← City Council · 2022-08-15 · City Council Regular Meeting
Public Comment
Agenda original PDF
Minutes original PDF
Transcript
▶ 2:14 Christopher Cinella: Okay, and those minutes are now approved seeing no objection and if there is no objection I would now like to open up the floor for a public comment. We are now open for public comment if you could please. Come forward state your name and address and we'll rotate. I don't know if we have anybody on remote.
▶ 2:32 Speaker 3: I don't know what that these at this time this time.
▶ 2:34 Speaker 4: Okay. I am Jim Bennett 45 Wentworth Road. Good evening city council last month. I came before the finance committee to ask you to raise certain questions about the candidacy of Julie Delilah for the board of registrars of Voters. I thank those counselors who took my request seriously and asked for those questions I come before you tonight not to ask any further questions, but to request that you vote. No on Ms. Delilah's appointment to the board. I have two reasons for this request first at the last meeting. I asserted that this appointment does not have to go to a member of the Republican Party under State Statute following that meeting the mayor's office made a formal inquiry on this subject with the Secretary of State's office and the answer was returned at the end of last week. I found out on Saturday the ruling a republican does not have to be nominated for this office. It can go to a Democrat instead since there is already a Republican and a Democrat serving on the board and Democrats out number Republicans by a factor of 421 in Melrose. It is only fair that a second seat be seated to a Democrat. Should you vote down Ms. Delilah tonight? I can assure you as chair of the democratic party in Melrose that we will have the names of three candidates for this office on mayor broder's desk by. the end of this month Now I know some of you may be thinking. Yes, it could be a Democrat. But why should we have a Democrat when we have a republican before us who is nearly at the end of the confirmation process that brings us to my second objection to miss Delilah's confirmation, which was the manner in which she answered the questions that would put to her at the last meeting. Prior to that meeting I was skeptical of Ms. Delilah, but I was ready for her to convince me of her commitment to the Democratic process yet. She convinced me of nothing because rather than answer your straightforward questions, she spent 45 minutes to assembling when she was asked. Do you support your party's lawsuit to end male and voting she responded twice by saying I support the right of individuals to sue the Commonwealth. When she was asked whether she believed that the results of the 2020 presidential election were legitimate. She responded look President Biden is President Biden. I let Ms. Delilah know those questions several days in advance of her appearance before you she had a lot of time to think through her responses and rather than give you honest answers. She decided to Stonewall you this is important because the board of registrars is not like most other City boards and commissions. It is not a once a month two-hour meeting that takes place over zoom on Election Day board members work 16 or 17 hours that day. They are the final Arbiters of every possible problem that may come up on that long day. They are personally present to supervise early voting hours. They process mail in ballots. They hire supervise and discipline poll workers. This is an important job, which requires someone who will relate honestly and openly with their colleagues subordinates and the public and that fortunately is not the Persona that Ms. Delilah chose to display last month. We can do better in this appointment process the voters of Melrose deserve better from this appointment process. The Secretary of State's office has shown us the road forward to a better solution for everyone it merely remains for this Council to vote no tonight and lead us down that path.
▶ 6:01 Christopher Cinella: Anybody online?
▶ 6:03 Speaker 3: There are no attendees online at this time anybody else wishing to speak?
▶ 6:11 Speaker 2: Good evening counselor.
▶ 6:14 Monica C. Medeiros: Evening. Thanks. My name is Monica. Medeiro Solano. I live at three Bay State Road, and I am here to speak tonight on order 2022-152 in support of the appointment of Julie delillo to the board of registrar voters. Personally and I can tell you as I think she expressed here. She is an upstanding citizen in the city of Melrose. She is an attorney. She's a pool worker and she has come to you. Following the due process of how we appoint this position. I also Wanted to express.
▶ 7:01 Monica C. Medeiros: not really sure how to put it but I really I am also a former city councilor here for 12 years on this board and I have not seen a in a pointy come forward and receive so much hostility as Ms. Delilah in all that time and I feel this is really an unequal hostile treatment just a few months beforehand Ms. Bridgette Alverson came before this board a Democrat for the very same position.
▶ 7:35 Monica C. Medeiros: And her meeting at the finance committee. Consisted of about 10 minutes of discussion in which and she was approved that same night in which she was asked one question. And received a multitude of thanks for coming forward and for having served as a pool worker just as missed a little as but in contrast Mr. Lilo came here and faced about 45 minutes. One very quick. Thank you and a multitude of questions that really go beyond the scope of
▶ 8:14 Speaker 1: what?
▶ 8:15 Monica C. Medeiros: Should be asked in a job interview. She was asked things about her political. you know delved into her political donations into her opinions on politics her her opinions on other candidates
▶ 8:34 Monica C. Medeiros: Actions and other Republican party members, I mean in no way shape or form have we seen any other appointee asked to answer for the actions of other political party members? And yes, this is a party position. This is this is not a nonpartisan position. It is something where you know, it's we need to elect and make sure that there are equal representation between the two leading parties and I know that's going to come up today based on what I'm hearing. I haven't seen the ruling myself from the Secretary of State's office. Let me tell you like this is all the more reason why I would say you should go forward with Miss Delilah and why we need And probably should have another Republican. Yes. We are very low in party registration numbers. The Democrats are still not the majority. However do outnumber us and and I'm a republican too and full disclosure and member of the Republican City committee and You know, you can just see that our elected officials. Are 90% plus Democrats?
▶ 9:49 Monica C. Medeiros: And you know, I'm maybe because I'm a somewhat prominent Republican in town people come to me from this city and from elsewhere, but it's particular from the city and I can't tell you how often and they've told me that they've changed their party registration from Republican to unenrolled and it's not because they've had you know, real deep seated changes to their core political internal belief system is because they're afraid of Retribution over their party affiliation. They're afraid of it at work. They're afraid of losing relationships with their neighbors and worst of all, they're worried about retribution for their children in our schools and they're innocent children in our schools. I mean, we've so many things to be proud of in Melrose, but this is this is not one of and you know, you ask like, how can we be that? This city I asked myself. I'm like, how can this be in this city that I grew up in went to the public schools learned about the Constitution learned about, you know, our Bill of Rights and freedom of speech and freedom of Association and all those freedoms that we are. Granted As Americans and yet I have so many people who come to me and feel afraid to speak up. and you know, I look here and you guys are the leaders here you guys set the tone and the example and with the difference and how Miss Albertson was treated and how Ms. Delilah was treated, you know, a message was sent here that if you are a Republican and you come here for a job, which it is for the board of registry voters. Then you're gonna get your your political donation and support history dug into and I mean, it could be Julie or it could be another person. You're gonna find something that you don't like and you're gonna Grill them and many times that felt more like a Washington DC Congressional hearing than it did like a meeting of the the finance committee of the city council here in Melrose. And if you're a Democrat, you're gonna come here and you're gonna get thanked for stepping up. profusely right for stepping up for being a public servant and You know, the message is sort of need lot need not apply or guess what don't register as Republican. Don't speak up. I mean, we heard Julie herself say that she feels uncomfortable to speak up for fear of having problems at work. You know, this is this is the group that gets to set the example and you know, I'm gonna give everybody a benefit of the doubt and I know not everybody treated her that way and say maybe you didn't realize how far those actions go and what tone that that sets and the message that it sends just I would ask you to consider that and
▶ 12:40 Speaker 1: and vote for her today and you know we have
▶ 12:42 Monica C. Medeiros: a primary election coming up in number of weeks early voting is starting, you know before we know it and it's not the time to have a vacancy and Julie is is more than qualified. And you know for those of you who I know didn't. Didn't treat her in this way. If you saw something that you know, you made you feel uncomfortable. I encourage you to speak up about it because again, you guys set the example and you set the tone and I you know, I appreciate that. And again, there's many things to be proud of and the city and I know this is really hard to do all of these remote meetings and And to do your job, so I appreciate it. And I thank you.
▶ 13:33 Christopher Cinella: Anybody remotely at this time not online anyone else wishing to speak this evening if you want to come forward.
▶ 13:48 Speaker 5: Hi, Julie. Delullo 13 Circuit Street. I do feel like I have to come up here to defend who I am as a person. Who I am in this city. I don't know Jim Bennett at all. I don't know him. He doesn't know me. He doesn't know who I am. The people that wrote Into You don't know who I am. You are condemning me because of one person outside of my control who filed a lawsuit outside of my control. My belief that anybody has the right to do that is my belief. But it has nothing to do with me who I am. My values how I operate. Who I am as a worker. I've worked the polls. I hope people saw that when I was doing it, it was fair. I think I told you somebody came up to me with a license right in his hand and I said we don't have to take that. It's not required. And that's how I would act on the board. the laws of the laws Melrose isn't setting the laws the state sets And I've told you I told you three four five times and that meeting. That I uphold the law. And I will uphold the law. But you're not looking me. I barely know most of you on this Council. I barely know you. You asked me about a lawsuit. You asked me who's won the election? You didn't ask me about who I am. Right, you didn't ask me those types of questions and I do feel I have to defend myself I have. I love this city. I've been here 12 years. There have been times. I've been at odds with lots of people right whether it's the override whatever it is. but this is the first time where I've really felt like I have a counsel. That's representing not representing me. That's how I feel. Right. I'm being judged by someone else's actions. I'm being judged because I have an R next to my name. Not for who I am. Because none of you asked who I you didn't ask the right questions and to Monica's Point job interview. Never be asked any of those questions on a job interview. So I just I wanted to be able to speak before you get to your vote. So, thank you.
▶ 16:19 Christopher Cinella: Thank you. Anybody else wishing to speak in public comment?
▶ 16:25 Christopher Cinella: Anyone else? I'm like, okay at this time without objection. We will now close public comment for this evening. You do not have any Communications from his honor them there new business filings, please order 2020 22
▶ 16:37 Speaker 3: fashion order 2023 - 6 authorization for the procurement officer or his her delegate to increase the contract term on all future management agreements for the operation of the Mount Hood Memorial Park and Golf Course from three years to five years.