Communications from Her Honor, The Mayor And Other City Officials

Transcript (~3 min @ 33:16)

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▶ 33:06 Leila Migliorelli: I will motion by Nina's consent to close public comments. Seeing no objections. We are now closed for public comment. Um, next step is communications from her Honor, the mayor and other city officials. Before we hear from the mayor, I will motion by unanimous consent to suspend rule 37 B. Seeing no objection, rule 37 B is now suspended. Welcome Madam Mayor.

▶ 33:29 Jen Grigoraitis: Good evening everyone. How are you? Um, thank you. I just wanted to provide a few quick updates in response to some questions that I know have been coming up during your budget process. Um, the first is I just wanted to make you all aware that you received a memo via email this afternoon from City Solicitor Phillips regarding the process for a supplemental budget appropriation should the override pass on June 18th. So, um, that is based on research with the division of local services, consultation with our charter, your rules, um, and making sure that, um, we're in compliance with all of that. So you have the member before you but in some, um, to be in compliance with the city charter, the council will need to vote on a budget, um, by June 20th 'cause that's 45 days from when I presented you with a budget to consider. Um, and then should the override be successful, I would present you all with a supplemental budget appropriation that would list by department where we would be seeking to put additional funds. And then the process for approving that would obviously be up to this body depending on how, you know, if you wanted to bring back department heads for hearings. Um, but you would approve the addition of all those funds and would need to do that prior to us setting the tax rate, which is typically this body typically takes that up in November. So you would have between late June and November to go through that process. So please contact, um, the solicitor with questions. We just wanted to make sure you had that information. And then we are also working on a master memo for you all that will outline should um, the override be successful, where in departments that you've been seeing cuts, you would be seeing requests to replenish funds. So it would be almost every city department because we would be looking to replace the Colas that were not put in the budget this year. But then obviously certain other department budgets who were cut for you know, service delivery would see additional additions, additional additions. Um, so we'll have that for you at your June 3rd memo, but I just wanted you to know that, you know, we hear the questions and are working to get them answered. And then the last item that I just wanted to flag for you all is that we did receive notice this week, um, from a nonprofit that administers a water bill assistance program for income qualified individuals that they are gonna be able to provide assistance, um, a $165 relief on bills for 94 qualifying residences in Melrose. It was based on applications that have been filed in previous years and some additional state funding became available. So we do have 94 households that will be seeing some, um, immediate relief on those bills. So I thought that was good news and hopefully the program will continue. So that's all I had.

▶ 36:08 Speaker 8: Thank you. That is good news.

▶ 36:11 Leila Migliorelli: Alright, moving on to new business

▶ 36:14 Speaker 3: Appointment 2024 dash 30 appointment of Carrie Ann Golden to the position of Chief Financial Officer, city auditor.

▶ 36:21 Speaker 8: This will go to the Committee on Finance

▶ 36:24 Speaker 3: Appointment 2024 dash 31 Appointment of Thomas s Mulligan as IT director.