ORDER-2023-43 : An Appropriation from the Peg Access Cable Fund (#2922) in the amount of $281,947.54 (Two Hundred Eighty - One thousand, Nine Hundred Forty-Seven Thousand and Fifty-Four cents) to MMTV and Melrose Public Schools.

Transcript (~13 min @ 4:08)

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▶ 4:02 Jen Grigoraitis: Tanya so that passes and that will be recommended to the full Council later tonight for final vote. Thank you both for being here. We wish you a very happy New Year great work. Thank you. Next up. We have ordered 2023-43 inappropriation from the peg access cable fund number 2922 in the amount of 281,947,000 and 54 cents to mmtv, and the Melrose Public Schools and joining us tonight. We have former counselor Mary Beth mcintyremortgolis from mmtv and Melrose Public School Superintendent, Dr. Julie cucumber. Welcome to you both.

▶ 4:39 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: You know good evening. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the Hanukkah wishes. My husband appreciates it. He's home with covid and hence the mask.

▶ 4:48 Speaker 5: apologize, but here we are.

▶ 4:54 Speaker 5: So what what can we tell you?

▶ 4:58 Jen Grigoraitis: Are there questions from the council?

▶ 5:02 Speaker 6: Council Garrett

▶ 5:04 Mark Garipay: I think the last time we did the appropriation it was some discussion about maybe upgrading the city the council chambers. Yes with. We still in the works. It is in fact,

▶ 5:16 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: and we in fact have just sent in in the last. Couple of I think about the last month, let's say a little bit less. We've had the company that we work with that does all of our upgrades in not only the studio but throughout the city. Come down. Look at the chamber. Give us an estimate. We have made a deposit of about 50% which is about I don't know $20,000 for equipment. Unfortunately, like many things that are technology related. The equipment is on backorder. So it will probably be about three months to four months until that actually arrives and I think the consensus from our point of view was that you would all probably prefer this to take place when you are have less meetings like in the summertime as opposed to you know, the end of the year when you're doing you the budget the end of the fiscal year. So yeah, we expect that that will be happening this summer.

▶ 6:25 Mark Garipay: In what type of Technology when you say the new technology? What is it going to what are they doing? What's the equipment that's going to be on order? Well that is on order.

▶ 6:34 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: There's going to be new cameras. They'll be new speakers. There'll be more speakers. There'll be some. I I think there'll be new new microphones that will hopefully be LinkedIn in perhaps a better fashion. We do here from constituents that sometimes it's difficult to hear what people are saying in the chamber and we are intending to address that as well.

▶ 7:06 Mark Garipay: Okay, and just one of the question I always ask it what percentage of the 281,000 will be going to the school department.

▶ 7:16 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: So the 281,000 is the total that's being. Appropriated and the way that that has been split traditionally which really goes back to about 2006 initially, but the most recent documentation. with was from mayor Dole and in 2012, and that's we get 5% that that amount that you're appropriating tonight represents five percent less fees less blah, you know people who don't pay and whatever five percent of the revenue from the customers who pay for cable television and that five percent is split 80% to the mmtv one on 20% to the schools. in addition to that we have kind of a memorandum of agreement, but nothing really official a statement of support whereby mmtv has taken on responsibility for purchasing and upgrading any equipment at the high school and we hope to do that kind of get the the middle school program going again also, so we've we've talked with the superintendent and staff about that. So hopefully that will happen next year as well. But all together in addition to what the schools get from that 1% We figure between what we pay for like the Huddle system and their cameras and we pay for the FiOS line for them and just like our we have a couple of Staff members who go down and help out occasionally, and we also lend them a lot of equipment. We've probably invested in another $30,000 approximately this year in that program.

▶ 9:20 Mark Garipay: I would be remiss if I've said it every time you've been in front of us, but I'd like to see that percentage. You know adjust a little bit more towards the schools. I understand you guys mmtv does do a lot for the schools. But I've said it every time you've been in front of us and I will continue.

▶ 9:36 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: Well, I will tell you that the contract is really between the licensing licensing seeing Authority which is the mayor and the cable companies so as much as we would all like to see funds perhaps distributed in a different way and as I say, it's really it's been tradition and we did just renew renew both contracts. So Verizon I think is five years in Comcast will be 10, but but our Our investment will definitely increase next year. We're going to add new cameras for them and their studio and as we've discussed with the superintendent, hopefully bringing back the middle school program.

▶ 10:20 Mark Garipay: In the the new you just said it was a 10-year

▶ 10:24 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: contract. We just ten years for Comcast and

▶ 10:28 Mark Garipay: five years for Verizon and the percentage that we get there was negotiated is very similar to other communities. Is it

▶ 10:33 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: a standard one for everybody? The five percent is the maximum by law. That they are required to provide. And and part of the reason we did get it up to the 5% was because of the commitment to the schools. prior to that it was 4.25

▶ 10:56 Jen Grigoraitis: or the questions. Thank you Vice chairman. Glorelli.

▶ 10:58 Leila Migliorelli: Thank you madam chair. Thank you both for being with us tonight. I guess just picking up on counselor garapay's questions. So the use of the licensing licensing Authority is the mayor and that agreements with the cable companies for that's the five percent that comes to the break down goes to the fund right five percent. What portion goes to mmtv. And what portion goes to schools is not part

▶ 11:23 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: of that contract, correct? That's right. It is not part of the contract.

▶ 11:25 Leila Migliorelli: Okay. So if for the counselor or anyone who want to advocate for a greater split between the two or greater split for the schools, that would be on the mayor to talk to talk with him about whether he wanted to change that next

▶ 11:40 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: time the contract comes around. Yeah, so no, I

▶ 11:42 Leila Migliorelli: guess what I'm saying. So is is the amount of the five percent that's allocated for mmtv in the schools. That's in the contract. Or no. Yes, okay. Yes. So it is the 80% that goes to mmtv in the 20% that goes to schools is in the contract with the cable companies or is that split it?

▶ 12:02 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: It is split out it is. there is a the contract just

▶ 12:09 Speaker 5: specifies five percent

▶ 12:11 Speaker 7: okay, but it doesn't specify within that 5% which percent goes to mmtv. That's correct. Okay,

▶ 12:17 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: it does however specify that all of the proceed all of the funds need to be spent on cable television and programming and access productions for

▶ 12:34 Speaker 7: the community basic right? So if the schools had a greater need for that or if they I don't know what the need is

▶ 12:40 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: for the schools. And I mean, I think they could I'm not sure that there could be a change in that. Distribution mid contract however, because the amounts are agreed upon I think without actually being part of the contract. That's something you'd have to check with the legal department. Okay, but as far as I know it's never the only time it ever comes up is when we are. Doing the new, you know contract renewal time.

▶ 13:08 Leila Migliorelli: Okay, and I guess just carry out of curiosity. Since this Peg access cable funds only been around since 2019 and we've you know, we continually appropriate or approve the appropriation of money for out of the fund for mmtv. Are there like do you have have you ever or would consider going forward sharing just a list of like what the things that you're using that appropriation for with the council is that has that ever been part of it? I guess prior to this now because it's basically there's

▶ 13:39 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: no oversight for the from the council. It's just a straight appropriation the monies come from the cable company by law the state of Massachusetts established. This oversight funds had to be in effect for three years prior to that for 23 years. I think we receive the money's directly. There's no. Requirement anywhere for that it's a pass through account. It's not Municipal funds. It's not taxpayer dollars.

▶ 14:15 Speaker 7: Thank you. I just thank you for entertaining my questions. I think just with the economic environment that we're in. We're trying to be a little bit more inquisitive about money. Yeah. Well, that's

▶ 14:24 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: your that's your job.

▶ 14:28 Speaker 6: Counselor Stewart, thank you madam chair and thank

▶ 14:33 Speaker 5: you both for being here this evening Dr. Cucumberger. I

▶ 14:34 Robb Stewart: like to give you the opportunity to share some of the programs that you see that will be anticipated with this money but is being pretty good.

▶ 14:44 Speaker 8: Sure. So as Mary Beth mentioned up keeping the studio making sure that we have, you know, fresh working equipment that's you know, kind of current and state of the art is a huge part of that that goes into many of our classes that are taught during the day, but then also after school during the pandemic when we were able to go completely live with all of our events that was huge and that was solely in part because of mmtv support so that initial installation I think was like 11 or 12,000 dollars and then there's there's the annual fees that we have to pay to keep that up, which I think continues to be a value add to the entire Community but also relatives that aren't in Melrose can you know Tap in and see different events, including the morning announcements. So at the high school they do a great job with the morning announcements, but we would like to as Mary Beth is saying bring that back to the middle school because we have that studio space there in the middle school and I think it could be really great elective. As you know, our kids are very good with technology and videoing and all of that. And so I think that's a nice way for us to meet them where they are and also create some passion points for students.

▶ 16:01 Speaker 9: Thank you madam. Chair, I'll motion to recommend the

▶ 16:03 Jen Grigoraitis: sort of full Council second. So we have a motion to recommend made by counselor Stewart seconded by counselor Eckles. Is there any discussion I just wanted to briefly thank you both for your work. And also just highlight in particular that this Council to my knowledge is the first body in the city to successfully run a hybrid meeting which happened in no small part things to the work of mmtv the IT department in our Council staff. It looked pretty Flawless when it was broadcast, but I know it took a lot of effort. So thank you for helping us to continue to make city government and public events accessible

▶ 16:35 Mary Beth McAteer-Margolis: to everyone. Absolutely that's that's our role and we are really honored to be able to work with the all of the committee people in the city to to be able to provide that kind of information to the community. It's vital.

▶ 16:50 Jen Grigoraitis: So without any other discussion all in favor. Oh, I'm sorry. I apologize Mr. Quick. Can you please call the roll?

▶ 16:57 Speaker 1: I forgot it's incorporation Vice chair mcgrelli. Yes. Counselor Echols, yes. Counsel, gerepe. Yes counselor gemology. Yes. Counselor Stewart, yes. Counselor Carm Shady. Yes, sir. Bremski. Yes counselor Williams. Yes, president sonella. Yes and chair greatest. Yes, that's 10. Yes, and

▶ 17:16 Jen Grigoraitis: yes, so that will be referred to the full council with the recommendation for passage later tonight counselor. Karaoke. I'll make