[Fred Dello Russo]: The June 16th regular meeting of the Medford City Council, the 22nd regular meeting of the Medford City Council will come to order. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
[Clerk]: Councilor Camuso. Present. Councilor Caraviello. Present. Councilor Knight. Present. Vice President Lungo-Koehn. Present. Councilor Moniz. Present. Councilor Penta. Present. President Dello Russo.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Present. Seven present, none absent. Please rise to salute the slat.
[Unidentified]: 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.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Mr. President. Mr. Councilor Camuso.
[Paul Camuso]: I'd like to move suspension of the rules to take paper number 15-541.
[Fred Dello Russo]: On motion of Councilor Camuso to take paper 15-541 out of order. All those in favor? All those opposed? Communications from the Mayor, 15541, to the Honorable President and members of the Medford City Council, City Hall, Medford Mass, dear Mr. President and city councilors. I respectfully request and recommend that your honorable body approve the following end of year transfers for fiscal year 2015 from executive legal $20,000 from financial, $10,000. Financial salaries, $18,000. Data processing services, $14,400. Clerk dues, $3,000. Registration salaries, $15,000. Fire salaries, $163,000. Street lights, $93,000. Engineering salaries, $15,000. Highway sidewalks, $75,000. Highway salaries, $80,000. And park supplies, $6,000. From health salaries, $20,000. Council on aging services, $9,000. Council on aging salaries, $5,000. Veteran salaries, $25,000. Veteran services, $7,900. Historical commission, $5,000. Debt service, $62,900. Work comp benefits, $275,000. Group health insurance, $102,000. Unemployment, $66,000. Taking a total surplus of $1,080,200 to $730,000 to executive salaries. $1,200 to assessor salaries. $12,000 to law claims. 100 to registration data processing, 7,500 to building repairs and maintenance, 270,000 to police salaries, 140,000, 1,400 electrical salaries, 50,000 park salaries, 23,000 forestry salaries, 8,500 Chevalier maintenance, 60,000 pensions non-contributory, and 10,000 pensions contributory Additionally to $132,000 to insurance Medicare, $32,000 to insurance liability, $473,200 to snow and ice over time for a total transfer of $1,088,200. Madam Vice President. I'm not sure. Thank you, President De La Ruza. I was going to ask a question after maybe this is
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: if anybody's here to explain this in a little more detail.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Ms. Miller is here to explain it all to us. Did I read it clearly enough?
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: You did a great job. Thank you. My specific question, I guess, is not only all the salaries, but park salaries. Is that the Parks Department and DPW? Yes, it is. I understand why the transfers have to take place at the end of the year, but with regards to the salaries, How are we off in the budget by $50,000 with regards to the park salaries? The overtime? Oh, OK, gotcha. So is that going to the salaries account, or is it going to go to the certain line item? No, it just goes to the salary line. The salary line item? Yep. Why wouldn't it go to the overtime line item?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: We could do that if you prefer. They're all combined when we read the bottom line. The salaries are all combined, so we just use that as a shorthand.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: I don't know if my colleagues would prefer that, but I probably would prefer that anything that has to do with overtime in these transfers be designated. As overtime? As such, yeah.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: OK, so in that case, forestry salary is overtime. Park salary is overtime. And the police salary is also overtime. and the police. Yeah.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Yeah. I mean, we'll, we can talk about it. We'll talk about it more. I'm sure next week when we discuss the entire budget after our budget hearings, but that's one thing that I have a problem with just the under budgeted, um, overtime salaries within the certain departments. So if I could just make that request, I think it will help us better understand for, you know, budget seasons to come.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So the request was,
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: to designate this transfer, not just to the salary account, but the parks, forestry, and the police line items, that it be actually put into the overtime account, transferred into the overtime account.
[Fred Dello Russo]: In the future, that these transfers be indicated when they're going to overtime payment to salaries of particular departments, that it be indicated as such that it's overtime payment For instance, to illustrate, on the police salaries, $270,000, that's going into police overtime, if I'm correct.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Fred Dello Russo]: And one could probably assume, since we had the toughest winter since the flood of NOAA, we are, had a lot of police working overtime.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Yes, yes, that is correct. So you understand that, Ed? So just, it should be just to a different line item. If anybody else has questions, I can. I'll yield until I find those line items specifically. Thank you.
[Robert Penta]: Council Penta. Louise, you have $7,300 here for executive salaries.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Who are those? Those were, that was to actually cover my salary now because I am appearing in the executive budget and the former budget director when Shelef was entitled to certain compensation that continued to come out of that salary line.
[Robert Penta]: So you mean getting paid for sick and vacation time?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, those benefits.
[Robert Penta]: Okay. And then let's go down here to debt service of $62,900.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That's a surplus.
[Robert Penta]: Pardon me?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is a surplus in debt service.
[Robert Penta]: So, in other words, under debt service, the estimates were over? They overestimated?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct. Part of the debt service is an estimate of what might be needed in the next year for short-term notes, and those came in under for this fiscal year.
[Robert Penta]: And under Workman's Comp, as we heard tonight, we have a $276,000 surplus. Correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Correct. And as I understand it, that's an unusually low amount. There are, have been years where additional funds have been needed for workers comp and other years where there has been a surplus.
[Robert Penta]: Okay. Now we just reviewed tonight's health budget and it's an increase of almost $700,000, but now group health insurance, we're transferring $102,000 from apparently last year's, uh, What I don't understand, if this is all coming under GIC, this is a huge shift in payments here. You're saving $102,000 in one year, and you're going to increase of $700,000. Anyone who's on GIC needs to understand that the Patrick administration left office $192 million with Group Insurance Commission in debt because they didn't fund it for the last three years. So cities and towns now had to pick that up. when there were 50 cities and towns. Now there are 60 cities and towns. That's 10 more cities and towns than when they first started out with, or before Medford even jumped on board. That's more members, that's more payments, and now the fees are going up. I believe the legislature bailed out the $192,000. And I just don't understand why cities and towns such as ourselves are gonna have to pay for this increase that we were told before by going to GIC, members that are in GIC, over time would have a reduction in rate, and the city of Medford would save over the next five and a half, six years approximately $24 million in insurance claims. I just think this is very confusing to the individual rate payer who might be an employee. But I just think it's really unfair that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts would be doing this, because all it looks like it's another way of beating around a state budget, especially that deals with cities and towns. And when you're asking cities and towns to be involved, it's like asking the taxpayers in the city. You have a seven and a half million dollar surplus in your water and sewer account, but we're going to raise your rates. This is a complete reverse. Here you are with 50 cities and towns hoping to get lower rates and they don't fund it and they don't fund it for the last three years. I just think that's a public comment that I'd like to make. You're taking $80,000 out of highway salaries. This is really a tough one to deal with. We just got through building a $14 million building and we've been asking for more people, more personnel and more supplies, more equipment. I just don't understand why we're, why weren't the individuals hired?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Um, this actually reflects a vacancy or a part-time vacancy in the DPW commissioner position. We have an acting commissioner right now. who can only be paid a certain salary under retirement benefit rules. So that is part of the $80,000. The balance of it is a small amount of overtime in the highway division.
[Robert Penta]: So who is that person?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: The acting commissioner, Paul Geer.
[Robert Penta]: This is part of his salary?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Yes, it is.
[Robert Penta]: Which ends as of June 30th. because this is a June 30th ending budget, correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Robert Penta]: But he is staying on until January 1st of next year.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: As I understand it, that is correct.
[Robert Penta]: And he will be paid once again as an acting commissioner?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Robert Penta]: At a rate of, I believe, 975 hours per year, because that's all I think he's allowed to work.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: 960 hours per year, yes.
[Robert Penta]: 960, whatever the number is.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Yep, yep.
[Robert Penta]: OK. And engineering salaries, it's another $15,000. Why is that?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: One of the engineering aides passed away earlier this year.
[Robert Penta]: Louise, you were there the night when the engineering office was, um, came down to us and, um, I'm looking at, I think our city engineer had asked her approximately 30 to $40,000 for some simple upgrades, like maybe a new telephone because they're sharing four people share one phone, a new desk and new file cabinets. I think that would be more appropriate. to have that being transferred over here, then the ridiculousness of saying we might have to go out and bond for that, as was said that night, that's complete insanity.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: So I don't think we're going to propose bonding for those items.
[Robert Penta]: No, I would hope not, because that's what was mentioned that night. And I don't understand why there is no way that that $40,000, $30,000, $40,000 cannot be found and just put into the transfer account to take care of that, because I just don't understand. You talk about snow removal over here of a $473,000 item. How much did the state give us, and is there still a balance left in the snow account?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: There is. If I could first address, there is a surplus right now in the engineering expenses budget, and the city engineer is going to be purchasing one of the items that she had mentioned at your meeting, the AutoCAD. through that surplus and she's getting estimates on what some of the other items might be, but we don't have a firm number on what those would be or frankly what the procurement is that we might have to follow. We may have to go for a request for proposals on some of those items. But the snow and ice, I have the totals here. The total expended for salaries was $695,178. which means that we're over budget by $620,104. On the expense for snow and ice, the total that we expended was $1,634,180. And the overage is $1,461,229, which brings us approximately to $2,080,000. $1,000 snow and ice deficit with some extra dollars. I just rounded.
[Robert Penta]: So are you saying that this transfer of $473,200 to the snow and ice overtime budget account makes us even or not? Or is this still a balance?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: It will reduce the total snow and ice deficit to approximately $1.6 million.
[Robert Penta]: So we're still behind 1.6. Yep.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct. And then you had asked about the FEMA reimbursement. We just received a communication today from FEMA. We had had difficulty, as I had explained to the council, with the FEMA worksheets. So we'll be able to enter those. And my anticipation is that we will receive approximately $400,000, hopefully a little bit more. But right now, that's my anticipation, which would bring the snow and ice deficit down to approximately $1.2 million.
[Robert Penta]: I believe last year they were allowed to carry over that budget deficit for one year.
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Robert Penta]: Okay. Now, if we're going to have this $1.4 million starting off this next fiscal year, I would assume that the budget is inaccurate that's being proposed to us right now because we already have a budget deficit to deal with.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Well, I anticipate that the mayor will probably be submitting more papers to the council as he continues to work to lower that budget deficit in the coming weeks.
[Robert Penta]: Well, for years, I think all the councils in our own way have been saying that the snow and ice, the budget account, it's really not an accurate number because each and every year it just goes way over that particular number. And we're into the position we're on right now. We have to transfer in this particular case. So, Really, once again, if anyone were to look at that, the assumption would be that you're transferring from A to B that's going to balance it out. But it really, this Snow and Ice overtime account does not get balanced out. It's just a reduction to the dollar amount. So my question to you is, of all these transfers, how many of these people, how many of these transfers represent the same issue? I mean, it's just, it's not a complete reduction. It's just helping to lower it.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: No, for all the other items, it's a complete reduction.
[Robert Penta]: It's a complete reduction. Yes, it is. So snow and ice is the only one?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Snow and ice is the only deficit item. And it's the only item that the state allows us to spend a deficit.
[Robert Penta]: OK. But that right now is only for one more year, which is this year. So as of next year, there is no way you can carry that over. You're going to have to maintain. You're going to have to balance that out one way or the other.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Robert Penta]: OK. Thank you.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Councilor Knight? Do we have a motion? Motion for approval by Councilor Camuso. Councilor Penta on that motion.
[Robert Penta]: On that motion. Um, Louise, let's go back to the veteran services again, please.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Yes.
[Robert Penta]: We have salaries at 25,000 and then we have services at 7,000. So they're giving up approximately, um, $33,000. Now is the $25,000 for the secretary that was in the office?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Robert Penta]: But I thought they hired somebody.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: They did, but there was a vacancy period.
[Robert Penta]: So for how long was that vacancy there that generated this kind of money?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: It was for at least six or eight months.
[Robert Penta]: Six or eight weeks? Months. Oh, months. I'm sorry.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Actually, it had to have been more than six months. It was probably closer to eight months.
[Robert Penta]: OK. And then when we talk about veteran services, $7,900, that's an awful lot of money because there were a lot of veterans looking For services, so what type of services were cut?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: I actually asked the same question. They weren't cut services. We simply paid less for certain things, such as flowers and flags. These were not a cut of any services.
[Robert Penta]: So if they're not services, they look like they're items or veterans. Why does it come under service account?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: I can't answer that question.
[Robert Penta]: OK. All right. And jumping up to the last one, highway and sidewalks, $75,000. I mean, we are just so far behind on sidewalks right now. Why are we taking money out of that account?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: For the sidewalks, it's actually both highway and sidewalks. So the first thing is the state has reimbursed us, or will be reimbursing us, for some of the supplies. that we normally would purchase to fill potholes. And we didn't need to expend them out of the budget. And our employees can only do so much work within a certain period of time, and the state required that we spend the money by June 30th.
[Robert Penta]: That's $140,000, I believe.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: It was $143,000. And we have prepared a spreadsheet for the council, which the council should get shortly, that shows how The $143,000 is being expended. So that's part of it. And then the other part with the sidewalks is, again, it was a bad winter. Our sidewalk contractor is just starting to work now. And we will not be able to expend all of those funds by June 30th, which is what the operating budget requires.
[Robert Penta]: So on this particular item, if that money is not expended, is that an allowable expenditure to be carried over to the next year?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: nothing in the operating budget may be carried over to the next year.
[Robert Penta]: Okay, so this technically could revert back to the general fund, correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: It could revert back to free cash.
[Robert Penta]: And if it reverts back to free cash, to general fund, that $75,000 could be used for this year's budget rather than having it transferred to someone else.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: It could be, but again, a large part of the transfers to the snow and ice deficit. So, It seemed prudent to expend those funds to the snow and ice deficit.
[Robert Penta]: I hear what you're saying. But when you walk around this city, as I have each and every day, and you see the streets, and you see the sidewalks, and you hear about the complaints, and you hear about people calling City Hall, and they don't get any responses back, and you see the potholes, and you see the crevices in the streets, and the islands, and everything, to have that money transferred back into snow and ice, I would rather have the mayor figure out where to get the money for snow and ice, because this is an immediate problem that needs to be addressed. between front ends and rear ends and people falling down and hurting their ankles. The other day I saw a lady with a wheel carriage try to negotiate a contract and then go out into the street and she got stuck with the wheel carriage in the middle of the street with the baby and the guy across the street had to come over and help her lift her up. These are just things. This is what's really a concern here in the city of Medford. A, no response to these type of issues, but more importantly to have this transfer go into a snow and ice account that's already going to be a million, $400,000 in debt. $75,000 is just a drop in the bucket for snow and ice, but $75,000 can go a long way for sidewalks and streets and curbs. So I'm going to recommend, Mr. President, that this $75,000 be not transferred from the from to the choose, but it reverts back to free cash and that be put back into the highway department for sidewalks immediately. We have a motion for approval, Councilor Penta. Okay.
[Adam Knight]: Councilor Knight. Ms. Miller, with the approval of these transfers, with the exception of the Snow and Ice account, would it balance the FY15 budget?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Yes, it would.
[Adam Knight]: Thank you.
[Fred Dello Russo]: On the motion of Councilor Camuso for approval.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: As amended.
[Fred Dello Russo]: No, as amended. Was that an amendment? Yes. What was your amendment?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Herman was the salary line. The overtime identification.
[Robert Penta]: There's two amendments.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Oh, with the amendment of council law in current for the overtime clarification and explanation, if I could.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: know if we could just change it to, instead of transferring it to the park salary, forestry salary, police salaries, that we actually are transferring the money where it needs to go, which is the parks, forestry, police overtime line item 5130.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So it'd be clarified as an overtime item.
[Robert Penta]: And your amendment, Councilor Penta, was? Is under highway salaries, 010-422-5250 for $75,000. be transferred back to free cash. And I'll tell you the reason why, because I believe it has no consequential position in this budget, because Ms. Miller just indicated, even by putting $473,200, it still doesn't bring in a balance to the budget, and you're going to have a residue of $1,400,000 left to pay in the snow and ice account. So I'm taking it out of here and transferring it to free cash. It's as amended. So it's amended. Yeah. So it's amended.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Explain one more time.
[Robert Penta]: Okay. This is, let me explain it again. One more time. One more time. You can have a motion for approval, but I'm amending the motion for approval to just divert one of the subject matters because as Council Knight just asked the question, exclusive of the snow and ice account, does this balance out the budget? And you said yes, correct? And I'm saying take the $75,000, which I believe is part of making this budget balance, supposedly, and instead of putting it to the balance of the budget, just add that. It's going to be added to the snow and ice account, which has a balance of $1,461,000. It's just a drop. So that 75 can go into free cash and automatically just find its way right back to the highway department. So these sidewalks and streets and curbs and roadways can get immediate attention.
[Adam Knight]: Councilor Knight. Ms. Miller, if the money stays in the account, it doesn't go into free cash until it gets certified. So that would have to happen after June 30th, correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Adam Knight]: So we'd have to wait for the funding that was surplus funding at the end of the fiscal year to be certified. And then once that free cash is certified, then it could be used again as an expenditure. What you're telling me is that if we transfer these funds now, The reason that they're not being expended is because of the bad winter and the fact that a sideway contractor hasn't started yet. So if we transfer these funds now, are these funds going to go back into a sidewalk account? No, right? They're going to go towards the snow and ice removal, correct?
[Unidentified]: That is correct.
[Adam Knight]: Now, can you explain to me a little bit about the snow and ice removal and the way that they're budgeted? Because it's my understanding that if you budget X amount for fiscal year 15, you can't budget less than that in fiscal year 16, correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct. The snow and ice budget must at least meet the appropriation of the prior fiscal year. Otherwise the city will not be allowed to deficit spend. That's a requirement of deficit spending. It was $75,000 for overtime and it was, I'm calculating this quickly in my head, um, 100 and it looks like 80 or 70,000, $170,000 for expenses.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Councilor Marks has the floor next. I yield, Mr. President.
[Robert Penta]: Councilor Penta. So you're saying that the $170,000 that's earmarked for the snow and ice, the $70,000 is for the overtime, $170,000, that has to be the minimum for the next year?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Robert Penta]: And this year, we just got through spending $1,600,000. And all I'm saying is take the $75,000 throw that back into free cash, which is for this year. And yes, it will be once it's recertified the 1st of July, you can pull that $75,000 right out right away and just add that over and beyond that for which the highway department has its budget right now for sidewalks. They're going to get an additional $75,000 just because you didn't expend it now. That doesn't mean you can't expend it after July 1st. This is a desperate need in this community for these streets and sidewalks. In this no way, by putting $75,000 into the budget, is this going to make a hill of beans on a $1,634,000 deficit? Mr. President? Councilor?
[Paul Camuso]: I don't know why we're making this so hard. Why don't we approve it as it is, and just ask the mayor to appropriate $75,000 from the free cash that we have right now, and it will be over with. This is very basic stuff. Yes. And it accomplishes the same exact goal legally because the way it was presented, you can't do it because it's not going to be certified till the end of the fiscal year. And furthermore, that's when you can do it as of. By the time the division of local services get back to us, it may not be certified as certified free cash until October or November. correct? That is correct. This is basic stuff. Uh, I would like to make a recommendation that, uh, any requests for funding to the streets and sidewalks, which are in desperate need of repair, uh, is made, uh, to the mayor, um, to come back to this council for approval of taking out of certified free cash that we currently have. Therefore, we don't have to wait, uh, until this is, this is very simple, a mass municipal finance law. I'd like to make that motion.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So that's an amendment to the main motion. Councilor Mark. That's no different than what I,
[Michael Marks]: Thank you, Mr. President. And my council colleague, Councilor Penta, brings up a very valid point about the streets that need to be repaired. And I don't know about my council colleagues, but I'm receiving a lot of emails and phone calls regarding potholes throughout the community. I think our DPW has done a terrific job with the resources they have. However, I, too, would not agree with $75,000 being moved out of the highway and sidewalk account I realize we had a tough winter, but it is June now, and the winter's been over for many, many months now. And I don't see that as an excuse why we weren't able to expend some of this money to address some of the needs that we have with the potholes throughout the community. The other question I have is regarding the transferring of 93,000 from streetlights. And if you look at, Louise, if you have — I don't know if you have a copy of the budget in front of you, appropriation for FY14 for streetlights was $651,700. For FY15, it was $782,040. And you're telling me that we have $93,000 that we're not going to expend in that account that we could transfer, which would bring that down to $689,000 for FY15. And then in FY16, the administration's asking for $782,000 again. So why would we be transferring $93,000 this year and then next year anticipate the full amount again? I don't understand that.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: This is the utilities account, so this is the actual cost of electricity for the streetlights. So when we were putting together the projections a year ago, they were based up on a certain price for electricity. In the meantime, we had renegotiated the contract, and we're able to have some savings over what we had anticipated initially for our electrical costs. We have now locked in the rate for, I think, through September of this year, and then we will be negotiating a new contract. So it's in anticipation of the negotiation of the new contract. Electric rates have gone up, and we anticipate that they will go up in the next fiscal year.
[Michael Marks]: And why are we waiting so long to lock in a rate? You said they end September.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: Yes.
[Michael Marks]: What leverage do we have by trying to negotiate now when our contract ends in September?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: We have a contractor who actually handles the bids for us through the Environment and Energy Office, and they're guiding us as to the right time to go out to bid and the number of bids to receive. So right now, I don't know where we are with that process. I can certainly find out where we are with that process and get you an answer.
[Michael Marks]: It seems to me in the negotiation process, the right time went be to go out a month before your contract's up, because then you have no leverage. So I'm not sure who's advising, but it doesn't make much sense to me to wait until the last minute to enter into a contract.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: We can certainly find out what the reasoning is.
[Michael Marks]: Right. And furthermore, I mean, to keep that $93,000 or a little over $93,000 in the account, I believe is overestimating what the potential could be. And that's just another wear in the budget that we're going to see an account that has an additional 50, 100, $150,000. And this council has mentioned on many occasions that we want to see a realistic budget. And I realize everything's not etched in stone, but this seems to me a lot of wiggle room when you start going through the budget in different accounts. And that's why I requested that we see a copy of the up-to-date expenditure after each of these line items, which helps me draw a picture of whether or not these accounts are being settled or whether or not we're transferring out of each account. And I've yet to receive that, but we've asked that last year. I know you weren't budget director last year, but this year we asked again. So, I would just agree with my council colleague, Councilor Penter, with the needs that we have on our streets currently. You know, I drop my kids off at the high school in the morning on Winthrop Street. There are literally gullies when you take the right up to go up to the high school, that if you have a small car, your car can actually go into one of these gullies. That's how deep it is. It really is troubling in that particular area. But that's throughout the entire city. And I'm not quite sure why this money hasn't been expended to use it what it's intended for, which would be sidewalk defects, potholes, I don't think we can go based on a tough winter. We're already several months after the winter. The weather's been beautiful to fill potholes. So I can't agree with that. I would support Councilor Penta's recommendation for the highway and sidewalks for the 75,000.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you, Councilor Marks. So we have a motion of approval from Councilor Camuso as amended by Councilor Severn. There. So a motion to sever which? Sever the main motion for approval, the amendment of Councilor Penta be severed. So on that motion to sever, Councilor Penta.
[Robert Penta]: Let's be clear on this. My motion is now being severed. The $75,000 is to take it out of the transferring from this particular highway account to be used to balance a budget that also It's really still not balanced, because the snow and ice is not up to par. But by taking this and referring it to Free Cash, we don't have to wait for certification. It'll go to Free Cash, and immediately, that's $75,000. Point of information, Councilor Camuso.
[Paul Camuso]: That's totally incorrect. It will not go to free cash. It will become free cash if we get to the end of this budget year and there is a positive balance in that account, and then it is certified by the Department of Revenue. Is that correct? That is correct. There's no other way to do it. There's no other way to do it. This is very basic mass municipal finance.
[Robert Penta]: Mr. President, may I please finish?
[Paul Camuso]: You can finish, but tell the truth.
[Fred Dello Russo]: I don't know what you're talking about. Thank you. You've made your point of information. Councilor Penta.
[Robert Penta]: The $75,000 is very easy to understand. You just put it into the account now, and you can take it out. And when you want to wait for the recertification to come in, the $75,000 can be recertified. But at least it's there right now, and it can be expended right now. This $75,000 becomes part of the free cash. What do we have? $6.5 million or thereabouts in free cash? I believe that is correct. Thank you. With $6.5 million in free cash, I'm not about to take $75,000 to try to balance a budget that should have been balanced properly and worry about $75,000 that should be going to sidewalks. So you take the $75,000, you transfer it back to the at-present free cash account, and you're just right to check out now, so to speak, and start it right back into the highway department and add to their budget by $75,000. The point of clarification, Madam Vice President.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Another way then, thank you. President Dello Russo, another way to do it then is to leave it in highways and sidewalks and ask them to expend it to fill potholes and work on our streets rather than even dealing with certified free cash.
[Paul Camuso]: And that was Councilor Camuso's motion. That's what I asked to do. And if we needed additional money to pull it out of certified free cash, what the council is asking to do cannot be done. It cannot be done. And the louder we get isn't going to make it to be able to be done. It's not the case. It can't be done. The budget director right here, that's an attorney, just explained to us that it can't be done the way he's presenting it. And I'm not here to be confrontational. I just, I want to do it the right way.
[Robert Penta]: To be perfectly clear, tell me if I'm right or wrong, all right, Louise? Okay. If this money, whatever this money is, goes into the free cash account right now. It can't!
[Paul Camuso]: Whatever.
[Robert Penta]: You don't want to be the mayor?
[Paul Camuso]: Come on, come on. It's frustrating.
[Robert Penta]: It's very frustrating if this money gets transferred into the free cash account rather than to balance the budget now We could take any one of these forget this one We could take any one of these items and make the request to have it transferred into free cash, correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: We can't take these items and transfer them to free cash today. What we do is we let the year the fiscal year close out We then have a positive balance. We have a surplus that surplus gets a certified by DOR as free cash.
[Robert Penta]: And whatever these dollars amounts might be, if in fact we have right now for free cash, we can write a check right now from our free cash account, correct?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Robert Penta]: Thank you. And that's what I said in the right... No, you didn't say it.
[Paul Camuso]: You didn't say it.
[Robert Penta]: I just did. You didn't listen. No, you didn't.
[Paul Camuso]: You didn't. You didn't, Robert. Watch the tape.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: If I may, the reason the $75,000 is here is because it is June 16th right now. We do have contracts for road work, pothole work, sidewalk work. Those contractors are already working with prior appropriations from the council, so it This is an impossibility for us to spend it within the time frame that we have. That is why that money is here. Not because we don't want to spend it, not because there are no plans to spend it. We have contractors out working right now. It simply is the time period that's an issue.
[Michael Marks]: Point of information, Councilor Morris. No one instructed the administration to leave this in the account two weeks before the fiscal year ends. So these potholes could have been done. Private contracting could have been hired. months and months ago. So, to sit back and say we can't possibly expend this money because of the timeframe is only a lack of leadership from the administration. That's all it boils down to. These potholes have existed since February and March. So, I'm not sold on the fact. I don't have a problem leaving it in an account and having it roll over. I have no problem doing it that way. I think we accomplish the same thing. I don't think we should be making excuses why this money couldn't be expended. Because this money, believe me, could have been expended immediately. And this is 75,000 wouldn't even cover a majority of the potholes that currently exist on our streets alone. Forget about sidewalk defects. That wouldn't go towards anything, to be quite honest with you. I'm just looking at the calls that I'm receiving. You know, people saying, who's going to pay for my front end? Who's going to pay for my bent rims on my car? Who's going to pay for all the damage that's being done just going down the streets, just taking a ride around the community. And, you know, to have money in the account left over is really a shame. And I think it speaks volumes regarding the leadership in this building, or I should say the lack of leadership when it comes to addressing issues in this community. And it seems like the current administration is just sailing until January, and that's a shame. Thank you.
[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you, Mr. President. Councilor Marks is correct. This money should have been spent some time ago and to wait until this last second. Again, it's not your fault, Louise, but these problems have been here a while. They should have been spent. I mean, just today I got a call from somebody on Commercial Street. They drove their car into a pothole and broke their axle. I got another person on the corner of Bedwood and Bennett Street that's had a sidewalk that's That's been in disrepair for three years that they've been looking to get fixed. I mean, I'm sure we could have hired more than one contractor months ago to get started spending. I mean, spending money shouldn't be a problem. I mean, there's plenty of guys out there looking to work, especially on potholes. I mean, the 75 doesn't really go that far.
[Paul Camuso]: That's true. Councilor Camuso. Thank you, Mr. President. And I have to agree with my colleague, Councilor Marks. If this was being transferred for maybe other DPW accounts, it would make it a little bit more palatable, but given the condition of the roadways and everything else, now I obviously realize that this $75,000 and the other $80,000 that is in the account is going to be used to pay for police overtime and other services that were actually already given and rendered. So, I mean, I understand that, but just like Councilor Marksley said, given the state of the repairs in the community, I would have liked to have seen the DPW have made it a priority to spend this money, even if it gave relief to just a couple areas of our community. But like I said, move approval, Mr. President. And motion to sever.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So there's a motion for approval and to sever. Councilor Knight.
[Adam Knight]: Ms. Miller, how many other accounts have a surplus in them at this point in time? Is this the whole list?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: This is the list as of right now. I do anticipate that once we get all the utility bills, there may be some small surpluses in some of the other utility bills, utility accounts. What's small? $20,000 total, $25,000. So there's a potential for a $20,000 to $25,000.
[Adam Knight]: surplus which would be transferred to certified free cash at the end of the fiscal year provided that this $20,000 to $25,000 would be remaining funds from the payment of utility bills that haven't come in at this point in time?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Adam Knight]: Okay. Thank you.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you, Councilor Knight. So on the motion for approval by Councilor Camuso, Councilor Camuso also has a motion to sever. Councilor Camuso.
[Paul Camuso]: If I could, the amendment that was presented to write a check for the $75,000 was just answered by the budget director that it cannot be done the way it's presented. So if the gentleman's willing to remove that, otherwise I'm going to request a roll call vote because the question was asked and we did receive an answer. To transfer. Just a motion for approval on the paper. No, my motion was to ask the mayor to come back with another paper requesting money out of certified free cash that was certified 2014 last year. Mr. President, I'd be. Well, if you leave it under the account, it's not going to be certified until October and November of this year.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: I would be.
[Robert Penta]: I'd be willing to withdraw my motion and to leave the $75,000 in the account so it doesn't become part of this transfer.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Madam Vice President.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. Thank you, President Dello Russo. And if we can specify on that that we'd like, I mean, I think you don't necessarily need to put anything out to bid. Our men and women of the DPW have been, you see them all over the place, Phil and pot holes. They can just get some more materials and, you know, work hard like they've been doing. I think 75,000 will go a very long way to repair some of our roads and our, you know, our streets. It's everywhere. You know, they're doing a good job, but we need more of it. So I think the, I agree with Council Penter and Council Marks, we need to keep that 75,000 in the account and hopefully expend it within the, you know, within the summer months, even if they have to go and fill pot holes to the next couple of months, I think it needs to stay.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Very good.
[Paul Camuso]: So on the motion. And I'm still asking for the severance due to the fact that $75,000 is going to pay for some of the other items on here. Police salaries, which is currently in the arrears for $270,000. So it's there. That's why I think the cleaner way to do it would be requesting the mayor to certify free cash to do the potholes, which he could do like this if he wanted to.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So on the main motion for approval, amended by Councilor Lungo-Koehn for the clarifications. The issue of amendment of Councilor Penta has been withdrawn, but amended to a change to leave the money in the account. Motion to sever. And then we have a motion to sever from Councilor Camuso. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[Clerk]: You're voting against the paper in essence, right?
[Fred Dello Russo]: It's a positive. It's a positive amendment that, uh, on account 0 1 0 4 2 5 2 5 0 strike the $75,000 be stricken from the motion. Yes.
[Richard Caraviello]: Councilor Caffiello. We only have two weeks to spend the $75,000. That's correct.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: That is correct.
[Richard Caraviello]: And that's, and are we going to be able to do that?
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: We will not be able to expend the full $75,000. No. I think you can fill plot holes. We don't. I'm sorry? But they can spend it. If we are buying materials.
[Robert Penta]: You can buy the materials, Elise.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: $75,000 of materials is a very large amount of asphalt. Contract it out. Contract it out. Anything over $10,000 has to bid. It would take at least four weeks before we were able to advertise bid and get a bidder.
[Robert Penta]: I believe this money from the state allowed cities and towns to make whatever the expenditures needed to be to be expended by June 30th. All they have to do is have a contract in hand.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: We do have the contract in place. The contractor has started working on the potholes. The bid was for the amount that the state had given us. It was not for additional amounts. So the city would have to go out to bid again if that were the case.
[Robert Penta]: They could get another contractor. As long as they have a contractor in hand, whether the work gets done July or August, the money is expended.
[Paul Camuso]: Mr. President, I know that sounds good, but according to mass procurement law, Councilor Penta wants to spend the money in July and August, and we can't. Services have to be rendered by June 30th. That's state procurement law, correct, Louise? That is correct. So July and August is not an option. June 30th, the services need to be rendered by.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Or to purchase the materials in time, if I may, through the chair.
[Paul Camuso]: Very good.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So we have a motion.
[Paul Camuso]: To strike.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Roll call vote. So we have a motion to sever. We have to deal with first. So on the motion to sever out Councilor Penta's measure.
[Robert Penta]: To strike that section.
[Fred Dello Russo]: To strike that section. All those in favor.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: I think there's a couple of people that want to speak on this. I also was seeking just a clarification. So if you strike the $75,000 from the surplus, we then have to reduce the amount that goes into the snow and ice deficit by $75,000. Am I correct? Correct. That is what we would be doing. Okay.
[Robert Penta]: But you're also have a residue right now of $1,461,000. I mean, if this was going to make it come even, that's one thing, but you said the mayor was going to be coming in with other papers. I anticipate that. Okay. Possibly. We'll wait for that anticipation.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you. Please, if you would, please state your name and address for the record.
[Michael Ruggiero]: My name is Michael Ruggiero. I live on 18 Pembroke street. Um, I haven't, I've been walking down a number of cities. There isn't a single street. resident of a single street that hasn't complained about parking. On some of the streets, it's up to 10 to 15 people that live on that street complain about sidewalks or potholes literally right in front of their house. I think the issue is more fundamental than this, however. I think it involves us transferring so late in the year and finding out that these funds are available when there's almost a point when there's nothing we can do about it. I understand Ms. Miller's position that she has two weeks basically to scrap together a bunch of contracts I mean, in addition to other responsibilities, that's very challenging. However, in the future, if it's possible, this council should possibly hear transfer requests much earlier in the season than at the last minute that we're hearing them now. Thank you. Thanks.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Good evening, Senator. I'm just taking the name and address for the record.
[Robert Cappucci]: Thank you, Mr. President. Bob Cappucci, 71 Evans Street. I just want to echo the sentiments of Mr. Regeria, who just spoke. It's a shame that we're this late in the game here, and we're being told that we have to spend this money in two weeks, and then we're being told that we can't. I applaud Councilor Fenton's effort, because I think what he's saying is he's hearing the things that you guys are hearing. On my street, on Evans Street, not all of the topical applications of streets and roads are the same throughout the city. For instance, on my street, it's an older road. And they have actually did a couple of the potholes, but there's one major one in the middle of the street. And what's happening is there are blocks, in some cases boulders, that are loose in the kind of street that's applied there. And I actually saw a car spin out and shoot one of these rocks, almost hit a little kid. I mean, we're talking not just a few, We're talking hundreds of them. Some residents on Evans Street have had to walk out onto the street and pick them up and stack them off of the road. This is a much, much more serious circumstance or concern, I should say, than maybe, well, you probably do realize, I'm sure you're getting all sorts of emails and phone calls. But at this stage of the game, to be last minute scrambling like this is an indication of we need new leadership. And Mr. President, with all due respect, as the moderator of this panel, other cities and towns watch us. When councilors are speaking and other councilors just start screaming out, would you please bang the gavel? and call for some decorum. Thank you.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Everybody on the subject, thank you. So on the motion of Councilor Camuso to sever first, all those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Opposed. One opposed. Ayes have it. So on the motion for approval by Councilor, no, on the motion to strike, Item number 0 1 0 4 2 2 5 2 5 0 for $75,000, which would be deducted then from the, uh, uh, service of the, uh, snow removal debt. Um, all those in favor. I roll call vote. Roll call vote has been requested.
[Robert Penta]: Just a point of clarification. Mr. President, you made a declaration that that would, apparently get to the, uh, snow and ice removal over time.
[Fred Dello Russo]: That was what was indicated to me by the acting director.
[Robert Penta]: But that may not necessarily be true because the mayor may have decided to make an additional change. So I really wouldn't want to, I wouldn't want to have that be said that that's where the deduction would come. There were a lot of other items over here. And, um, as Ms. Miller has just indicated earlier, the mayor intends to come in with additional papers, hopefully, for the transfers or payouts, so to speak. So I think it should be just said, it's strictly a line item deletion period.
[X_nYXZZ4ChY_SPEAKER_04]: If I may, it needs to balance out, however, the total surplus and the total transfer. So we can't transfer the amount into the Snow and Ice overtime if it's not in the surplus. That's all that I was clarifying.
[Paul Camuso]: Roll call vote on the amendment.
[Fred Dello Russo]: On the request of Councilor Camuso for a roll call vote. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll. Councilor Camuso? No.
[Clerk]: Councilor Cabrera? No. Councilor Hancock? No. Vice-President Omicron? Yes. Councilor Martins? Yes. Councilor Patuk? Yes. Vice-President Dela Cruz?
[Fred Dello Russo]: No. A vote of four in the negative, three in the affirmative. The motion fails. On the main motion of approval by Councilor Camuso, as amended by Vice President Lungo-Koehn. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Thank you, Louise.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thanks, Louise.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you. While we're on to suspension, Councilor Caraviello has requested us to take item number 15-539, Petitions, Presidents, and Presentations on Similar Matters, a petition for common vigilance license by Antonio J. Pereira for Tasty Gourmet at 321B, Austin Avenue, Medford, Massachusetts. On file, all the appropriate certificates and letters of compliance. Councilor Caraviello, Chairman of the Licensing Subcommittee.
[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I have reviewed the gentleman's paperwork, and everything seems to be in order. Thank you. Thank you. Do you own another restaurant? I see your face around. Lisa's Family Pizzeria. Yes, I know. So you're going to be a writing store. I'm glad you're staying in today, but I hope you keep up the same tradition that the Tasty Gourmet did over there also. Good luck.
[Clerk]: We'll try to do the best we can. Thank you. We will.
[Robert Penta]: Is this Council Penta? No, it's Lisa's Pizza, correct? Yes. Yes. Okay. Can you tell us what you're going to do there? Used to be a breakfast, lunch, and late afternoon sandwich place. What's your intention for the place?
[Clerk]: Very similar. Breakfast, lunch, and some late dinner specials.
[Robert Penta]: And what time do you expect to open?
[Clerk]: Between 6 and 7.
[Robert Penta]: In the morning?
[Clerk]: Yes.
[Fred Dello Russo]: They made some hearty sandwiches.
[Richard Caraviello]: Very good sandwiches.
[Fred Dello Russo]: We'll work on that. Thanks. Do you have a recommendation, Mr. Councilor? I recommend approval, Mr. President. On the recommendation of the Chairman, a license and commission for approval.
[Robert Penta]: Wait a minute, on the recommendation. I'm looking here at your request of hours of operation. It says 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. How do we do that? You only can go to 11 o'clock at night.
[Clerk]: I couldn't tell you what his hours are right now.
[Robert Penta]: Well, it's on the application here that's been signed off.
[Clerk]: I know that Tasty Gourmet had breakfast and things like that, so I'm not really quite sure.
[Robert Penta]: But they close at 11 o'clock. This goes to 2 a.m. in the morning. He has to go for a special permit.
[Clerk]: I don't know if they don't, you know.
[Robert Penta]: What are your hours? You put here, you're going to stay open to 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. You need a special permit after 11 o'clock at night.
[Clerk]: I was not made aware of anything like that.
[Robert Penta]: Nobody told you that? Didn't anybody read this application?
[Clerk]: I wouldn't be here if I hadn't been advised that I couldn't stay open until 2.
[Fred Dello Russo]: By ordinance, stores can only stay open and serve until 11 o'clock. You need a special permit to stay open until 2 in the morning. Typically, the council has only extended those special permits, particular to a proprietor, not to a location. I think there are only a couple locations that There's none. They're all to the proprietor.
[Clerk]: Pardon me?
[Robert Penta]: Lisa's Pizza is open to 2 o'clock in the morning. He just said Lisa's Pizza is open to 2 o'clock in the morning.
[Clerk]: But they all have special permits.
[Robert Penta]: But you don't have a special permit for this location.
[Clerk]: I understand, but when I filled out the application, nobody told me. Mr. President, point of information? We don't know that. I think right now we have to look at it because everybody at Hillside has Late hours, early mornings, they're all by special permit. They're all by your grandfather before the ordinance changed years ago. So it's something we have to look at. He came in for the common victor's license. So I have to work with the building commission and see if his hours are transferred over. If Tacey Gourmet before-.
[Robert Penta]: They don't.
[Clerk]: Had a special-. He doesn't. I don't know.
[Robert Penta]: He doesn't because he made an application months ago for which was never acted upon. Tasty Gourmet made an application months ago to stay open until 2 AM, but then apparently it was withdrawn or what have you. They've never been open until 2 o'clock in the morning.
[Clerk]: We never got an application from Tasty Gourmet.
[Robert Penta]: I said it was withdrawn, apparently it was withdrawn. It's never been open.
[Clerk]: I'm just saying, we never had to even come in for an application.
[Robert Penta]: I think all you have to do is come.
[Adam Knight]: Can we just amend the paper right here to the regular hours of operation as outlined in the ordinance, and then the gentleman can come forward for a special permit at a later date?
[Clerk]: I'm not planning on opening until September anyway, so it doesn't really matter.
[SPEAKER_12]: It's not going to look into it, right?
[Clerk]: Yeah. I mean, he's before here for a common victor's license, OK? All right. So if he chooses to open up at 6 or close at 2, That's a separate issue that he's going to have to come in there and get an extended hours permit. Now, did the previous proprietor have it? I can't tell you that right now off the top of my head because everybody in the hillside. has all kinds of different hours, up until four in the morning. I can't do it off the top of my head.
[Fred Dello Russo]: We'll approve his permit. Can I make a suggestion for the sake of justice here that we approve his permit within the, am I allowed to say that? Just clarify this for the sake of justice. approve his permit to the normal accepted hours of operation, and then whatever amendments need to be made, he can reapply? Yes.
[Clerk]: He's going to have to apply. If it is, that's where the code enforcement officer comes in.
[Robert Penta]: Well, I think he knows.
[Paul Camuso]: Thank you, Mr. President. And I agree. I think we have to move forward on the common victuals this evening. You know, I'm extrapolating a lot of data right now from the city council for the last 12 years of this Medford City Council. I'm going through every single permit that was brought before this council. And as far as being business friendly, I'm surprised at a lot of the votes. I think that the prudent thing to do this evening is to put forward the convictionless license, which anyone is entitled to if they're working within the confinement of 7am to 11pm. And if he wants extended hours or anything, then it's an issue for another day.
[Richard Caraviello]: The gentleman said he's not putting an opening until September anyway, so he's got four months to change his hours. Thank you, Mr. President.
[Michael Marks]: I think what was mentioned here that if the gentleman filled out an application for common vigilance license and put the hours of operation down in the license and then submitted it to the city clerk's office, at some point, someone should have looked over the the common vigilance request and said, wait a minute, you're putting in hours that don't comply with our current, uh, zoning or whatever, whatever it complies with and make the petitioner know that, uh, what the request is will require another request. And I, and I think that's all some of us are asking that that take place. Cause the German thought, uh, with this common vigilance license, he could open till two in the morning. So maybe next time, when someone files, that you could take a look at the application.
[Clerk]: Point of information, Mr. President. Point of information.
[Michael Marks]: The petition is to the city council. So let me ask a question, and this may be a legal question. If Councilor Penta didn't pick up on that, and we voted tonight to approve this, would the gentleman have a legal issue saying, hey, the council voted for this. I have one in the morning on this. Who knows? I don't know. I'm not a legal expert. He may have a leg to stand on. Well, I don't know. I don't know. I think, really, that some of this work should be done by the clerk's office. I know it's a zoning issue, but... Right.
[Clerk]: Let's deal with the motion.
[Paul Camuso]: Right. Thank you, Mr. President. And whether it's the city clerk's office or the building department, I really don't care. The gentleman has on his application 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. This should have been amended before it even got to this honourable body, as Councilor Mack stated. Wherever the ball got dropped, obviously the first place that this particular document got dropped off was our city clerk's office, Mr. President. And it shouldn't have went any further out of there with hours that were not conforming, or the hours should have been highlighted, so the building department could have picked it up. But I certainly agree with Councilor Marks, and this is a problem that I'm seeing all too often as I look through previous records.
[Richard Caraviello]: And the business- Did Tate and Gorman tell you they had a 2 o'clock license?
[Paul Camuso]: No. The votes are staggering.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So on the motion of President Caraviello for approval within the normal business hours, would you like to answer, Mr. Clark? Yes. Motion approves. 7 to 11. 7 to 11. On that motion, all those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.
[Clerk]: Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Aye.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.
[Clerk]: Aye.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.
[Michael Marks]: Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Aye. Aye That was passed.
[Michael Marks]: What is this?
[Fred Dello Russo]: Ask the council, ask the council a question. I don't know. All those in favor, aye. I'll just add Carvey to this one. Okay. Are you taking notes? No, I'm going to go powder my notes. Okay.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Motions, orders, and resolutions. Okay. Paper 15-536 offered by Councilor Penta. Be it resolved that when the City Council receives a school department budget for review, an individual school breakdown of an at minimum 5% dollar allocation be separately identified for building maintenance and upkeep. Councilor Penta.
[Robert Penta]: Madam President, For such a long period of time, this city has been struggling with its maintenance of buildings. And unfortunately, this present administration, who led the charge for new school buildings, along with some community members, has dropped the ball over the last few years. And school buildings that are approximately 12, 13 years old are now in excess of over a million dollars worth of repairs. We're getting ourselves into the same position that we were as to why we had to build new buildings after some 50, 60 years. This 5% allocation is definitely within the guidelines that the Commonwealth of Mass Department of Education requires as it relates to maintenance of buildings. I believe that that's the law as it relates to the repayment schedule. I don't ever remember seeing a report from the Commonwealth of Mass saying 5% was ever put into a school department budget. So, in fact, we got our school budget here tonight, and we're going to be meeting, I believe, next Monday evening. between now and next Monday evening, I think it would be appropriate for the school department to show us by each individual school over and beyond the cost of their salaries, books, and everything else, a 5% budget allocation for school building maintenance and upkeep as we start to get ourselves going. Councilor Caraviello, I want to thank him for some in his first year of his being elected to the city council some three years ago. He brought this to the attention of the council. We have asked for an update. We've never received an update, and we keep hearing constantly of concerns. Medford High School is a perfect example. The outside of the building looks like the most unappetizing or most, excuse me, unappealing entrance to any school building here in the city. It's recognized as being the flagship of our community, and it really doesn't do this city proud. So with that being said, Mr. President, I move approval. So in concert with what we asked for the school department on the council resolution last week, And we ask this also, and this shouldn't be a hard thing to do, because if the numbers are there and if they have to be added to it, if I understand correctly, the school budget is up by $1.8 million this year. So for whatever that represents, I don't know. But I think this is too important of an issue to drop by. And I think this desperately really needs to be in the budget each and every succeeding years, because I just don't want to see any municipal building fall into a state of disrepair. There's no need for it. And the cost is just, it would be just too much of a burdensome. So I move approval, Madam President.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. Motion for approval. All those in favor.
[Robert Penta]: Roll call vote.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Roll call has been requested. Councilor Marks.
[Michael Marks]: Thank you, Madam President. I think this is a worthy resolution. When we built the new schools back some 14, 15 years ago, the state under the school building assistance program required for the funding that we received, I believe it was 90%, that 5% be allocated to the maintenance of the schools at the time. And I think over the last several years, myself and other members of this council have been calling for that particular 5% for the upkeep. And it was Councilor Caraviello back, I think it was a year ago, that mentioned that our buildings require, the new buildings that we refer to, which are close to 15 years old, require over a million dollars worth of repairs already. And I think this is a great suggestion to have money allocated. We have only witnessed what happens when you have buildings in a city where there's no money allocated for any type of repairs or maintenance or upkeep. And we all know too well that what happens is you get a DPW yard that's condemned, you get a police department that's on the verge of being condemned, And you get a public library that is in need of dire repair. And this resolution, I support wholeheartedly and thank my colleague for bringing it up tonight.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. Councilor Caraviello.
[Michael Marks]: Thank you, Madam President.
[Richard Caraviello]: My question is, is 5% enough? That's the question. I mean, there's no question that the 5% is what you should have been doing every year. But by doing 5% after 10 years, How far behind the eight ball are we on this? That's my question. Thank you, Madam President.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. Councilor Knight.
[Adam Knight]: I certainly agree with my colleagues. Madam President, I think it's very important that we have a contingency fund available for capital improvements at our schools and our city buildings. I'm also pleased to hear after this weekend, I was with John McLaughlin, who's our facilities manager, the school department, and he's beginning the stages of implementing a preventative maintenance plan, and I think that's something that's also been lacking there, and I'm proud to see that Mr. McLaughlin has the foresight and the courage to put together a preventative maintenance plan to keep some of these costs down in the future, so I'd like to thank him for his efforts, and I'd also like to thank Councilor Penta, Councilor Caraviello for bringing this issue to the table. I'm a firm believer in the need for a capital improvement fund, and I support this resolution wholeheartedly.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Council President De La Ruzo.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Madam President, I just want to add my support to this measure as well. It's a good idea. It's something we've spoken about continuously. It was part of, it was an intended part of the whole project from the beginning, and I'm glad we're focusing on this and not letting it go.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. If I may, from the chair, I don't know, Council Pender, if you don't mind amending to also add the technology and the pool 5%. Roll call vote.
[Clerk]: Councilor Camuso. Yes. Councilor Caraviello. Yes. Councilor Knight. Yes. President Dello Russo. Yes. Council March. Yes. Council Penta. Yes. Vice President. Yes.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: And the roll call vote of 70 in the affirmative, zero in the negative. The paper passes. Paper 15-537 offered by Council Penta be resolved a complete breakdown of man hours and salary costs from the Medford Fire Department for having a firefighter at the Medford High School be discussed. Also, a time sequence of when a firefighter is stationed on a daily basis to date. Councilor Penta.
[Robert Penta]: I'm president on anyone who might be watching. Um, I believe at some point in time while the construction was going on for the new science labs and subsequent to that, um, the alarm system, um, apparently is either not working properly or if it has been adjusted and remediated. Um, we still haven't gotten an answer back on that. And this has been going on a daily basis while school is in attendance. The unfortunate part about all of this is we're taking a, good firefighter and putting them up at the school on a daily basis, taking one firefighter off his regulatory duty. I think we asked for this information some three weeks ago. The mayor is yet to respond. And coincidentally regarding responses, if we looked in our packet this weekend, we're getting responses back from the mayor dating back to 2014. If we looked at our packet this weekend, there was a whole host of them. If he can go back to 2014 and he can't stay current ones, I just don't know. But this is too important of an issue. We're always looking at hiring more firemen and policemen and public safety personnel. But when we take one of the public safety people and have to leave them up in the school just in case the alarm goes off after we spent millions of dollars and we can't figure it out, I think there needs to be a reason why. And I don't even know if the contractors should be held liable for this if they're the ones that knocked out the alarm system. But the fact of the matter is, it wasn't working. If it's working now, then let us be informed. If it's not working, I think the resolution fits the purpose. Because this does definitely cost us man hours and dollars on a daily basis.
[Paul Camuso]: Thank you. Councilor Camuso. Thank you, Madam President. And I agree with the resolution. I think we should have a breakdown. But Councilor Penta misspoke on one piece. And that is that it's not a firefighter that they're taking off an apparatus or anything in the community. it is actually overtime. So we definitely want the answers of why it's going on in the breakdown, but to say that it's coming from the fire suppression team, basically pulled out of his regular job, it's not the case. So I just wanted to clarify that.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. Councilor Penta?
[Robert Penta]: Point of further clarification. I understand what Councilor Camus was saying, but maybe he'd understand what I was saying. You're taking a firefighter, whether he's on his regular tour of duty or overtime. If the overtime could have been used to augment another firefighter for a particular service, so be it. But you're paying overtime for a service that is not fire-related. It's not part of their regulatory duty.
[Paul Camuso]: Councilor Camuso. If I may go back, and I've been watching the tapes the last few weeks. I'm keeping the tapes. And interesting enough, tomorrow I'll report back to the council next week. But you said that you're taking them away from his firefighter duties. And when I look at that, I say that that's taking it away from peace throughout the city. So I agree with the councillor, but I don't want people to think we're taking someone off of a fire apparatus for this particular item. That was what was said. I just want to clear the record. That's all.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Councilor Knight.
[Adam Knight]: Madam President, thank you very much. I think it's safe to say that none of us want to put a price tag on public safety, and none of us want to put a price tag on what it's going to cost to keep students in Medford High School safe. But I think we can put a price tag on what it costs to repair the alarm system at Medford High School. Certainly, it's my understanding that this was a fire detail. This was not someone that was pulled off of a piece of apparatus or pulled out of a station. And it is a fire detail, so it is a fire-related issue. It is a fire-related responsibility. It's a prevention issue, Madam President. I like the resolution. I think it's a good resolution. I think we need to know how much was spent up there. I think we need to know what bottom line it's coming off of. Is it coming off the school department's budget? Is it coming off of our budget? Is it coming out of the fire department's budget? So it's very important for us to know, Madam President. And I thank Councilor Penta for bringing the resolution forward. I move for approval.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: I move for approval by Councilor Penta. All those in favor? Roll call. Roll call has been requested. Please call the roll. Councilor Camuso.
[Paul Camuso]: I'd like to, if the councilor doesn't mind amending it, to get an update from the school department on when they think the master box will be connected back to the fire alarm system, because that's actually what's going on up there. It's an old system trying to tie in with a new system. So if we could get an update on when they think it will be complete.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Motion for approval as amended by Councilor Camuso. Roll call has been requested. Call the roll.
[Clerk]: Councilor Camuso. Councilor Cariollo? Yes. Councilor Knight? Yes. Councilor Dello Russo? Yes. Councilor Matz? Yes. Councilor Penta? Yes. Vice-President O'Connor?
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Yes. All those in favor, seven in the affirmative, zero in the negative. Before the roll is called, Councilor Camuso.
[Paul Camuso]: I actually misspoke. It's not overtime. It's actually a paid detail. I was referring to my notes. It's a paid detail, an additional body that's not on the fire floor. Thank you.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Paper 15-538 offered by Councilor Knight, be it resolved, the Medford City Council extend its sincere congratulations to Carol Rickenbacker on her retirement from the Medford Public Schools. Councilor Knight.
[Adam Knight]: Madam President, thank you very much, and Councilor Caraviello is also a co-sponsor of this resolution. I think that all of us, who have gone through grade school and middle school and high school have been able to identify with one teacher who's really had a positive impact on your life. When I was at Medford High, that person was Jack McDevitt and Bud Kelly. When I was at the Brooks-Hobbs Elementary School, that person was Herbie Wells and Carol Rickenbacker. And, Madam President, I met Ms. Rickenbacker my kindergarten years at the Herbie School, and I can tell you that she was a great positive influence on my life. She's served the community with great integrity, great diligence, and quite frankly, she's always put the children first. Ms. Rickenbacker donated a number of hours of her own personal time to take photographs of students throughout the 30 plus years that she's been a teacher here. She's maintained a high quality and positive relationship with a number of students whose lives she's affected. Mr. President, I'd ask my council colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. She's going to be sadly missed. It's a void that cannot be filled here in the Medford Public Schools. And it's with great pleasure that I wish her congratulations. And it's with great pleasure that I let Ms. Rickenbacker know that she really earned this and that she made a great positive impact on my life.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you, Councilor Knight. Councilor Caraviello.
[Richard Caraviello]: Thank you, Mr. President. I've known Carol Rickenbacker over 30-plus years. And that's a wonderful woman, consummate She's had all my kids in school, wonderful woman. Every time you see her smile, she's still out there taking pictures in the community every day. And every year I see her, when I'm at the school, she's been telling me she's going to be retiring. For the last 15 years, she's been retiring. And she keeps on hanging in there. And I'll tell you, the city is going to sadly miss a woman like her, who's pretty much dedicated her life to the kids in this community. And again, I congratulate her on her retirement. I for one will miss her.
[Michael Marks]: Very good. Councilor Marks. Thank you, Mr. President. When I saw this on the agenda, I had to think back for a second, because when you see Carol, she looks about 30 years old. It's amazing. The woman has not aged. And I remember my years on the school committee back some number of years ago, and Carol was always one for education in our community. She was a mentor for many people, many teachers coming up. in the public school system, always had a smile on her face. I never saw her frown, never saw her in a bad mood, always smiling. And really, she's going to be sorely missed, Mr. President. However, I do wish her well in her retirement, and I look forward to seeing her around in the future, Mr. President.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you. So on the motion of approval by Councilor Knight, all those in favor? Councilor Knight?
[Adam Knight]: One thing, Mr. President, that I think we all remember about Ms. Rickenbacker is that she loves to pinch everybody's cheeks when they walked into the Brooks Hobbs Elementary School. And I think that the students going into school next year can rest assured that their cheeks will be safe from Ms. Rickenbacker because she will be enjoying her retirement.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Very good. So on that motion, all those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion carries. 15-540, petition by Mr. Dr. John Strella, 20 Metcalf Street. I've been informed by the clerk that Mr. Strella wishes to withdraw his motion. So on the motion of council night that it be received and placed on file, all those in favor? All those opposed? So passed. Papers in the hands of the clerk. Offered by Councilor Caraviello. Be it resolved that the Medford City Council remind our residents that Saturday at 9 a.m. in the City Hall parking lot, the Medford Bicycle Commission and Medford Kiwanis will be holding Bicycle Safety Day.
[Richard Caraviello]: Councilor Caraviello. Thank you, Mr. President. After, you know, since Ben Everbrook has passed away, the bike rodeo sort of languished in nowhere. And with the help of the Kiwanis and the Bicycle Commission, After about five years of delay, the bike rodeo will be back at City Hall on Saturday for all the children. The Kiwanis will be serving hot dogs and water and beverages for the kids. The Bicycle Commission is going to be doing all kinds of bike safety things for the children. The gentleman with the bike shop on Salem Street will be here checking for all the kids' bicycles for safety, along with the police. Bring your children out on Saturday. It's going to be a nice day, and it's going to teach your kids some good bicycle safety, along with the adults in bicycle safety. Thank you, Mr. President.
[Michael Marks]: The President. Very good. Councilor Marks. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank Councilor Caraviello for his involvement in this bicycle rodeo, as well as the Kiwanis, the Medford Police, and, as Councilor Caraviello mentioned, the Bicycle Commission, which has been very proactive in our community moving issues of concern for bicycle safety. That program under Mr. Averbrook was a terrific program that taught kids safety rules about riding their bikes. All too often you hear horror stories of children getting struck on their bikes. And anything we can do as a community to promote public awareness and public safety I think goes a long way. And this event truly is an event that does that. And I want to thank all the participants for putting this together, Mr. President, and hope that we get a well-attended Saturday event.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you very much, Councilor. So on the motion approved by Councilor Caraviello, all those in favor? All those opposed? Motion passes. Councilor Penta, on that motion?
[Robert Penta]: Another one. I'd like to move suspension.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Can I clean these up? Go ahead. Offered by Vice President Lungo-Koehn, be it resolved that the Metro High School students of Medford be apprised of the scholarships that can be applied for through the Billy Falasca Scholarship. Deadline for applications is June 30. Application forms are available on the Medford Invitational Tournament website, www.mitbaseball.com. Madam Vice President.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Just briefly, thank you, President Dello Russo. The Billy Falasca Scholarship Fund has been running a couple of years. Scholarships are awarded to Medford and Malden high school students that are entering college. Now last year, I believe, Medford didn't, there wasn't, I don't know how many applications there were, but I know Malden, two Malden teens got the scholarship. So, you know, the Medford Invitational Tournament is looking for applications from Medford students who will be entering college. It's a big fundraiser coming up on the 26th of June at 7 p.m. And all those monies raised go to these scholarships. So I just want to notify all parents out there, teenagers out there, have your children apply for these scholarships. They definitely can help you with the college finances. And hopefully we can get a Medford scholarship out to somebody. Or the Medford Invitational Tournament and the Billy Velasquez Scholarship Committee can get some applications from Medford and get a scholarship out. So I want to thank the tournament the supporters, and hopefully we can make that happen.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Thank you. Councilor Knight.
[Adam Knight]: Thank you very much, Mr. President. I think it's very important to point out, as Councilor Longo did, that on 6-26 at Anthony's and Malden, 7 p.m. would be the annual fundraiser for the scholarship. And the scholarship doesn't exist unless people from the community come out and actually support this endeavor. It's something that I support. Billy was a great guy. He put a lot of time, effort, and energy into this. It was really his baby, so to speak, Mr. President. And I think it's very important for people to know that all the proceeds from the event on the 26th go towards the scholarship and towards the Challenge of Baseball League. So I thank Councilor Longo-Curran for bringing this initiative forward, and I move approval.
[Fred Dello Russo]: On the motion of approval, all those in favor? Those opposed? Motion passes. Offered by Councilor Marks. Be it resolved that the Medford City Council commend long-time Medford residents, Helen and Mac Masheyon, celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary. be it further amended that a council citation be presented Councilor Marks 70 years.
[Michael Marks]: Mr. President, you read that correctly. That is not a typo. 70 years of wedding bliss. Imagine that. And when I saw the Mackeys not too long ago, I told them, watch out, I got another 43 years. But I'm catching up to them. I'm catching up to them. They're not going to go with this honor. But honestly, if you know Helen and Mac, you see them around still shopping and so forth. They walk hand-in-hand. They look like a newlywed couple. It really is amazing, Mr. President. In this day and age, when you hear about divorce and, you know, you hear about the stars in California that their marriage lasts three months, you know, and to have someone that's together 70 years. And it's, you know, it's not all, you know, peaches and cream. It's something you have to work towards. And when you see a couple like this, it really, truly is amazing. And I think it inspires a lot of people to work at their marriage, you know, to go through the ups and downs. And ultimately, Helen and Mac are just role models for every couple that's out there and every family that's out there. And I truly want to wish them well wishes for their 70th wedding anniversary. And I hope in 10 years from now that I can be wishing them a happy 80th wedding anniversary, Mr. President. They're right there going. So if we can get a citation for them, that'd be great. Very good.
[Fred Dello Russo]: So on that motion, all those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Two condolences offered by Councilors Knight and Caraviello. We resolve that the Medford City Council offers deep and sincere condolences to the family of Julio, Freddie,
[Adam Knight]: Mr. President, thank you very much. Freddie Berusso was a fixture in West Medford. Many people would remember his work truck sitting out in the corner of Bower and Canal Street. He recently passed away this week. He was a good friend of mine. I had the privilege and pleasure of growing up with his son Danny playing little league and every other sport, park league and everything else that we could do down at place park when we were kids. You know, Fred joins his wife who passed away recently and I offer my deepest condolences to the family. I think it's a very trying time for them and especially for Danny who has lost both of his parents.
[Richard Caraviello]: Fixture and West Medford are always there. I'll tell you, one of the hardest working guys out there in West Medford. Always out there with his trucks, killing himself. Yeah. And I say, his sons were both friends of ours. And my condolences go to them.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Very good. And Councilor Marks offers one be resolved at a moment's silence. Be held for long time Medford resident, Frances Belmonte, on her recent passing. Councilor Marks, a woman who was beautiful on the inside and out.
[Michael Marks]: Well said, Mr. President. If anyone knew Frances, she was a devoted mother, a devoted sister, devoted to her family and friends, someone that always had a smile on her face and will be sorely missed, Mr. President. She is the mother of Gene Wilder. Many people know Gene in the community and also the sister to The Andres, which is another big family in the city. And she will be sorely missed, Mr. President. And I wish the family well over these tough few days.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Councilor Penter requests a moment of suspension on that motion.
[Robert Penta]: There's a resident who would like to speak regarding a council resolution we would discuss. Very good.
[Michael Ruggiero]: My name is Michael Ruggiero. I live on 18 Pembroke Street. The issue I wish to bring up is Wright's Pond. As this council is aware, the prices increase has been a little challenging for a number of residents that I've talked to. I ask that the council make available to residents under certain financial challenges perhaps 100 or 200 passes to Wrights Pond that could be, maybe they could be charged the rate that they were paid last year. This would be a real help to a number of families and I don't believe it would cost that much. Thank you.
[Adam Knight]: Point of information, Councilor Knight. I believe that the governing body that's in charge of the rate structures at Wrights Pond would be the Parks Board who had a hearing this evening on this very same issue.
[Michael Ruggiero]: I understand that there was a meeting, but unfortunately, because it was exactly the same time, I had to decide if I wanted to participate in the transfers versus Rights Pond. I think both issues are important, but I thought the transfers being a million dollars would be something I should participate in.
[Adam Knight]: I'm not questioning the use of the gentleman's time. I think I'm questioning whether or not this is the appropriate body that can affect that change.
[Michael Ruggiero]: I believe the body could perhaps make a recommendation to the Parks Commission. to provide 100 or 200 passes to families in financial need. I don't think that's such a difficult question to ask.
[Fred Dello Russo]: VICE PRESIDENT LUNGELKIRK.
[Breanna Lungo-Koehn]: Thank you. President Dello Russo, I'm not sure if you were there. Judy Johnson was at our meeting, committee of the whole meeting, and she did get the paper with regards to the recommendations we made last week to actually reduce the rate back to where it was. Maybe we'll get an answer on that. And if that doesn't take place, we can put a new resolve in. Because I think I'd like to see it go back to the rate it was or a minimal increase. I mean, there's no reason for all of a sudden $5 to go up to $20. I said it last week. Are they looking to increase it another $300? But their answer, I guess, was they want to compensate for lowering the rate for disabled and senior citizens. which I think that's great, but I don't think it should be on the backs of the rest of the residents. So hopefully they do come with some answers for us and hopefully reduce the rate back to where it was. If not, I agree with you, maybe something like that. And something else can be explored.
[Michael Ruggiero]: My concern is that because we're so close to the season, people buying tickets and buying passes, that maybe even if there is a change for next year, perhaps we could lower the rate again. But for this year, providing 100 passes seems like a very minimal thing. And I think it would help a lot of families.
[Paul Camuso]: Councilor Caruso. Thank you, Mr. President. And I agree with the philosophy, but limiting it to any number, I think, is disadvantageous. Quite honestly, I don't know how the gentleman arbitrarily come up with that number, but I think this should be off of the same list as maybe reduced lunch in the public schools, for instance, because that 301 family that may want to go to Wright's Pond, and we're going to say, no, we're sorry, we can't allow you to go. I just think they should look for a better way, if there already isn't a way. I'm not really sure, to be honest with you, if there isn't a way to do this. If they're already doing it.
[SPEAKER_12]: And I believe, Mr. President, this body voted 7-0 to ask that the rates remain the same.
[Paul Camuso]: Yeah.
[Robert Penta]: Council Penton? While this body did ask to do that, I thank you for bringing this up again, whether it's 100, 200, Or maybe the simplest thing to do is just leave it at a very minimal rate, because it's a six, seven week operation at the very most, number one. Number two, as I said before, it's like a business. It's a lost leader for the city. It's the one thing that they can offer to this community, to the rate payers, the taxpayers, the neighbors. And it's just for Medford folks anyway to begin with. Why they have to keep going up, I don't know. I mean, does the cost of a lifeguard go up? Does the cost of the maintenance go up? Maybe it does, but sometimes you have to eat that And tell the taxpayers, listen, you deserve something, and we're willing to pay for it. And that's what your tax dollars is all about, helping out the community. You know, there was a lady here last week, and she her daughter was all upset because she heard that she may not be able to go. And it was going to go from $5 to $20 for a walk and pass and all of that. I just hope that the board tonight looked at it very seriously to the point that, you know, maybe they have a little bit more leniency in their hearts, so to speak, to say, hey, you know, we just can't keep doing this. Just because you're going to make it easier for seniors and disability people, we're going to put it on the backs of someone else. That's not fair. Absolutely not fair. That's the worst thing you can do. That's the worst logic that this community can have, telling people who want to go to Wrights Pond, well, we'll reduce it for the seniors and the handicapped people, but everyone else is going to have to pay more to make up the difference. That's not what good government is all about. That's bad government. It doesn't work for the people, and it doesn't work for the city of Medford, as far as I'm concerned. So I thank you for bringing it up.
[SPEAKER_12]: Motion received and placed on file, Mr. President.
[Fred Dello Russo]: On that motion of council night, all those in favor? Aye. Aye. All those opposed? Thank you. FYI, received June 15, 2015, 927 AM, City Clerk, Medford, Massachusetts. Dear Medford City Council members, enclosed is a copy of a letter that went to your constituents who reside on Burgett Avenue and Sunset Avenue. This letter is to make them aware of an informational meeting we are holding about a new air rights project. Dear Burgett Sunset Road neighbors, we would like to invite you to a meeting on Tuesday, June 16, I believe that's tonight, at 6.30 to continue our discussion about the air rights project. We've made some progress on access issues and building design and would like your input. The meeting will be held in Halogen Hall, next to Cousins Gym in room 102. Sincerely yours, et cetera, et cetera. Mr. President. Who signed that? Councilor Camuso.
[Paul Camuso]: And also, I'm not quite honest. I'm not sure who is the authority of air rights over the city of Medford. Would it be the Zoning Board of Appeals? Would it be the DPW? Can we ask this to the, and when we're talking about air rights, we're talking about the proposed walkway over Boston Avenue and down at the Tufts College Ave T-stop. So if we could send this to the city solicitor on who the appropriate authorities are over air rights, I don't know. This is a unique situation. I can't think of any other businesses that currently or private property that do this at this point.
[Robert Penta]: Just as a point of information, you bring up a good point. And if I understand correctly, air rights, and this will involve Medford and Somerville, because I believe they touch on both sides. I believe that's a legislative enactment. that has to be passed. Not one city can just take advantage of having air rights. And there has to be a purpose for the air rights. Who is the beneficial factor to the air rights? I don't know. Who did you say said that, Barbara Rubel? I wish you had told the council about that ahead of time.
[Unidentified]: Very good.
[Adam Knight]: Mr. President, if we can, if we can amend Mr. Council President, Council Camuso's resolution, asking the question to the solicitor and also make a request from the community development and community relations specialist, Ms. Rubella, Tufts University to provide us with a copy of the minutes from this meeting from this evening.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Very good. So on that motion of Council Camuso and that we get a report back from Barbara Rubella on the minutes of this meeting.
[Robert Penta]: Could we also amend it further, beside the minutes, any etchings, sketchings, drawings, whatever was presented this evening? Yeah, that would be a good idea. Maybe they should just come before the council.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Be it further resolved that there be an architectural presentation of this plan to the city council. It's a huge building. It changes the whole visage of the vicinity. On that motion, all those in favor? All right. All those opposed? Mr. President?
[Paul Camuso]: As the records of last week's meetings were sent to- For the records, just for the viewing public, City Hall will be closed tomorrow. So just, I think it's in honor of Bunker Hill Day.
[Fred Dello Russo]: Yes. Bunker Hill Day tomorrow, City Hall will be closed. A very special holiday here in Medford. And the records were passed to Councilor Caraviello. Motion for approval of records by Councilor Caraviello. All those in favor? All those opposed? Councilor Marks has a motion for adjournment.
[Michael Marks]: Well, if we could, before that, Mr. President, on paper 15-524, we received a response back from the mayor's office. This paper was regarding Councilor Penta's resolution regarding a list of new hires and employee promotions in the school department on the city side. And it was passed as amended, which was Councilor Caraviello's amendment, that all department heads provide at the meeting, not ahead of time, at the meeting, who the new hires and promotions were. And at the bottom it says paper field. What paper field? So Councilor, amendment.
[Fred Dello Russo]: What do you mean the whole paper field?
[Paul Camuso]: We voted to have that part of the budget debate.
[Michael Marks]: We voted to have that as part of our budget debate. Well, Mr. President, let me just tell you, Mr. President, just let me tell you, I don't know what semantics are going on in this place, but it seems to me, Mr. President, that if our vote doesn't take place, I will not attend the budget meeting and I would tell my other colleagues to not attend that budget meeting. Councilor, I, uh, Mr. President, you were dead fast on allowing the department heads to present this information.
[Fred Dello Russo]: And I spoke to, um, I spoke to, uh, Ms. Miller the day after the meeting, because I think we, this was on the Tuesday night meeting. So we had a Wednesday, uh, budget hearing. So she was working on making those, all that information prepared. So it was available for the request at those meetings. And I also had an extensive conversation with the superintendent of the schools on the matter, so I know he was working to present that as well. To have that, I don't know how it failed.
[Richard Caraviello]: It says here, on Council Appendix Motion, and then it was amended by Council Appendix Regular Address, amended by Council Amended by Councilor Knight, to strike the name and insert employee ID. Amended by Councilor Caraviello-Viello, that all budget hearings, at the budget hearings, the superintendent of schools, the department has provided information regarding new hires, date, salary, salaries, retirement, and if the department fails to present the information, the council will not support the budget request. Amended by Vice President Montgomery, that all information regarding employees be sent to the council prior to June 19th. Council, Penta motion to sever Councilor Caraviello's amendment passed. Upon the motion by Councilor Caraviello and on the seventh amendment on a roll call vote of four in the affirmative, three in the negative, the amendment passed. Upon motion by Councilor Camuso to table the paper on a roll call vote of two in the affirmative, five in the table failed. Motion by Councilor Penta as amended on a roll call vote of three in the affirmative, four in the negative. Motion fails. So the main motion that fails.
[Michael Marks]: And then it was seven. If it's not, if we sever something, it's not part of the main motion. Is that not correct?
[Clerk]: If we sever it, right.
[Michael Marks]: And that's the one that I'm speaking of, right? That's the one I'm speaking about. His motion passed. that the department, right. So the superintendent and whoever are the department heads have to come up with this information on a budget night. That would, that was a vote of this council that was approved.
[Fred Dello Russo]: And that was made clear to miss Miller. Uh, so to prepare all the department heads who we met with, uh, that they, uh, have that, uh, those items readily available for us, uh, for our deliberations in the, uh, meetings. And it was also, uh, made, uh, part of my conversation with the superintendent as such. Councilor Penta.
[Robert Penta]: Also, Mr. President, tonight's resolution, if the city clerk would move it expeditiously to have this forwarded to the school department, because that 5% building maintenance dollar amount for each school needs to be included. We never had it. I think it's about time we have it. And I think we have to start ourselves going on that. So this resolution that we had tonight, 15 536, $15,536 needs to likewise be included.
[Fred Dello Russo]: The school committee already voted on it.
[Robert Penta]: But they can break down. If there is no dollar amount allocated for school maintenance, then I'm not voting for the budget. If there is, then I'll let them show it. They're voting on the budget when? Monday night.
[Unidentified]: Yeah, they voted on it already.
[Michael Marks]: All Roy has to do. So if it's not included, they're not going to be able to include that.
[Robert Penta]: All Roy has to do is tell us whether it is or it isn't. And the answer is going to be why. Right.
[Richard Caraviello]: Yeah. Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well
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