City Council

CITY OF SALEM 1 AUGUST 24, 2021 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL A Special Meeting of the Salem City Council was held remotely on Tuesday, August 24, 2021 Notice of this meeting was posted on August 20, 2021, at 8:28 A.M. Councillors Prosniewski, Flynn and Sargent had excused absences and Councillor McCarthy arrived at 6:15 p.m. Council President Christine Madore presided. #416 – REMOTE MEETINGS FOR CITY COUNCIL UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2021 The following order introduced by Councillor Turiel was adopted by a roll call vote of 6 yeas, 2 nays and 3 absent. Councillors Turiel, Riccardi, Morsillo, McCarthy, Hapworth, and Madore were all recorded in the affirmative. Councillors Dominguez and Dibble were recorded in the negative. Councillors Sargent, Prosniewski and Flynn were recorded as absent. Councillor Turiel motion for Immediate Reconsideration in the hopes it would not prevail was denied. ORDERED: That the Salem City Council hold its regular and subcommittee meetings remotely effective August 25, 2021, until November 30, 2021. Councillor Dibble stated we should meet in person again. Since June we heard we are ready to do hybrid. SATV said they were ready to go and just needed a couple of days of testing. We could have met in July but we didn’t. Per our rules, we should be meeting in person and put it on zoom for others. We expect our children to be back at school and our workers to be back to work. We can lead by example. Councillor Madore we have tried to demo hybrid version with the City Clerk and Asst. City Clerk and could not get it to work. Now with election season upon them to burden them with working this out. I want to advocate for the City Clerk for the work she’s done so far. Being part of the demo it was very difficult to get the sound working. It’s not as though they haven’t been trying. So I just want to speak up for Madam City Clerk she’s been trying really hard to get to this hybrid format and she needs a break during election time and giving her these few extra weeks we will get there. Councillor Dominguez stated we are sending our children to school. I understand about the variant, but we need to adapt. We need to protect people’s lives but also need to function. Councillor Morsillo stated she would love to be back in the Chambers, but she was involved in the testing of the hybrid and more complicated than people know. We are seeing an increase in participation via zoom. Covid has been increasing in our city. We are back to yellow and need to wear masks indoors. Councillor Hapworth stated we need to lead by example which means listening to our experts. These recommendations are from our Board of Health to meet remotely until November. He wants  CITY OF SALEM 2 AUGUST 24, 2021 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL to be in the Chambers as well, but also wants to make sure we are listening to the experts and not basing it on our own personal opinions. We all want to be in the Chambers, so this isn’t a difference of opinion here it’s just ensuring we get past this right now and where this is heading. Cases are going up in Salem and need to the do the smartest thing possible. #417 – IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING, DATES, TIME & LOCATION FOR CITY PRELIMINARY The following Order introduced by Councillor Riccardi was adopted by a roll call vote of 8 yeas, 0 nays and 3 absent. Councillors Turiel, Riccardi, Morsillo, McCarthy, Hapworth, Dominguez, Dibble and Madore were all recorded in the affirmative. Councillors Sargent, Prosniewski and Flynn were recorded as absent. Councillor Riccardi motion for Immediate Reconsideration in the hopes it would not prevail was denied. ORDERED: That In-Person Early Voting be held on Thursday, September 9, 2021, at Salem City Hall Annex, 98 Washington Street from 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. #418 – CHANGING WARD 2 POLLING LOCATION – ADVERSE IMPACT REPORT The following Adverse Impact Report submitted by the City Clerk to change Ward Two Polling Location to the Community Life Center was adopted by a roll call vote of 8 yeas, 0 nays and 3 absent. Councillors Turiel, Riccardi, Morsillo, McCarthy, Hapworth, Dominguez, Dibble and Madore were all recorded in the affirmative. Councillors Sargent, Prosniewski and Flynn were recorded as absent. Councillor Hapworth motion for Immediate Reconsideration in the hopes it would not prevail was denied. The following Adverse Impact Report submitted by the City Clerk to change Ward Two Precinct 1 and 2 from St. Peter’s Church to the Community Life Center, 401 Bridge Street City of Salem Changing if Polling Location Adverse Impact Report Submitted By: Ilene Simons, City Clerk On July 29, 2021, the Governor signed Chapter 29 of the Acts of 2021. The law itself refers back to Chapter 255 of the Acts of 2020 extending certain sections until December 15, 2021, including subsection (i) to evaluate and report on whether a polling place change would have a disparate adverse impact on the basis of race, national origin, disability, income or age. This report must be posted on the on the city’s website and in the Clerk’s Office at least 3 days before the voter to change it. This subsection further requires polling place changes be posted on the municipal website and other places determined by the city Council and allows notification to voters by electronic means, to the extent possible, including by email or be reverse 911 call. A notice does not need to be mailed to every household.  CITY OF SALEM 3 AUGUST 24, 2021 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL The following polling location change for the city’s preliminary and final election to be held on September 14, 2021, and November 2, 2021, respectively is as follows: Ward 2 Precinct 1 & 2 shall be relocated to the Community Life Center, 401 Bridge Street. The reason for this relocation is based on the same findings as the 2020 fall elections. The relocation is based on the determination that the public health, safety and welfare of our voters and poll workers is better served in another location, as well as the unavailability of the St. Peters Parish Hall. The relocation to the Community Life Center (CLC) is an ideal location and would not have a disparate adverse impact on access to the polls on the basis of race, national origin, disability, income or age. The CLC was built on the above fundamental basis. The CLC is handicap accessible with numerous handicap parking spaces, as well as a large parking lot in general for all the voters and workers. The main entrance is level with the parking lot and has automated doors. he CLC has as its function, provided programs for all ages. Voters may also vote by mail and one day of in-person early voting. The use of secured drop off ballot boxes will be placed around the city again for those not wanted to or are unable to go to the polls on election day. Based on the above information, I respectfully request that the City Council adopt this polling location change by a roll call vote. _____________________________ ILENE SIMONS CITY CLERK On the motion of Councillor Turiel the meeting adjourned at 6:30 P.M. ATTEST: ILENE SIMONS CITY CLERK