AI-generated transcript of City Council Resident Services and Public Engagement Committee 9-30-25

[Matt Leming]: All right. Yeah, I sent. I'm going to go ahead and forward. It'll be, hold on. Very quickly forward it to everybody again. Okay. All right. You ready? Okay. Where's the agenda? Good evening, everybody. We're gonna get started with Resident Services and Public Engagement Committee, September 30th Mr. Clerk, you need to call the roll. Yes, when you're ready, please call the roll.

[Marie Izzo]: Councilor Callahan. Councilor Lazzaro. Councilor Scarpelli. Councilor Tseng. And Councilor Leming.

[Matt Leming]: present, four present, one absent. The meeting is called to order. Two items on the agenda today. The first is the summer newsletter, which I sent out a first draft to everybody last week after summarizing most of the things that we, most of the important agenda items that we discussed over the summer. and just sent out another copy following some of Councilor Lazzaro's edits to one of the commemorations and acknowledgements. I'm just going to share my screen really quickly to display the working draft on Overleaf that I got. All right, can everybody see it? Is it visible on the screen? All right, good. Right, so if anybody, so yeah, this basically, this is like the summer newsletter. We didn't meet too consistently over the summer just by sending out the monthly one. We followed the same pattern last year. This covers the months of June through September 2025. And it touches on the most important points from those meetings, along with links to the YouTube videos and the agenda items themselves. Again, Councilor Lazzaro already sent in a couple of edits to some factual corrections on the commemoration for National Recovery Month. That being said, do any other councilors have any comments on this? Councilor Tseng? One moment. Hold on. Mic on. OK.

[Justin Tseng]: Thank you. OK. I have four comments as of right now, the first one being for the Scrimeti point. Another part of the resolution was asking for state action. Wait, sorry. Which point? Scrimeti v. US. Oh, yeah. Sorry.

[Matt Leming]: Yep.

[Justin Tseng]: I the other part of it was just asking for state action to pass the strongest protection possible protections for transgender people. I think that's kind of important context just because the resolution wasn't just opposing. the Supreme Court decision, which of course is something that we don't have much power over either. But asking for protections for transgender people gives more context and also is something that we have a bit more say in. So that's the first point. The second point is for the resolution to reduce heavy trucking, I believe we, what have you?

[Anna Callahan]: It was just to, I was gonna say it too, it's just to move it to

[Justin Tseng]: We moved it to a committee, right? Public Works, was it? Or Committee of the Whole?

[Anna Callahan]: I think so, Public Works. Public Works?

[Justin Tseng]: I can check the record.

[Anna Callahan]: Yeah, let's check. But that's what I recall as well.

[Justin Tseng]: OK.

[Anna Callahan]: I don't think it was just a resolution. We're just passing it. We're passing it on, yeah. Can you turn your mic on?

[Matt Leming]: Sorry? Just turn your mic on to make sure that the mic is on. Yep. Thank you.

[Justin Tseng]: Let me make sure let me find which committee that went to for you. Um, my third point is the public. My third and fourth points are public health committee. Resolution to hold immigration accountable to Medford residents and prepare plans to help dependents of those taken by ICE. I believe that was the meat of ordinance or not ordinance resolution.

[Matt Leming]: Wait, was this the police report about ICE activity?

[Justin Tseng]: No, this is under public health.

[Matt Leming]: This one?

[Justin Tseng]: Yeah, yep.

[Matt Leming]: Okay, and what else would you?

[Justin Tseng]: I would add and discuss methods to protect dependents of medical residents who've been abducted and or deported.

[Marie Izzo]: Is that? Yeah.

[Matt Leming]: Okay. Yep, I'll just turn everybody's mic on.

[Emily Lazzaro]: I think we can actually remove the section that says hold immigration enforcement accountable. I think the resolution is mostly about, the resolution touched on Medford's response to when ICE has had actions in Medford and how the community has responded and what we would like to do in an official capacity with helping dependents of people who are taken by ICE, but not in relation to how we respond to ICE. So I think we can take out those few words too. Yeah, I think that's perfect.

[Matt Leming]: Okay.

[Anna Callahan]: And then I had one more.

[Matt Leming]: Yep, Councilor Calhoun.

[Anna Callahan]: I think the language Around the 8 million from free cash to capitalization is just confusing. It's like we put this in and we pass a lot of, from like, I think it's the only way to be a little better. We moved $8 million from free cash to establish.

[Unidentified]: Yeah.

[Anna Callahan]: And then we approved $2 million of appropriations. I'd say we've approved.

[Justin Tseng]: For the free cash, can we add the word reserves after free cash, just because it's such a floating concept?

[Matt Leming]: Yeah, I do like this, this just showing that movement as a whole. So I feel like it would help residents to sort of understand the process a little bit more. But I do I thank you for the wordsmithing. I think it's essential.

[Justin Tseng]: I'm sorry to bring us back to the public health point. Can we say, after abuptage, can we say and or supported as well? Just to make it more kind of all inclusive. And then, thank you. And then for the following bullet point, could we say, in accessing social services after federal government cuts? Thank you.

[Matt Leming]: Councilor Kalan.

[Anna Callahan]: Just that one. You might have already caught it. I just can't read the text up there. But it says we moved 2 million blah, blah, blah of appropriations from the Stabilization Fund appropriations. So there's two appropriations in there. Just remove one of those.

[Matt Leming]: We moved a million for free cash reserves for capital stabilization fund and approved 2.3 million appropriations from stabilization.

[Anna Callahan]: See how it says appropriations, just get rid of the second one. Sure. Okay.

[Matt Leming]: Any other points?

[Justin Tseng]: I have a small, I mean, this is so marginal, but I think for the last three bullet points we passed, I would prefer saying we sent to this committee instead of we passed to this committee.

[Matt Leming]: I was just trying to break it up. Like technically all this was in regular meetings, but.

[Justin Tseng]: Right, right. Just because I think past to this committee, if you're reading it past, you might think like we passed something. But saying we sent to this committee means that there's further actions.

[Anna Callahan]: Sure. Did we get the heavy trucking one?

[Matt Leming]: Yeah, that was the last bit. Justin?

[Justin Tseng]: Oh, sorry. Did we get the heavy trucking one?

[Anna Callahan]: You were going to look up Oh, sorry.

[Justin Tseng]: The other edits took over my mind. Yeah, public works facilities.

[Anna Callahan]: Yep.

[Justin Tseng]: Great. Thank you.

[Anna Callahan]: And that would also say set.

[Justin Tseng]: Yeah.

[Matt Leming]: Okay, so it was sent to public works and facilities?

[Unidentified]: Yes.

[Matt Leming]: Cool. I'm actually just gonna... Okay. Anybody else have any other edits on this draft? No, I don't have any comments. Do we have any motions? motion to motion to approve and distribute or second on the motion to approve and distribute by Councilor Callahan, seconded by Councilor Tseng. Mr. Quirk, when you're ready, please call the roll. Oh, that's right. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. The next item on the agenda is the discussion of listening sessions, where we can basically just talk about whatever listening sessions we've attended, what the vibes were, how things went. Councilor, oh wait, no, sorry. Requested again, I pressed the wrong button. Councilor Lazzaro.

[Emily Lazzaro]: Thank you. hosted a listening session at the Senior Center last week, and it was well attended. We always have a listening session, somebody from this committee, monthly, the third Thursday of each month at lunchtime at the Senior Center. We would like to be able to host more listening sessions and other locations on a regular basis if possible. We have hosted them with different affinity groups at the library and other areas, but the senior center has consistent availability and they always have activities happening so there's always people around. And I know that there are a couple of people that like to attend a lot because they have a lot of feedback to offer but they're also very keyed into things that are happening in the city. So, people come to me with thoughts about things that they would like to see and also questions so we talked a lot about parking roads. DPW work, and I'm able to bring feedback to City Hall. And one thing I was able to talk with people about is they came to me with some questions about zoning proposals. And since zoning can be very confusing, when you see everything all at once or you just hear things on social media, it's very helpful, I find, to be able to tell people a little bit more simply and directly your understanding of what's happening, maybe exactly where they live or in an area of town that they're curious about. So I was able to address some questions about that. And that was very nice. We had a really nice time. We ended up meeting. Usually we meet in the cafeteria, but there was a demonstration about soup, which is coming, we're coming on soup season. So that was fun. I missed it though, cause I was doing a listening session. So we had to go to the library instead, which meant that we were in a much more cozy setting. But yes, it was very, it's always fun. I encourage any seniors the third Thursday of the month to, is it the third or the fourth? Fourth. Fourth Thursday of the month to come to our listening sessions. It's always in the newsletter. So if you follow the newsletter, it's in there. It's often me, it's often Councilor Leming, it's often sometimes Councilor Callahan, Councilor Svang. But yes, always a good time. Thank you.

[Matt Leming]: Thank you, Councilor. I also have a confession to make which is that I put a wrong calendar date on my calendar, and I accidentally missed one of the listening sessions over the summer. I came back the next day for another event they're celebrating at the Senior Center, and I also attended the 10 a.m. Friday morning chat with veterans at the senior center held by the veteran services director, and then a month later I did conscientiously remember to attend a a session at the senior center, which was a little bit more informal. It wasn't like we were used to just because there were fewer people over the summer. I basically just, there were three tables where people were having their lunch. And so I would just join each group at each different table. And that was much more, the situation there was more people were talking about Pretty typical resident services issues. Trees that were growing too tall in front of people's houses, wanted attention from the from the tree warden about that. Just general questions about goings on in the city. So that was a, which was, which was nice. It was a, it was a much more relaxed, relaxed environment. So yeah, in summary, I was responsible for two listening sessions these past months. I attended one of them and it was a, it was a pretty, pretty relaxing time. But if any, any other folks would like to take it up in. If any of my colleagues would like to take it up in October, just let me know. 1230, end of the month. And yeah, that's all I got. Anybody else have anything to report about folks that they were chatting with around the community? Cool, thank you. Any motions on the floor?

[Justin Tseng]: Motion to adjourn?

[Matt Leming]: On the motion to adjourn by Councilor Tseng, seconded by Councilor Callahan. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you.

Matt Leming total time: 9.13 minutes total words: 533	Justin Tseng total time: 4.18 minutes total words: 279	Anna Callahan total time: 1.08 minutes total words: 143	Emily Lazzaro total time: 3.44 minutes total words: 100