← Appropriations & Oversight Committee · 2024-02-20 · Appropriations and Oversight Committee Meeting
Informational
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
Transcript
▶ 48:17 Maya Jamaleddine: else to speak in public comment, we have a motion, uh, made by Councilor Stewart and seconded by Councilor Chetty to close public comment.
▶ 48:28 Speaker 1: Clerk Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Repe. Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councillor Chetty? Yes. Councillor Brisky. Yes. Councillor Hamilton? Yes. Councillor Vandiver. Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councilor DeCaro. Yes. President Elli?
▶ 48:44 Speaker 1: Yes. And Chair Jamal Dean? Yes. Unanimous.
▶ 48:50 Maya Jamaleddine: Thank you. And, uh, public comment is now closed.
▶ 48:56 Maya Jamaleddine: Um, and since we have, uh, members of the administration here tonight to speak, uh, on the items before us, I would like to entertain a motion, um, to suspend rule, uh, 37 B before we proceed.
▶ 49:09 Speaker 6: So moved. Second,
▶ 49:12 Maya Jamaleddine: We have the motion to suspend the rules, uh, made by, um, vice chair, uh, Williams, seconded by counselor. Um, GPE,
▶ 49:22 Speaker 1: Vice Chair Williams? Yes. Councillor Gpe. Yes. Councillor Stewart? Yes. Councillor Chetty. Yes. Councillor Bruski. Yes. Councillor Hamilton. Yes. Councillor Vandiver. Yes. Councillor Romanul. Yes. Councillor naca. Yes. President Elli? Yes. And Chair Jamal? Yes. Unanimous.
▶ 49:44 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. The rule, uh, rule, uh, 37 B is now suspended. Thank you all for coming before us tonight. And the floor is yours.
▶ 49:52 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, and good evening again. I'm here tonight with DPW Director Elena Elena Pro Ellis and Assistant DPW, director of Administration and Finance, Jim Troop. I'm gonna let them talk as the experts, but I first just wanted to frame this a little bit because this informational order was actually filed when I was in a different seat, and many of you were in different seats as well, back in December of 2023. So, um, this is an info order filed by then Mayor Broder, regarding the contract negotiations. Um, that process is closed. The contract was executed by Mayor Broder, as was his purview, um, after a lengthy and comprehensive process run by the DPW team, um, for the new contract that will begin July 1st of this year. So the period that we are in now is of both information gathering from the public and putting out as much information as we can to help people prepare for what is coming. And as was mentioned in public common, to really understand how our individual actions have a very real financial cost for the city as it relates to trash and recycling. Um, one opportunity that was afforded to me when I came in was the ability to, um, make a decision about recycling services. There was a, you know, debate between weekly versus every other week. We will be sticking with weekly recycling under this new contract. Um, that information has been shared both in the Melrose Weekly news as well as through city email. And just today, um, Mr. Troop and I, um, filmed a really lovely segment about trash and recycling that will be going out over MMTV. So we are really trying to take advantage of as many venues as we can to bring information to the public, this being one of them. But in terms of the conversation tonight, there are no decisions for the council to make as it relates to trash and recycling. The contract is executed, the fee structure is in the purview of the administration. Um, I am hopeful that'll be before you, before the end of the fiscal year to talk about an enterprise fund, but none of that is really on the table tonight. So I think these folks are happy to answer questions and let you know where we're at. But in terms of, um, what's before you, it's really just a chance to gain some information and for us to, of course hear what are the questions you're all hearing, so we can try to put that back out into the community. So I will turn it over to them. Thank you.