ORDER-2018-143 : A transfer in the amount of $44,000.00 from Veteran's Benefits (015432-544000) to various Police Expense accounts as set forth herein.

Transcript (~9 min @ 5:20)

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▶ 5:15 Scott M. Forbes: seconded by alderman Letter garabedian all those in favor any opposed motion passes will be recommended to the full board next order order number 2018-143 it's a transfer in the amount of forty four thousand dollars from veteran benefits account number zero one five four three two dash five four four zero zero zero to various police expense accounts are set forth herein

▶ 5:42 John N. Tramontozzi: motion to spend the rules up to here from chief lyle we've got a motion to suspend the rules

▶ 5:45 Scott M. Forbes: by alderman trim and tozy second seconded by alden Letter garabedian all those in favor any opposed the rules are suspended chief welcome appreciate you being here tonight if you could

▶ 6:03 Scott M. Forbes: just kind of describe the uh the contents of the order if i may through the chair Thorp a couple

▶ 6:08 Speaker 1: items that i'd like to recognize a couple of officers and firefighters absolutely if i may uh first on i haven't been here so i apologize on january 12th it was a basketball game at meadows high officer jim applegate was a detail officer that night a gentleman had a medical emergency officer rapplegate initiated cpr on that gentleman mike mike hinchy a norris firefighter came out of the stands assisted and then paramedics arrived and uh from what i understand they saved the man's life that night so they did a good job to public safety number two Bill O'Donnell I don't know if you the board knows Bill O'Donnell had his last day of employment last Wednesday at the Melrose Police Department after 37 years Billy had a total of over 40 years and law enforcement from federal and state and local Billy is a veteran a Vietnam veteran he had turned 65 and he had to retire I'm I'm proud to say that Billy O'Donnell is my field training officer some 32 years ago. He instilled a lot of value in me, and I wish Billy and his family the best in Billy's retirement.

▶ 7:15 Speaker 2: Thank you. Well said, Chief. Thank you.

▶ 7:18 Speaker 1: Thank you, Chief. The order, this is a transfer of, most of these items are pertaining to the three officers who are in the academy. Excuse me, that are graduating the Redding Police Academy next month. The uniforms speak for themselves. If you want, I can break it down a little bit if you'd like. The $9,000 is for their academy fee. The $3,400 and change is for one police radio and a refurbished two radios, leaving us no spares. The police generator has sprung a leak. It needs a new radiator, and I guess it's an expensive item. They did patch it with silicone or something for the time being, but they're waiting on that to replace the radiator. the 1750 for the police vehicles I don't know if everybody in the board knows that a lot of a lot of police vehicles the SUVs the Ford SUVs had a problem with carbon monoxide entering the cabin we went out we bought co detectors for all our SUVs and we actually two weeks ago we had a problem with one of them actually went back to Ford for service and it still had a problem and ultimately they repaired it was a something to do with the engine manifold or something that was coming into the cabin so fortunately we had a CO detector at that time postage a lot of a lot of that is for police details mailing out invoices but this past year the police department handled over 1,200 records requests so that included a lot of postage as well and the 757 is for books for the Academy

▶ 8:57 Speaker 1: for the officers and also the fire extinguishers had to be recertified in police department it was 250 dollars out of that 757. um we're available for questions thank you

▶ 9:08 Scott M. Forbes: chief um do we have any questions from the committee all the right uh i don't know if this

▶ 9:14 Francis X. Wright Jr.: is a question for the chief or the mayor or if Thorp somebody else here who can speak to why it is that um this money is available from veterans benefits

▶ 9:29 Scott M. Forbes: Yep. And actually, I'm not sure if this made it into the packet or not. I know Karen Burke, our new Veterans Service Officer, is here this evening, but there was a letter that I will read. I'm not sure if it made it into your packet or not, but it said, to whom it may concern, I approve the transfer of $44,000 for Veteran Benefits Line Item. Over the last year, we've had two veterans pass away and four move into skilled nursing facilities. Once veterans move into a skilled nursing facility, we're no longer able to pay Chapter 115 benefits we actively seek federal benefits for these individuals as well as our new veterans who come into the office requiring assistance so that being said the amount of veterans benefits from last year to this year has gone down considerably and because that extra money was allocated it allows us the uh the ability to transfer these funds for the purpose of moving it into the police account okay uh karen burke is here if if did i say

▶ 10:32 Speaker 3: that correctly okay that's exactly what it is it's a we constantly are looking for other benefits for our chapter 115 beneficiaries that's the benefit that comes 75 from the state 25 from melrose so people come in and we seek alternate sources of income to help them from federal sources but again two veterans did pass away which is um part of the funding and then as people move

▶ 10:54 Speaker 3: to assisted living we apply for aid and attendance which is a federal benefit but they no longer can get chapter 115. so we constantly are trying to find federal benefits for people as we're bringing in new clients but we because we are short six veterans we have the money to be able to share

▶ 11:10 Scott M. Forbes: thank you thank you karen um yeah yeah and talking with patrick delarusso this afternoon as well from fiscal 18 i guess there was 283 000 in veterans benefits that were paid out uh in 2019 that went went down to 195 so there is money that was available for the reallocation so

▶ 11:33 Kate Lipper-Garabedian: thank you thank you just a question is it is it typical that if we had a surplus and one item we would be able I think it's it's common that you might switch it to another department but I'm just make want to make sure the veterans benefits department doesn't feel as though this money you have any shortfalls in other areas that you would need this money for thank you and I I

▶ 12:04 Monica C. Medeiros: think this might be more of a technical question rather than but I'm wondering if there is a memo or something that is itemizing the expenditures from the police and kind of looking over Alderman Lipper-Garabedian shoulder it looks like there is but Thorp not one in available in my version of IQ m2 and I'm

▶ 12:27 Speaker 1: not sure if this is because I'm not a voting member of this committee I'm not

▶ 12:30 Scott M. Forbes: sure but I know what I printed out this afternoon I I had access to that do you

▶ 12:37 Monica C. Medeiros: have this to some of the other members who are not voting members actually you

▶ 12:41 Speaker 1: have it too I do but I have a voting member so yeah I think right it took a

▶ 12:53 Monica C. Medeiros: couple of clicks but i have it you do have it yes it's not here on the agenda screen on the split view okay so perhaps maybe this hasn't been fully reloaded but it also the people the public i don't think they have the option to do the split view so um i'm not sure

▶ 13:17 Scott M. Forbes: if they would see this either but uh i know i have it on my screen here but if it is a technical issue i know that's something that we can yeah because it would be helpful to have that make

▶ 13:22 Speaker 2: sure that it is available to the public because we want to obviously be transparent to vote on

▶ 13:26 Monica C. Medeiros: that because i tried to take good notes of what chief lyle said but i can certainly give you my

▶ 13:32 Monica C. Medeiros: copy if you would like uh perhaps for the full board meeting that's to follow because i know

▶ 13:36 Scott M. Forbes: we're expected to vote on this i could give you a copy thank you you're welcome anybody else in

▶ 13:43 Manisha Bewtra: discussion can i just clarify where i found that sure um if you click on printout that's where i was able to like under the the order number then Thorp order printout that actually provided the details it took me several clicks as well so i don't blame you for not finding it do we have

▶ 14:07 Scott M. Forbes: anybody else on discussion what is the will of the motion to recommend the second motion recommend bait by alderman Letter garabedian seconded by alderman chairman tozy all those in favor any opposed motion passes be recommended to the full board this evening thank you thank you very much and our final order for the finance committee this evening is order number two zero one eight dash one four six a renewal of a surety bond city clerks city of melrose the amount of fifteen thousand dollars for the year twenty eighteen um this is a housekeeping item the fifteen thousand dollar surety bond is a requirement for mass general laws to protect the city clerk's office from any liability that it may incur one hundred dollars that's paid is paid out of the city clerk's account um and has been since the time i've been serving here on the board of aldermen