Public Comment

Transcript (~12 min @ 11:24)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 11:24 Christopher Cinella: And if there is no objection at this time, I'd like to approve our meeting minutes from October 3rd the 11th 17th and 27th so, you know objection those meeting minutes are approved. And if there is no objection at this time, I'd like to open up the floor for public comment. We are now open for public comment if anybody wishes to speak we have anybody online.

▶ 11:49 Speaker 3: There's no online at this time.

▶ 11:52 Christopher Cinella: Anybody would like to speak for public comment?

▶ 11:57 Christopher Cinella: If you want to just state your name and address, please. for the record

▶ 12:03 Speaker 1: My name is David trapez 57 Laurel Street, Melrose, Mass. I'm here tonight to talk about math. Specifically the unforgiving arithmetic that needs to be resolved in Melrose. You'll hear me talk about three numbers tonight 2.2 million 3.8 million and 5.18 million two of these numbers are likely familiar to many of you. The last one. The 5.18 million is the amount of the override the past three years ago. It was intended to put the school budget on solid Financial footing yet evidence by the number of folks here tonight that did not occur. Let's be clear the lack of a teacher contract is a math problem. There is not enough money to close this Gap. I'm not here on behalf the teachers union I'm here because this giant hole impacts the students the citizens of Melrose and our teachers as I read the questions about the fiscal year 23 budget online. I'm not sure if the body here understands this giant hole. Therefore, let's talk about 3.8 million. That's how much it would take the clothes the gap between what Melrose teachers make an average versus Wakefield. That's according to the math Department of Education. Ignoring this is a bad strategy pain significantly below Market leads to retention and recruiting problems the alternative of becoming a feeder district for those that can pay more leads to worst academic outcomes. That's good teachers leave and those that remain are junior or ill-suited. What is more striking to me though and looking at the math behind the teacher salaries is that despite the override and the rationale for it the Gap did not Move significantly this leads to the conclusion. Amayan that this did not solve the problem, but rather push the Reckoning forward, unfortunately as evidenced by the teachers outside the future is now here. I do not believe malware citizens or parents like myself want Melrose to become a feeder District. This is what happened to my School District 20 years ago, and that's why I'm here. Therefore there needs to be an underpinned plan to address this Gap. This 3.8 million is a very large number and one that will take years to resolve. I also doubt it is the only Gap and that the number is actually much larger, which brings me to the final number 2.2 million. Yes, that's the fiscal year 22 school budget deficit and while a lot has been said about who knew what when I have yet to see any accounting of a structural of the structural deficit contained in there. We know from the school board meeting a few weeks ago that Transportation costs are up and likely to be structurally higher. I also separately learned the malware's energy costs are likely to be significantly higher in fiscal year 24 when the current electricity contract expires understanding these and other costs as vital. At the end of the day as I look at the root cause of the 2.2 million or the 5.8 million 5.18 million not fixing the school budget math. It comes down to not asking the right questions about a projections and about what underpins and whether something passes the sniff test. The math problem is not going to be solved with a roughly 4% budget increase. This was proposed each year combined with teacher and Community Goodwill. It's mathematically impossible. So as this body is responsible for the budget. I ask that you use their responsibility to understand the budget math develop the multi-year understanding and propose a multi-year plan. The resolves these structural gaps solving the problems for our teachers our parents and our citizens. Thank you.

▶ 15:21 Christopher Cinella: So everybody knows an eight minutes. We have a public hearing on a telephone pole that we have to open up that meeting by law. I don't know if anybody's here for that to speak, but I'll remind you in eight minutes, but go ahead.

▶ 15:32 Speaker 2: Good evening. I am Lisa Donovan proud president of the Melrose Education Association. The mea is encouraged by the city council's interest in seeing Fair contracts settled between the Melrose Education Association and the school committee. We are demonstrating here tonight to reiterate the urgency of the situation. For academic and safety reasons our students need and deserve fully staff schools. To ensure the highest quality schools for our Melrose community. We must end the historic underfunding and uncertainty created when our educators are working without a contract. The mea is committed to working in an open and transparent process with the counselors and school committee members to promptly settle Fair contracts. We are here tonight seeking your continued support to help us accelerate settling Fair contracts for our Educators so that we can fully focus on the job that we were hired to do educating and supporting our students. Spend 137 days and counting since our contracts expired in June. Thank you for your time.

▶ 16:35 Speaker 1: Anybody else?

▶ 16:41 Speaker 2: Good evening. My name is joellenbaudet. I am a lifetime Melrose resident homeowner in ward 3 24 year faculty member of the Hoover School and proud vice president of the Melrose Education Association. I am here tonight to beg the city council for help. For much too long the incredible people behind me have been holding the educational system of Melrose together with duct tape and chewing gum. Before covid it was tough, but they did it. Through covid it was impossible, but they somehow made magic. And now when things are supposed to be back to normal the few that are left are trying their hardest to clean up the mess Left Behind from a global pandemic and are having to scream for help while doing so As a response to their pleas for the last 10 months. They have been met with shrugs and comments. Like this is a national problem. And if only there was a bigger tax base and we would if we could but we can't and then these fine people are sent back into their crumbling buildings and expected to continue creating magic without enough staff supplies time or respect. The magic that you have all come to expect is slipping away All That Remains is a tiny wisp of smoke and a couple of broken mirrors. And these magicians behind me are tired. Please help. Prioritize the schools in your city budget and give the teachers the assistance. They are begging you for your kids in this community will be better for it. Thank you for listening.

▶ 18:25 Speaker 2: Good evening. I want to say hello to many of you that I know personally I've had the pleasure of having your children and my class as students. Some of you I have had a student's myself which makes me feel incredibly old and I know that in your hearts you have the best interest of the community members in the city and the students and the teachers. I know that that's where your heart is. I am not a lifelong resident of Melrose as many people are here, but I have been teaching in this community for 16 years the middle school and in my time here. I have seen Melrose try a variety of strategies to try to Fix improve the financial situation of the city. I've seen most recently the burden be placed on the taxpaying citizen with a much-needed override. I have I know that Melrose has one of the more aggressive split tax rates burdening small business owners to bring forth revenue and in 2010. The teachers were asked to take a wage freeze to try to save Melrose from financial crisis we voted for that to help the city and we were told that It would be paid back somehow eventually and while that vote saved a lot of new Educators from losing their jobs. It also further exacerbated the position of Melrose as one of the lowest paid districts in all of Middlesex County and that continues to haunt us today. I know expert but it seems to me that after burdening taxpayers and small businesses and Educators. It's time for the mayor's office to do the work. We ask students to do every day to be self-reflective and Innovative to take a look at the city budget and to figure out how we can reallocate funds so that we shift our priorities and show that the school is truly funding. The schools is truly a priority in the city. I know that you all know that well-funded schools doesn't just benefit families who have kids in the system it benefits anybody who owns property in this city and it benefits anyone who wants a harmonious in orderly Society to live in so, I hope that the great minds that are sitting here today share their ideas share their thoughts and I hope that those who have the power to control the budget here and who sit at the negotiating table with the mea are willing to listen to all of you that are willing to share. Thank you.

▶ 20:58 Speaker 1: Anybody else wishing you speak?

▶ 21:04 Speaker 2: Hello, my name is Nicole Goodhue. I teach second grade at the Horace man. I grew up in this town and I am blessed that I am able to teach in this town.

▶ 21:14 Speaker 2: Paraprofessionals are not making a living wage. We just lost one to go to the Wakefield schools where she's making much more an hour. I am tired of the school's bearing the cross of the city's mismanagement of money. The schools have been historically underfunded. I want to raise. But I want my students to be able to come to school and have things they actually need Wi-Fi paper.

▶ 21:43 Speaker 2: It's not simple. We're not asking for miracles. We're asking for a living wage. And that the community takes care of the students.

▶ 21:52 Speaker 2: It's enough they're done bearing the cross. This is not on us. Please work with the school committee collaborate with them figure out how to get us a living wage.

▶ 22:10 Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Kelly Smith a lifelong resident of Melrose. I'm a kindergarten teacher here in Millers. I'm asked help maybe a million times a day. Help me help me help me with this. We are coming here for help. We have been bargaining since February. We're not asking for drastic pay raises. We're asking for what other communities are getting. We started this battle in February and now we're here after inflation after we've seen other communities, you know settle really really good contracts historic contracts. I don't want to be here in three years. I don't want to have to be here in three months six months whatever. But if that's what it's going to take to get the personnel and attract highly qualified teachers to stay in this district and want to start off in this District. We're willing to do that. However, I think we're being really reasonable just asking for a little bit of phrase and we're coming here to ask you for help. In meet us halfway, that's all we ask. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your support. We really appreciate you. We're hearing you. We're listening. We're coming here for help. We really are. So, thank you.

▶ 23:21 Christopher Cinella: So we're just a pause pause public comment at this time to go into our hearing. Council McMaster

▶ 23:29 Shawn M. MacMaster: Yes, Mr. President, we do have two Representatives here who spoke at the committee level this evening on petition number 2023-1 National Grid and Horizon for joint pool locations is shown on plan number 30440731. They have both in the chamber. I'm not sure if there any members