Town Council - Ways & Means Committee

MEMBERS Braintree Town Council Meredith Boericke, Chairwoman Committee of Ways & Means Charles Ryan, Vice-Chair One JFK Memorial Drive Donna Connors, Member Braintree, Massachusetts 02184 Julia Flaherty, Member Steven Sciascia, Member MINUTES Monday, June 29, 2020 A meeting of the Committee of Ways & Means was held Remote via Zoom Webinar, on Monday, June 29, 2020 at 6:30p.m. Councilor Boericke was in the Chair. Clerk of the Council, Susan M. Cimino conducted the roll call. All votes were taken by Roll Call Vote. Present: Meredith Boericke, Chairwoman Charles Ryan, Vice-Chair Donna Connors, Member Julia Flaherty, Member Steven Sciascia, Member Also Present: Nicole Taub, Chief of Staff Ed Spellman, Finance Director Dan Sullivan, Town Auditor James F. O’Brien, Fire Chief Kelly Phelan, Conservation Planning Christine Stickney, Director Planning & Community Development Marybeth McGrath, Director Municipal Licenses & Inspection James Arsenault, DPW Director Ben Hulke, Assistant DPW Lou Dutton, Superintendent of Water & Sewer Approval of Minutes • May 5, 2020 Motion by Councilor Ryan to Approve Minutes of May 5, 2020 Motion: by Councilor Ryan to Approve Minutes of May 5, 2020 Second: by Councilor Connors Roll Call Vote: For (5–Boericke, Connors, Flaherty, Ryan, Sciascia), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) June 29, 2020 Ways & Means Committee 1 of 4 Old Business • None New Business • 20 042 Town Clerk: Proposal to Create Election Voting Centers or take up any action relative thereto James M. Casey, Town Clerk presented proposals to create election voting centers. Mr. Casey stated he greatly favors only having one polling location and that would be at the Braintree High School. Fewer poll workers would be necessary especially in these uncertain times with COVID-19. This would minimize having to sanitize multiple locations. The Central Voter Plan is located at the Braintree High School. The District Voter Center would consist of three locations being BHS which would house districts 1 & 2, East Middle School would house districts 2 & 3 and South Middle School would house districts 5&6. For the Fall 2020 Elections there will be Early Voting, Absentee Voting and In-Person Voting. Starting July 15 the Secretary of State’s office is mailing every registered voter an application to obtain an Early Vote by Mail Ballot. For Absentee Voting, which has been around forever, you can now list as a reason for obtaining an Absentee ballot is if you have concerns over COVID. Once the Election Day is over we will need to pay to have the buildings sanitized completely. Less buildings mean lower costs for the Town. The cost is about $1,000 per building. With the Central Voting Location we will have Town Clerk’s staff available right there to assist. One issue we get is if you did not return the Town Census and then you are now classified as an inactive voter. You need to fill out an affidavit at the polling location. We would be there to assist with this. We have Automark machines which assist individuals with visual issues. There would be multiple machines available. It is a magnifying device that makes the ballot any size they choose. This machine fills out your oval that you choose and you then take this ballot to insert in the ballot box as all other voters do. Chairwoman Boericke stated there are three options: 1 – Keep all locations as is 2 – Central Voting Facility located at Braintree High School 3 – District Voting Centers with three locations being BHS which would house districts 1 & 2, East Middle School would house districts 2 & 3 and South Middle School would house districts 5&6. Clerk Casey stated you can make these changes permanent or make it temporary to the end of the 2020 election season or December 31, 2020. Councilor Flaherty stated this is a big change that we are considering. Every Election is critical. Do you have any impact from the 1A (Marge Crispin Center 90 Pond Street) change to Town Hall. Clerk Casey stated the Marge Crispin Center was difficult to get to. The overall response to the move was positive. Clerk Casey stated if the locations were to change I am mandated to notify every household that has a registered voter. I would put banners up at the existing locations. June 29, 2020 Ways & Means Committee 2 of 4 Councilor Sciascia stated residents are having a negative response to this concept. For all the reasons we are trying to consolidate for health reasons people are thinking they do not want to go into a building where the entire town is being sent on the same day. There are people who currently walk to their polling location and elderly who do not want to get into a car is offered a ride. I would not be able to move forward with this without residents in agreement with this right now. Clerk Casey stated I expect the in-person Election Day to be a lower turnout. I expect the mail-ins and early voting to increase. Clerk Casey stated a post mentioned the elderly shouldn’t be election/poll workers if there is concern about health and safety. The senior population are the only ones signing up to be poll workers. Councilor Connors asked how many police and poll workers are needed. The numbers seem to stay the same except for less police and additional sanitizing clerks. Are schools open or closed during Election Day? Clerk Casey stated yes schools will be closed. Clerk Casey stated per election the police shift is about $1,000. Each building to be sanitized the total would be about $8,000 or $9,000. We will be receiving some PPE from the State but we do not know what that is yet. Councilor Connors asked if any of the sanitizing can come out of the CARES ACT monies. We will not have a shortfall in the budget if we go with all the current locations. Clerk Casey said he believes some monies will come from the CARES ACT. I do not believe we will run into a shortfall. Councilor Connors asked if there are any spare Ballot machines. Clerk Casey stated yes we have one spare Ballot machine. Councilor Connors stated PTO bake sales are big on Election Days. Clerk Casey stated if allowed by the Health Department, we will allow them to set up. Councilor Connors stated I would be willing to allow the three locations. I think we can use some consolidation. I am not ready to go to the one centralized location. Councilor Ryan stated moving to three locations on a temporary basis is a big change but a compromise. I do have concerns about elderly needing rides. As Clerk Casey stated there are a lot more ways to vote these coming elections. Councilor Flaherty stated Clerk Casey made a good presentation and cost is a factor. With the pandemic the efficiencies seem to keep our poll workers safe. If this is temporary we can then ask how did that work after doing this. To go from 12 to 1 is a really big move. To go to 3 locations might be better. Clerk Casey stated he needs to have this voted at the next Full Council meeting on July 15, 2020 in order to notify voters if there is a change. Chairwoman Boericke asked about Early Voting and when it begins. Clerk Casey stated August 22 and it will include a Saturday voting. June 29, 2020 Ways & Means Committee 3 of 4  Chairwoman Boericke asked about Absentee Voting. Clerk Casey stated you can come to Town Hall and ask for an Absentee application and have it mailed to your home or if ballots are in the office you can vote right then. Chairwoman Boericke going to the three locations seems to allow the fundamental right of residents and citizens to vote, the health and safety of our poll works and to alleviate cost and administrative burdens for the Town Clerk’s office. Councilor Ryan stated I would like to propose to the Full Council the District Voting Plan of having the 3 locations on a temporary basis. Motion by Councilor Ryan for favorable recommendation to the Full Council Order 20 042. MOTION: Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 54, § 24 and Chapter 115 of the Acts of 2020 § 11 that public convenience and public health would be better served during the September 1, September 26 and November 3, 2020 Elections by the establishment of District Voting Centers whereby (1) District 1A – Town Hall, District 1B – Flaherty School, District 2A – Hollis School, District 2B – Hollis School be relocated to Braintree High School; (2) District 3A – Ross School, District 3B – Braintree Yacht Club, District 4A – Elder Affairs Building, District 4B – Morrison School be relocated to East Middle School; and (3) District 5A – Town Hall, District 5B – Liberty School, District 6A – South Middle School, District 6B – Highlands School be relocated to South Middle School on a temporary basis. Motion: by Councilor Ryan for favorable recommendation to the full Council Order 20 042 Second: by Councilor Connors Roll Call Vote: For (4 – Boericke, Connors, Flaherty, Ryan), Against (1 – Sciascia), Absent (0), Abstain (0) It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 7:51p.m. by Roll Call Vote. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Documents provided for Meeting • 20 042 Town Clerk: Proposal to Create Election Voting Centers or take up any action relative thereto • Minutes of May 5, 2020 June 29, 2020 Ways & Means Committee 4 of 4