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 (~22 min @ 1:02:42)

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▶ 1:02:29 Maya Jamaleddine: appropriation 2024 dash 25, fiscal 2025 operating budget in the amount of, uh, $104,140,412.

▶ 1:02:47 Maya Jamaleddine: Tonight we have the following departments in front of us,

▶ 1:02:59 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, we have, uh, the mayor's office, uh, number 1 21, which includes, uh, community events. Uh, number 6 92.

▶ 1:03:12 Jen Grigoraitis: Where is yours? Good evening. So this is just a presentation on the Mayor's, um, budget, which you all have before you. Um, there is overall a 2.3% increase, which is largely due to increases in staffing costs. Um, we are continuing to maintain, as I think you probably know, there's been almost a complete transition in staff between the two administrations. So we now have Lauren Grimm as the Chief of staff. Thomas Dalton, who started last week, is our communications person. Um, Diane McDonald, who's doing our, is part-time doing our constituent services and, um, answering the phones as well as we have several senior tax work off folks who assist us in the office with answering calls and administrative tasks. Um, I think the most noticeable changes is that we eliminated the, um, $8,000 budget for community events, which had been historically to go toward the Memorial Day Parade. We worked with the Veterans Advisory Board, um, to recognize that that was not a celebration that they wanted to see happening. Um, and I appreciate and agree with their candor. So our intent should an override pass is that we would be looking to have that 8,000 transferred to veteran services for whatever they feel is an appropriate celebration. We have a, a new memorial coming online that we know we need to see. Um, annual plantings for that currently is really struggling. We're really struggling to budget. So that is one of those buffet of bad options items that our intent had been to see that money transferred out. Um, but instead we were just had to eliminate that money entirely. We also pay two of the cities' memberships, one to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which I think all but one or two cities or towns in the entire state are members of. And to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, we access those memberships for a variety of support on grants, um, and then also professional development. And they do do legislative advocacy for municipalities at the state level. Um, and then we have reduced the community outreach line under Mayor Broder. There had been, um, the 5K our way participatory budget process through the schools, which had, I think the most noticeable project it had, um, produced was the Amazing Grace Basketball Court that did cost a lot more than $5,000, but it's an incredible asset. Um, so given the budget, we did reduce that, my hope would be to see something like this actually land in the school side of the budget. Um, for those of you that had the opportunity to attend the Leaders in Civic Action showcase last week, we have a really incredibly engaged group of high school students working on projects in our community a lot with really great, very tangible things that with a little bit of money we could fund. So I think that would be something, again, in a more flush time, it would be a really meaningful way to see young people engaged in government.

▶ 1:06:03 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Um, anyone from my colleagues?

▶ 1:06:07 Speaker 1: Councilor? Yeah.

▶ 1:06:08 Mark Garipay: Thank you. Uh, Madam Mayor, I agree with you on that. Uh, I was, I was gonna say that if, if we have that extra money Mm-Hmm. To put back for that civic, uh, the civic projects that was, there were some amazing, uh, projects, but, uh, at this time, I'd, uh, make a motion to move the bottom line.

▶ 1:06:25 Speaker 4: Second,

▶ 1:06:27 Maya Jamaleddine: We have a motion, uh, to move to bottom line made by councilor, seconded by, um, Councillor Stewart on discussion.

▶ 1:06:41 Mark Garipay: Just quick question. Do I have to say the bottom? Do I have to say the total dollar amount or just move the bottom line again?

▶ 1:06:46 Leila Migliorelli: Just, just through the, Through the chair. Move the, you just motion, move the bottom line on. You Could say account number 1 21. Yeah. Um, um,

▶ 1:07:00 Maya Jamaleddine: so, um, councilor Gar, motion to move the, the bottom line on, uh, number 1 21, uh, mayor's office and was seconded by Councilor Stewart. Uh, do we have anyone on discussion?

▶ 1:07:17 Kimberly Vandiver: And I believe that would also be in also on 6 92, the events budget at the same time.

▶ 1:07:22 Speaker 1: Um, okay.

▶ 1:07:26 Maya Jamaleddine: I was gonna do it separate, so I'll That's okay. That's fine. Um, Mr. Clerk,

▶ 1:07:33 Speaker 3: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe? Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Bruski? Yes. Councillor Hamilton? Yes. Councilor Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councilor Naro? Yes. President GL Yes. And Chair Jamal? Yes. Unanimous.

▶ 1:07:54 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. And now, uh, what is the will of the committee on line number 6 92? Community Event

▶ 1:08:05 Maya Jamaleddine: Counselor Van Dever?

▶ 1:08:06 Kimberly Vandiver: I'd make a motion to move the bottom line on number 6 92.

▶ 1:08:11 Maya Jamaleddine: Second, Uh, counselor Van Dever. Uh, Motion to move the bottom line on 6 92. And seconded by Councillor Stewart. Anyone on discussion? Mr. Clerk

▶ 1:08:26 Speaker 3: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe? Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councilor Bruski? Yes. Councillor Hamilton? Yes. Councilor Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councillor for Nicaro? Yes. President GL Yes. And Chair. Aldi? Yes. That's unanimous.

▶ 1:08:43 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. That motion carries. Next up is Commission on Women Presented. Uh, me.

▶ 1:08:51 Jen Grigoraitis: So, um, Madam Chair, I know the chair, Karen Blackburn was hoping to be here tonight, but had a last minute family situation, so I am happy to speak to, on their behalf. It's a, um, level funded budget, or if the, if the committee so wishes to hold it, we can have her come back on a different night.

▶ 1:09:09 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, councilor Gar, I'll

▶ 1:09:10 Mark Garipay: Make a motion to move the bottom line of 5 42

▶ 1:09:16 Speaker 1: Second.

▶ 1:09:17 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. Uh, so, uh, councilor Gpe Motion to move, um, uh, the bottom line on number 5 42 and seconded by President on discussion.

▶ 1:09:33 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. Seeing none, Mr. Clerk,

▶ 1:09:36 Speaker 3: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe. Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councillor Bruski. Yes. Councillor Hamilton? Yes. Councillor Vandiver? Yes. Councillor Romanul? Yes. Councilor for Cal? Yes. President Elli? Yes. And Chair Jamine? Yes. Unanimous.

▶ 1:09:52 Maya Jamaleddine: That motion carries. And now we have the Human Rights Commission, um, number 5 44. And presented by Chair Clapp.

▶ 1:10:08 Speaker 3: Uh, good evening Counsel. My name is Bonnie Clapp. I am the current chair of the Melrose Human Rights Commission, and I'm here to present our fiscal year 25 budget memo. I was, uh, guided to keep it brief, which was, music to my ears as public speaking is not my jam, uh, especially in front of all of you who I hold in very high esteem. So I'm going to just cut right to the end 'cause I did give a detailed, um, budget memo. I hope to you all. Um, as listed in our budget memo, the Melrose Human Rights Commission is hoping to take on some new and some innovative partnerships and some programming for the next fiscal year. And we hope to use our $3,000 appropriation for training, resource and support development and community educational opportunities. Uh, with that said, I would like to ask that this council commit to keep bringing our funding the same as it has been. And with it, I'll give you all a promise that we will be good stewards of the funds allotted.

▶ 1:11:06 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Do we have any question from colleagues?

▶ 1:11:17 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. Oh, Councillor Vandiver.

▶ 1:11:18 Kimberly Vandiver: Um, I'll take one. Um, thank you for, for being here. I just wanted to ask, um, you mentioned in the memo that, that you've been assessing, um, the needs in Melrose. And if you had any, you wanted to highlight as the most prominent current needs in Melrose that, that you're looking to address?

▶ 1:11:31 Speaker 3: Um, I think to be totally fair and honest, um, we've only been able to spend the last meeting, uh, our April meeting, really taking a look at the current human needs, uh, human rights needs of Melrose. Um, and so probably can give you more information that at, in that after our May and our June meeting, as well as exactly what support and resources we wanna provide the community after that.

▶ 1:11:59 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Vice Chair Williams. Motion

▶ 1:12:00 Ryan Williams: To move the bottom line on account number 5 4 4.

▶ 1:12:06 Maya Jamaleddine: Second. Um, so we have councilor, uh, vice Chair William Motion to move to, uh, the bottom line on item number 5, 4, 4 and second. And Vice President Elli. Anyone on discussion?

▶ 1:12:20 Maya Jamaleddine: Seeing none, Mr. Mr. Clerk will be callable.

▶ 1:12:24 Speaker 3: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe? Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councillor Reky? Yes. Councillor Hamilton? Yes. Councillor Vandiver. Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councillor naca? Yes. President Elli? Yes. And Chair Jamal? Yes. Mad Unanim.

▶ 1:12:41 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Madame Chair. Um, and this motion carries. Um, next, uh, we have,

▶ 1:12:55 Maya Jamaleddine: um, the Veteran Services, um, on line item number 5 43.

▶ 1:13:06 Speaker 1: we have ms.

▶ 1:13:08 Speaker 3: Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam

▶ 1:13:09 Speaker 1: President, fellow counselors.

▶ 1:13:12 Speaker 3: My name is Rosary on Female Kelly. I'm the Director of Veteran Services for Mel Rose Wakefield in S August. So thank you for this opportunity to present my budget and answer any of your questions and also to highlight some upcoming events that we have, which many of you have volunteered for last year. So I hope you continue to volunteer. And also a summary on the Hero Act. It's a fact sheet that looks like it's going to pass, which will impact the budget for veteran services greatly next year. Greatly.

▶ 1:13:42 Maya Jamaleddine: So thank you. Um, any question from my colleagues? Councilor Gpe?

▶ 1:13:47 Mark Garipay: Yes, Madam Chair. Um, I see that we were the bene, uh, benefit line items down 11%. We've, uh, checked it to be 2 27. Um, we had budgeted 2 25. Do you think that's gonna be enough

▶ 1:14:02 Speaker 3: Under Mass General Law Chapter one 15? Any veteran or family member of a veteran who meets the threshold of the financial guidelines that we have has to be accepted. So if I have 10 veterans walk through my door tomorrow, and they are in financial need, as long as they meet all the criteria, then we have to afford them the right, the line item for the amount on that line is not a true description of my budget because the following year, the City of Melrose will get reimbursed. 75%. I'm in compliance. My department's in compliance. Um, I forgot to mention my Colonel, Bob Driscal is our board chair for our Veterans Advisory Board and he oversees the revolving fund. Um, so lemme make sure that my department is in compliance. So we do get the 75%. Thank you. Okay.

▶ 1:14:53 Mark Garipay: And you had mentioned the Hero Act. Will that affect, you said that that could affect your budget drastically, drastically. Would it affect this line item?

▶ 1:15:01 Speaker 3: Drastically. Drastically, because the definition of veterans is changing. Mm-Hmm. So now to be a veteran, you have to serve, have served 180 days active duty. So the proposed change by the governor is that, uh, to be a veteran, you'd have to only serve 90. And training does not count as training anymore. It counts as active duty. Mm-Hmm. So more and more veteran, more and more military personnel will count as a veteran. Those who serve at the National Guard of the Reserves will now be considered veterans from day one.

▶ 1:15:33 Mark Garipay: Okay. And just one other question. How has that, I don't know if, if you've had to run into this situation, how has that been handled in the past? Has that been via free cash or, uh, transfers from other departments? Maybe Mr. Driscoll, if Colonel Driscoll, if you know that answer.

▶ 1:15:48 Speaker 3: Well, from, from my memory, I believe, uh, in past administrations it would come out of free cash.

▶ 1:15:54 Maya Jamaleddine: Alright. Thank you. Thank you. And you, counselor Romanul,

▶ 1:15:58 Devin Romanul: Um, thank you so much for the memo and the, the events certainly will try to make as many of these as possible. But, um, wanted to get a sense of if the administration or any sort of independent analysis has offered you any guidance on what that delta is between, uh, the 90 day definition versus the, you said 180 days. And, and just so we have an idea as we are approaching an override, um, and as we're budgeting here and considering free cash next year, we wanna make sure to provide free full services. So it'd be great to, um, and maybe this is not a right now question, but we would love to work with you on what that full service load would be with the, with the new, uh, benchmark.

▶ 1:16:35 Speaker 3: It would mean more financial assistance for those low income veterans are surviving family members. So to qualify for Chapter one 15, if you're the surviving family member of a veteran who would've been deemed, um, eligible for this benefit, you get the benefit. So right now we have several spouses on our roles and, uh, one dependent child, adult child on our role. So the reason why I pushed the VA claim so much is to offer the veteran a lifelong change. So, for instance, one of our recent clients who we got his a hundred percent VA disability for was getting close to $2,000 a month from the city of Melrose. We pushed for his VA claim, it went through the appeal process. It literally took, so I've been here close to 22 months and it took me, um, about 18 months to get this through because I had to go to con Congressman Clark's office for assistance on this veteran who is terminally ill. He's a young Marine and he is terminally ill. So now through VA benefits, he's getting about $3,400 a month as well as, um, the $2,000 a year annuity. And he got his excise tax waived. And he's get eligible for no cut, no sales tax on his vehicle. He doesn't own property. So that saves the city on property tax abatement. However, these are services that he's so needed for so many years. And now with his VA benefit, he, he's able to live a little bit more comfortably than what we were giving him. Yeah.

▶ 1:18:10 Devin Romanul: Well, thank you so much. And it's, uh, the tales to these kind of programs were really long. I think we just paid off our last Civil War pension just a few years ago. Um, and, uh, actually after the Civil War, all of the records were bound in red tape in Washington dc which is where the term comes from. So, um, anyway,

▶ 1:18:28 Speaker 3: And, and if I may, just for the, uh, benefit of the, uh, newer people on the, on the council, the chapter one 15 is unique to Massachusetts. Um, what it is, is it's the same guidelines as as welfare, but back in the day, they didn't want veterans to have to stand in the same line as the welfare recipient. So they made this chapter one 15 basic same guidelines. Thank you very much. So in the past we've had several veterans come off due to either the VA claims are death, and we've had a couple of veterans come on as well. Thank you. It's a balance. Thank you, madam. And And it goes with the economy too, and I mean, when times are bad, there's more people who need services.

▶ 1:19:13 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you both for the, um, all the information. Uh, councilor Stewart.

▶ 1:19:17 Robb Stewart: Thank you Madam Chair. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Troon Elli, uh, just one quick question, follow on to that. Uh, does, uh, that change from 180 days to 90 days for immediate family members of a veteran apply retroactively? Postmortem? Yes, sir, It does. So in other words, if someone has died in 2020, but they do now, they did serve for 120 days, then they can turn that on.

▶ 1:19:47 Speaker 3: We could, they could turn that on. And I have to petition to the state to allow that.

▶ 1:19:50 Robb Stewart: Okay. Okay. Great. Thank you. That's helpful. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank

▶ 1:19:53 Maya Jamaleddine: You. Vice Chair Williams.

▶ 1:19:55 Ryan Williams: Thank you. Um, sorry I lost the file here. But, um, so we know that with this budget, that every department's been asked to provide some reductions and, um, people are gonna really get in this room, are gonna get tired of hearing me say it. And I, and councilor, uh, excuse me, chair Jamal already said it, but I will repeat it, uh, because it bears repeating. The city council cannot increase budgets. Right. It can only eliminate budgets or, um, or pass them as is, uh, it's an up or down vote. Um, and so with that being said, do you feel that this 10% reduction, what do you, what do you think the impact of this is going to be if it cannot be, um, kind of reimbursed potentially after an override vote?

▶ 1:20:42 Speaker 3: So, with all due respect, if I come to you saying that I need more money in this, more money in this line item for these veterans, you cannot say no to me. If you do say no to me, then I go to the state, I have no choice. I'm bound by law to do that. So again, this line item is not a true representation because you will get reimbursed 75%. The EOVS, which used to be DVS, department of Veteran Services, is now Executive Office of Veteran Services. 'cause we have a secretary in the cabinet. Um, he and his staff are trying to eliminate that year long gap to six months. However, now because of, um, the changes in executive office of veteran services, they are now down to two to three authorizes, which takes me longer to balance our books. And with all of the VSOs that represent all the 351 communities, we're all screaming at our authorizes, Hey, I need this. I need this passed. I need this passed. I need this passed. I need this approved. So, um, it takes a little bit longer, but we're always on top of it. And hopefully that will change where the reimbursements of the city will be less than a year, hopefully by next year. No promises.

▶ 1:21:59 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Thank you. Um, councilor Vandiver. And next I have, um, councilor Stewart.

▶ 1:22:04 Kimberly Vandiver: Uh, thank you Chair Jamine. I, I guess I, I wanted to clarify for myself. So, um, I, I know there is a reduction in, in the largest line item here, which is for veterans benefits. Um, uh, but it also does look like as far as 2024 year to date spent, we're, we're already well below. We're currently well below that. And so are there, are there a lot of, you know, end of the year, last two months of the year expenses that we're expecting to see? Or, and, and I know this act also applies and, and may increase the amount, but, but to me, it, it doesn't look like we're at risk of running into running outta funds just because the 2024 as of May 1st spending was not hitting up against that limit. Is, is that accurate or is, is that not accurate?

▶ 1:22:49 Speaker 3: I'm hoping not to have too many more. Uh, we, my department works a lot of extra hours to try and help veterans or their surviving family members. Um, I have several part-Time VSOs, which we are now compliant in Melrose. 'cause we have a part-time VSO who recently started this past week. So we are out there doing claims to try to keep veterans off the chapter one 15 roles because if they get their VA claim answered and awarded, that makes them have a better life, a better quality of life. It also gives them healthcare. Okay. And we provide so many other items. Um, we provide food cards, thankfully, thankfully, to the Veterans Advisory Board. We have food cards, we have relief funds to also help with them. I push VA healthcare all the time for my veterans. Um, so that's savings and costs. I also push the surviving family members of my veterans to go on Mass Health because they qualify for that. So I try to use as much as many local, state and federal resources that I could possibly get over and above what we give in Melrose. But the Chapter one 15 is a guesstimate. It's how many people walk through the door. Um, the number of teachers you talked about earlier that might get slips if they were all veterans and showed up at her door, then we'd have to, we'd have to help 'em out. But it's based on previous years and what we've had before.

▶ 1:24:12 Kimberly Vandiver: Great. Thank you. And, and thank you for all the work that, that you've done to connect them with resources. And

▶ 1:24:17 Speaker 3: It's been my honor as a veteran.

▶ 1:24:20 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, thank you. It's, um, 8 28. Uh, we are, we are going to have to, uh, recess to go to finance. Um, if you can

▶ 1:24:31 Robb Stewart: I, I'll make a motion to recess. Madam Chair.

▶ 1:24:35 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. Second. So I, we have a motion to recess made by counselor, uh, Stewart, seconded by Counselor Gar. Um, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Thank you.

▶ 1:25:00 Kimberly Vandiver: They need to start the next meeting within a certain number of minutes of its scheduled time, but then they'll come back to this meeting. Oh, so Are we? Yeah, you're,

▶ 1:25:09 Speaker 1: I think we're, we're going to do