City Council

DECEMBER 9, 2021 1 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL A Special Meeting of the City Council was held in the City Council Chambers on Thursday, December 9, 2021, at 6:00 P.M. for the purpose of taking action on certain committee reports listed below: Notice of this meeting was posted on December 3, 2021, at 12:02 P.M. All Councillors were present. Councillor Dibble arrived at 6:25 pm. Council President Christine Madore presided. #651 – (#622) – APPROPRIATION OF $96,800.00 TO ENGINEERING FOR LSP SERVICES FOR REMEDIATION AT FURLONG PARK Councillor Turiel offered the following report for the Committee on Administration and Finance co-posted with the Committee of the Whole. It was voted to accept the report and adopt the recommendation. The Committee on Administration and Finance co-posted with the Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of an appropriation of $96,800.00 to Engineering Contracted Services to pay for Licensed Site Professional (LSP) Services related to the Furlong Park reconstructions and adjacent Parcel A soil remediation has considered said matter and would recommend adoption. #652 – (#413) – COMPENSATION OF THE CITY CLERK AND ASSISTANT CITY CLERK Councillor Turiel offered the following report for the Committee on Administration and Finance co-posted with the Committee of the Whole. It was voted to accept the report and adopt the recommendation. The Committee on Administration and Finance co-posted with the Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of compensation of the City Clerk and Assistant City Clerk has considered said matter and would recommend that the matter remain in Committee and that rule 31B be suspended to carry this matter forward to 2022 and that the Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs resolves the ordinance issue by March 31, 2022 along with the numbers being resolved and that the City Council recommends to the Mayor and HR Manager that they also consider a merit bonuses for the City Clerk and 2 Assistant City Clerks. Councillor Madore stated that the City Clerk has waited a long time for an answer. She would like to divide the question. It needs 8 votes to pull the matter from committee. Councillor Dominguez seconds the motion.  DECEMBER 9, 2021 2 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL Councillor Turiel stated the committee would have preferred to solve it yesterday, but there is a conflict in the ordinance, and we don’t know who has authority. Don’t have enough information to make internal salary decision and we don’t have the ability to appropriate money. We don’t have a right to allocate ourselves. The ordinance side is critical before we go ahead. Will not vote to take it out of committee. Councillor Riccardi stated she was nervous about pulling it out of committee if we can’t appropriate money. It’s been a timing issue. Councillor Morsillo even if we change the ordinance the MGL states can’t take effect in the last 4 months of a calendar year whether it’s a bonus or salary recommendation, but it still has to go through the Mayor. Councillor Prosniewski stated if there is a legal issue then let’s take a look at it in OLLA.. Who has the authority, fair and equitable, March 31st is the deadline let’s do it right. Councillor Sargent state we can make a strong recommendation. Councillor Dibble said it doesn’t hurt to have a discussion on it by pulling it out of committee. The matter failed to come out of committee by a hand vote of 7 yeas, 4 nays and 0 absent. Councillors Turiel, Riccardi, Morsillo and McCarthy voted in the negative. #653 – (#565) – REVIEW TWO CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING THE CITY CLERK COMPENSATION Councillor Morsillo offered the following report for the Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs co-posted with the Committee of the Whole. It was voted to accept the report and adopt the recommendation. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs co-posted with the Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of two (2) code of ordinances relative to the Compensation of the City Clerk has considered said matter and would recommend that the matter be kept in committee, by suspending rule 31B, and that we support any recommendation that the Committee on Administration and Finance deems appropriate for a salary adjustment, and further recommends that the Council consider an order in January 2022 directing the City Solicitor and HR Director meet to review the current ordinances related to compensation and report to the Committee on Government Services. There was discussion about reinstating the Personnel Board.  DECEMBER 9, 2021 3 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL #654 – (#363 of 2020) – RACE EQUITY TASK FORCE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Councillor Morsillo offered the following report for the Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs co-posted with the Committee of the Whole. It was voted to accept the report and adopt the recommendation. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs co-posted with the Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of the findings and recommendations of the Race Equity Task Force has considered said matter and would recommend that the matter be received and placed on file. #655 – (#339) – CREATING A RACE EQUITY COMMISSION ORDINANCE Councillor Morsillo offered the following report for the Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs co-posted with the Committee of the Whole. It was voted to accept the report and adopt the recommendation. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs co-posted with the Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of an ordinance establishing a Race Equity Commission would recommend adoption for first passage as amended. The amendment is to add the following to the end of Section 2-1033: “The commission shall have the following liaisons: the Chief of Police or their designee; and a member of the City Council chosen according to the rules of the City Council. The composition of 7 members was recommended by the Mayor and Mr. Newton. On the motion of Councillor Sargent the meeting adjourned at 7:34 P.M. ATTEST: ILENE SIMONS CITY CLERK