Public Participation

Transcript (~5 min @ 1:03)

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▶ 0:52 Speaker 1: As is our practice with every meeting, our meeting this evening is being recorded. will be rebroadcast on Melrose Cable Television in accordance with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

▶ 1:03 Peter D. Mortimer: Mr. President, I make a motion to open the floor for public participation. Second.

▶ 1:08 Speaker 1: Alderman Mortimer moves that we commence public participation. The motion is seconded by Alderman Boycelle. On the motion, all those in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Motion passes. The floor is open for public participation. This is the part of our meeting where any member of the public can come forward and discuss any order which is on our agenda for this evening. Is there anybody who wishes to participate this evening?

▶ 1:34 Speaker 8: Good evening.

▶ 1:46 Speaker 8: Good evening, everybody. My name is J.D. LaRock, I reside at 17 School Street, and I'm also a candidate for Alderman at Large. I'm here tonight to speak in support of Order 2016-33, sponsored by Alderman Kahn, pertaining to water rates. Like many of you, I imagine, I spent the Victorian Fair two weekends ago speaking to voters and constituents and citizens across the city, and somewhat to my surprise, an issue that came up almost as much, if not more so, than the override that will be on the ballot this November was the issue of water rates and the inherent unfairness of the system and the ways in which people have been subject to unfair billing practices, and also the sky high rates that many people are being made to pay. And that's why it's very important, in my opinion, for this board and for members of this board to show leadership on this issue, because people are clearly irritated by the water rates that they have to pay, they're irritated by the unfairness, and in fact, it's a material hardship. So I really am here to commend the leadership of those on this board. Last time I was here, I commended Alderman Medeiros. Tonight I'm here to commend Alderman Kahn because his order, a deceptively simple order, but I think a very effective order, would help to cure some of the unfairness that we are seeing in this system. As you know, his order simply says that water meters shall be read in the city between June 15th and June 30th for the purpose of issuing water and sewer bills for the quarter ending June 30th. And this would help prevent the unfair practice that goes on in this city where people are billed for subsequent fiscal year rates higher rates I might add instead of the rates that this board has passed and that they are expecting to pay in talking to alderman Khan I understand that that he believes that this is technically feasible to do it's a simple solution and like I said I think it would be an effective one but while I am here in support of this order and while I think this is a necessary order I also think it is not sufficient because there is ultimately a bigger underlying problem and I would like to show you a chart perhaps some of you have seen this chart but I'd like to show you this chart and the viewers at home this chart this is a chart that shows community charges for water and sewer for all the MWRA communities this is from the 2014 survey and the lines across indicate the water and sewer rates the charges that different communities pay and the vertical line that you see here indicates where Melrose's rates are and if you look closely you notice something very striking out of nearly 60 communities in the MWRA service area only four have water and sewer chart community charges that are higher than Melrose those four communities are Belmont Hingham Milton and reading I have heard representatives of the city come before this board and talk about how there is not so much that we can do to keep water rates in check because it's influenced by the MWRA and so our hands are tied this chart shows that the vast majority of MWRA communities somehow managed to do better than melrose despite whatever impositions or requirements the mwra is putting on our community and so therefore while the leadership and efforts of alderman medeiros and alderman khan are welcome and will make a difference there is a larger underlying problem that i would commend this board to continue working on and that is to attack the the in some ways uh absurdly high water rates that we pay um so thank you very much for the opportunity to comment on this order

▶ 5:52 Speaker 1: tonight and on the larger issue thank you sir thank you is there anybody else who wishes to

▶ 5:59 Peter D. Mortimer: speak this evening motion to close public participation mr president second alderman

▶ 6:02 Speaker 1: mortimer moves to close public participation the motion is seconded by alderman Boisselle on the motion all those in favor anyone opposed motion passes public participation is concluded for this

▶ 6:13 Peter D. Mortimer: evening mr president i have before me the minutes of our meetings from june 1st june 15th june 25th and july 25th july 20th i make a motion that all four of these minutes packages be accepted