Public Comment

Transcript (~3 min @ 9:48)

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

▶ 9:17 Jack Eccles: the hour being 7 10 p.m this is a meeting of the health education and welfare committee my name is counselor jack eccles the chair joining me are vice chair karam chedi voting members councillor mcmaster stewart williams and president snella ex-officio and non-voting members abramski and Garipay this provides a notice of quorum for the record in accordance with the open meeting law this meeting is being recorded and broadcast on our local cable access channel mmtv as well as live streamed on the mmtv website and available for future viewing through the city of melrose meetings portal without objection i'd like to open public comment this is the portion of the meeting where any member of the public can come forward and speak on any item on tonight's agenda are there any members of the public wishing to speak at this time mr bennett if you come forward and

▶ 10:08 Speaker 2: say your name and address thank you i'm jim bennett of 45 wentworth road thank you very much uh chair eccles president sanella uh other counselors i'm here tonight to celebrate a great moment in the history of our city's historical commission in a few moments you will have an opportunity to vote to affirm the appointments of three new members of the commission this is the largest number of candidates to come on board the commission at one time in many years each of them will bring unique talents to the work of the commission and i thank mayor broder for bringing them forward for nomination tonight i will leave him to tell you all about them i will just encourage you to affirm their nominations i would also take this moment to encourage each member of city council to take some time over the next few weeks to re-familiarize yourselves with the historical commission and what it can offer the city. With the approval of these candidates and the election of a new commission chair slated to take place at the commission's next meeting, a reset button is effectively being hit on the commission's work. The timing could not be better. Last week you all voted on whether to adopt the city's housing production plan. As I do not need to tell you, though perhaps I need to tell the camera, this is a highly detailed document with many discrete policy options that will have real impacts on the built fabric of our city now in some communities historical commissions have been pigeonholed as reactionary anti-development forces and to be fair there are some places where that has been the case here in melrose though i believe this newly reconstituted historical commission will be able to act as a steadfast and true partner to both the administration and to this council as you wrestle with weighty questions of how to create the melrose of the future without destroying that melrose which is worth preserving in closing i thank you all for your service to our city and i wish you wisdom and resolve as you face all of the decisions you will be called to make for our beloved city in the months ahead thank you thank you any other

▶ 12:10 Jack Eccles: members of the public wishing to speak anyone without objection we will close public comment and come to the first order on tonight's agenda order 2022-82 appointment of george biblos 264 grove street to the historic commission for term to expire on the last day of february 2023 i believe we have the nominee and the mayor here with us tonight is there a motion to suspend the