City Council

City of Salem, Massachusetts “Know Your Rights Under the Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 30A ss. 18-25 and City Ordinance Sections 2-2028 through 2-2033.” The City Council Committee of the whole _____ will met in the Council Chamber on _______________September 11 2024___________ at _______6:00 P.M.________ for the purpose of discussing the matters(s) listed below. Notice of this meeting was posted on ______________ ____________________ at _________ (This meeting is being recorded) ATTENDANCE ABSENT WERE: ____________________none_______________________________________________________________________________ ___ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ SUBJECT(S) Re-Appointment of Salem City Clerk Ilene Simons with a term to expire June 28, 2027. TH: Good evening, everyone. As we begin tonight’s meeting to discuss the reappointment of our City Clerk, I want to remind us all of the importance of what we are here to do tonight. Our role here is not simply to decide on the reappointment, but to do so with a measured and thoughtful approach. This City Clerk has dedicated decades of her career to the City of Salem, overseeing critical functions from managing elections to preserving vital records and ensuring the effective operation of the City Council. Her long and dedicated service has earned our respect, and I know we will all treat this discussion with the dignity and seriousness it deserves. I also want to emphasize that, as leaders, we have a responsibility to conduct this evaluation in a fair and professional manner. Our own rules remind us that personalities must be avoided in these deliberations. Tonight's meeting must remain focused on job performance and not be clouded by personal feelings or emotions. I also want to note that this is a public meeting, as the performance of the City Clerk is a matter of public interest. However, any sensitive personnel matters, as is our practice, should always be handled privately in an executive session. Since we are not in executive session tonight, this meeting will strictly focus on the City Clerk’s job performance. Our job tonight is to provide a clear assessment of past performance, offer constructive guidance on expectations moving forward, and if necessary, establish timelines for meeting those expectations. By keeping our discussion focused on the role and responsibilities of the City Clerk, we ensure that our decisions are based on facts and the needs of the city, rather than personal opinions. I encourage everyone to engage in this process with professionalism, integrity, and a shared commitment to the best interests of This city. Thank you. Public Testimony IS: Discusses and highlights accomplishments and objectives Offices fixed and updated, reprecincted, training staff on new machines, hybrid meetings, agenda software onboarding, sharedrive, ipads, Roberts Rules, state elections, presidential elections, CP: hats off for everything you are doing, thank you for your commitment to salem, strong supporter of everythihg you have done MS: Thank you for the walk down memory lane. Please share any team building activieies you have done, how dp you help to grow employees, motivate team. How have you helped alleviate stress in your office? IS: with retirements we have tried to celebrate, celebrate birthdays bring in cakes from AJ King, bridal showers, goodies, I have taken my teams to team building activities, buy something for them on administrative day, orchids, buy them lunch. Sending other employees to attend conferences for elections MS: Professional development, is cross training happening IS: Yes, there is a lot happening, we have learned the different jobs over the years, people can fill in for others, know how to do what needs to be done MS: Agenda software, sharepoint, it’s all barebones, disappointed, how can we make docs more transparent, backup is pdf, not accessible IS: tried hardest, if there is more traninig on sharepoint, I’d love to have it, we try our best, some things seem redundant to add to sharepoint MS: Yes, great for customers to have access, public needs access. Much of the training starts and stops, elections happen whether we like it or not, one item I asked for was marriages performed, when is that data expected IS: order is in committee, waiting for meeting TH: Enormous work on a weekly basis, thank you for your efforts, how are we developing the people so we can develop those beneath, how are we moving forward, these things have to happen, we cannot continue to do via blunt force PM: we run great elections in salem, you do a great job, the council stuff gets dropped sometimes, agenda software can fix much of this, it will all flow from this, doesn’t feel like a priority, IS: I hear and feel your frustration, trying not to make excuses, wish pelple could see what we do on a daily basis PM: much of this will automate the process, its scary when people are out TH: this speaks to the amount of work there is to do in the office, part of being a dept head AV: Agenda software, frustrating, you are the dept head, you need to train your staff, someone must be able to help. DEI, Spanish classes, is that being implemented? Is staff taking to this? Need to ensure Spanish speaking people are also engaged IS: in terms of engagement, we did lots of voter education, training, classes, very little turnout, election commission, it is time So much to do, waiting on info from hr AV: if you were not there, could the office run? We need agenda software up CJ: You do a fabulous job, I thank you for all of this, how many hours do you work? IS: thank you, yes election day isn’t just one day a year, a lot to do JH: I admire what you do, I’m hands on, how much delegation do you do? I find it hard as someone who is also hands on IS: Room three self sustaining, work to delegate and cross train, but buck stops with me, my name is on all of it KD: how do your opinions play into your job, where do you see your role IS: votes and statements are all public record KD: turnout in the point is abysmal, my frustration is you are overwhelmed, what do we do going forward? IS: attended LLC, talked to everyone in these groups, attended training, worked hard with LLC to bridge divide, much has been done. Voter turnout is bad all over the state right now, not just in a single precinct JC: talks through delegation concerns IS: work hard to delegate TH: what most councillors are asking for is technology, customer service, DEI, if there are goals they should be communicated. We could hold theappointment to a date certain and distribute goals AM: I appreciate these ideas and concerns, would be a good path forward to keep in committee to let clerk meet goals, work to meet goals MS: keep in committee until feb, topics are not new, second motion TH: passes out goals, MS: Recess, seconded by AV Goals: Council discusses and formalizes below goals: 1. Technology Adoption and Agenda Management Goal: Implement agenda management software for more efficient meeting organization and public transparency, including but not limited to training of Councilors, department heads, Mayor’s staff, and IT. Work with IT to understand who is responsible for support of the software and where questions should be directed. Provide department heads, Mayor’s office, and Councilors with a process for submitting City Council agenda items. Measurable: Fully transitioned to new agenda software by first meeting in February 2025 2. Public Document Accessibility Goal: Improve public access to official documents through consistent use of sharepoint Measurable: Ensure all newly issued documents and meeting materials are uploaded to the SharePoint within 48 hours of creation. Clerk should collaborate with other departments to ensure best practices are implemented. 3. Customer Service Enhancement Goal: Establish customer service standards for public interactions. Or communicate any existing city customer service standards to team. Measurable: Develop a customer service policy in consultation with city officials, the DEI Director, and the staff of the Clerk’s office, and communicate this plan to all members of the clerk’s office Measurable: Hold bi-monthly training sessions for staff to ensure these standards are understood and followed. 4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Integration Goal: Integrate DEI principles into the office’s operations and collaborate with the city’s DEI director regularly Measurable: Meet with the DEI director by first meeting in February 2025 to outline collaborative goals for the office. 5. Collaboration with Mayor’s Staff Goal: Foster a productive working relationship with all city departments Measurable: Schedule bi-weekly sync with Chief of staff to discuss issues and process. Report to council on status of these meetings by first meeting in February 2025 Motion by Councillor Stott to hold until feb 2024 with goals discussed Second by councillor Merkl On the motion of C. Morsillo the meeting adjourned at ______7:29_________P.M. ________________________________________________________ (Chairperson)