outstanding and the requests that have also been addressed. Mr. President. I know, Some of the concerns that have been raised over time, like Councilor Marks would always say, that's not a city road, so it's not our problem. Call your state delegation. Well, that's not giving a taxpayer a service. So, you know, I think Councilor Falco hit the nail on the head when we talked about the see, click, fix system and ways that we can improve it. It's something that we all want to see be successful here. And I think we all have opinions on how it could work. So I welcome the opportunity to meet with the administration and talk with them a little bit about our vision for how this all works. It wasn't too long ago that Mayor Lungo sat right here and she expressed some of the same concerns that we're expressing right now. So I look forward to this meeting. Thank you. Councilor Marks.
[Marks]: Thank you, Mr. President, and I am thankful for Councilor Falco putting this on. But I also want to be mindful, Mr. President, that the intent of C-Click Fix was to supposedly have one-stop shopping, where you would go online and fill out a form and immediately someone would get back to you addressing your concern. And that has failed over the last two years. And I can personally account for that because the number of calls I receive on basic city services has gone up dramatically because of the fact that people don't have any confidence in see, click, fix. I would just state also, Mr. President, and I look forward to being trained on whatever system I have to be trained. But until I find out that this system is properly working, I'm not going to use it as a form or a method of communication with the department heads or the city administration. When someone reaches out to me, Mr. President, I can't tell them, I got to wait four weeks to get an answer, or the answer is I passed it off to another department head and then it was closed out. So in order for me to use the system, Mr. President, I have to make sure it gets results. And I'm going to wait until it's results based before I start using it, Mr. President. But I am thankful that the city administration saw fit to I'd like to know what updates were changed. That system is pretty basic to me. I've been on it. I'm not sure how you can change it other than behind the scenes to make sure the people that should be getting back to people get back in a timely fashion and close out items and follow through on items. So for that aspect, I hope that is being done. in addition to just updating the system itself, Mr. President. The system doesn't do the work. It's the actual people behind the system that do the work and make sure residents get results. Thank you.
[Scarpelli]: Thank you, Councilor. Councilor Scarpelli. Thank you, Councilor Falco, for bringing this forward. And to echo what Councilor Marks was saying, I was probably the only elected official at the time that actually lived as an employee of a municipality, the 311 C-Click-Fix background. And one thing we talked about at the time, it was very clear during my election process that how difficult this will be because we don't have the infrastructure in place to handle the volume that was going to come in. And this is what we're seeing. And we still see it. And until we fix that, I don't think it's going to be possible to have a successful system in place. Now, to share with the community and say that this is a data-driven program so we can make educated decisions when it comes to our fiscal responsibility, when it comes to adding DPW workers, To add more policemen, to add fire, to add teachers, to look at what we need, where we have the most concerns. That was a viable understanding of it. But to think that C-Clicks fixes what other communities use the 311, it's very difficult to come to fruition in this community. It's very difficult. When you're asking for an issue that goes for C-Click fix, and then goes to a person that's in charge of that, then goes to the department head, but then the department head gives it to their employees to make sure that project gets done. It's virtually impossible. Look at the parks department. Issue comes in at three C-Clicks fix for a certain park. Mike Nestor and his two employees, it's in the middle of the summer, is getting all six fields ready for baseball. Four fields ready for baseball, but then they have to answer to a C-Clicks fix call. It's very difficult to do, not to say that it can't be done, but this is something when we get to budget time, we also have to look at making sure that if we understand what we want for our C-Click fix. It could be run in a proper and transparent way that you're going to get the answer back. Listen, like Councilor Falco said, I'd rather, instead of just closing those and putting them aside, having someone from the administration contact them, contact citizens and say, this is the concern. We are, unfortunately, we can't get to it, but at least that's the communication people are looking for. So I thank you for bringing this forward. I actually thought that Council Marks was everybody's C-Clicks fix, because as many resolutions you put on this year with sidewalks and street repairs. And again, I too, as a city councilor and a resident, I'm going to do my due diligence to go right to the department heads to make sure that they can help us because we need to get some issues that especially safety concerns taken care of and going through the process might not be the quickest way right now because it is in such flux. So thank you for bringing this forward, Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you.
[Falco]: On the motion by Councilor Falco. Thank you, President Caraviello. I just want to thank all my colleagues for their support on this here. And Councilor Knight mentioned, I think, an important part about data-driven decision-making. And if you don't have the systems in place to give you that data, the decisions aren't going to be, you're really not going to be able to use it as a tool. And you're right, Councilor Marks mentioned it before about using it as a tool. It's important to have that tool available. And Councilor Scarpelli, you hit it on the head. With regard to resources, if it's not managed properly, it's not going to help anyone. So if you wouldn't mind, if we could also schedule committee the whole with the administration to actually, if it's training fine, but to learn more about the new system, that would be great. And to find out what we can get out of it. It would be nice to know if there's any type of reporting that we can get out of this system. I know when we first went to see quick fix, I asked about that. They said there was nothing, which I find hard to believe, but I would hope. Well, I would think that there should be some sort of reporting that we can access to see what's being done, what's not being done, what's being resolved, what we can use, how we can look at the data, what type of calls are coming in. And it'll really help with the budget process at the end of the year when we take a look at that and see all the work that's been done. I know there's work that's getting done. But I also know that it needs to be managed correctly and if we're just closing tickets for the sake of closing tickets, it's not very transparent and it doesn't mean that the issue goes away. Thank you everyone for your support, and I move approval. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Falco. So Councilor Falco, on top of your amendment for the mayor to explain her memo of today, you also want to schedule a Council of the Whole meeting to discuss the C-Click fix in general, correct? Yes, please.
[Falco]: Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Okay, excuse me. On the motion by Councilor Falco, seconded by Councilor Inouye, any further discussion? Okay, Mr. Clark, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Hite? Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes, I move the affirmative motion passes. 21026, offered by Councilor Falco, be it resolved that the Medford City Council meet in the Committee of the Whole with Republic Parking to receive a financial update and to answer any parking related questions. Councilor Falco?
[Falco]: Thank you, President Caraviello. This is a pretty simple resolution. It's basically to have Committee of the Whole meeting to receive an update from Republic Parking with regard to the parking program. and have them answer. any questions that we have, but also to provide a financial update with regard to the program to basically see what kind of money's coming in. And I think it might be best, um, you know, basically maybe if people, maybe if the Councilors could send you questions and maybe you could forward them to, uh, before you schedule the meeting so they can come prepared to the meeting. But it'd be nice to get a nice, uh, receive a financial update from Republic parking.
[Caraviello]: I think we usually have one once a year with them. So I think, I think we have one last chance. Councilor Morell.
[Morell]: Thank you, Mr. President. Thanks to Councilor If I could amend the paper to also invite the reps from the Parking and Policy Enforcement Commission that's been working these past few months, doing a lot of research on parking in Medford, and I think would have some intel and also questions just from their meetings over the many months, if they could be invited as well.
[Caraviello]: And who's that, Council Member?
[Morell]: The chairs from the Parking Policy Enforcement Commission.
[Scarpelli]: One information, Mr. President. Who's the chairman of that?
[Morell]: Jim Silva. Yes, Jim Silva.
[Scarpelli]: Point of information, Mr. President. Point of information, Councilor Scarpelli. Correct me if I'm wrong, I thought that the commission, when given that question about where we stood with Park-Method, they told us that It didn't fall within the privy with Park Medford there. Their discussions led to that area. Was I mistaken? Or if any of my Councilors can remember that.
[Knight]: I do believe that the chair The co-chairs expressed that the purview of their analysis did not extend to paid for park. Okay. So it was not extending to the business districts or to the parking meter situation. Okay. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you.
[Morell]: It's Jim Silva and Laurel Ruma. It's up to them if they want to attend or not, but just because they have, they've been receiving a lot of questions from residents over the past few months as well. So they may just have, information that is helpful at a meeting like this as far as questions.
[Marks]: President, I'm not opposed to people attending meetings, but I think what the council is asking for is a financial update. And I'm not sure how this established working group is going to be able to add any insight into a financial update from another entity. And they have enough meetings, as Councilor Morell would probably attest to, already and enough on their plate. I'm not sure what good it would be to have them at the meeting. Again, I'm not opposed to people coming to the meeting. They're two completely different entities.
[Morell]: So I'm not quite sure. I'm just responding to how this resolution is worded and to answer any parking related questions. I'm happy to, I can withdraw the amendment. I can just reach out to Jim and Laura myself and give them the heads up.
[Caraviello]: If you want to keep the amendment on there, we'll keep the amendment on there. Makes no difference to me.
[Knight]: Point of information, they can be ready to come, but I think the parking related questions that they're going to be ready to answer is why aren't you focusing on this when this sounds like a bigger need in the community than what you're looking at? That's my concern, but I just don't want to lose focus of the meeting.
[Morell]: My intention was, as Councilor Falco referenced and as of this reference, They worked on a survey to hear from residents. They have questions from residents. I'm just saying they may have a number of questions from residents that they can share as opposed to sourcing more, but I'm not trying to get into the weeds on this.
[Caraviello]: Thank you. Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: My goal is to make it, you know, financial update. Yes. And I put answer any parking related questions. So it's, you know, if the Councilors do have questions, because sometimes there's questions about parking policies when they ticket, uh, sometimes there's questions about who they hire, what's their turnover rate. Um, so these, these are questions that I want to make sure that they are, able to answer, so that's why I opened it up to the financial update and the parking-related questions. I want to make sure that councilors have the opportunity to ask any questions that they want regarding the parking program.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Falco. Thank you. Okay.
[Bears]: Mr. President. Councilor Best. Thank you, Mr. President. Yeah, Republic Parking and Park Medford are also, you know, do have some responsibility around ticketing in areas with permits and addressing vehicles that are left, you know, over the 48 hour limit. So I do think there'll be some questions there. And I have some questions myself for Park Medford around that as I've been fielding, you know, people will call me and then I will call Park Medford and then they'll go deal with something. And, you know, it'd be nice if they were, a little more strict about enforcement, and I think that would also affect the financial update as well. So, you know, there are probably some good questions and information from that commission that could help us in that meeting. So, I would support the amendment.
[Caraviello]: Okay. On the motion by Councilor Falco, as amended by Councilor Morell, seconded by... Second. Seconded by Councilor Bears. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Yes. Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Yes. Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes. 7 in the affirmative. Motion passes. 2-1-027 offered by Councilor Bears be it resolved that the Medford City Council strongly condemns the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol on June 6, 2021, and it opposes any attempt to undermine the Constitution of the United States by disrupting the peaceful transition of power that is in the bedrock of our democracy. Councilor Bears.
[Bears]: Thank you, Mr. President. I think as many people in our community were feeling devastated a couple of weeks ago when we saw the the temple of our democracy ransacked by a mob. And that was just awful to watch. And I think it speaks to a larger issue in our country around respecting democracy and understanding that the democratic process is how decisions are made. And as a democratic body, as a local council of our community in Medford, I think it's important for us to speak up for peaceful transitions of power, which we have every two years here at Medford, respect for the rule of law and respect for our institutions of democracy. So that's the intent I had putting this forward. I am looking forward tomorrow to a transition of power, peaceful transition of power in our country. And I think it's the responsibility of all elected officials across the country to stand up for that, regardless of party or belief, because we are the stewards of a very important institution, an institution that we've seen is deeply at risk over the past several years. Thank you, Mr. President.
[Morell]: Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank Councilor Bears for putting this on the agenda. I know often the council tends to shy away from issues that might be deemed something to be dealt with the state or levels beyond, but this is not one of those issues. What happened on January 6th was an assault on our democracy, and we must condemn what happened from every level of government and from every citizen, and we should stand up for what's right and what is just for this democracy. So I thank Councilor Bears for putting this forward and the council's support of this.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Morell. Councilor Date.
[Knight]: Who are we sending this condemnation to?
[Bears]: Councilor Bears, who are we sending this to? I'm happy to send it to our federal delegation. I believe that... They were in the building.
[Knight]: I'm pretty sure they didn't like what was going on.
[Bears]: Yeah, it was. It was really hard to hear some of those stories. I'd be happy to send it to them, but I think it's important for us as a council to make our position on the issue clear to our community.
[Caraviello]: Thank you. So this is just another symbolic thing. Yes, it will. This will be a symbolic approval.
[Bears]: Mr. President. Well, I think Mr. President, thank you.
[Caraviello]: Uh, council Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, President Caraviello. I do agree with this resolution 100%. People lost their lives on that day, and these actions should be condemned.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, President. Thank you, Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Okay, on the motion by Councilor Bears, seconded by Councilor Morell, that we send this out to our federal, if the clerk will send this out to our federal delegation. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears. Yes. Councilor Falco. Yes. Vice President Knight. Yes. Councilor Marks. Yes. Councilor Morell. Yes. Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. President Caraviello.
[Caraviello]: Yes, seven affirmative motion passes. 2-1-0-2-8, offered by Councilor Bears. Be it resolved that the Medford City Council, that the, excuse me, be it resolved that the Medford City Council and the city administration provide a written update on any plans or potential plans for mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in the city of Medford, and if the state or federal government are coordinating with the city regarding mass vaccinations for COVID-19. Councilor Bears.
[Bears]: Thank you, Mr. President. This resolution is regarding COVID vaccination sites in Medford. I did have a chance to speak with Chief of Staff Rodriguez, who let me know that sites are being explored. funding is being lined up and there are hopes to open at least one site in our community within weeks, not within months. Um, he said that, uh, per the resolution passing, if it passes the council, they will provide a more detailed updated writing, which I look forward to reading, but I do think it's a current thing.
[Knight]: Point of information. Mr. President, on December 15th, this council passed paper 20677, which is virtually identical to the paper, the council of bears is put on this evening. So, The chief of staff says he needs a paper to cross his desk. He's got to look back in his calendar about three weeks, because he's already got it.
[Bears]: Thank you, Councilor Ntuk. Councilor Bears. You know, I think this is specific to mass vaccination sites in the community, which I'm encouraged to see should be coming soon.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Bears. Any further discussion? Okay, on the motion by Councilor Bears. Councilor Markswell.
[Marks]: I just would like to say, Mr. President, in my view of this, I think it's a disgrace, Mr. President, that Massachusetts is at the bottom of the list when it comes to vaccine distribution. We have the top hospitals in the world in Massachusetts, the top medical facilities, and we lag behind many other states Mr. President, and the distribution of vaccines. The second point, Mr. President, I made this several weeks ago, is that we're vaccinating members of Congress that are in their 30s and 40s, Mr. President, with no comorbidities, but we can't vaccinate someone in their 70s and 80s. They have to wait two months, Mr. President. It's a disgrace what's going on in this state, Mr. President, and people should be well aware of who's handling this and why it's in the way we are, Mr. President, the shape we're in. Thank you, Councilor Marks.
[Bears]: Okay, on the motion by Councilor Mizz. Councilor Mizz. If I may just add to Councilor Marks' point, the state government and the federal government's lack of a plan was one of the major points of concern that Chief of Staff Rodriguez had, so I fully agree with Councilor Marks that it's really a shame that the state is not more prepared. Thank you. Thank you.
[Marks]: Mr. President, if that's the case, if that's the case, we go on record for everything else. We should go on record sending a message, Mr. President, to our federal delegation stating how disappointed we are with the vaccination sites and the lack of vaccinations that have been distributed in this state. So we go on record on behalf of the seniors and most vulnerable people in our community. Mr. President, that's what we should be doing. I would second that as an amendment.
[Caraviello]: Thank you. So you want to make that? I would like to make that as an amendment.
[Scarpelli]: I would second that amendment. That's a great amendment.
[Caraviello]: Okay. Thank you. Any further discussion?
[Bears]: I agree wholeheartedly.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilman. The motion by Councilor Bears, seconded by Councilor Marks, as amended by Councilor Marks. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes.
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Caraviello]: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Seven affirmative motion passes two one zero two nine offered by vice-president night. Be it resolved that the city administration provide the city council with a detailed and itemized accounting of the expenditures made from accounts five, seven, six, one, five, five, seven, six, two for the period of one, one, 2020 to date and be a further resolved The Medford City Council will be provided with copies of any legal judgments against the city during this period and be it. again further resolve that the Medford City Council be provided with copies in any voluntary settlements of legal matters during this period. Councilor Knight, Vice President Knight.
[Knight]: Mr. President, thank you very much. In usual form, any legal settlement over $2,500 would have to come before the City Council if that settlement was voluntary and not a judgment by a judge. And when we got a copy of the Warren articles that we fought for for so long, I had the opportunity to review them. And when I got to the legal expenses line items under accounts numbers 5761 and 5762, I saw a number of expenditures that exceeded $2,500. Which led me to believe that there were legal settlements that were made that the appropriations were not passed through the council. So I'm asking for a detailed line item breakdown of those two accounts to do a review and conduct due diligence to make sure that we're in compliance with municipal finance law and to make sure that the matters that are supposed to appear before the council due to those, what's that word that everybody likes to use? John, what's that word?
[Falco]: I believe it's transparency.
[Knight]: Transparency, that's the word. So that we can be as transparent as possible, but also so that we can be in compliance with municipal finance law. So in the past, we've seen people that have come and have tripped on a sidewalk. broken an arm, come before the council and the council has had to approve their settlement. Um, we've had vehicles damaged by a fire engine. Those individuals been damaged in car accidents by a fire engine and a DPW truck. Those settlements have had to come before the council. Um, so I'd just like to see an accounting of a five, seven, six, one and five, seven, six, two, um, because it stuck out. it didn't look right to me and I want to make sure that we're doing things the right way. Um, as the fiduciary in this community, the city council has a strong responsibility financially. Um, and if we're expending money without the appropriate approvals, that's a concern. Um, so I'd ask that the, uh, finance director provide us with this breakdown, um, in conjunction with the city solicitor, um, to be sure that we protect everybody's rights. If it's something that needs to be addressed in an executive session, so be it. I would happily welcome that opinion from the city councilor, I mean the city solicitor. But I really think it's something we need to take a look at, Mr. President. There's a lot of talk about legal settlements that are occurring in this community, but some of those have to come before us. And I'd like to make sure that we are being provided with the opportunity to do the work that we've been elected to do.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Vice President Knight. Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Mr. President Caraviello, thank you, Councilor Knight, for bringing this forward, and thank you for your persistence in getting these reports. I did the same thing, I scrolled through and I did notice that there were a number of large numbers in these accounts. And if the councilor wouldn't mind me amending this, I'd like to know why these papers did not come to us for approval. Once it goes over a certain amount, it's supposed to come to us for approval. We did not see any of these papers. So if the councilor wouldn't mind me amending the resolution, I think that's something that we need to know specifically why these did not come to us.
[Knight]: I have no problem amending the paper. I just think it's important to point out that there's a difference between a settlement and a judgment. If there was a judgment by a judge, then it automatically gets paid. But if there was a settlement that was entered into voluntarily by the parties, then that voluntary expenditure. has to come through the council. The council has to approve that money because it wasn't ordered by a judge, where if it's ordered by a judge, we can't say no to it anyway. So I think that that's the issue.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Vice President Knight. On the motion by Vice President Knight, seconded by Councilor Marks, as amended by Councilor Falco. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco?
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Vice President Knight?
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Marks. Councilor Morell. Yes. Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. President Caraviello.
[Caraviello]: Yes. 7 affirmative motion passes 2 1 0 3 0 off of my vice president night being resolved at the Medford city council extended its deep and sincere condolences to the family of Eugene McGillicuddy on his recent passing. Councilor Knight.
[Knight]: Mr. President, thank you very much. Gene McGillicuddy, as many of us behind this rail know, was a fixture in the city of Medford for a long time. Any given summer afternoon from probably 1985 to 1995, you could have found him down at Santoro Field coaching Foodmaster. I'll tell you, he wasn't a great pitching coach. Mr. President, because I moved to lacrosse after Little League, after playing for Coach McGillicuddy on Foodmaster for a number of years. Maybe too many. I probably should have got moved up to the minors, out of the minors by the time I turned 15, but that didn't happen. But with that being said, Mr. McGillicuddy and I go way back. He was a dear friend of mine personally. I had the opportunity to play for him as a child. My mother actually worked with Mr. McGillicuddy in the same office for a number of years. And then I had the opportunity of being a neighbor of his very recently, Mr. President. I had the opportunity to go to school with Kathleen, grew up with his daughter, Kathleen. I've become very friendly with his son-in-law, John, over the years. And let me tell you, Gene McGillicuddy was just a great guy, someone that was always willing to help out, someone that was always willing to volunteer, someone that wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a quiet man that carried a big stick. When he spoke, he made sense. He didn't talk often, but when he did speak, it was because he had something to say and it was important. And he was someone that I admired, someone that I enjoyed growing up around, learning some of the lessons of life through Mr. McGillicuddy's dry sense of humor and interesting way of approaching things was always something I enjoyed. So I had the opportunity of, like I said, living next door to Mr. McGillicuddy for a number of years. And he and Maureen were just great people. And he's going to be sorely missed. He was certainly someone that contributed to the fabric of this community. He's put in years and years and years in the city of Medford, grew up living on Hugh Mav, right behind the Dame School. Mr. McGillicuddy was a fixture in that neighborhood, taking care of his neighbors. His house was always open to the kids in the neighborhood. And when he moved and downsized to the condos over at 190 High Street, he was someone that was always willing to give his time as a member of the board of trustees. So Gene's volunteerism is second to none. that probably donated 50 years of his life to the city of Medford, to his neighbors, and to his friends. He's someone that should be admired, someone that should be recognized, but first of all, most importantly, someone that should be remembered. So I ask that my council colleagues join me in extending a deep and sincere condolences to the McGillicuddy family in their time of need.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Vice President Knight. Councilor Scarpelli.
[Scarpelli]: Thank you, Council President and Councilor, for bringing this forward. Mr. and Mrs. McGillicuddy are definitely a fixture in our community. And when you say how, you know, you look at the backbone of our community and the members that make Medford, the people, the spirit, and the McGillicuddies are those type of people that will be missed. Mr. McGillicuddy will be missed. It's what I question every day is, who is the person that's going to take a Mr. McGillicuddy spot in our community? And those are huge shoes to fill, but that's what makes our community great. People like Mr. McGillicuddy and Mr. McGillicuddy who taught us how to be loving parents and members of our community. And I hung around with Karen for years and got to know them. close and they were very great. They were very good people. And I know Mr. McGillicuddy is going to be missed in our community and we send our deepest condolences. So God bless.
[Caraviello]: Thank you. Councilor Scott. Councilor Marks.
[Marks]: Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank Councilor Knight for putting this on, um, you know, a true family man, Mr. McGillicuddy. And, uh, another fact about Mr. McGillicuddy for many years in this community, we would have not had local cable community access. if it wasn't for Mr. McGillicuddy. He's the one that was down there running the programs, making sure we had local programming, and was very instrumental in putting out community access for a number of years, among the many other things as Councilor Knight mentioned about his dedication and commitment to this community. I'll miss seeing them both walking down the square hand in hand, Mr. President, but I wish his family and his wife well in this grieving time, Mr. President.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Marks. Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, President Caraviello, and I thank Councilor Knight for bringing this forward. And I think, you know, hearing all my council colleagues talking about Mr. McGillicuddy, and you hear the words like volunteerism, community, family, and that's what he was all about. I grew up with his daughter, Karen, went to high school with her, and she was a fabulous person. And I never knew Mr. McGillicuddy until later on in life, until I got involved in elected politics. And he's someone that you always found helping out, always volunteering, always doing whatever he could do to help. And he will be missed, and thoughts and prayers to him and his family.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Falco. If I could express my own condolences to the family. I know Mr. McGillicuddy for many years and see them every Sunday, him and his wife, walking to Church St. Rayfield. So again, and I think Councilor Scott probably made the big point. People like Mr. McGillicuddy keep passing away and we can do these condolences every week. Who steps up to fill those shoes? for as many years of volunteerism to the community. So, again, you know, and this is what seems to be happening in our community. These men and women of stature in our community are passing away due to aging. Who steps up to fill those giant shoes? So, again, my condolences to the McGillicuddy family. He will be missing the community. Councilor Best, any comment? Let's run. Okay, on the motion by Vice President Knight, seconded by? Second. Seconded by Councilor Falco. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Yes. Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes. Second the affirmative. Motion passes. If we could please have a moment of silence for Mr. McGillicuddy. We have one paper under suspension. Motion by Vice President Knight to suspend the rules, seconded by Councilor Falco. Mr. Clark, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell?
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Scarpelli? Yes.
[Caraviello]: Yes, 7 in favor of the motion passes. Under suspension, 21031 offered by Councilor Marks, be it resolved that former public health director, And Elder Affairs Director Cameron Rose be recognized for being elected Vice President to the Board of Mystic Valley Elder Services. Councilor Marks.
[Marks]: Thank you, Mr. President. And if you can set the record straight, I apologize. This was offered by myself and Councilor Scarpelli. And that was my error, Mr. President. Mystic Valley Elder Services represents 11 communities, including Method, and offers one-stop support for older adults, adults living with disabilities, and their caregivers. The service includes transportation, nutrition, at-home care, health benefits counseling, health aging programs, protective services, services supports thousands of Method residents with programs such as Meals on Wheels and the Trip Metro North program, which provides free transportation to medical appointments, shopping, banking, visiting friends, and other activities for our seniors, Mr. President. Karen Rose was recently elected Vice President and has served on the board since 2011 in a number of capacities, such as the chair of the Board of Oversight, and Planning Committee, and a member of the Board's Executive Finance Committee. Karen served with distinction, Mr. President, for 15 years as the Director of Medford's Public Health Department during difficult times, stepped up and held dual roles as Director of Responsibilities for five years as both Public Health Director and Elder Affairs Director. I've been doing this for a number of years, Mr. President, And I never like to rate people, but Karen was top notch. She truly is, Mr. President. Whatever she did, she did to her fullest. She continues to do to her fullest. She gave this city everything as the head of public health and elder affairs, two very difficult positions, as you can imagine. And she ran them, let me tell you, with the utmost confidence, Mr. President, and not one of those programs ever slacked for a minute while Karen Rose was in charge, Mr. President. You know, you knew when Karen walked in the room, She was very assertive in what she said, but she was also, Mr. President, someone that had a lot of feelings and someone that really cared about people and really cared about what she did in this community. And all too often, I think that gets lost in a lot of translation nowadays. People get more involved with the job and less about the people it impacts. And truly, Karen would be out there during every vaccination for the flu shot, would be out there. The director didn't have to be out there, Mr. President, but she cared about what was going on in this community. She cared about the seniors. You couldn't have a day without seeing Karen at the senior center when they had their many programs over there, Mr. President, and the bingos and everything else. I don't know how she does. She must have had a twin because she divided herself equally Mr. President, with two very taxing responsibilities in this community. And I just want to congratulate her on her election to the Vice President of a very important organization that continues to assist thousands of Method residents in this community, Mr. President. And I would like to send a citation to Karen congratulating her on behalf of her recent election. And also, Mr. President, for her 15 years commitment to the residents of this community, in particular to the seniors of this community, Mr. President. And I wish her well, Mr. President, in her future endeavors. Thank you. Councilor Scott Belli.
[Scarpelli]: Thank you. And again, thank you, Councilor Marks. I think that when you talk about, you've said it all, but I think that while all this was going on, I remember Karen still being a devoted daughter. I mean, I know she went through some difficult times with her dad, and I remember her still working and being the most dedicated employee in this building. And, you know, coming from two cities, I've worked with a lot of department heads in Somerville, a lot of department heads here for a long time, and by far, she will stand out as one of the greatest for the fact that she brought knowledge, she brought dedication, and she brought compassion. I think that's one of the biggest, most important pieces. With everything that she did, every single day, she brought that compassion that really made you feel that Karen was there. Two are probably one of our most neediest communities, because if you look at our seniors, especially, And you see how lonely life can be at times for some. She would always find a way to make sure they were taken care of. And I think that she was a great advocate for our seniors and the position she's in now. I know she'll flourish. I congratulate her and we miss her. And I think that we should all use her. her skills in moving forward in anything we do in our lives, because she was something special here in Medford. So thank you, Councilor Marksley. Appreciate that. And I think that she deserves all our congratulations and kudos. So thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Scott.
[Scarpelli]: Vice President Knight.
[Marks]: Mr. President, thank you very much. Thank you, Councilor Marksley and Councilor Scott Kellogg for putting this on.
[Knight]: I had the pleasure of working with Karen for a number of years while she was here as our health director. And to echo Councilor Marksley's sentiments, She was firm, but very fair and very compassionate. And when Karen was here as a Director of Health and Elder Services, as Councilor Scarpelli mentioned, she was also a very devoted daughter. Karen played the role of caregiver to her father when her father was very ill. And that never got in the way of the work or the job that she did here. And I can't think of a better person to be selected. for Mystic Valley Elder Services to serve as the vice president at the Karen Rose. A true professional, a great department head, someone that I sorely miss seeing around the building and seeing around the community. I haven't seen her as much as I used to because of everything that's going on. But I'll tell you this, I feel better knowing that Karen Rose is on the board of directors and that she's a vice president over there where I have two aging parents that are in this community and I know that there's somebody over there that's making decisions that's going to be sure that they put people first, not the dollar. And Karen Rose is that person. So thank you very much to my council colleagues for putting this on and congratulations to Karen because she's a great person. And this is truly nothing more than a reflections of all the hard work, dedication, dedication and action that she's put in over the past 30 years as a nurse.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, vice president. Uh, Councilor Felkel.
[Falco]: Thank you, President Calvi. I want to thank Councilor Marks for bringing this forward. And I basically agree with all the comments that my council colleagues have made. You're not going to find a better person than Karen. Fabulous, does a great job, very knowledgeable. So I just want to say congratulations and wish her well. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Falcon. If I could echo my own sentiments, I knew Karen before I was a city councilor, and again, great person, good daughter. You see her all the time out with her dad after dinner, several nights a week. She did an outstanding job as our health director here, and I think to come, she was fair, and hardworking, and again, I think this is a great asset for Mississippi Valley Elder Service to have a person like Karen on their board. So again, I congratulate Karen, and I know she'll continue to do great work in the city, and for our seniors, so thank you. On the motion by Councilor Marks and Councilor Scarpelli. Second. Seconded by Councilor Knight. that we send a council commendation also to Karen for her years of dedication to the city of Medford. On the motion by Councilor Marks and Councilor Scarpelli, seconded by Councilor Knight. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll. Councilor Bears?
[Hurtubise]: Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Yes. Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Yes. Councilor Scarpelli?
[Caraviello]: Yes. Yes, 70 affirmative motion passes. Motion by Councilor Knight to revert back to regular business. Second by Councilor Falco. Second. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears. Yes. Councilor Falco. Yes. Vice President Knight. Councilor Marks. Yes. Councilor Morell. Yes. Yes. Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. President Caraviello.
[Caraviello]: Yes. 70 affirmative motion passes. Reports of committee 20568 January 13, 2021 committee of the committee of the whole report. Um, this is a committee whole report that we, uh, had, uh, last week with, uh, our zoning, uh, consultant, uh, attorney Burbowski. And we'll be meeting again with him next week. He provided, he sent us out a first draft. We, we, after two hours, we made a lot of questions and hopefully we'll make more progress with this next week. So on the motion to accept the report, Councilor Falco, seconded by Councilor Scarpelli. Mr. Clark, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco?
[Falco]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Vice president night.
[Falco]: He stepped away.
[Hurtubise]: Okay. Uh, Councilor Marks.
[Falco]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Morell.
[Falco]: Yes.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Scarpelli. Yes. President carry yellow.
[Caraviello]: Yes. Six in the affirmative. One absent, one absent. Motion passes. Uh, do we have anybody that wants to speak in public participation?
[Scarpelli]: Mr. President, before we get to the records, okay? No, no, no, no, please. Hearing and seeing none, Councilor Scarpelli. If I can, I know I got a phone, I had a phone call from a concerned resident that sorry, confusing social media posts that stated that the council voting against the eviction moratorium. I just want to set the record straight, whether it's social media, other city Councilors, that's not the privy of the city council. We've gone to subcommittee. We've, what we've, this is something that has come from the executive order from the mayor. If with that, as I told the citizen, if we can ask the mayor to give us an update where they are on this executive order that's coming for them about the eviction moratorium and make sure the public understands that this is not a city council. This wasn't driven by the city council because they don't care about people that are getting kicked out of their houses and being left homeless. That's the furthest from the case. So if we can, can we just get an update from the mayor, that'd be appreciated. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Mr. President. Councilor Falco.
[Falco]: Thank you, Mr. President. And if I just may add before we end this meeting, I know we talked about this a little bit in committee the whole earlier tonight. Just a big thank you to the Human Rights Commission for organizing the King Day event yesterday. It was a great event, very informative, great speakers, and I just want to thank them for putting that together. So thank you. And I know a lot of my colleagues were on the line as well listening to that. in watching it on Facebook, so thank you.
[Bears]: Thank you. Councilor Bears. Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to let residents and Councilor Scarpelli know we will be having a subcommittee on elderly and housing affairs next Wednesday, the 27th, to get an update from the mayor on the eviction moratorium and where the mayor's office is. Yes, Councilor Scarpelli is correct, the mayor is the person who could issue this order. Thank you.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Bears. Councilors, if you can contact me after the meeting in regards to a potential conflict with that meeting. Okay, I appreciate it.
[Morell]: Mr. President.
[Caraviello]: Councilor Morell.
[Morell]: If I could, I just wanted to share that the commission on parking policy and enforcement is holding two public meetings with the intention to learn more about the mission of the commission, their ongoing work, and to provide feedback on current parking policies. There'll be one morning and one evening. The first one is a morning one. It is on Thursday, the 21st at 9 a.m. The Zoom link for it can be found on the city website. It's at medfordma.org slash boards slash parking dash policy. I can put it on Facebook as well, but it should be easy to find on the city website.
[Caraviello]: Thank you, Councilor Morell. We're past two. Councilor Scott Peli. Councilor Scott Peli, how did you find those records? I found the papers in order and moved approval. On the motion by Councilor Scott Peli to move the records, seconded by Councilor Falco. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Yes. Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Yes. Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes. Motion passes. Motion to adjourn by Councilor Falco, seconded by Councilor Scarpelli. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Hurtubise]: Councilor Bears? Yes. Councilor Falco? Yes. Vice President Knight? Yes. Councilor Marks? Yes. Councilor Morell? Yes. Councilor Scarpelli? Yes. President Caraviello?
[Caraviello]: Yes. Seven in the affirmative, motion passes, meeting adjourned. Everyone have a good evening. You too.
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