Appropriations & Oversight Committee — 2025-06-09
Attendance
Cal Finocchiaro ; Mark Garipay ; Ward Hamilton ; Maya Jamaleddine ; Manjula Karamcheti ; Leila Migliorelli ; John Obremski ; Devin Romanul ; Robb Stewart ; Kimberly Vandiver ; Ryan Williams
Agenda
Minutes
CITY OF MELROSE APPROPRIATIONS & OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CALENDAR● JUNE 9, 2025 Council Chamber, First Floor, Melrose City Hall Public Hearing 7:52 PM 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Maya Jamaleddine Vice Chair Present Cal Finocchiaro Present Ward Hamilton Present Manjula Karamcheti Present John Obremski Absent Devin Romanul Present Robb Stewart Present Kimberly Vandiver Present Ryan Williams Present Leila Migliorelli President, Ex Oficio Present Mark Garipay Chair Present
(ID # 12673) Enterprise Fund Fiscal Year 2026 Sewer Rates Ought to Pass City Council
(ID # 12674) Enterprise Fund Fiscal Year 2026 Water Rates Ought to Pass City Council City of Melrose Page 1 6/12/2025 12:35 PM
Transcript
▶ 47:20 Mark Garipay: financially beneficial, as well as an impact to the community. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. We're gonna, um, everyone's spoken twice, so I'm gonna motion out, uh, we'll take a motion to, um, Mr. Chair. I'll make a motion to Recess. Recess. Second. A motion to recess made by Councilor Stewart, seconded by Councilor Ache. All in discussion. All in favor, a Aye. Aye. Opposed? We're recessed a Good evening. The time is 7 52. Thursday, June 5th. This is a meeting of the appropriations and oversight. I'm Mark the chair. Joining me tonight, uh, is Vice Chair Jamal. Dean. Counsel is Stewart Vandiver uc, chiro Romano Hamilton, uh, Williams Machete, and President Melli. This serves as a notice of a quorum for the record
▶ 48:12 Mark Garipay: in accordance with the open meeting law. This meeting is being recorded and broadcast live on MMTV. Um, this, uh, public hearing is for, uh, water and SOAR rates. Um, I will motion by unanimous consent to open the floor for public comment. Seeing no objections, public comment is now open. This is a portion of the meeting where anyone may speak to the, um, item on our agenda tonight. Um, if anyone's looking to speak, please feel free to come up seeing no one in the public looking to speak. Is there anyone online? No one online. I will close the, uh, public comment portion of our meeting with Ms. Consent. Seeing no objections, public comment is now closed. Now we have a public hearing on, um,
▶ 49:02 ID 1, 2, 6, 7, 3 fiscal year 2026 sewer rates. And we have Ms. Alana Ellis with us. And Mr. Olin, I don't know, do you want, do you wanna say something or do you want everything been in the packet or, um, I can just give a quick introduction. Uh, Jim, a Locklin is on the water and sewer rate advisory committee as one of our two member representatives, Ken Trusdale, who is also hoping to be here, but I think a tied up at another engagement, um, is our chair. He's our other resident representative. Um, we've submitted two memos to the, to the council tonight. Typically, we consolidate everything into one memo, but this year we had some recommendations from a subcommittee on, uh, discount programs.
▶ 49:50 And so I just wanna call your attention to that information. There's nothing on the agenda tonight that pertains to the discount programs, but that's just for you all to consider. And I believe we'll be back probably in July or so with some ordinance changes for the water and sewer ordinance. So it's likely that that would be a good time since we're, um, modifying the ordinance anyway, if the council does have any thoughts on our recommendations. Um, but other than that, our water and sewer rates are recommended to stay level funded, um, or level, not funded level, uh, rates both volumetric and, um, base fees, uh, into fiscal 26. And I dunno if you have anything to add, Jim? Nope. I think You covered it.
▶ 50:35 Mark Garipay: So, um, why don't we ask questions on the, both the orders, um, and then we'll just take separate votes. So does any councils have questions on either 1, 2, 6, 7, 3, or 1, 2, 6, 7, 4 water and sewer rates? Councilor Williams, I Wanna make a motion to approve. Second, Which, which one? Well, the first one, right? We're doing 'em in order. Okay. Yeah. So 1, 2, 6, 7, 3. Okay. We have a motion to approve. Uh, ID. 1, 2, 6, 7 3 fiscal year 2026. Sewer rates made by Councilor Williams. Seconded by Counselor Stewart on discussion. Um, Madam Clerk, you wanna take the role on this? Sure. Councillor Jamine? Yes. Counselor Occhio? Yes. Counselor Hamilton? Yes. Counselor Caram Chetty? Yes. Councilor Romanul? Yes. Councilor Stewart? Yes.
▶ 51:26 Mark Garipay: Counselor Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Williams? Yes. President Elli? Yes. Chair Garipay? Yes. Okay. Um, we have order 1, 2, 6, 7, 4, up. Fiscal, fiscal year 2026. Water rates. Council Stewart, Mr. Chair, I make a motion to recommend 1, 2, 6, 7, 4 to the full Council. Second, We have a motion to recommend. 1, 2, 6, 7, 4 fiscal year 2026. Water rates made by Council Stewart. Seconded by Council Williams on discussion. Madam Clerk, can you please call the role? Yes. Counselor Jamine? Yes. Councillor Occhio? Yes. Counselor Hamilton? Yes. Counselor. Karen Chetty? Yes. Counselor Romano? Yes. Counselor Stewart? Yes. Counselor Vandiver? Yes. Counselor Williams? Yes. President Elli? Yes. Chair Garipay? Yes.