Good evening, everyone.

I'm Ben Wheeler.

I use he him pronouns.

I'm a counselor at large and finance committee chair.

It is 6.02 p.m.

and I'd like to call to order the Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 meeting of the Finance Committee of the Somerville City Council.

This meeting of a city council committee will be conducted via remote participation following chapter two of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' acts of 2025.

We'll post an audio video recording and a comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels.

We are joined by Clerk Madeline Lotellier.

Clerk, could you please call the role to establish quorum?

This is roll call, Counselor Link.

Here.

Counselor Shell, present.

Counselor Hart.

Here.

Counselor Scott.

Rosen.

Counselor Wheeler.

Here.

With that, Counselor's present.

We have quorum.

Thank you.

As a general note, if I pronounce your name wrong or get your title wrong or use the wrong pronouns for you, please don't hesitate to direct me.

I want to get it right.

Okay.

So beginning with Community Preservation Act appropriations.

Item 1.1, 26 0968 requesting the appropriation or reserve of $8,367,344 in estimated fiscal year 2027 Community Preservation Act revenue for CPA projects and expenses.

And I believe we have Director of Finance and Administration for Strategy and Development, Alan Inasio.

Yes, sorry, didn't mean any of you.

Director Renasio, can you please tell us about this request?

Thank you through the chair and yes through the newly uh newly named strategy and development, formerly OSPCD.

Um this is our appropriation order for the forthcoming budget.

Uh CPA manager Roberta Cameron will have a brief presentation tomorrow uh at our budget hearing.

Um but this is the second year where we will uh be benefiting from the relatively new uh 3% CPA allocation.

And this will be the first year um that we will be fully eligible as a 3% community for the state's uh bonus pool match.

Um so definitely very excited.

This is our largest and healthiest CPA budget um to date.

So again, grateful for passing the three P the 3% surcharge a couple of years ago.

And um looking forward to uh another robust funding round next year.

So with that, I'll open it up to questions.

Members of the committee, any questions for Director Inacio?

Counselor Link.

Thank you, Chair.

Through you, um what percent match or what what is the match?

Sure.

Uh the projected match rate for next year is 15.5%.

Fantastic.

Thank you very much.

Any other questions?

Director Inacio, I know that um we started uh using some amount of CPA funds for debt service.

Am I right in remembering that was something in the high hundreds of thousands?

Through the chair, yes.

We incur debt service um based on uh on a project basis.

And um next year, well, depending on how projects progress, but next year will be the first year that we will have a debt service payment across all three program areas.

Um so we currently have the West Somerville Library still making debt service payments.

Uh, we have uh Planendon Hill and a 100 homes um CPA funded projects um that are on a debt service schedule.

And next year, the um Kennedy School, which is funded through CPA may begin debt service payments depending on um the progress of the construction.

Thank you.

Any other questions from the committee or director Nanasio about this item?

I am seeing none.

Oh, I'm seeing Councilor Scott.

Just as a quick remark, the uh the encumbering of the CPA funds, uh uh future CPA funds uh by way of debt services, definitely something that was talked about uh several years ago.

Uh, and it's something the CPA committee and city staff have to keep it keep a close eye on to make sure that uh there's still uh plenty of funds left for new projects in upcoming years.

So uh it's not a brand new uh thing, but it's also not something that we've done a ton of.

Uh, it's just been to uh undertake things that normally would require multi-year funding cycles and allowing the CPA money to go farther and bigger.

Thank you, Counselor Scott.

Um, yes, on that I I heard uh excitement from uh counselors and other towns about uh using CPA for these multi year projects and how debt service can be a crucial part of that.

So I'm excited for it.

Seeing no other questions or comments, uh this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, Director.

Moving on to item 2.1.

Uh parking.

Mayor's request 26-0977 requesting approval to execute the fifth amendment to the lease agreement with Dana Family Series LLC for the Grove Street parking lot through June 30th, 2027.

Um, and I believe that we have uh director of traffic and parking, Suzanne Rinfret.

Director Rinfret, uh, if you're here, could you please tell us about this lease amendment?

Good evening.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay.

Um, I don't know if you can see me, but I'm here.

Um, so this lease is for the the parking lot behind the McKinnon's market.

So it's a year-by-year lease at this point because at some point they're going to develop that.

So um the Dana Family Services will continue to do a year-by-year lease until such time that construction starts on that building.

Thank you, Director.

Any questions or comments from the committee?

Director, I noted that the agreement uh calls for uh repair of potholes and other surface damage.

Is that something that the city will will pay for?

And I'm I'm just curious if that's something that's budgeted as part of uh engineering or part of traffic and parking.

Through the chair, I've already spoken with Director Wiseman and they've already been down and filled the potholes.

Beautiful.

Thank you so much.

Any other comments or questions about this?

I am seeing none.

So this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you.

All right, moving on to arts.

Request uh 3.1 request uh 26-0949 requesting approval to increase the special event revolving fund expenditure limit for fiscal year 2026.

And I believe that we have uh commissioner of public works, Eric Wiseman, uh and Megan Huckenpoller, Director of Finance Administration for Public Works.

Hello, yes.

Please uh tell us about this item.

Of course.

Um sorry my camera's not working at the moment, but I am director of finance for the Department of Public Works, Megan Huckenpoller, here to speak on this item.

We are requesting approval to increase the cap for the special event revolving fund from 10,000 to 20,000.

This is where we take in revenue for groups who are repaying the city when there is a road race.

We are putting out barriers, putting out trash cans, and making sure that um they have the right of way for streets during that time.

Thank you so much, Director.

Uh members of the committee, any questions or comments about this item?

Just for clarity.

So this is a revolving fund.

So does that mean funds come into it that are earned in things like ticket sales and then funds go out.

And pardon me, I'm I'm a bit new to revolving funds.

That's all right.

Uh thank you for the question, Chair.

Um, this is just for um the cost of putting up the barriers for the time of DPW staff.

So we are not hosting any of these events.

They are just repaying us for the labor to put up barriers around streets that will be closed, as well as any trash cans.

I see.

So these events pay city staff, and we use this to sort of um, you know let time not be a stress for for managing managing the payment and expenditure.

Correct.

Uh well, thank you very much.

Uh I am seeing a question from Counselor Hart.

Thank you, Chair.

I'm just curious why the about the need.

Have have um is it just inflation and the cost of putting on events and the events get bigger and more expensive?

Or sorry, any other reason.

Great question.

Uh through the chair to Counselor Hart.

Um, we are using, we are having a few more folks use this.

And we did also recently update the fee for service.

Thank you.

Thank you, Counselor Hart.

Uh, I am not seeing any other hands up.

Uh so with appreciation, this item is uh laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Moving on to people operations, item 4.1, item 26-0920, requesting the appropriation of 250,000 from the unreserved fund balance free cash to the unemployment compensation account to remediate a year-end deficit.

And I believe we have Director of Human Resources Ann Gill.

Oh, is that not what it's called now?

Is it people operations, Director Gill?

Well, until uh HR until July 1st.

Okay, fair enough.

Uh will you please tell us about this appropriation?

Yeah, through the uh chair to the committee.

Um, yeah, we uh falling short this year because of some um unanticipated uh unemployment claims that we've had uh for the past um six months.

And this should cover us uh we're behind by about 147,000.

Uh however, I think the 250,000 should be enough, given that some of the folks who are currently on unemployment perhaps will um gain employment.

Thank you, Director.

Any questions or comments from the committee on this?

Uh just to clarify, Director Gill, uh, you mentioned this being something that's been ongoing for about for six months.

Um I know there have been several people uh that were laid off recently with the city.

Uh the size of this amount, to what degree is is this amount related to to those claims or an expectation of those claims?

Yeah, those claims will not uh come in through the chair.

Those claims will not come in until um July 1st.

People are currently paid, still paid through uh June 26th.

So those uh claims will hit us in July and further.

I see.

So this amount has nothing to do with that yet.

Through the chair, yes, correct.

Thank you.

Any other members of the committee with questions or comments?

Counselor Scott?

Just a quick one.

You you read my mind on where I was going with that.

Um is the unemployment compensation account uh getting an extra extra bit of juice here to handle the uh layoffs that we did just have?

Are we anticipating uh another appropriation as part of the budget package here?

Correct.

That'll be for the um budget year 27.

What'll be in the budget?

Yes.

All right, I'll keep my eyes open.

Correct.

I see.

So just to clarify, Director Gill, there will be a separate amount from this that is in the budget book that accounts for that.

Through the chair, correct.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Any other comments or questions from members of the committee?

Seeing none, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, Director Gill.

Welcome.

Uh moving on to health and human services.

Uh there's a bunch of different items, and they don't all have the same uh speakers on them.

So we may we may uh switch some speakers in and out, just a heads up.

Item 5.1, 26-0881, requesting approval of a transfer of 4,000 96 and 16 cents from various council and aging ordinary maintenance health services salaries account to various council and aging personal services account.

I believe that we have director of council on aging Ashley Speliotis, as well as Finance Manager for Health and Human Services and Malik.

Uh, if that is the case, then director Spaliotis or Manager Malik.

Can you please help you?

Sure, good evening, everyone.

Ashley Spliotis, the director of the Council on Aging.

Break it up just a little bit.

So I hope everybody can hear me.

But um, yes, the council on aging salary line or personal services has a deficit of $4,966 and 16 cents.

And yes, I think we hear you okay.

Great.

And um we're hoping to transfer money from employee training, police detail, in state travel, all um small amounts to equal the total needed um the amounts are left from uh year end that we are not planning to use in in their regards to cover the cost.

Thank you, Director.

Any questions or comments about this from members of the committee?

I am seeing none.

So this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, Director.

Mr.

Chair, not for nothing.

Your uh your connection seems to be a little bit spotty.

So we're we're driving what you say.

I'm sorry.

Um I might turn my video off if people don't mind, uh, in the hopes that that would help.

Uh let's try that.

And please uh please give me a heads up because uh there are there's a different Wi-Fi option that I could try here.

Thank you.

Um if everybody heard, I'll just say again, just to make sure this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Moving on to item 5.2, 26-0876 requesting approval to accept and expend a $58,642 grant that requires a match from Metro North Regional Employment Board to the Health and Human Services Department for the Youth Work Summer Program.

And I believe for this, we have finance manager for Health and Human Services, Anu Malik.

Manager Malik, could you tell us about this grant if you are here?

Uh thank you.

Uh through the chair.

Um, I would like to, oh, uh, Anuk Malik uh at HS Finance Manager.

I would like to share uh a little bit of information about this grant.

Uh um with uh folks here.

Uh YouthWorks is a state-funded youth employment program that helps teen and young adults gain the skills and experience needed to begin their career journey.

YouthWorks provides some Massachusetts teens and young adults with first jobs and all with leadership development, skills training and career exploration.

Participants of this program are 14 to 18 years old who are at risk of falling into chronic unemployment through lack of exposure, experience, mentorship, and access to opportunities often paired with poverty.

Um this grant uh from um Metro North Regional Employment Board uh to Health and Human Services Department, um, youth services office.

Um the amount of the approval is 58,642.

Um, and it will cover a total of 22 teams.

We have uh cycle one and cycle two.

So cycle one would cover 16 teams, and cycle two would cover six teams.

Um we also have a grant match, which is in the form of um in kind um from our partners, um, nonprofit local businesses, groundwork summerville, mystic learning center, Elizabeth P.

What he house projects who parkour summer media center those five.

Thank you so much, manager.

Uh any questions or comments from the committee.

I am Cena.

This sounds like a wonderful program.

Uh, I did have one note.

I I took a look at the letter that was attached to this item, and I thought maybe that letter was from a previous year.

Uh I wasn't quite clear about the the dates and it didn't seem like the you know the amount was close.

It was talking about 56,000, not 58.

I wasn't sure if maybe that was just uh not the right letter.

But the other the other document has the actual application, uh, which I think has all of the pertinent information.

Through the chair, uh that's correct.

That letter letter is covering the period uh FY26, whereas this contract and this grant approval is for FY27.

We typically uh get the uh uh contribution letter um from Groundworks when we are in the second half of that particular fiscal year to support our uh financial requirement back to the uh uh funder um in this case.

So you are correct about that.

Thank you.

Uh not seeing any further discussion on this.

Uh this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you.

And we will move on to item 5.32-0874, requesting approval of a transfer of 127,358 from various Office of Housing Stability ordinary maintenance accounts to the housing assistance stabilization fund for housing assistance programs.

And I believe we have director of housing stability, Ellen Schechter, as well as director of finance and administration for strategy and development, Alan Inacio.

Director Schechter or Director Renassio, can you please tell us about this transfer?

I think a director Nassio is going to say a few words and then hand it over to me.

Yeah.

Sounds good.

Sorry, apologies for the camera flickering uh trying to figure out the order.

Yes, through the chair.

Um, this is basically just a tactical transfer.

Um, this will allow us to preserve some unused funds in the housing stability PNT programs this year that they were not able to use.

Um, this will allow us to shift it to a stabilization fund, uh, which we we can then um appropriate from, come back to the council appropriate from next year and not be subject to the general fund year-end recapture.

Um, and with that, I'll yield the floor to Director Shachter.

Um, who'd like to make some more comments about the impact of programs.

Thank you so much to the chair and to city council for giving me a minute to speak to you tonight.

I thought it would be helpful both for tonight and to give you sort of a little more context to my overall budget.

You'll see tomorrow night, along with the rest of strategy and development.

I'll be talking about my general fund budget, but there's a lot of things that go on that you can't see when we're only looking at the general fund.

So I did just want to note there are three programs, two programs and one part of a program that are very critical to anti-displacement, which are funded outside of the general fund budget.

And those are my biggest largest rental assistance program, um, a short-term emergency hotel motel program that we have, and part of the contract for legal services.

The contract we have for legal services for tenants facing eviction has moved to the general budget, but the first five months of last year were funded through ARPA.

So the level funding that I received in my general budget only is for seven months of that contract.

So I was very grateful to Ed Bean and to Alan Inacio coming to them and actually saying if we don't spend the funds this year, can we hold on to them?

And we actually, because we were everything was funded this year, we decided not to do a citywide mailing and we decided to hold off on spending some of our Lex Rental Assistance Pro funds because we knew we needed it for next year.

So this allocation will enable us to have full funding for our legal services program and some money towards our rental assistance program.

Later in the month, you will be hearing another proposal for another source of funding to help round out that really critical rental assistance program that we have.

But um, that would be great if this can be approved tonight and it gives us some flexibility to be able to keep our programs running next year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Director.

Uh, I'm seeing Councilor Scott.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Chair.

Uh, of course, this is wonderful stuff.

And uh, you know, these programs have really helped out folks uh that I know uh constituents.

Um, but I just wanted for folks uh who might be tuning into the budget for the first time or wondering why we're not talking to departments until midnight tonight.

Uh these kind of transfers are very routine end of year business uh where unspent money just gets parked because uh it can't roll over necessarily.

So uh rather than just uh vanishing at the end of the year.

This is a way to make sure that we uh pay it forward as it were.

So uh there will, I anticipate there are a lot of these, uh both in our agenda tonight and probably on uh budget approval evening as well.

So that's all, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Counselor Scott.

Uh and I will just add to that.

I know sometimes in organizations, including uh government organizations, um, there can be a pressure for uh departments and divisions to spend every last dollar because you don't want to make it look like you you need less the next year.

And uh I'm really glad to see that the way that leftover funds like this are are being handled is not held against an office for the crime of being thrifty, but uh you know, used in a stabilization fund, sort of credited towards the work that that an office is doing.

And uh I especially appreciate that with the work your office is doing, Director Scheckter.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments from members of the committee?

Councillor Strezzo.

Thank you.

No, I just want to comment, and uh, this is our community values in action, and I am really proud of our city and uh thank you, Director and uh support, of course, of Edbean and the rest of the administration on this.

This matters.

This is everything to those who need this.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Streso.

Any other comments or questions from members of the committee on this?

Seeing none, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you.

Moving on to item 5.4, 26-1001.

Requesting the appropriation of 144,235 from the opioid recovery and remediation stabilization fund to support various projects related to opioid initiatives.

And I believe we have again uh finance manager for health and human services, Anuk Malik, and possibly also director of prevention services, Tina Lose.

Uh, manager Malik or Director Los.

Could you please tell us about this appropriation?

Thank you through the chair.

Um we're requesting an appropriation for uh 144,235.

Um this amount will be supporting opiate initiatives for FI 2027.

This includes a number of different projects initiatives.

As follows 48,000 dollars would support the public health vending machines.

30,000 would support the Sharps kiosk.

$38,850 would support the comprehensive data management software for case management.

$385 would support the AED device maintenance.

The $2,000 would support the pilot transportation.

And $25,000 will support the detection devices project.

I'm happy to take any questions.

I would also like to acknowledge Tina Lowe's who is joining me from the Prevention Services as director of prevention services.

Thank you, Director Malik.

Counselor Link.

Thank you, Chair.

Through you, can we just confirm what a detection device is?

Hi everyone.

Thank you.

And through the chair.

So our detection device process project is looking at devices that are able to detect when there's not motion in a certain area.

And when people are experiencing an overdose, sometimes they might pass out or become unmo, not moving.

And so sometimes in those situations, having a detection device can help save a life.

So the we are looking into providing these software at the West Branch Library and also at the Summerville Homeless Coalition.

Thank you very much.

This is software that someone could run on their phone or on a computer.

Thank you for the question.

Through the chair.

So there are a few different companies that we're looking into at this time.

Some of them have a detection software that kind of goes into the ceiling.

And then depending on the company, either an alarm goes off or a call gets routed to a designated cell phone to allow somebody to be notified that they need to go check the space.

I see.

So this is something that somebody would use in a specific place, not use in their own home.

Through the chair, yes.

This would be in public areas that are single stall bathrooms.

We're also looking at options for spaces that might have multi-stells as well.

I see.

So oh, please go ahead.

Sorry, through the chair.

So thank you for raising that.

We can definitely make sure we're within city specifications on that.

There are no cameras associated.

It's just a motion detector.

So it's just detecting like when a light goes on in the room if you're sitting too long and you have to go like this.

It's similar technology.

I see.

Thank you.

Well, I uh I'm eager to learn more, and I'm glad that your office is looking at a variety of different ways to support people.

Are there any other questions or absolutely any other questions or comments from members of the committee?

Seeing none, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, uh Directorless.

Okay.

Requesting approval of a time-only contract extension until September 5th, 2028 for the contract with Stantec Consulting Services Inc.

for the Mystic River Outfall Sewer Separation Design Project.

And I believe we have director of infrastructure, Rich Raish.

Director Raish, uh, could you please tell us about this contract extension?

Good evening.

Again, for your record, uh Richard Rish, Director of Infrastructure.

Um Stantec is our engineer of record for the Mystic River sewer separation and new stormwater outfall project.

Um this is a long, this is going to be a long project.

Um beyond the uh three-year maximum that we can assign.

So we'll uh require uh constant approval uh for extension.

Uh we're currently past the 60% design.

This extension will get us through final design and bidding and into um um construction administration, at which time we'll have uh estimates for additional services.

Um but our current budget um covers us through uh the the end of design and uh bidding.

Uh so we're just extending this contract now to give us plenty of time to get into construction.

Thank you, Director Rish.

Any comments or questions from members of the committee.

I'm not seeing any.

I want to mention uh I had the chance to uh to do a walk around uh several of the streets and uh the edge of the Mystic River uh with some city staff who were explaining what the components of this sewer separation project would be.

Uh it's it sounds big, it sounds uh necessary and urgent.

And um, I think it's you know, it sounds like it's going to help with the um you know sewer overflows as well as with some flooding uh issues in the uh the Ten Hills and Winter Hill area.

So we're we are very excited for this particular project.

It's it's what I call a threefer.

Um it reduces CSOs to meet our regulatory uh requirements.

It has a great uh benefits in reducing flood uh in the neighborhood uh around FOSS Park.

Uh, and it allows us to renew a lot of infrastructure, um, some very old pipes that we would otherwise need to rehabil rehabilitate and not do those other two things.

So it's um it's a it's a it's a good one.

Thank you.

I'll also add on to that that uh already at this 60% point, there's clearly been a lot of thinking about how to minimize disruption on neighbors.

Um I saw city staff explain to some worried neighbors asking good questions about the disruption they'll face about how uh it's going to be done in these short segments so that only a small strip of a street is shut down and people are still able to get down the street, get around, get in and out of their driveways.

Um it's clearly clearly a lot of levels of planning here.

Uh I appreciate the the thought going into that.

Um seeing no other hands going up, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Moving on to item 6.2 26-0853 requesting approval of a time-only contract extension until December 31st, 2028 for the contract with Sims, Maney, and McKee for owners project manager services for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning capital projects.

Um, so I believe we also have Director Rish speaking about this one.

Uh thank you, Chair.

Yes, this is uh um a requirement uh under state law that we have in owners project manager uh for major um renovations to our buildings.

Uh we've got a number of in-flight projects.

Um the most we've already completed uh essentially the the chiller replacements at uh the JFK school, uh, and we have in-flight chiller replacements at the West School and Boiler replacements at the Healy.

Um Sims has been uh the owner's project manager for those uh projects as well.

Uh so we want to extend this contract so that they can continue to provide those services.

Um they're very helpful.

They essentially do clerk of the works for us, but they also bring in um additional HVAC uh expertise uh to help us uh evaluate what our um HVAC engineers are saying, and they also give us the capability to bring in third-party cost estimators so that we can verify what our engineers are are saying about uh projected costs before we come to you all with uh our budget requests.

Um so we've been very happy with their performance.

They want to extend their contract uh specifically for these in-flight uh projects that they're already familiar with.

Thank you, Director.

Any comments or questions about this contract extension from members of the committee?

I am seeing none.

And so this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you.

Have a good night.

Uh just a quick check on is my audio coming through okay.

All right.

Um I'm gonna stay the course and keep my video off uh and not change a winning game.

Okay, moving on to strategy and development.

Item 7.126-0875 requesting approval of a transfer of $2,43.70 from the planning, preservation, and zoning salaries account to the Department of Public Works Highway Overtime Account for the Davis Square Activation Project.

And I believe we once again have Director of Finance Administration for Strategy and Development, Alan Inacio.

Director Renacio, could you please tell us about this transfer?

Thank you through the chair.

This was a um anticipate highly uh anticipated spring project.

So uh the PPZ team and the PSOF team work closely with the DPW um to do some Davis Square activation work, mainly the the slip lane, which you may have noticed has been um painted and had some other features to it.

Um, in working jointly with DPW, we needed some of their staff time for the implementation of this.

Um, however, they communicated that they didn't have the overtime budget, which we did in our salary lag.

Um so this is just the salary transfer to their overtime account to make their account whole from our account.

Thank you, Director.

Any comments or questions about this item?

Councilor Hurt.

Thank you, Chair.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank everybody who worked on this.

Like it looks fantastic.

I see a ton of people hanging out there.

So just wanted to appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Hart.

Sorry, didn't I should let you speak first, Director Inacio.

It's okay.

It was a final cover.

So I saw Councillor Link's hand go down.

I assume that's kind of a ditto.

Echoing what Councillor Hart was saying.

Wonderful.

Uh well, thank you so much, Director Inacio, and thanks to everybody who worked on this.

Uh, seeing no more discussion, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Moving on to mobility, item 8.1 26-0744.

Requesting approval to accept and expend a $222,502 grant that requires a match from the Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization to the Mobility Division for the Blue Bikes State of Good Repair project.

And I believe that we have Director Inacio back again.

Uh Director Renasio, could you please tell us about this grant?

Thank you through the chair.

Um, as noted in the body of the item, this is just a grant from the Boston Regional Metro Metro Planning Organization.

Um, the key thing to know here is it says that there is a match.

Um, however, you'll notice there's no additional appropriation request from the city council.

Um, that is because we have the cash match on hand as part of um so uh basically every community in the blue bikes network um has like a little account off to the side where um the the fee revenue that the blue bikes uh system collects.

Uh each municipality has like a little kind of like side account where we can do state of good repair, um, things of that nature, you know, replace equipment, um, all of that stuff.

So in addition to our little bucket standard bucket we have from the fees collected from the overall network operations.

Uh, we are also going to pair that with this grant.

Um, so that's why there is there is a match, but not a match request.

So there are no additional new city funds required for this.

Thank you, Director.

Any comments or questions about this grant.

Uh am I right in remembering this is for 13 stations?

I believe that's correct.

Uh, and there may be some uh detail to that effect attached in the item, but I believe that is correct.

Okay.

I'll be excited to see where they're gonna be.

Um, it's one of those things where I feel like the more people can just be confident that there's a blue bike station with bikes where they're coming from or where they're going to, uh, the more sort of confidently and fluidly people will use them.

So great to see.

Okay, seeing no other comments on this, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Item 8.2, 26-0879, requesting approval to accept and expend a $500,000 grant with no new match required from the Mass Department of Transportation to the Mobility Division for the Western Pearl Street construction project.

And we have you again, uh Director Inacio.

Could you please tell us about this grant?

Thank you.

Through through the chair, um, just a bread and butter state grant that we would like to get uh accepted uh in advance of the city council recess.

It's for the Western Pearl project kind of um Gilman Square uh area.

Uh happy to circle back with the mobility team if uh any of the counselors would like any project specifics or or detailed um specifics for the for the planned work.

Um, but just wanted to get the grant on the books as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Any comments or questions on this from members of the committee?

Councilor Link.

I'll just say thank you, Chair Three.

I'll just say that I'm really excited to see this project and the fact that we have $500,000 less to pay for it is uh pretty awesome.

I will echo that.

Uh any other comments?

Seeing none, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Uh and that brings us to public space and urban forestry.

I guess we've touched on PCF already, but item 9.1 26 0872 requesting approval of a transfer of 100,000 for the public space and urban forestry capital account to the street tree stabilization fund for additional fiscal year 2027 tree planting and maintenance.

Director Inacio, could you please tell us about this transfer?

Thank you through the chair.

Um, similar to the OHS request, and as counselor Scott Um explained earlier too.

This is just a tactical transfer.

Um, it allows us to preserve some unused FY26 funds, um, carry it over forward into a stabilization fund, and we were able to decrease our level service general fund ask um by 100,000.

So just kind of basically a tactical transfer to save some uh new budget request funds.

Thank you, Director.

Any comments or questions from members of the committee on this?

Uh Director Inasio, I as a new student of city finances.

Uh I'd I'd love just like a little more explanation of that um to understand.

Uh we we were talking to uh you and Director Shachter before about the uh the sort of use of leftover money um for stabilization funds that will then later be able to be spent towards those, you know, those same kinds of areas.

Is this the same idea or is that this something different?

Correct.

Generally speaking, when we get down to the last you know, eight weeks or so of the year, we kind of collectively look at our budgets.

And if we feel that there are unused funds that we can use for relatively the same purpose or or some sort of like purpose, um, you know, with the approval of of uh the finance director and the and the auditing team, uh we can uh initiate uh a transfer with city council's approval as well to carry these forward into a stabilization fund, which we will have to come back uh in FY27 to appropriate out of.

Um, but you know, we can kind of that that allows us to carry these unused funds forward into FY27 rather than as you mentioned, rush through and spend them in FY26.

And um, you know, also allows us to budget less in the annual budget process.

Thank you, appreciate that.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

Um any other comments or questions?

I am seeing none.

And so this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you.

Uh moving on to item 9.2 26 0871, requesting approval of a transfer of $2,500 from the planning preservation and zoning salaries account to the public space and urban forestry salaries account to cover a year-end budget deficit.

Director Inacio, would you tell us about this transfer?

Thank you.

Uh yes, through the chair, this is a relatively small one.

Um doesn't necessarily happen every year, but this year we happen to have uh slightly less uh grant eligible um project work that we were able to assign staff time to uh the planning and preservation um department had some vacancy lag that they had.

Um so we just have to make those accounts whole at the end of the year so we don't get you know knocked in our year-end audit.

Um so this is just the balancing the books and um keeping everything clean because we didn't have as much um grant eligible project staff time that we could assign as we had as we had projected.

Thank you.

Uh any questions or comments?

I am seeing none.

Uh so this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

And thank you, Director.

Uh okay, moving on to fire department uh and in particular, these are fire department real estate related.

Uh item 10.1 26-1010, requesting the appropriation of $360,000 from the unreserved fund balance, free cash to the judgments and settlements account for settlement payments relative to the lease between BREM BMR, Middlesex LLC, and the city of Somerville for the Assembly Square Fire Station at 46 Middlesex Avenue.

So I will note that per Finance Director Ed Bean, uh, there is a suggestion to the committee that we might consider discharging this one without a recommendation because the administration plans a new lower appropriation request uh for the June 25th uh council meeting.

Um so it sounds like this was put in using the information that uh staff had at the time.

And happily uh it looks like we will not need this quite this much amount.

So Director Inasio or Special Counsel Catherine Salchert of City Solicitor Amara.

Does anyone wish to add anything on this one?

To the chair, this is uh special counsel Catherine Lester Salkart.

I think you stated it just right.

Okay, thank you very much.

And uh I will get your name right next time.

Um worries Catherine, Catherine Lester Salkert.

Uh thank you so much, special counsel.

Um, so with that said, uh Clerk, uh, do we need to do anything differently to uh decide to discharge this one without a recommendation?

Um can we lay it on the table with the intention of discharging it without a recommendation?

We can.

We can just take a roll call at the end of the meeting.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

So this item is laid on the table uh to be discharged without a recommendation at the end of the meeting.

Uh okay, item 10.2 uh related.

26 1009 requesting the appropriation of $18,850 from the unreserved fund balance free cash to the judgments and settlements account for closing costs relative to the purchase of the Assembly Square Fire Station condominium unit at 46 Middlesex Av.

Um so again, special counselor Catherine Lester Salkert.

Uh, do you have anything to tell us about this appropriation?

Uh yes, Mr.

Chair.

I just wanted to point out that the um cost breakdown was attached to the agenda.

Hopefully, everyone saw that.

The bulk of the amount is uh to pay the premium on the owner's title insurance policy.

That was 14,000.

And the rest of these are all very um standard charges as well.

Um, an escrow fee because the funds will be paid into escrow at the time of the transfer, recording fee for our side, um courier fee, interim title updates, and things of that nature.

All very straightforward, but happy to answer any questions.

Thank you so much.

Uh any comments or questions from members of the committee.

I am seeing none.

Uh, so with appreciation that this is getting closed, and for everyone's hard work on this, this is gonna be an asset to the community for a long time.

Um, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Moving on to to uh recreation.

Uh item 11.1 26 0877 requesting approval to increase the summertime revolving account expenditure limit for fiscal year 2026.

Uh now I believe that we have recreation director Ohamen Shomaten and Finance Manager Linda Jung, Director Shomaten or Manager Yoon.

Can you please tell us about this request?

Hello, I'm Linda Young, Finance Manager for Recreation.

And we're asking for a 10,000 dollar increase from 175,000 to 185,000 for our summertime revolving fund.

If you're not familiar, Summertime is a summer camp that we run at the West Somerville School this year.

It'll be run from June 29th to August 14th.

Um, and it's an all-day summer camp that we run throughout the summer.

And the increased costs uh this year are directly related to quotes that we've already received from vendors for this summer's programs.

They'll be related to field trip admissions, bus trans transportation for the field trips, and then rental equipment as well for bounce houses that are really popular with the kids.

Um and this fund is um funded through program fees that we collect uh for summertime.

Thank you so much.

Uh are there any questions or comments from the committee?

I am seeing none.

Um, so thank you so much, manager.

This item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you.

The next item.

Oh, thank you.

Uh excited for the bouncy class castles.

Item 11.2 26-1014 requesting approval to repurpose and appropriate 45,000 from the COVID-19 stabilization fund to continue the playworks program at the Winterhill Community School for the 2026 to 2027 school year.

Um, so I believe that we have uh Dr.

Robert Beretta, Summerville Public Schools Chief Financial Officer.

Uh we may also have Director of Finance Edward Bean.

Officer Beretta or Director Bean.

Yeah.

Hi, take it away.

Thank you so much.

Good evening, everybody.

Um, yes, um, so these funds have been sorry, I'm at my son's Little League game right now, and they just got a big hit.

So I got distracted for a second there.

Um in any question.

It's a good it's a good reason.

That's a good reason.

These funds have um have supported structured recess at the Winter Hill Community School for the last few years.

Um after the school was you know abruptly forced to relocate um with the structural issues at the Sycamore location.

Um because the Edgeley building doesn't really have great uh area for recess, it's sort of limited outdoor area there.

Um we enlisted playworks to support structured recess games.

Uh they do cooperative play.

Um and it's really been beneficial for the community, greatly reduced disciplinary issues at recess, made recess more appealing for students, which you know inevitably leads to more fun at school and um and more learning time.

So happy to take any questions.

Uh thank you so much, Officer Bretta.

Uh, any comments or questions from members of the committee?

Councilor Link.

Thank you, Chair.

Through you.

Um to Dr.

Beretta.

So uh so I'm really glad that that we're doing this.

Um yeah, uh the it is a very uh disappointing place if you're a kid, I think uh for that for recess.

Um I'm just curious.

Uh, are there other things that we can do?

It's are there other things we can do there?

Um because it'll be a few more years.

This uh sorry, through the chair, Counselor Link.

That's a great question.

Um, I think you know the the team there, the leadership team there, you know, Principal Um Gosselin was really fantastic.

I think and the the two deans that generally support the students directly are also really great.

And I think they've thought through a lot of ways to, you know, make school generally more appealing for kids.

The building and you know, the Department of Public Works has done a great job uh upgrading that facility and making it more student friendly.

Um, it's it's always tricky as a former principal at recess.

You're you're sort of always limited by the physical space outside.

Uh as a principal, I worked with Playworks.

They're just really fantastic.

You know, they're there's they're specialized uh in their training for you know supporting structured recess and creating lots of play opportunities.

And I have visited recess at Central Hill.

It's actually very engaging for kids.

You know, they're out there doing like little soccer drills and it's really fantastic.

But to your point, we're always looking at more ways to, you know, make not only recess more engagement, but the entire school day.

So thank you, future.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, I it's uh certainly I didn't mean to um to for that to be um looking like a criticism of any of the criticism of the physical space and not only, just to be clear.

Um thank you very much.

Thank you, Castler Link.

Uh Officer Beretta, I'm just curious about sort of the background here.

Um the COVID-19 stabilization fund is the idea that this is a stabilization fund that you know we created during the pandemic era with presumably you know ARPA or other funds.

Uh I'm I'm just sort of curious what that's for conceptually.

Um, and you know, with absolutely no complaints about being used for for this wonderful purpose.

Uh Chair through you, I think that uh Edm would be better, sir, to answer that question.

Yes, Mr.

Chairman.

Yes, this fund was established during the uh pandemic uh for a variety of purposes, probably general purposes, deal with emergency situations, is funded a whole variety of different things, including food insecurity, uh emergency measures.

Um the the request here is to repurpose um uh this 45,000 uh for this particular purpose.

So the playbooks doesn't necessarily meet the uh established purpose.

So uh the legislative body can take a vote to repurpose a certain amount of that money.

And this is pretty much worth the end of the line on this stabilization fund.

We'll only have about uh I see about 12,800 left after this appropriation.

But I also note that the previous administration made a commitment um when uh during this the whole Winter Hill school crisis to fund this play works program that it not be on the school budget beyond uh other sources would do this.

So we've made that commitment.

Thank you so much for that background, Director Bean.

Uh any other questions or comments from members of the committee.

Seeing none, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

And thanks.

Um I'm just finding where I am in my notes.

Item 11.3 26-0868 requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $2,500 using available funds in the parks and recreation department professional services account for removal and storage of floating docks at the Blessing of the Bay Boat House.

So for this one, uh I believe we may have finance manager Linda Young again.

Hello through the chair.

I'm Linda Young, Finance Manager of Recreation.

And as the member states, this is for a past view in voice from 2023 for removal of voting docs at the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse by the Mystic River.

At the beginning and end of each season, we um outsource the installation removal of the docs to dental giant.

This invoice happens to be missed that year, but we've updated our contact information and our mailing address.

So this shouldn't be an issue in the future.

Thank you.

Any questions or comments from members of the committee?

Councillor Link?

I yeah, put me in line two, please.

Certainly will.

Counselor Link.

Uh yeah, I uh through the chair.

Um you said that the conduct information was updated.

Are we updating the contact information to something that is um generic and so our mailing address for invoices is recreational underscore invoices at Summerville MA.gov instead of whoever the facilities manager at the time was.

And our mailing address is also is now the current address 167 Holland Street instead of the Bourmer address at 81 Air Street.

Okay, cool.

Um yeah, I I definitely it's this kind of thing because of uh many departments having issues with this in the past, definitely raises like a little flag to me.

So I just want to make sure that we're actually making stuff so that it uh having stuff addressed to places that we can expect to find it long term.

Um emails, right?

I that's I do worry if it's going to the tab building, uh, then we move from the tab building, we might have this problem again in five years.

But we've tried to move towards just electronic invoices going forward.

Um obviously there's still some vendors that prefer to send things by mail, but for as for anyone that we can, we've reached out to and asked for electronic invoices.

That is reassuring to you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Counselor Link.

Counselor Streso.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um so I understand this correctly.

We pay Gentle Giant to pull the docs at the at the end of the season and store it for us.

Yes, exactly.

At the end of the season, they uh at the beginning of each season, they install the docs, and by the end of the season, um, they'll remove the docs and then store them for us.

We don't really have a space we do have um a boathouse, but it's too small to hold anything, so they hold it for us.

Okay.

They're providing a service for us as well, but uh community partners.

Um corporate sponsorships, etc.

What typically does this cost per year because it says prior invoices?

So um pardon me, pardon me.

Hello.

I know I forgot I'm I'm I'm I'm on screen here, but forgive me, Mr.

Chair, Mr.

Chair, through you.

I forgot my Roberts rules of order for a second here.

Um good, counselor.

Yeah, thanks.

Uh uh Ms.

Chair through you to um our finance director of uh rec park and professor rec.

Um, so what what is the typical charge?

Because you says it's it's like a collection of a few of them.

So um if I may, uh is this is a couple of annually, it should be about 5,000 each of 25 each um for installation and then 2500 for the removal.

Oh okay.

It hasn't changed, yeah.

Okay.

I okay, I got you.

So just season, spring season is 2500, and then at the end of the season, it's another 2500.

But gosh golly, there's a lot of high school students and a lot of kids and families and all kinds of people.

Uh and it very much is a wonderful thought.

So I don't know.

Maybe we could maybe talk collectively of a bunch of corporate sponsors stepping up to help with this and help us.

Uh, because we sure are in a budget crunch this year, and every bit counts.

I think that's an option that we definitely want to explore, not just with this, but just anything that's recreation related, but we also want to be compliant with state laws.

So we're working closely with procurement and legals to make sure that we're within uh compliance with state and local regulations.

Exactly.

And that's why I didn't say anyone in particularly specific, but potentially maybe plural.

Um but when we talk about this, it it sure is enticing to just think about all of our community partners willing to step up and help our city and help our youth and help our families and our community members have a great time collectively.

And we sure can shout from the rooftops all the great deeds they're doing for our community.

Um but but thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Strezzo.

Any other comments from the committee on this?

Seeing none, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Moving on to financial management, item 12.1, 26-1017, requesting the appropriation of 196,086 from the salary and wage stabilization fund to various departmental other lump sum payment accounts to fund a collective bargaining agreement between uh with Summerville Municipal Municipal Employees Union Unit D.

Uh and I believe we have um there's a couple people who are on my list who might be here.

So uh we heard earlier from director of human resources and gill.

I believe that we have director Gill here.

We may also have uh assistant city solicitor Matt Siriku.

Uh yes, uh good evening, Chair through you, labor council, Matt Sirogu.

Uh this appropriation is to fund a third major cost item in the collective bargaining agreement recently ratified by SMEU unit D.

This uh component funds the vacation payout uh aspect of that MOU, where uh this is kind of a longer term project.

Uh we're attacking through collective bargaining to pay out high vacation balances and uh no longer carry uh have employees carry over large vacation balances from year to year.

Um so that's the component of this MOU that this this appropriation will fund.

And if there's any questions from the council, I'm happy to take them.

Thank you so much, uh City Solicitor.

Uh are there any comments or questions from members of the committee?

Councilor Link.

Thank you.

Through you, Mr.

Chair.

Um does this uh how far does this completely pay off all of the the vacation um balances or other the ones that we want to get rid of anyway?

Council uh uh committee chair through you.

Uh it pays off balances through 2024, and then beginning in fiscal year 2025, employees are eligible to carry over up to three weeks of time, but that's it.

That's the cap.

And there's no process for mayoral approval or any other heightened carryover.

So it doesn't mean people are at zero.

It just uh it kind of cleared the decks at a certain point in time and then imposes a three-week cap.

Great.

That's that's that's what I understood this too.

Okay, just confirming.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councillor Link.

Any other members of the committee have questions or comments on this?

Uh well, I'll just say it sounds like this was uh, you know, the the type of negotiation that we like to see uh where the city's sort of exposure to risk is being handled wisely in the long term.

Um but we are respecting uh this employees bargaining unit uh with people's um you know time that they have earned through through years of labor.

And I'm glad to see uh this agreement.

Thank you, city solicitor.

Okay.

Um seeing no other comments or questions, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Item 12.2, 26-1035, conveying information regarding changes in positions in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Um so just as background, this was discussed in the previous council meeting, and uh we referred it to the finance committee.

Um and I believe that we have Chief Administrative Officer Kimberly Wells here, um, able to speak and possibly answer some more questions about this.

Are you there, CAO?

I am indeed, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you so much.

Uh through you, I think that most of this information has already been discussed with the committee.

Um, and hopefully is largely self-explanatory, but um certainly happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, CAO.

CAO, what what do people call a CAO for short?

Officer?

Officer Wells?

I think CAO is the shortened version of it.

Okay.

Okay.

That's a great question.

I don't I don't like think we should go with Chief.

That feels weird.

All right.

Well, CAO Wells, it is.

Uh, members of the committee, any any further questions or comments on this item?

Sir, I think I might move to use Chief.

Uh no, in all seriousness, Mr.

Chair, uh, I appreciate that the administration provided this information.

It's something that a great many people have been asking questions about.

So uh it is helpful uh for folks to understand and be able to see uh at a at a glance uh where the changes happen.

How you feel about those changes is a different matter entirely, but I'm just glad the information is uh public and is part of uh this council's agenda uh so that it'll all be always be part of the public record.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Scott.

Any other comments or questions?

I'll just uh echo what my colleague said.

Um sometimes it can uh can feel a little awkward to me just just personally, if we have uh access to some information, and there's a lot a long time until there's a sort of publicly communicated uh version of that information.

And uh I'm always always glad to see a short window there um so that people who have questions can get a sense of what's going on, you know, just like anybody else who uh who might be privy to to that information earlier.

So thank you for putting this together.

Uh not seeing any other comments or questions uh for the committee.

Uh I believe that we can mark this one work completed, Clerk.

Yes, that's correct.

Okay, sounds good.

Uh thank you, and thank you, CAO.

Moving to item 12.3 26 0948 requesting the approval of the expenditure limitations for departmental revolving funds for fiscal year 2027.

Um, so for this one, I know we have you again, CAO Wells.

Uh, we might also have budget manager Michael Master Boney.

Um, and I just also want to mention on this, we've talked about several of these uh expenditure limitations for revolving funds uh already.

Is that right?

Mr.

Chairman, that's correct.

Uh the legislature.

Thank you, Director Bean.

Yeah, I'll be speaking on this.

Uh we gave Mr.

Master Boney a night off tonight.

Um yeah, so the legislative body annually uh by law votes an expenditure cap on the departmental revolving funds.

So this is a uh process that happens at budget time every year.

So there are nine departmental revolving funds.

You've heard uh there's only been three changes in the expenditure limits, two of them you've heard tonight.

Summertime revolving, going from 175 to 185.

Special events going from 10,000 to 20,000.

And the third one is the vaccine revolving fund, which is going from 60,000 to 70,000.

Otherwise, the the remaining six uh remain the same spending caps uh that were approved back in uh this fiscal year, fiscal year 2026.

Thank you, Director Bean.

Any questions or comments on this change from the committee?

Councilor Scott?

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

This is the kind of transparency and process that I'm used to after 10 years of doing this, or nine, nine years of doing this.

Uh which, you know, just A, I think it's really useful uh for people to understand, but it also just still tickles me from last night, where we were hearing about a very different kind of revolving fund that was going to be set up for the arts uh council uh or for the armory building.

And so I director bean, can you uh help me again with what the difference is between these statutory revolving funds that we set a set a limit for and have some visibility into every year and uh whatever that other fund is, can you tell me what the authorization is for that fund?

Yeah, through you, Mr.

Chairman.

Sure.

These are departmental revolving funds that were established in the chapter 4453 and a half.

Um so uh there are restrictions, as you say, there's a spending cap.

So these are considered statutory revolving funds.

The school department has a whole variety of statutory revolving funds as well that uh the school committee approves.

So we are able to set up other types of revolving funds.

No problem being transparent in terms of uh you spoke of the armory one.

Uh that would be an example.

Um we've got a receipt, you've got the rental income.

You've got you you've got to receive that, and you've got to uh create an entity where the expenditures uh can be funded from that revenue.

That's not eligible to be an enterprise fund, by the way.

So you know, we have other funds that of course are enterprise funds, but the law doesn't allow you to set up an enterprise fund for for this.

So we did consult with DOR on this, and and you know, it's it's it's not a statutory revolving fund, but it is a revolving fund that's set up.

But uh certainly uh no problem uh as you know, ever reporting uh you know revenue expenses for that.

Happy to provide all that information whenever whenever needed.

Sure, I think it might be helpful just because I wasn't aware that we could set up revolving funds that weren't authorized by that statute and then governed by it.

So uh if we can just set things up uh all over the place really nearly, then maybe uh I'll have to do some thought about it.

I appreciate the voluntary uh offer to report those things, uh, but I'm not gonna be a counselor forever, so I might want to put something on the books that just says we're gonna report on it uh every year.

Um would that would that be onerous, or do you think that'd be a funny?

No, no, no, no, of course not.

Of course it's not on us.

Um but of course, you know, the the beauty of this is we don't want these things on the general fund.

You want revenue to meet expenses, you know.

So that's the key.

That's the key consideration here.

Uh it certainly could be.

I I mean I've got my own feelings about government uh trying to run as a business, but uh that said, I I understand the the importance and the purpose here.

So uh thank you, Mr.

Chair, for your indulgence.

I'm all set.

Thank you, Counselor Scott.

Uh I see Counselor Link.

Uh thank you, Chair.

Through you just to um kind of continue a little bit on um what counselor Scott was asking.

And I appreciate what um that little um role that he was talking about, which is exactly what I was curious about.

So um just for my own clarity.

So there's this kind of revolving fund, and then uh is there are there there's the whatever classification the arts and armor rebuilding um is gonna be.

And are there are there is how many different categories of revolving fund are there?

I guess my question.

Um the statutory, excuse me, Mr.

Chairman, statutory.

Uh the these departmental evolving funds are statutory.

Uh the school debate school committee has many more than we have on the city side, all uh specific statutes in the mass general laws um creating them.

Um recreation has a statutory revolving fund as well.

So many of their activities uh uh revenue uh for some of their programs would flow through a revolving fund and their expenditures on that as well.

Um you know, that's pretty much the uh the council lottery is essentially a revolving fund as well.

That's statutory as well.

Um, we have the armory here, and uh we may be acquiring the um the uh Ralph and Jenny Center as well.

Um that's been talked about.

So we probably would be thinking about a revolving fund there as well to collect the revenue from that from there as well.

So it's all cash basis as well.

You can only expend with the revenue you have in in the till in any revolving fund.

You can't run deficits.

Wonderful.

Okay.

Uh thank the three chair.

Thank you very much.

Um, I really appreciate uh that information.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Link.

Any other comments or questions from members of the committee?

Uh seeing none.

This item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

And that brings us to this section that I, for lack of a better word, called over sight.

Item 13.126-1026 that the city clerk informed this council as to the final status of item 25-0905.

A unanimous vote in favor of adopting chapter 329 of the acts of 1987 on May 22nd, 2025.

Um, do we have City Clerk Courtney Henderson?

Hi, Mr.

Chair.

Yes, I am here.

Uh thank you, Chair Clerk Henderson.

Mr.

Chair.

Uh Counselor Scott.

It is customary to go to the maker of the motion first.

All right.

Well, uh, I see no reason to break with custom.

Um are you the maker of the motion, Councillor Scott?

I am.

Uh Counselor Scott, would you please uh tell us about this order?

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Uh so uh yes, I put in this item uh because there was a lot of public confusion.

Um that we were told that uh we would not be able to actually support as a city council, we would not be able to support uh the school committee's uh recommended budget because we hadn't adopted this chapter 329 of the acts of 1987, and that if we wanted to, then the city council should have moved, should have voted to adopt it, which uh did trigger my my my memory a little bit here.

It turns out we did exactly that in uh 2025 last year.

Uh so I personally thought this was a solved problem.

So uh having it come up again this year uh and being told, no, no, no, the mayor can do what the mayor wants to do, and the school committee can't do anything about it, and the city council can't do anything about it, uh, led me to ask the question.

And I uh directed that question, I believe, to CAO Wells uh and and uh Clerk Henderson.

So I know they have uh prepared the answer.

I just like to get it out on the record for everybody.

So thank you for giving me a moment to introduce the item.

Thank you, Councillor Scott.

Uh Clerk Henderson.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, and thank you, Councilor Scott, for setting the the scene here.

Um, yes, we have prepared a response, and that is that item has been vetoed by the previous administration.

Part of chapter uh 329 of the acts of 1987 requires the mayor's signature on it.

Um so while the city council did vote unanimously to adopt that section, it was not approved by that current administration.

And so therefore it was um it did not move forward, and that's where it currently stands now.

Uh Mr.

Chair, could I could I ask a few clarifying questions here?

Please go for it.

All right, thank you.

Uh so interestingly interesting to use the term veto.

Uh, when most people use the word veto, they think, oh, well, that's an executive saying no, and then a presumption that the legislative body could override that veto.

Um, so when a just procedurally, as the clerk, when the mayor actively vetoes something, uh, that would be something that you would inform the city council of, correct?

Mr.

Yes, through you, Mr.

Chair, yes, that would be something that the uh the mayor would submit in writing.

I do have I was able to locate the letter that the previous administration had addressed to council detailing why they did not agree with adopting uh chapter 329.

Uh, but it wasn't uh it wasn't an actual veto, though, correct?

Uh Clerk Henderson.

I would have to do research or a consult uh law.

I did see that attorney Omar did raise her hand.

I don't know if it's ceded to that.

Okay.

Yes, um, I I see uh city attorney Amara.

City Attorney Amara, do you have perspective on this?

Yes, thank you.

Um Chair Wheeler, it's the statute requires approval by both the city council and the mayor.

So veto is not really the word that is accurate for this particular item, in that if the mayor vetoed the approval of what the city council did, that just invalidates or attempts to invalidate what the what the council did.

Here, the statute requires affirmative approval by both the legislative and executive body and the mayor's office did not approve, so you did not have both parts of the statutory requirement in place to have it be adopted.

That's why it was not adopted.

Yeah, thank you for that.

Umicitor Amara.

And I think that's an important thing for folks to understand.

I, you know, we did receive an uh letter uh on May 20th uh from Mayor Ballantyne just saying they don't support uh she did not support the uh adoption uh of that special act.

Um I I guess I for one read that and went, well, that's tough because it was passed unanimously, and I just presume that it would go into effect.

So this uh one weird trick is an interesting one.

Solicitor Amara, though, my question would be then uh if the city council were to pass the same thing again this year, uh it would still not go into effect unless the mayor uh approved it, correct?

Correct.

You would still it's still the same statutory scheme, still requiring approval by both the executive and the legislative branch and other parts of the statute would apply that even if it were to be done in record time by both branches, it couldn't go into effect for this budget hearing.

That's right.

That's right, because the rest of the statute says it takes effect in the first of the next month.

So I appreciate you putting that one on the record.

I just uh Mr.

Chair, I wanted to make sure that was crystal clear uh so that members of the public uh can direct their anger and their frustration in the correct place.

Uh this is a choice that was made.

Uh and uh I I certainly, as much as I am fond of our current mayor, I have a hard time given the course that he's uh chosen to follow with regard to the school committee's uh budget recommendation.

I have a hard time thinking that he would approve giving up that level of executive power, particularly in light of the next conversation we're gonna have.

So uh I just wanted to make sure this is very clearly uh a separation powers issue and one in which the uh balance of the uh elected uh legislatures, the school committee and the city council uh in the balance of power uh effectively don't have any.

So uh thank you, Mr.

Chair, for for your indulgence there, and thank you, of course, for solicitor Amarin and Clerk Henderson.

Thank you, Councillor Scott.

Thank you, Clerk Henderson, and thank you, City Attorney Amara.

Um I I, for one, appreciate the verification immensely.

Are there any comments or questions from any other members of the committee?

Okay, seeing none, um, I think we can mark this order work completed.

And that brings us to our next question.

Um just a quick uh question.

The uh the email uh memo that I received uh with this answer, is that something that can be attached to this item?

So when folks want to come uh find that uh in the future, they can find that in writing here.

Clerk Henderson Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh through you to Counselor Scott.

Unfortunately, the memo that I and I think you're referring to the memo that was drafted by city attorney Amara, is that correct?

Uh that that there was definitely one about the next item.

On this one, I'm not certain that there was uh uh a PDF memo drafted.

Okay, so then yes, for that other document, it can be um submitted as a separate communication, and we can link that.

Oh, okay.

So we can't attach it to this item.

I'll have to submit it as a communication at the next meeting and then link it to this item.

Correct.

Okay, all right.

Well do.

I'll put that on my list of things to do, Mr.

Shep.

Thank you, clerk, and thank you, counselor.

Um moving on to the next item, uh item 13.2, 26-1025 that the city attorney advised this council on the mayor's compliance with section six-four of the Somerville Charter as it relates to the submission of the fiscal year 2027 budget, particularly, quote, the school budget as adopted by the school committee.

Um City Solicitor Amara, uh, would you please speak to this order?

Um Chair Wheeler, with all due respect, I believe counselor Scott said he has to go first because he wrote he submitted the request.

Touche.

Touche, uh, thank you.

Uh I need to be a quicker study.

Uh Counselor Scott, would you like to speak to this order to begin?

I would love to, Mr.

Chair.

And to be fair, as the chair of finance, uh, ninety nine percent of the items that uh you process as chair are mayor's requests uh sent from the mayor.

So it's not something that happens very often.

Um I'm sure next year, if you're uh head of uh some other committee, you'll uh you'll get to you'll get to practice it.

Um so this is kind of a uh the other side of the coin we just were talking about.

Um when being told that, well uh chapter 329 and the X-1987 never went into effect and functionally can never go into effect because no executive is going to be willing to give up any of their uh power.

Uh I uh asked the city attorney for an explanation of uh section six-four of the Somerville Charter.

Uh section six-four of the Somerville Charter, uh very clearly says that the mayor will submit to the city council uh the school budget as adopted by the school committee.

Now, um on the plain reading and language, that would seem to indicate that the approval of the school committee, the adoption of the school committee is a prerequisite to submitting something to us.

So first I was wondering if procedurally we were in the wrong, uh, because a vote to adopt the budget had not been taken by the school committee before it was presented to the city council.

Uh and then my other question was well, wouldn't this explicitly allow the uh school committee to provide us to provide a different budget to adopt a different budget, which would then uh by our charter be required to be presented to the city council.

Uh now, as uh one of the legislators that drafted the document, um, and as the chair of the charter committee, which uh wrote that document um uh and reviewed every word of it through some very lengthy public meetings that are available on video.

Uh I'm very clear on what was intended there, but uh I was curious to see what uh our city solicitor would have to say on it to make sure that we can be on the right side of the law.

So uh a memo was prepared.

I hope it has been attached to this item because it was a separate PDF memo.

Um but I would love for uh Solicitor Amara to tell uh us and the public what what that answer is.

Did he solicitor where would you like to respond?

One moment, I'm just trying to alternate between my screens.

Um we believe that the budget is submitted by the mayor is lawful and was properly put before you.

Um since that time, we have also gone back and read or and reviewed the minutes and the tapes of the charter commission in an effort to understand what they were the main goals were and the main goals as set forth in the charter, even though there was discussion about not finding the existing process particularly effective all the time, that in the interest of putting a charter forward, the main goals were to ensure that there were more timely submittals so that there was more room for participation by the council, by the public, um, that the mayor would have a budget presented by the school committee, which is the quote-unquote department head for the school department.

They are like any other department head, they they submit their requested budget to the mayor.

The mayor has to provide a budget, an operating budget for the entire city to the city council.

And the the main thing was to try to push back timelines, particularly so the council would have more time to review the budget and wouldn't be crunched at the end of the year.

That's our understanding.

To that end, sorry, I apologize.

To that end, they put in place the charter provision, which is consistent with the state law.

And it really was a requirement that the school committee, as the department head was responsible for submitting its proposed budget to the mayor, and the mayor has to include the school committee budget as part of the operating budget.

It's not a separate and distinct, it never has been and never was intended to be, because there's only one big pot of money.

Um, so that's what was happening.

At the time the mayor submitted his proposal, the mayor, who is a member of the school committee, had attended the, if I get this right, the finance committee, which was meeting as a committee of the whole, where at that meeting the school committee voted to approve the amount requested by the superintendent, but to also increase that amount by roughly, I believe it was 600 plus thousand dollars.

Um that was not a proper vote at the time by the school committee, because it was not a vote of the school committee as a whole, and that's been they did this same problem happened last year, and the school's attorney informed them you need to have a vote.

So the mayor, in submitting his budget, took the information he had, which was what was expected to be approved and which ultimately was and has been approved by the school committee and which has been communicated to the council that the school committee has now acted.

So all the information that was presented to this the council is consistent with what the goals of the charter were and is consistent with what was put forward by the um school committee.

So all the information has been presented to the council in as timely a manner as is possible, and the mayor submitted his budget in as timely a manner as is possible.

There in my opinion, in the law department's opinion, it is a completely lawful budget presentation.

Thank you, city attorney.

Um as far as I'm concerned, you still have the floor, Councilor Scott.

Oh, I can also come back to you.

Uh thank you.

I I then I appreciate that.

Um I'll make way.

I just want to clarify that uh what I think I heard there is that you know the school committee made a procedural boo-boo.

Uh, and hey, you know what?

Everybody does that.

Uh that's something we've had to go back and fix procedural mix-ups on the city council plenty of times.

Uh, but uh that was because they didn't take a vote in the full uh school committee meeting as a whole, they have taken in another committee, so they they cleaned up the procedure.

Uh that's fine.

I guess my my larger question is just uh specifically, you know, there was uh the assertion made that there's only one big pot of money.

That's not true.

The state law really separates what uh can be done with each pot of money and uh who has control over the exercise and use of and and allocation within those two big pots of money.

Um they're they're they're very distinct and separate.

Uh but I am still stuck on the plain reading.

So the uh the school budget shall be submitted to the mayor on or about May 15th.

Okay.

I'm hoping uh that that was done.

Um but the budget that was submitted to the mayor on or about May 15th was not the one adopted by the school committee, it was the one prepared by the administration, by the school's administration.

And I think that's an important distinction.

Uh, Licister Mark, can you speak to the distinction between the superintendent, which is administration, uh, versus the school committee, which is the legislative elected body.

That's exactly right.

Um the school committee gets to submit its proposed budget to the mayor, just like any other department head gets to submit its own budget.

So they submitted a budget.

The mayor is not required to put in that dollar amount, and it does not say he has to put in that dollar amount.

This is consistent with the Lemonster case.

This is consistent with what prior practice had been, and what is consistent with the the fact that the mayor has to put in one budget for everyone, and it does include the school committee budget.

Um our read of this is when you take the language as a whole, and when you look at what the statute was designed to do, it was primarily designed to give everyone more time to have um budget information before them.

It was not designed to change what had been and what is existing practice, and the mayor has the authority to submit the budget, and that is his obligation under state law and under this charter.

If the charter also goes in and specifically states that, you know, we can't go against state law, right?

So the mayor cannot decrease the amount of a school budget to a level that would not allow the school department to fulfill its obligation obligations under its statutory requirements to provide each student with a uh uh public education, right?

There is no indication that that is the case here because the budget that it was submitted is higher even than the budget that was passed last year.

So the school committee budget, and no one has questioned but that the school can meet its statutory minimum requirements.

If this if the mayor were to say zero money for the school, then yes, you're correct.

State law would say you gotta you gotta meet what them meet that statutory requirement.

That's not the issue here.

But when there's one pot of money, the school committee can't hijack the budget and say we want everything for us and leave nothing for the rest of the city.

You know, the constituents in the city still needs to run.

We still need to have snow plumbing, we still need to have potholes filled, we still need to have a budget.

That's why the mayor takes the budget information from all department heads, and it's clear that the school committee, because the school committee is responsible for taking the money that is appropriated to the school committee, to the school department and deciding how it feels it should best be spent in the school department.

Um no one else can make that decision for them.

And that's completely consistent with how things have been.

It's consistent with the language of the statute and the other provisions of the statute, even in preserving the right that if you wanted to go under that special act, which is a quote-unquote general law, and change the process like you this council tried to do unsuccessfully last year, the charter still allows that as an option going forward.

But this is consistent with um the rules of Department of Labor with the requirement that the mayor has to submit one budget for the city, and there is no indication that when you read this as a whole, that it was designed to do anything other than make it clear that the school committee is the department had authorized to submit a budget to the mayor, and the mayor has to include that information.

And the mayor has to include that information.

The mayor couldn't just put a number up there and not put forward the information.

Thank you, city attorney and counselor Scott.

I'm guessing that you have some more.

I don't know it's going to be on this matter.

Could I come back to you?

I definitely want to yield.

I just want to correct one thing, which is uh I wrote this sentence uh and it's on the page.

Uh it was from the slides of the May 10th of 2023 city council meeting.

So I'm I know what my intent was.

Um, so uh, but I'll yield to Councilor Strezo and uh and come back to it later, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Counselor Scott.

Counselor Streso.

Uh thank you, colleagues and Mr.

Chair.

And uh I don't have a question, I just have a uh comment.

And goodness, colleagues, we're not deliberating tonight, but it seems with all this conversation that we really don't have a choice but an up and down vote on this school budget, be it as it may.

That's all.

Thank you, Councillor Strezzo.

Um I'm happy to come back to you, Counselor Scott.

I have just a question on this uh on this topic for the city solicitor.

So there's suppose the charter language were the most unambiguous it could possibly be.

And it said in five different ways, all consistently, that uh the mayor has absolutely no wiggle room, no choice but to wait until the school committee has approved a budget, and that budget and only that budget can be part, you know, representing the school's portion of the city budget.

Just just suppose in a hypothetical.

Would that, if that were in the city charter, would that hold you know legal sway, or would the Lemonster case and state law supersede it.

Oh sorry, city attorney, I think you're muted.

I apologize.

I I think a couple of concepts are getting mixed together.

First of all, that's not the situation we have here.

Um, and then you're mixing sort of two concepts that one is that if I understand correctly, if the city council didn't submit a budget, the mayor couldn't lawfully present a budget.

That would make no sense.

Um, and and I can't imagine there being any situation where that would be the case because then it would be throwing state law and finance, municipal finance on its head and would put the city at grave risk for trying to go forward starting July 1.

Um, there would I I can't imagine that something like that would ever be passed.

Um if there were language uh I'm sorry, Councillor Streso, I'm gonna slip respectfully.

Uh I I understand we're just gonna let city attorney Amara finish, but city city attorney, if you could uh wrap up your response soon.

I I was just going to say that you know, if there was specific unambiguous language that said they had to put in the exact dollar amount provided by the school committee, I would look at that perhaps differently.

I'm not going to sit here and and um automatically say my result would be different or the intent would be different or the result, but you would need language at least that strong to even attempt to throw the entire world of municipal finance on its head, and we don't have that before us.

So I I can't answer those hypotheticals any better for you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that, city attorney.

Council Street.

Yes, please forgive me.

So is not trying to interrupt.

This is why these virtual rooms are just a weird space for all of us, including me.

Um sorry to uh Mr.

Chair through you too, Director Amara.

Please forgive me.

I did not intend to interrupt you, but I did want to uh put on the point.

Um way back machine, 2020, first term retro folks.

Some of these colleagues here, we did reject that first city budget that uh in the pandemic, my what?

Totally going retro.

First couple months, possibly first month on the council, first budget season.

We did reject that uh the mayor's budget uh uh entirely.

I believe it was unanimous, uh if I may, through uh Mr.

Chair through you to Councilor Scott.

He is nodding his head, yes.

Okay, that is all I have to say on that, but thank you very much for all this feedback and a lot of thinking to do.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Streso.

Um Councilor Scott, do you have more thoughts and comments?

I do.

Uh this to the solicitor's first point, the the her answer to the first part of your question.

Uh there would never be a situation where the school committee uh refused to provide a budget that would throw the whole thing into works because the charter has very specific language that the school committee must provide a budget by a certain date.

Failing to follow the terms of the charter uh turns everything.

It would use a phrase from Councillor Bill White many years ago, uh, we would descend into chaos, right?

We we only voluntarily or as a society that follows laws, we choose to make these laws we have to follow, right?

And there are remedies in the event that a school committee does not provide uh a budget by a date certain, uh, the mayor has remedies underneath state law.

So uh that said, uh to the second point uh of your question, Councilor Wheeler.

Um, would this uh language in our charter be preempted by state law?

Uh we have an example uh where we know the answer to that question.

Um for the city of Somerville is able to have our condo conversion ordinance, uh, which provides certain tenant rights, uh, because there was a special act of the state legislature uh way back when the state legislature subsequently uh that was a home rule petition.

The state legislature subsequently passed different language that is actually more restrictive.

And so cities and towns all over the commonwealth can't do as much as we do in our condo conversion ordinance.

But because this is a special act, a home rule petition, uh it pertains.

It's more specific.

So in this case, what's interesting is that rather than go through a charter change process through an elected commission or any other method, uh Mayor Kurtoni chose to pursue this uh through a home rule petition process, which means our charter, as it exists, is a special act of the state legislature, uh, which uh you know, to my mind, uh would make it uh would give it primacy.

Uh but I understand that it is the city solicitor's opinion.

Uh that uh that that's not what I meant when I wrote that sentence.

Um I think that's that's a challenge for me.

Um but even if uh taking my personal challenge out of it, uh, I would say that this once again uh brings up balance of power questions.

Uh this was uh the slides of May 10th were actually some of the final slides.

It was one of the final meetings of our charter commission because there were thorny issues that still needed to be resolved uh about both balance of power and submission timelines for the budget.

I will point out that we received this year's budget uh later than we have received other budgets.

So if the intent was to be sure that we are provided the budget in a timely manner, uh it failed.

Um the earlier timelines that I was proposing at the time did not pass uh my colleagues, the vote of my colleagues to be adopted in the charter.

And so we are where we are.

Perhaps an amendment to the charter is in order to clarify uh to clarify this condition that we are in.

However, uh, I would point out once again that uh it would be a home rule petition, uh which would require the mayor's signature.

So we are left again in a balance of power situation where the city council is being told by our lawyer, by our attorney, solicitor Mara, you've said many times you are our lawyer, and I uh I take you at your word.

Um we are told once again the city council has no power.

Uh so uh to my colleague at largest point, uh, the nuclear option uh maybe the only option left to us.

Uh this is um I think becoming dangerously close to the riot being the language of the unheard.

So uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh thank you, solicitor Amara, for this explanation.

Uh the memo that you did submit was a PDF.

Uh, can I ask Clerk Henderson if that uh can be uh attached to this item?

Um thank you for the question uh through the chairman.

That cannot um be that memo that cannot be added.

It would have to be the same way that you um would do it for the previous item.

So you would have to submit it through a new new item.

And then we would link it.

May I offer a possibly different solution?

Excuse me, sorry.

Committee clerk.

Please go ahead, Clerk.

We could add it as a handout to the meeting, but Clerk Henderson is correct in that it will not be linked to anything or just fee on this reading.

As a handout.

If you would like to do that, you can send it to you could send it to orders and resolution.

So we can make sure that gets attached.

Sure, I'll send it as a handout to attach.

Counselor Scott and to the item.

I'll submit a separate one.

Counselor Scott, I I just I also see a hand from uh IGA Director Amanda Nagem Williams.

Director.

Good evening, Mr.

Chair.

Amanda Nadine Williams, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Uh, it is the administration's uh plan to submit this as a communication for the council meeting next week, uh, so that this will then go back and be attached to the item.

So uh I'll take that task on for you, Counselor Scott's.

Uh no worries, we'll make sure that it gets attached to the item.

Oh, I love it when you take things off my action item list, Director Williams.

Um, Mr.

Chair, I think I'm all set.

Apologies.

I just want to clarify nothing can be attached to this specific item, but we can link the items just so there's no confusion.

Thank you, Clerk, for that clarification.

Um it sounds like we are at the end of discussion on this item.

Uh, so this will be marked work completed.

Uh, with thanks and appreciation to everybody who participated in that illuminating discussion.

Uh Mr.

Chair, I saw did I see some hands come up and then go back down from colleagues?

Um I'd love to hear anybody else's thoughts on this.

I've heard my own enough.

All right.

Are there any other members of the committee who have thoughts on this matter before we move on?

Chair, I had I'd raised my hand.

Um I guess two reasons.

One, I wanted to um point out that it could be added as a as a handout because I've run into that situation myself already.

Um, but uh, but also um, I guess just uh I will say that my ordinary human brain.

Um I think to steal uh a phrase from uh the chair reading section six four is uh also that like you know that we would anticipate that we would have the uh school committee's approved budget as part of the budget.

I I do understand the um the challenge that that creates in terms of they could just in theory um create a budget that is you know the same size as the city's budget, and that would obviously pose some problems.

Um it's just the way that I read it was that that this was our our kind of way to solve this um this thorny issue of the the fact that we've got um chapter 329 that can you know of it dangling in front of us, but um always out of reach, uh, which seems um not to be the intent, I'm sure of the people who who wrote it.

Um and uh yeah it is it is a disappointing situation, and I I really do want to find a way as a city that we can um have a check in a balance.

Uh, I realize we're in a strong mayor system, but uh strong mayor doesn't have to the only power is the mayoral.

So there should be a check in a balance.

Um thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Councillor Link.

Counselor Hart.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, I just want to appreciate all my colleagues for for this discussion and the questions.

Um and um, yes, I've learned a lot in this discussion and and definitely um I don't concur that it it does uh you know, for the sake of representing our constituents in the city and um and the democratic process seems that we should have more of checks and balances in this process.

So I appreciate it.

Thank you, Councillor Hart.

Any other comments for the committee?

Uh okay.

Uh and thank you, Counselor Scott, for the heads up.

I want to make sure that we are hearing from everybody who has something to say.

So that's that's appreciated.

Uh so again, this item will be marked work completed with appreciation for everybody who participated in discussing it.

Moving on.

Uh Department of Public Works.

Uh, okay.

So we have uh, I believe still uh director of finance and administration, Megan Huckenpoller.

We may also have Commissioner of Public Works, Eric Weisman.

And Director and Commissioner, I would like us to take up items 14.1 through 14.8 together as they all relate to snow removal.

And then we can take up the prior year invoice item 14.9 after that.

Does that sound good?

That works for us.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

I've got some reading ahead of me.

Item 14.1, 26-0903 requesting approval of a transfer of $400,000 from the Department of Public Works Sanitation Rubbish Removal Account to the Snow Removal Account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And item 14.2, 26-0899, requesting approval of a transfer of $300,000 from the Department of Public Works Sanitation and Recycling Account to the Snow Removal Account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And item 14.3, 26-0898, requesting approval of a transfer of $300,000 from the Department of Public Works custodial salaries account to the snow removal account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And item 14.4, 26-0897, requesting approval of a transfer of 150,000 from the Department of Public Works ground wages account, grounds wages account to the snow removal account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And I team item 14.5, 26-0896, requesting approval of a transfer of 110,000 from the Department of Public Works Building Wages account to the snow removal account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And item 14.6, 26-0893, requesting approval of a transfer of 455,000 from the Department of Public Public Works Highway Wages Account to the Snow Removal Account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And item 14.7, 26-0885, requesting approval of a transfer of $125,000 from the Department of Public Works Administrative Salaries Account to the Snow Removal Account to cover expenses from the fiscal year 2026 winter weather season.

And item 14.8, 26-0922, requesting the appropriation of $1,624,494 from the unreserved fund balance free cash to the Department of Public Works Snow Removal Account to reduce a year end deficit.

Okay, Director Huckenpoller, could you please tell us about these appropriations and transfers?

All of these together are combined to cover the remaining balance for the snow season, which was extraordinary.

And so we spent quite a bit to remove snow and keep the streets plowed for the residents of Somerville.

Under state law, this is one line that is allowed to exceed its original appropriation.

And these end of year transfers are so that we can cover that deficit and make sure that we are paying that off.

We budget conservatively in sanitation as well because we are always making sure that we have enough in case of emergency there.

So these are going to close out the snow removal line and allow us to put the winter weather season to bed.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Director.

Okay.

Are there questions or comments from the committee on these?

I am not seeing any.

Thank you so much, Director Huckenpoller.

So with that said, these items are laid on a table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

And that brings us to item 14.9 requesting uh sorry, 26-0998 requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling 41,257 and five cents using available funds in various Department of Public Works accounts for various services.

Sure.

So there's a number of prior year invoices from fiscal year 25 that I am happy to go through.

Um the first one we are looking to pay is for Graystone.

This is for uh rental of the property to lay uh piping along the commuter rail.

This is in the amount of 315.

We have an amount of 1,148 and 7272 cents as a solar credit that we pay back to a company called Select Energy for solar credits created at the high school.

Similarly, we have another solar credit uh coming in to a company called Sunwealth for the amount of $2,115 and 91 cents.

To Northeast Electrical, we have a prior year invoice totaling $891.53.

Again, for electric bills, we have standard solar paying them for two accounts, prior year invoices for solar credits totaling 21,178.5 cents.

Um Allegiant Access, uh, we are paying them for repairs to doors at the East Branch Library.

Um this was avoided payment uh that was issued electronically and never um reissued as a check when they had trouble accessing their payment.

This is in the amount of 1,423 and 84 cents.

Always green landscaping.

We are paying for work on Lincoln Park in the amount of 14,040.

And then uh to an employee of the Department of Public Works for a reimbursement of their licensure, uh 144.

Thank you, Director.

Um questions from members of the committee on this.

Thank you, Chair through you.

Uh this is just more curiosity.

I mean, is there is there a way that we are we just kind of is this the cost of doing business?

Is there not not a I'm guessing there's not really a good way to um avoid getting uh these kind of late um like oh hey, six years ago or whatever it might have been, you forgot to pay us.

Um or oh whoops, we forgot to bill you.

Um is there no way to kind of avoid that and make our budget a little more predictable.

Through the chair, thank you for the question.

Um this is 41,000 out of an almost 40 million dollar budget in fiscal year 25, which means if we look at the over 11,000 invoices paid by our clerical staff, that's a 99.9% accuracy rate.

And this is the 0.1% that gets missed.

Um I can go through them individually, you know, in some cases with the solar credits.

Okay.

Uh to the chair.

Uh, I I it was more of a just a general question, uh high-level question.

I did I do not need to drill down on on any one of these specifically.

Thank you.

Uh it was more just about like it's on uh I guess actually, so just for clarification, um was this using paying them or them missing billing us.

Or thanks for the question.

Yeah, in most cases, it was vendors not getting invoices to us directly.

In one case, I mentioned with the repairs for the East Branch Library doors, they were issued a payment electronically.

They were never able to access those funds to not reach out through the proper channels to get that check reissued.

Um, and in some cases for the solar credits, um, you know, we are collaborating with them to get the documentation from EverSource on how much solar was generated.

And so we get the discount on our Eversource bills, and then we reimburse uh the solar credit companies.

Thank you very much.

Uh, and just to be clear, uh, this was not meant to be like a criticism of the your department.

Um it was more just my own edification um and curiosity.

Thank you.

Understanding appreciate it.

Thank you, Councilor Lake.

Counselor Scott.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh, just as historical perspective here.

Uh fast do invoices are uh definitely a part of the cost doing business in my experience.

However, uh I will say, boy, has this gotten a lot better than it used to be in terms of both the volume and magnitude of the prior year invoices.

Some sometimes something's always going to slip through the cracks.

But I very much want to appreciate uh the work that's been done to minimize how many of these we're having to deal with.

Um that said, you know, Mr.

Chair, customarily an item is attached or a document is attached to these items that summarizes the prior invoice amounts and dates and then uh has actual copies of those invoices uh submitted to the council.

Uh I know I might be the only person in the city of Somerville that looks at those.

Uh, but I I definitely I definitely do and do my homework.

So I'm maybe I'm missing it because I've been known to miss things in Legistar, but I don't see those here, and I don't believe we ever got them.

Counselor Scott, I I do think that uh while there is not an attachment, the text tab has a description uh of each of these.

And uh I I appreciate you pointing it out because I missed that list too.

I tend to just pay attention to the attachments and uh not so much to think to look for much content in the text.

Okay, so we have the explanation here, but not necessarily the the uh photo documentation of it.

All right.

Um well then just as a matter uh for practice, I I love a text summary here.

Um uh because that actually helps folks who want to find out what happened and why in the future.

Um but I do also like having those documents attached here.

So maybe in the future, when uh prior year invoices come up, we can uh attach those those uh image files.

Thank you, Mr.

Mr.

Chair.

And thanks again to Director Hogan.

Thank you, Chair.

I may have forgotten to check that those attachments should be made public.

Uh I will work to follow up and get those invoice attachments to you to view as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Counselor Scott, and thank you, Director Hawkingpower.

Uh I am not seeing any other comments uh or questions from the committee.

And so this item is placed on file uh to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Late on the table.

Late on the table.

Sorry.

Oh, sorry.

You're right.

I'm not looking at my notes and my brain is doing something else.

Uh, this item is laid on the table to recommend approval at the end of the meeting.

Thank you.

Uh okay, and that brings us to um an item that we have seen before.

Uh, this police department item 15.126-0378 requesting approval to accept and expend a 231,635 dollar grant with no new match required from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to the police department for a body worn camera program.

Um this one, uh back when I was making the agenda together with intergovernmental affairs director Amanda Najin Williams and discussing whether to schedule this one or not.

Uh I was thinking that even though uh we've been informed that the administration intends to introduce an item with a lower grant total that will supersede this one.

Um, I thought that having this one here could give an opportunity to ask any questions and get answers um with the uh Summerville Police Department.

Uh I will say there was some discussion in last night's meeting about body worn cameras, which made me think maybe uh it was not as necessary for us to have this one here.

Um, but here on the agenda it is.

And so um I first I just ask uh, do we have uh director of finance administration for the police department, Emily Wisdom and or police chief Shimane Bedford here with us?

Uh I see Chief Benford and Emily Wisdom.

Um okay, thanks.

So uh I know we've done some discussion on this.

Uh there is an opportunity here for any members of the committee to ask questions uh about this grant.

Uh I know we've had quite a bit of discussion, and I think we will going forward.

Um, but is there anything that any members of the committee want to ask or say now?

I see Counselor Scott.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I simply uh I was hopeful that this item was on our agenda, so just place it on file.

Um I believe that is the um the appropriate disposition if the administration is gonna be submitting uh some different request.

Uh clearly this request is no longer uh moot.

So I would just say um I just move to place this on file, sir.

Uh thank you, Counselor Scott.

Um there had been a suggestion that we discharge this without a recommendation.

Um I could use a little help understand if there's any distinctions there that matter.

Um if we uh if we place an item on file in committee, does it just sit in committee?

Does it go back to the broader council?

I guess I'm a little confused about what happens then.

Uh procedurally, sir, that that motion to place on file becomes a part of the recommendations of the committee.

I see submit your committee report.

Uh the council by accepting it uh accepts all the actions, which then places that item uh on file, you know, shoves it in a in a bin uh for forever.

It's still on the on the record is an item that we discussed, and so the record of it is still maintained, but uh no actions taken on it.

Uh so that I would prefer that simply because discharging this without a recommendation puts a live item back before uh the city council, and I don't think that's anybody's intention.

And frankly, it would give me heartburn if that was attempted.

So uh that said, if we move and place it on file tonight, and somebody disagrees with that procedurally and wants to resurrect this item, uh, the item can be severed from your committee report at our next city council meeting.

So there is a remedy to it uh if somebody does want to uh to go that far.

Thank you for that clarification, Counselor Scott.

I saw IGA Director Amanda Nagem Williams uh turn on her camera.

Is that an indication of having something to add to this discussion?

Uh to you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh not this moment.

I'll I'll let uh Chief Benford and Director Wisdom uh speak and I can chime back in if needed.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Chief Benford and Director Wisdom.

Um, do you have anything to add uh on this on this item as distinct from the the broader matter of body water cameras?

Sure.

I uh thank you very much, uh Mr.

Chair, and thank you to the full committee.

Uh I just want to uh again thank uh uh Emily for being here tonight after the long night, as well as all the committee members.

Um, and um would look to uh to defer over to her to give uh just a tad bit of uh context with regards to uh where we stand uh on uh the uh the numbers um and the status of the grant self.

So I will pause there and defer over to Director Wisdom.

Thank you, Chief.

Director Wisdom.

Um at this time, this grant of 231,000 um is still in committee, so it has not been accepted.

Um and it is in, I believe, still an ongoing discussion.

Um at the if to summarize the cost of the uh the total of the grant would cover the initial cost uh startup for um the first year, as well as a partial um uh a partial payment towards the second year of recurring cost.

Mr.

Chair, are you muted out there through the chair?

Thanks, Counselor Scott.

I was I was like, did I not talk?

No, no, we we have director wisdom, but thank you so much.

He's off camera.

Sorry, my uh internet had a hick all right.

What sounds like the chair is having difficulties here.

Uh we'll give the chair a few minutes to try to resolve those uh difficulties.

Can uh can folks hear me again?

Okay.

Oh, we got your back, sir.

Got your back.

Woo!

Just in time.

I was about to seize the wheel.

All right.

Um thank you very much, Vice Chair.

Appreciate that.

Um, I I think I heard uh the first half or so of what you were saying, Director Wisdom.

Um just just to clarify, and sorry if this became clear to everybody else while I was uh out in Internet La La Land.

Um but uh is there an intention to uh to replace this item with uh another item with a lower note?

And I'm seeing a hand from IGA Director Nature Williams.

Uh to you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh, thank you for the question.

And the clarification is that we're not going to be submitting a new item um with a different number associated with the grant.

So that 231635 is still the number.

Uh the hope was that we could explain a bit uh how we plan to implement this with the uh update from the SPSOA, uh, the superior some some of the I'm gonna butcher the acronym right now, but the superior officers um and explaining what that would look like in terms of implementation.

Uh, but it is the hope of the administration that should we um get this grant and the council approves this expending of this of these funds that we would um purchase all the technologies available um at that time with the grant the full amount.

I see.

Okay, sorry.

I there had been some discussions I had had with IGA uh earlier where I had the impression there was going to be a new item submitted with a different uh grant application amount.

Um so I'm updating my information.

That is not the case.

This is the grant before us.

Uh so you know, just I just want to name that we are back in the mix uh with this sort of uh somewhat awkward collection of different items in different committees that relate to the question of adopting body worn cameras.

Um none of which by themselves uh sort of is the entirety of us doing it or not doing it.

Uh and I understand some things are complicated.

That is the nature of this set of items, but uh it is it it does confuse things a little bit, I think for our decision making that um whether this item could be carried out uh depends in part on the surveillance technology impact report, for example, in another committee.

Um not seeing uh uh an immediate comment in response to that.

Why don't we continue and and go to some of the members of the committee here?

And um councillor Scott, because you uh were speaking on this a moment ago, I might skip you, go to Councilor Hart and come back.

Okay, Councilor Hart.

Thank you, Chair.

Um I just wanted to uh uh clarify.

I in back a month or two or longer, maybe we had a memo.

Um I believe from uh the police department detailing the costs over the you know year one, year two, year three.

And I just wanted to clarify, we have not yet seen a memo that would with those numbers revised.

Is that correct?

I'm uh go ahead, Amanda.

Uh please go right ahead.

Through you, Mr.

Chair to Counselor uh Hart.

Uh so there was an item that was submitted last week, but it was sent um to Ledge Matters with those updated numbers.

Um, but the information is out there, so we can still speak to that, but it has it was sent to Ledge Matters, so the updated numbers were provided.

Okay, thank you for reminding me where we find that.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, Councilor Hart.

Councilor Scott.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Chair.

Uh I'll admit to being uh baffled uh by this uh because uh I had heard the same information you had, which was that uh the city would be coming back to uh with a different grant amount to or reduced funding uh to try to pursue uh the superior officers pilot program.

However, that said, we are still in the same situation we have been in previously, which is that the city council can in no way accept this grant uh because that would be in violation of our laws.

Uh we have the surveillance technology impact report uh and the technology specific use policy that must be uh adopted by the city council before we can accept this grant.

So um given that uh I mean if the if the committee would like to take a vote to simply reject this grant uh or to uh place the item on file, which would functionally do the same thing, we can do that.

But if it is the intention of the administration to come back under this same item, uh then I would think procedurally the correct thing to do would be to place the item on uh or to leave the item in committee uh so that at a future time, uh once those uh technology impact reports and surveillance uh tech specific surveillance use policies have been adopted by the city council, uh then this committee can uh vote out that item uh with a recommendation uh and put it before the entire city council.

So just procedurally, that's how it would be uh correct to proceed in my opinion, Mr.

Chair.

I I would just submit that uh another possible approach could be to discharge this item without a recommendation with the expectation that it could be taken up by the whole council along with uh surveillance technology impact reports.

Um, but I I do agree that that would there's there's a bunch of a bunch of forms and forums of sort of punting the item forward.

Uh and I'm not sure.

Yeah, please go ahead.

No, Ms.

Chair, we I have uh discussed the scheduling on uh body worn cameras.

There is a public hearing uh before accepting those technology impact reports and uh tech-specific use policies that was uh requested by a petition and sent to legislative matters right now.

It's looking like that is going to be scheduled for September.

Uh discharging the item at this point, uh, I think does nobody any good unless it's the administration's intention to try to ram through an illegal approval of uh this or uh rather to uh try to ram through approval of those use policies and impact reports uh prior to that public hearing.

So uh sure.

I I would just make the distinction between uh illegal and uh unsafe in politic.

Right.

Well, no, we obviously they could they could discharge uh the items, uh they could request somebody to discharge those items from legislative matters and attempt to push it through all in one uh city council meeting prior to uh our recess.

But I'd have to tell you I I would I would uh I I do I do contest the use of the word push.

Uh if items are before the council and the council votes on it, I think that is a fair thing to do when it's done within the law, but I take the point that um that that can be done in a way that from some perspectives is rushed and from others isn't.

And I'm not saying this with any prior assumption about this item.

I just want to make sure that we're describing the situation accurately.

Well, perhaps we can ask uh uh our intergovernmental affairs director here.

Uh, is it the intention of the administration to try to discharge these uh surveillance technology impact reports and surveillance uh specific use policies uh and get them approved prior to that public hearing?

Yeah, I want I want to recognize that ITA Director Nadine Williams has had her hand up uh before.

So please feel free to say what you were uh we could have talked about before, as well as responding to Councillor Scott's question.

Thank you to you, Ms.

To you, uh Mr.

Chair.

Uh so one item that I wanted to just uh state is that uh we can certainly accept the funds, but we cannot spend those funds until as Councillor Scott had mentioned, um, the surveillance uh tech use um the STER and the um I think there's another document that the acronym again is escaping me um is approved.

So uh and that is not the administration's uh intent at all to circumvent any of the processes that are in place.

Um so we want to go through all of the procedures that are necessary to be able to spend those funds.

Um, but uh from uh legality standpoint, uh it is the understanding that we can accept those funds, but we cannot spend those funds until all of those additional steps are taken.

Um and I think to the questions that Councilor Scott had about the public hearing, um, my the administration's understanding of the public hearing is that uh a public hearing can happen at you know at any time.

The votes are not required um to be had for that public hearing to take place.

Um, but the administration is in support of having the public hearing and the conversations to ensure that all the voices are heard on this topic in time, but it is still the preference that this item be discharged with um without the recommendation and have it laid on the table um for the upcoming council meetings as unfinished business.

Thank you, Director.

Uh Councilor Scott, uh I'm gonna call my councilor link.

Yeah.

And come back to you.

Councilor Link.

Thank you, Chair.

Through you, I think it would be an entirely inappropriate to accept funds that we may not be able to actually use.

Um, so I'm not sure why we're even having this discussion.

Um, especially given that our previous uh understanding was that we weren't even going to be looking at this particular amount.

Um, but I I just proceed, like in terms of not procedural called process, in terms of process, uh open, transparent democratic process where um you know the the public has a right to have a voice um and uh has actually exercised that right.

Uh I think that it would be in uh incredibly inappropriate for us to try to move this along.

Um thank you, Councilor Link.

Counselor Scott.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would just once again draw your attention and city staff's attention for that matter to section 10-65 of the code of ordinances, uh surveillance technology impact report and technology specific surveillance use policy.

The uh second sentence in that ordinance says the city may seek but not accept funds for surveillance technology without approval of the city council, provided the city shall notify, blah blah blah, blah, blah.

So uh this is this is kind of bonkers to me.

Um I agree.

So um I'm gonna make a motion to keep this in committee, Mr.

Chair, uh, and then we can have a vote on that motion if you like.

On that motion, and uh I'm trying to remember the order of precedence here uh to remind myself whether deliberate deliberation is allowed.

Uh your impression is it is okay.

Thank you.

I'll check to be sure.

I appreciate that.

Uh yeah, uh in terms of timing.

Um it seems as though the role of the finance committee in deciding this question from a financial point of view, um continues in the sort of awkward state of not being able to fully take up that question without knowing what the kind of ultimate resolution of the stir is, um, as well as with respect to appreciation for the public hearing.

Uh as I understand it, part of the time pressure here is sort of one of relationship with some of the state grant making agencies.

Uh are there any other aspects of time pressure, uh, Director Nanjin Williams that that bear on this.

Thank you, uh, Mr.

Chair.

Um, time has uh always been of the essence on this item.

However, the administration recognizes the conversations that we've had with the council and with the community that we do not want to rush a process.

We've been in communication um with the state on this point to uh keep them updated as best we can as to where we stand in the process and explaining um all the procedures that we have to go through to accept and spend these funds.

Um at that time, I guess again, I would just make the case on behalf of the administration that um even if this item were discharged and laid on the table, um, it is not making uh a decision um exactly at this time.

Uh it still has space for further further discussion.

Uh, we're just in the hopes that we can keep this uh moving in a productive manner.

Thank you, Rector.

Councilor Scott.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I just wanted to uh let you know that I was wrong.

Uh and it's a nice thing, I think the every once in a while say I got it wrong.

Uh in particular, uh Rule 16 uh of the city council says when a question is under debate before the city council or a committee of the city council, presiding officer shall entertain no motion but and then provides a list of which uh to lay on the table is the second one.

It says uh these motions shall be decided by a majority vote of those presents, and uh the first two shall be decided without debate.

So uh okay, thank you.

And I didn't interrupt you, sir, but uh no, I understood.

And I take it that uh keeping a committee, which seems to be one of these designations that's not always explicitly laid out separately, but it it sounds like that's essentially a form of laying on the table.

Yeah.

And I'm not hearing any uh disagreement, at least from the clerk.

Uh okay.

Well, then without further deliberation, uh clerk, could you please call a roll call on keeping this item in committee?

Yes, roll call on agenda item 15.1 requesting approval to accept and expend a 231,635 grant with no new match required from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to the police department for a body worn camera program to be kept in committee.

Counselor Link.

Yes.

Counselor Shrozo.

Sure.

Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

With all counselors in favor, the item will be kept in committee.

Thank you, Clerk.

Um, okay.

Uh well, it sounds like having this item on the agenda today made sense after all.

And I appreciate everyone's participation.

And uh Chief Benford and Director Wisdom.

I appreciate your sticking this one out after last night.

Um I'll uh I'll buy you both a cup of coffee at some point as appreciation for for these late nights.

Right back at you.

We appreciate it.

I know it's been a long night uh and a long couple of weeks for you and the team as well.

So we appreciate it.

Okay, thank you.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

Okay, everyone.

So that brings us to um unfinished business.

Uh we have this item had previously been kept in committee, but the agenda for this meeting was created before that was done.

Um, but uh we will eventually uh be able to just uh have it uh wait until the right cut night, since I have learned the right designation for this.

Uh item 16.1 that the collective salaries of licensing commissioners be increased to $15,180, with the chair receiving $5,180 and licensing commissioners two and three receiving $5,000 each annually.

Um so this item will be kept in committee.

And that brings us to the end of tonight's agenda.

Uh so clerk, we have uh, if I'm remembering correctly, two items on the table uh marked to discharge without a recommendation.

Is that right?

Or am I now getting lost?

I we have items marked for approval.

Uh we have this item that is being kept in committee, and then did we have others that we were discarding?

Okay.

I'll just run through and and you can match what I have and let me know.

Thank you.

I have 15.1 and 16.1 kept in committee.

I have to be discharged with no recommendation, agenda item 10.1, and then I have to mark items work completed 12.2, 13.1, and 13.2.

And then I have the remaining items, which I will read out when we do a roll call to be marked marked as approved.

Okay, thanks.

Yes.

Now looking back, that looks correct to me.

Appreciate it.

Uh okay.

Um what would make sense to start first to uh take a roll call on approval of the items on the table?

If you would like to start with them, uh absolutely I can do that.

Okay, please.

All right, so approval of agenda items 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, 10.2, 11.2, 11.3, 12.3, 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5, 14.6, 14.7, 14.8, and 14.9, Counselor Link.

Yes.

Counselor Shrezo.

Yes.

Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

And counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

Those items are approved.

And then thank you.

Oh, please go ahead.

And then a roll call to be discharged with no recommendation.

Agenda item 10.1.

Counselor Link.

Yes.

Counselor Shrozo.

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

And then to be discharged as work completed, 12.2, 13.1, and 13.2.

Counselor Link.

Yes.

Counselor Shrozo.

Yes.

Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

And we have accounted for all items on this evening's agenda.

Thank you so much.

Uh, do I hear a motion to adjourn?

You better.

I hear several counselors move to adjourn.

Go with counselor.

Including counselor Hart.

Um Counselor Hart moves to adjourn.

Could the clerk uh please read the roll call on adjournment or take the roll call on a journal?

And on adjournment.

Counselor Link.

Yes, please.

Counselor Shrozo.

Yes.

Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

And with that, we are adjourned.

Thank you all very much and have a great night.

Good night, everyone.