I'm trying listen, I try.

I try.

I often more than water when you come to my house.

So why would the police want to plan on being here tonight?

Because maybe the mayor's here.

Okay, just because the mayor's any function that the mayor's at is our that's our plan.

Okay.

All right, good evening, everybody.

Welcome uh to the City Council Chamber.

At this time, I will hand it over to the Chairman of the session, the Mayor Jonathan Mitchell.

All right, thank you, Mr.

President.

We'll start off this meeting as we always do, and that is with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Please join me.

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.

All right.

Mr.

Clerk, when you are ready, could you take the role?

Councilor Ian Abrew.

Present.

Present.

Council Derek Baptiste.

President.

President, Councillor Shane E.

Burgo.

Present.

Present.

Councilor Naomi Carney.

Present.

Present.

Councilor Leo Choquette.

Present.

Present.

School Committee member Melissa Costa.

Present.

School Committee member Christopher Carter.

Present.

Present.

Councillor Brian K.

Gomes.

Present.

Present.

School Committee member Jack Jacquin Libermento, Jr.

Present.

Present.

Council Joseph P.

Lokes.

President.

Present.

Mayor John F.

Mitchell.

Present.

Present.

School Committee member Juan Marie Manese.

Present.

Present.

Councillor Sean Oliver.

Present.

Present.

Councillor Scott Pemberton.

President.

Present.

Councilor Ryan Pereira.

Present.

Present.

School Committee member Richard Quarter to the third.

Present.

Present.

Councilor James Roy.

Present.

Present.

Seventeen members present, Mr.

Chairman.

Great.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Clerk.

Yeah, we'll do that in one in one second.

So we have a quorum tonight, and I just will start off before we uh launch into things with uh a little bit of a review to let everybody know where we are in case uh folks who are here uh weren't here last time uh or people who are watching and watching the first time.

So this is uh the second meeting of what is called a joint convention, uh which was a term under state law.

Uh uh a joint convention is convened uh in a city that has a form of government that New Bedford does when there is a a vacancy uh on the school committee.

The joint uh in this case, as everybody knows, there is a vacancy on the school committee with the passing of uh Roosevelt.

Uh the joint convention is comprised of the City Council uh as well as uh the remaining members of the school committee and chaired by the mayor.

So we met on October uh seventh to uh to consider candidates.

There were some eight candidates who were qualified by the election uh commissioner.

And each of those candidates had an opportunity to speak uh to make to make their case to uh to this body.

Uminations uh that uh were uh were offered at that point.

There were five nominees initially uh for the position.

Uh at the end of that uh debate was held and debate was uh was closed.

Several rounds of voting were uh conducted, and uh despite that uh no candidate emerged with the requisite nine votes to prevail in the election.

Uh upon the motion of Council uh President uh Pereira, uh this body uh recessed until this date uh uh January 21st to consider the remaining nominees.

There are four nominees in play right now uh remaining uh Lee Blake, Henry Bousquet, Marcus Coward, and Brad Markey.

That's where things stand right now.

I understand uh, Mr.

Clerk, that there is a letter that uh has been submitted for the uh the record, is that correct?

It is, Mr.

Chairman.

Related to uh the nominations, and uh would you tell us what that letter is and please read it into the record?

Yes, sir.

The letters from Henry Busquet is addressed, dear Mayor Michel and honorable members of the joint committee.

I am writing to you this evening to offer my rescission for consideration as a candidate to fill Bruce Oliveira's vacancy.

I have given it considerable thought since the vote was taken on January 7th.

I believe the children and educators of New Bedford deserve the best possible candidate for this role.

A candidate who understands the role of the education education professionals, the municipality's role, and the role of fiduciary oversight and guidance on behalf of the taxpayer.

A candidate who understands what it will take to be conscientious, independent, and a steward for children, families, educators, and homeowners of the City of New Bedford.

I also believe that this vote should have been about what is best for the school department and those it serves.

The process was not meant to be about granting participation trophies, someone's political affiliation, or to give someone an excuse to defame anyone, especially any well-meaning community member attempting to participate in the political process.

If our children are to have the nation of our fathers that our forefathers have promised them, then we are going to have to do better at embracing diversity.

Real diversity and inclusion starts with the idea.

And you can't foster new ideas without honoring diversity of thought.

Though this chapter of service is closing, my commitment to the children, families, and future of New Bedford remains absolutely unwavering.

I look forward to continuing the work of advocacy, good governance, and a different, perhaps broader platform in the future.

Thank you for your service, and may God bless New Bedford in the United States of America, without wax, Henry G.

Bousquet, CEC, Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical Technical Educator, Father, and Homeowner.

Okay.

Thank you for for that.

I want to uh thank Mr.

Bousquet for his candidacy for submitting uh that letter for the record.

There are uh three nominees uh before us now, then uh that is Lee Blake, Marcus Coward, and Brad Markey.

And um I will ask uh at this time that that the clerk uh take the the next ballot um for the record council Abrau Markey Markey Council Baptiste Coward Coward, Council Burgo?

Coward Coward, Councilor Carney, Markey, Markey, Councillor Schulkett, Markey, Markey, Council, Mrs.

Costa, Coward, Coward, Mr.

Carter, Markey, Markey, Councilor Gomes, Coward, Coward, Mr.

Livermento, Coward, Coward, Councilor Lopes, Markey, Mayor Mitchell, Markey, Markey, Ms.

Manese, Coward, Coward.

Council Oliver, Markey, Markey, Council Pemberton, Margie, Markey, Council Pereira, Markey, Markey, Mr.

Porter, Coward, Coward.

Councilor Roy.

Coward.

Mr.

Chairman, Mr.

Markey has nine votes.

Mr.

Coward has eight.

Congratulations.

So uh so for the record, uh, Mr.

Markey has uh been uh elected uh receiving the nine requisite votes uh under the rules of this convention.

I want to congratulate him.

Uh I congratulate all the candidates uh who participated again in uh this pair is re-emphasizing that uh it takes a lot to put yourself out there uh the candidacy for anything, uh including in in this context that where the people are doing the electing are themselves elected officials.

So uh I want to thank everybody for participating, all their supporters uh as well.

Uh what we hope uh that comes out of this is a uh a school committee that can continue to serve the students of this city well, and that is ultimately what we're doing here.

Before we adjourn, uh the next step is for Brad Markey, who I believe is here.

Is he here?

I hope he's here.

Oh, there he is in the behind the scene.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, if you would swear him in in that before we adjourn.

Hi, Brad Markey.

Hi, Brad Markey.

To solemnly swear.

Yes, hold on.

I will faithfully and impartially.

As a member of the New Bedford School Committee.

As a member of the New Bedford School Committee.

In accordance with the laws.

And according to the laws.

And the Constitution of the United States.

And the Constitution of the United States.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Of the City of New Bedford.

So help me God.

Okay, we have motion adjourned second.

Go ahead.

Hold on, we have a second.

Council Gomes, did you want to speak?

Yes, I do.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

This is this is um the vote has been taken this evening.

And if you would just allow me the opportunity.

I'm not very happy.

I'm not it's not that I'm not happy with the vote.

I'm not happy with the process.

I'm not happy with what has transpired through all of this.

We have a divided community right now because of uh this.

And I don't know if um Bruce was looking down on us right now, he would say it this wasn't supposed to happen like this.

I've been through two of these, and I've never seen this kind of approach.

He accepted the letter from um former counselor of Ward 3, Henry Bosquet tonight.

Um what has happened to him over the past few days shouldn't have happened to him.

Shouldn't happen to Marcus, shouldn't happen to anybody that put their name forth to come before us to be on the school committee.

There should have been a process where the people came before us, we got to question we we heard from them.

I would have liked to question them, but that wasn't in the process.

But and and then we took our vote.

But for this to happen this way and for this separation, I'm not very happy.

So I hope that us as as elected officials, that whether you like me or you don't like me, or I like you or I don't like you, that we stand in sincerity with our community and ask everybody, take it easy, relax, relax.

Another day will come.

But this day shouldn't have been done this way.

And I don't like seeing what happened.

I don't like seeing what happened to Henry Busquet.

I don't like seeing what happened with Marcus.

I don't like seeing what happened anywhere here today.

And I just thought that someone had to say it, Mr.

Mayor and Mr.

President, that this is this was not supposed to happen this way.

I've been through two of these and they were smooth ceiling.

This one got into the part where we're separating people, and people are angry because people are not voting for somebody, or the council or whatever.

It it just wasn't supposed to be that way.

So if anything we can do after we walk out this door is try to keep both sides in tune.

This is our city.

We're better than that, as it's always said.

Thank you very much.

Okay, thank you very much, Council Gones.

All right, so we have so we have a uh a motion and a second, so can you take the role of Mr.

Clerk?

I'd like to speak.

What's that?

All those in favor say aye.

Oh, we always do it the other way in the school committee.

So all those in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

There are none.

We are adjourned.

Thank you, everybody.

But you would have.