FY26 Earmark for Playing Fields
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
A. (ID # 2025-749): FY26 Earmark for Playing Fields Motion to Recommend to full council made by Councilor Hamilton Seconded by Councilor Williams All were in favor and motion passed Councilor Stewart asked if there was any requirement for matching funds and the answer was no. RESULTS: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] TO: Full Council AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Ward Hamilton, John Obremski, Devin Romanul, Robb Stewart, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Mark Garipay NAYS: None 2 ABSENT: Maya Jamaleddine, Manjula Karamcheti, Leila Migliorelli
Transcript
▶ 6:46 Mark Garipay: ID 2025-749, FY26, earmark for playing fields. Um, Rob Carrillo is not available. We are, uh- (laughs) ... lucky to have, um, Mayor Grigoritis with us. Madam Mayor.
▶ 6:59 Jen Grigoraitis: Good evening, Chair, Councilors, lovely to see you all. I'm filling in for Mr. Carrillo this evening. Um, so this is the first in several earmarks that will be before you tonight that were included by our state delegation in the FY26 state budget. I do want to thank Rep. Libogarabedian and Senator Lewis for their advocacy on behalf of Melrose. Um, as you may know, the earmarks were delayed in their release to municipalities. That was a decision of the governor as she was monitoring the state fiscal situation. So, we received notice about two hours after the posting deadline for your November meeting that all of these earmarks had been released by the state. So, um, we're grateful for the financing. We also have a slightly shorter than normal time frame, um, frame in which to spend the money. So, this request is for $75,000 for work on our playing fields, of which there is quite a bit of options. Um, we are concerned about the irrigation system on the knoll, which has been pretty much nonfunctional, and so we... That field, which is heavily utilized by both our high school athletic teams as well as youth sports, um, is very challenging to maintain. So, we would like to use some of this funding to repair that system so that we can have the field properly irrigated. We also have a, um, variety of work that's outlined in the memo that needs to be done on various fields, including turf repair, seeding, sodding, um, some equipment to help maintain fields, and some additional drainage components. So, final decision of what we'll use these specific dollars for will largely be driven by what work can get done by June 30th when we have to expend the funding. I will do my best to answer questions.
▶ 8:32 Speaker 6: Any questions?
▶ 8:34 Ward Hamilton: Councilor Hamilton. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, and thank you for what we have before us, which I think is, uh, a slate of important things that we need to take care of and at this motio- at this moment, I make a motion to recommend. Second.
▶ 8:52 Mark Garipay: We have a motion to recommend ID 2025-749 made by Councilor Hamilton, uh, seconded by Councilor Williams on discussion. Councilor Stewart.
▶ 9:02 Robb Stewart: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Madam, uh, Mayor, thank you. Um, uh, is there any requirement for matching funding? No, there is not. Great. Thank you for answering that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 9:09 Speaker 1: Okay, anyone else on discussion? Okay. Um, all in favor? I. Opposed?
▶ 9:18 Mark Garipay: That will be recommended.
▶ 9:21 Speaker 3: Thank you all.