Finance Committee — 2023-08-14
Attendance
Jack Eccles ; Jen Grigoraitis ; Maya Jamaleddine ; Manjula Karamcheti ; John Obremski ; Robb Stewart
Agenda
- Call to Order
- Public Comment
- Orders
- ORDER-2024-2 : Polling location officer assignment for the Mayoral preliminary September 19, 2023 election
- ORDER-2024-1 : Calling the Preliminary Mayoral Election for Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School gymnasium complex
- Adjournment
Minutes
CITY OF MELROSE FINANCE COMMITTEE CALENDAR● AUGUST 14, 2023 Council Chamber, First Floor, Melrose City Hall Committee Meeting 7:00 PM 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 The public should take notice that the Melrose City Council may, on certain occasions, have a quorum in attendance due to standing committees of the City Council consisting of both voting and non-voting members. Members attending this duly posted meeting are participating and deliberating only in conjunction with the business of the standing committee. Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Maya Jamaleddine Chair Present Jack Eccles Vice Chair Late 7:02 PM Robb Stewart Present Manjula Karamcheti Present John Obremski Present Jen Grigoraitis President, Ex Oficio Excused
ORDER-2024-2 Election Polling location officer assignment for the Mayoral preliminary September 19, 2023 election Ought to Pass City Council
ORDER-2024-1 Calling Election Calling the Preliminary Mayoral Election for Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School gymnasium complex Ought to Pass City Council City of Melrose Page 1 8/15/2023 2:40 PM
Transcript
▶ 0:00 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay, Good evening. The time is seven 30 on Thursday, August 14th, 2023. This is a meeting of the finance committee. I am Maya Jamal Dean, the chair joining me, our, uh, counselor Chetty Reky and Stewart. This serves the notice of Quorum for the records in accordance with the open meeting law. This meeting is being recorded and broadcast live on M M T V. Um, and now, um, for the public comment, um, portion I will motion by anonymous consent to open the floor for public comment. And seeing no objection, we are now open for public comment. Do we have anyone online? There's no one online at this time. Okay. And seeing no one in, um, the, uh, in person here, um, I will, uh, if there is no objection,
▶ 1:05 Maya Jamaleddine: I would like to close public comment and seeing no objection. Uh, we are closed for public comment now. And since we have, um, members of the administration here tonight to speak on the items before us, I would like to motion by anonymous consent to suspend the rules before we proceed. And seeing no objections, uh, the rules are now suspended. We have, uh, before us order 2024 dash two. Polling location officer assignment for the mayor, uh, pre preliminary September 19th, 2023 election. And for the record, uh, Councillor Eccles just joined us. Uh, Madam Yes, clerk, and Good evening. Good evening. So, um, would you like to speak on this order or? Sure. So order 2024 dash two, the polling location officer assignment.
▶ 2:12 We've met with the stakeholders for public safety, police, fire, um, ambulance and notified just so that they're aware of the date and the timing in case there are any calls. Um, we met with chief failure to discuss their subject matter expertise on the polling location and assignment of officers and met with them. They put a plan together for their detail officers, which they will get us in advance of the election. So we will have traffic enforcement, we will have an officer on Melrose Street. They've made some decisions on signage, working with our partners in D P W to make traffic go smoothly. And they will be an officer that will be, you know, doing traffic control of Ashland or Ashland Side Streets off of Mel Street.
▶ 2:56 Maya Jamaleddine: So, okay. They're our partners. Yeah. Anyone have questions from counselors? Um, I do have question. Um, so is that from opening the polling till close, Actually two of the offices will be there earlier than opening. Three of them will be there Absolutely. At opening all the way to close. Okay. And, um, it were, were there any specification of where it's going to be the peak time where, you know, like the rush hour All day, all day, they'll be stationed all day? They split shift it. Okay. So if it's six to two, two to close, there'll be someone manning that location all day long. Okay. And has there been any adjustments from the recent election where we were able to identify some mm-hmm. You know, we,
▶ 3:50 Maya Jamaleddine: we had traffic backed up Yep. On Marrow Street. Um, were there any adjustment due to this observation? That's Exactly why we met and talked about it and adding an additional officer. Okay. So In terms of maintaining that traffic flow at that upper lot, and if it gets full to direct traffic down to the lower lot, and so we, I go to them as the subject matter expertise. I'm not a subject matter expert in traffic enforcement traffic flow, so we added an extra officer based on their advice. Awesome. Awesome. And in terms of the, um, well that's, I don't know if this is something that relates to the officers as well, but in, in terms of parking mm-hmm. Are they going to direct also, uh, where to park?
▶ 4:36 Maya Jamaleddine: Yeah. Lower lot or if there's open spots on Melrose Street or even the side streets if there's allowable parking. Okay. So they will be directing traffic in terms of parking specifically as Well. They're gonna advise people if the lot is full, where to go. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. Um, if there is no further questions, what is the will of the committee? Yes, Madam Chair. I'll make a recommendation to, um, a motion to recommend to the full council. Second. Okay. We have a motion to recommend made by Councilor Stewart, seconded by Vice Chair ols. Um, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? And this will be recommended to the full council. Um, we have next order, 2024 dash one, uh, calling the preliminary, uh, mayoral election for Tuesday,
▶ 5:29 September 19th, 2023 from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the marrows, uh, uh, veterans Memorial, uh, middle school, uh, the gymnasium complex. Any, do I It's pretty much speaks for itself. Same. Um, this Friday at 10:00 AM in this chamber, there will be the drawing of by lot for the placement on the mayoral preliminary ballot. Uh, it's open to the public, so once that's done, we will then get that information directly to the vendor to give us a proof to get ballots made. So those are in route. Any question from my councilor? Uh, Stewart? Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you both for being here this evening. I appreciate the, the help. As I've stated previously, I'm not fully supportive of the central polling location, um,
▶ 6:22 Robb Stewart: specifically because of the constituents that I have in my ward, uh, within Fuller House and Levi Gould. Um, uh, there's several residents there that, uh, preferred to be able to go to the BB school and, and vote there. Um, and even though I know that there is mail-in voting options and early voting options, some, some people are not comfortable with that, they prefer to go pull the lever. Um, so my question, uh, for you is, is the, what, what transportation options are for folks that may find it difficult to get over there that may not have other options? That's something I would have to take up with the council on Adrian. I, I, I, I'm sure I don't presume that they're seniors. I, I would,
▶ 7:05 Robb Stewart: I guess we can talk offline on what Sure. You're looking for specifically. Sure. Uh, yeah, I think it might be good to, because we have the senior center right there may be helpful if there's an option, uh, for transportation for people that may not otherwise feel comfortable with the other options for voting. And I think it would make be sensible to offer that to them. Yeah. Past practices Council and Aging did a van and they would row around Okay. As needed. And the kind of would hang out and wait, and then they would wait for the individuals to vote, take them back, and they just did that all day long. Okay. Okay. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Mad chair. You are welcome. Thank you. Any other questions?
▶ 7:42 Maya Jamaleddine: Okay. Um, I do have also a question, uh, in terms of, um, I know it's gonna be with the mayor with three candidates. Um, I, the, how is it going to be the lines where, you know, like holding signs and all the other stuff, know, knowing from previous election, this was an issue as well with the entrance of the cars and directing traffic, specifically when people are standing by the entrance of the parking lot to hold signs. So, so State law mandates 150 feet from the entrance of the polling location. And I talked with the D P W, uh, our partner there who they're going to refresh the stencil of the 150 lines on Melrose as well as, um, on Main Street, all the entrances to Memorial, uh, to the city hall because of early in-person voting. Okay.
▶ 8:44 Maya Jamaleddine: Those are also going to be refreshed. Okay. May even see 'em this week. Okay. And, um, I'm, I hope that we would be able to find those like barrels, the orange barrels that would also help at least push, um, the hold, um, the signs holders away from the entrance of the parking lot. You say barrels? I'm sorry. Yeah, the orange barrels, the, you know, like, oh, the highway Cones? Yeah. Okay. The, So there, there'll be a officer stationed at the entrance Melrose Street and the entrance at the lot. Okay. That's awesome. Okay. Well, I'm, I don't have any further questions. If there is no, if, if there is no further questions, uh, what is the will of the committee? I'll May make a motion to recommend to the full council.
▶ 9:34 Maya Jamaleddine: Second, I, we have a motion to recommend by Councilor Kam. She seconded by, uh, vice Chair ols. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. This will be recommended. Thank you both for your presence. I appreciate it. Oh, thank you all. Thank you. Thanks. Motion adjourn. Second. Okay. We have a motion to adjourn made by Vice Chair Eck Echo, seconded by Councillor Stewart. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay. We are adjourned. I more productive. I went to one where it wasn't that. Good evening. The time is 7 26 on Monday, August 14th. This is a joint meeting of the Appropriations and Oversight Committee and the planning board. I am chairwoman Lila Elli. Also joining me tonight from the council, our Vice Chair, Aldine Councilors,