ORDER-2021-153 : An Appropriation from the Peg Access Cable Fund (#2922) in the amount of $276,505 to MMTV and Melrose Public Schools.

Transcript (~9 min @ 2:05:15)

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▶ 2:05:11 Jeff McNaught: The motion passes. So that concludes our DPW business for the evening and appropriations anyway. Next, we have Order 2021-153, an appropriation from the PEG Access Cable Fund, number 2922, I believe it is. I can't see it. In the amount of $276,505 to MMTV and Melrose Public Schools, and we'll be bringing in, I believe, Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis, who we have to thank for her incredible patience. I'm so sorry that you've had to wait so long to get into the room. I'd also like to acknowledge that Ms. McAteer-Margolis is the former Ward 2 counselor which is the seat that i'm in and served the city of morrow's uh very well for many years

▶ 2:06:10 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: thank you um thank you chairman mcnaught um actually i i never had the honor of being award two counselor i was in fact a counselor at large at large okay at large right so i uh

▶ 2:06:25 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: you live around the corner i'll take all i know i do and i'm proud to be a ward two resident always and always enjoyed supporting the constituents as does yourself. I knew it was going to be a long night for you, so I did step away a few times. Thank you. I can't seem to get my video on. I don't know if that's just because… Is there a stop video button or a start video button?

▶ 2:06:53 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Yeah, there is, but it's not kind of, it's kind of not working. So, um. I haven't changed. I didn't change into my pajamas yet. So, you know, I'm waiting on that. Um, anyways, it's, uh. I'm, I'm on a different device, because in case you're hearing music in the background, my husband's, uh, blue of a kind group is rehearsing downstairs. I apologize, but they do sound nice. Oh, there we go. Great. um yes so um thank you for uh having us um chairman mcnaught president sanella and all of the board um you've done yeoman's work this evening so i hope this is the easy quick part of your night i'm coming before you to ask for our biannual appropriation from verizon and comcast which are the funding sources for MMTV. The total amount for two quarters of each disbursement, the MMTV share is $221,204. Just as a reminder, back in December, you appropriated $275,657. that did in fact include one extra payment that was held over from the previous year so our annual revenue is generally estimated to be in the vicinity of around four hundred thousand dollars from both um cable providers and i'm happy to answer any questions you might have

▶ 2:08:31 Jeff McNaught: does anyone have any questions for the former alderman at large Ms. McAteer-Margolis. Councilor Grigoraitis. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ms. McAteer-Margolis,

▶ 2:08:39 Jen Grigoraitis: for being here. I just wanted to commend MMTV for their coverage this past year, especially once we figured out the kinks in getting so many of our city meetings live streamed. I think it was a huge asset to the community and I think we've seen massively increased engagement and viewership of all meetings. So I just, I know that was a heavy lift and I wanted to thank you and the the clerk's office and the IT department for making that happen and I really hope that it's something that we can continue to pursue regardless of what happens at the state level around remote or in-person meetings just because I think it's really made city government more accessible for residents so thank you for that and I will motion to move the bottom line unless there are other

▶ 2:09:28 Jeff McNaught: questions second we have a motion made by council Gregor itis to move the

▶ 2:09:35 Jeff McNaught: Seconded by Vice Chair Eccles on discussion. Council Chairman Tozzi.

▶ 2:09:43 John N. Tramontozzi: Yes, thank you Mr. Chair and welcome this evening. This is Mackintosh Margolis. Good to see you. I have a question because I was looking back at our chatter. I tried to call for a cable television commission. What's the status of the commission? Are you a member of that commission? Or do we even have any members appointed to a commission?

▶ 2:10:05 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Typically, what happens is that when we begin the process of contract renewal, we activate the commission at that point. In the past, it has been made up of The president of our of our board, um, our executive director, usually myself, um, Patrick, so the, um. City counselor, the city attorney, and, um, generally there's a few, um, like members that might weigh in on it as well. And we will be actually beginning that process. Um, the contracts, I believe for both, um. Both providers, I believe, are up the end of 2022. so we will, in fact, beginning that be starting that process, um, in the not too distant future. Great and we have a public here. We usually have a public hearing. That's part of that where people can come and speak as well.

▶ 2:11:05 John N. Tramontozzi: Okay, because I, yeah, I might be interested in, uh, in, uh, participating in that, uh, that, that committee commission. So, well, I understand you might have a little free time on your hand.

▶ 2:11:13 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: So that would be a pleasure to have you jump into that and help us out. And I do want to just say, um, if I may, in, um, response to, uh, that, um, we were, uh, it was a little challenging at the beginning, But we were really happy that we were able to provide the kind of coverage for your meetings that that that we did, and we are hopeful that going forward, we will be able to continue to offer a hybrid version. So that people who are not able to come down to the chamber and want to watch at home or participate remotely will be able to continue to do that. They are kind of trying that out. I have to give big kudos to Patrick Doyle and Mike Miner, our executive directors, and I think they have it so that when you finally go back in person, we'll still have some options available for the public to watch remotely and participate in that fashion.

▶ 2:12:18 Speaker 4: That's great. Look forward to it. And we have a good crew down there, and we hope to get back to in-person meetings shortly. But thank you, thank you, appreciate it. No other questions, Mr. Chair.

▶ 2:12:33 Jeff McNaught: Thank you, Council Chairman Tuzzi.

▶ 2:12:36 Speaker 7: Madam Clerk, where are we on,

▶ 2:12:41 Jeff McNaught: are we bringing someone back into the room?

▶ 2:12:44 Speaker 1: I believe that Ms. Secor is back to speak to the school piece of this. Okay. If it's the will of the committee.

▶ 2:13:02 Jeff McNaught: Just by a show of hands, does anyone have any questions for Ms. Secor this order seeing none i think we'll we'll go ahead and move on to the vote chair mcnaught

▶ 2:13:20 Speaker 1: yes yes vice chair eccles yes yes councillor traymond yes councillor mcmaster yes councillor

▶ 2:13:31 Speaker 1: Garipay yes councillor Grigoraitis yes yeah councillor Migliorelli yes yes councillor Stewart? Yes. Yes. Councilor Thomas? Yes. Yes. Councilor Jamaleddine? Yes. President

▶ 2:13:48 Jeff McNaught: Cinella? Yes. Eleven yes. Motion passes. Thank you for being here and again thank you for your patience. Really appreciate it. Thank you for your approval. My

▶ 2:13:59 Jeff McNaught: pleasure. Thank you for coming back again Ms. Secor. Sorry for the mix-up. That's

▶ 2:14:06 Jeff McNaught: okay thank you have a good night um okay so that concludes our appropriations sorry uh oh that concludes our appropriations business for the evening i'll entertain a motion to adjourn