ORDER-2015-52 : Appointment of Michael Iudice, 201 Melrose Street, to the Liquor License Commission for a six-year term; said term to expire on the first Monday in June 2020.

Transcript (~7 min @ 1:36)

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▶ 1:33 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: And we have one order before us this evening. The first order, order number 2015-52, the appointment of Michael Udis, 201 Melrose Street, to the Liquor License Commission for a six-year term, said term to expire on the first Monday of June, 2020.

▶ 1:50 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Motion to suspend the rules.

▶ 1:52 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: Second. We have a motion to suspend the rules from Alderman McAteer-Margolis with a second from Alderman Boisselle. um do we have do we have a motion i'm sorry all in favor of the motion thank you any opposed okay we have the uh suspension of rules so that we can hear from mayor dolan and mr udis thank you very

▶ 2:16 Speaker 3: much for coming to us this evening thank you very much first i'd like to recognize the service of leo colburn who was one of ma'am milano's first appointments in 1972 if you believe that and served over 42 years as a liquor commissioner and for the majority of those years if you needed a one-day liquor license for a wedding a fundraiser Lee you rang Leo's doorbell and Leo came down and got it for you and he worked in steadfast commitment to the community for all those years and he was very instrumental in the development of the downtown as we know it today since 2008 when we've had some reforms and he's done an incredible job he now hopes to golf a little bit more spend a little bit more time with his family and he deserves it and I want to thank him for all his years of service to the community Thank You Leo yeah we as you know I have said publicly that I plan on presenting some changes or reforms to the Liquor Commission as well as to the Board of Aldermen through the legislature in 2015 and with the loss of Leo I was thinking about the importance to have someone serve in that very important role that brings an incredible amount of experience commitment to the community knowledge of the community and understanding of the needs and wants and desires of the citizens of Melrose and I'm very happy to to say that mr. Michael Yudas of 201 Melrose Street has has accepted and has agreed to serve as the new appointee to the Liquor Commission as you know the Liquor Commission consists of one Democrat which is Joseph Nevin one Republican which is Stephen Meyer and this is a open seat and Mr. Yudas has decided to serve his community once again he has lived in the city of Melrose for 38 years he served as Ward 1 Alderman from 1986 to 1992 and president of the Melrose Board of Alderman in 1990. He has served as an attorney for over 40 years with an office on West Emerson Street. He has served as president of the North Suffolk County Bar Association. His two sons have graduated with distinction from Melrose High School and went on to Fordham and Trinity. His wife, Dorothy, is more famous than Mr. Michael Udis and served for many years as an outstanding librarian at the Melrose Public Library and has just retired. He has been very active in youth sports as coach at Churchill American Little League and has in the board youth soccer papawana board friends of melrose football and is the voice of melrose football today and he is also electorate the most blessed sacrament parish which serves melrose wakefield and saugus i asked for his confirmation i think he's going to do an excellent job during these times of some change in the liquor commission thank you very much mr udis do you have

▶ 5:07 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: Do you have any comments you'd like to make to the board?

▶ 5:12 Speaker 4: Well, I agree with the mayor. First of all, thank you, Mr. Mayor, for those kind words. And I'd also like to thank Leo Colburn for his many years of service to Melrose. And thank this board for entertaining my nomination. As the mayor pointed out, I've been in Melrose for 38 years. I've been involved in the community, many, many activities. I was president of this board in 1990 during one of the worst financial crises the city faced. And with the help of Alderman Kahn, who's first term started in 1990. I'm sorry, Mr. Kahn, President Kahn, whose term started in 1990, and a lot of other good people. We were able to see our way through that economic morass. And I think the city is now in great shape, thanks to Mayor Dolan, Thanks to the members of this Board of Aldermen, I think we're making great strides. This was the number one residential community in the 1950s, the number one residential community in the country in the 1950s. And I think the city's headed back to some very lofty position in the country. I think, you look at the downtown, the new parks and recreation facilities, the things that have been done in this city i i just think you know it's an exciting time a challenging time and i think that being on the liquor commission is just another way to serve the city and quite frankly a very new and challenging way to serve the city so i hope you would look favorably on my appointment thank you very much president khan yeah um

▶ 6:52 Speaker 5: First of all, I also can't not speak on behalf of Leo Colborne, who's been a superlative member of the Liquor Commission for almost my entire life, I think, and has done incredible work. With that thought in mind, I think it's important that we have another superlative person to come forward and replace Leo and I've had the good fortune to know Mr. Yudas since 1990 when he and I were both aldermen together and I've also observed over the next almost 25 years that he's continued to serve Melrose in one capacity after another sometimes doing two or three things simultaneously forever he does a great job at whatever he does he'll do a great job here and he will be a great successor to Leo Colburn and I applaud you this is a great appointment mr. mayor thank you mr. you thank you mr.

▶ 8:00 John N. Tramontozzi: president yes if I may although I'm not a I am a non-voting member of the committee I just want to say that I wholeheartedly support your your nomination to this appointment which when it comes to the full board I intend to support and vote in favor of I'm pleased and I've known Mike for some time as well and and I appreciate you coming forward and here's a another fine example of a ward one resident serving their community and we certainly appreciate that and you got my support and look forward to that vote in the full board meeting thank you thank you john motion to recommend second we have a motion

▶ 8:43 Jennifer L. Lemmerman: motion to recommend from alderman Boisselle with a second from alderman forbes um all in favor any opposed okay thank you very much mr utis this is actually going to go a little faster i think than normal and that we are having a full board meeting later this evening after our committees are over and this will come before the full board you are more than welcome to stay You don't have to, you won't be called before us again when we make our final vote, you know the process. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.