Health, Education & Welfare Committee — 2024-12-09

Health, Education & Welfare Committee Meeting

This meeting starts at 2:20 in a recording that covers several meetings.

Attendance

Cal Finocchiaro absent · Vice Chair; Ward Hamilton absent; Manjula Karamcheti present · Chair; Leila Migliorelli present · President, Ex Oficio; Devin Romanul present; Kimberly Vandiver late, 7:44 PM

Agenda

Minutes

CITY OF MELROSE HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE COMMITTEE CALENDAR● DECEMBER 9, 2024 Council Chamber, First Floor, Melrose City Hall Committee Meeting 7:30 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 Manjula Karamcheti Chair Present Cal Finocchiaro Vice Chair Absent Ward Hamilton Absent Devin Romanul Present Kimberly Vandiver Late 7:44 PM Leila Migliorelli President, Ex Oficio Present

(ID # 12219) Appointment/Reappointment Reappointment of Kimberly Marolda, 811 Franklin Street, to the Historical Commission, for a three year term, said term to expire last day of February 2027. Recommend Melrose Planning Board

(ID # 12239) Appointment/Reappointment Appointment of Amy Iannone Tierney, 64 Garfield Road, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Recommend City Council

(ID # 12240) Appointment/Reappointment Appointment of Joe Viola, 134 Howard Street, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Recommend City Council

(ID # 12243) Appointment/Reappointment Reappointment of James Oosterman, 54 Ellis Farm Lane, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Recommend City Council

(ID # 12244) Appointment/Reappointment City of Melrose Page 1 12/11/2024 10:56 AM Minutes Health, Education & Welfare Committee December 9, 2024 Reappointment of Helena Widtfeldt, 44 Briggs Street, Melrose MA to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Recommend City Council City of Melrose Page 2 12/11/2024 10:56 AM

Transcript

▶ 2:41 Manjula Karamcheti: 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 through mmt v.org. This meeting will be available for future viewing through the City of Melrose website meeting portal as well. Now is the time for public comment. This is, uh, the portion of our meeting where any member of the public may speak to any items on our agenda. The committee does not engage in a back and forth dialogue, but will listen to each individual and what they have to say. I'll motion by unanimous consent to open public comment. Seeing no objections, public comment is now open. I don't believe there's anyone in the chamber here to speak.

▶ 3:27 Manjula Karamcheti: Madame Clerk, do we have anyone online? We do not. Seeing as we have no one, uh, wanting to participate at this time. I'll motion by unanimous consent to a close public comment. Seeing no objections. Public comment is now closed. We have five orders on our agenda for today. Um, and they are all appointments and reappointments. So we will start with ID number 1, 2 2 1 9. The reappointment of Kimberly Marda, eight 11 Franklin Street to the Historical Commission for a three year term, said to expire the last day of February, 2027 with reapp appointments. These are people who have already served and who'd like to continue, and candidates that the mayor supports with that. We do not ask that those, um, nominees attend.

▶ 4:21 Manjula Karamcheti: And so with that, I will ask what the will of the committee is motion to recommend. We have a motion to recommend made my President Elli Second Seconded by Councilor Romanul on discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Okay. That motion carries. Um, next we're gonna be moving on to ID number 1 2 2 3 9. The appointment of Amy Ioni Tierney 64 Garfield Road, Melrose, mass to the Affordable Housing Trust. And Mayor Gregor is here to present this candidate. So I will invite the candidate and the mayor up to the table. Um, at this time I will motion to suspend rule the rule of 37 B. Do I have a second? Oh, I'm motioning. You can. So moved. Second. Thank you. Um, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. We are now suspended.

▶ 5:28 Jen Grigoraitis: Rule 37 B. Uh, mayor the floor is Yours. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good evening, counselors. Um, before I speak a little bit to Ms. Tierney's credentials, I wanted to just kind of step back a little bit and talk about the trust more broadly. You have on your agenda tonight, two appointments to the trust to fill two vacancies and two reappointments. Um, by statute, that board comprises of five people. I will be the fifth. Um, the, the statute calls for the mayor or their designee. And I really wanna be involved in trying to get this trust up and running. 'cause I think the work it does is so critically important. Um, the trust was created by this body in 2020, and I wanna thank President Elli for, at the time,

▶ 6:07 Jen Grigoraitis: co-sponsoring that with me and to the, my colleagues who were on at the time for supporting it. Um, it is drive from state law and the purpose of it is to help disperse the funds that come into the trust through a variety of mechanisms. Mostly in Melrose, it's what's called payments. In lie, when developers build and the property is maybe too small to have a full unit be designated as affordable, they then pay the one quarter of the unit cost or one eighth toward the fund. The fund has about $300,000 in it, including $75,000 that, uh, former Mayor Broder had allocated from free cash and the council had approved. So while we're certainly not gonna change the world with that money, I think it's really important

▶ 6:45 Jen Grigoraitis: that we begin the conversation about how do we increase the affordable housing stock in Melrose. I think this body has been very supportive of efforts to make Melrose more affordable for people who currently live here as we talk about, you know, tax exemptions and things like that. But we also need to talk about the supply side of the issue as well. So, um, the trust, unfortunately, has never formally met to my knowledge. And so I think there's a real need to get things up and running. And so that brings me to the candidate who's here with me tonight. Ms. Tierney, as you'll see from her resume, um, brings a substantial background in legal and regulatory frameworks around housing as long as a real deep commitment to this work.

▶ 7:24 Jen Grigoraitis: And I think having both that values driven approach and that substantial professional experience is gonna be critical to the work of the trust. So I'm really thrilled that she's offered to step up into this role. Um, she's actually already in a volunteer capacity, helped author a grant application that my office is gonna submit to the mass housing program to, for technical assistance to help get new trust boards up and running. So I really appreciate her proactive attitude toward this work, and I'm really pleased to have her here tonight for your consideration. Ms. Tierney, would you like to say a few words? Yes, good evening, Madam Chair and Councilor. Um, I am, um, thank you for having me here tonight.

▶ 8:01 I'm excited. Um, to that the mayor asked me to, um, join the Affordable Housing Trust. Uh, my husband and I moved here in 2015 and are raising our family here. And we love this community and, um, really am excited for the opportunity to use the Affordable Housing Trust Board, um, as an avenue to make Melrose more affordable and more accessible for all types of people at different stages of their lives with different incomes. I think, you know, there's over a hundred communities that have these trust, affordable housing trusts throughout the, um, the Commonwealth. So we're not reinventing the wheel. Um, I think that you see, and I have researched and talked with people at the mass housing, what,

▶ 8:53 what these trusts can do and what they can do for Melrose is, you know, get, give opportunities for people who work in our businesses and our hospitals and our schools who wanna live here and they maybe cannot afford to. The same for people, young families who are starting out, or young single professionals, um, as well as our older residents who would like to stay here. Um, and maybe, you know, we don't have enough stock for people at that, um, time in their life as well. So, yes, as, uh, mayor Gar said, I've, you know, I spent 20 years as an attorney for the last 10 plus in Massachusetts, really representing clients in a variety of regulated industries. Um, so I think I can bring that experience

▶ 9:40 to benefit the trust as it is, um, a creature of statute. Um, and it will need to be, um, implemented. Um, our actions will need to be implemented within that statutory construct. So, um, I'm really excited as, as the mayor, um, mentioned, mass Housing has a, has a technical assistance grant that we're hoping to get, hopefully, um, that we would get some assistance for them because they think it's critical that the board does the work to kind of create, um, their action plan and involves the community and takes a look at the housing production plan that has and, and works with the city to see what we can do, what we should do, what we, what the trust, and then educate the community on what the trust is,

▶ 10:28 what it can do, what it can't do, um, what it isn't, you know, what it is, what it isn't. So I think it's exciting to start that conversation as, as the mayor said, um, I think once you get the trust up, um, and going, I think the challenge will be what our revenue sources are for it, um, because it's not, you know, we can't do as too much with what we have in, in kind of in lie payments, but all of that is, you know, a process. Um, so I'm excited to be able to try to help get it, get it off the ground. Thank you so much, counselors. Any questions? President Re Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, mayor Greg. Thank you, Ms. Tierney. Um, I just wanted to say, uh, just publicly thank, thanking the mayor for getting this started.

▶ 11:18 Leila Migliorelli: Again, I think this is, we all know what of, um, a crucial issue of housing affordability is in the state, the city. Um, and so it's really, uh, good to see something that I, you know, she and I had shared in, um, helping start really getting going and, and addressing these concerns. So I'm very excited about these, my tier appointment and the other appointment and Reappointments and, and looking forward to seeing the work that this, uh, housing Trust does. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Romanul, uh, Very similar note. Just wanted to appreciate the nomination and restarting of this board, um, and want to express publicly any way that, uh, uh, for you and other nominees and the administration, uh, to propel,

▶ 12:01 Manjula Karamcheti: uh, affordability, um, you know, more expeditiously. And, um, anyway, thank you for throwing your hand, the ring, And I will use my chair privilege just for a moment. Uh, also say thank you to the mayor and thank you Ms. Tierney, for the nomination and also for proactively supporting the city and exploring how to set up, um, the, the team that you'll be working with on the Affordable Trust Group. Um, just appreciate that kind of thinking and strategy to make sure that Melrose is doing what we can in, in a strategic way to support affordable housing in our community and serve all the different populations that you described so eloquently. So really appreciate it. Um, what is the will of the committee motion

▶ 12:48 Manjula Karamcheti: To recommend? Second, I have a motion to recommend by Councilor Romanul, seconded by President Meley Orelli on discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Uh, this motion carries. Um, thank you so much for being here tonight. This will move to our full council agenda. There was no need for you to be here on that evening. Um, but thank you so much for volunteering your time to be a part of, um, this work in the city. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Yep. I'm Staying. Okay. We are moving on to ID 1, 2, 2 4, the appointment of Joe Viola, 1 34 Howard Street, Melrose, mass to the Affordable Housing Trust. Um, we are still under suspension of Rule 37 B, so May Mayor Greg, I invite you to introduce your candidate.

▶ 13:41 Jen Grigoraitis: I did wanna ask my pronouncing your last name correctly. Uh, viola or Viola is fine, which I say viola, but probably 90% of people say Viola. So I played the viola in elementary school. So we will go with how you like your name pre pronounce Viola, thank you so much for clarifying. As two people with difficult to pronounce last names, I appreciate you asking that question. Um, thank you Madam Chair and Councilor for your consideration of Mr. Viola tonight. Um, he brings, as you can see, a deep background as a city planner over 25 years experience in communities around, um, Metro Boston, which means that he knows what it's like to sit in those planning board meetings and to help answer questions from residents

▶ 14:24 Jen Grigoraitis: and to help really think strategically about how we meet the diverse and sometimes opposing needs of those that currently live here and those that would really like to come and live here. And so I think that's an incredible, um, lens to bring to this. He also brings a passion and a commitment to the work around affordability. And he volunteered to do this for which I am forever. Um, grateful. He's recently transitioned to a job working for the state, which means that he's no longer attending town meetings in the communities where he works. So he'd love to come and spend his evenings, um, helping the community where he lives. And I'm really grateful for that. So I'm thrilled to have him before us tonight

▶ 14:57 and for his willingness to serve and help us get this critical board up and running. Wonderful. Mr. Viola, would you care to share some words? Sure. Good evening, Madam Chair and Councilor. I thank you for the opportunity to come and present. Uh, a little bit about myself, as the mayor said, I, you know, I've got a pretty extensive background in in city and in town planning. I've worked for a real estate developer. I've worked now for the state, uh, at DCAM, uh, working on lots of different kinds of real estate transactions. But having been a planner for many years, you know, I, I never had the opportunity to volunteer on the local level, and I'm really excited to be able to do that. I have a normal work schedule.

▶ 15:38 Uh, I certainly have an interest in, in helping the city to, you know, not only find ways to create housing, but also maybe further capitalize the, uh, affordable housing trust. I've been fortunate to work for a number of communities that, uh, whether it was through community preservation, whether it was through, uh, their own housing trust, um, they've had the resources to work with developers, uh, and homeowners or, you know, through home buyer programs or housing authorities always to help, uh, different parties to, uh, bring the renovation or creation of new housing to fruition. So I, I, I would really relish the opportunity to work in town, the city where I live. Um, I try to follow all things Melrose when I can.

▶ 16:27 Devin Romanul: Uh, and I'm just excited for the opportunity to, to help the Affordable Housing Trust, uh, do its work. So. Wonderful. Thank you so much. I see Councilor Romanul, do you have a question? Uh, yes. Also as a fellow violist, uh, when I was, not for 20 years now, but you know, it's funny to have a fellow, fellow viol. So anyway, thank you. You learn a lot of interesting things at our city council meetings. Right. Also a tricky to pronounce last name so we, we can have jackets made. Um, I, I wanted to ask, first of all, thank you for, uh, for doing this. Really excited to tap your expertise and I I wanted to ask, I mean, it's a longer conversation than right now, but, uh, my curiosity is getting the best

▶ 17:04 Devin Romanul: of me about your work in, uh, Brookline or any of the other MAPC communities, which, uh, with whom you worked, uh, if there, uh, were affordable housing trusts, uh, that you worked with that, uh, any examples you wanna bring, uh, or best practices you're excited to apply here as we stand up our own trust? Sure. I, I think the, the, uh, the best example is working for the town of Brookline. They've had a, an affordable housing trust for, boy, I'm probably going on 30 years. Um, and the challenge was much like Melrose, the pi, uh, payment in lieu of, instead of building unit on site, they can pay into the housing trust mill. Uh, Brookline had that, but they also had, uh, a free cash policy where, you know,

▶ 17:48 there was a, a free cash waterfall where some of the funding that was available in free cash would make its way to the housing trust. And with the passage of the CPA most recently, um, you know, I was, we were all surprised that it passed, but it was amazing, uh, how much that funding has helped to capitalize the housing trust. And it's already doing lots of great things. So it, it's a really, it's an invaluable resource, uh, for many things that, uh, you know, in a lot of cases the town acted as a, a funder. We, we work with, uh, non-profit or mission-driven housing developers to help them create affordable housing that had a at least 20 to 25% affordable, you know, units in perpetuity, whereas they may not have been able to

▶ 18:36 to provide that without the town subsidy. So it, it really is an invaluable resource to, to helping your community create and preserve housing. That's probably the best example I can give. Yeah. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Sure. And unless anyone else has a comment, I wanted to make a motion to recommend Second, but Don't mean to step on any other comment. We have a motion by Councilor Romanul, seconded by President Melissa on discussion. I just wanted to say thank you so much, um, for, for stepping up. And, uh, as I said before, this is a, a cause that I'm very interested in. So really appreciate you bringing your expertise to this. Thank you. I will dito what President Elli said, very grateful

▶ 19:17 Manjula Karamcheti: that you have such knowledge, wisdom, and expertise and our wanting to use it to serve the city of Melrose in our community. Um, and I'm glad you don't have to sit on long planning board meetings here and instead be on the trust. Um, with that said, uh, all in favor of this appointment, aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Uh, this motion carries and I do wanna note that Councillor Vandiver is now here as well. Uh, thank you so much for joining us. Um, so this motion carries, um, this will go to our full council meeting, uh, the next time we are together, you do not need to be here, um, for that, but we will move it along there so much. And thank you again very much. Thank you. Really appreciate it. Um, our next, um,

▶ 20:10 Manjula Karamcheti: piece of business is ID 1, 2, 2, 4, 3, the reappointment of James Osterman 54 Ellis Farm Lane, um, to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. And this is a reappointment to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. So, un unlike the appointments, uh, those who have already served, who have the mayor's support, do not need to be in attendance. Um, so, uh, what is the will of the committee Motion to recommend? Second, I have a motion to recommend by President Melissa, seconded by Councilor Romanul on discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. That motion carries. And our last piece of business is ID 1, 2 2 4 4, the reappointment of Helena Windfeld 44 Briggs Street, also to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

▶ 21:04 Manjula Karamcheti: Um, I won't say my spiel again, but it is a reappointment. Um, so what is the will of the committee? Motion to recommend? Second Motion to recommend by President Moore seconded by Councilor Romanul on discussion. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Okay. This motion carries. So thank you everyone for your time tonight. At this time, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second motion to adjourn made by Councillor Romanul, seconded by President Meley. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? This meeting is adjourned. Oh, that's lovely. Good evening. The time is 7 52 on, uh, Monday, December 9th, 2024. This is a meeting of the Appropriations and Oversight Committee. I am Maya Jamal, Dean Pronouns.

Health, Education & Welfare Committee — 2024-12-09

Attendance

Agenda

Minutes

Transcript

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