All right, I'm gonna go ahead and start the meeting.

Good evening, everyone.

Um, it is what Thursday, May 21st, 2026 at 702 p.m.

I call to order this land use committee meeting.

Uh, and we'll start with uh committee attendance.

Um, I'm gonna do a roll call if you don't mind, because I think we might need to make sure we have a two-thirds majority here this evening.

So from uh attendance standpoint, representative Adams.

What is it?

Representative Beckham.

Representative Beckham.

Representative Boudreau.

Present.

Representative Field.

Present.

Representative Finkel.

Representative Finkel.

Representative Gardner.

Representative Gardner.

Co-Chair Hughes.

Co-Chair Hughes.

And Representative Felicia.

Coach Hughes has just joined the meeting.

You're on mute.

Sorry about that.

Co Chair Yues, you there?

Yes, I'm here.

And I don't know.

I called Representative Politia.

I don't know if I was on mute.

Representative Police?

Okay.

So it seems like we are without Representatives Beckham, Finkel, Gardner, and Police, which does not give us a two-thirds majority.

So we might go a different way this evening uh as far as order of uh events.

Before I do that, uh in attendance, ex officio.

I saw Representative Walston was here.

And I'm missing anyone else.

Are there any other exoficio meeting members here?

I do not see any.

Thanks.

Thanks, Barbara.

Um, before we launch into the possibility of going to executive session on agenda item number one, again, um I just want to call out a point of information in that we don't have a two-thirds majority, so we can't go into executive session.

Uh point of order.

I'm going please, representative boudreaux.

I'm looking at the rules right now, and I think we can go into executive session with a simple majority.

I don't see anything that would require a two-thirds.

Yeah, co-chair price.

Yes, representative use.

My understanding is we can't vote on anything in executive session without some thorough two-thirds uh majority, but I believe Representative Boudreaux is correct that we're able to enter it with just the butt my question is do we have quorum?

Uh I believe we do at this point.

We've had Representative Finkel join us.

So I believe we do it this at this point.

Okay.

I believe we do at this point.

What's the process, Barbara, for going into executive session?

And uh how how do I how do I do that, please?

I would need to go ahead and open up a breakout room, and then I will uh move the members of the committee into the breakout room.

And then um when you are done, you simply come out of the breakout room and it will close.

So uh do you want to do executive session before the public hearing or do you want to do the public hearing portion first?

Uh let's go ahead and do executive session second and we'll do the public hearing first so as not to hold everyone up.

Uh so let's go ahead and do the public hearing first.

Uh coach, you okay with that?

Yes, totally okay with that.

Okay, um, so I'm gonna go ahead and read the first agenda item, and then we'll open it up to public comment.

Um, I'm assuming based on our earlier conversation, Barbara, that there are no that no one has uh signed up ahead of time to make comment.

Am I right about that?

That is correct.

Thanks.

Uh so that being said, I'm gonna go ahead and start with agenda item number one, LU 32.008, a resolution of public hearing on the sale and development of 41 Main Street, locally known as the former MITAS site.

Uh approved by the Board of Finance 600 on 514.

And uh again, there was no one who pre-signed up to speak.

Uh, we are going to limit comments this evening to three minutes per uh attendee.

And at this point, I will open it up to public comments.

Is there anyone that would like to speak uh from our current audience?

Is there anyone that would like to speak?

And last try.

Is there anyone that would like to speak?

Hearing no responses, I will close public comment at this point, and entertain a motion to move to executive session.

So do I have a second?

Thank you.

Uh committee members in favor of moving to executive session.

Please indicate by saying aye.

I need committee members not uh um voting no on moving to executive session.

Thank you.

Barbara, can you please open up a breakout room so we can uh go into executive session?

I am opening it as we speak.

Thank you.

And if if I if I can, Chair.

Um please it's uh just important to note the individuals invited into executive session.

Um so uh I would just request that my myself and attorney Delasalva uh be invited to join the executive session uh along with um yeah at the chair's discretion and members of the board and yes, and thanks for that clarification uh Matt.

Uh much appreciate you.

Uh very much appreciate it and appreciate you.

Um, I also want to make very clear that we are going into executive session because it involves a real estate transaction, and only the members of the board and city officials that are here to discuss will be able to go into the executive session.

So I just wanted to again make sure that that was on the record as well.

No votes will be taken uh during the session again.

Another point of information for you.

Okay, so just to clarify and confirm, I'm inviting the land use committee members, the two ex officio members, representative weathers and representative Walston, Director Kinones, and Attorney Delasalva.

Correct?

I I thought there was one more on Matt on Matt Cañonis' team that was uh joining us.

Or Matt, am I wrong about that?

Uh no, just me, just me and Chris tonight.

Thank you.

Sorry, thank you.

Okay.

Then I'm gonna go ahead and open the room.

How do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a h do we give us a hug Chair Price, you're on mute.

I don't know if that's intentional.

Thanks for that.

Thank you, Representative Petro.

Um, I was just letting everyone know that I had ended executive session.

Uh everyone is starting to file back in here now.

No votes were taken during executive session.

Uh Representative Gardner, Representative Beckham joined us uh a little bit late, but joined us nonetheless.

And we are coming back into the regular session at this point.

I'm just waiting for everyone to uh kind of join up.

And it looks like we've got just about everyone who has rejoined.

At this point, I will entertain a motion to vote on the item LU thirty two dot zero zero eight.

So moved.

So get back in.

And we'll we're gonna take uh Barbara, we're gonna take a roll call vote on this item.

This is a motion to approve.

Chairman Price.

I'm sorry, one more time, please.

Sorry, it's this is Chris Delisalva, assistant court counsel.

I think the only uh the summary of the item was given at executive session.

Perhaps you know, either Matt or I could could canvas the details of it before you move to a vote for the rest.

And thank you for keeping me honest.

Uh Chris, I appreciate you.

So uh if you'd like to give a summary, or you can have Matt do it.

Uh either way is fine.

Thank you very much.

You want to uh recite what you said before, Matt, or do you want me to go through the memo that I sent to the mayor?

No, I think that your memo is nice and concise, so uh I think just reading that into the record is helpful for any members of the public.

Yeah.

Okay.

For the record, this is Chris Bellaselva, assistant corporation counsel.

Uh, the city put out an RP for for the development of this property looking for at the time, student housing, uh, elderly housing, low or moderate income housing, and they received a few proposals and and decided on the one uh that's memorialized in the agreement that's before you tonight.

And what was offered was a total price of seven million eight hundred and fifty-five thousand six hundred dollars.

And that is comprised of a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar cash payment, the remaining portion being seven million six hundred and five thousand six hundred dollars of what's called cash equivalency consideration.

And that is uh based on values of the units of affordable housing that are being offered.

And the total of them uh comes up to that portion of the cash equivalency.

And that that those two portions, the cash and the cash equivalency, equal your total sale price.

Um the the buyer will will give a fifteen thousand dollar deposit once we, you know, if and when the board's approved this agreement, and uh uh the mayor countersigns it.

Uh, the buyer's taking the property as is there's no like warranties made by the city that the the property is is clean or in any way suitable for the buyer's use uh the the deal is contingent on the city's zoning planning building departments approving the project and also contingent on the buyer getting the financing that it uh proposed to use um to finance the project and as soon as those contingencies are exhausted in other words once the project is approved then the the buyer has their financing we'll have a closing you know we'll get we'll get our 250 thousand dollar check in exchange for a deed and then they have a certain amount of time to complete the project uh the deed will be by way of a quick claim deed there's no warranties of anything involved and uh the the deed will be encumbered by the buyer's promise to provide the this level of uh affordable housing that you see in the agreement for forever really and and if they don't uh if they ever stop providing it or or or for whatever reason uh the the property at the city's option would revert back to the city and um that's pretty powerful right so um the there are no brokers' fees involved uh the city didn't need to maintain any easements uh across the property and um right so now we are in the midst of of the board approval process and uh based on the amount of contingencies or the the duration of the contingencies that are baked into the agreement project completion should be somewhere in the one to one and a half years range after the closing you wrapped up is there anything else on the matter that's it sorry I should have uh had a better conclusion I left everyone hanging there sorry about that no that that's quite all right um we're uh representative uh coachair use uh just a point of information uh do we open it back up for questioning or uh do we move for a vote at this point um I believe at this point uh moving to a vote would be appropriate um but it's uh I believe we can have discussion about uh the vote once we get there if I'm correct yeah okay uh we know I'm gonna open up for discussion and if nobody have any questions or concerns then we move to a vote thanks representative I appreciate you uh at this point I will open it up for discussion uh questions comments concerns representative beckham thank you for point of clarity when we move to vote are we voting to have this go to the full board or are we voting to say we want this to move forward and this is I was thinking I came in a little late and I'm sorry my understanding is that this is a vote to put it in front of the full board.

Okay thank you I yield yeah that's correct and I I just you know as counsel I caution you all I mean there's a reason we went into executive session there are uh details about the city's positioning that are are not for the public not to be discussed that's why we went into executive session so I know that you have the right to discuss it further now but I caution you not to discuss anything that might compromise the city's position in this matter.

Thank you counselor appreciate you counselor are there any other questions or comments before I entertain motion to vote.

I will at this point uh entertain motion to take a vote on the matter.

Motion to take a vote.

So move.

Second.

And Barbara, do you want to do a roll call vote for this?

If you'd like, I can read out the names or if you'd like to read them out, I'll record them for you.

Got it.

Representative Adams.

Yes.

Representative Beckham.

Representative Boudreaux.

Yes.

Representative Field.

Yes.

Representative Finkel?

Yes.

Representative Gardner.

Yes.

Co-Chair Hughes.

Yes.

Representative Politia is not with us this evening.

And I am a yes.

Do you have a tally, perhaps, Barbara, please?

I sure do.

That tally is 800.

I think there was one.

And there's one pass.

Yeah, okay.

Fair enough.

Well, actually, did you want to go back and check the pass and see if she wants to actually vote or if she wants to abstain?

Thank you very much.

Representative Beckham, would you like to vote?

I will abstain.

Thank you.

Then that vote is seven zero one.

Gotcha.

And I am just looking.

I do apologize.

There was someone at the door, and I know that uh President Shaw is in the building.

So let me just check the door and we'll be right back.

My apologies for the interruption.

Thank you very much.

Quite all right.

Moving on to the next item.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you very much, Chris.

Appreciate you.

Thank you all.

Thank you very much, Matt.

LU 32.006.

A resolution accepting Pembroke Drive as a city street by property owners pending certification by the city engineer that Pembroke Drive meets the qualifications for acceptance.

This was submitted by Representative Weinberg.

I don't think we have the necessary materials we need in order to move this forward.

We were waiting on some materials that haven't uh we haven't gotten yet.

Um so I think we were going to either uh move this to recommit to steering or motion to reconsider.

Um I would prefer to recommit to steering at this point, but I'm happy to co-chair you thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh Representative Boudreaux.

Uh if you just if you don't mind, just a quick a quick moment.

Uh Co-Chair Hughes, do you have a preference on recommending this to steering or a motion to reconsider?

Um I prefer recommit to steering.

Representative uh Boudreau.

I I think you motion to recommit to steering.

Do I have that right?

Did I get that one?

That's correct.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All opposed.

Sounds like we're recommitting that to steering.

I don't have any other items on the agenda for this evening, but I do want to thank everyone for their help in keeping me honest tonight and steering me in the right direction.

You're all very much appreciated, so thank you.

Uh, that being said, I will entertain a motion to adjourn at this point.

So moved.

Second.

Second.

Second.

All in favor.

Thank you very much.

All have a great evening.

You as well.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Thank you, everyone.

We are adjourned at 8 09 p.m.

Good night.

Have a very good night.