APPRO-2024-25 : Fiscal 2025 Operating Budget in the amount of $104,140,412 (One Hundred four million, one hundred forty thousand, four hundred and twelve dollars).

Transcript (~8 min @ 17:49)

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

▶ 17:41 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, since we have members, uh, uh, of the administration here tonight to speak on the items before us, I would like to motion by unanimous consent to suspend the rules before we proceed. Seeing no objection, the rules are now suspended.

▶ 18:00 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, during our annual budget hearings, each city department comes before the council to present their annual operating budget for Ffy 25. These hearings will continue for five weeks, and the schedule, um, of departments is available online for the benefit of the public. This means that you'll see the same agenda items on our budget during our budget hearings season until the council passes the full FY 25 budget.

▶ 18:34 Maya Jamaleddine: First item on our agenda is, um, so for appropriation 2024 dash 25, fiscal 2025 operating budget in the amount of, um, $104,140,412.

▶ 18:54 Maya Jamaleddine: And, um, the first number item is 5 45 Disability Commission.

▶ 19:04 Speaker 2: Um, we have,

▶ 19:06 Maya Jamaleddine: uh, uh, the mayor, uh, mayor, uh, es speaking on behalf of the commission.

▶ 19:12 Jen Grigoraitis: Good evening everyone. I'm here on behalf of Commissioner Commission Chairman David Hoff regarding the Disability Commission budget. Um, the request for this budget is for it to be level funded and just, um, with a brief update on the work of the commission. I know that, um, July is Disability pride month. And so the commission is working on planning its first ever, um, acknowledgement of that month, I believe is hoping to have a panel discussion later in July. Um, we, the administration has also been working with the commission on addressing the list of needs that were identified in our a DA study, um, that was completed, I wanna say in 2022. And we are, um, our DPW staff is gonna be working with the commission to apply for a Mass Office of Disability grant. We're gonna seek to have a door in the high school that was actually identified by a high school student who uses a wheelchair in his leaders in Civic Action project to see if we can get that door to ha be remote operated, um, so that it's in compliance. So it's both a student led project and something that's been identified in our report. Um, and lastly, I'm pleased to share that Matt Travers from the HR department is going to serve as my designee on the commission and has had an opportunity to meet with Chair Hoff, and we'll be joining the commission at their future meetings. So I don't think he's out there. Um, I'll do my best to answer questions. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, do we have any question from my colleagues?

▶ 20:37 Speaker 2: Councilor Hamilton? Thank

▶ 20:38 Ward Hamilton: You, Madam Chair. Uh, not a question Madam Mayor, but I had hoped that, uh, chair Hoff would be here so I could ask him some questions about the activities of his commission as it related to the new building project at Northeast Metro Metro Tech, where they were very involved and engaged and critical of that project. Um, but I'm willing to,

▶ 21:05 Speaker 2: I'm sure he'd be happy to come back.

▶ 21:06 Ward Hamilton: Well, no, I don't want to do that. I think we've already got Pine Banks and retirement coming, so it, it's fine. But I wish you were here so I could ask him about those.

▶ 21:16 Jen Grigoraitis: Yeah, and I, in all candor, I'm, you know, um, we have some folks outta my office today. I'm not quite sure if there was a scheduling change. Um, but yeah, certainly happy to have him at a different time. Not a

▶ 21:26 Speaker 5: Problem. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

▶ 21:27 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Any other question from my colleagues? Uh, vice Chair Williams. Make a

▶ 21:34 Speaker 1: Motion to move the bottom line.

▶ 21:37 Maya Jamaleddine: Second, we have a motion made by Vice Chair Williams to move to bottom line. Uh, seconded by Councilor Ro on discussion. Seeing none, Mr. Clerk,

▶ 21:50 Speaker 5: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe. Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councillor Reky? Yes. Councilor Hamilton? No.

▶ 22:00 Speaker 5: Councillor Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councillor naca? Yes. President Elli? Yes. And Chair Jamaleddine?

▶ 22:09 Maya Jamaleddine: Yes. Motion passes. Thank you. This, um, motion. Thank you Madam Mayor. Um, next we have, uh, number item five 40,

▶ 22:21 Speaker 2: um, for BB State.

▶ 22:23 Maya Jamaleddine: And we have, uh, Ms. Uh, crot.

▶ 22:28 Speaker 5: Hi, my name is Jessica Crot McKenna. I'm the current treasurer of the BB State Board of Trustees, and this year we will be seeking level funding. Uh, we've had a good year chipping away at some small maintenance projects that have been needed at the BBS estate. If anybody has been in there this year, I hope at some community events. We did have the floors on the first floor sanded. And we are in the middle of upgrading our electrical panel. And, uh, we have some exterior painting work on the back wall of the l If people have noticed, if they've been to the Milano Center, that paint was starting to fail. So we're able to do that the last couple weeks. Next year. One of the things we're actually looking at concentrating on is, um, implementing some of the corrective measures that were identified in the a DA survey that was completed in 2022. Thank you. So those are our biggest upcoming needs.

▶ 23:27 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Um, do we have any question? We, we are also gonna have you speak on the, uh, revolving plan, but for now Sure. Do we have any question? Um, uh, councilor Gepe? Yes.

▶ 23:38 Speaker 5: Uh, thank you for being here. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, quick question regarding the second floor. We, I believe there was some leaks up, up there, uh, last year. Have they all been repaired and They have not yet. They're on a, actually gonna be part of probably items that we have to pay for with our revolving fund next year, but that's on our list to do as well as some interior painting work. Okay. As a result of some of those leaks that have happened, Have they, uh, since that's been going on for quite some time, has the, have they gotten you an estimate? The facilities department? No, we haven't gotten an estimate yet. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

▶ 24:16 Maya Jamaleddine: Any other question? Uh, vice Chair

▶ 24:25 Speaker 1: So the, so the beer garden Mm-Hmm.

▶ 24:28 Ryan Williams: Did that benefit bibb in any way? Like rental fees or usage fees or anything like that? Was any of that money, did any of it hit the Bebe budget? This

▶ 24:37 Speaker 5: Relief? Um, the one that happened last year was a sponsored by a nonprofit, so we just got the nonprofit. Right. But it was nice to see more people out at the BB than maybe have attended in the past. Yeah. We have had a lot of community events that largely are on the lawn. We also have the monthly art shows where people do go inside and enjoy some of the spaces, but it was a way to get some different people that may not attend some of those events and haven't been. And it was nice to see.

▶ 25:05 Ryan Williams: Yeah. I've done both, I've done the art shows and I've done the, the, the beer garden. Are you planning to bring it back for 2024?

▶ 25:11 Speaker 5: I don't know. We're gonna be talking about it tomorrow night. Okay. Great. You'd Like to join us? Yeah.

▶ 25:17 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Thank you. Um, Councillor Stewart.

▶ 25:19 Robb Stewart: Thank you Madam Chair. Lemme make a motion to move this item to the bottom line. Second,

▶ 25:24 Maya Jamaleddine: We have a motion, uh, made by Councillor Stewart, uh, to move to bottom line. Seconded by Vice Chair Williams on discussion. Seeing none, Mr. Clerk,

▶ 25:35 Speaker 5: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe. Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councillor Brem. Yes. Councillor Hamilton? Yes. Councillor Van Vandiver? Yes. Uh, Councillor Romanul? Yes. Councillor DeCaro? Yes. President Elli? Yes. And Chair Aldine? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.

▶ 25:55 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Um, next we have Ordinance 2024 dash two, and, uh, that's a reauthorization of the city of Merose revolving fund table for fiscal 2025. And it is for B, B, C.