Remarks by Michelle M. Dionne
114 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 4 of 5
“OK. Well, there aren't both as options. And that's why I'm asking. McKinney-Vento can be used. The city cannot. The administration cannot access or use circuit breaker funds. And this is from DESE, and I will read it. A mayor cannot directly access City Breaker funds for general municipal purposes, including offsetting a school transportation deficit in a non-special education context. These funds are tied to the special education program and must be used by the district for eligible special education transportation. If a municipality school district is eligible, the mayor can work with the…”
“I guess that would also be a conversation and a debate between the school department and the city side. Correct.”
“And I think based on my conversation with the deputy superintendent yesterday, you're not going to win that conversation. And with that, I'll yield. Thank you.”
“I just want to clarify something, because people kept saying, Kevin Almeida, Kevin Almeida, Kevin Almeida, and he's not even here to defend himself anymore. But this comes from the four public schools to the city council from Kathleen Smith, interim superintendent of schools, date June 23rd. CC'd Kevin Almeida regarding transportation. So this comes from the superintendent, not from Kevin Almeida.”
“I'm not saying anything bad about him. Not at all. And I believe the numbers came from him. That's a forward. But the correspondence came from the superintendent.”
“And I don't know if you'd like to have this. I made you a copy. I've been sent a copy. Okay. SO WHEN WE HAD OUR MEETING, BUDGET MEETING, AND COUNCILOR CANUAL WAS AT THAT PARTICULAR ONE AND WE TOUCHED ON TRANSPORTATION, AND I ASKED YOU AT THAT MEETING, Are all receipts accounted for? Are there any encumbrances? And at that time, you said, no, everything is not in. Yes. We're still waiting for that. Correct. So the calculations for transportation on the city side are based on? Estimating the last.”
“So I just want to point out that this states Please find attached our five-year analysis of transportation spending for FY2026 year-to-date expenditures, inclusive of encumbrances and requisitions, total $16,365,960. Well, boy, I can't even do my numbers today. $16,365,943.12 as of June 3rd. This figure fully accounts for unpaid June obligations. So, in fairness, no, you didn't have the numbers then, but we have them now. You're saying we don't have them when they say we have them?”
“Even though they're saying we have them.”
“Well, with that, I yield, and I am ready to vote as well.”
“Motion to take one through 10 together. Motion to take items.”
“YEAH, THE LAST TIME THAT WE DID A BUDGET IN ITS ENTIRETY IN ONE VOTE AND SAID WE REJECT THE ENTIRE BUDGET, WE WERE TOLD THAT WENT AGAINST DOR, WHICH IT DID. I HAVE THE DOR THING HERE THAT IT HAS TO BE REJECTED. YOU HAVE TO GO LINE BY LINE. YOU CAN'T DO IT AS A WHOLE.”
“Motion to take one through 10. TOGETHER.”
“ALL RIGHT. NEVER MIND. I WITHDRAW THAT. LET'S JUST DO IT.”
“Motion to reduce the appropriation to $0.”
“Motion to adopt a 112th budget, which the Department of Revenue is now referring to as a continuing appropriation budget.”
“Motion to approve a 112th budget, which now the DOR calls a continuing appropriation budget.”
“that distinction you're clear with your motion counselor correct when it comes to that move forward with a move forward with a continuing appropriation budget because according to the dor if we do not have a budget for fiscal year on july 1st due to um the mayor may submit a continuing appropriation budget so that's what we would move forward with motion made by council of vice president dion seconded by council of heck of discussion on the item”
“I still want to talk on my motion that we never settled.”
“Yeah, the only reason that I made the motion to do this, I agree that it automatically goes. However, with all the jockeying, the opinions, and everything that has happened, and the back and forth, and knocking of heads, I just wanted to have an extra precaution. That was where I was coming from. With that, I yield.”
“So the motion would be to have the mayor submit a continuing appropriation budget. But you have to do that anyways, right?”
“So Sunday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Okay, I see. 76 feet allows for how many cars? So we usually do about 20 feet per space, but because of where the space is at, yeah. it's not a that's not a at that point in the street not really congested as before the bank and mm-hmm yeah so yeah okay yeah I don't see a problem with that yeah you councils it would be appropriate to make a motion to split these up into sections please”
“Motion to pass through ordinance through first reading. Second.”
“Two things. So my first question is, When you say per parcel, offer on Robeson Street, but it's, I can't think of the street that goes across that it's on the corner of, I can't think, the name escapes me at this moment.”
“Now, it was my understanding, and I could be wrong.”
“Yeah, but it's my understanding, and I could be wrong, that... Somehow, they either, there's something that all of those units, let's call them, or buildings, I don't know if it's the sewer line, it's something they share in common that they cannot be split up. So if somebody wanted to subdivide, they can't.”