Finance Committee — 2024-08-19
Attendance
Manjula Karamcheti ; Leila Migliorelli ; Devin Romanul ; Robb Stewart ; Kimberly Vandiver ; Ryan Williams
Agenda
Minutes
CITY OF MELROSE FINANCE COMMITTEE CALENDAR● AUGUST 19, 2024 Council Chamber, First Floor, Melrose City Hall Committee Meeting 7:03 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 Robb Stewart Chair Present Kimberly Vandiver Vice Chair Present Manjula Karamcheti Present Ryan Williams Present Devin Romanul Present Leila Migliorelli President, Ex Oficio Present
ORDER-2025-1 Election Authorize In-person early voting for September 3, 2024 state primary schedule Recommend Place on File City Council
ORDER-2025-2 Calling Election Calling a State Primary - Tuesday, September 3, 2024 Recommend Place on File City Council City of Melrose Page 1 9/3/2024 12:27 PM
Transcript
▶ 0:03 Robb Stewart: Good evening. Uh, it is Monday, August 19th, the time being seven o'clock. This is the meeting of the finance committee. I'm Council Stewart, the chair. This, and joining me are Vice Chair Vandiver. I'm Councilors Chetty Williams Roal, and President Elli Exofficio. We also have non non-voting member, uh, councilor Jamal Bank. Uh, this provides notice of a quorum for the record and 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's meetings portal. So, uh, without objection, at this time, I'll open the recording in progress.
▶ 0:55 Robb Stewart: This is a section where anybody can come forward and speak to any item on the agenda. There's no one coming forward in the, in the, uh, chamber. Is there anybody online? There is no participants online. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Without objection, then I will close the floor for public comment. Public comment is now closed. Um, we have two agenda, two orders on the agenda this evening. Um, and we're going to be having the city clerk come to speak. Ah, I'm gonna talk a little bit more into the mic so people can hear me, I guess. Um, thank you for the heads up. Um, so we are, um, going to have the city clerk come forward to speak. So without objection, I shall suspend Rule 37 B. Seeing no objection. Rule 37 B is now suspended.
▶ 1:52 Uh, the first order, uh, on the docket is order 2025 dash one. Uh, which authorizes in-person early voting for September 3rd, 2024 for the state primary schedule. I'm so excited to come up. I jumped the rule suspension. Sorry about that. As you know, Bridget Alvis and chair of the Board of Registrars, if it's okay, she joins. Mm-Hmm. Uh, so I also want to inform the council. I did clarify with the state this week that according to Mass General Law, chapter 54, section 25 B, part B four, the council does not have to authorize anything on the state election in terms of location, date, time, or place for early in person voting. So you're off the hook for this taking you off the plate for the council.
▶ 2:39 The only people that have to vote to remove it from the election office, the board of registrars, which they did last Wednesday at their monthly meeting. And that is, um, so that registered voters are aware that if for some reason the election office isn't feasible in terms of space or a DA accessibility, um, they need to move the early in-person voting. It's going to be here in the chamber. They took that vote. I just wanted to confirm that. So it's all local elections. Yes, you are the authorizing body for that, but moving forward no longer have to do that. But since it's already on the books, you guys will need to vote on that tonight. Thank you Madam Clerk. So, just for clarification, does this mean, uh, there is not a requirement
▶ 3:25 to authorize this in person on this particular Vote? Correct? There's no requirement, but we did move forward with it. I'm following precedent. People put it forward before me to you, gen ladies and gentlemen. So I'm following precedent, but I did want to clarify that 'cause it doesn't make sense. The state legislators put this in place for the votes Act and I was asked, like, it kind of didn't make sense. Why would the local body authorize something? The states are, are sort of following, you know, thinking it through, um, local elections. Yes, you are the authorizing body, but state elections is already a chart based on population. You have to have so many hours, you have to have so many days.
▶ 4:00 Leila Migliorelli: The only body that will authorize moving the location is the registrars. So local elections, the municipality, state elections, the legislators have already taken care of that. Okay, so that being said, what is the will of the committee president? Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have just have a question just to point of clarification please. So, uh, just the state and and federal do not need to be voted on. Just, just wanna clarify that 'cause you just said, okay. So state and federal elections do not, no longer need to be voted on by the council for authorizing earlier in person voting or calling an election. Calling election separate. That is like putting the warrant forward to the voters. Those will still be informational.
▶ 4:42 Calling a warrant is not an, it's an order, just it's an informational, the council will still be made apprised of, there's two different orders here. One is a calling a Primary. Yep. Those, those typically the, the council puts on file, places it on file, it's always going to be put forward. Okay. So the registered voters are aware, but in terms of authorizing the time, place, dates, those for a federal still considered a state election. Yep. Federal. So a state election, whether it's federal or state primary. Okay. Those no longer will be before the council. Okay. So no authorizations. Correct. But we, we will continue, the finance committee will continue to vote and then the full council on calling local,
▶ 5:20 Leila Migliorelli: state, or state elections. So both orders You will Moving forward, Continue to have calling of state, it's called a warrant? Yes. You'll consider continue to have any warrants basically here. Y all Melrose voters, this is when the time, date, and places of the election. Okay. So, alright. So that's helpful. Just so we all know going forward, yes, we will see the calling of the, the state warrant, whatever you wanna call it, that will continue to stay on these agendas, correct? Yes. But no, no longer the authorization for in-person voting or time dates, any of that? Correct. Alright. Thank you for clarifying. Yes. Thank you Madam President. Any other questions from the committee? That being said, what is the will of the committee?
▶ 6:06 Robb Stewart: Motion to place order 2025 dash one on file since it's not, does not require a vote. Second. So we have a motion to place, uh, order 2025 dash one on file made by President ler, seconded by Council Williams under discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay. This will be placed on file. Thank you for that clarification. Uh, the second order is order 2025 dash two. Calling a state primary for Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024. I'll make a motion to place on file. Second. So we also have a motion to place on file by, uh, president Elli, seconded by Const Williams. Uh, under discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? This will also be placed on file and without objection. I will motion, I will move to, uh, adjourn the meeting.