City Council - Regular Meeting

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. April 21st, 2026, LOL City Council meeting come to order. Lord's prayer. Dear God, today as this session opens, we pray that your presence will be before us and everyone who serves in the decision-making process of our city. We pray for direction which will lead our city to be strong and unified. May we continue the legacy of our founders. May we be granted this day the wisdom to make decisions which will be for the good of our city. We also pray for your special blessing on all those who are working to transform our city and make it a better place to live and work. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Roll call. Madam Cla. Council Leang here. Council Mcdana here. Council Mia here. Council Non here. Council Robinson here. Council Rook here. Council Scott here. Council Chow. Yes. Councilor Dakota here. Mayor Gia here. Council Jirean here. 11.

Thank you. Two. Mayor's business. I want to just congratulate the mayor's assistant Aras Mangi on completing the Boston Marathon yesterday in 4 hours and 58 minutes. I want to say congratulations. Oh, he beat councelor Rook and uh the manager's time. Councelor Rook said Bailey. Uh but obviously Arasus couldn't be here today. 2.1 communication remote zoom participation motion to accept and place on file by councel Mercy as second by councelor Mcdana. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So wedded. 2.2 citation l spin is if John Croto and Mark Dashaines would come up to the mic to accept the citation.

Good afternoon Mark and John. Would you like to say a few words before we give you the official citation for bringing your business to LOL? Yes. Be great. So first of all, thanks for having us. We're excited to be here. We uh we are overwhelmed with the support uh that the city's provided us since announcing uh the franchise coming back to to LOL in Latcha Park. Uh so again, can't thank you guys enough and we're excited to put a uh a fun fan community experience in in front of everybody.

Great. Yeah. Likewise, I'd like to thank everybody for uh the welcome to bring baseball back to summer baseball back to LOL. I I personally am very energized by the community aspect of it. I view this as kind of the different flavor. You have professional baseball, then you have community baseball. And we kind I kind of view and I think Mark has the same feeling, Loter Park and the Spinners are really kind of a shared civic space where we can really host all aspects of our community and I think you'll love what you see. Thank you. We have an official citation. Be it here known to all that the LOL City Council and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts hereby offers a sincere congratulations to the LOL Spinners. The city of LOL City Council extends its sincere congratulations to the LOL Spinners on their return to the city of LOL under new ownership. After several years away from the field, the revival of the LOL Spinners marks an exciting new chapter in LOL's rich baseball tradition. Originally established as a minor league affiliate, the team created lasting memories for generations of residents before ceasing operation in 2020. Their return in 2026 as a member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League represents a renewed commitment to community opportunity and enduring spirit of the game. Under new ownership, the organization brings fresh energy and a vision while honoring the legacy that made the Spinners a beloved institution in our city. The team's presence at Edward A. Lashia Park once again provides a gathering place for families, fans, and visitors to celebrate America's pastime and strengthen community pride. The LOL City Council recognizes Spinners organization ownership group and all those who made this return possible for their

dedication in revitalizing baseball and lol and contributing to the cultural and economic vibrancy of our city. Therefore, now I mayor Eric R. Gitcher on behalf of the entire city council and residents of LOL to hereby congratulate the L spinners on their return to LOL. We wish the spin is continuous success on and off the field and look forward to many memorable seasons. Thank you guys for investing in all of us. All set.

All set. Motion to accept and place on file by councelor Jan, seconded by councelor Dakota. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Would anyone like to say a few words? All right, Mr. Mayor. Council Robinson.

Could I please make a motion to take uh bothformationals out of order? 5.2. Motion by councel Robinson to take 5.2 bothformational reports out of order. Seconded by councel Rook. All in favor signified by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. 5.2 information reports. Pard memorial library. Mr. Manager. Uh thank you very much Mr. Mayor. Three of the council. councils, we'd take this opportunity to uh have Miss come up from the uh Paula Memorial Library to talk about some of the great things that are happening over there. So, if we could just uh ask Miss Coulie to come up and uh explain what's been happening. Thank you very much, Bridget.

So, most of you got uh a PowerPoint presentation, which I don't have, so I'm going to do it uh off of my notes. Um but thank you uh Mr. City Manager, Mr. mayor and counselors for allowing me to share uh highlights about the library. Um it's National Library Week, so we are celebrating libraries all week long with special activities. Um but as I was kind of putting this together for you, it was hard to believe uh to me that I just recently finished my second year as director uh at the library. So it went very very quickly. I have I have no good I have lived on that presentation for you. Um obviously as one of the big things um that's going on we have really been focused on making sure that we have been expanding the library services both within the building and also beyond our walls and making sure that anyone who comes in the library feels that the space is welcoming to them. Our ultimate goal every day is to be Lowel's library. Making sure that the materials we have, the services and programs we provide, and the opportunities that we offer are what residents need while also supporting organizations, nonprofits, and businesses that make up our community. Um, it's imperative that we have something that makes every resident in LOL feel like they are part of the library, and it's an action we're committed to making happen each and every day. Um, our goal, vision, and missions are all focused on providing residents the opportunity to learn and grow while also using the library as a resource hub and a way to build community among residents and visitors. Um, a lot of people at times will argue that libraries are no longer important in an age of rapidly developing technology, but I argue that they're even more important now in providing access for all, a place for people to connect and find support, offering vibrant, relevant, and exciting books and materials, and also be able to exist in a third space. Uh for those of you

who don't know what that is, it's a social environment away from home and work where people can gather to connect, relax, and engage in community and personal activities. In a postcoid world, we have seen the need to connect grow exponentially year-over-year. Um as you can see through our participation in programs, people meeting at the library for things like group work, projects, or just a playd date. Connection is very necessary to avoid loneliness and isolation. One of my regular patrons who pretty much comes in every day at a minimum, but most of the time it's every other day is one of my older patrons. Um, he shared and I quote, "My wife recently passed and the staff at the library have been like a second family to me. They have been very caring and supportive and without them I'd have been lost. Overall, the library has been more than an information center for me. The service, staff, and resources it's provided have made me feel that I have a friendly location in Lel. And libraries aren't just important to those who use them, but we also provide support uh for economic development in the city through offering workshops with other city departments like DPD and sustainability. Uh we support those who are looking for jobs, do resume writing with residents, help people apply for jobs. Uh one of the biggest changes in COVID was everything went online and there was a huge gap of people who were familiar with paper applications suddenly no longer being available. We provide access to that technology for residents um helping them to rent apartments or submit time sheets and there are a number of businesses in this community that will only accept time sheets by fax um and we have the trained staff who were able to help meet those needs. Uh in 2025, our staff provided over 12,500 computer sessions for residents and assisted with people printing over 28,000 pages. Library staff answered more than 37,000 questions, of which a third of them are related just to technology. The other reason that I know libraries are important is because our community

has told us. Library users are borrowing at higher rates every year and we're making sure we offer them what they want in the best way possible. Obvious right now, ironically, local residents prefer physical materials more than electronic. However, our electronic borrowing is growing each year. Um, in comparison, our first quarter 2026 circulation has led to patrons borrowing over 3,600 more items this year than first quarter 2025. And I really do want to say special thanks to this council. Many of you have been advocates for the bookmobile. Um, but as you you can see from what I've provided in the report, our bookmobile has been growing as we've refined our stops, built stronger partner locations, and found schedules that work for each neighborhood. Obviously, request for the bookmobile and our partnership. Our participation in community outreach events has been growing every year. Our programming trend trends have also been growing significantly. Uh, there have been greater demands for story times, book clubs, programming. Um, and so many of my staff have been fantastic in offering opportunities for our families to come together and interact. The programming for teens has been led by an amazing YA librarian, Claire, who has built relationships with teens through her teen advisory board, but also doing extensive outreach at Lowel High with the help of Lowel High School media specialist Kristen Monahan. And we've been able to build a really strong network between the public and local and high school libraries to create a system that really benefits the students. and the teens have been very vocal about saying what they want and then showing up with their feet. Our adult program has also increased uh significantly um because we are soliciting requests from our attendees about what they want to see next and what they wish we would offer. Obviously, one of the biggest requests that we've been able to meet is to offer technology skills training in both group and one-on-one settings. We are focused on building comfort and understanding with technology, accessing electronic resources. Actually, I had somebody

request a cell phone one-on-one while I was waiting in council chambers for this to start. Um, and also stressing both community safe uh computer safety and protecting uh people online. We are grateful and we have been doing this for a long time, but that we offer this program at both the library and the senior center. And we balance this with programs like author talks, arts and crafts, genealogy, environmental programs, and so much more. And a special thanks to all the staff and community members who have offered opportunities to all of our family and participants. Um, one of my regular patrons shared, "I've attended countless craft nights and other clubs and have witnessed them turn from small groups to every event reaching weight lists. The pard has provided me with skills, community, and access to knowledge. This library is continuing to grow its audience every year and has kept up with new interests and needs of the community. This month, we've been able to offer activities for homeschool families, activities to celebrate the bsentennial, including storytelling workshops with LA, and our most recent mosaic unveiling. If you haven't seen it yet, it's in the Marramac entrance of the library, as well as special arts and crafts activities for all ages. Thankfully, what we do is not without profound community support. In the past year, we've been able to host community programs and meetings, attend various events that highlight literacy and learning, and even this week, we're partnering with the Friends of the Library, National Park Service, full public schools, and Mil City Grows, who's giving a discount at the markets if you show your library card. This list is growing each day, and as we recognize the amazing groups, nonprofits, businesses, and city departments who support the community building that we are striving to achieve. Um the list is over 130 different entities. Some of that I cheated and just said UMass Lo groups. So it's even more than that, but it's really fantastic how much the community uses the library and we are able to partner with them with them on anything that we're trying to

accomplish. Um we do not make any decisions in a vacuum at the library. We have tremendous a tremendous board of trustees that ensure we stay on point with our strategic plan. make sure that the library budget and state expectations are being met and that we're doing everything we can to fulfill the needs of local residents. Um I would like to shout out that I have members of the friends, the foundation and the trustees in this council chamber with me. Um they are fantastic at representing the city and the library at events like legislative days. They advocate for the library as well as make sure that all the policies, procedures, and visions I have for the library reflect the current standards and expectations of residents. And many of those trustees, including chair Donna Richards, make sure I stay on point. Um, two years ago, uh, when the administration changed and I came on as director, the trustees, the friends and the foundation as well as the staff reviewed all former strategic plans and reflected upon the city's goals for Lel forward. Together, we envisioned a library that we wanted to provide for the city and the actions needed to ensure all residents had the opportunity to benefit from our service. I'm going to give you a very, very brief overview of our strategic plan and what we accomplished. Our first uh tenant is communicate and connect. The objective is to expand the ways the library communicates and connects with those outside our walls. Yes, we have a beautiful building, but due to a number of factors, not everyone can make it downtown. In the past year, we've committed to expanding our reach to meet residents where they are through outreact out outreach activities like story times and visits, bookmobile stops, going to community nonprofits to do presentations, attending community outreach events, and attending literacy nights, as well as combining with other city departments to offer new opportunities for residents. Our biggest asset to creating this connection is the library staff. They

work diligently to provide so many services to the community and make sure we connect with the public. It's important that we don't duplicate services and I'm very cognizant of that, but instead supplement what's already happening in the community. Uh we like to provide support for nonprofits, highlight businesses, and support city entities who are already doing amazing work. And we've received tremendous support from everyone we've approached about partnering, sharing ideas, and supporting each other's activities. The second thing is strengthen core services. In this objective, we've been focusing on asking and listening to patrons about the needs and services that they'd like while also evaluating the usage of our services and resources. Literacy for all ages has been especially important for residents in the last few years. We've increased the materials for language learning by adding grammar materials and decodables for things like pattern recognition and phonics. We've incorporated talking books to allow for the combination of reading reading and listening at the same time, which also benefits those with sight issues, as well as undertaking a pilot program for home delivery. We've also added over 400 books in languages other than English and an additional 250 books for learning English to non-English speakers and students. We are hopeful to expand these services, including home delivery, to those who need it in the coming months. We are regularly evaluating program services and space usage to make sure we can offer the materials and services that are most needed. One of our projects which is in process is to create additional meeting room space within the library's existing footprint to be able to expand meeting and study room demands for the community. In the coming months, we'll be making lendable technology like tablets and laptops available for residents to use initially within the library and then for use at home. Also, we just completed updating our children and teen areas for furniture as well as the adult furniture is currently ordered and some of it is

already arrived and being built. Lastly is organizational excellence. We are continuing to use patron feedback, suggestions, and questions to evaluate what we offer. Recently, due to patron requests, we've added color printing, self-scanning stations, and even Google and Apple Pay because patrons requested it. It is important to us to provide the best customer service we can while also ensuring that we have the information we need from other city departments and nonprofits to be able to provide details about services and provide referrals to residents. It's important that the library acts as a conduit of information. Our staff are continuing to focus on expanding our talents and skills, making sure that we keep learning so we can help our community. We've been actively participating in training opportunities on the state, local, and national level, focusing on soliciting ideas from patrons, acting on suggestions, ideas, and requests put forth by the public. In the past year, we've purchased over 50 items for community members that we've been able to fulfill, as well as numerous ideas to enhance library services and programs. And we are also focused on using all the metrics available to us to make informed decisions about what's most important to the library patrons. I'd like to thank you all for what you do to support us regularly, but I do have a few simple asks for council. One, please continue to help us meet our goals and admissions and our mission while expanding our reach. Help connect us to those in the community that we should know and also doors open doors to help us be successful. Um, I'd like to shout out uh councelor Scott who answered an email that I requested a contact name and a phone number um which ended up her getting back to me almost the same day. um that's resulted in a new bookmobile stop, impact central, and it was fantastic. It was like they were so gung-ho right away. Um we were having trouble connecting and she opened that door for us. As a UNESCO city, a learning site, we can't be content with where we are. We

have to continue to evolve and adapt to meet the needs as the community grows, changes, and becomes a better place to live. Building community is not just an idea. It's an action that everyone needs to support. And I have seen this by small quiet actions. The library has a little free pantry. It's just a one like it's one small box. But there have been more than 30 residents, the Lowh High Honor Society, nonprofit groups, and library staff who help make sure that hundreds of food items have made their way to residents in need every day. This action and many others are needed for LL to build a stronger community. and we want to ensure that the library and city offers opportunities for all residents to learn and grow. Lastly, this should be a fairly easy ask. Continue to advocate for libraries and what they provide. The best way to do that is use your library card and our services. When one uses the library, you can demonstrate and articulate their value. You can see the possibilities for what they become. And because I'm a librarian and I like to have details and receipts, I have more information for you to read at a later date. Um, so you can see the possibilities for what we can become. Um, we have things like everything that we've achieved in 2025, the return on investment for investing in the library, as well as feedback from some of our library patrons who experience the benefits each week. This National Library Week, our theme is find your joy. And each day I am able to interact with people who find joy in the library and its services and who appreciate all the opportunities that as one of my younger patrons says our castle library provides them. So I thank you for your time and welcome any questions.

Councelor Robinson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And um thank you to the speaker. Uh it's it's pretty clear the library is a hub in challenging times, but I used to represent a lot of staff in the library years ago when I was involved as an employee and union president here. And one thing I have to say is wow. Um what what a way we've come with with you and your staff and the services provided to our community. and and I thank you very much for that. Um, for the listeners at home, some of the recent trends that jump out to me, especially with the bookmobile service growth in 2023, four stops, 20 cards made, 130 people served with eight checkouts. 2024, 174 stops, 322 cards made, 12,265 people served, and 658 checkouts. And in 2025, 365 stops, 830 cards made, 17,437 people served with 1,883 checkouts. I think that trend speaks for itself that one of the wisest investments our public and our city could have made is this bookmobile. And it's just a supplement in addition to what the brick and motor is doing. Um, one thing I'd like to bring to attention and and it's been kind of a different ask. I've had some residents reach out. It I don't know what's going on, but five or six different people in the past 2 months have kind of asked if I knew anywhere that offered kind of a seminar or webinar or what a combination of both for for potential wannabe authors. I don't know if maybe an author workshop that might explore the how-tos, how to write, how to publish, and everything in between is something that you would have capacity to try to look at in the near

future. But I think there is a growing appetite for that. Um I also think something that was mentioned where you are servicing so many people and it is a information portal and hub in the community. I I think we need to look as a council and an administration and see can we also lean on our partners at the library to become an information hub when it comes to voting. It's a great outlet to let people know dates and and options and and all that information cuz again spreading that information out to the public through every channel that we have at our disposal I think is definitely needed. So I commend you and your team and thank you very much for everything you do. Thank you, Councelor Robinson. Councelor Mercia.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I am so honored to know this woman because when you have a department and you have the person that should be in charge, she fits the bill so much. I I I am so honored to have gone to different events at the library. She's right out front. She's right there. She's knowledgeable. I'm so proud of all your dedication to the library. You're the right person for the right position. But I want to say that I'm even more impressed that the dress that you're wearing this evening has has books on it. Library books. This is amazing. She dresses the pot, too. I am so impressed.

I have a couple. So, congratulations and thank you for being the great leader that you are with knowledge for the library. Thank you, Council Mercier. Thank God you're sitting there that close because I can't see him from here. It's got books on it. It's Council Chia, you need a glass.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And also, I want to thank you for coming to make the presentation. And I want to thank and welcome all the the board of trustee, the the friends of the library for being here in the audience as well. Um, as you u uh know u the speaker mentioned this is national library week and I had a chance to go visit the mosaic the community art um this Saturday and it it was just beautiful. it just um you know everything that that piece of art there just uh everything what what low stands for and um I happy to see councelor Belinda Durant there and just a note to the public if with councelor Juran's busy council schedule if you cannot find her you can find her at the library any day of the week um but every time I go to library I'm always amazed to see uh new things um I'm dating myself a little bit I've been using the library since the 1980s um as you know I I grew up in the acre and uh no space in my uh in our small apartment um in the acre. So the only place where we can do homework, do research, um read books and so forth uh was the library at that time. And um I love I still when I go to the library, I still look for the do we decimal um cost. I still look for the drawers. I know that doesn't exist anymore. And that just show how much the library has changed, how much the library has transformed um over the years, over the decades. the the library keep on changing with the times uh to meet the needs of of the children of the family uh with each new generation uh with each uh technology. So I'm I'm very grateful to have the library in our in our community. When I think about library, I really think about libraries build dreams. Um does not matter where you come from, who you are. Um having the resource of the library, the books, the research, uh the knowledge, everything really helps everyone build their dreams and achieve their dreams. So, please keep up the good work and uh you have our support.

Thank you, Council Chow, Council Dakota. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um I want to thank Mrs. Koolie for the job that you've been doing here. Um and all the people that are behind you, too, because they they great bunch of input that goes into this, but going on with uh council Robinson, said these numbers uh for outreach are tremendous. Just from last year to this year, it's a 70% increase in the number of people served. That's that's impressive. That is really impressive. The the number of adult and children's programs, the increase in each year in the last three years, I don't know what you're doing over there, but what you're doing is working and it it kudos to you and your staff. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Council Dakota. Councelor Jan.

Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, we should all be and I know we all are proud of the work that Bridgetulli and her team have done on our behalf of the community. Um, I thank um, councelor Chow for mentioning me in connection with the library. I am a member of the Pollard Memorial Library Foundation which is a 501c3 that helps support our library and I have filed a form 23B3 to put the public on notice about that. Um, I also thank Council Robinson for reading from the report highlighting the bookmobile and I would suggest that everybody read the report that was attached to the agenda because it highlights the library as a center of learning as a community center, how it brings people together to build community, do projects, read and learn, and as a UNESCO learning city, as uh, Miss Kohley mentioned, that really is at the heart of everything in our city. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Jirean. Council Mcdana,

thank you. Um, and thank you. Uh, everybody else has already thanked everybody that I care about a hundred times, so I'll just say it once, but thank you. Um, and then I I I think going off what councelor Dakota and councelor Robinson and everybody else that's spoken so far has said, I I do think the increase in number of people served is is incredible. I also think it is April and and as we head towards budget season, I think it is worth saying one for myself and two reminding my colleagues and everybody else here and watching at home that all of this amazing work isn't free. I have no affiliation with the library. Um but but other I have a library card. Um all all of this amazing work isn't free and the amazing the the work the frankly incredible return on investment in terms of program growth and in residents served has been done on a fairly minimal budget and I think that I know that it's going to be a lean year but I think as as we are going through the budget trying trying to preserve as much of that funding for the library and those services that are directly resident facing and seem to be making a really big impact. I would just ask that we we keep that in mind as we move through the budget process. But thank you.

Thank you, Council Mcdana. Councelor Nun.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um please join me um to uh uh give another hand to the friend and trustee of the library. without them and and Bridget of course and the staff for the remarkable job. I I recall um a little many years ago um when u mayor um then um Samaris um we talk about the mobile bill. I was honored at that time to join me as Samaris to motion sponsor a motion for book mo mobile. Then councelor Duran was still um was not a council yet but was either uh a board of trustee or a friend of the library uh reach out to me um for not just the book mobile but also the funding uh for the library um that was struggle at the time. You know I I said why why the library struggle? Why can't we help the library? We can cut all spare but the library is so important because I truly believe that the more kid read the better they become. Not just kid adult too. The more you read the better you become. Uh so the library the idea of the book mobile going to the community is this that there's a lot of parents that work uh either first ship or second ship or two job uh couldn't take their kid to the library. So you bring the library to the community to the district and that's what this book mobile done and the number that councelor Robinson read is remarkable in three years you see a 75% increase in term of number of people serve it make our community our younger people

smarter better by bring the book to them I I like this idea very much and I concur with councelor McDonald that their budget is small. Let's do what we can. I know the administration previous and now administration through Connor Baldwin has been working closely with the library to make sure that we uh sustain their funding. So I know that this coming years is going to be huge cut and tax increase. But let's join me and everyone here in the council support the library making sure that their funding is not being cut because it's small funding right so with that I thank you for all you've done the friend the trustee Richard and the staff thank you thank you councel noon councel Yang

thank you Mr. May uh just want to mention a few things. Uh my my kid and I used to use the library a lot and um one of the things that I like to see more also is the community partnership. Um I used to volunteer and uh taught computer at the senior center. There's a lab there that uh uh I used to teach uh especially the um older uh community member about the process just basic computer usage and that was part of the uh library program and I know we have a lot of uh expertise in the community but due to budget uh um I guess you know issues this might be a way of uh connecting with the community and also keep the kid and increasing amount of kid inside the uh the libraries is really really a good idea and I I I need to actually congratulate all the teams uh at the library and also the community partnership for this uh this growth and uh thank you so much for the presentation.

Thank you Council Leang. If I could just take two minutes from up here. Um, four years ago when I got elected to the city council, one of the first people I ever met was councelor Blinda Direan and the board of trustees from the library and they sat down and they highlighted everything that they could change and they would change if we gave them the funding source. We put up and gave them the funding source. And when you look today, you look at the children's program where we look and that's the most important part of growth in our city is teaching children literacy. and the growth is over 2/3. You're watching the numbers grow and the young adult program has grown and and the adult program has grown and not only has grown, but the attendance is way up and sometimes we have a hard time getting kids to go to school, but when you see people who are so kind and caring and giving as you have at the library, kids want to come back. And I think that's a a big benefit from your leadership, Miss Kohley, over at the library and what you bring to the table for all of us and all of the volunteers and all of the staff over there. It's the kind caring that makes someone want to learn and and come back. And when you look at the growth, you guys all kept your promise. And we don't always see that in government. We spend money and and we don't see the promises come to fruition. But today, when you look at this outline, we absolutely saw we got more than we ever paid for out of all of this. So, I want to thank all of you for that. And um from the council, we thank you for all you do.

Thank you. Mot motion to accept and place on file by councel Ror seconded by councelor Scott. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. We'll go to 5.2 information report frontrunner city program update siccou. We have some registered speakers. So we're going to go to the registered speakers first. Miss Clerk Timothy Collins,

it's been a while. Let's see if you can do as well as your son did. Yeah, I know, right? Big shoes to fill there with that kid. There you go.

Um, first of all, good evening, members of the city council, Mr. Mayor, Mr. City Manager. Uh my name is Timothy Collins and I'm a resident of 103 and L Street and a proud union iron worker representing local 7 out of Boston. Uh today we stand at a historic crossroads with the recent announcement of a potential $2 billion investment through the memorandum of understanding and our status as the first front runner US frontr runner city. We are essentially writing the next chapter of Lowel's history. But as we look forward to this future of urban transformation, we must ensure that it is rooted in the values of the people who built this city and that is the workers. Lel has always been defined by by its labor. Nearly 200 years ago, the Lowel mill girls didn't just operate looms. They pioneered the American labor movement. In 1834 and 1836, when faced with wage cuts, these women organized the first union of working women in this country's history. They lived in company boarding houses, worked 14-hour days, and eventually forced the state to investigate factory conditions, the first such government inquiry in the United States. They taught us that economic growth without worker protections is hollow. From the nativeborn women of the 1830s to the waves of the Irish, Greek, and Southeast Asian immigrants who followed, Lel's prosperity has always been bought with the grit of organized labor. As this $2 billion investment moves from paper to projects within the JAM UB urban renewal area, I urge this council to honor that legacy. Transformation must be inclusive. This means prioritize prioritizing union labor by ensuring that new construction and manufacturing jobs are filled by workers with the protection of collective bargaining. This means sustainable wages and

remembering that the Low Female Labor Reform Association fought for dignity, not just survival. This means community accountability and holding our global partners to the same high standards our ancestors fought to establish. We are a frontr runner city because of our innovation, but we are the mill city because of our people. Let's make sure this investment serves the families who live here, not just the corporations moving in. In the 1840s, lower workers f famously said they would not be slaves to corporate Arabus. Today, let us say that we will be partners in a prosperous union strong future. Let's build a low that the mill girls would be proud of. Thank you. Joe Hungler. Good evening. I'm uh Joe Hungler, uh 178 Loose Street in Lowel and also the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club. And I came down today because from the time I started hearing about this front runner city, it was incredibly exciting as we watched like you look when you start doing the research. I read both books from the people there and you look at the 17 sustainability things that you're supposed to do to do this and it aligns with everything the city talks about. No poverty, good jobs, education. I'm not going to list all 17, but it it you know, you see all that and I look at what we're trying to do at the Boys and Girls Club in ending generational poverty and it all aligns with that. And you know, you see two two billion dollars coming into this community is hard to say without laughing because it's such a a big number. And as somebody who's asked probably everybody in this room for support, whether it's financial or otherwise,

having that much outside money coming to our city, is um just an amazing opportunity. And as we just built a teen center, thanks to the people in this room and to this council, watching kids move in that teen center, they act differently than they did in our old teen center because they feel valued, because they feel safe, because things work around them. And I knew that before we did this, but after seeing it, and that's gonna be the same thing that happens in the jam district when all these residents walk in that space, they're going to have an improved district. And the fact that they're trying to do this with all the things that Kathy Oh, Kathy's here somewhere, Kathy from uh does with affordable own home ownership if that happens. So, it's the people who live in this city who are going to benefit from this and really change and end generational poverty. And as somebody who runs the Boys and Girls Club to have our kids when we bring them to the place where they can get an education, where they can work in the trades, where they can get a good job, and they can then have a place to live in LOL because what I hear from alumni is it's really hard to find a place that they can afford to live and stay here and they want to stay part of the community. So, I just wanted to come down and say uh thank you for all the hard work that went into this cuz I know that this just didn't drop from the sky and um I'm I'm really excited about uh to see it come to fruition. Thank you,

Amy Thomas. Hi, my name is Amy Thomas. I live at 76 Bowden Street. I'm just here to support the frontr runners city and also to make sure that there's local jobs for the local residents and that way there we can keep building for the future. Thank you

Stephen Conlin.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Stephen Conland. I'm from 200 Cop Path Road in Tuksbury. Um, I am an organizer with Laborers Union Local 429 here in LOL. I'm here tonight because we definitely support the Front Runner City Project and the investment behind it. It's especially especially when it creates strong job opportunities for local trades men and women with livable wage with livable wages, access to quality health insurance, and an honest path to retirement here in L. Projects like this also help straighten the local economy and create lasting opportunities for a community as a whole. Thank you. That was the last speaker. Uh, councel, that's the last registered speaker. Mr. May,

I think we do have a couple more that want to speak. Make a motion to allow speakers if they want. Motion by councel Rook, seconded by council Robinson to open up the podium to anyone wishing to speak. Just please state your name and address for the record and understand that we have a threem minute limit. Council Rook, maybe say that

I did register, however. I'm sorry I wasn't on the roster. Three minutes. Okay, let's see. Good evening, everyone. Good evening, mayor, uh, city managers, city councilors, and the community of LOL. My name is Kathy Marcato. Currently, I am the executive director of Marramac Valley Housing Partnership. We have been promoting home ownership for 40 years now, helping families build financial stability through home ownership. here tonight to express Marramac Valley's housing partnership strong support of thisou. Now I was able to visit Canada and with the delegation and it was an eyeopening experience what redevelopment looks like in a community especially like the acre or the jam plus area and that was very personal and touching for me just because it looked just like the acre where I grew up and what they did with that community. Um I am going to read a little bit so I don't go off directions. So Regent Park was this instructive urban de redevelopment um in North America formally isolated public housing community in downtown Toronto that was re-imagining as mixed income mixeduse neighborhood. The redevelopment plan called region pot to be built mixed income neighborhood. the former patterns restored in housing designed to reflect adjacent neighborhoods ending the community's physical isolation from the rest of the city. Walking through that, what struck me most was the people. Families of every age, background, seniors, young children, longtime residents, all sharing the same streets, the same parks, the same community. That's something that you don't typically see when you see all these different backgrounds and all these different age groups sharing the same community which is really special to me um personally. Now, home ownership is a pillar to generational wealth. We hear

that buzzword all the time. However, it's so valid. We need more home ownership. And I think that with money like this coming into the city, we can definitely do much more. And not just rental. But rental should just be a stepping stone for something better. It shouldn't be a cycle. It shouldn't be a system set up for people to fail. And we do need mixed income market rate. And I think that thisou and this um if we're lucky enough to see this money come to the city of Lel, which I hope it does. I'm optimistic that this will happen. And I am in full support of thisou and to the city. and thank you for the initiative and for continuing to do the hard work that you all do. And I think my three minutes is up. Um, mayor, uh, thank you and thank you to the city council again, but thank you to the city of Lel and for what we do and especially for our union workers that do the work. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you, M. Mr. Mayor, members of the administration, councilors. Good evening. Cory Balanger, 200 Roger Street. Uh, very exciting, transformative time this is about to be for the city of LOL. Now, the city of L was just ranked third best city in the Northeast to live. We'll get ready to be number one. This will be dubbed Lowell's Industrial Revolution 2.0 when this is all said and done. Now, it was determined very early uh through early meetings with the Urban Economy Forum, which I'd like to give them a shout out and a thank you for choosing LOL. But we saw very early that LOL fit the bill for what the urban economy forum was looking for. With our goals through previous administrations and current on sustainability, housing initiatives, economic development, it was soon on full display that LOL was on was head and shoulders above cities our size, midsize cities in the United States of America. And that's part of the reason why the city of LOL is only one that got this generous award, and it's LOL. But although we know we fit the bill, we also realized that nothing was 100% until it's done. Now, the manager and his admission administration worked tirelessly. Countless hours were put in through meetings and travel to get this thing across the finish line as well as his previous council as well as I know in very good hands with this current city council. So, very exciting time. It won't be long before the jam area and MBTA uh zone will be unrecognizable and there's much needed relief on the way for the homeowners, the taxpayers of lol where the much needed new tax growth will help everybody that's less burden on them while we create new tax growth.

So that's very exciting news for the taxpayers of all. a lot of good going on here, but it takes a lot of people rowing in the same direction to make to cross this finish line and we're going to need that moving forward. So, I pledge to be your biggest advocate, civilian advocate for this initiative to make sure that city this reaches new heights than we already are. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. Uh, thank you. Um, my name is Dennis McCarthy. I live at 216 Foster Street. I'm an architect here in the city as well as a member for the past 12 years on the zoning board. Um, I just want to thank the city council, Council Ror, uh, Manager Golden, and Mayor Ger, and all of our counselors who have helped us get to this agreement. Funding alone is such an important part of all forward-thinking projects. But when the financial team brings this forward thinking to the table is a very rare opportunity. This memorandum is very well drafted in my opinion and provides a solid foundation on which we can build a strong vibrant community that incorporates the strongest environmental requirements as well as the inclusive aspects and so many other things in this agreement. I'm so glad that I am still alive as well. Uh uh and here in the city of lol to see this happen as a now 65-year-old Owellian with three children and their spouses and three grandchildren who are all residents here as well. Um I'm just so grateful that I'm here to see this day come. Um, so few communities have this opportunity and we should do all we can to continue this forward movement and help make this

happen. Thanks again for staying the course and finding a way to bring this opportunity to LOL. I only ask that there might be a place in our community center, the LOL Center for the Arts, to be associated with this opportunity when the time is right. Thank you. Council Rook, I go to the manager first. M please. Manager Golden.

Uh thank you very much, Mr. Mayor through to the council. Um councilors, thank you all very much for this opportunity. And to the people that are here tonight, thank you for being here. But to the residents that are home, you have to feel the energy that is here. to say July 1st of 2020 uh 2024. It started with an article. That's how this all happened. We took a chance and started to tell the the world what LOL was all about. It was about opportunity and we've talked about the city of opportunity. We've talked about all of this and more from that. At the time, uh councelor Rook, now mayor Rook attended, I believe it was in October of 2024 UEF6. In October of 2025, a larger contingent went up to um for the UEF in October of 2025. The excitement started to build. The urban economy named the city of LOL a frontr runner city. We know this. So what is happening today? So the frontrunner city, it's a designation that we've all been celebrating, we've been discussing, and we've been talking about. What could it be? What's aspirational? what should be happening here in the city of lol. What happened in Regent Park? Regent Park in 1995, a group of people came together and went to uh Toronto, the the tenant uh the tenant association up there and talked about how to make a change. Most of the council and most of the people that have done the research have seen what Regent Park has been through, have seen what we what we can be. And to all of my friends at home, if you haven't had an opportunity to look at Regent Park, please do. And as people were talking about it, being able to see it and touch it and look at the changes, that's what urban redevelopment is

with the front runner city, the individuals that we've been talking to. And I do want to say thank you very much uh to the countless meetings for planning and development, the law department, my office. We're probably talking to our friends at the Front Runner City a couple of times a week to discuss big things. And what the Front Runner City has done, and I've it took me time to have this discussion and really think about this. It's taught our group to think bigger. It's taught our group to stretch. It's taught our organization from this administration standpoint to say, "What else can we do?" A number of issues have come out, a number of thoughts, a number of challenges. And as we're talking to these folks, we're like, "Wow, that's that's that idea is a little far-fetched." And as we start to learn about what the Front Runner City is doing, they're introducing us to a global network. They're introducing us. They're they're coaching us. They're teaching us to continue to stretch planning for the future, planning for tomorrow's city. That's what we are doing with the frontr runner city. I've talked about everything that has been going on with the hard work and the meetings. But what this has led us to today is anou with a suitor with a potential funding mechanism. And I say potential. Solar International uh CPS Canada which is in front of the council tonight. It's the first step that we have in looking towards this funding mechanism. A future protocol that we will continue to work on to find out how to get this done. It's a multi multi-phase. It's going to be very collaborative. Uh they are all about transparency in trying to see what can happen next. What

is the stretch? So you really have we have two things going on right now. We have the urban economy forum the front runner city. They put us on the world stage. They put us they gave us the ability to brag about low and what has happened similar to what happened in Regent Park. There's a company called the Daniels Corporation. And the Daniels Corporation was created and that corporation was the financing or the bank if you would an opportunity for Regent Park. What we have before us tonight with SIC is that funding resource. If you want to think of it as a bank, if you want to think of as an opportunity, if you want to think it about as another another chance, that's what we're presenting here tonight. There's a lot of questions to be asked. There's a lot of um whatifs and what's going to happen and how are we going to get this done and the administration as well as the council have been talking about this. We've been talking about this and on how to start our financing. We can have all the great ideas we want. We can talk about these these these things that are unattain unattainable. However, you always need financing and we're going through a budget which is going to be challenging. And my my guess is not only the city of LOL is going to be going through a challenging time, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, maybe this country as a whole, but having this potential opportunity to to to do this is something that no other city in the United States is doing. Nobody has ever seen anything like this. But to the councilors that have been up to Toronto, they physically had the chance to touch it. They physically had a chance to see it. It might be a lot easier if the Daniels Corporation was in in uh l Massachusetts or quite frankly the United States, but they're not. But they've also found out that there were a

number of issues that they could have done better. And that is what is before us tonight. anou to start the process to collaborate to ensure exactly what our friends in labor were talking about to make sure that the jobs to make sure that things were being created to make sure that the SGS the 17 SG DGS are all being met and it's important to note in the beginning of all this so I'm trying to draw that line the urban economy form and the front runner city are over here and then you have the bank or the financing folks which is SIC there's that that kind of of of demarcation. Why do we need anotherou? Why do we need to to to put this forward be why? Because it's a different protocol when you start financing with money. So, I'm so excited. I don't want to talk any longer. I have probably another 20 minutes of notes to discuss, but with the excitement of what is happening uh today and for the future of the city of LOL, it is the city of opportunity. We haven't changed our name. changed our logo just because we're it's words. It's not words. This is about the opportunity. All of this and more. Is it going to start tomorrow? I sure hope so. But let's be honest. When you're looking at $2 billion of potential investment, we need to vet. We need to make sure that we're in good order. This council is going to have to come back once we once the team does its work to make sure this is where we want to go. I want to say thank you very much to the former mayor and the current mayor and all of the council that was here previously and to this council tonight. This is something that no other city in the United States has the opportunity and the the

with how I see the economy going. This is probably one of the biggest opportunities in talking to other people. How did you do it? How did you get it done? How did you do the city of LOL? Because we consistently try to do things different. Think out of the box. Think differently. Some people thought it was crazy when when we were going up to Canada to talk to these folks. And quite frankly, maybe it was. But this is how opportunity works. So tonight, I would hope that it's not necessarily a vote. This is just on uh tonight as anformational, but of course, we'll take all of the information. Some of some of our friends have already talked about the information. Some of our friends that are here that care about the environment, they already know it's in the SDG. I think it's 17 to be exact. I hope. But this is our chance to grow this city when we talk about the future growth of our city. And once again, I want to thank each and every one of you. I want to thank the councils who have made those trips. They uh they're not easy. They're typically in the middle of nowhere. And I don't remember a lot of exciting things happening uh you know inside of boardrooms and discussions and talks. And they're coming back again. we're going to, you know, probably go up again. But this is, I believe, the opportunity that we will we're all looking for and this could be the future of our city. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor, and we'll be happy to answer any questions on this.

Thank you, Mr. Manager. We're going to go from your left this way this time. Council Scott.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I'd like to start by thanking uh former Mayor Ror, City Council Ror next to me. um without his passion for this, I don't think we'd be here right now having this discussion. I'd also like to thank the city administration for really running with this and thinking big, tired from running with it. Um and the DPD, our DPD for their absolutely incredible work. Without them, we would not be here right now. Um this is really you've convinced them that LOL is worth investing in. Um you love LOL and and I think that came across to everybody involved and I think, you know, I thank you for that. I think this is an absolutely the word opportunity. You you said it a few times. It's the perfect word for this. Um housing, jobs, you know, our children not to be priced out of living in the city and being able to get jobs and stay here. These are things that are just so important to all of us and and I'm just beyond excited about this and I just again thank you all.

Thank you, Council Scott. Councelor Robinson.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I also would like to echo um I thank former mayor Rook, Councelor Rook, and the entire administration. I was fortunate enough to go up to Toronto and kick that dirt up there, touch these buildings, see the elderly people playing botchi in the middle of the afternoon. Um, they had the ice skating rink. That's something we've been looking for. I mean, but above and beyond that, one thing that that I the things that catch my attention are the small things, the attention to detail things. Everything from the way they set up their storm drains so that it's poured and goes below the the sidewalks and waters, the roots of the trees, the street trees that are planted. Um, recycling, reusing, repurposing the storm water that comes down instead of being stuck in a one pipe system and sending it out for treatment. I mean everything like the flexibility that's baked into what community-led initiatives that we saw up there, their rec center, their pool center. Quick story, we were told about how when they opened it up after completion, the residents were utilizing it, but they noticed a certain population of that that area was not utilizing that space. And when they they went and reached out and discussed and asked why, it was because the religious beliefs it it it prevented them from showing skin and swimming in the general public. So what did they do? They had the flexibility to adapt and and they carved out a specific designated time for those residents to be able to utilize that public space so it fit what they needed. It's it's that flexibility. It's that willingness to listen and adapt these prov taxpayer

provided resources to fit the needs of that community. Um, our friends that spoke earlier, organized labor, that was something with my labor background that obviously I was curious about and we've been reassured time and time again. the same organization behind this that's with UEF. They also are passionate about making sure that local people have local jobs. Um it's everything that we've heard since I've been on this council, a combination of every different group that had different challenges, concerns that have they're bringing ideas forward rolled into a ball. And what this is is more or less an update. This is basically showing that this is still on track. We're still moving forward and now it's getting real there. There's potentially a funding mechanism in place. And for what people don't realize is to see up to $2 billion of investment. This isn't a gift. A stalk's not going to drop $2 billion on the city's lap and walk away. This isn't someone looking to purchase $2 billion worth of LOL's real estate and and capture the city. This is potentially an opportunity to provide much lower interest rate loans to commercial developments for projects that fall in line with what our community has been talking about doing for quite some time. This redevelopment makes projects possible because if we had to go the traditional way right now, I think we've all seen it's not going to happen with 7 8 9 10 and 11% interest rates or more. You're not going to get that commercial kind of buying power, so to say, when your return on investment is so low in a city like LOL. Because if a project cost you $10 million to do in LOL and your return is minimal, that same project's going to cost you $10 million in in a market where your return is going to be that much larger. So, I'm thankful to

see everybody's still continuing to plug away. And I think we have great support throughout the community. I think our responsibility is to continue the transparency and make sure that our residents and all of our allies that are eagerly waiting in the winds to see what this is really about. We ensure that we're transparent and keep them informed every step of the way. And I really thank everybody involved that's brought it this far. Thank you. Thank you, Council Robinson. Councel New.

Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. I too want to echo everyone my colleague from my left uh to thank former mayor Dan Brookke and now city council and you Mr. mayor and administration or this council here past and present um for advocating for this first front runner cityou and now thisou with the this sic group. Also want to thank the speakers who spoke in support of this. As manager indicated that you know we are a city of opportunity opportunity for really a huge economic development that we do need giving the um you know upcoming budget and future budget for the city. We could use more taxes and more businesses to come into the city. This is huge. This is a lot of money that coming to the city this way. And I do sh I do agree that this is anformational um more more likeformational uh to the council. Since this is anformational um piece of it, I would ask the administration, the managers um to uh get us more information uh about individual and or entity investor here that we have on theou. uh getting more information about any past project that they have worked on. Get us more information about their balance sheet. Those those is kind of information more like go to transparency, go to more information about this group that we're working with. Uh this is a huge a lot of money and and and you know and knowing this knowing the entity knowing the investor

that's coming in this group uh certainly is going to enable us to uh look that where this money come from and and and and that's important because you know as we invest as we you know uh bring in new business to the city uh we want that uh just like we did with Draper just like we did we did with the um the other company that come before us withus and soon to lead to LDAs and whatnot and and that's getting to LDA is going to be serious uh at that stage. So why why can't we just uh let's let's get some more information about this uh individual uh investor or and or entity um and their balance sheet and you know pro past project they work on so it enable us to have a better informed decision as to who we working with here. Thank you.

Thank you councel new and councel Marcia.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. When we talk about what an investment is, I'll tell you what an investment is. And in when we hear this all the time, but a true investment is where we are today. It's the city of Lowel providing the former mayor with a business card. And he took that business card and he read an article and he sent that business card to these people. equals not $2 million, $2 billion. Danny Rock, you are amazing. I salute you and I applaud you. That's what an investment is all about. This is a remarkable opportunity that this council has right here for all the work with the DPD, the uh different departments, a city manager, so many people that got involved in thisou that we're we're facing tonight to vote to establish a memorandum of understanding. This is an agreement that establishes the framework for the SICC, which is the Solar International Corps Canada to serve as a master investor and capital partner for strategic development initiatives within the JAM urban renewal plan. It doesn't get any better than that. You heard the speakers. I applaud all the speakers that came up here to the podium. I won't reiterate what they said because that'll be another hour and a half, but they did a tremendous job. They narrowed it down and that's what it's all about. Lastly, I'll say the um Mr. um McCarthy came up

and he said he's thrilled to be alive at 65 to see this come into fruition. I'm ecstatic to be alive at my age. I want to be here when we spin down the $2 billion. That's my goal. Thank you so much, Council Mercy. I wish I could climb a 26 ft tower my your age. Council Mcdana,

you're all set. Uh, Council Leang. Um, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I probably going to try have to sort of um uh repeat a little bit of what uh speaker has said and uh $2 billion that's a that's a lot of money and um and I I do hope that it's uh it's get clearer in into the future and how we come up with this $2 billion um uh numbers. Uh because um right right now I I I don't know. I'm I'm happy. I see two billion. I'm happy. But how did we come up with $2 billion? Is is there some kind of mechanism or projects in place that we might see in the future that will we'll come up with these uh two uh billion dollars? Also um really really appreciate a speaker talking about jobs about you know decreasing the poverty rates uh in in the city of low uh local job and also um have our residents stay grounded within our city and uh this is a big money. Um a lot of my community members when they hear the word development they seem to be afraid. um mostly development seem to chase them away from their homes. And I I hope that this $2 billion help them, you know, get this home ownership, let them stay in place, stay in low and get a clearer pictures about this um potential opportunity uh within the city because right now I I think it is a good intent of what to do. or the project might be coming in the future, but I I think there should be more clearer pictures about um local job, union jobs, um home ownerships, and

especially for me is basically have our residents stay grounded uh within the city. And um again, um you know, two billion, that's a lot of money. It could be three. I don't know. But there there should be um I I could be a little bit more happy if I can see the the the outcome or the the numbers how it come about to $2 billion. U that that would be nice. Thank you, Council Mcdana.

Thank you. Sorry, I was still chomping on a Milky Way. Um I echo a lot of what my colleagues have said. I know I I always have a hard time with thank yous. Um, however, this could be very good. I I think I agree a lot. I agree with a lot of what councelor Leang and Councelor Nun have said so far where this could be a lot of things and I think I appreciate that it's anformational and that we're not looking for a vote tonight. Um, a a couple of questions that that have come to me both in reading through the proposed the in informative MLOU uh and in listening to the speakers. I think um Tim Collins had a phenomenal bit at the podium about jobs and union jobs. I I would just like to say that I hope as the protocols that were referenced all over the place are developed and solidified if if it if we continue down the path that there will be some concrete written provisions around things like PLA's and local workforce requirements and and that you know we don't just have unions coming in to say this could be union jobs but we actually know it will be union jobs. Um I also in looking uh the advisory joint task force where it talks about establishing that uh obviously early in the process there are a lot of people that currently live in the jam uh neighborhood. It's a very very dense part of the city. Uh my district like council's district here's development and there's one small group that gets very excited and there's another much larger group that gets very very nervous. Um And I just want to make sure that when we're forming this advisory joint task force that it's not just the city's interest broadly that's represented, but that the the neighborhood the neighborhood itself actually has a

meaning meaningful input in the process and then a a real seat at the table. Not not just a community listening session, but but that there's a real voice at that table. Um, another speaker I I would also echo I'd want to make sure and again we're very early in the process but you know there is nothing yet in thisou and I say that knowing how early we are but I would hope that when uh the the protocols are established and they come forward and we continue to talk about this that there is something in writing in concrete around uh first-time home buyer programs, first-time home buyer incentives. uh maybe something uh like a defined minimum of owner occupied space in these developments. Just making sure that the city actually that it's not just the two billion with a B is not just a talking point, but that our residents really can see the impact of this development. Um and are not kind of scratching their head going, well, did we really get two billion in investment or was it so? And I think I think the the you know local hiring uh first-time home buyer thing that that is something that people can touch and see and and really mean something to a lot of people. Um I do share some of counselor Non's questions, comments. I I might go so far as to say a concern just around the the history of this SIC company in kind of any past development projects they have especially uh in an urban North American context. I can see that they seem to have a lot of involvement with uh like an oil refinery which is a lot of money and I know that there's a push to diversify those investments which is very good for us. Um, but making sure that they have the people on on in place here to to actually deliver. Um, sorry, I want to make sure I I think I

got it all. Um, I specific person. One one question I do have that maybe can be answered tonight. There does seem to be a bit of overlap between the or the UEF folks and the SIC folks. I saw at least a couple names pop up a couple times, which could make sense. I guess that's I didn't get to go to Toronto. This is not like a that's nefarious. This is like a just trying to understand how we wound up, where we wound up. I know it's been a lot of phone calls and a lot of travel and you and your team have done a lot of work here. Um, but yeah, no, overall I think this is could be a step in the right direction or it could be great. I just want to make sure that everybody at home also knows that we're not voting on anything tonight. There's no money coming tomorrow, but we're we're early in the process, but we're further than we were.

Thank you, Council Mcdana. Council Durant.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. Um, LOL deserves the best, and thisou I think is the next step in a welcome and critical transformation of our city, and I thank former mayor Ror, the city manager, and the administration for getting us to this point. I'm excited about this opportunity, but now comes the real work. Um, in many ways thisou is like a couple in love that has just gotten engaged. Um, it's a public announcement of intent, but no money is committed yet, and we don't yet have a binding commitment. Um, now the city and its advisors must negotiate the protocol and definitive agreements, which is the equivalent of getting to know our fiance better as we plan the wedding and how we will run our marriage. I know that's a little of a bit of a stretch. Um we have to plan so that we don't end up with unintended consequences like a private garage without the related development that we need. Um as with any public private partnership, the relationship must be win-win and the city should not downplay the value we bring to the table. We are an amazing city. Not only the first US frontr runner city and the first uh US UNESCO learning city as well as um but we're also livability's best place to live in Massachusetts, home of UMass LOL and a re an R1 research institution among many other things. We are not and should never act like a poor stepchild. In fact, I think of lol like Cinderella, desired by a rich and glamorous prince despite our sometimes daud clothing. But be that's because underneath it all, LOL has the attributes on which a long-term relationship can grow. LOL is the best and we deserve the best. Um, we must encourage this development while keeping an eye on the details to protect the city's interests. We must be

simultaneously realistic and visionary. Having spent over 20 years as a deal lawyer, I know there are a number of steps we need to take to achieve a win-win outcome. And I know how much work is involved. We need to do this hard work and do it with focus, intention, a vision, and a plan. I'm sure that our city administration recognizes the importance of investing in in advisors who experienced with this type of deal to provide guidance, advice, and issue spotting. Having negotiated both public private partnerships and billion-dollar deals um in my career, I know that a billion-dollar deal is not just the equivalent of a thousand1 million dollar deals. It is different in size and complexity. Um, even when I had a legal team of 12 uh lawyers in my practice, I relied on many others to ensure that the deals achieved my client's goals. And I would urge any client, including the city, to invest in experienced negotiators, sophisticated financial advisors, and lawyers who have done multiples of of this type of deal. um and who have access to international advisors, including those who specialize in real estate development, international investment, including laws about foreign investment in the US and other areas of law, so that we're aware of the risks and able to make the right decisions to achieve our goals. Further, trust is as important in relationships as contracts are. um coming to better understand our quote fiance and getting to know its family members requires due diligence as uh councelor Non indicated. And finally, the advisory task force should be broadly representative of all of LOL's interests. I would recommend including one rep one representative from each of at least the downtown

neighborhood group the community health center the l plan a developer who's worked in ll and a local business um at a minimum uh as well as the advisors I'd mentioned but I would not overwhelm the task force with bodies um the task force really needs a clear voting process so that no one person or constituency can veto progress but that all voices are heard Um, we also have an opportunity, as has been mentioned here, to consider whether and how um, community benefit agreements will be incorporated into the plans. Um, we can't yet count our chickens before they're hatched, but we can make sure that the eggs in our basket are well tended and will produce laying hens. Another bad analogy. Um, LOL deserves the best and we have the opportunity to ensure that it gets the best from this relationship. I'm excited that we have this opportunity to move forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Councelor Jirean. Councelor Dakota.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I don't have any witty analogies, but I I'll be brief. Um, as Councelor Muria had pointed out earlier, without the initiative of former Mayor Rook, we wouldn't all be sitting here at this point, and I truly believe that this will be Daniel Rook's legacy once this is all said and done. Um, with that being said, I was one of the counselors who had the privilege of visiting both Toronto and Geneva. And actually today I had to pick up some food at a restaurant on Thornai Street and I looked across the street at the Roger School and saw the South Comet and then I thought to myself, "Wow, wouldn't Regent Park look great there?" And I said, I'm going to take a picture of this and I'm going to be able to take a picture in the next whatever years it takes. But that's what South Comet is going to look like. Gala Terminal is going to be totally revitalized. Mix house, mixeduse housing. It's going to be unbelievable. Am I Am I dreaming? No, I'm not dreaming because I saw what Toronto and I saw what Geneva is like. And it this is what LOL will be. and for my my kids and my grandkids, it's going to be an unbelievable city to um to live in. And um I thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.

Council Dakota, I think you'll be pretty impressed. I got a nice picture today from a resident of kids running the track over at the South Common, and they were extremely impressed by the work that everyone has done. Councelor Chow.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And um I truly enjoy council Duran's um speech. I understand why you're aboard on the library. Listen to speech is like um reading a library book, a story book. And you know the the front runner city and theou the potential $2 billion investment come to the city. Um it it is like a a story book. It is a story uh for LOL. um very very excited about it and like everyone here mentioned you want to thank for the mail work the administration and all the supporters that work um the front and the background to to make these things happen. Um just a brief story I was also honored to be part of the delegation that went to Toronto and Geneva and one of the conference uh was open to other leaders from all the world. uh leaders from Central America, from Europe, uh from Canada, pretty much um many many continents. And as we were sitting listening to the UEF programming, the HDG, uh what the UN is trying to do, what this program is trying to do, and I was sitting next to a few people when they learned that I was from LOL, um the recipient of the front runner city, uh they were just in awe. They were amazed. They just couldn't believe how our city l were. They didn't even know where LOL was and they just couldn't believe that we were the recipient of this front city and the potential investment that were were to come and I think this lay the ground ground work for that. Uh very excited to have this type of investment into um our city and as many councils mentioned before. Um the story of LOL we start with one the speaker mentioned from the mill girls the industrial revolution um to the many changes the different group of people that come to l what made us allegible and qualify for the front of city is is l is who we are what we are the makeup of the city so as

we move forward as the we develop as we grow we really don't want to um leave anyone behind as people mention when people hear about development um some people excited and some people are are nervous about it. But I think if we able to bring everybody forward and one of the reasons why I support the SDG and the UF UEF program, they were talking about inclusiveness. Uh it's not about one group of people um to benefit and leave other people behind. It was about inclusion that everybody move forward together. And when I think about the inclusion and the various aspects of it, uh we have to include I know in theou often mentioned the jam plan and MBTA but I I think we need to include other neighborhoods. Um you know for example um close to my heart be the acre, the lower highlands, upper highlands but every neighborhood in the city need to be um included and in addition to that we think about development and growth we always think about new investment new development. I think part investment would also should help existing businesses to expand if they wish to expand um you know to to grow along with the new development. Um in addition to um existing businesses that wish to expand that should receive those new investment um the organizations also some of the nonprofits uh the stakeholders that doing so much to help maintain low to help low move forward. I think it should also benefit some of the new investments coming in. So that's what inclusions mean to me. It's not just about everything's new. It's about taking care of what's already exist. It's taking care of everyone uh businesses, organizations that have brought low to where we are today. Um with that said, um I think nothing but good uh things ahead, good potential ahead. I believe in this administration. I believe in this council body. I believe in our uh residents uh the stakeholders that make sure that LOL

will move forward together. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Chow, Council Rook. Um, thank you, Mr. Mayor, and you know, thank you that came down and spoke this evening uh in support and um you know, thank you for for the kind words. Um, but you know, and I said on Saturday when I was um you know, on local radio with with the mayor, anybody sitting in in that seat at the time, uh we'd still be in the same position that we're in today. I mean, there's an opportunity that that came up um that anybody would have been, you know, silly not to take advantage of. Uh and you know we we are here today and you know you hear some um you know other concerns and you know this has been an 18th month project um so from the start uh this didn't happen overnight. Um you know we talk about things that we want to do as a city that we've talked about as a as this council for the past four and a half uh years. Um, you know, we've all mentioned uh affordable home ownership, for example, and that's one of the things that was preached to us um in multiple meetings and the trips you we went up there um and you could see it. You know, you had um you know, these buildings where uh there was mixed um within the building where you you had um you know, a copper firefighter on one floor, you know, an affordable uh housing on another floor and you know, and a millionaire on another floor. Uh, and what you saw there was pride in in where they live. They, you know, you saw people sweeping the sidewalks and the stairs, you know, watering, you know, flowers and grass. I mean, it's a small example of what um, you know, you hope to um, you know, for the city globe to transform into two blocks away like, you know, Miss Mado said, you saw the acre or you saw some of, you know, the areas of the city that we need to help improve going forward. So you saw it in place in what we're doing. You know, higher education is something that they preach uh time and

time again. Uh you know, I'm not talking our school because there was a public meeting that was held, but you know, they have been in touch with um President M and Chancellor Chen uh concerning the link project. They want to be a part of that. They want to help get uh these projects off the ground. Uh you know, link will no longer be a concept. It actually will be um something that you you'll see hopefully in the very near future. And I think that's what we want to get to. you know, we have given presentations about what LOL could be. There's nothing definite. Again, a lot of these things about urban transformation, uh, you know, and sustainability that goes into it. Um, you know, when I was up there with with, um, you know, Kathern Moses, uh, sustainability director for for a couple of days, uh, and they hammered away of you have this is what has to be done, uh, in order, uh, you know, for us to be part of the city of L in the future. It takes into all accounts, um, everything that is important to everyday life. uh not only for now uh but in the future and you know the key word that you know we have used uh going forward is opportunity is fairness for everybody involved you know and they kept on referencing law many many times our history and this and that you know and one of the things that you know gets brought up all the time and you know they were here I think in August of uh of 25 you know they mentioned when uh mayor get you brought them to the vocational school uh showed them what happens uh when the community comes together the little youth leadership program. Um, and they were just shocked at the robotics that was was being taught. Um, you know, not just the, you know, playing soccer outside, but, you know, real world, uh, things that come in, you know, to kids, the high school kids. Uh, and that gave them, uh, hope, uh, that law was the right decision that was made. uh they see the um partnerships that we have with our nonprofit organizations uh with our schools um with our higher education, our comm and our university and all those things go in u to where we are and going forward. Um and again this is not something that um just you know fell out

of a tree. It's it's a lot of work that um the manager and the DPD, you know, in finance and and solicitor and law department, they've all been working together uh for a common cause. Uh and again, this is just the next step going forward, you know, and and they want transparency. They want people to know, you know, why they're here, why they're doing what they're doing. Uh and to pick us, um I think it's because we deserve it. You know, we have worked very very hard um to create a past that has our present right now. and what our future will be, not just for five years, 10 years, uh, but generations down the line. And that's why we're here tonight. That's why I'm thankful for everybody that, um, you know, has reached out, uh, that has spoken, uh, and supported this because it's going to help our city, um, you know, be better than we are now, and we're pretty good right now. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you, Councelor Rook. Motion to accept and place on file by councel Rook, seconded by councelor Mercier. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. We're going to go back to the regular portion of the agenda three. City clerk 3.1 minutes of the rules in election law subcommittee April 14th city council regular meeting April 14th for acceptance. Motion to accept by councelor Leang seconded by councelor Direan. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Four. City council motions 4.1. Council Mcdana request the city manager have the proper department draw up in an amendment to chapter 266 section 82 of the city code acre highlands residential parking area by adding restoring Perkins Street to schedule X. Seconded by council and council Mcdana. Thank you. Uh I apologize for how it came through on the agenda. I think something got lost in translation between me and my email. Um this mo uh motion I think is fairly simple. Uh Perkins Street used to be on schedule X. I think the last time the parking code was revised. It fell off that list. Um I will say UMass LOL still lists Perkin Street as being resident parking only. So I I don't believe that they are using it in any way. It's still it's listed right on their um student parking. Do not park on Perkins Street resident only, but it has fallen off of the city ordinance. And so a number of residents had reached out. They were trying to figure out whether they could park there, whether they needed a sticker to park there, if they could park there overnight. Um and I thought the easiest way to address the confusion was to just put it back on the list.

Thank you, Council. Uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, I have however seen signs on uh the kiosks there at times about like all day parking or special event parking and things like that. So I would I'm confused about sort of the the purpose of the street because it is right by UMass LOL. It is right by Lasher Park. And so I'm trying to think about sort of how what the impact will be of putting the street on this list to things like, you know, the university um are the spinners who are just coming to the city, etc. And I'm just not sure that would be in your motion response, right, Mr. Manager?

Okay. Yeah, we'll add that into the motion response. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. 4.2. Mayor get your request the city manager update the city council and the bridge deck repair on the Olette/acen street seconded by councel noon Mr. Manager. Uh thank you very much Mr. Mayor. It is at being advertised tomorrow so we should know in two weeks and I'll be able to get your uh response a little over two weeks. You're the best. Thank you. I'm I was worried about I was worried about the uh spinners and everybody playing over there when it was going to start. That's thought about our plan, Mr. May. So I I withdraw the motion. No, no, no. Let us get back to you if Okay. Next.

Motion seconded by Council Noon. Uh all in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Thank you, Mr. Manager. That's okay. Thank you. Uh 5.1 motion response. Motion response. Translations situations solutions. I'm sorry. Translations solutions. Council Leang. Uh thank you so much, Mr. May. Um I I I do have uh two question on this u because I I I do believe in uh sustainability and uh uh I I guess uh strong policy moving forward. Do we have this in written form Mr. Manager?

Uh thank you very much Mr. Mayor through to the council. Councel u not in written form but it's a order of operations a standard SOP that we do down in um the case office. uh we had this issue this problem which was over on South Common uh so we wanted to make sure that uh once again people just utilize uh thinking that at the time Google translate was the way to do this uh and that's obviously not the case to do this so uh Mr. Roas. I don't know if it's written uh in in in the office, but that's something we can

we could standardize it to make sure it's something we always do, but we've always been doing it. Now, we are going to push out um how we've dealt with this situation to our other partners, LOL Housing Authority, LRTA, um and things of that nature. U just to make sure that they're sometimes people see for instance LOL regional transit authority. I can't tell you how many phone calls I get saying, I want you to do this. And I'm like, okay, you need to call. So that's something that we can share. We can write it up and share it with our partners in the city uh that you know share our uh mission if that would be uh okay with you.

Right. I I I I do appreciate that just because uh you know um imagine like you know let's say 5 10 years from now and we don't have anything in the book and we we we might doing a good job now but somebody else might be coming in say hey you know what we we don't have this but thank you. Thank you, Council Yang. Council Jiren. Uh, thank you. Uh, and, uh, I would ask the city administration to sort of make that available very broadly because I personally have tried to get things translated into Kamaya using various resources and have gotten different answers and so um, anything would be helpful. Thank you, Mr. Manager.

Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor to the council. Uh, council, yes, we actually paid to get it done. Uh and I think one of the easiest ways once again is uh I do believe that that mistake was made previously just because Google's translate because everybody thought that worked and it didn't obviously uh it works um in some some aspects but I I do think councils said that he would help be helpful on this as well. So we may not even have to go out anymore. I think councel Newman put you up to that uh counselor. So I

I can draft a policy for you too. Wow. Motion to accept and place on file by council Yang, seconded by councelor Juran. Motion response B, parking bins. Council Mcdana. Thank you. This was excellent. Um I I did appreciate the um the business on Palmer Street being referenced and and getting I I get how that happened. I also appreciate that it was incorporated into the after action. Um, thank you.

Motion to accept and place on file by councelor Mercy, seconded by councelor non. Motion response C, 90-day pothole report. Council noon. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The report very detailed and I appreciate that very much. I didn't know that um the CFO also acting as um interim uh DPW commissioner as well because report came from him. You notice every report, most of the report he's doing it. Did you get paid for that? It's a labor of love.

Thank you. Well, I'm not saying that. I mean, I think most of the information of of course it came from Commissioner Sincere. It's very detailed. I appreciate it very much and and it's there's a lot um here. I would ask the uh the administrations to uh put it on um you know our web site so that people can go and look at it. It's al it's really detailed and so thank you very much for the report. Manager Golden.

Uh yes council. Uh thank you Mr. Mayor through to the council. Council is please take a a look at this or even from the public standpoint take a look and see how we can make this better. Um you know this is really 311 uh stretching. We're stretching. We're moving into this direction. Um, but there is a better way to always put this type of information out. I'm not asking for tonight, but when you get an an opportunity, let us know um how people are looking at this and making sure that it's working for the residents of the city of L. But Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Mayor, through you uh Mr. Baldwin.

Thank you, uh, Mr. Manager, and through you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, we just want to thank the council for this motion and giving us the ability to, as the manager said, sort of flex some of the capabilities of 311. uh it was, you know, with the motion in mind about potholes that uh it's got us dug into some of these issues. And so some of the reports that we're able to provide and I want to thank the 311 team for for bringing this stuff together. It's really going to change the way that we do business. Um it's going to allow us to analyze trends and best utilize our resources. And so it's really been a push of the council to do that. And uh as I mentioned off the mic, it's a labor of love to put these reports together. Um I I know not everybody loves them as much as I do, but we do intend to put these on the website. We we encourage residents to take a look at how well we're doing, where the potholes are. Uh but again, just as a general reminder, if there is an issue in your neighborhood, if you see something, please say something. Use the 3111 app. Tell us about the pothole. tell us about any issue in your neighborhood uh and and we'll do our best to respond to it as soon as possible and to manage those responses to try to bring that response time down. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Council, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um so, Mr. Mayor if I could asking through you to the managers any um pothole or sinkhole that has not that you know more than 25 or 20 day maybe we should prioritize taking care of that first because there's a number of them some go all the way to uh 90day so yeah so the manager can have his the DPW team uh do that thank you major go

thank you mr mayor through to the council council is if you are seeing that uh there is always an issue or a problem or maybe we're going at it in a different manner. So, uh I will have them look at it. Matter of fact, uh um Mr. Mashado is writing that down right now, but there's always an underlying matter uh matter to this and I I I can't speak to every single one of them. Conier.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I actually love this. I love this. This is story of uh of of life being told by the potholes and the sinkholes especially in the acre area. So I I I urge you to look at also in the acre why it's uh it is the way it is based on the data that's being shown. Um so basically um that that's all I can say is that I I I like data and information like this so that we can do better. Thank you. Thank you councel council merc.

Yes. Thank you Mr. Mayor. drew you to the city manager. There's a motto in the city that says, "See something, say something." Well, I saw something and I did something about it. And I thought it was illegal dumping, which I'm firmly believing it was. I wrote down the plate number. That's about all I thought I should do. I reported it and they said, "Gee, I wish that I would have had a plate number." I said, 'As a matter of fact, I have a plate number. Now I get a response that says, 'Well, we can't prove it because we have no picture of it. Please cut it out. You got to be kidding me. How are we supposed to clean up this city and see illegal dumping if we go this route and we need more? Did they want me to get out and take the person's blood? I don't know. But it was very discouraging to me. I'm very I feel like I'm never going to report it again. I mean, I went that far. I was supposed to take a a picture of it at the same time. If that's the what we have to do, then please let the public know that you have to take a picture cuz I didn't like the response that I got from the person.

Thank you. So, I guess this person got away with illegal dumping, but pay. Thank you, Council Mercy. Can't wait to see those minutes that say you're going to take someone's blood. Council Scott.

Well, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, this is great data. I love seeing this as well. I guess my only questions around it are, um, now that it's been, you know, a few years, I've been reporting the same potholes every spring, every fall, the same ones pull back up again. A lot of them seem to be around maybe drainage issues because they just kind of reoccur in the same spot. So, I guess I'm just kind of wondering how we're tracking, you know, like legal claims, um, repeat refills of potholes, like how are we kind of tracking that data? That's what I'd like to see incorporated into it, just because we're kind of keep spinning our wheels, I think, doing the same things over and over again when they need a more complex fix, I think, whether it's localized paving or drainage, you know, repair. So, thank you,

Council Robinson.

Thank you. Um, again, I'm well aware of that time of year the potholes pop out and and I agree with what my colleague just said. Um, on Bridge Street, for example, on the way to Market Basket, I myself have seen that same pothole patched three to four times over and it's back again. I I had to swerve around it today. It's it's Are we using tack? Is that something that we're not doing around the holes to and sweeping the sand on to keep traction so it bonds to the existing surface? Um, I don't know, but it seems like whatever we're doing is not holding up at all. We might need to start looking at and and speak to the commissioner and find out what is the process they're using because I don't see any tack on a lot of the repeat offenders. Also, in some areas, I don't know what's been going on in the past month or two, but I have neighbors that have put requests in 3 weeks ago, four weeks ago, and still no sign of a crew. I mean, I know staffing is crazy, but we have two or three crews supposedly or boxes that go out and it's just I've yet to see them come down certain roads and and I get repeat calls. They show me on 311 that it's been put in and a lot of times they're showing me how it's closed. So I I don't there's a breakdown clearly on the potholes and um I think even on social media you see a lot of it is funny and I think our residents have been very patient in good sports a lot of times about waiting for them to show up. But we definitely can improve on on our responses to these potholes because yes, it is part of New England roads in the spring, but it's not really acceptable to be sitting and waiting for a month for the same potholes to get filled and have to report report and then to be told that it's closed out and

then you you pop your tire or scratch your rim on it. So, anything we can do to really address this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Motion to accept and place on file by councel Leang, seconded by councel Direan. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Motion response D. Lease agreements. Council Mcdana.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you uh the manager and assistant manager uh Baldwin for a incredibly detailed and extensive report. Um I I do have a couple of questions. One flag to throw up. I'm sure we're already working on it, but I want to say it anyway. Um, just obviously the the first one that jumps out is that the 107 or 115 Marramck Street, sorry, through 107 Marramck uh Street Realy Trust is coming up at the end of the month. Okay, I know you guys know. I just I'm sure something's coming in front of us or No, no. Okay, cool. I love that. Um, next. Sorry. Uh, I don't know why I'm apologizing so much tonight. Sorry. Uh, there it is. So, under under the parking agreements, this is actually where I'm going to have more of my questions, guess the counselor with all the parking garages. So, is there before I ask if there's anything we can do on the So, it's number 13 under the parking agreements. Uh, counting house lofts LP 65 spaces. I'm a little bit confused and this might just be ignorance on my part. What What are they currently paying? I So, it says um prevailing city monthly parking rate uh residential $40, commercial 52 to 64 at time of execution. Has that scaled like has that increased over time or did they lock that in when they

CFO Bald? So, uh thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um and some so specifically with the section of the report that are the parking agreements, a lot of this is very scattered information. So I guess first I want to thank the council for sort of tasking us with this opportunity to consolidate everything into one master list which is a a very important exercise. Some of these predate um even even myself being here, but this being one of them, the counting house lofts and the uh the passes or the agreement they have for passes. It's my understanding that their agreement was to pay the prevailing rate and that would escalate as as time moves on. Although Mr. Ryan has left, but I will double check with him. it it would be my understanding that they should be paying the uh uh 125 for but it it may be that they're still paying the original rate. So it you know without having the uh you know all the details about what they are pl pay paying. I'd like to uh maybe get back to you on that counselor.

That's perfect. No, thank you. Um I wanted to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind in reading how you summarized it. I I understand. I mean, I think the earliest lease agreement that I saw in here goes back to 1985. So, I understand not having uh everything in front of you. Um the other the other one was going to be uh so I'm going to I'm going to butcher the name so I'm not going to say it. Uh line 14 right underneath 125 spaces at 48 bucks a month expiring in 2031. That would have been while mill is that while mill number five was still there or is that the condos or like are we still using those spaces Mr. Manager?

Thank you very much. Made it through to the council. Uh the Loulus property I think what the CFO is trying to get at is 20 years ago in 2011 Mr. Lulus owned property down there and um we've seen this as you know we've changed this um but it was not unpopular to say okay great we'll give you excuse me 125 spots at to the tune of $48 a month

and that would have been you know a fixed lease um probably at the time and and I I would have to go back to 2011 to find out what it was that the Lulus organization was doing. My guess is it could have been anything from the school over there or or anything like that. So, upon 2031, that would be the renewal. But what we try what we've tried to do as a as of recent if we're giving out leases, it's something that's there's an automatic escalation clause on there. So, but Mr. Baldin, Mr. Mayor, if I may,

Mr. One of the other nuances with this particular agreement is that there was a uh at least one if not a series of land takings that were part of assembling the Hamilton Canal uh development area. And so it I believe that as perhaps part of either the eminent domain or the settlement of the lawsuit that parking was wrapped into the global settlement of some in some way, shape or form. Uh but again, you know, tracing back these records, we put forth as much information as we were able to gather, but happy to keep digging on any of the particular ones.

No, no, no, no. That it this is phenomenal. This is one of those things that once it comes out, uh and I I'm not trying to hot seat anybody here. This was kind of I I think parking has escalated very parking costs have escalated rapidly in the last four years or so. And so they're numbers that I don't think a resident would have blinked at. The city certainly wasn't going to blink at uh especially as part of a settlement agreement or anything. But now, you know, you have new people moved to the city. Someone pulls this up and goes, "Wait a second. How can that guy only get that guy? That guy's paying 40 bucks and I get to pay, you know, 98." So obviously the context, I think, matters there. The the real winners, I think, are Farley White at $23.66 a month for 99 years. If Mr. Ryan wants to come back. I'd be happy to enter into a 99-year lease agreement at that rate. But thank you for the report.

Thank you, Council Mcdana. Council Chiao.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. CFO, for this detailed uh report. U this one of the first I see all the leases that the city's doing all uh in one place. Um so I appreciate that. Um the only thing um I know many of the leases were all the stakeholders and partners inside the city. Uh, one thing that um sticks out to me was actually the lease where the citizen is a landlord. The lease by the RMV and the um the amount is the $9,000 basically it's $18.89 per square foot. $189 per square foot. Is that a uh fair value for that space that we're we're leasing out and since you you know when would be the next what would be the next opportunity to negotiate a multi-year lease with OMV and if you could also explain um you know there's additional services built at cost as additional rent what what would be those additional services would be that um the seed would receive believe in revenue for estrator please.

Thank you very much Mr. Mayor through the council in regards to the RMV that was something that uh we had all worked on 20 years ago trying to get the RMV into the downtown uh was it fair at the time? Yes, I know there is an escalation clause in that and I also know uh which I think that um we've told the council but the registry of motor vehicles will be moving uh from that location. Uh we got them to stay in LOL which is a good thing. Um, so that is that is happening. Is it is $18 a square foot? Uh, it's okay, you know, but it's okay for the for the length of time it's been there and the amount of revenue it's brought into that area. So, once again, that's one of those uh pieces that were probably negotiated. I think 20 years ago, it Yeah, it was 20 years ago uh with an with an escalation clause. But uh they are looking in the next within I believe it's going to be within 2026 that they will move and fortunately for the residents of lol uh they will still be in the city of lol. So we um as an administration and the council will be looking uh for the future of what that could mean in that area. It could be opportunity for additional popups. Uh a whole bunch of things or um trying to assist um some of the uh organizations or some organizations in that area. The um you know, we're trying to keep it lively. Across the street, the old um the old club uh is is right around the corner from opening up obviously. Um excuse me. And then right up the street, Heritage Foundation, Heritage U builders is uh they're, you know, months away from opening. They have 37 units. There's a lot of activity on Middle Sex Street at this time. So, uh we want to be a part of that and that's something that the administration will be bringing to the council for an idea or a thought of of what could be next, what, you know, how how to reimagine um the early garage first uh story space. If I hope that answers it, but I do know it's coming to

an end. It's just they're waiting. They're they're good tenants. They they pay. But you know what could we do in the future? Sure. You know that that that makes sense because that the per square foot there seems low now, but this was negotiated long time ago. It was marked order at that time probably. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Chowo. Council, did you see no council Mcdana?

Sorry, I do have one more question. I I didn't see on this report and it might just be that it's not a formal lease. This might be one of those deals or um I I I know I the LOL community health center and the early garage and I I believe the HCI garage seem to have they do have some sort of arrangement worked out. I hear both compliments and concern and complaints about the I think it's like the first and a half floor, maybe the second depending on how you count the floors in the early Yes. Thank you. I think I think he's got my question down without me explaining it better. So,

thank you very much, Mr. Mayor, through the council. Council, yes. um local community health center came back to us I think it might have been three and a half years ago and one of their concerns there was the fact uh they were looking for designated spots and that's something that we worked with them provided that they moved uh some of their folks from the early garage to the Hamilton Hamilton Canal Innovation District at that time and still to this day the HCI garage is still u very underutilized So, we kind we were kind of figuring to make it a little bit easier for our friends over at local community health center to take those number of spots and just replace them over at HCID where the finances are still the same. Um, and allowing people who are patients to park on I think it's on the first and the second floor. Uh, you know, given the fact that it's a it's healthcare. Um that's that's how we we went about that and I think it's worked out well uh for um local community health center and they they have talked about and probably to the point that you're making uh they're they they rave about how difficult it was especially for some folks who had health care issues and challenges uh to have to park all the way up on the fifth floor. So that's where we we are with that particular but they are they are paying to uh to park there.

Thank you. Thank you, Council Mcdana. All in favor, sign a motion to accept and place on file by councelor Mercia, seconded by councelor Nune. All in favor signified by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Six votes from the city manager. 6.1 vote accept expend $41,462 FY25 Edward Burn Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. Wave full reading and second reading by title. vote authorizing the city manager on the behalf of the city of lol to accept and expend a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for their FY2025 Edward Burn Memorial Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $41,462. Uh motion to adopt by Councelor Leang, seconded by Councelor Dakota. Roll call. Council Leang,

yes. Council Mcdana, yes. Council Mia, yes. Council Non, yes. Council Robinson, yes. Council Rock, yes. Council Scott, yes. Council Chow, yes. Council Dakota, yes. Mayor Gier, yes. Council Direan, yes. 11 days. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Seven reports. 7.1 Rules and Election Law Subcommittee, April 14, 2026. Council Durant. Uh

yes, I can give a quick summary. Uh so a meeting of the rule subcommittee was held on April 14th in the council chamber. Uh present were councilors Mcdana and Scott as well as me uh chair. Um also present were the city solicitor Corey Williams and assistant city solicitor Olivia Hart Pollson as well as um a few members of the public including a few counselors in their capacity as residents. Um we called the meeting to order noting there were two topics for discussion. First regarding selection of the mayor and secondly open meeting law requirements for boards and commissions. Um we did not get to the second topic so we will schedule another meeting to continue that discussion. Um, attorney Williams provided a summary of the prior discussions um, uh, regarding the selection of the mayor, the consent decree, discussions with the, uh, plaintiffs, uh, of the voting rights lawsuit, and the different paths that could be followed. Um, we t discussed the fact that, um, there would need to be a two-step process. first coming to a conclusion about how we might select the mayor or really have the public select the mayor and then uh going about trying to modify the consent decree. Um the um councelor Scott noted that the ballot question was um left some residents with the impression that we were planning to switch from plan E form of government. Um so there was some I think confusion about that on the part of residents and um maybe we'll need some further clarification. Um and uh councelor Scott mentioned that um she would support a potential change in the mayoral selection process only if the opportunity would be available to all counselors um to run for mayor. Uh, councelor Mcdana questioned whether changes could be made by way of a

charter review process and attorney Williams outlined the process for doing so. Um, indicating it's a lengthy process. So, um, it would potentially make sense that a charter review, if that were to be pursued, uh, would be done in parallel with also moving forward in in looking at alternatives for the mayoral process. Um, we opened the matter to the public and uh, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Mercier address the body as residents, not as counselors. Mr. Robinson requested that the Worcester model could be a good starting point, but that only allows uh in their um approach, they only allow at large counselors to run for mayor, which wouldn't necessarily satisfy the need for or the desire that district counselors could also run. Uh Ms. Mercier noted that the ballot question was overwhelmingly supportive of people selecting the mayor or voting for the mayor. Um and uh so we uh the next step was for uh councelor Mcdana requested the law department provide written review of a charter change process. Um we then discussed um the need for public involvement and councelor Scott suggested the best approach might be through neighborhood meetings. Um, Attorney Williams, uh, uh, well, based on a motion by councelor Scott and seconded by councelor Mcdana, um, there was a request to, uh, the city manager to ask the law department to put together materials and to attend neighborhood g group meetings to supply information regarding the potential options for selection of the mayor. Uh, and that was voted uh, in we voted in favor of that. Um, so as I said, we achieved that portion of the discussion. Uh, and now we'll need to schedule another meeting to discuss the procedures and rules applicable to all

city boards and committees. Thank you.

Thank you, Councelor Duran. Motion to accept the report as a port of progress by councelor Rook, seconded by councel Robinson. All those in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. 7.2 2 wire inspector Boston Gas request replacement of existing gas main on Fletcher Street from SuffK to Rock Street. Motion to accept and adopt accompanying order by councelor Noon, seconded by councelor Mercia. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Eight petitions 8.1 one property claim motion to refer to the law department for report and recommendation by councelor Robinson seconded by councelor Jirean. All those in favor signify by saying I. Any oppose? So ordered. Eight 8.2 miscellaneous. William Walsh request permission to address the city council regarding parking at the skateboard park located Hudson and Chase Streets in Richmond. A speaker.

Well, thank you. Just a word uh and to thank um Bridget Kohley. I'm a frequent flyer at the library and uh she does a great job over there. So it's it's an appointment well well well made. Um I'm talking about uh it's we all call it Hudson Field. I'm in the back central street of the city. It's called Rotary Club Park. And the issue there is about it's a small little skateboard park. I I'm not techsavvy but I just drew this thing up. Um, there are actually 23 parking spaces there and signs went up. This is the second time it's happened that no parking is allowed except for people using the park. The kids, the children were there, the skateboarders, most of them walk over there. And this is the second time it happened. The first time it happened, I got a ticket. And I understand the regulations about city parks, but you cannot have automobiles park in there overnight. But this area, there is a street that goes right through it. It's called Richmond Avenue, not Richmond Street. Richmond Avenue uh re uh reaches to Chase Street as well. And I would just like to have it uh so that um parking would be allowed there for the area residents. uh you could have a few spots reserved for the skateboarders, but again uh it's rare to see the even drive over there to use that for that purpose. Hudson Street's a very very narrow street. There's been a couple occasions this past winter when um the um uh waste management people had a hard time getting down the street because of parking people parking halfway on the sidewalk and halfway in the street. One of our neighbors actually took down the fencing in the front of his home so he could put his car in front of the house. And it just to me it seems that it' be

nice of some kind of a compromise made where the people who are there uh would be able to at least use some of those parking spaces uh on uh on that particular field. Again, I understand the regulations about parking. Uh but um Hudson Field or Rotary Club Park is not exactly shed park by any means. And it's one of the few places of parks in the city where traffic can go right through it and so forth. And there are, as I said, there are 23 designated spots for parking and all the signs say no parking except for park use. So, we just like to see it um changed so that uh some of the residents there would be able to use those spots without getting towed or ticketed. In fact, to the city's credit, uh people have been parking there. Maybe I shouldn't say that because by the time I get home to they may be gone, uh but uh they haven't been ticketed and towed, especially with the past winter we've had and so forth. Uh, so they they've been there, but I'd like to just see that. So that just a maybe a few spots designated for the skateboarders and and they walk there. They're all local kids. They're not coming from all over the city and just enable neighbors uh who live in there. I'm at 42 Hudson Street, which is right across the street from that park, and uh have uh people be allowed to park there and have some of those signs that say, you know, uh parking ban, you can't park here unless you're using the park for those purposes. So, that basically is uh just I want to bring that up. I know in light of all the things that have been mentioned here this evening, uh this is hardly one of the biggest matters before the council and the city. Uh but for us in that area, it is rather important to have that done. So uh I thank you for your time and attention.

Thank you, Mr. Walsh. Uh nice, councelor Scott.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um I guess I'd just like to Oh, thank you for coming to speak about this. So there the neighbors all use the parking there just like most of back central just like the courthouse parking where there's a shortage obviously in the area. Um there's a lot of parking at this park. Um it's usually used by neighbors that live around there as was mentioned. I don't know of a possible solution, just something maybe to look at. You know, if you know, six, eight spots are dedicated to parking. Um and maybe just like Lynden Street, uh Jolene Dubner and Walnut run through the Back Central Neighborhood Association. Um they actually they lease the spaces from the city and then they rent them to neighbors. just as far as enough money to, you know, they plow them and everything. Lynen Street Law at Draper Street. Um, and maybe this park could be considered part of that. Um, because it's just kind of it's hard to see empty parking spaces with no parking signs when you have houses on, you know, Hudson Street, like you said, with no no parking spaces. Um, so just something to look at if we could take a look at that. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Scott. Council Mcdana.

Thank you, Mr. for mayor and thank you to Mr. Walsh for coming in. I think I I talked to Mr. Walsh about this probably eight times. Uh and he was adamant that he wanted to petition the council. I kept saying I would put something in, just come. He said, "No, I want to I'm going to petition the council. This this really irks me." And I don't disagree with him. If I lived on that street, I would be pretty irked as well. Um I agree with much of what councelor Scott said. I I think I mean a short-term solution would be to take the no parking signs down and maybe just no commercial vehicles. I know that that I know. I know. No. Sorry. Um I don't I I just I have I have a hard time understanding there. There are other parks in the city. I I keep hearing about, you know, the city says uh you can't park near parks, but I'm not trying to get the signs put up at Calorie, but if I go to Calorie Park to play tennis, there's cars parked all over the side of the road all around Calerie Park. And there's no signs that say resident parking only or or sorry, there's no signs that say park use only surrounding Calorie Park. So, it's something standard across the city. I don't I don't really think that skate park needs 23 parking spaces, though. Thank you,

Council Robinson. Thank you, Council Mcdana.

Thank you. Um I I know we were looking at um is it the community preservation recommendations that they 300,000 going towards skate park study or some kind of redo look may maybe that's to be included uh figuring out the parking situations as part of it and ensuring that we have enough but not too much parking if we're spending that kind of money just on a study to look at it. Thank you. Thank you, Council Robinson. Motion refer to city manager for report and recommendation by council Yang, seconded by council Mcdana. All those in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. 8.3 miscellaneous Charles Atkin Toby and Stala Stella Aken can request installation of handicap parking sign at 44D street. Motion refer to transportation engineer for report and recommendation by councelor Chow seconded by councelor jirean. All those in favor signify by saying I. Any oppose? So ordered. 8.4 miscellaneous Norman Jar request installation of a handicap parking sign at 166 Steven Street. Motion to refer the transportation engineer for report and recommendation by councelor Duran. Seconded by councelor non. All in favor signify by saying I. Any oppose? So ordered. Any announcements, council me?

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have an announcement for a spring celebration of music and art in Lel. It's a celebration for Lowel's bicesentennial called the Town and the City Festival. It's going on from April 30th to May 2nd. Uh tickets, weekend passes, and more can be obtained when you uh text into the town and the city festival.com. This is happening at venues throughout downtown Lowel. So, anybody interested in having a great time, there's comedians, there's all kind of things. I won't be performing there, but that's all right. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Meia. Assistant city management shadow. I just want to wish my lovely wife of 22 years a happy 50th birthday today. It's a big one. She's only 30 years old. Who are you kidding? You better be bringing flowers home. Motion to adjourn by councelor Robinson, seconded by councelor Non. All in favor signify by saying I. Any opposed? So ordered. Heat. Heat.