Boards & Commissions Committee

Attendance

Cal Finocchiaro present · Ward 6; Bradley Freeman present · President, Ex; Elizabeth Kowal present · At-Large; Christopher Park present · Ward 3; Kimberly Vandiver present · Vice Chair

Agenda

Minutes

Boards & Commissions Committee Monday, February 23, 2026, 6:30 PM City Council Chamber, 1st Floor 562 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Kimberly Vandiver Vice Chair Cal Finocchiaro Elizabeth Kowal Christopher Park William Bradley Freeman President, Ex Officio Member Ryan Williams Chair Remote meeting was called to order by Chair Williams at 6:30 PM. Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Kimberly Vandiver Vice Chair Present Cal Finocchiaro Ward 6 Present Elizabeth Kowal At-Large Present Christopher Park Ward 3 Present William Bradley Freeman President, Ex Present Officio Member Ryan Williams Chair Present II. MINUTES APPROVAL Boards & Commissions Committee Meeting February 2, 2026 7:20 PM Motion to Approve the minutes by unanimous consent without reading made by Chair Williams. RESULT: ACCEPTED [UNANIMOUS] AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Bradley Freeman III. PUBLIC COMMENT Pending Snow Storm - Meeting could be fully remote and accessed via the ZOOM LINK only. When: Feb 23, 2026 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Boards & Commissions Meeting 1 Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android: https://cityofmelrose-org.zoom.us/j/93539693090?pwd=ZJ0rLa0Ob1BaVkPgkAzlcCihW9HNfx.1 Passcode:875572 Webinar ID: 935 3969 3090 Motion to Open public comment made by Chair Williams at 6:33 PM There were no comments via Zoom Motion to Close public comment made by Chair Williams at 6:33 PM IV. APPOINTMENTS/REAPPOINTMENTS Chair Williams opened the floor to the re-appointee candidates to share their individual contributions to and reasons for serving on the Commission on Disability. Comments on Discussion of all of the Items: -Councilor Finocchiaro asked about the Disability Guide that they wrote. It's a 20 page document that includes user friendly advice, proper etiquette, advice on planning accessible events, inclusion, accommodations and more resources. -Councilor Kowal asked what is your wish list or pet projects. They replied growing Disability Pride month events and services, getting schools to be fully accessible followed by public spaces and buildings, and expanding the employment project for young people with disabilities at the school. -President Freeman asked about expanding recreation programs and if they are inclusive. He suggested they complete the current survey to provide feedback. They commented that the Friends of the Fells is trying to make some trails accessible. -Councilor Park asked what has been the biggest challenge while working on the commission. They replied there is so much to do and Melrose has been amazing and positive in receptivity. They need to keep events scalable and manageable, not too overwhelming and consuming. They struggle a bit knowing who the group is targeted to since not all identify as disabled. They need to make sure that their commission is known to all and is available to help those in need at the specific individual level also. Motion to Conjoin Items 2026-294, 2026-295 and 2026-296 made by Chair Williams. Seconded by Councilor Finocchiaro. All were in favor and motion passed. Motion to Recommend to city council made by Councilor Finocchiaro Seconded by President Freeman All were in favor and motion passed RESULTS: PASSED [UNANIMOUS] TO: City Council AYES: Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Christopher Park, Kim Vandiver, Ryan Williams, Bradley Freeman NAYS: None

A. (ID # 2026-294): Reappointment of David Hoff, 46 Warwick Road, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029. 2

B. (ID # 2026-295): Reappointment of Garin Boyd, 463 Lebanon Street, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029.

C. (ID # 2026-296): Reappointment of Margaret Sheets, 53 Melrose Street to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term; said term to end on the last day of February 2029. V. ADJOURNMENT The City of Melrose does not discriminate based on disability and is committed to hosting accessible meetings and events. Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Melrose or to attend meetings, should contactthe City’s ADA Coordinator, Polina Latta platta@cityofmelrose.org. Motion to Adjourn made by Chair Williams at 7:02 PM Seconded by Councilor Finocchiaro All were in favor and meeting was adjourned 3 January 20, 2026 Dear Mayor Grigoraitis: I am writing to request to be re-appointed to the City of Melrose Commission on Disability for another 3-year term. During my recent term my accomplishments have included: 1. Serving as Commission Chair for 2 years 2. Service as Vice Chair for the past year 3. Leading the development of the recently published disability guide for community organizations. 4. Working to build the partnership between the Melrose Public Schools, Chamber of Commerce, and city businesses to expanding work experiences and employment opportunities for students with disabilities. 5. Assisting with successful applications to the Massachusetts Office on Disability for funding of capital improvements to increase accessibility of city buildings. It has been an honor to serve on the commission for the past 6 years. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to continue to work together with my fellow commission members and the city to ensure Melrose is an accessible and welcoming community for all residents with disabilities. Sincerely, David Hoff 46 Warwick Road Melrose, MA. 02176 Mayor Jennifer Grigoraitis Melrose City Hall Melrose, MA 02176 Dear Mayor Grigoraitis: Please accept this letter as my request for reinstatement onto the Melrose Commission on Disability. Over the past three years I have served as Secretary for two of those years. Prior to that I served as Vice Chair. I have helped organize and execute city wide activities including the Disability Pride Month celebration. I have made it my goal to attend Melrose city meetings and support disability policy and grant approval. I have also worked to increase representation and inclusion within the disabled community. As an artist and an advocate, I try to incorporate creative expression and community engagement into the work I do with the Commission. I feel grateful to have served for six years. It is amazing to work with a motivated, talented and passionate Commission. I am so proud of our accomplishments and the seismic shifts we have made to increase accessibility in Melrose. As noted in the recent city meeting: our list is long and it will be a while until we are “totally there” with accessibility. I would like to continue my work. It would be an honor to serve another three year term. Sincerely, Garin A. Boyd 463 Lebanon Street Margaret Sheets Melrose, MA linkedin.com/in/margaret-sheets January 5, 2026 Dear Lauren and Diane, I am writing to formally request reappointment to the Melrose Commission on Disability for a new three-year term. Having served as a founding member since 2020, I am deeply committed to continuing the Commission’s work in ensuring Melrose is as welcoming and inclusive as possible for people with disabilities. During my time with the Commission, I have served in various leadership roles, including Commission Secretary and Vice Chair. In my current role as Commissioner At-Large, I am particularly proud of leading the planning for Disability Pride Month in 2024 and 2025. By coordinating with local partners like Follow Your Art and the Melrose Public Library, we successfully engaged the community through murals, panel discussions, and inclusive children’s book readings. Beyond events, I remain dedicated to practical advocacy, such as my recent work collaborating on a resource guide to help our local organizations and places of worship improve their physical and social accessibility. In a subsequent three-year term, I hope to build on this momentum by expanding on Disability Pride Month events to ensure they continue to grow and become a well-established yearly town event. I also feel strongly that my knowledge of the Commission's growth since its inception will be an asset in ensuring the Commission’s long-term projects reach completion. I would be pleased to discuss my goals or any other information you may need for my reappointment at your convenience. Please feel free to contact me at or by phone at . Sincerely, Margaret Sheets

Transcript

▶ 0:00 Ryan Williams: Okay, so let's start the meeting. Good evening, everyone. Today is February 23rd, 2026, and this is a meeting of the Boards and Commissions Committee of the City Council of Melrose. I'm the chair of the committee, Ryan Williams, and I'm joined by voting members, Councilors Cal Finocchiaro, Elizabeth Kowal, Kim Vandiver, and President Brad Freeman, ex officio. I think... Do I see-- I don't see Councilor Park, but he may join us, uh, in a minute. This is a notice of a quorum for the record and serves as roll call, so the meeting will proceed in accordance with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Tonight's meeting is being held remotely, it is also being recorded, and it is also being broadcast by our partners at MMTV,

▶ 0:45 Ryan Williams: as well as live-streamed on their website at mmtv3.org. The reason that we're remote tonight is because, um, all of the city buildings are closed, and we had a fairly straightforward meeting, and the attendees were willing to meet remotely, so we decided to keep the meeting on the agenda and move forward, uh, move forward remotely. Um, as a reminder for councilors, and I'm sure we all know this, but just to get it out there, um, tonight's, uh, motions will all be held by roll call. Uh, and if anybody has audio or video problems, then we can take some time to try and resolve them, and if we can't resolve them, then we have to do a simple majority vote to decide whether or not to move forward.

▶ 1:21 Ryan Williams: So with that out of the way, I'm gonna throw a motion by unanimous consent out there to approve the minutes without reading from, uh... Adrienne, what was the date of the last meeting? Um. I believe it was February 3rd. Was it the 3rd? Well, let's just say I'll motion to approve the minutes without reading from the last meeting. I don't see any reasons not to, so, um, that motion passes. I'm gonna motion to open public comment, again, by unanimous consent. And I don't see any objections, so public comment is now open. Uh, I don't see anybody on the participant list, um, that's not a member of the committee or somebody that's come to speak to us tonight. And, um, I do see Councilor Park with

▶ 2:19 Ryan Williams: us. Hello. Um- Good evening. So, Adrienne, do you see anybody on your end in terms of people that are in the audience that want to speak tonight or have their hand up? I do not right now. Okay. So, okay, so I'm gonna motion by unanimous consent to close public comment then. Uh, so we have three appointments, three reappointments before us tonight. Grab my copy of the agenda. Very helpfully, it's normally printed out for me, and I failed to do that for myself. Oh. But I have it right here. The three items on our agenda tonight are: ID number two zero two six dash two nine four, the reappointment of David Hoff of forty-six Warwick Road to the Melrose Commission of Dis-- on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029.

▶ 3:23 Ryan Williams: I'm gonna read all three of these, um, into the record, and then I'd like the, uh, the members of the, the reappointment members of the Commission on Disability, they can speak, sort of take turns, talk about their experiences, talk about the work of the committee as a whole for a little bit. We can ask them questions, and then we will go back in motion to vote on each individual item one at a time. Uh, the second item is ID twenty twenty-six two nine five, reappointment of Garren Boyd, 463 Lebanon Street, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to expire on the last day of February 2029. And the final item is ID twenty twenty-six two nine six, reappointment of Margaret Sheets, Maggie Sheets,

▶ 3:58 Ryan Williams: fifty-three Melrose Street, to the Commission on Disability for a three-year term, said term to end on the last day of February 2029. Excuse me. Um, and so with that, I would like to welcome the three reappointment members to speak about their experiences on the committee, any, um, plans that they have for the new year, any goals or things that they wanna share with the, with the city council members who are here tonight. David, do you wanna start? Uh, yeah, sure. I, I... Unless somebody else wants to begin, unless Maggie or Garren wanted to begin. So I'll, I'll, I'll begin. And, uh, first, thank you, first of all, for, uh, um, this evening and, and, and the opportunity to speak. And also, it has been a real honor to be on this commission for the past

▶ 4:44 six years. Um, actually, myself and the other two individuals here are original members of the commission, and the commission was formed back in 2020. And, um, we really have collectively done many things to make Melrose a more accessible and welcoming community for people with disabilities. Uh, we've had a whole variety of initiatives. Uh, I'm gonna highlight a few of the ones that I've been involved with. Uh, one of the major ones was I led the development of a grant for the city to do, it's called an ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, basically an update of something that's required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. And we got a fifty thousand dollar grant for that, and, uh, back in... years start to run together a lot, but 2021, I

▶ 5:30 believe. And a very comprehensive report was prepared by the Institute for Human Centered Design, and is now kind of the basis for an ongoing basis to ensure that all the city services and buildings and facilities are, um, uh, are fully accessible. Obviously, a lot of... It's, a lot of it's long-term work in terms of capital improvements, um, but among that work, you know, some of it's already been undertaken, and we've been in close communication with the mayor's office in terms of ongoing efforts, and there's been some additional monies procured from the Mass Office on Disability to address some of those issues. Also, the, uh-... and we've also worked closely with the city, and I, I've been very involved with updating all the ADA

▶ 6:12 policies, the American Disability Act policies, and related policies, and regarding making sure that, um, city services are both fully accessible for people with disabilities, that there's policies in place where they can exercise their rights. And also things like making sure, like, our city, um, meeting notices are very clear on how to get accommodations and things like that. So we've done a lot of work on that, and continue to work on with the city on those kinds of issues. Uh, also, uh, I worked, um, in partnership with, with Maggie, uh, on a community, community education guide, which was a long-term project, basically a, a guide that we've developed and have just released, and are in the process of getting it

▶ 6:51 printed. Uh, to- And we're gonna work on an education program with a variety of community, uh, groups in Melrose to make sure all our community programs are, are, uh, welcoming to people with disabilities, ranging from, you know, civic groups, recreation groups, uh, uh, faith organizations. So we're real- we're real excited about that initiative, 'cause that's... It's just really, we feel like that's a, uh, create greater awareness about our commission and our services and how we can assist, but also where we can also just kind of... Ultimately, our, our real goal is to make sure that every, every, uh, organization in Melrose welcomes people with disabilities. And then, um, an effort that we're working on right now, uh, which we're also

▶ 7:31 excited about, myself and Gary Hale, who's our, our current chair, uh, we're working with the Chamber of Commerce and the public schools on improving employment opportunities for, uh, students with disabilities, uh, and work experiences. So it's been really exciting, uh, and that was something the mayor connected us with the Chamber. And the Chamber has been great, and the local businesses have been great on that. We're still, uh, early in this effort, but just very, very excited about that. So it, it really has been, as I said right at the beginning, it's been an honor to be on this commission, and I would really appreciate the support for another three-year term. I'm happy to answer any questions.

▶ 8:06 Ryan Williams: Thanks very much. Um, does anybody have any specific questions for Mr. Hoff, or would you, would the members of the committee be okay if we moved on to hear from the other two members, and then did questions together? Okay, I'm seeing a lot of nodding heads. I don't see any... I don't hear any, um, objections, so, uh, how about we talk to Maggie next? Hi. Can everybody hear me okay? Yep. I can, yes. Okay, great. Um, so I'm Maggie Sheets. I've been on the commission, like, as been said, since 2020, and have really enjoyed my time on the commission. Um, and, uh, la- I think last year, no, the year before we started, year before last, we started doing Disability Pride events, um, in Melrose, which have been very

▶ 8:47 well-received, and I, I spearheaded those efforts, uh, with Garin and, um, one other commissioner, Aaron Hine- Ryan Hyneman. And so we've all worked together on, with, um, local organizations, including Follow Your Art and the Melrose Public Library, to host various events, including, um, a mural that has been going- as the Follow Your Art has generously created for us, um, for the past two years, and it's been on, um, the wall of the YMCA, and it goes up in July. And they're being- they're agreeing to do it again this year, which is really nice of them. Um, and I have... We also, um, organized children's book readings to educate children about disability and what that entails, and the library has been a really great

▶ 9:37 partner to us. They have gone out of their way to have books available that are disability-related, especially for children, and also for adults. But, um, this year I'm hopeful... And we also have a panel discussion that Garin and David and I have all served on, just to give information to the community about what the commission does, and ask any- answer any questions. So this all usually takes place in July, but the planning of it goes on from about January to up until the events start. Um, we're hoping this year, and we believe we will be successful in, um, doing, uh, more art projects for the Disability Pride- as part of Disability Pride Month. Um, we- Follow Your Art has been, like I said, has been a great partner with

▶ 10:20 us, and, um, they have agreed to help, uh, find a, um, a person, a young, young adult or an adult who has a disability to do art pro- an art project with us, and, um, have that showcased at, in, uh, maybe a small art show in the library, or do a chalk, and/or do a chalk walk. We haven't really firmly decided on that yet, but it'll involve art, and Follow Your Art has people that are connected with them that would like to feature their art in that way. So, and we'll have a panel discussion and children's book reading again, and I'm just grateful to the commission and to the community partners that we have, that have made these things a success. Everything has been well-received. There have been no complaints, so it all worked out.

▶ 11:06 So th- that's really what I've been focused on, so thanks, everybody. Yeah. Thank you very much. Yes. Mr. Boyd? Hi, uh, Garin Boyd. Um, thank you so much for having us here tonight. I really love to speak about the Commission on Disability, and it has been an extreme pleasure to have been, um, on this commission since, since its, its inception. Um, I, I compare our group to, to the Avengers, because I think we all have very specific skill sets, but we all work together amazingly well, and it's a great group of people to be, um, working with. We're a really functional group, but we're also, um, a group that has a lot of passion and a lot of, um, a lot of drive, uh, to make the, make the city of Melrose more accessible

▶ 11:59 and, and, and make the world more accessible. Um, I served, uh, previously... I'm currently serving as the secretary, um, on the commission, but, uh, prior to, I served as, as vice chair. Uh, as David said, we, we put it together, the, um, the, the citywide self-assessment at that point.... and, um, you know, great, a great effort in the city and, and great that it was received so well. Um, and, um, it's been great that we've received the MOD grants to be able to do the work and transition and, um, into creating, you know, more accessible environments. Um, I have been kind of the artsy one of the Avengers group here. Um, I've, I've gotten involved with, as Maggie said, our Disability Pride, uh, Month work.

▶ 12:47 Um, this last year, we, we had a mural, uh, dedicated to the 35th, uh, anniversary of the ADA, and that was great. It was a beautiful, uh, celebration of that. And, um, as Maggie has said, we, we, we followed it up with, uh, a great, um, Disability Pride Month activity, um, activities both at the library and around Melrose. Um, I would honestly say that prior to joining this commission, and if you had asked me where disability rep lay in my identity, somewhere around... You know, I'd probably describe multiple things about myself before disability. Um, this commission and the work that we have done has helped broaden my identity as a disabled person and my role, both in the city, but in the larger community of, of

▶ 13:34 Earth. And it's been, um, incredibly powerful for me to not only be a part of this group, doing all this great work, being connected to this community, but also, um, just to, to, to, um, to see that there is a community out there that wants the world to be accessible so that they can show up, and it's amazing to work with this group. And I really, really would like to stay on for another three years. Uh, I would like to continue doing a lot of the same things we've done, show up at the Victorian Fair, show up for Disability Pride Month, work with a lot of the other, uh, commissions within the city, because the Human Rights Commission is doing such amazing things. Uh, Traffic Commission got to, got to go and, uh, get a no parking sign put

▶ 14:17 Ryan Williams: in this year. So we kn- we know that the city is on our side with this. We know that the work is being done, and we just have to keep doing it. Thanks. Thank you so much for all you have to say. And, and, um, before we move on to the vote, I just wanted to say it's been an absolute pleasure to have watched the Commission on Disability from the formation. I think I was on the council when we voted on it- Mm-hmm ... and watch you guys come on board, and then see you show up. Like, you talked about the Traffic Commission, and that's my- one of my more vivid memories, is seeing you there and going, "Oh, this... You know, what are we doing? Like, what's, what's the, what's the thing that we're gonna solve today?" Um,

▶ 14:53 Ryan Williams: seeing Maggie all around town, seeing David at all kinds of events, it's, it's really been a pleasure to see the three of you more visible in the community, and specifically doing this work that's so important. So thank you all very much for, for everything that you do. Um, I wanna open up the floor to any councilors that have questions. Do me a favor and raise your hand with the button down below, okay? Or Cal, just throw your hand up on the screen, that works, too. I see I've got in the queue, let's do Councilor, uh, Finocchiaro first, and then we're gonna do President Freeman, and then we're gonna do Councilor Vander Vert, and then we're gonna do Councilor Kowal. So Councilor Finocchiaro, please go ahead.

▶ 15:28 Cal Finocchiaro: Hey, thank you so much for hosting the meeting tonight, um, Ryan and Adrian. And thank you for being with us tonight, and for all of your hard work, um, on the Disability Commission. It's remarkable reading about, um, what you've done and hearing from you. Um, I just have one question. Um, I was just wanting to see if somebody could, uh, speak a little bit to the disability guide that you spoke about? Uh, sure, I guess I can, because I've done been the lead on that. You wrote it. So, uh, yeah, I wrote it with, with the assistance from others, from Maggie and others, and review of... Everybody reviewed it. Uh, it's about a f- t- 20-page guide. It's very user-friendly in terms of just providing guidance

▶ 16:12 to community groups on everything from basic disability etiquette, how do you plan an event that's fully accessible? Um, how do you, um, uh, think about, um, just all sorts of issues? Also, how do you make sure that you just include people with disabilities in, in whatever that activity might be, uh, being proactive and thinking about accommodations, and also just series of resources on where to find things like sign language interpreters and, and other types of assistance. So, and we've also linked within the guide a whole bunch of other resources that are out there, so it really is intended as something... It, it's lots of pictures, it's very colorful. It's been... We got somebody pro bono to do a layout on it, and it's...

▶ 16:50 Cal Finocchiaro: So we're really excited. We're actually ordering 500 copies. We will make sure all the members of the council get copies of it. Um, and it's also will be on our web- on our webpage. So, um, yeah, so that's, that's the basics of it. I don't know if you have other questions about it, but that's, that's basically what it is, so. I love it. I think that's great and, uh, much needed, and I, I love that you guys do so much work on this commission. It seems like you're constantly churning stuff out, so that's great. Yeah, thank you. Um, I would like to make a motion to recommend, but I'm... I know other people have things to s- uh, say. I don't know if we should go in for grouping them together, Ryan, or how that's

▶ 17:23 Ryan Williams: going tonight, but- Yeah, it's like we- You know what? I'll sign off, and we'll continue. ... We could, we could motion to, we could motion to combine them- Okay ... but we still have to roll call, and then we would- so we could do two instead of one, but I wanna hear from the other members- Yep ... of the committee. Now we have Councilor- Yep ... Park in line. Um, and as some folks have lowered their hand, but I think everybody still wants to speak, right? Yeah, okay. So, uh, I'm sorry, it's hard to keep track of when people have raised their hands, so I'm just gonna start with Councilor Kowal next. Yeah. Thank you. Can you hear me okay? Yes. Um, first, Garin, I wanna just thank you for what

▶ 17:59 Elizabeth Kowal: you said. I was- I'm really- I got a little teary. I'm really moved, um, by what you said and how, um, this has had an impact on you personally as well, and so just- Mm. ... thank you for that vulnerability and for sharing that. That was really quite special. Um, this is just sort of a wish list for you. What is your dream? Like, what would you like to see over the next three years? Like, what are your pet projects? Um, you know, what does this... And Garin, that was not directed at you. That- this is for anybody who wants to answer it, but, um- Gotcha ... you know, what are your, what are your pet projects? Like, what's the dream- what's the dream project to get done? ... I think I'd, um, go ahead, Magdalena.

▶ 18:41 I think I'd like just to have the, um, Disability Pride Month events keep growing. It's meant a lot to me to do this, 'cause, you know, when I was younger, I grew up with a disability, so it wasn't- Mm-hmm ... always a source of happy things with pride. So, uh, it's nice to have that, and I'd like to expand that so people know what's the services are available, how we, the commission works for everybody, and how people can benefit from disability services, and that, um, there's so much people with disabilities have to offer, and so that's what I would look forward to. I love it. For me, a, a lot of the priority, uh, when we did the self-assessment rested right onto the schools. Um, to get the schools 100% accessible-

▶ 19:30 Mm-hmm ... uh, to me was a, was a top priority once we finished the, the self-assessment. And the work that we've done, I mean, w- through the, the grants we've received from the MOD have been rooted in the educa- in getting the education infrastructure up to, up to speed on this. So, um, I just wanna keep doing this until our schools are accessible, until our public space is accessible, until our, you know, all of our public buildings. So a lot of the work that was drawn up from that report, I think is most important to me. Yeah, and I'm gonna echo that. I mean, I, that, that's my dream. That, that, that report, if you have not seen it, it's, it's on the citywa- It's extremely comprehensive, it's a long term, and we don't want it to...

▶ 20:15 We, we actually feel very strongly that it's not one of those things you put on a shelf and forget about, that we... And, again, I've appreciated the city supporting this as we've gotten grants from Mass Office on Disability. But also should just be not just grant money, but part of the capital budget and part of just making changes. So just c- ongoing attention to that I see as the dream. And, and I would agree, just, you know, the, the, the projects we're doing, that we continue to do, I think is... As I said, I mentioned the one that, one of my current pet project on the employment end, um, really is, uh, for, for young people with disabilities in the schools. Uh, that, that's something I'm, we're very excited about.

▶ 20:49 Bradley Freeman: So I see those from my perspective as, as kind of our, our dreams. Thank you. Let's do President Freeman. Thank you, Chair Williams. Um, and I wanna echo my colleagues in saying thank you very much for your service to Melrose. Um, I think, you know, the heart of Melrose really is these commissions, a- and bringing volunteers in to, to serve and add perspective, and, and it's so valuable to everything we do here. And David, you had mentioned, um, you know, expanding recreation opportunities, and that's something that's it's a passion of mine. It's, it's my background in Melrose, both serving as a parks commissioner a- and a youth coach. And I just wanna get a sense from you, one, how are we doing

▶ 21:30 Bradley Freeman: as a city on making sure our recreation programs are, are inclusive? And two, I just wanna, in case you aren't aware, I want to make you aware that the Recreation Department has issued a community survey, um, through middle of March, where they're soliciting feedback on what we can do better from a recreation standpoint. And I would encourage the commission to help amplify that survey and include your perspective on, and where we can do more to make these programs more inclusive for, for all ages and individuals within the city. Um, so, uh, you know, since I brought it up, I'll, I'll answer the question. I don't think we have a really good sense of it, to be quite frank, uh, uh, quite honest, uh, Counselor. I, I think it, it's a really...

▶ 22:10 I'm glad they're doing this survey, and thank you for raising this up. I think it's, actually your point is an interesting one, because one of the things we, we've tried to keep up with, but I don't- I think we are a little hit or miss at times, is what else is going on in the city that we should be engaged in? It shouldn't be all on the, in the disability, you know, realm, but we should be engaging with other commissions and other groups. Karen mentioned that. Uh, because we really don't have a sense of that, and but it, we- we'd really like to see... We're hoping our community guide is gonna be helpful in some respect. But I, I mean, I was a youth soccer coach for 13 years, and so I know some of the challenges that were there with,

▶ 22:41 with, you know, uh, some of the young people with disabilities, uh, making sure they were included in part of, like, youth soccer, for example. So, yeah, I, I... So I, I'd say yes. I'd say, to be honest, we don't have a sense of that, but I think it's definitely something we should be taking a closer look at. So appreciate you raising it. Thank you. We also- I'll, I'll share the sur- I'll share the survey with you, so you can, you can send it out to your membership. We see some activity from, uh, Stoneham as well, uh, doing some work with the Friends of the Fells, uh, to make some trails accessible. So that's another, uh, way that we've s- we've seen inroads on getting more involved with recreation and, you know,

▶ 23:17 Kimberly Vandiver: other, uh, agencies. But I'd just add that. That's right, I forgot about that. That's a, that's a relatively newer initiative we're working on with them- Yeah ... as well. Yeah. It has been, yeah, relatively recent, that that's come up. Thank you very much. Okay, Counselor Vandiver? Thank you, Chair Williams, and thank you to everyone who is here, despite the snow, and, and for, as everyone has said, for all the work that you've been doing in Melrose to make things better. Um, it's much appreciated. Um, my question was also about the guide, and I know you mentioned, uh, that you're printing 500 copies, and you said you'd put it on the website. Is that, um, when you say the website, is that the page on the city, um, on

▶ 24:03 cityofmelrose.org, that you'll, you'll put that up? Yep. I, I just wanna make sure that it's as broadly available and that everybody can find it, because it sounds like it's going to be really excellent resource. Yeah, it will be on the... We have a, a page on the, on the city website, so that's where it will be. And so, yeah, so but it should, it should be up there shortly. It's been, like, on our to-do list, but, you have to get, get it out the door, so. When we, when we get printed copies, we're hoping to have them at the library, Follow Your Art, and MMTV, so that people not necessarily can, you know, take one and, and, and run with it, but just to have it, to know where their central location is, where these guides exist, so people know

▶ 24:40 Kimberly Vandiver: about them. ... That's great. Uh, yeah, I, I think that's really important, and kind of to your point, um, earlier about making sure that the commission is a- a- aware of what else is going on in the city, and then making that linkage in the other direction so that everybody in the city knows how to access, um, your outputs, and yeah. Uh, that, that was my main question. I just, uh, I, I really appreciate these opportunities to understand what all these commissions are working on, and, um, and hear all the great progress that's being made, so thank you very much. Councilor Park? Thank you, Councilor Ryan. Um, uh, I'd like to echo all my fellow colleagues, and say... And thank you for your service for Melrose.

▶ 25:24 Christopher Park: Um, Garin, I, I had a, I had the pleasure to meet you at Follow Your Art, um, at that event, and it's truly wonderful to hear your story, and how, how this has affected your life, so, so kudos to you. Um, my question, uh, and perhaps, uh, the three of you touched briefly on some of the aspects, but I wanted to know, um, from your experience thus far, what has your biggest challenge been working with this commission? Um, and I guess we can start with you, Captain America, or David Hoff. Uh, I, I would say the biggest challenge I, I see is there just seems like so much to do. I, I, we- I find it somewhat ironic that we, we, we communicate with so many other commissions around the state and around the commonwealth, and some are like, "Oh, we aren't sure what to do."

▶ 26:15 I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, there's always more to do." There's always more things to, uh, to educate the community to, to work, um, you know, with the city, uh, to, you know, get involved in activities and different things. So I would say that's the biggest challenge. Uh, the receptivity, I would say, of the city has been, and the support, has been amazing, and I do think that's something other commissions don't necess- and other cities and towns don't necessarily have, and that has been really, really helpful. So, yeah, I'd say that... That's, that's where I come from. I don't know, Garin or Maggie, what your thoughts are towards the challenges. Um, I think just, uh, kinda playing off of that, what David said, uh, in terms of planning events, like the

▶ 26:57 Disability Pride Month events, like, there are things that would be really great to do, but it's also m- uh, managing that, plus the other things that we're doing. And also, just making sure things are scalable and manageable in a way that it's not hard to do the event or do the, the planning that we have to do. And so, like, for the Disability Pride Month events that we've planned, I initially, I... When I first started, when we first started, rather, doing it, I had definite- I had different ideas, um, and we talked it over as a commission and as a planning group. And, um, just breaking that down was really helpful, because it, it can get overwhelming if- 'cause there's, there's a lot to do,

▶ 27:44 and there's a lot of things that could be done to celebrate disability, so, and to highlight what services are available. So I think it's just making sure things are scalable, and making sure it's manageable, and making sure it's not too time-consuming and overwhelming. Yeah. I, I think, um, since our inception, I think what we've struggled with, and then I think it's, it's not something that's impacted at all by the city or by our organization, but knowing who we service, um, as individuals. We, we, we tried, you know, survey options when we were first starting out to see if we could, you know, get a better sense of, you know, the breadth and depth of, of the community, um, in Melrose, so that we would know right off the bat, you

▶ 28:31 know, who we were work- who we were... The group of, you know, the group that we were, uh, in service to. Um, so we still struggle with that, I think. It would be, um, you know, great if we could come up with some way of doing it, but it's a shifting, it's a shifting thing. People will identify as disabled and, and don't always identify as disabled for different reasons. And so, um, you know, it's, it's, it's part of the work we do, but it has been a challenge, um, going along, so- Yeah, I, yeah, I, I wanna just add one more thing there, um, and, uh, because I do think that one of the things that we... We try to be an information referral for people in Melrose with disabilities, and we've had some occasions of that.

▶ 29:11 Ryan Williams: But I, uh, one of the things that we want people to be more aware of, A, that we exist, and, B, come to us if they have specific issues. There, I mean, we've helped a few residents on a few different issues, but, um, we would love to see more of that in d- on that individual resource level, and just, uh, that people know where we are, and where to find us, and we're there to assist. So I'd say that's- Absolutely ... been a challenge as well. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Well, thank you, everybody, for your c- comments and your questions. Um, so given that we're meeting remotely, we're going to do roll call votes. And while it's a minor efficiency, I think it would be quick for us to conjoin these,

▶ 29:54 Ryan Williams: and then vote on them one time. Um, if any councilor objects to the conjoining and wants to vote individually, then just object to the conjoining, and we will do it differently. I'll make a motion to conjoin orders ID2026-294, ID2026-295, and ID2026-296 together, uh, to be voted on at this time. Second. Okay, so I made the motion, Councilor Finocchiaro seconded it. This order is now conjoined and before us, um, and I'll let... What is the will of the committee? I'd like to make- I make a motion- ... a motion to recommend. Sorry. I, I will second that motion. Very good. Councilor Finocchiaro motions to, uh, recommend the items as conjoined, seconded by President Freeman. Uh, and we'll now do a roll call vote of each

▶ 30:47 member. Um, Adrienne, do you want me to do the roll call, or do you wanna do it? I'm on mute. Uh, doesn't matter, Ryan. Uh, I've got the list if you want. Why don't you go ahead and do it? It's your choice. Okay. So those three- Vice Chair Vandiver? Okay. Yes. Vice, Vice Chair Vandiver. Councilor Finocchiaro? Yes. Councilor Kowal? Yes. Councilor Park? Yes. President Freeman? Yes. Chair Williams? Yes. All in favor? Motion passes. Okay, fantastic. Thank you all for coming. We really appreciate your time- Thank you ... and look forward to seeing the good work of you- Thank you ... throughout the year. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Have a great night. Thank you. Bye. Thank you. Now, members of the committee, we have to vote to a, to adjourn.

▶ 31:35 Mm-hmm. So I will motion to adjourn. I'll second. And I have motioned to adjourn. Councilor Finocchiaro has seconded my motion. Uh, and roll call vote, please. Vice Chair Vandiver? Yes. Councilor Finocchiaro? Yes. Councilor Kowal? Yes. Councilor Park? Yes. President Freeman? Yes. Chair Williams? Yes. We are adjourned. We're adjourned. Okay, thank you. Thanks, everybody. Bye, everybody. Bye, everybody. Bye. Bye-bye. Bye, bye. Uh- Recording stop.

Boards & Commissions Committee — 2026-02-23

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