ORDER-2023-18 : Appointment of Susan Lawson Cann to Melrose Cemetery Commission

Transcript (~8 min @ 1:07)

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▶ 0:58 Jack Eccles: time. Okay without objection. We can close public comment the first and only order on our agenda tonight is the appointment of Susan Lawson Khan to the Melrose Cemetery Commission. I believe mayor broader and miscounter joining us this evening with that objection. We can suspend the rules and hear from

▶ 1:16 Speaker 2: the nominee neighbor

▶ 1:23 Paul Brodeur: good evening, Mr. Chairman members of the committee and counselors who are not with the committee. I as you know a short time ago good friend and Really? soul of the city to a certain degree Douglas MacDonald who served the city in many capacities including president of the board is picture is looking down on us right now as I hope Doug is as well with probably a lot of good human commentary going on at the time because he had a terrific sense of humor. As you know, he served the his last service to the city was on the cemetery commission and We are very grateful for his service. But obviously I have to replace him and I am delighted to offer your consideration. Someone who I think you probably are all familiar with in some way shape or form Sue can to my to my immediate right Sue has done a lot for the city most notably perhaps as her service on the school committee for 10 years, which is just that's a big. Wow, right a long time ago back in the days of two-year terms and nine-member and nine number boards. She also served for six years on the park commission and now in retirement, I hope that's okay to say she serves a she does a lot of things but one thing that I'm particularly proud of that I don't think is in the paperwork is that she's on the board of the mass Association what it's Mass Society

▶ 3:11 Speaker 3: down to help me with the accurate, Massachusetts. Thank you,

▶ 3:13 Paul Brodeur: which is as it sounds like it's a advocacy and service provider organization that serves the Down syndrome community and it's family members to do things a lot of different things but in particular to work for workplace opportunities for folks they do a tremendous tremendous job. It's a cause that is close to a lot of our hearts. I think it's something we'll hear more about but this evening we are here to focus on our candidacy for the cemetery commission. And with that I will kick it over to

▶ 3:51 Speaker 3: Good evening, and thank you for your consideration. I had sent a letter to Mayor Broder just expressing my interest in serving on the cemetery Commission. Doug actually did my first mortgage so he has a soft place in my heart and

▶ 4:11 Speaker 3: To me. It's just an extension of some of the service. I've given to the city over the years. I think the ten years I served on the school committee and the six years on the park commission. Give me a nice breath of the types of issues that can come before a commission and the types of interests and the the cares that the community has. I'm I don't really have any prepared remarks. I did not go into my professional career and my letter but in case you're interested, I spent 10 years as a constituent service person for elected officials and over 30 years in insurance sales benefits Consulting and employee engagement retired on July 1st of 2021, and I'm very happy. Have lived in Morrow's for 42 years, which I know when I first got on the school committee. I was in my 30s and I remember hearing people who lived in Melrose all these years and now I'm one of

▶ 5:12 Speaker 4: them so you can unpack. Congratulations.

▶ 5:14 Speaker 3: So if you have any questions for me, or I'm happy to answer them.

▶ 5:24 Jack Eccles: Any questions or comments from the Community member?

▶ 5:29 Ryan Williams: Council Williams, I have a question. I'm curious to know I don't really know a lot about Cemetery commission. I love the cemetery. I live very close to it. So it's a great place to go take my kids. Sometimes we go walking through it. Look at the names and everything. Tell us a little bit about what you might do when you're on the cemetery commissioner. What's what's moving you to take on this role?

▶ 5:49 Speaker 3: well one of the you know As a park commissioner one of the most important things we had was kind of oversight on policies and procedures on how to use the facilities particularly the ball fields and the playgrounds and of course the golf course and the park which is part of Mount Hood and that's the similar rule to the cemetery commission. I know that the cemetery is opening a new space that will be available first time in a while. I've chatted a little with Dan O'Neill. And as one of the largest green spaces in the city, one of the things that I would like to talk to the staff about is as we have to replace plantings or have to replace trees that we use native plants. Maybe I've heard White Oaks are one of the best plants to plant in terms of fostering plant Wildlife not only animals but insects and birds and then of course native. Education in these days of wanting to keep us green as possible. That's one of the things that I would like to to ask for consideration. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't, you know, it's great to go native. But sometimes they don't they don't grow if there's not a lot of sun or they're not in the right place. So that's something I'd like to and then just making sure people are aware of you know the cemetery In terms of a place that's sacred to respect it. If you're walking through it making sure people understand that you you don't walk across Graves you you respect property. I did participate in the Memorial Day planting a Flags this year and it was it was very moving. It was an eye-opener for me as to how many vet since mag. We ran out of flags. How many veterans are in that Cemetery? Of course, my in-laws are both buried there. So my husband's family is is a been in Melrose of his whole life. So that those are just a couple of thoughts I had on clearly I'll you know take my take my cues from the current Commissioners and the staff. One of the first things I do is want to get a good orientation and walk around. I did take a walk up around the perimeter last week just to get a good sense of the whole complex.

▶ 8:21 Ryan Williams: That's that's great to hear really appreciate the Insight. Thank you.

▶ 8:26 Speaker 2: Counselor Stewart and then boost your current shooting. Thank you

▶ 8:28 Robb Stewart: Mr. Chair and thank you Mr. May for bringing such a great candidate Ms. Khan. I just want to thank you for your continued betterment of this community for all these years and to step up for this and at this point I'd like to make a motion to recommend to the full vote for approval second.

▶ 8:47 Jack Eccles: motion recommend by counselor Stewart second by Vice chair Carm Cheney on discussion on favor, I opposed

▶ 9:00 Speaker 2: congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you.

▶ 9:03 Jack Eccles: That concludes our agenda. Is there a few