APPT-2025-14 : Appointment of Joe Viola, 134 Howard Street, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Transcript (~7 min @ 13:26)

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▶ 13:19 Manjula Karamcheti: I'm Staying. Okay. We are moving on to ID 1, 2, 2 4, the appointment of Joe Viola, 1 34 Howard Street, Melrose, mass to the Affordable Housing Trust. Um, we are still under suspension of Rule 37 B, so May Mayor Greg, I invite you to introduce your candidate. I did wanna ask my pronouncing your last name correctly.

▶ 13:45 Speaker 7: Uh, viola or Viola is fine, which I say viola, but probably 90% of people say Viola. So

▶ 13:52 Manjula Karamcheti: I played the viola in elementary school. So we will go with how you like your name pre pronounce Viola, thank you so much for clarifying.

▶ 14:00 Jen Grigoraitis: As two people with difficult to pronounce last names, I appreciate you asking that question. Um, thank you Madam Chair and Counselors for your consideration of Mr. Viola tonight. Um, he brings, as you can see, a deep background as a city planner over 25 years experience in communities around, um, Metro Boston, which means that he knows what it's like to sit in those planning board meetings and to help answer questions from residents and to help really think strategically about how we meet the diverse and sometimes opposing needs of those that currently live here and those that would really like to come and live here. And so I think that's an incredible, um, lens to bring to this. He also brings a passion and a commitment to the work around affordability. And he volunteered to do this for which I am forever. Um, grateful. He's recently transitioned to a job working for the state, which means that he's no longer attending town meetings in the communities where he works. So he'd love to come and spend his evenings, um, helping the community where he lives. And I'm really grateful for that. So I'm thrilled to have him before us tonight and for his willingness to serve and help us get this critical board up and running.

▶ 15:02 Manjula Karamcheti: Wonderful. Mr. Viola, would you care to share some words?

▶ 15:05 Speaker 7: Sure. Good evening, Madam Chair and Counselors. I thank you for the opportunity to come and present. Uh, a little bit about myself, as the mayor said, I, you know, I've got a pretty extensive background in in city and in town planning. I've worked for a real estate developer. I've worked now for the state, uh, at DCAM, uh, working on lots of different kinds of real estate transactions. But having been a planner for many years, you know, I, I never had the opportunity to volunteer on the local level, and I'm really excited to be able to do that. I have a normal work schedule. Uh, I certainly have an interest in, in helping the city to, you know, not only find ways to create housing, but also maybe further capitalize the, uh, affordable housing trust. I've been fortunate to work for a number of communities that, uh, whether it was through community preservation, whether it was through, uh, their own housing trust, um, they've had the resources to work with developers, uh, and homeowners or, you know, through home buyer programs or housing authorities always to help, uh, different parties to, uh, bring the renovation or creation of new housing to fruition. So I, I, I would really relish the opportunity to work in town, the city where I live. Um, I try to follow all things Melrose when I can. Uh, and I'm just excited for the opportunity to, to help the Affordable Housing Trust, uh, do its work. So.

▶ 16:34 Manjula Karamcheti: Wonderful. Thank you so much. I see Councilor Romanul, do you have a question?

▶ 16:38 Devin Romanul: Uh, yes. Also as a fellow violist, uh, when I was, not for 20 years now, but you know, it's funny to have a fellow, fellow viol. So anyway, thank you.

▶ 16:47 Manjula Karamcheti: You learn a lot of interesting things at our city council meetings. Right.

▶ 16:50 Devin Romanul: Also a tricky to pronounce last name so we, we can have jackets made. Um, I, I wanted to ask, first of all, thank you for, uh, for doing this. Really excited to tap your expertise and I I wanted to ask, I mean, it's a longer conversation than right now, but, uh, my curiosity is getting the best of me about your work in, uh, Brookline or any of the other MAPC communities, which, uh, with whom you worked, uh, if there, uh, were affordable housing trusts, uh, that you worked with that, uh, any examples you wanna bring, uh, or best practices you're excited to apply here as we stand up our own trust?

▶ 17:21 Speaker 7: Sure. I, I think the, the, uh, the best example is working for the town of Brookline. They've had a, an affordable housing trust for, boy, I'm probably going on 30 years. Um, and the challenge was much like Melrose, the pi, uh, payment in lieu of, instead of building unit on site, they can pay into the housing trust mill. Uh, Brookline had that, but they also had, uh, a free cash policy where, you know, there was a, a free cash waterfall where some of the funding that was available in free cash would make its way to the housing trust. And with the passage of the CPA most recently, um, you know, I was, we were all surprised that it passed, but it was amazing, uh, how much that funding has helped to capitalize the housing trust. And it's already doing lots of great things. So it, it's a really, it's an invaluable resource, uh, for many things that, uh, you know, in a lot of cases the town acted as a, a funder. We, we work with, uh, non-profit or mission-driven housing developers to help them create affordable housing that had a at least 20 to 25% affordable, you know, units in perpetuity, whereas they may not have been able to to provide that without the town subsidy. So it, it really is an invaluable resource to, to helping your community create and preserve housing. That's probably the best example I can give.

▶ 18:46 Devin Romanul: Yeah. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Sure. And unless anyone else has a comment, I wanted to make a motion to recommend

▶ 18:53 Speaker 5: Second, but Don't mean to step on any other comment.

▶ 18:55 Speaker 4: We have a motion by Councilor Romanul, seconded by President Meli on discussion.

▶ 19:01 Speaker 1: I just wanted to say thank you so much, um, for, for stepping up. And, uh, as I said before, this is a, a cause that I'm very interested in. So really appreciate you bringing your expertise to this. Thank you.

▶ 19:13 Manjula Karamcheti: I will dito what President Elli said, very grateful that you have such knowledge, wisdom, and expertise and our wanting to use it to serve the city of Melrose in our community. Um, and I'm glad you don't have to sit on long planning board meetings here and instead be on the trust.

▶ 19:34 Speaker 4: Um, with that said, uh, all in favor

▶ 19:36 Manjula Karamcheti: of this appointment, aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Uh, this motion carries and I do wanna note that Councillor Vandiver is now here as well. Uh, thank you so much for joining us. Um, so this motion carries, um, this will go to our full council meeting, uh, the next time we are together, you do not need to be here, um, for that, but we will move it along there so much.

▶ 20:02 Speaker 4: And thank you again very much. Thank you.

▶ 20:07 Manjula Karamcheti: Really appreciate it. Um, our next, um, piece of business is ID 1, 2, 2, 4, 3, the reappointment of James Osterman 54 Ellis Farm Lane, um, to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. And this is a reappointment to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. So, un unlike the appointments, uh, those who have already served, who have the mayor's support, do not need to be in attendance. Um, so, uh, what is the will of the committee