APP-2023-10 : Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative

Transcript (~41 min @ 0:46)

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▶ 0:32 Jen Grigoraitis: Seeing objection. We are now open for public comments. We have no members of the public in the audience here tonight. Do we have anyone online? There's no online at this time. So with no one online at this time without objection on motion to close public comment seeing no objection public comment is now closed we have four matters before us tonight. The first is App-2023-10 Community prevention and wellness initiative and this comes from Health director Choi. So while you get settled at the table entertain a motion to suspend the rules so we can hear from the health director. So Second so we have a motion to spend the rules made by counselor Stewart seconded by councilor Williams all in favor. Any opposed the rules are now suspended. Good evening Anthony the floor is yours.

▶ 1:21 Speaker 1: Thank you everyone. So I'm excited to discuss a proposal for use of the education Public Safety and substance abuse stabilization fund tonight. I have with me Kara showers our prevention and wellness coordinator. Some of you may already know her from other projects before do you want to give a quick intro about yourself?

▶ 1:41 Speaker 2: Sure, so, I'm karaoke. I've worked part-time with the city for the last 15 years. I'm various health and wellness grants and I'm happy to be here with director Choice. Yeah.

▶ 1:54 Speaker 1: So we're proposing a project that's multifaceted using this These funds to address cannabis education some Public Safety aspect as well as recovery coaching. And so we're looking to use these funds towards a position of prevention of Wellness coordinator. That position would be part-time that position would focus on a lot of chronic disease prevention activities within the city they would also this would also focus on education efforts around cannabis use as well as other substance substances. And so we're looking for this fund to also go towards recovery coaching and that would hopefully help support Public Safety in their efforts to address those that have substance use issues and so part of our proposal includes Some evidence-based marijuana prevention tool kits and so this is kind of across the age Spectrum. We see that there are youth using marijuana. We also see seniors using it as well. And so we're hoping to use a combination of Education materials as well as other General Health and Wellness programs to help support our community. We also have healthy aging and dementia friendly initiatives to help the seniors that maybe using these products and we want to continue to address other tangentially related health health topics, but also play into overall health and wellness of the community. So we're also including things like blood pressure screenings as well as healthy coping classes that includes yoga in the park and other programs that existed in the past. We want to kind of continue some of the principles that were brought to the city through mass and motion which care worked on for a long time. And so hopefully the council will consider our proposal. Thank you.

▶ 3:48 Jen Grigoraitis: Are there any questions from counselors counselor Williams followed by counselor garapay?

▶ 3:53 Ryan Williams: You the first thing that I would like to say is this is an excellent proposal. I mean the document itself, right? It's got a clear budget. It's five pages of you know information. It's got citations, right? You don't really see that in the council and I like it and I know it's not necessarily appropriate for every approach, but I really do appreciate seeing it because it really helps lay things out very very clearly and and I wanted to ask you specific question on the budget that you've included here for open space and Recreation support. There's a 9000 line item for supplies. What are the supplies?

▶ 4:32 Speaker 1: So actually Kara just at the first one say all credit goes to Kara. We've been working together very closely on this proposal. You know, we want we worked with also Patrick as well. It's a put together a kind of a thoughtful proposal on how to use this money. And you know, this is a very sustainable Source, but also how we have the most impact but Cara you actually just went to an open space meeting. So do you want to kind of

▶ 4:54 Speaker 2: go over some of the things sure so um counselor Williams we when we were putting open space Recreation support in here. We were thinking about some of the work that's coming to fruition through the committee that actually we both. Yeah, we're both committee. I'm just recently yesterday maybe even had a meeting to discuss some of the some of the initiatives that residents want to see happening through the work. So I think just for munis purposes we put supplies as the category, but I think it will be very things that the residents have. Out through those meetings. So and also I know you said 9,000 and something that Anthony wanted to bring up tonight is that it's actually half of that only because we're Asking for just the second half of fiscal year 23 for the appropriation

▶ 5:54 Jen Grigoraitis: again. Yeah, it's like just a point of order. So the appropriation request is for $75,000 in the budget incorrectly States 150,000. I believe we caught that on the phone today. So just it would be helpful if we could get that corrected going forward. Yeah, so originally when

▶ 6:07 Speaker 1: this budget was submitted I submitted for the entire fiscal year, but I think for procreations sake we're actually gonna be appropriating for asking for the last half of the fiscal year 23 and then we'll come back to a pro to ask for appropriation for the full fiscal year starting in 24. So you're so you're

▶ 6:22 Ryan Williams: that was my next question which was where's the other half of the money coming from now? I know yes. So the plan would be then to come back for another 75,000 but that all so come from the From the same Source from the from the marijuana revenue or yes. Okay, you projected that out. You feel like that's that's actually going to arrive. Yes. Yeah,

▶ 6:45 Speaker 1: we we do expect so, you know this source of funding is is some what steady the the tax is supposed to remain steady for about eight years this program. So we're we're looking to you know, obviously ask for an appropriation from the council for this amount or hoping to have you know, a commitment kind of moving forward because we can see these programs continuing to be impactful moving forward one last

▶ 7:09 Ryan Williams: question. Caught my eye counselor LED Community Health forums. Yes, despite the Pomp and Circumstance of city council. We don't actually have a lot of resources that are disposal to lead forums and to do events. Like they do in other cities like Malden where they have a very kind of heavy hand and directing neighborhood and Community initiative. So I'm really interested to know a little bit more about what you envision that being and how you envision the working relationship between counselors and the health department and just what's your what's your vision for that? I

▶ 7:44 Speaker 1: think one of the one of the things that we wanted to address was both, you know educating, you know, our general public are you know, our teachers those that make contact with individuals that there's an impact the most but I think as policy makers I think the councils in a unique position because you are in contact with your residents. I think the education is best sort of everybody has the same, you know, starting knowledge, right? So we're hoping as part of this program is to have training sessions with the counselors to kind of go over the basics, you know, even this evidence-based marijuana prevention, which is aimed at, you know Youth and for teachers as well. I think it's good that everybody have this base of knowledge. And I know that you know counselors have contact with their residents through newsletters or through different forums, right? So we were hoping to build out some sort of program where you know, everybody is informed so when you know when policies come to the table, everybody can make a better more informed decision.

▶ 8:39 Ryan Williams: Cool. Thanks. Appreciate it. That's it for me. Thank you councilor pen.

▶ 8:42 Mark Garipay: Thank you. Thank you for being here and echo of counselor Williams. Sentiments on the proposal but with detail comes questions, right? So the first one regarding the budget and how we're going to fund. the second 75,000 Was answered but I do have a couple questions. This is a part-time position. Correct? Yes, the prevention and

▶ 9:05 Speaker 1: wellness coordinators part-time positions. So Michelle was

▶ 9:09 Mark Garipay: you going to be doing both your current job and this this job. You're currently part time with the health. So it'll be a full-time. So this is this is

▶ 9:19 Speaker 1: this is a move of this position into this fund entirely. So her care is position would be fully in this fully in this fund.

▶ 9:31 Mark Garipay: And okay, so it's the 51,000 it would be the yearly or five-time yearly fee

▶ 9:37 Speaker 1: Right 51,000 feet. Really. Yes.

▶ 9:43 Mark Garipay: What what happens? I know you said you're going to come back for the second half of the money. Yes great program. What happens if things change and it doesn't doesn't get approved. What do we do there? Do you can you absorb this within your Health budget

▶ 9:57 Speaker 1: So we're currently working on other grants as well. We're going to be looking at our our budget to see you know, how we how programs moving forward currently we do not have a full-time, you know, a full budget squared away for this position if we were to absorb it but we are working on other grants. We're continually applying for them like the school violence prevention Grant we just got so we're continuing to work on this as we go.

▶ 10:20 Speaker 3: Thank you.

▶ 10:24 Robb Stewart: thank you, Miss showers and it's chewy for being here tonight just to Continue on the thought the council garapay had do you see this? Do you anticipate that this is going to be a continuing program for the future foreseeable future.

▶ 10:41 Speaker 1: Yes. I do. See this as a continuing program.

▶ 10:43 Robb Stewart: Okay, and so it'll either need to be and it is definitely an addition. It is not you're not shifting resources. You're adding this to your Core offering within your services, okay. And your ideas for funding this would be either. Ask for the money or get grants. Yes, correct. So

▶ 11:04 Speaker 1: we foresee this we foresee this fund as a very stable. It was available a very stable source of money moving forward one of the things that we see that our proposal addresses a lot of the principles that the council I set this funds side for originally. We're working on substance use prevention as well as Community Health, you know, General chronic disease prevention and Community Health. So I think this is a very responsible way of using this fund and so we hope to continue utilize this fun. As long as we have

▶ 11:37 Robb Stewart: it for these principles great. Thank you. My observation looking at this is there seems that there are two categories. There are the necessitive. And there are the nice to have and I think that as we approach next year budgeting is going to be challenging. I think you may want to look at and revisit how this is categorized and be prepared to come back with. something that may be still trying to accomplish the same goals, but with the more focused concentration on What are different areas that we're going to cover here? That would be my recommendation? I will support this but I think going forward. It's going to be challenging to fund this fully so please keep that in mind.

▶ 12:25 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you Vice chairman mcgrelli.

▶ 12:27 Leila Migliorelli: I'm Cher. Thank you. Both for being here tonight. I have a question do we know this is coming from the specific stabilization fund. Do we know what the balance? I'm sorry if I missed that with the balance in the fund is currently.

▶ 12:47 Speaker 4: Good evening. Great question to the chair. Yes, we do know. the current balance is 513, 625.96 again, 513-625.96 as of today. Okay. And is that

▶ 13:05 Leila Migliorelli: since this is through Revenue like how often is that like a built up over period of time or how often? For like annually what how much money comes into the fund another

▶ 13:18 Speaker 4: excellent question I make you this is never been used before. In history of the city, this is the first time and we built it up from 2019 was an initial contribution of 25,000 to this effort overall. But what's happened is when the council and the city approved that special legislation. So you get your 3% excise up here then they get the second which was a local option for another 3% When we're done here was we was decided through this Council that 50% of that second three percent would be provided for this effort that we have before was this evening. and the purposes for which the fund could be used for is all spelled out. In the actual order that was passed by the council. I think it's order number 2022-148 actually, June 21st, 2022 and just if anyone just as a point of order that

▶ 14:20 Jen Grigoraitis: was when we approved the fun the fund was initially

▶ 14:25 Speaker 4: created in 2019. And it was just what happened was you had with the sunset provision. I believe at the time you wanted to continue the fund. So I believe there was an actual team to do just that and that was the purpose. Yeah. I tried to

▶ 14:35 Leila Migliorelli: look and I couldn't find the purpose in the IQ M2 is a little hard to search so I don't know if there was a actual definition for what the fun should be used for. Yeah, okay. But if you can get that that would be helpful. So what we're saying is that right now this position is being funded from another source of funding not

▶ 15:00 Speaker 1: So currently the prevention of Wellness coordinator position is funded through an upper project, it's the it's the recreation health Partnership project for mental health first aid I think it's called The Wellness initiative, but it's focusing on Mental Health First Aid.

▶ 15:18 Leila Migliorelli: so then we are deliver so question are your but paying for a salary position out of a Stabilization fund is that something that we typically do or encourage?

▶ 15:36 Speaker 4: if I make sure this is sort of unique and it's in its derivative the whole purpose of why they even had this, you know the marijuana. Effort that was put forward. There was some thought that there might be some additional concerns within the community that there might be some negative impacts of some kind at some point. So the objective in this particular case was that they'd be funds available for the community to use and dress perhaps mental health issues or whatever may come out of his substance abuse. So and if that's really where this group from this is not your traditional stabilization fund this one an incense that the way it's funded every quarter. We get a distribution from the Commonwealth they collected money. They send it to us. That's how this operation actually works. And then we take that money that we receive the second distribution split it in half half goes in here. And again the other half goes to the general fund. So there's nothing unusual in my in my world to see this sign of fun set up because it's for unique circumstances.

▶ 16:43 Speaker 5: Thank you. I while I agree with my fellow colleagues on having data and footnotes. I'm just kind of curious the

▶ 16:56 Leila Migliorelli: see if I can find here. Okay. So according to a 2019 Melrose Wakefield Healthcare Community needs assessment 8.2% of Melrose residents died of chronic. Ischemic I'm not sure this isn't that right heart disease making it one of the top three causes of death in the city. And then it cites us study at Stanford that says that Heart diseases could be it could be connected to marijuana usage, but I went and clicked on the study and it's you know. It looks like smoking marijuana versus you know other ways to consume marijuana. I guess my question is is that I feel like we more of the discourse lease that I've heard sort of offhand is that we you know, there's opioid addiction problems and things like that is this is this kind of work and programs only for marijuana based issues or what is it going to be broadly used for any type of you know drug addiction,

▶ 17:51 Speaker 1: so it will be broadly used and I think a lot of these programs are meant to supplement the work that our public health specialist growling does so she's the former position of substance use prevention coordinator. So, you know this may have, you know, a focus on marijuana use but this will support a lot of the other, you know opioids and alcohol and tobacco. We have a strong kind of program already in place. We have Maureen bosby who works on Tobacco. We have Emily who works on, you know other substances, so it's this is meant to you know to augment that so it's not only going to be marijuana focused

▶ 18:30 Leila Migliorelli: some of the other concerns that the counselors mentioned but in terms of the budget and moving forward and being able to support this moving forward, I'm I'm a little concerned about that. I'm also would be curious to to get that information on the purposes of the fund itself and Just whether you know $150,000 a year or something we should be using for for this purpose. So that's all my questions for now. Thank you madam. Before

▶ 18:59 Jen Grigoraitis: we get to a second round of questions. I had a few questions and I wanted to thank you Anthony for talking with me this afternoon again, just to Echo what my colleagues have said I think going forward the history the fund what the total balance is a budget that message matches the order those would be really helpful and I feel like we're doing a little bit of sticking a square peg in around hole which right or wrong unfortunately is often the Melrose way and how we budget things. I'm a little concerned about an ask for what is essentially 150,000 both at this point in the fiscal year. And at this point in this fiscal year at this moment, that's not an insignificant amount of money in this community. I don't question the value of The work that you all want to do. I am. I know we can't find the language related to the fun. But there was a lot of press around the creation of that Fund in which it was stated by then counselors worker that this had three key areas education Public Safety and Substance Abuse Prevention. So I see Substance Abuse Prevention in this ask I don't see Public Safety or education. I'd really like to know if either of those departments have had an opportunity to weigh in on the use of this fund. I'm also a little confused about if the position is currently paid through arpa. I don't see that on our list of arpa expenditures. So I'm trying to understand how we're currently funding this prevention and wellness position and then what pile of money we've either lost or we're going to be leaving kind of open to use for something else if we shift because we're basically shifting a salary cost from one kind of unclear funding source to this one. So I'd really appreciate Some clarity on that and then I'm also some of the items that are in here there's $13,000 for food insecurity. There's a 75,000 line item in arpa for food insecurity. It'd be helpful to get a sense of what exactly that is that we're talking about. What is the problem? We're trying to solve in the community again to Echo counselor garapay. I think when you give us detail, it leads to good questions. I value the work of prevention. I as a parent as a resident I was incredibly concerned about with came out of the youth risk behavior survey. I'm not sure cannabis use would be my number one concern of the issues in there. So I would really like to see more information both understanding how this does or doesn't fit into the bigger picture of the city's finances and then also kind of what it is you all are looking to accomplish how we're identifying residents for these programs. So that would be kind of where I'm at right now is that we're not quite ready for prime time. So and with that I know councilor Williams had more questions followed by counselor Gary pay

▶ 21:34 Ryan Williams: Thank you. So as it happens, I found the order creating the fund and for the record, it is ordered 2019-46. It was recommended on June 13th, 2019. And exactly as chair Grigoraitis said the fund very explicitly lists three uses for the money. And am I right here. We have 500,000 in this fund. I heard that right 500 time. We've never used it. Okay, number one. directly supplement Appropriations for the Melrose Public Schools and its Administration That's big one. It's a big one. number two directly supplement Appropriations for Public Safety and number three substance abuse efforts with a specific Focus showing as it says here, which I think is a mistake but this is what it says a direct correlation to recreational marijuana and well and then it says or substance misuse so like it's very clear that the intention of this fund is to supplement the budget of the schools and we know that we're in the middle of a moment right now. We're far less than 500,000 separates us from a contract a successful contract. That's not to say I don't support this project. I do you guys are asking for 150,000 out of a 500,000 fund. Maybe the proposal could be slimmed down over time, but we haven't used this money for anything else and it needs to be used for these three purposes needs to be used for the schools needs to be used for public safety training and needs to be used for direct correlations to marijuana or substance misuse, which is what your proposal showing. So I'm not saying I don't want to see this proposal. I do want to see this proposal. I think what some of my colleagues are saying. We also want to see the other proposals, right which is not your department. But yeah, so I I think it I think it's it's pretty clear here. What this what this should go to and I would love to see this put to use some of this money put to use for the schools.

▶ 23:42 Speaker 1: And I think I'm glad you brought up kind of the other the other branches. So there's a lot the large focus on education and Public Safety obviously just recently we've had a little bit of a transition with our police department. So I had a chance to talk to Chief folley today, you know, he's been great kind of our initial meetings. We've been discussing kind of how we foresee our partnership kind of evolving with his with his leadership here. We did talk about the recovery coach. I think that's one of those one of those, you know key points that can really support the kind of after after the post response support. I think the recovery coach and you know, it follows a similar model to a lot of our surrounding communities that already have those in place. So I think that's a really key position in terms of the schools. I think we already have a great connection with them in terms of the Melrose health and wellness Coalition. It's already been established we meet we meet with the swag team and our director Steve Fogerty. So it's great to have that partnership already and some of this Educational material that we talked about the marijuana prevention the tool kits and having those trainings is sure

▶ 24:49 Ryan Williams: to be to be clear. You're not on the hook for the school's portion of this. It doesn't say educational activities. It says to support the appropriation towards administration of public schools. This is a Straight Cash transfer into the school department, but you are right and and chief follier has said more than wants to us. He also said it has inauguration. The training is a big factor of what he wants to do. He's asked us, you know, very directly. I want you to help fund this training. So if you're listening Chief failure, here's the money that you have for some training off the bat.

▶ 25:20 Jen Grigoraitis: counselor Echoes when councilor Cassidy then counselor gemology

▶ 25:24 Jack Eccles: Thank you madam chair. Mr. Delarosa, could I ask one more question about the fun? So we have $5,000 or 500,000 now. It's been about three years. Has it been an even distribution over the three years. Did we see a lot in the first year? What I'm getting at is is this something that we can rely on year over year. We've seen a trend down in the way that we wouldn't want to fund recurring expenses over it or in a way that we could

▶ 25:56 Speaker 4: excellent question for the cheer We really saw the fund begin to do its recognition of Revenue. in 2021 2022 which was I'll say the the really the full year over 300,000. So we're seeing right now again as an estimate about 80,000 per quarter. So we will not be unrealistic to believe that that you may actually hit what you did in 2022. There's no certainty to that. It's subject to a lot of mock, you know, the economy like everything else is and but you this fund has realized that kind of Revenue

▶ 26:48 Jack Eccles: Okay. So one and a half percent of a total of six percent is eighty thousand dollars per quarter.

▶ 26:57 Jack Eccles: Exciting anything that's kind of a weird. Well one and a half percent of the total six percent we get through is

▶ 27:03 Speaker 4: yeah. The first three percent is it could call a general fund for the sake of the what it is and the other three percent split right in half half goes to the general fund. The other half goes right in here.

▶ 27:14 Jack Eccles: In that totals 320,000 a year about well

▶ 27:18 Speaker 4: right now if it stayed on track would probably be about 3:20 for around FYI 23, but again, I'm not signing off on that.

▶ 27:28 Jack Eccles: Gotcha. Okay. Yeah, I remember following this in 2019 and being a little skeptical again of the The marijuana prevention being the focus of it because it is it, you know, it was a significant kind of windfall that we were gonna get and it was tying some up but his counselor Williams meant that mentioned there's a lot of potential two appropriate kind of some needed gaps in the budget. So thank you for answering that.

▶ 27:51 Speaker 6: Council carm-chady

▶ 27:54 Manjula Karamcheti: Thank you so much for being here. I very much appreciate the proposal. My background is in prevention science and counseling and wellness. So this is very close to my heart particularly when it comes to youth. Just building off some of the things that some of the other counselors have stated around the potential use of these funds. I'm just sort of wondering about this specificity towards marijuana use particularly because marijuana use is often a symptom of mental health issues and in thinking about the use of these funds, How we might be thinking about it a little differently in terms of prevention and in particular thinking about the schools and positions and curriculum and programming. That isn't One and done that is more comprehensive and built into the system. So that's just something I would like us to be thinking about it's to me it is the mental health piece that is really important and not the cannabis use and what is driving students looking for and kids and families looking for coping mechanisms and choosing marijuana as one of them. So I'd really love to see some work around within the schools and in the community more of that and I do see in your proposal. There are some prevention things around mindfulness and wellness, but I I think it goes deeper than that.

▶ 29:35 Speaker 1: I'm actually glad you brought that up because it touches on one of the other projects. So the the wellness initiative through our harp of funding right now. So we're working very closely with Frankel vary from the rec department. We've had a very successful first round of Youth and adult mental health first aid classes. And so this has been working with with staff members. We're trying to make sure that you know mental health first day was always part of the professional development course for schools, but I think it's one of those things that you know, you can select it amongst, you know a list of professional development, but we want to make sure that mental health is a required training and so we wanted to demonstrate through this program The Wellness Initiative Program that we're gonna make Mental Health First Aid widely available. And so I think you're absolutely right marijuana use is not is very very rarely happens in a vacuum. And so I think we having this having this extra kind of program to augment that is as really important.

▶ 30:36 Speaker 6: counselor jimaldi

▶ 30:46 Maya Jamaleddine: I also wanted to acknowledge the amount of work that you and your department have been doing I truly appear. I see it. I I we talked about several incidents and reports that happened at the school. I personally reach out to you about things that I've heard that my kids heard and you know, I I know for sure that you've been actively trying to Find Solutions it's not an easy fix issue. Unfortunately, this is something that's been happening and we know about it. Before you started with us everyone is trying to find solution and I wish we can. Find one. I I was wondering if you have had any conversation with other communities or cities that have tried different programs. I wonder you know, like my colleague counselor camsheri just mentioned. It's more as a mental health issue that Makes our youth and anyone for that sake go to the to cope to find different ways to cope and I wonder if we if you have discussed with any other communities of ways that they found it more efficient or you know, that what's helpful for their schools. I also wonder if we have tried any kind of Programs that engage Our Youth and teams and to keep them away from that solution and help them to recover from any kind of mental health issue.

▶ 32:31 Speaker 1: Yes. Yeah, that's real. That's a really good question. And I I've had the I've had the privilege to work with a lot of great communities a lot of already built-in knowledge. So in several communities in our nearby District we have I decide I decided as a diversion program in schools. It's a pretty strong program. There's about four hours of contact time and so students may be found using substances or have behavioral health issues maybe able to go through this program and it's supposed to take away from the kind of suspension heavy kind of a culture that we've developed before and so kind of going through an auditing different places and seeing what kind of programs there are actually just today our public health specialist, and I went to Beverly to visit the Beverly YMCA program there they're running a A state-of-the-art past program and so it's kind of like a two day. It is an intervention model but it's a two-day program where students forego suspension and they go to this program and they go through us, you know a series of surveys and they make sure that they are going through things like adverse childhood effects. They're also going through substance use mental health behavioral health screenings, but they're also allowed to you know, catch up on their school work they make sure they're allowed to engage with their peers from different places. And so we're continually kind of analyzing different models that are out there. As you said, as you said really well the schools right now, you know, it's you know, it's this whole landscape for students has changed obviously prior to covid that. There are already issues identified, but now all those years have been accessorated and we're trying to get a good handle on that. So we continue to work with our nearby communities and part of this program and this helps in the public health specialists role. We will continue to evaluate those and we we also want to continue to support something like the the yrbs survey. I don't know how many of you are aware. But this year the yrbs. Our district was always historically funded by the Lahey Lahey Hospital Grant. That's no longer available to us now. And so we are looking for, you know, wait a different way to fund that and so why are BS results this year are you know more important than ever because we're looking at prior years and we want to be able to show a comparison to results now, so we will continue

▶ 34:54 Maya Jamaleddine: to do that work. So are we getting it through? other than Leahy Were we able to find anything other than me? It was

▶ 35:02 Speaker 1: a very recent development. So right now the Middlesex League superintendents have been in discussion about where to find the next funding and so we're working with their working with our health departments locally to find grants that may be able to cover that. So just depending on which I'm municipalities were luckily in a great partnership with Wakefield and Stoneham right now. So they're all kind of in the same boat. They also want to continue the yrps results and the yrps results are stronger when you can compare results between you know, our community and all the other ones are participate, right? So there's an incentive for these communities to find funding and we're working with them on that. So

▶ 35:39 Speaker 5: Thank you.

▶ 35:41 Jen Grigoraitis: Council carm-chady

▶ 35:44 Manjula Karamcheti: Thank you. I think my this question again because I really appreciate the proposal. I understand what you're going for in sort of the prevention lens of acknowledging and intervening with marijuana use and whatnot. So totally get it. I think my question is more for you Mr. Della Russo in terms of the education Public Safety and substance abuse stabilization fund, I think. And they feel like it's been hinted around. So for myself, I just need to get a better understanding. With these funds is it possible to fund positions and programming in the school's directly particularly related to mental health and substance abuse like having positions in the school thinking about our special education population who are often really vulnerable to substance abuse use given like dual diagnosis and that kind of thing. So I'm just I think trying to get a broader sense of what the fund can be used for and can it be specifically used for positions in the school department. Can it be specifically used for programming in the schools for youth?

▶ 36:59 Speaker 4: If I may to chase an excellent question the word that I view this and I have on this fund as other funds. For me, it's still an immature fund for the purposes of duration. Typically you like to see something three four five actually five of histories always the best to go with so it's it's a new fund. It's it's in its own way. It's it's drawing in the revenues are going pretty much I think at some point stabilize like everything else generally does um, yes my opinion as the city auditor is that absolutely you can use that for those purposes the The caveat is always this because this is a recurring Revenue. It's not one-time Revenue makes it it makes it possible. It makes that feasible. Clearly before any definitive decisions were made or recommendations put forward. We would say what what is a reasonable expectation? But we would say 200,000 out of 300,000 for example, is that reasonable but you know in a general sense it may be because as we do with local receipts, we budgeted 75% of the priority is actual so you give yourself that room. So something doesn't materialize you programs not going to fall apart because you always have to have in the back of your head. Once you create a program. You don't want to pull it away. So what makes this we have to ensure that we believe reasonably that it's can be sustained you after you have to you after year and there's no there is no fun doesn't disappear. It doesn't evaporate and that so you don't have that. Fun like closing up the interview like other funds some of them do it doesn't happen with this one.

▶ 38:41 Manjula Karamcheti: So if I'm hearing you correctly like in terms of longevity that exists with this type of fund. Yes, so

▶ 38:48 Speaker 7: it's recurring that it can support long term.

▶ 38:51 Speaker 4: And again, I always put the caveat it just at what level that's the critical component. What level do we feel comfortable as a community? You're putting at the money out there that we feel is going to be the year. Thank you

▶ 39:02 Speaker 7: so much. Appreciate that.

▶ 39:05 Speaker 6: counselor Eccles

▶ 39:07 Jack Eccles: Thank you madam chair. I'm just looking back at some of the minutes from Last time from when the council spoke about this in 2019, which was at a hot off the most recent override and I think one thing that's noted by Mr. Delarosa and some of the accounts whereas is That in a time of fiscal pressure. This could be used to supplement. Some shortfalls. And so I think that you know as the council we in I think the theme of the evening is fiscal pressure. So I think that you know, we need to rank this against every priority in the city because it essentially being able to fund Public Safety and education is basically just part of the you know, it's it's a stabilization fund but it's pretty fungible and what it can be used for so it gets ranked against pretty much every other priority. Just wanted to call that out.

▶ 39:57 Jen Grigoraitis: Is there a motion from the table? Well, can I wait to see if there's a motion since I just ask the question. Thank you.

▶ 40:07 Speaker 4: For sure.

▶ 40:09 Jen Grigoraitis: Is there a motion from the counselor? Are you wishing to hear? I'm sure I'll make a motion to recommend. So we have a motion to recommend made by counselor Stewart is their second. Okay, there's count a second by counselor. Jamal Dean. Is there any discussion from the council?

▶ 40:24 Speaker 6: Okay, Mr. Clerk. Can you please call the roll?

▶ 40:28 Speaker 4: Thank you for the opportunity.

▶ 40:30 Speaker 6: Vice chair Migliorelli, no

▶ 40:37 Speaker 6: counselor Eccles, no Council gerepe yes. Counselor jamaladin, yes.

▶ 40:45 Speaker 6: Counselor Stewart, yes. Councilor treaty. Yes.

▶ 40:52 Speaker 3: counselor Williams

▶ 40:54 Speaker 8: No.

▶ 40:56 Speaker 6: chair Grigoraitis no

▶ 41:04 Speaker 6: four days four yeses

▶ 41:10 Jen Grigoraitis: So it will go forward with to the full Council without recommendation, which means it's completely neutral but it does require a votes for passage because it is inappropriation.

▶ 41:19 Speaker 6: Thank you.