Public Comment

Transcript (~5 min @ 1:09)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 0:39 Robb Stewart: So, for the remote meeting, we have a statement to read pursuant to Governor Baker's March 12. 2020 order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law general ledger chapter 30, a section 18 and the governor's March 15, 2020 order imposing. Strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the Protection and License Committee will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. We will post an audio or video recording transcript or other comprehensive record of those proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Melrose website and on mmtv3.org. And with that, may I entertain a motion to open public comment?

▶ 1:31 Speaker 1: Motion to open the floor for public comment.

▶ 1:33 Speaker 2: Second.

▶ 1:35 Robb Stewart: A motion to open the floor for public comment made by Vice Chair Cinella, seconded by President Grigoraitis. Madam Clerk, could you please call the roll?

▶ 1:44 Speaker 3: Chair Stewart? Yes. Councillor Cinella? Yes. Councillor Garipay? Yes. Councillor Thomas? No.

▶ 1:54 Speaker 4: Yes.

▶ 1:55 Speaker 3: President Greger-Wright is? Yes. Councillor McNaught?

▶ 2:02 Speaker 5: Yes.

▶ 2:05 Robb Stewart: Great. Public comment is now open. Is there anyone in queue to speak?

▶ 2:11 Speaker 3: So let me check. If anyone would like to speak, if you could raise your digital hand. Let's see. I don't see. There's a check. Yes. The gentleman that would like to speak, let me unmute Mr. McSweeney.

▶ 2:30 Speaker 3: Mr. McSweeney, can you hear us?

▶ 2:41 Speaker 1: Can you hear me? Yes. Sorry, the app has changed a little bit. Can you hear me? Yes. Thank you everybody. Fin McSweeney, 160 West Wyoming Avenue. Just wanted to touch briefly on the nomination on the agenda tonight. Not specifically about Ms. Interna, who I don't know. I've never spoken with.

▶ 3:05 Speaker 1: The council recently had a pretty, what I thought was a pretty thoughtful conversation with the administration, the appointment of the HR director, and about how the city posts its openings, and how it recruits for its openings. And I thought that the conversation was pretty candid.

▶ 3:26 Jeff McNaught: Pardon me, I'm getting a lot of feedback here. Can everyone go on mute except for Mr. McSweeney?

▶ 3:34 Speaker 3: Sorry to interrupt. Everybody is on mute.

▶ 3:37 Speaker 1: Is it me? Is that better? Can you still hear me?

▶ 3:44 Speaker 1: That's better. Okay, great. As I was saying, I thought the council recently had a pretty thoughtful conversation on the appointment of the HR director, a pretty candid one about how the city posts for these openings and how the city recruits for these openings. And obviously, this is not a position within the city it's an appointment to a board but the boards and commissions are important too and like I said this is really not about the specific nominee who I don't know anything about except that you know she's a former commissioner former city council or former mayor so I think that anyone would would probably agree that this is not checking the boxes in terms of getting new voices into some of these roles so just in light of the what I thought was a really good conversation with the administration about HR director if there is anyone from the administration tonight to speak to the appointment I know that the mayor put out a call to the public earlier this year about board vacancies I'd personally be interested in hearing not just about you know how many people applied for this particular opening which you know which is an important one it's an important public facing one it's where a lot of people that a lot of residents go to the traffic commission um or are appointed to the traffic commission when they have traffic safety issues in the city which as we all know are very common um but but you know also more generally about um appointments to to the boards and commissions and and how the city is doing um soliciting interest so that's that that's it um thanks everyone for your time i

▶ 5:31 Speaker 4: appreciate it thank you mr mcsweeney is there anyone else who would like to speak

▶ 5:42 Mark Garipay: i don't see anybody else motion to close public participation second we have a motion to close

▶ 5:47 Robb Stewart: public comment made by council Garipay seconded by president Grigoraitis madam claire could you

▶ 5:55 Speaker 3: please call the role chair stewart yes councillor sanella yes councillor Garipay yes councillor mcnaught yes councillor thomas yes and president Grigoraitis yes six yes thank you ma'am tonight