City Council - Regular Meeting

two test one

8th regular meeting Medford City Council, April 28th, 2026 is called to order. Mr. Clerk, please call the role. Councelor Callahan, Councelor Lemming, Council Maline, present. Councelor Scott Pell, present. Councelor Sing, present. Vice President Lazaro present. President Beers

present. Seven present and absent. The meeting is called to order. Please rise to salute the flag. Announcements, accolades, remembrances, reports, and records. 26075 offered by Council Lemming and President Bears. resolution to commemorate the life of Judy Kaplan. Be resolved that the Medford City Council send condolences to the friends and family of Judy Kaplan, who tragically passed away on April 15th of this year. Judy was a Medford activist, former member of the Medford Human Rights Commission, co-f facilitator of a national thyroid cancer support group for over 20 years, board member of the World Fellowship Center, one of the original members of Safe Medford, and a beloved friend and colleague who touched the lives of many in our community. Councelor Lemming.

Thank you, Council President Bears. in Medford there's the progressive community is uh is pretty big and the some of the younger progressives like myself and some of my colleagues have been uh mentored and inspired over the years by a lot of the folks who in previous generations really built up the foundation of what the progressive movement in Medford is today. Um Judy Kaplan, one of the uh original members of Safe Medford and many of the current members are uh here to join us. A couple of them, a couple of them requested that we uh that we put um this commemoration on the on the agenda um are are here today. It's it's a tragedy to see to see folks like this go, but knowing that she helped build up so many good movements in Medford, knowing that she was so vital to building up this community, bringing Medford into the 20 uh into the 21st century um is uh is touching and uh would also invite over uh invite some of the folks who who did know Judy to say a few words about their lives if they wish to. But at any rate, I'd like to thank folks for uh uh for entertaining this resolution and would like to also offer my condolences to Judy's friends and family. Thank you.

Thank you, Councelor Leming. Um I think you you've said it well. Judy's loss is a loss for our city, for our community, for our activists, and for all of the people who knew and loved her. And um we will miss her. Um if there's anyone who'd like to speak about Judy now, um I know some of her close friends are here. Um you have the opportunity to come to the podium or raise your hand on Zoom and we'll start at the podium if there's anyone who'd like to speak. Hi, Steve. Name and address for the record, please.

My name is Steve Schnapp. I live at 36 Hillside A and I really appreciate the council doing this. Uh Judy was a friend of my wife and I for a very long time. My wife went to camp with her, camper. We knew her a long time. And it was uh was really great when we moved to Medford in 2011. Judy was a resident here and we already had uh friends in the community. She's a person who introduced me to the Human Rights Commission. She was a commissioner for many years, over a dozen years. And uh after the Medford Conversations Project got going and Safe Medford got going, she she joined that as well. I want to point out that this was a multi-talented person, an artist whose work uh in photography was displayed in city hall. uh she was uh an editor of highly technical information for the for the uh state federal government. She was a brilliant editor and many people relied on her for correcting their manuscripts etc. and including uh St. Medford and the human rights commission and uh she was a stickler for details and uh she will be missed. So thank you for this much appreciation.

Thank you Steve. Go to Munir Germanis name and address for the record please on Zoom. uh Muno Germanis uh three summit road. Uh I had the privilege and pleasure of working with Judy for several years on the human rights commission. Her work and participation in this commission were beyond compare. She was always honest, forthright, and respectful as a key member of the commission for many, many years. She was also an invaluable resource during the process of generating a new human rights commission ordinance that was passed last year. I for one will certainly miss her. Godspeed Judy. Thank you. Thank you. Maner recognize Eileen Learner on Zoom. I met Judy over 40 years ago up in New Hampshire at World Fellowship. Um, and we became friends. We had mutual friends and mutual interests. And when I moved to Medford um 12 years ago, it brought me into greater contact with Judy on the Human Rights Commission and in various uh activities in Medford. I greatly admired her. I was grateful to her for her editing of my writing which she did for free and I learned a lot from her

and this is a great loss. I will miss her and I know we all will miss her and I do want to thank the city council for giving us this opportunity to express our feelings about this loss. Thank you.

Thank you Eileen Ellen Epstein 15 Gro Street. Um, I'm just going to be brief and say that I think the thing we can do to best commemorate Judy and her life is to get the Human Rights Commission up and running again. Thank you. Thank you, Ellen. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak on this commemoration at this time?

All right, seeing none, is there a motion? on the motion to approve and then we'll do a moment of silence. But on the motion to approve by Vice President Lazaro, seconded by Councelor Callahan. All those in favor opposed. The motion passes. Please rise if you're able for a moment of silence. Thank you. Resolution 26076 offered by President Bears. Resolution to celebrate Medford Youth Volunteers for the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, a bed for every child program. Be it resolved by the Medford City Council that we commend and celebrate the 18 Medford youth volunteers from St. Rafel Parish on their project in partnership with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless to raise funds for and build 18 beds for children on the wait list for the coalition's a bed for every child program. wanted to put this on the agenda because I did receive a communication from the Mass Coalition for the Homeless about a program and you can see kind of the letter and some photos attached in our agenda. Um they have a a program called a bed for every child which is committed to making sure that every child has a safe and comfortable place to sleep. And um in late March uh several youth uh folks at St. Rayfields um completed their project fundraising beyond their goal and building 18 beds for children on the wait list for that program. And I think that's something that we should honor and support. So I ask for my colleagues support and um there's also some additional information on our agenda if you'd like to contact them and thank them for their service to our community.

Vice President Lazaro. Uh thank you for bringing this forward. President Affairs and uh it's a really a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to the youth in our community for taking on this kind of of volunteerism. Um I love when uh kids in our city can um work on projects that give back to um especially especially kids who are experiencing homelessness. it can be very destabilizing and scary and uh to know other kids are helping and wanting to do that work is really um kind and wonderful and a great thing to celebrate. So, thank you very much.

Thank you. Is there a motion on the floor? On the motion to approve by council vice president Lazaro, seconded by councelor Sang. All those in favor? Opposed? Motion passes. Records. The tabled records of the meeting of March 24th were passed to Vice President Lazaro. Vice President Lazaro, how did you find those records? I found them in order and I move to approve. On the motion to approve by Vice President Lazaro, seconded by seconded by Council Lemming. All those in favor? I opposed. Motion passes. Records of the meeting of April 7th were passed to Council Lemming. Councelor Lemming, how did you find those records? I find the records in order and move to approve.

On the motion to approve by councelor Lemming, seconded by Seconded by Councelor Molain. All those in favor? Opposed? Motion passes. Records of the special meeting of April 14th were passed to councelor Maline. Councelor Maine, how did you find those records? I found them in order and move to approve. On the motion to approve by councelor Main, seconded by,

seconded by Vice President Lazaro. All those in favor. Opposed. The motion passes. Reports of committees 26066 offered by President Bears. Committee of the whole April 7th, 2026. This was a meeting where we discussed the potential implementation of a residential exemption to our property tax with our city assessor. Um, we did receive a presentation that went into some significant detail. I recommend folks take a look at that meeting if they want to better understand the residential exemption. We requested additional information. um had a several questions about the information that was provided in the hopes of having another meeting um hopefully in the next couple of months where we can further dive into what the impact of a residential exemption will look like um either this year or in years to come. Is there a motion? The motion to approve by counselor saying seconded by seconded by councelor Leming. All those in favor opposed. The motion passes. 24033 offered by Councelor Lemming. Planning and permitting committee report April 8th, 2026. Councelor Lemming,

thank you. During this planning and permitting committee, we discussed the borders of the uh Boston Avenue um upcoming uh resoning. Um am I permitted to just give the April 22nd report as well?

Sure. Um and then additionally on the uh same paper on April 22nd, we continued the discussion uh on Boston Avenue and largely decided to redraw to keep the borders to essentially all of the area all of the non-residential areas uh along Boston Avenue going from the uh the Somerville border up to the uh up to the Whole Foods. Uh, I'd motion to approve this and the April 8th and the April 22nd report.

On the motion by councelor Lemming to approve the reports from April 8th and April 26th in the planning and permitting committee seconded by councelor Sang. All those in favor opposed. The motion passes. I'll follow councelor Lemmings lead. There's two other committee of the whole reports. We have 25189 committee of the whole April 14th and 2601 committee of the whole April 21st. Um on the 14th we discussed the draft standard compensation ordinance to address um the standard compensation for contracted employees in custodial and security services. Um and that advanced to the agenda tonight for consideration. And then on April 21st we had our first preliminary budget meeting for the fiscal 27 city budget. And we have another one of those tomorrow night. Is there a motion? On the motion to approve the committee of the whole reports from April 14th and April 21st, 2026 by councelor Sang, seconded by Vice President Lazaro. All those in favor opposed. The motion passes. 253 2435424053 and 26024 offered by councelor Molain resident services and public engagement committee report April 14th 2026. Councelor Molain.

Sure. Thank you. Um, at this meeting we discussed uh the newsletter which was to cover from February to a little bit of April. We had to reschedule the meeting um from the previous month. That's why we're a little bit backed up. Um but we made some adjustments and the newsletter will go out shortly. We also uh discussed more about the neighborhood ward meetings um to put together more planning around each one of them. uh we should have more information to be able to share with the community shortly, but if you have any questions, feel free to watch the recording and I'm happy to answer any questions that might come up from it. Um can I motion to move this? Yeah. On the motion to approve by councelor Molain, seconded by second.

Seconded by councelor Lemming. All those in favor? Opposed? The motion passes. Councelor Lemming.

Thank you. Council President Bear's motion to suspend the rules and take papers 26079, 26080, and 26081 out of order. On the motion to suspend the rules to take communications from the mayor, papers 26079, 26080, and 26081 out of order. Seconded by seconded by Vice President Lazaro. All those in favor? Opposed? The motion passes. All right. 26079 submitted by Mayor Brianna Lingo Kern capital stabilization fund appropriation request, Miss Tuck and Brooks Elementary School's MSBA accelerated repair and MSBA projects update. And I know we have our MPS director of finance, chief of operations, I think that's the right title, Ken, and uh vice chair of the school committee, Jenny Graham with us. Um on these papers, we'll start with capital stabilization fund. Um this is from the mayor. I respectfully request and recommend that your honorable body approves the following appropriation from the capital stabilization fund that the city of Medford hereby appropriates the aggregate amount of $400,000 for the purpose of paying feasibility study and schematic design costs related to a potential accelerated repair project involving potential roof and heat pump conversion replacement project at the Mituck Elementary School located at 37 Hicks Avenue in the amount of $200,000 and Brooks Elementary School located at 388 High Street in the amount of $200,000 including the payment of all costs incidental or related arrow to the project which proposed repair project would materially extend the useful life of the school and preserve an asset that otherwise is capable of supporting the required educational program and for which the city has applied for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the MSBA set amount to be expended under direction of the Medford School Committee. To meet this appropriation, the mayor with the approval of the council is authorized to use funds from the capital stabilization account in the set amount. The city acknowledges that MSBA's grant program is not entitlement discretionary program based on need as determined by the MSBA. And if the MSBA's board of directors votes to invite the city to collaborate with the

MSBA on this proposed repair project, any project cost a city incurs in excess of the grant that may be approved and received by and received from the MSBA shall be sole responsibility of the city of Medford. The capital stabilization fund currently has a balance of $9,950,51. Thank you for your kind attention to this matter. Brianna Lingokarn, mayor, and I'll turn it over to you guys. Do you want to put up our presentation? Matt's on it. Okay, perfect.

Great. So, uh, we're here tonight. I'm Ken Lord. I'm chief operations officer of the Metro School District. Here to update you on several projects we have working on. Let me go to the next slide, please. So, the first is the Medford High School building project. And we wanted to start by pointing out that our project website is the best place to find all the information about what's going on. It has all of our meeting minutes, recordings, presentations, documents, proposals, everything is there. So, anybody from the public who wants to know anything about the project, please go to our school system website and right under the about menu, you can go to the uh Metford High School Project or go directly to the address metpro.com and you can find all about what's going on in our meetings. All of our meetings are open to the public and are broadcast and uh are available for people to watch online. You can go to the next slide. So this is a slide that shows the uh schedule of the project and where we are. So we are in the feasibility study portion of the project. So in this project, this part of the project, you study all the different options that are possible. So we started out with 29 different options and we've now recently moved down to six options. Um and we'll be moving towards making a decision on the option that we wish to move forward on June 10th. And then once we go to that option, we'll move into the schematic design phase. We take that one option and we work with our designers and architects and build that out to a very high level design that comes to a good cost estim estimation that we can bring to the public for their consideration for voting on the project will be in the May June time frame of 27. Uh once we get the city approvals uh we would then move to design development and then on to construction and hopefully for um completed project. Um next slide. Thanks. So these are the six options we are at right now. The MSB requires us to carry what's called a code upgrade option. So this option A1 is simply an option which would bring

the building up to code. It does not change the program to increase educational program. It doesn't alter the building other than to bring everything up to code, which is a mammoth amount of work. You're talking about bringing the, you know, eradicating the heating system, all the electrical, fire alarms, roofs, windows, doors, all the walls, everything. It's it's a uh it's really a massive amount of work to get that done. And then beyond that, there are um three addition renovation options and two new options. Jump anytime.

Sure. Um, I I think one of the things to know as we've sort of gone down to these six options is that we really are the six options are sort of nice because they explore essentially everything that's possible on the site in a whole variety of ways. Um, last night we did share um the the architect shared with us another iteration of these designs. So, um, this presentation is pre those designs being updated. And I think what you'll see, um, if you go out to the website and take a look at those or come to our, um, community forum next week is that what you see here is like sort of version one is just like blobs on a page. Version two has a little bit more life to it. It's a little bit easier to understand like what's happening in the building. Um, there's some more detail about the elevations and traffic flow around the site and all of those good things. Um but it also really reflects um all of the feedback and input that they've received so far about what people liked about these options, what they didn't like about the options and what people liked about other options that we actually didn't move forward. So the version two um set of iter of designs is or will be posted on the website probably in the next day or so. Um we did talk about them at length last night in our meeting and that is available on YouTube if you want to take a look there. Um so we're exploring all of these options sort of for a whole variety of reasons. Um some of our ad rena options for us allow would allow us to preserve our very large gym space and our pool um where they stand. Um the new options which are those D options um are really new builds. The gym would get smaller by about 12,000 square feet. We would lose some features that we have today. So that that's not without um real consideration. Uh however um there are possibilities to sort of bring the pool forward in all of these options because I know that's been a big topic of conversation. So um lots lots to look

at, lots to consider and um our community forum is next week on the 11th. Sorry, uh a week two weeks from yesterday on the 11th. Um May 11th

and um I would definitely encourage everybody to come join us. like there'll be bigger versions of all this stuff to take a look at. So um but we are moving through the study of these options um and the refinement of costs. So we'll also expect some updated cost estimates um based on the evolved designs and some changes that we made to the scope last night um sometime in May. So all of that is coming with like a more refined cost estimate which is still sort of very high level at this stage in the game by design and um by intention with six options to go. And these looked better last night too. So these

they did. They really did. Um you know I I think everyone sort of has the things that they like about these different designs. I know Ken does. I do. Right. And when I saw them last night, I was like, "You've totally changed my mind about what I like and what I don't like." Um, and you know, like I'll share like one of my one of the things that has been a huge concern for um the school administrators is like the heavy reliance or need for modulars as we renovate the site. So, it's a big site, but it is actually very tight in terms of what has to happen on it. And in order to construct a building on the same site where you have to teach students, um, we would be looking at a large number of modulars. They actually were able to reduce a whole bunch of those modulars in almost all the options except for the A and the B option. So all the other four no longer require modular with some changes to phasing. And one of the things that happened like one of those D options sort of was a favorite because it was like you could build it all up on the field and then everybody could move in and it had no modulars, right? So that was like really I think exciting to a lot of people and then once you saw what was possible last night with all of these options, you're like gee that D option is no longer the thing that's most appealing. um at least for me like I you know I saw it I was like okay it's still still fine but um all these other options have so much more appeal now that we've been able to like resolve for that issue. So yeah lots of changes um and they actually are starting to look like buildings instead of like Legos.

Yeah, I really appreciated the feedback that the SBC gave and then the project team did to improve the designs. I think what we were pres what you presented last night was a significant improvement. So really encourage people to watch um at least that part of last night's meeting.

Yeah. And I think the thing about this process um MSBA has a really rigid process. It's there so that communities don't go rogue. It's there so that communities do the due diligence and the thoughtful work. And um the iterative nature of this process is by design. It's not like we did something different or we did something unusual in going from version one to version two. That's totally natural and expected and it's going to continue to happen even after we pick one. So even when we get to one on June 10th, we're still going to be making changes. Um because that's sort of the nature of this kind of project. You start exploring, especially when you start saying like where can these things go in the building? All of a sudden things have to shift a little bit, right? So what these buildings look like will not be complete and in focus until February of next year. So everything you're seeing, everything you're hearing, all the costs, all of those things are like everyone's sort of best estimate to in provide data points along the way. Um with the knowledge that like the final data points are still quite a ways away. Um and the team is working really diligently and around the clock. So, they are they are moving just as fast as they can and it still um will be until February before there's all of those like sort of answers people seek in terms of like what this really looks like in the end.

Great. Vice President Lazaro, before we continue the presentation,

thank you. Uh yeah, I just um wanted to agree with a lot of what um Chair Graham is saying that the presentation last night about that the more honed uh designs for the different options were really really exciting. And um anybody who hasn't been paying close attention, it it can sometimes feel, this happened with a few projects that that the city council was doing um over the past few years, it can sometimes feel like things are sneaking up on community members, but um there have been there has been quite a lot of community outreach. We're trying to make sure that people are able to um pay as close attention to this project as they want to. Um, so the community forums are a really good opportunity for people to uh get engaged now. Um, we wouldn't want anybody to feel blindsided by this project at a later date. So um I'm glad that you all are coming to give us these updates. So uh that anybody who's watching online or on YouTube can um know about the next community forum and attend if they like uh or just catch up with where the project's at right now. These are very long-term projects, but um it has an impact on everybody in Medford and um it's in everybody's interest to pay as close attention as they can and weigh in as they as they would like. We had a lot of public comment last night. A lot of people saying maybe don't um take away opportunities from students before we've even gotten to the point where you know we need to do that. So, uh that sort of changed a lot of the conversation as we were moving forward through the meeting last night. I'm the um city council representative on the committee. So, I've been going to these meetings, but last night really felt like a an an inflection point where we were um having to make real decisions that felt like they were I mean, we've made a lot of real decisions, but the it felt like a

like a time that we wouldn't be able to come back from if we were going to decide to cut a lot of stuff. Um so, uh you know, it's it's it's important to hear from our community members. So, go to the community forums. If you're not sure, go. Okay. Thanks. friendly. We usually have coffee or, you know, snacks or something. So, um but yeah, there's usually a lot to see um and a lot to interact with and in an increasing way that will be true. Um just like by way of like making sure people can interact with this project as they want to. Um not everyone wants to do that the same way. And I just want to say that's okay. Like we don't all have to sort of be with the same level of energy about all the things all the time. Um, but what we want to make sure is when you want to plug in, you know where to go. That's our website. Um, when you want to hear about our meetings,

could you pull up two slides from now? I think this will help.

Oh, thank you. Um, when you want to hear about our meetings, you can go to our YouTube channel. Everything is recorded there. If you want to hear from the architect, um Matt, our lead architect, Matt Rice and I have been recording with the help of our film and TV studio students um short like bits about the project and the students have done like a really amazing job um with all the editing and the production of those. But there's lots and lots of ways to like sort of learn the facts. And I think if there's some fact that people are seeking, I would just encourage you to email the project email box, call me, email me. We're all very, very happy to answer the questions. And there's so much to know about this project that it is impossible to sort of lay everything out in the exact way that any of you might want to consume it. So, if you need help navigating to find your answers, um you can definitely um just reach out and we'll be happy to help. Um, but I think the the big thing for me is like this is exciting. It's a real it's a huge chance for Medford to move forward in all kinds of ways. And it's not just about our 9 to12 school. It's about the MFN. It's about kids corner. It's about preK. It's about our pool. It's about our playing fields and our green space. Like there's so much that goes on at that campus. If you've ever been there on a Saturday morning, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Um, but there's so much that goes on on that campus. Um it's a this is a real opportunity for Medford to do something truly transformational where we otherwise are really sort of starved for space. Um, and I think we're trying to sort of think through all of that really carefully and intentionally as we go through this process. Um, to make sure that in the end of this we have a a flagship school that we can all be proud of that we that our kids can go to and have heat and air conditioning, like

real basic stuff that they don't have today. Um, but also that um we're doing something sort of to to bring the community to that campus. So, um I think it is a real transformational opportunity and I think if anyone's like, I don't know what's there for me, like just give me a call. I'll take I'll take take you around myself and show you. Um but yeah, I think there's just there's so much um going on and there's so many chances for this project to really meet the needs of the community in a way that um that we could that we can. Um and none of it has to be all or nothing. like we're we'll work through all of there's a lot of decisions coming and I look forward to the day where the decisions are like what color tiles go on the floor um versus like how much space goes in this particular closet but like all of these things really matter and they add up and they give us a chance not only to do something for the people who are going to be there when we get to cut the ribbon but they're also it's also our chance to do something for the kids that are going to live here in 50 years. So, this building has to be able to withstand like whatever's coming in education. And I think none of us exactly knows what that is just yet. Um, and so really thinking about flexibility, thinking about how we promote our vocational programs, which does um continue year overyear to be one of the darlings of Medford Public Schools. Um, and and rightfully so. Um, it is it is not the vocational school that you know of when you went to school. It is a real place where kids belong um and get skills whether they choose to go on to college or into career directly. Um and we're trying to we're trying to expand those programs. We're trying to meet our weight list. All of those things are possible with a with a building that is carefully planned.

Thank you. I know there's some other MSBA stuff, but I think let's do the high school and let's do everything else. Um is any questions about the high school? Anything else you want to add? I think we skipped a slide. I don't know if you need to go back to it. I think you might have captured it. We covered most of it, just that one of the next steps is we'll be starting to go to out to procure a construction manager at risk. It's one of the next steps that we're working on. And maybe we can just um either leave the events page up, Matt, or or we could pause sharing, but anything anyone else wants to add uh from the council? Any questions on the high school project at this time? Councelor Sang.

Um I want to thank you and the committee for doing such hard work. Um, I know thinking about the square footage of each closet isn't necessarily the uh the most glamorous to work, but as someone who graduated from there not too long ago, it's something that really students and teachers can really feel on the ground. Um, and I mean you mentioned heat and air conditioning and those really were I mean those things really made studying in December and June really difficult for students and I'm glad to hear that that kind of perspective taking in that perspective from the ground is is being infused into this project. Um, you guys mentioned you've done a lot of the of community forums, listening sessions. Um, and I'm curious what you've been hearing from parents, from educators, and from students.

Um, I think it really depends on sort of where you come where you come to the project from, right? So, if you're a parent like myself whose kids go to school there right now and will not see the future of this building, um, what we hear is, "I wish this started 10 years ago." Me, too. um and what will this be like for my children while they're learning through construction, right? And so that's where the modular conversation gets like really anxious. Um what they what you also hear is like um because people don't want their kids learning in trailers even though they have heat and air conditioning, which is like more than we can say for some of the rooms in the building, right? But you you also hear about the the reasons kids feel like they belong at Medford High, whether that's athletics that could be disrupted, whether that's the swim team where like a renovation of the pool will take it out of commission. And so we have to think about what those alternatives are or if it's your student is in a in a vocational program that like cannot learn in just any classroom, right? So there's a lot of concern about like the staging and the phasing for those folks. Um, and it's those are real valid concerns. We're just not there yet. Like that's for schematic design and that's for like the construction planning process. So there's like concepts of how those things will happen right now and no answers. And I can sort of appreciate that that's like really uncomfortable.

If we're hearing from folks with very young children, they're like, "Hurry up. Finish this project as fast as you can because I want my kids to go to this school and I'm really excited." Um if you if you're talking to people with very young children, they're super excited about the MFN having the support that it needs and the um the consolidation of the prek programs to do a a little bit more than we're able to do today with prek. If you hear from folks whose kids have already gone there, um there's sort of a mix of reactions which include like again, I wish you did this 10 years ago so my kid could have experienced it or um gee, it's this is long overdue and I'm with you. Um and then I think you know you do hear sort of across all of those um groups of folks um that they are concerned about how much it's going to cost. And I think that's a real concern and it is something that we'll have to grapple with together. Um one of the reasons that we waited honestly to do this project is so that we could participate with MSBA and all of the funding that they're going to provide to us by following through with their programming. Right. Um, so that's a big portion of this, but I think the picture of how this gets paid for is really complicated. And anybody who tells you like today that they know what that number will be, it's that those are estimates too, right? And those are estimates based on no feedback yet from the MSBA about what they will cost sharing. Those estimates are based on really sort of incomplete decisions about space. um and very very very high level estimates that'll get refined further. So there's a million variables that will go into how this how much this building costs. Um I do think the numbers sort of take people back like it's surprising to me that we are

talking about a building that at the last estimate was like in the $800 million range. Nothing unusual is happening here in Medford. This is happening in every school community and school building across the state. What we have going on here is even more complicated because vocational program is always much programming is always much more expensive than a traditional classroom. So like you can't compare us to Lexington even though they were like the most expensive school. That's true until the next school comes along essentially is like sort of where the trends are in school construction. Um, so I think there's a lot of conversation that people want to have about cost and I completely get it. I appreciate it and I think we will get there. But it's one of those things where I if if I could like encourage people to do one thing, it's just like stick with us a little while longer before we start to worry too much because we are still talking about really, really, really preliminary information. Um, so like you know I've had people say, "Jenny, this is going to cost me $20,000 a year. Jenny, this is going to cost me $6,000 a year." Like none of those numbers are true. Like, and I can almost promise you that every single number that I've heard so far is not the actual number because there's so many variables that we still just don't know about. Um, so we're waiting on feedback from the MSBA, which we're expecting any day. Um, and even that will give us an idea of what is to come, but it won't um give us all those final answers again until we get through the schematic design process and into like February of next year.

I I really appreciate that you guys are thinking about cost co cost to our our families. Um, and also being very graceful and very delicate with not putting numbers out there that are misleading or not making decisions based on information that we don't know for sure yet. Yeah. Um because I mean I think a worry that a lot of parents brought up last night was that we would start cutting based on numbers that we're not sure about and then we'd have those options off the table forever. Um and my understanding is that we have until October when it's pencils down. Can you explain that really quickly?

Yeah. Um I think um two two things happened last night that I think were important. One was we gave um the project team some clear instructions about what we wanted them to cost and how and we asked them specifically for some consistency across the options around things like parking, the pool, um the auditorium and then a handful of programs that are like sort of outside of the school day kind of programs. um like central administration for example is like sort of separately listed.

Um so we gave them some clear direction on how we wanted that cost to be presented back to us so that when anybody looks at those numbers they can say if I take that away I can be clear about what I'm taking away. Right. Right. The first version was a little bit less clear. So this next version should be super clear. And like parking is a good example. Surface parking cheap. Right. cheaper. Um, but we on that site we have some opportunities. So, we could put a parking garage. I don't think that really excites anybody, but what it does do is make way on the site for other things to be possible like increased playing fields. Um, the other thing that we asked them to do was give us pricing for um a field over parking situation, which um Waltham did recently. So their parking sort of appears underground, but on top of it are multiple playing fields, right? So that is interesting. It's intriguing. If you don't like to look at a, you know, sort of sea of cars, that's kind of nice, right? But more importantly, like we we have like really few opportunities in Medford to increase the green space available to us. Playing fields are at a premium when you talk about athletics in Medford. Um, and so continuing to explore like what is possible there I think is really important. And if we just took that off the table last night, it would be gone forever. We would never be able to really talk about fields over parking and we would be sort of stuck only talking about a, you know, a sea of 450 or whatever parking spaces, right? So, and we may decide that's what we want, but we don't have to decide right now. what when we will have to make those decisions is by October. So we can make them in an iterative fashion as information comes into focus. But what

the team has told us is like pencils down is like October so that the construction manager and the architect can really do their costing

um and um get those numbers into into lock for February. Um, so that was like, you know, sort of one thing that happened last night was giving people some clear instructions on what we wanted to see. The other thing that happened last night was we did take up several hundred um recommendations to cut space. Some of them went forward. Uh most of the ones presented by the superintendent and the educational leadership team um did go forward and they are they that's very natural to be happening at this phase in the process. um the other the other proposals got tabled um by and large and I think that's fine and I think what happened last night was the committee heard from everybody saying we don't have to do this right now and maybe we shouldn't right

um so I think that was like a really really good outcome last night to say like we all hear and appreciate that like there is still refinement yet to happen in this building absolutely um but there the urgency to do it last night um didn't have to be there. And so that I think that clarification really changed things for people. So I think you'll continue to see us refine space as we can right as those things come into focus as there's more time to consider particularly the feedback that we're expecting from MSBA.

That's really helpful to hear. I think um you know I I have heard from some residents about scope and I I think it's been helpful for them to know that there is there's time to get solid information for us to make choices first and then to hear feedback and adjust the plans to that and I think yesterday's meeting also if if folks tuned in um does show that our school team our educational team is thinking a lot about how we can use space more efficiently and how we can rightsize a lot of the space as well. Um something that um a question I've gotten is just I mean I think this is more of a basic project question. Um what criteria or parameters are we using to kind of whittle down these six options to an ideal option? And I think uh kind of going handinhand with that another question I've gotten is um with the with the first option the just the code upgrades does that um preserve the programming that's in the high school? Does it align with um our educational plan? Because something that in my experience, you know, has has been important is I I I think being at MHS quite recently, it's become clear that it's hard to get a 21st century education in in a building that's built for the 20th century.

Yeah. And I think there's a, you know, I think voters there there are people who are kind of finding it hard because they they see option A and they're like this is seems much more affordable. They're also worried that it doesn't kind of achieve all the goals that we want to set for our schools to really make it a state-of-the-art institution.

Yeah. So um A is um option A is a code upgrade and it's really restrictive. It means nothing changes. So, while we may have to take every wall out and rebuild it inside the school, every wall must go up in its exact current place. So, what that means is um for example, the 55,000 additional square feet that are being planned for vocational expansion, that cannot happen in a code upgrade. Um but more than that, um our special education um ed plan cannot be met and the ed plan overall cannot be met by option A. So, what that means is if Medford decides to go with option A, that $450 million price tag will be ours to bear 100%.

Um, if it met the if it met the ED plan, that would be different, right? It's not like code upgrade means never MSBA, but um it has to meet the ED plan. And and we're not talking about like an increment away from the ED plan. we're talking about a really big gully between the ed plan and what the building the current building can provide. So, um that's option A in terms of like what is possible, right? So, that's it's kind of not possible under under that, but all of the other options do meet the ED plan.

Um and the ED plan is another document that's going to continue to evolve. So, the MSBA is going to come back to us and ask questions and say, "Gee, you asked for the space, but it doesn't say anything about it in the ED plan. Why is that?" Right? So, so they're looking at this as like another set of eyes and ears and as people who do this work for a living to say is there complete alignment in what you're proposing to do so that um we all can feel good that when we go ask um our residents to vote on this project that we have sort of left no stone unturned, right?

Um but yeah, the ed plan is super important. It's like the anchoring document and it doesn't get a lot of discussion. Um, but it's it's really important. It paints a picture of what education should look like. And it was written by our educators, but it was written by our educators after many days of meetings with teachers, students, parents. And um there's lots of conversation um in in our various meetings um and in our school committee meetings about the ED plan. And one of the things that you'll hear again and again is that the students were the real leaders in those conversations. Um, and they talked about what impedes their day every single day um, in the current building and where they where they shine and where they feel like they can't shine. Um, and the ed plan is there to be responsive to like moving that dynamic forward. at the same time like that conversation sort of unveils that like Medford Public Schools has options where to to take action now so that we can start to address some of those things even before a building but the building will limit you know how far we can go. So all of those conversations are happening. There's lots of transformation happening at the high school in particular. Um, but the building the building is like a a big huge piece of it and we just like there's you know certain times in life where you just can't work around something or somebody and like the building is one of those things you just can't you can't muscle around it to get what you want out of education

um anymore. Yeah, it's too it's it's too restrictive. I definitely have felt that on my time there. There there were times where we you know as clubs tried to do things or uh we tried to get more involved in the nature or have assemblies and just wasn't possible. Yeah. Um uh and the other part to the question sorry I kind I got it a little muddled but um could you give us a sense of what the committee is thinking about when it chooses between Sorry I knew there was another part question I forgot.

Um you know one of the interesting things um about the committee is there's 25 people on the committee. there are 15 voting members and um you know that's a that's a huge committee actually and people everyone who I tell that to is like oh my like h how do you manage um that big of a committee and it's not easy but I think what we have done is assemble a group of people who have really varied and broad expertise and interests um so everyone's going to come to those decisions a little bit differently um and I think that's okay like we so that we lots of data and we have lots of facts available to us. we have a giant evaluation matrix that'll get updated and we'll be able to look at it and for those people who like need a score there will be a score right for those people who are like really going to make a choice based on price that data will be available to them for the people who are going to say what is the best value and um how do I how am I optimizing the things that the community is telling me are important they'll have that choice I think in the end um There will I I think there'll be a lot of um coalesing around maybe one or two options. Um I don't know which they'll be, but I I'll be interested to see what the community says. So people really care a lot about what they're hearing in these community meetings. Um and you know out in the community, you know, people pointing out what they like and what they don't like. Um so it will be ju it will simply be a majority vote, right, that picks the final winner. But I think what we have found some success at in the past is being able to like narrow down a bit. So probably what you'll see us do is say like these two options or three options we're like eliminating and then you can sort of focus the attention a little bit more. Um and all of that will happen at our June 10th meeting.

Great. I I really appreciate this explanation of where we're at and how folks can get involved and walking us through what you guys are thinking about. It's really, I think, important for the community here. Um, again, it's early days. Um, we there's the June June 10th meeting. There's also, um, you know, time, I mean, time until October for us to to you really think about the small bits and pieces of the design. Um, and there's time for the community to get involved as well. So, I'm really grateful for this rundown. Thanks. Yeah, no problem.

Any other MSBA questions? Um, just on the high school really quickly, I just want to thank you and the SBC for your work and your leadership on this, for commitment to engaging the public extensively. Um, and I think, you know, just driving home that point that the cost and the price is is going to change. It's going to get lower likely as we move through the process. Um, and that's really important, right? You got very high level estimates. We're going to maximize our efficiencies. We're going to we're going to find exactly which spaces need to be in this building and which ones don't. Um but that kind of brings me to my other point. You brought it up about Lexington. Lexington's was 660 and that's basically just a 9 through 12 high school.

That's correct.

Um and this complex or the things that will be included, you know, they don't have a vocational school. We do. They don't have the MFN Medford Family Network. We do. They don't do child care in their building. We do. Um prek, we don't do it there now. We used to. that's coming back to Medford High, but that opens up space in our middle schools or sorry in our elementary schools that we need in those buildings. Um there's no central offices in Lexington. They don't have public facing programs like the culinary beastro 489 or cosmetology or cars. And um I think you know their playing fields maybe don't get the same kind of utilization that ours do necessarily either. never mind programs like the Japanese language school. Um, and bringing Curtis Tus finally back to integrated, you know, not having our alternative high school be far away and separate and in an old building that also needs repair. So, I think when you think about um the things that we do in this building right now that we need to keep doing, the things that we want to bring to this building because we'll do them better there and they help us in our other spaces. Um, you just really can't compare this to the other high schools that have been built recently. And to be honest, when you say Lexington does one thing for 660 million and we do 17 things for 775 million and probably less or you know 800 or whatever the estimate is right now that's going to come down. I think that's just really important for folks to be aware of too. This is not the same as as these other projects. Um so I know you said that a little bit. I wanted to just iterate it and reiterate it a little bit more. Um, and just closing, I think, um, one, I think it's really important for us to have an honest convo. If we're at the end of the day and it's like, well, this option is 650 million and this option is 700 million and one of those options doesn't bring prek or has a surface parking but no new field or um, doesn't bring Curtis Tus back. You know, maybe we're doing that for 50 million on this site that would cost 100 or 120

million in the long term to try to do that in other places. So, I think folks need to understand that we're really trying to maximize the efficiency to the to the city um in this one project and you know it might have a bigger price tag but it actually costs less than um it would for us to do five or six projects and um that to to reach those same goals. So, I really appreciate your commitment to um maximizing the value for students and for our community spaces um and you know working really really dig diligently to minimize the cost and the tax impact to the taxpayer. I think like that's the work and you guys are doing it. And the one thing I really hope to talk about more, I think we can be a partner on um is creative uh decisions to help fund the project. And you know, I know there's grants that have been applied for in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars that we'll get from the MSBA. Um but I also think, you know, if we're able to build a stadium, a new stadium on on the Medford High School site, you know, Hormel is in tough shape and there's, you know, millions and millions of dollars that would need to go into that. I think that's something we can look at. Hormemell is right by the highway, right by a bunch of residential construction, right by some of our main commercial areas. Maybe that's a place where we could look at a land lease from the city. We get a brand new stadium at the high school. We do a land lease from the city and that helps to fund um this project instead of the debt exclusion, right? And I know that's something that's been brought up. I know that's something we're talking about. And I think we just can't get stuck in this thing where it's MSBA will only cover X and it's the rest is on the taxpayers on the debt exclusion. And I'm that's the thing where I think being worried about how do we keep the cost as low as possible while doing all the things we need to do. That's right on getting into this trap of there's no chance that there's any other way to help fund this project. I think that's something that I'm hearing more of and I'm worried about, you know, kind of dominating the conversation because I think there's so many ways that we can um that you guys are working to bring the price down and still do what we need to do and other

ways to fund the project other than just say throw up our hands. The only solution is the debt exclusion. It's going to be a big part of the solution. There's going to be a debt exclusion, but um I don't think we should just say that's that's our only option. And because of that, let's cut big important programs. Let's cut the MFN. let's cut the pool. Let's cut a fields for our kids. Let's um you know, cut the vocational school. I don't think any of us want that. And I think there's other ways for us to fund, you know, to fund this project. That means we don't have to make that decision. So, I hope we can have those big conversations. And to me, that's like the one thing that this body might be able to help you guys. Don't worry, you're on my list.

So, just want to I just really think that's important. And I think we're getting a little um some of the cost conversation is not being creative enough. So

I think the other thing about the cost conversation is like this is this is the fir you know we have one estimate right so far and that that one estimate was done by two different independent cost estimating firms. The next set of cost estimates they'll have more inputs. the same two firms are going to go down the same road. But at this early stage, there's so many variables that they cannot control for. And it's a bad time in our world to be reliant on things that come from other countries, right? This week there's a tariff, next week there's not. The week after that there's a tariff. All of that sort of feeds the economic picture of like how they're having to cost for for for this. The estimators, they do this for a living. None of them wants to be known as the firm that undersshot the estimate, right? So that means all of the conservatism is going to be there right now. And as we go forward, more things will come into focus. The timing, all of those things comes into focus. Um they can be more precise. when we bring on our construction manager at risk, they will help us through the late stages of cost estimating during schematic design. So the construction manager who's going to build the project, who's going to ultimately agree to a maximum price will be there with us doing those estimates. So they're going to have a completely different point of view than an architecture firm is about how to accelerate the project, how to phase the project, how to keep costs in line, what the tradeoffs are, where the efficiencies are, where the economies of scales are. So all of that is to come from a cost perspective, and we just have to we just all sort of have to hang

on for the ride as that happens. Um, but to your point, the other conversation that is a huge evolution is like, where will the money come from? Like, you know, Well, they're my heroes. They did they did their whole high school without a debt exclusion. Like, that's not us. We're not going to be able to do that here. Um, but, uh, what can we do? Like, we successfully did a capital campaign for the Medford Library, right? So, is there a capital campaign? Are there grants that we can apply for? we already have um to start to help um pay for some portions of this program. Can we can we tap into our CPC funding for the green open space? Like what are all the things that we can do to like sort of again like leave no stone unturned and not have the debt exclusion be like the the whole only answer? um it'll I don't I don't personally see a way that it won't be a part of the answer, but um I think the conversation can be more nuanced if we're like willing to go for that ride. Um and yes, we'll be knocking on your door to do that soon enough, I'm sure.

Great. Thank you. All right. Do we have any more questions about the high school? You want to talk about Miss Tuck? And um we'll we'll come back around at the end of the paper for public participation. Okay. Um let's finish the presentation on the accelerated repair projects, ongoing, future, present, past. Yeah, sure.

So, um there's still lots of projects going on at the other five schools we have. So, um we've been recently accepted to the accelerated uh repair program by the Mass School Building Authority for the Brooks, the Missag, and the Roberts. Uh this repair program would encompass a roof refurbishment or replacement as well as replacement of our aging HVAC systems. These systems that they would look to replace would study ground source or air source instead of gas or electric to be uh the source of the um energy for the these buildings. Um the uh Robert School was the first school to be accepted in and we've um we have an an engineer and an OPM on staff already. They were actually uh had a whole team of engineers out at the Roberts studying it over April vacation, pouring through the plans, looking through the building, taking measurements, and they're working together to get us to a proposed project that would do that um do those uh tasks. We are in the early stages of the Msatuck and the Brooks. The Matuck will be the next one that will um start off um and then we'll go to the Brooks after that. There will be almost identical projects because the buildings are very similar. They were all built at the same time, but you have to study each one individually and move forward with that. Um the um uh our OPM is a firm called PCA 360 and the engineer is a pro a company called Wrist Frost Shamway. um their draft schedule is that they'll have something ready for us by June and early July as an early plan of what they expect. Um we'll be bringing a schematic design over the summer and bring that to the school committee in late August and be ready to submit something to the uh August MSBA um sorry we have to submit it in August for the M October MSBA board meeting. Once we do that, they'll come back with a project funding

agreement and then we'd come back to the city to seek funding for that first project. Um that project would likely last um a year or two, most of the work being done in the summers because of course school is in session. Um and then we'd move on from there. Um so we probably we may be able to start construction in summer 27. That's in a very aggressive schedule for the um for the Roberts, but we'll see how that works out. Um the missuck actually con the program commenced on March 2nd which just means that we kick off our paperwork portion of the program. Um we'll be seeking our funding to authorize that um feasibility study go forward as well as the Brooks um will be commencing in the end uh started the beginning of July. And I think the other thing um worth mentioning is the vote that you all will take tonight um with authorized funding for Miss Tuck and Brooks in one paper. That doesn't change the timing of any of this. It just means we don't have to come and ask you to take the same vote three times. We'll just do it the two times. Um, and the amounts in the paper are reflective of what we were able to learn from the first project at the Roberts, so that we feel like those are the right numbers um and and lower numbers than what we um had planned for with the Roberts.

At the McGlin and the Andrews, um there's the $25 million HVAC project that was going on there since last summer. Um that project um is doing an air source heating and air conditioning system for both buildings. It's uh replacing the roof at the McGlin. The Andrews roof was already replaced making them both solar ready. Um the accelerator repair programs also make those buildings accel solar ready. I forgot to mention that. Um so the project is scheduled to be substantial completion by the end of the summer, early September. in which case then we'll follow immediately with the McGlin roofing project to get that that is a liquid applied roofing system they'll apply over the top of the McGlin roof. Um the solar pro installation for the Andrews will start first and then the Mcllin will will move on after that. Um we had a really big uh week last week during April vacation for both buildings. the uh new rooftop units were all activated and we transitioned to those new rooftop units over April vacation um getting us ready to be able to kick off the air conditioning season with the brand new season uh brand new systems ready and online by midmay on schedule. Uh the contract can sigly has been wonderful to work with working very very hard with us. Uh they did also did a lot of site work um because of the cost of the project. So a lot of ADA issues were kicked off. So they had to pour all new concrete um patios. They had to do work in bathrooms with landings and different things. So they're doing a lot of lot of work. They've been a really great partner working with us and and collaborating with the principles to make sure that the project goes with as least impact to the students as possible. I think that's it for that.

All right, if we could stop sharing. Do we have any questions on the elementary school and middle school projects from the council? Just a second. We'll go to public participation. Yeah. Um just wanted to say it's like all all six of our schools are in MSBA right now. That is herculean. Well, the McGlennon Andrews are not an MSBA project. Oh, those are just us. Oh, great. Y Okay.

Um, yeah, and I think when we submitted the statements of interest for the three elementary schools, we did not think that we would get all three awards. Um, and the MSBA has moved to only funding those every other year. So, we're really, I think, fortunate that we did get them all because now we can sequence the project and make sure we don't hit the point of failure on any of those systems where if we had to if we only got one, we had to wait two more years to submit and then a year for that process to kick off, we we are at the end of life with all of these units and systems. So, um, we we won't have to foot the whole bill of any of those projects like we had to do with McGlin and Andrews. So, right. Yeah, it's really fortunate that we were able to get all three projects through the pipeline at the same time while actively having um the high school project going on. So, yeah,

really lucky. It's impressive. And, you know, major work on every school building all at once is is significant. Um, in terms of the life cycle, you know, you know, we're 25 years from the quote unquote new schools, right? They opened in 2001 and 2003, I think. Um, so we're there. Do these projects for those buildings, is that a 25-y year project? Are we thinking a bit differently? They might might last us a bit longer than that. Um, h how do how do we look at that? I think the heating and air conditioning systems, you're looking at like a 25 year lifespan on those types of systems. What these projects are doing is be able to extend the lifespan of those buildings by making sure we get the roofs done and and properly. Yeah. Right. Okay. So, at least gets us another 25 years and our five schools.

And then there's also our facilities condition assessment report which we did um was done last year which really did a thorough investigation of all the buildings listing all the capital projects. Um pursuing those projects will also extend the life of those buildings and make them you know last properly. So

great. Well, I appreciate that. I think that's some some work that's long overdue for our city to make sure that these investments that we make last. Um so I'm glad that we're doing it. All right. Any further questions for members of the council on the MSBA projects for the high school and the middle school and the elementary schools or the middle school project. All right. We will go to public participation. Um you can raise your hand on Zoom or come to the podium and you will have three minutes. Um, name and address for the record, please.

Good evening everyone. Sharon DSO, Massav and Circuit Road in Medford. Pardon the garb. I ran from the yard forgetting that this meeting was going on. Um, I'll give you all a wave because the queen is here and the king is here having dinner at the White House tonight. So, I'll give you all the queen's wave. Um, I um just wanted to ask a quick question. I knew um a couple of years ago that the school um talk was in the works that people were saying we're going to get a new school. They're going to knock our school down. They're going to you know you have to look at the big picture and I hope that some of the public does go to the meetings because um our future is from our youth. Um I just had a couple of questions for anyone who might know or someone who was just um gave a nice presentation. Um, I would imagine what prompted all of this need was probably safety. Um, I know um like the library um had um a lot of electrical issues etc. So um I'm imagining that safety prompted a lot of this and then further investigation. Um a lot of the people are unsure exactly in the public um in some friends exactly how old that building is. I taught in that building. Um I know the first floor is extremely extremely maintained and very sound because it leads to a lot of administrative offices in the libraries, guidance departments, etc. And as those needs grew, those accommodations were made um and done over very very nicely. So I'm hoping we don't have to lose any of that first floor. Um secondly, um I I know um that in one or two of the um elementary schools, um I'm hoping that in their study that they looked over dynamics of student new enrollment coming in through the next um I would say 20 years. Um I think it's shrinking. So I don't know if they've compared this

um need to other towns who have been um questioning the same thing. And I'm hoping that they have enrollment in mind so that we don't just over ideologically build because we have a philosophy in mind of what a school should be like rather than what are our needs. Um thirdly, I'd like to address the fact that a lot of buildings um even like for instance the library in Winchester, they've built up, they've built out um they've revamped beautifully. I have to say I go there and visit sometimes just as much as I do Medford because I enjoy um what Winchester has done also with their space. Um and also um besides excuse me um uh building up um could you let us know basically what the needs would be um that focused beyond the safety and is prompting some of this building. you know that will that will be going on. Also, I think they said they will get down to one option. Um that's really not an option. And it said just 10 more seconds that this would be voted on by the city. What is meant by the word city who will be voting on that? And that's really not a vote. If that's the only option that you have and the project's going to go forward, if it's going to be done by the public, you should have at least two or three options that they would vote on. It's our money, too. even though you get a grant, sometimes you have to match part of it. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you, Sharon. I think there are definitely some questions. I will go to the um building committee chair and uh chief of operations for the schools. But um just before that, you know, it is um I think we've put a lot of lipstick on the pig that is the Medford High School building. Um and you know, it might look um you know, it's certainly a functional space right now, but there's a lot of issues underlying the main infrastructure. Um, it was built, it was opened, I think in 1970, built in the late60s. We're we're about 55 to 60. Certainly probably by the time we start construction, nearing 60-y old building. Um, and there's just a lot of issues at the core of it. Uh, its main systems, its roof, its HVAC, uh, the construction materials that it was built with. Um, it's a tough building. You know, I think there there are um many of the options are to either renovate or partially reuse the building uh with varying amounts of the building falling into that. Um but there's a lot of parts of the building that that it's very hard to reuse. And you know, it might look good in the lobby, but if you go in the back of the of the um locker rooms, which is built kind of it's the back of the building built towards the hill, they are in brutal shape. Like very very deteriorated. and I think they reflect a lot of the um issues in the building in terms of the the approval process. So the building committee um is working uh through the process that the state MSBA has for how you come up with a design in terms of the voting of the city. um that committee will present an option uh final after all of this design, construction, assessment, architect work. Um and then the voters will decide whether they want to fund that construction project. So at that point, all of the voters of the city will have a vote on the project. Um and I think everything else, you know, I'll turn over maybe to Jenny and Ken uh just to get into it a little bit more.

Yeah, thank you for the question. Um I'm going to try to remember them and if I forget any just let me know. Um so the first question that I heard was about the sort of like what's driving the need for this building. Um certainly safety is obviously a really really big important thing when you talk about a school of any kind. Um so that is definitely one of those things. And when we talk about safety at Medford High, we also talk about site access and and circulation around the site so that our first responders have an easy an easy time getting um on the site if they need to be there. Um but more importantly, when we talk about safety, we talk about things like structural support. So the building is not code compliant with like current standards around earthquake mitigation. um all the lateral supports are not sufficient um to carry a building into the future. Certainly not if you're going to sort of put something up on top of it. Um so there's lots of safety aspects of the building um that actually um the cost of all of that adds up quite quickly. Um in addition to all of that, our vocational programs are out of space and unders sized. So, we are putting more kids than is recommended by our state standards um into spaces so that we can give them access to vocational programming. It's extraordinarily expensive to send kids out of district. We want to keep our students here. We have fabulous teachers and really great programming, but there is a point at which we just have to grow the weight list. Um there's also huge demand for things like plumbing, HVAC, criminal justice, and dental assisting. Those things are not just demands of our students, but when you look at the labor market in the area, those things are very very in demand and supported and are we don't have space for those kinds of programs right now. Um so the vocational ex the expansion of those

vocational programs to do two things. one to mitigate the weight list and two to expand the program is a huge portion of this space. Um when we talk about sort of the the increase in space um our special education program is another place where we have um been working in wolffully undersized um classrooms and spaces for a really really long time. Our special education population is important. they need something different from us to thrive and we have a really really hard time providing that in the current space. So that's another place where like there is going to be a change of like the amount of space that we are going to be able to dedicate to a program under this. Um, and then I think finally, um, when you are a student learning in this building, things like how far it is to get from one sprawling end of the building to the other, um, all of those things impede how you can can sort of access your education. So really thinking about a classroom in a more modern sense is really important. Our classrooms are actually quite small. So I think there's lots of myths that have like perpetuated in the community like our classrooms are really very big. they are not they are smaller than um the standards that MSBA uses to decide on um the space of a classroom. So there's all kinds of things like that where like we are doing more with less already and we can't like we can't keep sort of strapping um the system in that way. So from a like what else is driving this project that's all of those things are driving this project and um also trying to say how do we how do we alleviate some of the pressure that we're feeling in other buildings that are at capacity. So, we have several elementary schools that are at capacity and if we don't address those things um in a variety of ways, this is one this is one of the ways that we'll um plan to address that. We will be

looking at needs for expansion of some of those buildings in the next 5 to 10 years. So, this project gives us an opportunity to push that off um in a meaningful way. And there's no like the cheapest time to do this project was 10 years ago. the next cheapest time is right now. It is not the cheapest time to do a construction project 10 years from now. So all of those things are sort of factoring into something fairly complicated in terms of enrollment. Um one of the biggest parts of the process, so we actually were accepted by the MSBA in 2023. Um it feels like it's already been like a short lifetime um with this project. Um but part of the work that has been happening over the last couple of years um was a really detailed enrollment study that looked at Medford um historically and into the future. Um it looked at everything from um how our enrollment has changed over time. It looked at what they call like a survival model of students. So what that means is like how many K how many kindergarten students become first graders next year and second graders the year after that and third graders the year after that right um so all of that study was done in collaboration we provided lots and lots of information to the MSBA they did a detailed study of our enrollment and that is how we certified that 1395 students are the right number for us to um build for here that's that is more students students than are at the high school today. Um, and that is because this building needs to last us 50 years. And there there is evidence to suggest that the student population in Medford will increase by that much. The MSBA absolutely would not just sort of blanket give us um space like capacity in students that is is not provable or warranted. So all of that and there's a um a really detailed um enrollment study

that's available. I I wrote a blog about it. So, if I I can send it to Sharon um if she wants to take a look at all the bits and parts, but it looked at everything from real estate in the city, planned construction, the MBTA communities act, it looked at all of the factors um reasonably that we know about um to come up with those numbers. And then the third thing was about the choices. So, I would um I would say we are following the MSBA process. We do have to pick this option um before we can go into like a vote. So the vote that we're talking about of the community is the debt exclusion that is next year. Um but in the meantime, you do have a say. Come to our meetings. You get to vote. There's lots of different ways we're asking people to vote and weigh in. Um and I think what you what we saw in terms of what the public was thinking about the options really did um align very closely with how the options the options were down selected to six. So, um, we I'm anticipating that we'll be looking for the same kind of feedback. So, you do get to vote. You just get to vote really early and with, you know, stickers and fuzzy um, craft balls instead of um, a paper ballot. And then you'll get to vote on the paper ballot next year.

Does that answer them all, Sharon? Okay. Not only the town people I've talked to involved in education and I am in education for a long time at a high level the aroma's down and the mar is around 30 to 35 years old. So I'm just wondering I know the idea you know courses that are needed are changing guys. I think I think we we got to avoid the back and forth here but yeah if we could talk a little bit more about I mean it sounds like you talked about enrollment and and you've done an extensive

enrollment. We did look at birth rates and all of those things. All of that is um part of the study that the MSBA did. Great. Thank you. Any further comments by members of the public on this item? Seeing none, is there a motion? And mind you, this is the capital stabilization fund appropriation for the feasibility study for MSBA at Missuck and Brooks elementary schools. Motion to approve by councelor Callahan, seconded by second by councelor Malain. Mr. Clark, please call a roll. Yes. 07. Councelor Callahan,

yes. Council Lemming, Council Malink, Councelor Scott Py, yes. Council Saint, yes. Vice President Mazaro. And President Beers,

yes. 16 affirmative, one absent. The motion passes. 26 07, sorry, 080, capital stabilization fund request, Menford Public Schools capital improvement plan. Dear President Bears and members of the city council, I respectfully request and recommend that your honorable body approves the following appropriations from the capital stabilization fund. Um, firearm fire alarm replacements at Brooks, Missuck, and Roberts, 45,000 each. Phase two of a network refresh at every school, 425,000. Intercom upgrades at Andrews and McGlin, 60,000 and 110,000. Cafeteria tables at the McGlin, 35,000. Condenser at the McGlin, 40,000. Doors and windows at the Andrews, 384,000. Doors and windows at the McGlin 269,000 uh railings in the car and theater at the high school 20,000 flooring and rug replacement at the auditorium and library at the McGlin 100,000 drainage at field and turf repair um at the Brooks 30,000 curtain and shade replacement McGlin 10,000 window screens at the McGlin 10,000 auditorium seating repair at the McGlin 50,000 auditorium seating in the front row high school 30,000 McGlin Andrews commissioning repairs 50,000 Karen theater lighting 100,000 and that's it as of the submission capital stabilization fund at $9,950,51 Ken and Jenny or Ken or Jenny or mayor Kenny

Jenny. So these projects almost all came from the facilities conditions and Noel too. Sorry no. Oh for the next one. Okay. uh these most of these all these projects came from our facilities condition assessment report. So we had Habib and associates do a a big examination of all our buildings and then also we pulled input from principles our own issues and things like came up with our capital plan. Um the capital plan is massive multi-year there's a lot of projects on there so I don't know if there's specific questions about any individuals there some of these items are studies to build specifications for a future year project too. Could you specify which ones are the studies?

The fire alarm ones were studies. Okay. Um, do we have any questions from members of the council about these requests? I just have one on the high school projects or I'll go to council vice president Lazaro.

Uh, it might be the same thing you were going to ask. The Karen theater lighting at the high school for $100,000. Um, uh, plus I mean I think the railings are important. I've been in the Karen Theater. My daughter does Spotlight. Um, it's, uh, it's not it's not great. Um, but, uh, and for sure railings seem important for accessibility and safety. Um, my questions about the lighting just about, you know, $100,000 in the scheme of a 9.9 million situation. It's not a ton.

That's That's not the request. That's the stabilization fund balance. This is what That's the fund balance. Great. Good. I definitely need this. Um, this is about two $2 million. How much is it? What's the total amount? A little bit less than 2 million. Great. Um, it's still in the scale of how much we're looking at here. It's not like it's not crazy, but it but I guess it's it's an obvious question. So, so can you explain to me why we need the the theater lighting and when we're planning to probably knock down the theater? So, the house lighting system has failed. Oh, it's not working. So, right now to turn the house lights on and off, you have to go backstage and flip a circuit breaker. Wow. Cool. So, that's that's why that Yep. product. So,

that's enough. Thank you. Yeah, I was I was gonna have a similar question. Um and you know, sounds like system has failed, needs to be repaired. Yeah, that's it's more of you know, it's a concern of being able to continue to use the theater until we can get to that part. Yeah. Does seem like in general in this request you're trying to minimize the request for the building.

We Yeah, we definitely are. I mean the capital planning process that that we did took everything that Hhabib looked at and prioritized like what is the like most pressing urgent thing and obviously we didn't spend a lot of time um trying to prioritize items at the high school. However, it is going to be years. We're not talking we're not talking in months. We're talking in years. Um, so there are some things that are failing at the high school and like we kind of don't have a choice but to address them right now. Um, that's sort of where we're at. And the the the railing is truly an accessibility issue. The whole building is an accessibility issue. Um, but that is um a place where like something relatively small could make a big big difference from an accessibility perspective for many.

Got it. All right. Vice President Lazaro,

thank you. I just think this really highlights how critical it is to as we carry forward with the new high school and all of these projects that we continue to keep in mind the how irresponsible it is to delay important maintenance work on our schools and all of our municipal buildings. all of the buildings that are owned by the city that are our responsibility as residents and leaders to maintain in a rational, logical, responsible way. Um, when we have new buildings, like we call all of the elementary schools and the middle schools the new buildings and now they're starting to fall apart because they have not been maintained. and also even when they were built. I won't get into it, but the way that we approach our municipal buildings should be uh with an eye toward not having to frantically, you know, throw $100,000 at house lights so that the kids that are there at the high school right now can still have assemblies, can still turn the lights on, and can and can use a railing to walk up the stairs. I am annoyed by this, and it's not you guys, obviously. Um, but I'm I'm glad I'm happy to of course of course we do all of these things, but like it's frustrating to see that like as we are we're like holding together with scotch tape this building as it crumbles around the students that are currently being educated in it and it's not fair to them. So I get really frustrated by that um that we were irresponsible with their education and we can't let it keep happening that way. So, thank you for bringing it forward. Motion to approve.

On the motion to approve by Vice President Lazaro, seconded by Seconded by Councelor Sang. Any further discussion by members of the council? Any discussion by members of the public on the motion? Mr. Clerk, please call the RO. Councelor Callahan, Council Leming, Council Mallet, Council Scarfelli, Council Sing, Vice President Lazaro. Yes. President Pierce.

Yes. Seven. The affirmative. None. The negative. The motion passes. 26081. Fiscal 25. Prior year unpaid bill public schools. Dear President Pers and city councilors, I respectfully recommend request and recommend that your honorable body approve the expenditure of fiscal year 2027 school department appropriations in the amount of $48,866.17 for the payment of prior fiscal year bills in accordance with Mass General Law Chapter 44 section 64 as detailed in the enclosed documents respectfully submitted. Brienne Olgo, mayor. We have a further memorandum from Chief Operating Officer Ken Lord to Finance Director Noel, Gone Green, unpaid bill, date April 1, 2026. We've received invoices totaling $48,000866 4,000 $48,866.17 from our electrical fire alarm contractor, Gone Green, from fiscal year 25 and earlier. We completed the work and received invoices via email, and the invoices were never processed for payment. It's unclear if failing to process these invoices was because of facilities or accounts payable staff error. Gone green sent the invoices but never followed up on payment until now. I'd recommend that we request permission to pay these invoices from this year's budget. I met with our staff and facilities to discuss the process and procedures for ensuring they properly pay invoices. They had already implemented improved recordkeeping this year prior to these overdue invoices being discovered. Going forward, we'll implement a process of regularly checking in with vendors to ensure they receive and pay invoices. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll turn it over to you guys. So, um it's as um the memo is is written, you know, we just we were notified of these invoices being unpaid. It was quite a shock to us that they had never asked for payment. Usually, you know, they're beating down the doors for a check. Um it's really, we did an investigation. It's really unclear where the failure point was prior to these coming in. They had already started doing better recordkeeping, tracking of invoices, checking to make sure things were paid. Um so, we're we've done an investigation. We've put extra precautions in place to make sure this

does not happen again. Um but u we do owe this money. It has been verified. This work was completed. Um this was presented to the school committee and they did approve. Um but we also need your approval as well. All right. Great. Do we have any questions from members of the council on this item? All right. I'll go to councelor Scarpell and then councelor Main. Thank you, Mr. President. To the chair. I'm sorry. I just I can't accept that we don't know how it happened. There's got to be something more than that, guys. There's got to be it's got to it's got to we got to figure that we we're looking at so many fiscal issues right now.

We're talking about millions and millions of dollars of a new high school. We're talking about upgrades. We're talking about not paying a bill and us not knowing about it and we don't know where we made that mistake so it doesn't happen again. That's unacceptable. I'm sorry. I can't as the as someone that is is responsible for the fiscal future of this community and what goes on. There's got to be a better answer.

So during our investigation, I can prove the emails were received because there was a very paper system involved. I cannot prove who didn't do the right thing next. There was a there was some staffing changes in both departments that handled these bills at that time. Some of those people aren't here anymore. Um the emails were received. We can't find them in the records that they were then moved from who received them to accounts payable to pay them. So we don't know if it was a failure in the facilities department or in the accounts payable. So that that's where the failure is is that I can't figure out now after the fact why they weren't paid. We had discussions with the people that were left behind here why and we weren't not able to find a reason why this happened. I agree it's incredibly frustrating. Um, I wish I if it was an electronic system, I could track and prove what happened, but I have no way of doing that because it was all paper, you know. Is it was it that the people who received the emails didn't print them? They say they did. If it wasn't, you know, they gave to accounts payable, they weren't processed, they say they didn't receive them. I'm not sure where to go from there as well. So, I don't know if you have any more to add to that.

Um, yeah, we can add more to that. Um, definitely this is uh unacceptable and I do agree with you on that. Uh we have been working internally both with our accounts payable and meeting with not just um this uh facilities director but other directors and making sure that we're running um monthly open PO reports and we're running monthly um bill statements to meet to to check to reach out to our vendors and making sure things are being paid on a timely manner. Now um this sadly uh came to our desk after the fact. We wish we had known previously, of course, prior fiscal year to be responsible both to the taxpayers and their hard-earned money that they do pay to make sure that we are uh being respectful um with our budget. And so, you know, this coming to the forefront definitely made us put a few more procedures in place um in meeting with directors, holding directors responsible, but also holding our our business office as a whole responsible and um making sure that we're doing our part and running money running more reports and uh meeting with everyone monthly.

Thank you, councelor Scarpelli. Yeah, I understand my frustration. I I don't this happened within what five years ago. This uh within the past these were FY25 invoices.

So it's not it wasn't done with an abacus. It wasn't done years ago. You're making this sound like this was done. I I I just I can't fathom that. I know if it was a dollar, but this is substantial money we're talking about. We're talking about Understand my frustration doesn't fall totally on what happened tonight. We're looking at a council that still hasn't received receivables or what monthly uh pay pay uh u payroll systems and and and what's going on in a day-to-day function that we used to get

uh in a regular basis with form administrations. This is very frustrating when you hear this and the leaders of our school financial team says we just don't know where it is. I I'm I'm going to I I can't go on. And I don't want to say anything that disrespects you two, but that's this is totally unacceptable. I will come back during the budget season. I hope you find a better answer during the budget season that when I because it can't be just we don't know who did it. I'm sorry. It can't be.

I I I it can't be. I I I I I I cannot move forward to what we're going to be presented from the school department for a budget and our leaders in our financial world telling us we just don't know where it is. We just don't know where where it happened because you're telling me it was a paper paper uh pencil system or whatnot or people left. That's that's not ex that's not a reason right now. So, I take a deep breath, focus on hopefully you get a we get a better answer during the budget season cuz I'm going to ask. Okay. Thank you. Go to councelor Mallay.

Thank you. Um I think you may have answered it, but just to kind of be um to wrap it up, you mentioned that putting more safeguards in place so something like this doesn't happen again. Do you mind just highlighting again what those are so that we know moving forward?

Sure. So prior to um this year um when invoices were received they were just printed signed on them paper sent off to be paid. They're now tracking each invoice number on a spreadsheet making sure. So we have what are called blanket POS to a vendor like Gone Green. So those POS are now being tracked individually um with the invoice numbers noted and tracked and then we are now going back to the uh contractor on a regular basis verifying that we have all the invoices. Hey, did we pay this? Did we check this? Verifying the work is done and making sure that we have the invoices properly done. That most of that process is put in place before they even discovered these invoices weren't paid. Okay.

Because of staffing changes and other things. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. And just to um make sure I understand it, um the people who didn't get their money was this company and they didn't ask for it for over a year. Yeah. Um so so we didn't have any there's no like missing money from from our end. It's we didn't catch these invoices and then we never paid them,

right? So we didn't instead of expending this funds in FY25, we need permission to pay for it in FY26 from our operating budget. All right. And and so basically what happened here, if I understand it correctly, maybe those money that money was used for a year-end transfer or or something else when it should have gone to this.

Um Okay. Well, you know, and I think that that's uh something we need to catch. It sounds like Could you talk a little bit more? It sounds like you are you using an electronic system now or are we still on the kind of paper trail? So the once the um the SP it's all tracked on spreadsheets before it's put into our the city financial system for payment. So there is still some paper trail in the middle but now there's processes in place to make sure that it gets processed correctly. Right. So this couldn't happen now. I damn well hope not.

Yeah. We are checking and check we're having monthly meetings going through everything we possibly can to make sure because it's it's it's not just about the fact that they didn't get paid. It's about tracking our own budget, how much money we have left, you know, if if these if these most of these invoices were in the fall of 24. Yeah.

So, if I was here at that time and I find and they were just showed up in the spring of 25 and same fiscal year, I'd be like, well, wait a second. How am I going to go up $48,000 to pay for these things if I'm not tracking what I'm spending going along? So, it's it's incredibly important that as we do work, we know how much we're anticipating to spend on these things so we can, you know, manage what we're doing and how we're doing it. So, it's it's it's disturbing on multiple levels.

All right. Thank you. I'm going to go to councelor Callahan, then councelor um Lazaro, then councelor Scarpelli. Um so I know that we have approved the funding for a um like to update our financial software and uh and and that will take you know five years to get all the branches of city government to be trained and to have everything moved over. Um

it sounds like what you've put together is a combination of um financial software, emails, spreadsheets, in-person meetings um and double-checking. Uh is the new financial software will it get rid of some of these extra things that you need to do? Um is is that financial software do you think um going to be able to help us to track these things?

So we moved to Munis in my prior district. I used to work in Wilmington and the process in that system is when an invoice comes in if it's electronic already it's uploaded into the system or you scan it into the system. Each invoice has a barcode. It's tied to an invoice. So if you need to look back at records, it's all in the system. That's all paper right now. It's all in file cabinets and things. So I would say same process in Chelsea when I was working in Chelsea. Yeah. Invoice would come in. Everything was paperless in Chelsea. Actually, we went paperless in 2018 and to prevent Yes. paper invoices being missing. Yes. It sounds like the answer is yes. That it will in fact prevent all these problems.

But you said it right though. Proper training, proper proper procedures put into place. You just can't you can't invest this much in a munis program and making sure that we don't have procedures put into place and it'll take up to five years for the entire city to lots of modules to to lots of conversion and training. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Vice President Lazaro.

Thank you. I used to work at the high school. I used to work for the superintendent and um I remember and this is partially just because of how I am doing paperwork which is not great. Um, but I would uh I would get a request for reimbursement for someone from the school committee uh for something an expense they had that was reimburseable and I would have to do a PO to get the reimbursement and the amount of paperwork to just reimburse a school committee member that I had to do. I could absolutely see and this is not an excuse. It shouldn't be this way, but I could absolutely see how you could just lose it. You could just lose it because you know what? It's it's hard to it's hard to do and it's a a ton it's it's an unreasonable amount of work to receive an email and be required to print the email um in order to uh pay a bill and and I I'm hearing you guys say that that's not the process anymore. And when councelor Callahan asked if you that about the new system is that citywide

or is that just the schools? So that means right. Okay. So you're saying the paper process that's in the middle is that the paper process still exists. And will that be the case even with the new system? No. Okay. So once that's implemented, we will have no paper process. So there are there are still instances where vendors will send you things on paper. Yeah. But it all has to be brought in on them. Yes. Electron. Electron. Sure. Somebody's like a like a landscaping company. They send you an invoice. That's fine. Whatever. Um, but we will not be required to take any papers and put like a staple a thing to it and put like a stamp on it. The stamp ridiculous. Upload it right to the system and pay

like it's taken way it's taken way too long. Um I feel that I must tie this into what we were just talking about with the um delayed maintenance that this feels like a very late stage uh globally for us to be having this discussion. It's a great example of what happens when you don't um adopt technology. Not you guys. It's not you guys. So when you adopt when you take a long time to adopt technology that's going to avoid mistakes that happen because human beings are prone to making mistakes like this. I just it's it was one thing when I thought it was like one unpaid bill. I didn't realize it was like 30 unpaid bills.

30 invoices.

It's crazy. Um but I can also completely see how it would happen. I found it so ownorous to do those reimbursements and um I think when I left I didn't even do one for Paul. So I hope he got reimbursed. He's still on the school committee. I think he must have. Um, the point is I I think that it's a great articulation of why, you know, and we debate things like this, like is it really necessary for us to pay a large amount of money upfront for a for a system that's going to be making things supposedly easier? But it's like the, you know, you can really see the effect sometimes of what can happen if you're not um utilizing things that can pave the way and avoid mistakes like this. Um I'm glad you caught it. Um and also it's not an excuse for somebody to not have asked again. They asked like they asked with the invoice in the first place. Um uh I do appreciate receiving this. I mean frustration or not. Uh motion to approve.

Councelor Scarpelli. Thank you. I just again I my frustration doesn't fall on you two. I hope you understand that. I apologize if I I came off of that. Please come back to work tomorrow. I will.

The trend the trend the trend is frightening. uh and I don't when we have good employees sometimes when they are given the abacus and said you know instead of munis because I I work with munus every day and it has all the fail safes and uh that's why I fully supported the function unfortunately it does take years to train everybody because that's the biggest piece of it it's just not a software it's a software that everybody has to line to it and getting everybody aligned with all of our city departments is going to be pretty exciting but my frustration comes in with the totality of what we're seeing. So, I hope you understand that. I I didn't if it came off that way, I apologize. I just want to say frustration. Thank you.

Thanks. And just to be clear, um I'm actually just noticing something on the paper itself. Is this an expenditure of fiscal 26 already pre already appropriated school funds for this purpose? What do you mean? What do you mean by like like it's are we just authorizing you to spend on a bill from a previous year using your existing allocation yet? Because I need your permission to make the commod existing current budget. Yeah. It says fiscal year 27 on the paper we got from the mayor. So we're not no we're not going to I don't want to wait till July 1. I'd rather I'd like to do it. Well then we should amend and I mean to be honest I'm not even 100% sure. It's a scrivener's error and like

I think we should amend that to say fiscal 26. Yes, please. Um, but I also don't know if we can cuz it's an appropriation from the mayor. Oh, so she has to do it. Does it does it have to go back to her? I don't know. I mean, I think I say let's let's vote it and why don't we make the motion to make that that correction and then in lie of the Yeah, I would just check in with us, you know, but they don't have um anyone from finance here tonight from their end um or Yeah. So, I don't think the chief of staff's here either. So, is there a motion to approve with the amendment that this should read fiscal year 2026

by councelor Scarpelli, seconded by Vice President Lazaro. Any further discussion? Seeing none, Mr. Clerk, please call the role. Council Kelly, Council Leming, yes. Councelor Main, yes. Councelor Scott Pell, yes. Councelor S, yes. Vice President Lazaro, yes. President Pierce, yes. Have the affirmative, none of the negative. The motion passes. Thank you very much, everybody. Thanks. Um, all right. So, we got like eight more things to do tonight. So,

everybody stop talking. two 26 26023 offered by council lemming proposed amendments to the Medford zoning ordinance chapter 94 Medford Square District and we do have uh I believe director Hunt was here she is still here on Zoom um but we do have I don't know Matt if you want to share the map or the text at all but um we have the final draft of our proposed Medford Square District zoning ordinance. This has been through innumerable public meetings, most recently several sessions between this body and the community development board. Um, and we are here tonight with a map and final CDB recommendations. I'll recognize you, Councelor Lemming for a short summary and then Director Hunt for another short summary and then let's get going.

Thank you. I'd like to uh apologize to everybody who saw this as the first item under motions, orders, and resolutions on the agenda and are now here at 9:00 p.m. Uh, no. So this was the this was the uh the result of uh uh months and months of uh planning um false starts and stops collaboration um several different uh joint hearings uh between the uh city council and the uh community development board um to uh to reszone Medford Square. Um, I'm going to leave it to Director Hunt to give uh to give an overview. We talked before the meeting and she has comparison maps um to uh to present to the public um on what was originally proposed, what's changed um throughout the process. There were some uh some of the more some of the most substantial changes had to do with um differences in parking reclassification of some of the districts from the old u from the uh MX1 to etc system to Medford Square specific districts um and increased uh historic uh uh preservation steps. But I would be interested to hear what I would be interested to hear uh uh Director Hunt's uh comments on it. Um and I'd also motion to motion to approve the package.

All right, I'll recognize Alicia Hunt. Um if you want to share those maps and a quick presentation and then we'll move to discussion. Director Hunt.

Good evening. Thank you. Um, as we discussed, I don't have slides. I just have the maps. Um, but as uh councelor Lemming mentioned, uh, this I did check sort of check some dates on this. This was first presented, um, to the city council in meetings in March of 2025. There were a number of meetings and public hearings and uh information sessions during the spring and summer of 2025 on Medford Square. Um that process, as you all know, stopped in January. We restarted in January. This is the map that was in front of the city council. One of the things that was agreed upon at that time was to remove anything that was pure residential from this. Um, so I'm going to show you in a minute the map that uh we're voting on this evening. Um, but these res pure residential areas were removed from the map. Um, as well as a couple other little uh pieces that were truly residential, um, areas that would never be really mixed use. Um through this process, um we actually, as the counselor alluded to, tried something new, which was joint public hearings with the city council and the community development board, which I believe was actually quite successful in allowing the public to speak to both bodies at the same time, the both bodies to hear the same presentations from the uh consultant and to ask each other questions, which I think was super helpful in coming pretty quickly to a uh a final version of this. Um the colors did change on here. Um some of the members of the community development board simply had trouble distinguishing between the shades of the colors that were on the other map. So this just reflects uh trying to make it a little

easier. Um this final version has a couple of areas that are we also called this Medford Square zoning rather than mixeduse zoning to distinguish it from other parts of the city. Recognizing the unique nature of Medford Square. So these purple light purple areas, very light purple, are four stories by right with one story with incentive zoning where a consultant can do things that would be beneficial to the community in order to get another floor on their building. The pale blue areas are five stories by right with two stories of incentive zoning. Um this uh large area is the old Medford Medford High School and we all wish that Medford High School could come back to Medford Square but that is not happening. It was great for the economic development. Um there are a few things I'll just sort of mention. For example, the cemetery we put it in that it could have been in anything. Nobody is taking a 1600 cemetery and ever building on it. It is protected land. Um but it does need to have zoning on it. So it got that zoning. For example, um the green is seven by right, two with incentive zoning, um two more incentive, and then the eight here by the highway is eight stories by right, five incentive zoning. Um and that actually reflects that these buildings down here are both over 12 stories tall. Um so this makes them uh this would make them conforming buildings. However, they still remain somewhat non-conforming because they're set back in a sea of parking. Um, along those lines, we some of the things that were worked out most recently were um incentives and waiverss that encouraged the preservation of historically significant buildings. One of So, one of the things that has been a little bit of a stress is what causes

what it qualifies as highfrequency transit. We did not touch that definition, but rather said that Medford Square has a lot of transit. If you want to be high frequency transit and get re if you want to just get reduced parking, you can do a couple of things. One of them is preserving the historic uh facades of your building. Um but you want to go up a story, then you can get the 08 parking because you preserve the historicness of the building. Some other things are uh you can meet some additional uh transportation demand management techniques that include more bike parking, one bike parking spot per unit, loading zone for commercial vehicles, 15minute pickup drop off space, and joining the local transportation management association, which also uh involves then additional benefits to the residents of that building to encourage shared use or um using um transportation. Um one of the other things that in our last meeting there was a lot of enst plenty of daylight, the clarific clarification of daylight minimum. And what we realized was we were actually having a translation miscommunication that it is in fact the shadow studies. Like of course a shadow study shows us how much sunlight is on a building. It's literally the inverse. So, we basically said that the buildings must have a minimum amount of daylight on the buildings. Um, the ones across the street from the new building. And the way you will show that is by showing us a shadow study from the correct days and times of times of day. Um, and so that was really simplified things. Every architect in the United States knows what a shadow study is. Um, so those are basically the things that we we

resolved since our last public meeting and we believe this is now ready to go. Uh, we did include the library in the zoning. Again, nobody's about to tear down our brand new library, but if this zoning sticks around for 50 to 100 years, there should be zoning on that and it should be a mixeduse zone, not a residential zone. Um, so that that's I think the only other like noticeable change from that from this one. Any questions? We ready? That's it. It's late. Great. Do we have any questions? Um, director, could you go through the meetings really quickly? How many meetings we had on this?

Sure. Um, so actually I had our intern um Paul uh Christian has been wonderful. So he overall he found that we had had 16 public meetings focused on Medford Square. Some were joint with West Medford from back then. We've had five public information sessions. Um and we've actually had 99 written and verbal public comments specifically about the squares. Um and then if you were to include the all the the general zoning comments, we actually had 225. Um but these were specifically for the squares um between both last summer and now. And this most recent uh we had four joint city council community development board joint hearings. Uh three public information sessions, one at the senior center uh during the day, one at the McGlin school at night, and one morning during a snowstorm on Zoom with the Chamber of Commerce. we were going to go in person until we had a blizzard. Um, and then the community development board had a couple of working sessions with the consultant where they just sort of got some better understanding and worked through some things. But then they had one they had on May 15, April 15th their public hearing. That was the where they made these final recommendations and their recommendation was unanimously to adopt this version of the map and the zoning language that is on the city council agenda tonight.

All right. Councelor Leming wasn't tracking. Was did that include the internal meetings that we had about this that that that count that we just had? No, those were just the public meetings. Oh, okay. Okay. I did not actually go back and check how many internal meetings cuz you know we have Would you count the times that we sat around the planning office talking with the staff between ourselves before we made comments to other people as well as as internal meetings?

Yeah. These were just the public meetings. Yeah, sorry. I'm just beating a dead horse here. Um, and this this also this also uh uh what we also need to consider is the many many meetings that went into the Medford comprehensive plan as well as the previous uh plans that uh uh that were made in I believe 2005 and 2017 for uh for reimagining for reimagining Medford Square. So there's been quite a bit of uh quite a bit of thought and effort uh behind this and I'm glad that we are finally at the uh at the finish line for this uh for this particular piece of zoning. Um once again it's it's late. We've had a lot of discussion on this. I had motion to approve.

All right. Do we have any further discussion by members of the council? Councelor Sang. Thank you, President Bears. Uh, first I want to thank our planning, development, and sustainability department and its associates and the community development board for their work on this. Um, these weren't always easy conversations, but they were thoughtful ones and I think this proposal is stronger because of that engagement. Um, I think as we have noted tonight and many times before, this has been years in the making and we're finally meeting a major milestone. When we knock on doors here in Medford, um, people don't usually come up to us talking about zoning. Um, but they do ask why their kids can't afford to live in the city where they grew up. They ask why storefronts in the square sit empty for years and why this square doesn't feel as bustling as it can be. They see that Medford Square has real potential. And we can all feel it when we walk by Mrs. Murphy's, Elkuba, Deep Cuts. Um, but we also all know that the bigger picture isn't quite there yet. So they ask why a place they love can feel stuck. And often the same breath they'll they'll say that they love Memphis Square, its historic character, its neighborhood feel, and that's what makes it special. Um, I don't see these as competing values. I see all of this as one community asking us to do both. And that's exactly what this proposal tries to deliver. Uh be I want to push back on the framing that this is some binary binary choice between growth or preservation, new new housing or neighborhood character. I don't think it has to be. And I'd go further saying that doing nothing has never been a neutral option. Our zoning status quo was itself a choice. A choice that came with real costs for young people being priced out. For small businesses trying

to survive on a block without enough foot traffic. For downtown that has the bones to be something great and hasn't been allowed to get there yet. This ordinance says yes and yes to more housing while protecting surrounding neighborhoods with mandatory stepbacks uh landscape buffers and sunlight protections. Yes to additional height, but not as a giveaway to developers. We say yes when the comm community when our community gets more affordable units, more public space, more support for local businesses and nonprofits. That's very intentionally designed into this ordinance and it matters. Where this ordinance says yes to new growth and yes to preserving what uh makes Medford Square worth growing. This plan makes it easier to adaptively reuse our historic buildings and not tear them down because we recognize that a square that loses its history in the name of development isn't isn't a success, but a square that stays frozen in the name of preservation isn't one either. We're saying yes to finally taking advantage of what's coming. Medford Square is on track to become a real transit hub with increased bus service, direct connections to the tea, and that's a one center generation opportunity. But transit oriented development only works when people actually live nearby, when people actually can get connected. It works when businesses have a customer base. And this plan gives us the tool to build uh the tools to build one right where we need it most. A city that can't make room for future generations or for the people who already built their lives here isn't preserving something. It's deciding who gets to say. And I don't think that's the Medford we want to be. We can welcome growth and we can protect what people love about this place. We don't have to choose between one or the other. We can choose good planning and good governance instead. We've worked really hard to get to this point and I'm really

proud of the work that we've accomplished. I know people have um feelings about this not going far enough or going too far, but I think this shows an earnest effort to listen to everyone. Um, and I would encourage everyone to vote yes tonight.

Thank you, Councelor Sang. Um, I definitely share a lot of the thoughts that you brought forward. Um, and I think one thing we just need to be aware of is we're putting this into place and then we're going to see if it works. And if we don't see the kind of growth and change that we want to see um or if there are pieces of it that need to be adjusted um then we need to continue to iterate and update and improve our zoning. So we're going to have something to work through. We're going to have something to help us um build a new future for Medford Square. And it's come out of a lot of work. And I really hope that it's the start of a continued commitment to regularly look at our zoning to make sure that we are building the types of buildings that we want to see here in our city. Councelor Scarpelli

President and again I to elaborate what council lemming was saying I think that what he was bringing forward was the concerns we had and we heard for you the beginning of the process is that we just weren't listening um and we weren't bringing the the um the information to the neighborhoods and I think that working with uh our partners in the uh community development board and listening to their expertise and really for me What really um really excited me is the fact that the people that have to listen to the process um and that's our community development board and understand what the hurdles were and you you know and the the differences were and bringing everybody together in a meeting and sharing those thoughts and and then listening to community members and and really bringing those meetings to them and then bringing it back over and over Again, I don't I think that we have really good a true picture of what everybody who wanted to be part of the process took advantage of being part of the process. And um and that's why I feel comfortable today that um is it is it in everybody's eyes the best proc the best uh options? No. Still hear it from both sides. But the bottom line is this is what democracy is about. This is what the process that we were talking about at the beginning and that I I first complained so much about. But I appreciate for this council to work together and partner with the community development board and then really work with uh Leicia Hunt and bringing the team together and then bringing it out to the public and listening to everybody. I mean something simple as just the map in front of us and understanding the different color codes

so it's understood for the for for the common person that it makes it a little bit easier makes a huge difference. So um that's why I'll be supporting this and I hope everybody follows suit. So thank you Mr. President. Thank councelor Scarpelli. There was a motion at some point. I can't remember who made it. It was councelor

the clerk. I should have just asked him before I said that out loud. I would have sounded so much smarter if I'd asked our acting clerk, Alicio. Um, councelor Lemming made a motion to approve to accept the pro approve the version accepting all of the recommendations of the community development board as well as the zoning map and ordain the Medford Square District. Great. So, it's a motion to accept the recommendations of the community development board and adopt the Medford proposed Menford Square zoning district ordinance and map to be ordained. Seconded by councelor Sang. Any further discussion by members of the council? Any discussion by members of the public? I know I see a community development board member. I don't know if you want to share anything. You don't have to. No pressure. Thumbs up. We got a We got a thumbs up. All right. On the motion, Mr. Clerk, please call the role.

Council Kelly, yes. Council Lemming, yes. Council me, yes. Council Scott Pell, yes. Council Singh, yes. Vice President Lazaro, President Beers, yes. Send the affirmative, none of the negative. The motion passes. Menford Square zoning district is ordained. Great job. and have a good evening.

Thank you, Director Hunt. All right. 25199 offered by President Bayer's amendment to chapter 2, article 5, Division 2, Medford Standard Compensation Ordinance. So, we met on this in um committee of the whole two weeks ago and there was a motion to refer out the version as amended by um myself based on you know, we had I think it's now version five, but this is the version that um includes many of the items that we wanted to see. We had a pretty robust discussion somewhat on the merits of this ordinance, you know, at least to start and then got a little sidetracked and distracted by some um I don't even know how to characterize it. But um you know, what do they call that? The dog wagging the tail. The tail wagging the dog. Um and what we have before us tonight, we had a pretty extensive discussion. Um and we also heard from uh legal experts and others who said this is something that we see in other communities and um is you know more than within our authority to implement. So that's where we're at. Um I don't think we've received further communications. I don't know if there's any other counselors. I know councelor Sang made that motion. Other counselors spoke if they want to speak to this. Um I am the lead sponsor. Um and I did you know do the initial drafting and the latest draft. So, um, if there's anything other counselors want to add, my feeling is to move to a first reading, but I will go to councelor Sang.

Um, I would recommend moving to a first reading as well. I'll make that motion. Um, I strongly support this ordinance. I think I mean I've kind of said this at the uh committee the whole meeting a few weeks ago or when we last met on it. Um, I think at the core this is about a pretty simple principle. It's about um saying that when city when our city spends public dollars, those dollars shouldn't drive down uh labor standards. Um we should be in charge of uplifting them. Um I know it was a sensitive kind of moment when the school district switched janitorial contractors. A lot of the workers who' done this work for um for years lost their jobs overnight and they were replaced by workers who were making less with fewer protections as well. That happened right here at Medford. And it happened because we don't we we didn't have a floor. And I think it's really important to say plainly that too often can be easy in government to reduce workers to line items on a spreadsheet. But these are people. They're people supporting families. They're people paying rent in an increasingly expensive region. They're people who are doing essential work that keeps our city running. And I this ordinance really recognizes that if you say you contract with the city, there are basic standards that you'll have to meet around wages, benefits, paid leave, creating a floor. And just as importantly, it's about including transparency and enforcement into the process because we can set standards, but without accountability, it doesn't mean very much. I think this is at the end of the day really just about what role we want our local governments to play. We should be using public dollars to support decent work and to strengthen the community we all serve. And it's not some abstract

ideological statement to say that it's practical, it's fair, and it's overdue. um our city should stand up and say that we value the people whose labor keeps this place running, who've built the city and made it what it is. Um so I'll um again motion to approve this for first reading and I um urge my colleagues to support it too. Thank you, Councelor Sang. Councelor Callahan.

Thank you. Um I do appreciate all the work that everyone has done on this. Um I just want to tie in a little bit um the relationship between democracy and inequality. Um you know in urban planning graduate school many years ago inequality was my primary focus. Um and one thing that people who study inequality understand is that when inequality gets really high that's when democracies fail. Um and I think we are in a moment right now where our inequality in the United States is um higher than it was in 1929 which is the highest that it had been for a hundred 100 years. So I think it's really imperative that as a society um we think about these things more carefully and we don't allow ourselves to get into situations um like what we are in now. Um you know the all the pressure on every city is to pay less and less and less. All the pressure on every company is to pay less and less and less. Um and unfortunately there are dire consequences not just for the people who are being paid so little um but on all of us. So I will be supporting this. Thank you.

Thank you councelor Callahan. We have a motion from councelor Sang to approve for first reading. Seconded by seconded by councelor Callahan. Is there any further discussion by members of the council? Seeing none, any further discussion by members of the public, either in person or on Zoom. See our former facilities director, Paul Riggy. Paul, name and address for the record, please. Paul Riggy, uh, former director of facilities for the city of Medford. Um, I just have a couple of questions. Um, for clarification, this was the version of this draft ordinance that was redlined um during the committee of the whole meeting. Is that correct?

Yes. Was this version of the ordinance reviewed by city legal counsel or legal council representative for the city of Medford? It was submitted to council. Um, we haven't received a reply for several weeks. this version. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. See no further discussion on the motion to approve her for first reading. Mr. Clerk, please call the role. Council Callahan. Yes. Council Lemming. Council me. Yes. Council Scarpelli. Yes. Councelor Singh. Yes. Vice President Lazaro. Yes. President Pierce.

Yes. Send the affirmative. None of the negative. The motion passes. 26077 offered by President Bears, Councelor Scarpelli, and Councelor Sang. Resolution to file a public records request for comprehensive litigation report due to the administration's failure to respond to resolution 26043. Whereas on February 24th, 2026, the Medford City Council unanimously voted to approve council resolution 26043 to request that the mayoral administration produce a comprehensive litigation report on all legal matters since 2019. And whereas in spite of the council's resolution and over 60 days having passed for the administration to reply, the administration has not responded. And whereas President Obama said, quote, "The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption. In the face of doubt, openness prevails. The government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears. And whereas the residents of Medford who fund our city government through taxes and fees deserve to know how money is being spent and whether the administration's strategic and procedural approach to litigation is prudent and effective. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Menford City Council that we as a body make a request for public records to the city of Medford under the provisions of the Massachusetts Public Records Act General Law, Chapter 66, Section 10, asking that the city produce records pertaining to all lawsuits, claims, administrative proceedings, arbitration proceedings, andor other legal actions in which the city of Medford andor Brianna Longokern in her capacity as mayor of the city of Medford is or was a named party. Be it further resolved that we respectfully request that our colleagues on the council support this resolution and the draft public records request attached. Um there's a attached public records request. I encourage folks to read it. It's about four pages long. Um it's also available as part of the agenda on the website, but um I'm just going to read the resolution for now. And this is a response to our resolution uh February 24th um where we requested a

comprehensive litigation report. Uh, the council did receive an email today at 3 something p.m. 3:13 p.m. Um, I'm writing on the above resolution. As you know, this is an especially busy period with the budget season, MSBA, zoning, Medford Square, and trying to keep pace with the council. We wanted to let you know that we have begun reviewing the council's resolution as part of comprehensive litigation review. The attached document was prepared in connection with the process. Of course, the council may proceed as it sees fit with the new resolution, but I wanted to make you aware that we've been working on this and they attached a document um that is essentially just a summary of the resolution we sent them two months ago um and not necessarily an accurate summary of that resolution. So, um they turned our resolution back into bullet points and we found that out today at 3:15 um two months after our resolution. So, I I have some issues with the idea that there um this is a a good faith and timely response to our resolution. With that, I'll turn it over to my colleagues, councelor Scarpelli and then councelor Sang.

Thank you. Um thank you, Mr. President. done. Um I I felt like my frustration earlier played a big part of what we're feeling with this and you know the communication we're getting with the chief of staff and I want the public to realize this. This doesn't normally happen in other communities. you have an administration that actually works hand in hand with u your city council and your school committee to to to support the best course of action for for your community and the way we're spending our money especially. Um, I felt this is important that we move this forward to the uh foyer request for the fact that I I I couldn't vote for the budget in the coming weeks and months that if we don't know the true picture of where our money is being spent. Um, I've been I've been on the soap box for many years now asking about and pleading for a breakdown. And unfortunately, um, it's taken us to this point right now when you're seeing over 500% increase in lawsuits dealing with our own labor force. Um, and you're seeing processes where um, the administration brings this to arbitration or bring this to court and they lose, but then follow up with an appeal knowing that it won't win. And as we're seeing more and more information, we're going to more and more executive meetings and looking at the money that we're being spent, we're not seeing the true picture. And what is the true picture? Let's say we settle on a lawsuit of $50,000. What we're not seeing is the cost of the uh legal uh fees for our attorney, but then the legal fees for the opposing

attorneys. And then we're hearing facts that our um uh part of these discussions are uh or situations are are are are being investigated by private investigators. And in many years, I haven't seen a line for private investigators fees. And these are the things that are now popping up and becoming prevalent in the fact that we want to know where our money is going. And we've been asking and we've been asking politely. We've been asking the process and it it just doesn't come out. And to my frustration today, we've always with the former um finance director, Alicia Nley, she used to give us a report that our finance director has now. It's the same system and she would give us a breakdown in a monthly basis of what our actuals were that month. So we at least knew who what we were paying out and we would at least have the opportunity to ask questions where we're spending our money, the city's money, our residents money, right? We don't even see that. The fact then to get this email today at 3:15 saying that we're working on it because we're working so hard. Here's a hint to the administration. hire a city solicitor and our chief of staff wouldn't have to worry about doing this. It's not your job. But again, these are the issues that we're having. Think of the hours that have to go through to do this for us now from a person that's really not qualified to do it. The city solicitor does this. This is their job. And it's a shame that we have to we have to go to these lenss to get information so we can answer to the constituents

that voted us into this position to say yes, this is where the money's going or and we have proof of this and let's move on. That's all it is. Because I've said this a thousand times. I'm not saying anybody's doing anything illegal. What I'm saying is over and over again, we're seeing mismanagement of the city's finances. Now, this just isn't KP law. So, what we got back today were just it was like council president said, it was a list of what we asked for, but it it wasn't just that. What we're asking in this request goes deeper. It's asking for the what, the where, the how, and the why so we can answer the questions or end the discussion. But right now, the proof that we've seen, what we've sat through in executive sessions, what we sat through for head of unions coming in front of us, the phone calls we've received from fire, from police, from DPW, the battles that are going on hurting good people that are working hard for this community and the fear tactics. and the low morale that's now in this workforce. This is why we need this information because I've heard it over and over again. I'm sure you all have too. When the mayor presents the fact that she's here to save the city from the bad employees that were brought in from the prior administration, that's getting old. That's getting old. We're here. We're We're in this position right now where we're hurting financially because our mayor didn't do anything but fight

developers on projects that are happening now, 3, four years ago that she fought in court, lost in court, appealed, lost, but got to a point where those developers just couldn't wait anymore. They moved on. They're growing communities like Watertown and Waltham and Malden. So, Mr. President, I will not I I will stick with the original plan. I will ask my colleagues to sign um this document tonight, hand this to the clerk and move this on for a full request for Freedom of Information Act for what we've requested and what we've been asking for again because I cannot I cannot vote on this year's budget until we see all of the why, the how, and the where. So, thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Councelor Scarpell. Councelor Sang.

Uh thank you, Mr. president. Uh look, I think a lot has been said about this online and in the press. Um lots of uh lots of accusations being thrown. Um but at its core, I think this is a pretty straightforward request and I hope we can treat it that way. I don't see this as being about personalities or politics. I think it's about oversight and good governance. Um, I think it's the it's the type of work that we all came here to do. When we see these legal disputes accumulate, when we see labor conflicts drag on, when we see costs mount without clear public accounting, that has real consequences. It has real consequences for taxpayers, for government, and for the people who do the work of the city every day, for the people working at city hall, in the DPW, in um in our police stations and fire stations and our schools. And I think it's reasonable, and I'd say it's our job for the council to ask for a clearer picture of that and to get a response. This isn't really about assigning blame. It's about understanding where we are. identifying whether there are lessons that we can draw from this and making sure that we're managing public resources thoughtfully because every dollar that's spent on an an avoidable conflict is a dollar that's not going to our schools or streets or city services and every dispute that we can resolve more effectively strengthen city hall as a whole whole as well. I also want to say I'm not signing on to something like this lightly. I value the working relationships we have across the hall, across city government, including with this administration. Um, but I signed on to this precisely because I think this is a request that's measured. I think

it's reasonable. I think it's consistent with the basic principles of what government is supposed to be doing and how we run a good government that's accountable and transparent to the people. We're not asking for privileged information. We're not trying to relitigate old disputes. We're just asking for information that helps all of us plan. Um we've heard it said a lot in this chamber that sunlight is the best disinfectant. Um, transparency shouldn't be something that we fear. It should be something that helps this council, helps the administration, helps our employees and the public do a better job running the city together. Um, this is constructive. It's not adversarial, and I hope we can receive it in that spirit. Thank you.

Thank you, councelor Sang. Um, and I don't uh intend to undercut your message with mine. Um, but I think when something is presented like this, requesting pretty simple question, how much money have we spent on lawyers and lawsuits and litigation and settlements when we lose most of the time? And what is the prudent and effective strategy or lack thereof that we're following as a city? Um, when it comes to those questions and and is it worth it for our community to be in a constant battle where the people who work for the city and the people who run the city are are just constantly fighting and can't work together as a team and and are afraid to speak out, are afraid to speak up, are afraid to speak their mind. Um, that I think is a question of judgment and a question of leadership. And I think if we can't even get the answer to the question, how much money did we spend on this? How often are we winning? How often are we losing? How many of these things could have been avoided if we' taken a different approach? I think that's that's a question that a lot of people have. It's a question that I have. Um, and it's something that needs to be answered. So I agree that I think those should be pretty simple questions to answer and I think we should if we are doing a good job we should be able to have that discussion right here in the room. And I especially think that when the response to a resolution like this is to talk about elections and talk about who which counselor is working with which other counselor to take me down or um

the fact that there's been more things filed since we filed this resolution and that there are more issues now than there were two months ago and there's no job posting on the city website for a city solicitor. There's it's not even posted to find someone. At least it wasn't when I looked last week. Um and I and I hope it I hope it goes up and I hope we find someone. But it seems like the continued approach that is not working for most people, that is creating strife and conflict and until we see otherwise is costing the city money is the path that we're going to continue to go on. And to be frank, I think there's news today that underlines this more than anything about how selective this approach is. There were residents who filed today in federal court to defend the ordinances of the city of Medford. Every single elected official in this city takes an oath to defend the ordinances of the city of Medford. And it's literally an open question right now whether the mayor and the city are going to defend the ordinances of the city of Medford to the point that residents had to file in court to defend the ordinances because they don't know if the city's going to do it. So, when there's something that the mayor agrees with and she wants to pursue something to the end, like suing affordable housing developers for 40B projects, that goes for years in court and delays affordable housing and housing projects that would help the city revenue by years. But when there's something the mayor doesn't agree with, like an ordinance that says we don't think we should invest a part of the city's cash reserves in weapons manufacturers, we think about just not defending the ordinances of the city of Medford in

federal court and letting someone who sues define what the laws of this city are by their opinion and not the democratically elected opinion of this city government, by our charter, and by the laws and constitution of the Commonwealth. That is not a prudent and effective litigation strategy. That is not good government. And if we can't even answer the question, how much have we spent in the last 5 years on outside lawyers and settlements, you know, I don't care, you know, when uh a vehicle hits another vehicle, if someone crashes into or or a fire a fire truck bumps another vehicle and that cost the city $3,000, that's a normal thing. when there are dozens of employment settlements for tens of thousands of dollars and when there are other issues where you just have res, you know, workers of this city basically saying my rights have not been respected, that's a different story. I just don't think the strategy is prudent and effective. I don't think it's serving the residents and I think we need to be answer be able to answer some of the very simple questions included in this ordinance um if we're going to continue to justify the approach that's being taken on legal and contract matters in the city. So that's my that's my tune here on this and it maybe is a little different than what some of my fellow colleagues said but um I'm pretty much at my wit's end here. I just don't think this is working for the city. Thank you. Any further discussion by members of the council on the motion to approve by councelor Sang, seconded by councelor Scarpelli. Is there any discussion by members of the public?

Please raise your hand on Zoom or approach the podium in person. I will start at the podium. name and address for the record, please. And you'll have three minutes.

Sure. Uh Micah Kessleman, 499 Main Street. Uh like uh Council President Bears alluded to, um many of you may have heard that this morning um there's announce an announcement that a cohort of residents of the city uh intend to intervene um and enter into the defense of um the city uh with regards to the Cheruk v. City of Medford lawsuit. um raised against it. Uh well, the good news is is that lawsuit or that intervention has indeed been filed. Um and it's interesting that you talk a little bit about uh this issue of this abs having an absence of of uh city solicitor and city representation um and legal counsel. Um, what you may not know is that when a lawsuit is filed or a motion is filed or really any sort of pleading is put into a case, it has to go through usually it's filed through an electronic court docket system. It's uh called CMECF. It's automates a lot of the core components of performing the filings of a case like providing service of motions and pleadings to parties in a dispute. Um it turns out that in cases where one of the parties has not had their council make an appearance, um it actually becomes impossible to have that automatically provide service to uh the council or to that party in the dispute. um which is really unfortunate and um and that's really because the city doesn't have an active city solicitor

and it doesn't seem to have assigned an attorney on that case uh which is too bad. Um I'm doesn't seem right to me. I'm not the city's attorney. I'm not the city's council. Um, however, I am co-consel for the cohort of Medford residents that filed this litigation this afternoon. And I am co-consel with the ArabAmerican anti-discrimination committee that is representing on the case as well as a proono attorney from New York who's very accomplished and has done many intervention cases similar to this one. And one of the things I would like to present to the council is councilors, if you could please um hand this to Mr. Clerk and that should constitute actually service on the city um of our motion to intervene in this litigation. Thank you, councel.

Thank you. I'm going to go to Zoom. Um name and address for the record, please. And you'll have three minutes. hear me? Yeah, we can hear you.

Thank you. Um, I don't know what I'm going to say, but I'll make it brief. In the name of common sense, seems to me that uh taxpayers are paying these lawsuits. So, what more should I say? Should have been disclosed and transparent all around for many decades. Good night. Thank you. We will go back to the podium. Name and address for the record, please. You'll have three minutes.

Uh, hi, Sam Goldstein, uh, 29 Martin Street. Um, I I guess I I support uh what what the council is doing and trying to get answers on uh on this. I guess I I find myself wondering if uh, you know, why it's taken so long. I if I'm not mistaken, this uh you know was first requested um you know weeks if not months ago. Um and I guess I just find myself wondering like does the city not have this information like in a sort of easily uh accessible source? Um you know like is it is this politically motivated this apparent like foot dragging? Um, but I mean in all seriousness, like genuine question, like how is this like sort of uh, you know, kept and understood? Um, but yeah, I mean I I'm deeply deeply concerned that the mayor has been uh, you know, starting to weaponize the legal department or the legal uh, faculties of the city um, since we don't seem to have an actual department in the city that handles law at this point. um to to advance her own political agenda uh or or even personal feelings. She's done quite a lot to to broadcast uh her attitudes and uh you know disposition um you know towards towards members of the council and and other people in the city publicly uh online lately. Um, and I I I guess I just find myself uh you know, I I think uh James Comey, I'm not the biggest fan of James Comey, but necessarily, but was just indicted today over an Instagram post and and I think we kind of see at the federal level a sort of weaponized Department of Justice that's that's doing things to suit the executive that aren't necessarily like

in the best, you know, aren't necessarily a prudent use of like legal resources And I I'm it troubles me to see like parallels here with the mayor refusing or apparently declining to to not defend an ordinance that the city passed. Um it feels like there's some sort of like second veto that that's uh being exercised here that the mayor's attempting to exercise, which I I don't think she has a right to do. I think there's an obligation to defend the city's ordinances. Um, and you know, it it it really just troubles me to see that that that we're here doing this. But yeah, I I you know, I I hope this passes and uh you know, the council will get some answers. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further public comment on this resolution? Seeing none on the motion, Mr. Clerk, please call the RO. Councelor Callahan, Council Lemming, Council Maline, Council Scout Pell, yes. Council Singh, yes. Vice President Lazaro, President Bears,

yes. Seven the affirmative, none in the negative. The motion passes. Um, and we will sign that and we will file that with public records request. 26078 offered by President Barers and councelor Scarpelli. Resolution to update the council on the common vixular license process in 26 2026 be resolved by the city council that we request an update from the acting city clerk on any outstanding common vixular license applications for 2026 that have not been submitted. We further resolve that we discuss methods to support the team and the city clerk's office to ensure all businesses comply with the city's licensing requirements. Um I will quickly just say that um we've seen some incredible work in our clerk's office to bring us into digital licensing and this is one of them. You know we now have our common bookers license online. Um which is great which also lets us find out how many applications have we received and how many are outstanding here now four months into the year. And it seems that we have um a number of applications outstanding. Um before I turn it over to the clerk, I do just want to see if councelor Scarpelli has anything to add. But um in general, this request is to get an update from the clerk on how many applications are outstanding, what some of the issues are, and then how we can provide our support to the clerk's office um to make sure that every business complies with their requirement to have a common victer's license. So I will go first to councelor Scarpelli and then to acting clerk Alisio.

Uh thank you, Mr. President, and through you to the clerk. I think that what we're seeing right now is the due diligence of a hardworking clerk that's making sure that he is um doing his job to to the best of his ability. uh the fact that we have a list of businesses that aren't complying and he's following up. I think it's important that um we listen to uh his process and make sure that we are here to support the clerk and making sure that we bring the relevant departments together to see why um why these um we have uh some some open um situations and then find a way to resolve them. So, um um to be honest with you, um public safety is is uh paramount for some of these violations. And um I think it's important that um it's it's impressive that he he's done his due diligence. He's brought them forward and uh we're moving um these in the direction where we're educating and protecting. So, thank you, Mr. President. Thank you to the clerk. Thank you, councelor Scarpelli. Uh, Mr. Clerk, you want to talk a little bit more about what's going on? How many applications we got? How many are still outstanding? Yep.

Um, thank you all for, uh, presenting this tonight. Um, basically, um, just to give you a quick background, um, when I started here back in 2024, um, we had a lot of what I what I found was a packet of a lot of outstanding, um, commicular license that were incomplete. Um around 40 I believe. So 40 businesses had incomplete commicular licenses and that was in October of 2024 which expired in December of 2024. Um which were never renewed. Um so my goal was to make sure that those businesses at that time came into compliance. Um common viculars were a new process for me. uh coming from different communities. They didn't handle clerk's office didn't handle the common vicular's license. It was handled by another department. Um but here we handled it. Um so I met with now former uh building commissioner Vanderwal to try to streamline the common vicular process which meant getting the application online to allow businesses to be held more responsible for paperwork. Um, by doing that, it allowed us to track exactly which businesses followed the ordinances and, you know, were abiding by the policies and which ones weren't. Um, so recently, um, we've had we've seen a down trend in businesses becoming less compliant. Um, but this year we have noticed that there are still outstanding businesses that either a haven't filed an application or b have safety issues that are stopping them from being able to comply with the commonicular license. Um, uh, in front of you, you guys all have a list um, of those businesses. is the ones that are highlighted are ones that have recently come into compliance

within the last week um that have a full common license. Uh there is another two on there, the Ford and Miss Murphy's. I am working with the manager. Um I've been in contact with them to try and get them situated. Uh but the others still we haven't had any contact in at least the last month. Uh haven't had any updates. fire hasn't had any updates on a few uh failed inspections um that are still outstanding and as you can tell some of these and I have some updates on some of them um they've had failed inspections in March then again they failed inspection in April um on Anel systems which are safety systems, fire sprinkler systems and stuff like that. Um, now everybody knows, the council understands that the convict license is your license to operate. So all these businesses are basically operating for the last four months without an actual license to operate. And that puts us into a tough situation because if anything happens in those businesses while they don't have this up-to-date license, technically we could be held liable for allowing them to operate. Um, but we don't have anything right now in our ordinances that I can find that allows us to a fine or b shut down. Um, the only way we can do that is by issuing a cease and desist. The only person who technically can issue a cease and desist is the city solicitor. We do not have a city solicitor. Um, I do have the health inspector, uh, Josh Hunter, going out as he does his rounds, talking to the business owners, telling

them that they are in violation. There unfortunately is nothing we can do to enforce that they get these licenses in other than constantly bombarding them with phone calls and letters and everything else. Um, with that being said, uh, I'm asking the council to try and support us in the fact of figuring out a way to hold these restaurants accountable in the future. Um, obviously I want to get them compliant within the next few months, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen because we're not getting calls back. We're not getting responses to our emails, to our letters. Um, so I'm just trying to reach out to you guys to branch out to find out the best way to do this. And in my opinion, it would be fee schedule, adding in fines for not having proper documentation. Uh, maybe that's a first offense. Whatever that fine would be, we could figure that out. Um, and then eventually, you know, being able to enforce shutting them down if necessary. And I obviously take that lightly. I don't like shutting businesses down because you stop them being from being able to do the basics, which is if they owe taxes or anything like that. Obviously, if they're shut down, they can't pay. But something has to be done to get them into compliance because I don't want to see us get into a situation where we're put in a tough spot if somebody gets sick at one of these restaurants, something physically happens to them at one of these restaurants and we're allowing them to operate. Um, my staff worked, you know, diligently on this. And don't get me wrong, it's not a lot of businesses. According to this list now, it's 11 out of 10 15. So, it's 10%. But it's 10% we shouldn't have. Um, uh, yeah. Other than that, I turn it over to you guys for any

questions or any ideas.

Thank you. And I want to thank you. Um, a it sounds like we've gotten this down from 40 to 11 in the last year. Um, that the digital systems working, that we've made a lot of progress on it. Um, and appreciate the work that you are doing as well as all the other departments, health, treasury, fire, and others um, building in this process. So, and I'm glad to hear that some folks have have started to get here and and hopefully next year, I guess really this year for next year, they'll be done by the end of the year so they're in compliance for January. But I agree with your concern and I'm going to recognize Vice President Lazaro so we can talk about what we can try to do to help.

Thank you for bringing this forward. Um I find it kind of surprising that the restaurants are that the owners who like many of whom we we we see folks here. Um uh so all I would say about this is that um I think this is something best discussed in a committee probably administration and finance um because it looks like something that we would need to create an ordinance about with a fee schedule um to uh assign fees to people who are out of compliance. if that's something that we wanted to do. Um or just a a list of penalties for um being out of compliance if that's something that we want. Um so I would make the motion to send this paper to the administration and finance committee.

Thank you, Vice President Lazaro. Councelor Leming, happily second that motion. A question for the clerk through the chair. Are there any uh communities, and apologies if you might have mentioned this during your presentation, are there any communities that you know of that have a fairly good enforcement structure uh for this that could potentially be a template to base uh an an ordinance on? Uh clerk,

yes. Um, one of my former cities that I worked in, Everett, uh, they had a policy in place that allowed the the city clerk's office had the ability to, uh, enforce um, penalties, fines, fees, or even if they had to shut somebody down. Um, and that is in their ordinances. Um, I'd have to go through them to to get the exact um, uh, wording and verbiage, but uh, they have a really good policy in place. I haven't looked into um, any others as of right now. I just remember ours and ever.

Thank you. Well, ever could be a good starting point to look at for templates.

Great. Um, one other request I have just if you know, we didn't put this list out on the agenda, but we do all have it in front of us now. If you guys know anyone who hasn't been mentioned tonight who we might want to talk to if you know a business owner, um, if there's maybe a communication breakdown, I mean, it sounds like you're sending out emails, you're getting doing some inperson, doing some phone calls. So, um, you know, that's that's a lot of outreach, but maybe we can try to, um, get in touch with the folks that we know at these various businesses as well and at least make sure that, um, we're talking to the right person. Um, in most cases at this point with all this outreach, with all these months, who knows what that'll get us, but maybe with a couple of these, we can help with that as well.

All right. On the motion of Vice President Lazaro to refer to the administration and finance committee, seconded by Councelor Lemming. All those in favor? opposed. The motion passes. 26082 submitted by Mayor Brianna Lingo Kern Fiscal 27 Community Preservation Act budget reserve. Dear President Bears and city councilors, on behalf of the Community Preservation Committee, I respectfully request and recommend that your honorable body approves on recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee. The Community Preservation Fund res revenues in the amount of 2,383,387. In addition, I respectfully request and recommend that your honorable body approve on the recommendation of the community preservation committee the community preservation fund expenditures in the amount of 2,383,387 as follows. Open Space and Recreation 238 33870. Community housing 59584675. Historic preservation 2383870. Administration 1,119,169.35 general remainder 1,191,693.50 for that total. CPA manager Theresa Dupont will be in attendance to address the council. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully submitted. Brianna Olgo, mayor. And I will recognize Teresa Dupont. Teresa, if you want to, we'll make you a co-host as well. And you should be good to go. Thanks, Teresa.

Great. Thank you, everybody. Um, for those who don't know me, Theresa Dupont, Community Preservation Act manager. I'm here tonight to ask for this council's support in our fiscal 2, establishing our fiscal 27 budget. Um, I know there was a lot of numbers in there, but essentially how we got to those numbers. I do have um a quick little, you know, just a visual aid just to to follow along because we are talking about lots and lots of numbers. So, um, so we are here tonight asking for 2.38 um for our fiscal 27. How we came to that number is based on our fiscal 27 projected revenue in the amount of 2,89,293. So our budget is largely derived from our our local revenue that we generate which is a 1.5 search charge on tax revenues collected by residential and our commercial base. So we take our our projected fiscal 27 again that 2.089 and then uh there is stat state match money um that we get every year. It is assessed to our previous fiscal year's uh revenue that we derived. So that's why it makes this math a little bit wonky cuz we take fiscal 27 projected revenues and then that state match money which is based off of our fiscal 26 revenue. So that's why I kind of have it mapped out here where essentially state match is $294,94 which is 15.5% of our fiscal 26 revenue to get us to that 2.38. how that breaks down. Um, we are required by Mass General Law to reserve a minimum of 10% to each of the three categories that we fund, which include open space and recreation, affordable housing, and historic preservation. Um, we you may see here in the affordable housing bucket that is slightly higher than the other two at

the 10%. Um, that is because uh for reasons twofold. our our community preservation committee who reviews these numbers and reviews all um applications to our program. Um so again, reason number one, it's something that they prioritize. We prioritize affordable housing generation in the city. And um reason number two is that by um projecting or um dedicating 25% of our budget um to uh for affordable housing, apologies, my dog just really distracted me. um to affordable housing by dedicating a minimum of 25%. That actually gets the city of Medford um as a designated status for our housing choice designation status. That allows um opens up doors for us to uh get to exclusive other grant opportunities as well as uh points on on when we're looking at like the onetop for growth grant programs. So by dedicating more of our budget to affordable housing, it not only helps fund those opportunities, but gets us some special status at the state level. So that's how we came to our our 2.83 number um that we're presenting to this uh council tonight and ask for your support. I'm happy to address any questions. Um I'll leave this up just in case the the visual is helpful for any questions.

Thank you, manager Dupant. I'll recognize Vice President Lazaro. Um, I appreciate you being here, Teresa. I feel like you always have to stay so late and we always get to you at the very end and it's not fair. Um, but your presentation as always is beautiful and I support all of it and I move to approve.

Do you have any other questions for manager Dupont? And I remind my colleagues that they can move to suspend the rules to take any paper out of order at any time. Seeing no further questions, are there any comments by members of the public on the CPA fiscal 27 budget reserve? Actually, I have one question. Sorry, Teresa. Um, so this is the reserve and then you're going to go through your appropriations pro process and then we're going to look at proposals, recommendations probably sometime in January. Is that generally

That is correct. Yes, we are moving up our application cycle a little earlier this year. Um but it will still um as for your involvement with looking at the appropriations requests, we're still anticipating a January 2027 series of meetings. And when when folks are looking for applications, what's the when are you guys going to start considering those and when when will you stop?

Lovely question. Um we are opening up our round like I said about a month earlier. So, it's going to be open June 15th and we're going to close it on August 14th. So, that gives people it moves it up a little bit in the calendar year as well as extends that application period. I will say that we do accept offcycle applications on a rolling basis throughout the year if they meet uh certain criteria which is basically urgency um grant deadlines, what have you. So, we always want to talk about CPA with anybody who has projects in mind. So, just because there is an annual funding cycle um application window doesn't mean that we don't want to talk with folks um at any point in the year for a project.

All right. Great. Thank you, Teresa. On the motion of Vice President Lazaro to approve, seconded by seconded by councelor Lane. Mr. Clark, please call the role. Council Kelly, Council Leming, Council Mal, Council Scapelli, yes. Council Singh, yes. Vice President Lazaro. President Bears,

yes. 70 affirmative, none of the negative. The motion passes. 26083 fiscal 26 CPA appropriation request, Tus Park expansion. request the appropriation of $4,000 from the CPA general reserve to the community garden commission to fund the expansion of the Tus Park Community Garden. Manager Dupont.

Yes. Um hello again. Um so I'm here tonight to ask for your support in a funding request in the amount of $4,000. This would take the pre-existing community garden at Tus Park and expand it. Um you may recall that a couple years ago CPA funded a basketball court resurfacing project at Tus Park. It was completed last summer and wonderful park. I invite I encourage everybody to come check it out. However, this this project did end up creating a little bit of a strip of land. It's not very wide, maybe like four four and 1/2 ft or so. Um that, you know, since the the courts kind of slightly shifted to the left, so the garden was previously buted right up against it. So now there's this little strip and it's just going to become a maintenance nightmare, I'm sure, over time. So, the garden is is looking to adopt that space and then just basically rework the fencing lines and add additional beds to add 10 uh more garden beds to the pre-existing garden. And um they're looking for funding for that and I ask for your support. Happy to answer any questions.

Great. Councelor Scarpelli. Uh thank you, Mr. Dupont. I appreciate Thanks to the president. Uh I know that when you say patch of grass I working in recreation sometimes I just need a little clarity if we're putting is that close to the are you saying it's close to the basketball court they were putting flower beds. So, yes, the the basketball Oh, sorry. Um the basketball court as it was a couple years ago before the the um restoration, the rehabilitation of it,

essentially the the gardens kind of did butt up against the the fully fenced basketball court. It had a I want to say like a 10 or 12 foot height fence around the basketball court and a little 4ft fence around the garden space. So, with the the rehab, it did generate a little bit of a a dead space between the two. Um, so they're looking to incorporate that back in. It would be very similar to what was already pre-existing there, like I said, two years ago before the the uh renovation project. I I uh

Thank you, Mr. President. I I appreciate that. I just I'm a little concerned that we're proving uh at a where we'll have people running and jumping and and we're putting a flower bed and I assume it's the planters, the the made of of wood, plastic, whatever they may be. We putting this into a situation where someone's can get hurt. That's the only thing I'm putting my recreation hat on. That's it's it's my only concern. It's I think it's if there's a way to do something where it's um safe and not put, you know, kids that are participating and running hard and, you know, and and running into a flower bed. Uh I think it I'm, you know, I'm a little little Larry of approving something that might cause some harm. Um, and don't get me wrong, I I I appreciate the uh u the area for for that, but is there a way to erect a fence that separates the two where um or maybe there is, maybe I didn't understand it, but I just I think having an open recreational space then erecting a flower bed that's adjacent to it might lead to some sort of uh liability issues moving forward. So that that's my only concern. Thank you. Thanks, man.

If I may address that, um I I appreciate your concern on it and I perhaps didn't explain it well enough. Inside that the basketball courts are totally encased with a perimeter fence, so there's there's no risk of somebody going for an errant ball and then crushing somebody's zenas. You know, there there is a a safety fence around the basketball court and there will also be a fence around the garden. Understanding my No, I probably didn't. It's what? It's like almost 10:30, so I may have not have explained it well. So, thank you for your for your question. I move approvals on the motion to approve by councelor Scarpelli. Seconded by, seconded by councelor Mlain. Mr. Clerk, please call the role.

Council, yes. Council Lemmy, Council Main, Council Scott Py, yes. Council Singh, yes. Vice President Lazaro, President Beers. Yes. Have the affirmative item. The motion passes. Thank you, Senator Dupont. Thank you, councilors. Have a good evening.

All right. 26084 submitted by Mayor Brianna Lingo current amendments to the personnel ordinance. Director of elections, director of diversity, equity, inclusion, director of veteran services. Dear President, Bears, and city councilors, I respectfully request and recommend the city council approve following amendments to revised ordinances. Chapter 66 entitled personnel. Article 2 entitled reserve city's classification and compensation plan formally included as article 2 sections 6631 to 6640 by adopting the following changes effective July 1, 2026. As the council's aware, as part of the city's city as part of the city's recent compensation and classification study, we have identified several director level positions that appear to be misaligned with appropriate salary classifications when compared to similarly structured communities. Specifically, this review indicates that a certain department head roles are currently placed below market average for positions with comparable scope, responsibility, and organizational impact. Because these positions function as department heads, they would typically be aligned with that salary levels above the current classification. A market analysis confirmed that in peer communities, the roles are consistently classified and compensated at a higher level than is currently reflected in the city's salary structure. To promote internal equity, market competitiveness, and appropriate recognition of departmental leadership, we're recommending adjustments to their classifications and corresponding salary ranges. Amendment A, language of calf 12 shall be amended to remove elections manager and the language of calf 14 shall be amended to include the following position director of elections. Amendment B, the language of calf 13 shall be amended to remove the following positions in the language of calf 15 shall be amended to include the following positions. Director of diversity, equity, inclusion, director of veteran services, HR director Lisa Crowley will be available to speak to these requests respectfully submitted. Brianna Lingo, current mayor. Um, we did receive over the weekend um, a copy of the classification and compensation job descriptions and kind of an explanation of how um, that study proceeded. I think it'd be really good if we um, scheduled a meeting to really go over the results of the classification and compensation

study. Um we did also receive a message from the chair of the um board of election commissioners regarding the elections commission um sorry elections director elections manager proposed to be director of elections um to modify that that should be at um calf 15 instead of calf 14 so it's treated the same as all of the other departments here the veterans services officer and director of DEI um so that's something I think we'd need to discuss further whether we have the authority to do that. I think maybe only the mayor has the authority to do that. Um, and I'm going to editorialize for one second, which is that in 2022 when we voted to create a separate department of elections, I recommended that we have a director of elections position at a director of elections pay. And I think that's a really good thing for us to do now in 2026. We've had turnover in that role. Um, I think we have a great person in that role. I think that has been a department head since day one. It should have been treated as a department head since day one. Um and I personally am not surprised that the um study showed that this department head job should be a department head job. So um with that I will go to councelor Scarpell and then vice president Lazaro.

Thank you Mr. President. And I I don't know if you stole my notes but that's not repair. Um I I again we're talking about um we're talking about compensation and retaining uh great leaders and that's something that um we're seeing difficulties here in the city of Medford in keeping. Uh I think that we have a big turnover when you talk about department heads. Um and we've seen our share in the elections department. Um I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't know if it's our place, but I would strongly recommend that we ask our uh HR director and the mayor to sit down and align uh all three positions to CF 15. Um I think that that that will go a long way uh in showing um all three of our leaders um department leaders that we support what they're doing and they should be compensated as such. Um I will on a personal level I was a negotiating team in a neighboring community that uh also did a wage analysis study and um one uh consensus was when we got when we had positions at this level that we looked to align everybody at that same level for the fact that um it really showed uh the fairness and the uh worth of every single uh leader that um that they'd be compensated uh at that level. So um um so for one counselor I I've sat through those meetings and I understand and celebrate the fact that we've we've done we've done this here in Medford, but again I don't know our authority that we could ask to change that make the motion to do that. Um, if that's the case, I would make that motion. But, uh, maybe

it might be before the vote. Maybe we take this to a meeting if we don't get we we might get clarity through the HR director. Maybe there's a way we can do this. Um, but um, I would I would make the uh motion that we align all three positions to CF 15. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Vice President Lazaro. I was just going to say a motion to approve. So I don't know if we want to address counselor Scarpell's option. Right. So I will recognize our HR director Lisa Crowley to share more about the paper and about our question about moving that to CF 15 instead of C 14.

Thank you, Mr. President. Um through you to the council. Um we're hoping that you do support um these changes. I hear your concern about um the new um uh elections director, I should say. um moving moving these positions through the comp and class showed that they're actually being moved to the comparable salary to which um they fall under that classification and and readjusting at this time might um have some equity uh discrepancies as well. Um, I think in the information I sent you um a few days ago, we're going to be looking at the whole compent class as we go through the summer and the fall to see if there's any other um adjustments that have to be made. But, um, with this this adjustment here, it does fall in line with what the comparable communities have um, right now for us. But I'd be happy, you know, and I'm sure the mayor too would be happy to have a different discussion offline if I'm needed.

Right. I will go to councelor Lemming.

I think we're more likely to retain the elections manager if we move him up to CF 15. Um I would be interested to to see the numbers about what the comparable salaries are, but the fact is that we've had um like I mean we we've gone through two elections managers um in the at least in the last term. We're on our third who I think is doing uh who I think is doing a fine job. And getting having that sort of turnover ends up it ends up costing us money more money in the long run. I mean, we um not to mince words here, but we had somebody who kind of botched some of the uh some of the uh counting in the 2023 election and ended up trigger getting somebody to trigger a recount which cost the city couple I mean what like $40 $50,000. I But the point is that if we if we just if we Yeah. If we uh sorry colleagues are colleagues are laughing over there.

Continue. Councelor Leming what? Yep. Um point is if we uh keep going in this pattern where we try to you know underpay people and encourage them to uh uh encourage them to start finding employment elsewhere. It ends up costing the city uh a lot more money in the long run. So, I think, you know, we need to retain our current elections manager. I think it'll ultimately be cheaper for the city to do so, and I'd support the motion to move it up to CF 15.

All right. Um, sounds like we have a motion to amend to have the director of elections also move to CF 15 and um, a motion to approve as amended from vice president Lazaro. Um, director Crowley, I mean, so you mentioned maybe having another conversation. um you know, if if we were to amend this and approve it as amended, would that be an issue for you guys or is that something that we can or can't do? Um it is an ordinance, so it does seem like that would be within our authority to amend and approve, but I want to uh check with you. Um we could also I mean likely this will be approved tonight for first reading and then advertised. So you could check in with the administration and then come back before third reading to let us know what the administration's position is. But just wanted to lay the options out for you, Director Crowley, and I'll recognize you.

Thank you again, President Biz. Yes. Um again, if we want to have that conversation, we can certainly do that. Um it would result in a lower increase to the elections director, however, if we stop moving things around right now. So, I um I would appreciate us being able to have that conversation beforehand if at all possible.

All right. Yeah. So, it sounds like we're we're this is first reading, so third reading would be um in probably the May 26th meeting. So, maybe we can get an update from you before then and you can let us know uh what the um issue would be by then. Does that sound right? All right. So we have a motion to approve as amended by vice president as amended by councelor Scarpelli. Motion from vice president Lazaro to approve as amended by councelor Scarpelli. Seconded by councelor Sang for first reading.

All right, Mr. Clerk, please call the role. Council, council lemming. Council me. Council Scarelli. Councelor S. Yes. Vice President Lazaro. Yes. President Beers,

yes. Seven, the affirmative, none of the negative. This is approved for first reading. We'll take a third reading vote um in the days to come. All right. Last item. 26085. Submitted by Mayor Brandon Lingo. Current litigation settlement sub row Q. Subro IQ- Norfolk and Denim ASO Jadine Bernardin. Date of accident October 25th, 2024. Date of settlement March 23rd, 2026. The amount of request $3,414.38. The claimant seeks reimbursement for damages for their insured motor vehicle as a result of a motor vehicle accident with a fire department fire department employee at the intersection of Main Street and Charles Street. Clearly, I had read this um and was what I was referring to earlier in the I don't think this is a big deal account of settlements. But I will recognize Tom Lane. Um if you want to share with us about this settlement before we move on it before we act on it. Good evening, uh, councilors. I This is another subregation case similar to some of the other ones. It's a clear liability case. Uh, the norolful and detentum is paid out to the individual. $3,414.38. $2,000 of that was for a medical expenses which are paid under PIP. And then $1,414.38 was for property damage to the vehicle. Uh again, obviously it's above the $2,500. So, we're seeking city council approval uh to to settle this matter without incurring any additional legal costs.

All right. Do we have any questions, rumors of the council? Vice President Lazaro. Motion to approve. On a motion to approve by Vice President Lazaro, seconded by Seconded by Councelor Callahan. Mr. Clerk, please call the role. Councelor Callahan. Council Levy. Council Maline. Councelor Scott Pell. Yes. Councelor Sink. Yes. Vice President Lazaro. President Beers. Yes. Have the affirmative. None of the negative. The motion passes. Thank you, councelor.

Thank you, councelor Lane. Thank you. All right. Public participation. To participate outside of Zoom, please email riso menford-mma.gov. Do we have anyone who'd like to speak either in person or on Zoom in public participation?

Vice President Lazaro. Motion to adjurnn. On the motion to adjourn by Vice President Lazaro. Second by second by councelor Calhan. All those in favor opposed. Motion passes. Meeting is adjourned. Thank you.