City Council

City of<Taunton :M.unicipa{Council:M.eetina :Minutes City 1fa{{, 15 Summer Street, <Taunton, ~ :Minutes, Septem6er 20, 2022 at 7:54 O'cfoc~/P.:M.. c.R§guCar 9,1.eeting 9dayor Sfiaunna £. O'Conne{[presUEng <Prayer was offeretf 6y tne 9dayor <Present at ro{[ ca{[were: Councifors <Poste{(, Quinta~ Santfers, Coute, <Pottier, 9dcCau~ (]Jorges, (J)uarte antf (J)ooner Record of preceding meeting was read by title and approved. So voted. Opportunity for input by the general public. David Littlefield, 192 Erin Road, East Taunton, thanked the Mayor for getting his street done. He also thanked Councilor Postell for working on this diligently for over 2-years and appreciates all his help. He said public input does work for positive outcomes. After he was at a Council meeting a couple weeks ago, he had people reach out to him such as the ADA Commission. Nancy Lee reached out to him and she checked the street and got involved with the DPW. He also thanked the DPW for reaching out to him and Hyde Paving who is doing a fantastic job with the work on the street. Motion was made to take the hearings out of order and do the second two first. So voted. Hearings: On the petition submitted by City of Taunton, 15 Summer Street, Taunton for the acceptance of Lois Lane as a public way in the City of Taunton. Motion was made to open the public hearing and invite the interested parties into the enclosure. So voted. City Clerk read communication from the City Engineer submitting a positive recommendation. City Clerk read communication from the Planning Board submitting a positive recommendation. A map of the street was submitted. Motion was made to make communications a part of the record. So voted. Mr. Patneaude gave a brief explanation of the street acceptance for Lois Lane. Motion was made to open public input. So voted. Nobody was present to speak for public input. Motion was made to close public input and approve the request from the City Engineer. So voted. Motion was made to close the public hearing. So voted. On the petition submitted by City of Taunton, 15 Summer Street, Taunton for the acceptance of Katherine Drive as a public way in the City of Taunton. Motion was made to open the public hearing. So voted. City Clerk read communication from the City Engineer submitting a positive recommendation. City Clerk read communication from the Planning Board submitting a positive recommendation. A map of the street was submitted. Motion was made to make communications a part of the record. So voted. Mr. Patneaude gave a brief explanation of the street acceptance for Katherine Drive.  2 Councilor Coute asked Mr. Patneaude why the plan was dated 2006. Mr. Patneaude said construction started in 2007. It was a long slow process. Motion was made to open public input. So voted. Nobody was present to speak for public input. Motion was made to close public input, approve as presented and close the public hearing. So voted. Motion was made to revert back to the regular order of business. So voted. Board of Assessors FY2023 Classification Hearing. Motion was made to open the public hearing and invite the interested parties into the enclosure. So voted. The Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Dello Russo introduced himself. He also introduced the Treasurer/Collector Christine Clymens, Lisa LaBelle from the Board of Assessors, Richard Conti, the Chairman the Board of Assessors and Renee Brabant from the Board of Assessors. Mr. Dello Russo made comments on what the hearing will consists of and gave thanks to everyone who assisted with the process. Mr. Conti gave a slideshow presentation labeled, Setting the FY'23 Tax Rate - Annual Taunton Tax Classification Hearing. The maximum allowable tax levy limit for 2023 is $122,228,728.00. The tax options are not fixed numbers. In addition to the Council deciding what the tax split is going to be, they have to take numbers from others and add them into the equation. So they will vary just a little bit by the end of the night. Rest assure, the tax rate in the City of Taunton, for fiscal year 2023, is going down and is going down by more than a dollar. Councilor Pottier expressed his appreciation. Councilor Pottier made a few recommendations for future presentations. Councilor Pottier asked what the max shift the Council can consider. Mr. Conti replied stating 1.7460. Ms. LaBelle stated that last year the max was 1. 73. Councilor Sanders gave his thanks to the team. He asked what they think their next presentation may look like considering what we are already seeing ridiculous sales, such as people bidding $20,000.00 to $40,000.00 over asking price and still being sent home packing. Mr. Conti said he can predict the future and that next year they will be in front of them with even more remarkable numbers because they have already seen it. Discussion continued. Councilor Sanders asked about previous year's discussion at Council meetings, that Mr. Conti mentioned the maximum shift from residential to commercial wouldn't be sustainable but at some point they would need to start thinking about moving that number in a different direction, that day hasn't apparently come yet correct. Mr. Conti said yes, he was thinking three years ago, that the Council will be having less of an opportunity to push that shift but the growth in the commercial sector has surprised him in being so strong that its mind blowing. Discussion continued. Councilor Borges gave her thanks to the team. She wanted the residents to understand that as we see these numbers, the assess value is going up too. So, if they see their tax bill going up, they need to understand the property values has gone significantly up. Mayor O'Connell commended the finance team. Motion was made to open public input. So voted. Nobody was present to speak for public input. Motion was made to close public input and adopt the 1.7460 shift for the rates for FY23 on a roll call vote. On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, nine (9) Councilors voted in favor. So voted. Motion passed. Motion was made to close the public hearing and excuse the parties with the Councils thanks. So voted. Communications from the Mayor: Mayor O'Connell said the City of Taunton was recently featured in Business View Magazine. It is the August 31st Edition. This is a magazine that kind of focuses on  3 Municipalities and best practices. This particular focus was on Economic Development in the United States cities. They are thrilled to be their featured city this month. This is their second time in the Business View Magazine. They were also featured last year as well. The article is titled "Taunton Mass, We're Open for Business". The link is on the city's website, Facebook page and you can also google Business View Magazine. They very recently also put up new Championship plaques for our Taunton High School teams. There is a plaque now with the dedication to Hannah McEntee, who is a Division 1 State Champion in javelin 2021, Taunton High Gils Softball who were champs in 2021 & 2022 and the Taunton Boys Baseball who were division champs in 2019 & 2022. They are located on Routes 140, 138 and 44 East & West. Appointments: NONE Communications from Citv Officers: Com. from the First Assistant City Solicitor requesting to meet in Executive Session with the Municipal Council for a brief update regarding Greater Goods, LLC vs. the City of Taunton's Municipal Council pending litigation. Motion was made to refer to the Council of the Whole. So voted. Com. from the Police Chief with proposed changes to the Municipal Ordinance of the City of Taunton to delete Chapters 405-83 through 85 and place operational aspects of off street parking under the Commission as anticipated when the Commission was established. The existing ordinances provide detailed instruction relative to operations of off street parking which would be better situated as regulations of the Commission rather than by ordinance. These ordinances pre-date the formation of the Commission and the proposed ordinance would operationalize the Commissions' work while still providing the Municipal Council authority to approve or disapprove any potential fare increases before they were implemented. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Ordinances and Enrolled Bills. So voted. Com. from the Superintendent of Schools responding to the request regarding the School Department's ADA Transition Plan. He submitted the Taunton Public School Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) update memo that was presented to the School Committee at the August 17, 2022 meeting, dated August 12, 2022. Total ADA Items= 465, Responsibility of the Taunton Public Schools= 38 (8.17%), Not Under the Scope of the Taunton Public Schools= 427 (91.83%). Motion was made to receive and place on file. So voted. Com. from the Police Chief requesting approval of a five-year contract for the purchase and support of body worn cameras for the Police Department. His department worked with the Procurement Office, which advertised and accepted bids for this project. Based upon evaluation, the decision was made to go with Axon. The five-year contract has significant advantages for the City to include overall cost savings. The first year of the program was included in their supplemental budget request and was approved by the Procurement Officer. Motion was made to invite Sgt. Peterson and the financial team into the enclosure. So voted. Mayor O'Connell added that the reason this is on the agenda is because it's a five-year contract. If it were under a five-year contract, it wouldn't need to come before the Council, but Council does need to approve five-year or  4 more contracts. It's really about approving entering into a five-year agreement. They received a grant in July 2021, or thereabouts, for body worn cameras. Previous to that, they had begun negotiation with their Unions, supervisors and their patrolman's because they knew they wanted to do this and it was a good idea. The Taunton Police Department has been very pro-active with putting best police practices in place. All the stakeholders began working together on the contract language, policy and procurement. This has been a lengthy process, so over a whole year they have done all these things together. She thanked everyone who has been involved. Especially the Taunton Police Department. She gave a special thanks to Chief Walsh, Sgt. Brady, Sgt. Peterson, the Law Department, the Procurement Department and the Finance team. Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Dello Russo made a correction to the letter that was submitted. The Mayor is the recommending authority with the approval of the Council for the funding, not the Procurement Officer. There was a typo. Secondly, the Police do have sufficient funds in the finances to cover the contract currently. For the Council's information, there will be a supplemental budget request coming forward to them with supplemental budget submitted to them on the 27th. This will be a recurring expense where they will not elect to pay this out of ARP A funds but rather build this in proactively into the police operating budget. The Mayor is committed to doing this and they will find the funds to do so. Together they got ahead of the curve. This is going to becoming down the line as an unfunded state mandate so, they are ahead of the curve, it was negotiated successfully, it's a five-year contract and they are seeking approval this evening. Sgt. Peterson said this process has taken several years to arrive to this point. One clarification in his correspondence was that they didn't end up going through the bid process. They are going through Sourcewell. By engaging into a five-year contract, they found out that the companies were willing to negotiate substantial savings into the contract over the time. It also allowed a timeline for their replenishment of the body cameras twice throughout the contract. Which if they continue after five-years, they would expect they would setup the next contract for great savings because towards the end, they would already have new equipment. They wouldn't be stuck in a situation where they are holding five-year old equipment and being forced to upgrade with a massive bill. Thanks to the work of Chief Walsh and Sgt. Brady, they were able to seclire a state grant for a little over $163,000.00. This contract was negotiated to make sure they capture every penny of that grant. This took some back and forth with Axon and thankfully they were willing to work with them. At the end of the day, they negotiated over approximately $200,000.00 of additional savings on top of the grant. Which between the two of these, it's over 30% of the entire contract value. Councilor Borges wanted to reemphasize that this evening's conversation is about the contract and it has nothing to do with policy. It's currently the State Polices policy they are following. That will be discussions for the future but at this point tonight, they are just discussing the contract. Councilor Pottier asked Mr. Dello Russo, in regards to him mentioning that this was a state mandate, was this legislator or a governor endorsement. Mr. Dello Russo replied saying it's going to become an unfunded state mandate at some point in time, in the near future. That's what all signs are pointing to. The contract will take advantage of grant funding and it's pro-active on Mayor O'Connell's part to put this up for Council approval. It's better to get ahead of it and know its coming. Councilor Pottier asked if there is a rough dollar amount on the contract. Mr. Dello Russo said $175,000.00 annually. Councilor Pottier asked if this counts for video storage and all that other stuff. Sgt. Peterson said yes, the contract they negotiated has unlimited storage through Axon Cloud, which meets all the requirements under Federal regulations and State regulation. It also has robust software for the  5 processing of the video which greatly reduces their cost and time on the backend which is where many of these projects fail. If you look at other municipalities that use the wrong vendor will say, it can increase their cost by four or five times. Councilor Pottier asked if this has safe guards so people can't go in and accidentally delete videos or like a safety measure. Sgt. Peterson explained how these are the best product after doing a lot of research. Sgt. Peterson suggested to the Council, that if they are able to launch this program ahead of the State mandate, they will have actual working evidence on why their system is working. Then, he would encourage Council to take and push that forward to the State to make sure that the State mandate falls in line with what they feel is the best practice. They are not trying to fight something they have no knowledge about. They will be one of the few communities that can push that forward. Councilor Postell asked if they are part of the groups who are looking at the best practices and policies at the State House. Sgt. Peterson said yes, through the accreditation process they are joining into more groups. Chief Walsh is very active with the Chiefs groups. Motion was made to approve the five-year contract with Axon. So voted. Com. from Mayor O'Connell notifying of a Grant. The Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) was created with the goal of increasing the number of trees planted in urban residential areas of the Massachusetts Gateway Cities. Through the GGCP program, trees are planted with a goal of covering 5% of target neighborhoods in new tree canopy cover. The trees are planted by foresters from the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) Urban & Community Forestry Program utilizing crews hired from local communities. Park & Rec Commissioner AJ Marshall and Grant Coordinator TJ Torres have been working diligently for many months with the DCR and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) and they are all making excellent progress. She is pleased to share that they have received $60,000.00 grant from EOEEA to promote urban forestry in our City. This implementation Grant will fund services and supplies necessary to plant and care for 2,500 trees. She has invited AJ Marshall, TJ Torres and Doug Hutcheson from DCR to appear before the Council of the Whole on September 27, 2022 to share additional information. Mayor O'Connell said there is a correction, they were invited to a Council meeting on September 27, 2022 not to the Committee of the Council as a Whole. Motion was made to receive and place on file. So voted. Communications from Citizens: NONE Petitions: Fortune Teller License - NEW I. Temperance Readings by Nichole Franco located at 15 Lori Lane, Taunton. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So voted. Committee Reports: Motion was made for Committee reports to be read by title and approved. So Voted. Recommendations adopted to reflect the votes as recorded in the Committee on Finance and Salaries, the Committee on Police and License, the Committee on the Department of Public Works, the Committee of the Council as a Whole and the Committee on Solid Waste, except for item #1. So Voted. Councilor Borges said the  6 Committee on the Solid Waste met that evening and they authorized the DPW Commissioner and his team to enter into a contract with HandUp Mattress Recycling in New Bedford. They not only authorized them to execute the contract but also the fee as well. Motion was made for the Council to endorse this motion on a voice vote. All nine (9) Councilors were in favor. So voted. Motion passed. Motion was made refer the issue of the Transfer Station trucks (trash trucks) going through Bassett Street, using it as a cut through to the Committee on the Department of Public Works and the Committee on Solid Waste. So voted. Unfinished Business: NONE Orders, Ordinances and Resolutions: NONE New Business: Councilor Postell made a motion to refer the vehicles on Range Avenue to the Safety Officer for speed enforcement assessment. So voted. Councilor Pottier made a motion to refer to the Committee on Solid Waste a discussion regarding textile recycling. So voted. Councilor Pottier made a motion to refer to the Committee on the Department of Public Works to having permanent signs on Lakeview Avenue. So voted. Councilor Pottier made a motion to refer the discussion on the ladder truck that is having issues to the Committee on Fires and Wires. So voted. Councilor Pottier made a motion to refer a discussion about the issue of body cameras to the Committee on Police and License for a later date. So voted. Councilor Pottier made a motion to refer the issue of Executive Office salaries to the Committee on Finance and Salaries for a discussion with CFO, Patrick Delio Russo at his convenience. So voted. Meeting adjourned at 8:52 P.M. A true copy: City Clerk JLL/KLD  7 .--:: ~- ~ .. '. '• ·- .. City of Taunton Municipal Council ZGlZ :EP 2b A q: 12 September 20, 2022 The Committee on Finance and Salaries --~----C.; l Y CLEltK The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton, MA 02780 in the Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Present were Councilor Phillip Duarte, Chairman and Councilors Pottier and McCaul. Also present were Patrick Dello Russo, CFO and Budget Director Gill Enos. The meeting was called to order at 5 :32 P .M. 1. Meet to review the weekly voucher and payrolls for City departments. MOTION: Approve the payroll warrant in the amount of $4,085,075.93. So voted. MOTION: Approve the accounts payable warrant in the amount of $5,329,424.75. So voted. 2. Meet to review requests for funding/transfers. a. Request from Superintendent of Buildings to pay a prior year invoice from RICOH in the amount of $425.01. MOTION: Approve the payment of the prior year bill in the amount of$425.0l. So voted. The invoice should be paid out ofFY22 so monies should be transferred from 01-492-5200- 5599 to 01-492-5520-5999 (Prior Year Expenditure). 3. Meet with the Chief Financial Officer for a year-end financial report and update on ARPA spending and CIP progress. Patrick Dello Russo gave a presentation to the Council that summarized the financial condition of the City at the conclusion ofFY22. He noted that no new deficits were expected this fiscal year and that the procedures and plan put in place last year worked, allowing the City to end the year strong. Starting with the capital improvement plan progress report, Mr. Dello Russo highlighted that the DPW has major projects underway. The Building Department has seen significant progress on the East Taunton School, the Leddy Street School roof, and 141 Oak Street, despite the Leddy School roof project having seen some delays. Mr. Dello Russo also spoke about the ways that ARPA funds were expended within the City while noting that money was directed to nonprofits, small businesses, elder services, as well as several high dollar projects. He mentioned that the Mayor was committed to spreading ARPA across City areas. Mr. Dello Russo discussed several ARPA projects still to come  8 Page Two September 20, 2022 The Committee on Finance and Salaries - Continued including the creation of a new Safety Manager program, $1 Million to the community center, and the implementation of a new EMS program that will touch individuals who are home bound by providing routine check-ins. As of 6/30/22 Mr. Dello Russo reported that the City received $4,3 Million actual receipts over estimates. · Mr. Dello Russo showed a five year revenue comparison and noted that in FY20 and FY21 state aid was somewhat reduced. He also highlighted the $5 Million year over year average real estate tax growth but indicated that they will continue to use 3 % as an estimate year over year going forward. Looking at expenses, Mr. Dello Russo indicated that general government performed well due in large part to the timing of hiring for certain positions. Public Safety divisions kept overall costs down and Police and Fire turned back $2. 7 Million. DPW and Public Buildings had snow and ice offset by the Building Department struggling with supply chain issues. The DPW had a 1% tum-back. Mr. Dello Russo indicated that enterprise funds performed well and that excess funds will be directed to capital projects. Health and Human Services and Culture and Recreation turned back $956,000. Looking at fixed costs, the biggest driver of the budget, Mr. Dello Russo noted that $7.9 Million was turned back. Mr. Dello Russo reported that the City closed the books earlier than ever before and he's please to say that the City is moving towards performance based budgeting. Coucilor Pottier questioned the restrictions on the usage of ARP A funds and indicated that he remembers originally ARPA could only be used for certain things. Mr. Enos conveyed that there have been changes along the way and Mr. Pottier requested that information be sent to the Council. Mr. Pottier further requested information on the percentage directed to water and sewer projects. Councilor Duarte questioned the jump in miscellaneous non-recurring revenue and Mr. Enos indicated that was due to Medicaid being underestimated. MOTION: Make the presentation part of the record. So voted. Councilor Sanders wondered why there were unspent funds and what was foregone. Public Safety turned back 7% of its budget so he questioned what was not purchased. Mr. Enos indicated that there were not as many retirements as planned. For the DPW, savings were the result of supply chain issues seen by the Public Buildings division that prohibited them from purchasing materials. He also asked about the turn backs for Health and Human Services.  9 Page Three September 20, 2022 The Committee on Finance and Salaries - Continued Councilor Borges questioned County ARP A appropriations and where those funds were directed. Mr. Dello Russo explained that there were three categories of ARPA funds: restricted, unrestricted, and county. County funds require the City to submit for reimbursement so they plan to submit to the County as appropriate. Ms. Borges requested a list of non-profits who received grants and she expressed her thought that the EMS program sounds great and that she would like to be involved in discussions on this. Councilor Sanders asked for the percentage of ARP A money spent on water and sewer and Patrick emphasized that they need to look for best sources and uses of funds. The meeting was adjourned at 6:08 P.M. CITY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, SEP ~ O2022 ·/~'l.iL(<~ (/_a/\_/v__- / .J. () Maggiec.B. Clarke IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Clerk of Council Committees ORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. ~RK~  10 City of Taunton Municipal Council September 20, 2022 rnn SEP 2b A 9: 12 The Committee on Police and License The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15. Summer Street, Taunton, MA _Q278Q iljl theLtJU( Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. · Present were Councilor Barry Sanders, Acting Chairman and Councilor Borges. Also present were Detective William Rutherford and Attorney William Rounds. Councilor Postell was absent. The Meeting was called to order at 6: I 0 P .M. 1. Meet with Detective Rutherford on a petition for a new livery license for White Gloves Limousine Services located at 30 Highland Street, Apt. 4C. Detective Rutherford gave a positive recommendation. MOTION: Approve. So voted. 2. Meet with Detective Rutherford on a petition for renewal of a livery license for Taunton Motorized Carriage Company, Inc., 295 Broadway. 3. Meet with Detective Rutherford on a petition for renewal of hackney carriage licenses for Taunton Cartage Co. Ltd, dba Checker Cab and Taunton Cartage Co. Ltd, dba Cozy Cab, 295 Broadway. Items 2 and 3 were discussed together and Detective Rutherford gave a positive recommendation to these licenses at 295 Broadway. He indicated that they have been before the Planning Board. MOTION: Approve both items. So voted. The meeting was adjourned at 6:13 P.M. Respectfully submitted, CITY OF TAUNTON ../\ • /' ,.---, .1 )1,1;; . <.... IM}/\ i; ti SEP 2 0 2022 111 w1JY,~ c. GW 0C1~- Maggie E. Clarke IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Clerk of Council Committees REPORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. ,d/Jt'VJ'-"T~RK ~  11 City of Taunton Municipal Council 77 rr..., "'' A 9: 12 ; .-! September 20, 2022 ..... ~ ;_ ._ ~[,. LO The Committee on Solid Waste } ii:"'- The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton, MA-027mf iii tJe CLE~ K Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Present were Councilor Estele Borges, Chairman, and Councilors Pottier, Dooner, and Coute. Also present were Fred Cornaglia, Department of Public Works Commissioner, Anthony Abreau, Department of Public Works Assistant Commissioner, Katherine Nunes, Department of Public Works Fiscal Agent, Patrick Della Russo, CFO, and Jack Hamm. Councilor Postell was ,absent. The Meeting was called to order at 6:15 P.M. 1. .Meet with the DPW Commissioner to discuss forthcoming mattress disposal changes and associated contracted services. Councilor Borges read a letter from DPW Commissioner Fred Cornaglia indicating that there has been a change to the regulations regarding the disposal of mattress and, therefore, there would need to be a change to the City's handling of mattress disposal. MOTION: Make the letter part of the record. So voted. Kathryn Nunes explained that the State had changed the rules and municipalities were directed to the State contract to look at contractors. The DPW has selected HandUp. They are one of the only contractors to provide a curbside pickup option. Starting November 1, mattresses cannot be put in with the trash. They also will have drop off service at the convenience center. Councilor Borges questioned what defines a mattress and Ms. Nunes indicated that his includes mattresses and box springs'but they must not be overly wet, and must not have mold or bedbugs, etc. If someone has a contaminated mattress, there will be an option to dispose of it. Mattress pickup will be $35 per unit (mattress or box spring) and contaminated mattresses would incur an additional cost. Councilor Pottier questioned what is being done with the mattresses and Ms. Nunes explained that they are taken apart and each of the components are recycled. He further asked for clarification on the fee for drop-off vs. pickup and Ms. Nunes indicated that it will be $3 5 for either option. Mr. Pottier expressed his concern that someone might leave their mattress out in a rainstorm, for example, and then it would be considered contaminated. Ms. Nunes relayed that they intend to embark on a campaign to spread the word on the new program. Councilor Pottier emphasized that this is a DEP mandate and thanked Ms. Nunes for her work securing a grant for $10,000 for the drop off container.  12 Page Two September 20, 2022 The Committee on Solid Waste - Continued Councilor Borges indicated that the DEP website has lots of information for those interested. Councilor Coute questioned how many mattresses were typically collected each year and Ms. Nunes indicated that they do not have recent numbers since it was not tracked, but in 2018 there were 1100. Mr. Dello Russo explained that tonight they are looking for a vote to authorize the contract and the collection of the fee. Mr. Coute expressed a concern that there will be an uptick in illegal dumping of mattresses. Ms. Nunes explained that the contract is only through September of 2023 so they will review and reevaluate. Councilor Coute questioned if there are any available, temporary funds to offer relief to residents and Mr. Deilo Russo suggested looking at the first year and seeing how it goes. Councilor Borges expressed her concern for seniors who cannot afford this and Mr. Della Russo indicated that when the new social spending stabilization account is rolled out that this could potentially be included. Councilor McCaul questioned how curbside trash, including mattress, pickup is regulated and Ms. Nunes indicated that there is a compliance program and the department has a part time employee who drives around and gives citations where people are out of compliance. They are expecting that they might have to ramp this up with the new mattress recycling requirements. Councilor Duarte confirmed with Ms. Nunes that the language specified by DEP as required for collection contracts was contained in the City's contract. MOTION: Authorize the DPW to execute the contract and to charge the stated fees. So voted. 2. Meet to discuss trash and recycling contracts and trash bag sales. 3. Meet to discuss recycling at condominiums. Mr. Della Russo suggested that the Council might postpone discussion on items 2 and 3 since they just received the RFI' s and the proposals have not been evaluated. They wouldn't want to create prejudice against any firms. He suggested that the Council let his office gather the information.  13 Page Three September 20, 2022 The Committee on Solid Waste- Continued Councilor Postell suggested that this may need to go into executive session and Mr. Dello Russo suggested letting his team review the proposals and consult with the law department if necessary. MOTION: Schedule these items for a later date and the results of the RFP be provided to the Council. So voted. 4. Meet to discuss senior trash bag sales. Ms. Nunes described the senior trash bag program and explained that to qualify, seniors either receive a senior discount through the Assessor's Office or they receive SNAP benefits. Once approved, seniors can receive a free sleeve of bags once a rrionth. The application for the Senior Bag Program is available online. Councilor Pottier asked this is 111 seniors or 111 households. Ms. Nunes indicated that it is 111 seniors and it should be 1 per address. Councilor Borges read a letter from Mr. Comaglia regarding the Senior Bag Program. MOTION: Make this letter part of the record. So voted. Councilor Coute suggested that the mattress recycling be included in the senior program. Councilor Sanders asked if there is another qualifier that could be used to expand the program and Ms. Nunes suggested that those who qualify for fuel assistance could be another possibility. Councilor Coute made the following motion: MOTION: DPW to provide the Council with a proposal in 6 weeks to include those who qualify for the Senior Trash Bag Program in free mattress removal. So voted. :MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:57 P.M. CITY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, SEP 2 0 ZOZZ ~[Cfa~ IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Maggld':E'. Clarke Clerk of Council Committees REPORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. A MOTION WAS MADE FOR THE COUNCIL TO ENDORSE ITEM #1, ALL NINE (9) COUNCILORS BY A VOICE VOTE, WERE IN FAVOR OF AUTHORIZING THE DPW TO EXECUTE ~o/ CHARGE TUE STATED FEES.  14 City of Taunton Municipal Council September 20, 2022 ZGZZ SEP 2 b A g: I 2 The Committee on the Department of Public Works The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton;-~MA-G~in ih&LIM Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Present were Councilor John McCaul, Chairman and Councilors Quintal, Duarte, Postell, and Coute. Also present were Fred Comaglia, Department of Public Works Commissioner, Anthony Abreau, Department of Public Works Assistant Commissioner, Attorney Thomas Gay, Mike Arruda, Water Superintendent, and Jack Hamm. The Meeting was called to order at 6:59 P.M. 1. Meet to discuss the proposed agreement for further extension of the water line into the Town of Berkley. Attorney Gay explained the proposed Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Berkley would formalize the existing water service to Berkley and extend the City's water line into the Town. Currently, there are two dead ends on County Street- one in Taunton and one in Berkley. Waste Management landfills had created a problem with contaminated water at homes in Berkley and saw that Taunton had water nearby. This IMA will both fix a problem for the homeowners in Berkley and also, by closing the loop on the water line, will improve Taunton's infrastructure and allow for the expansion and improvement of the network. He is looking for several approvals: approval of the IMA, approval of the addendum which shows cost sharing, approval of the agreement with a private contractor, Berkley LD, LLC who has a 12 lot subdivision, and, hopefully next week, an agreement with Waste Management. Mr. Arruda indicated that replacing the 6" line will help with flow for fire prevention. Mr. Comaglia conveyed that they are trying to tie in County Street. Closing this loop will keep the water running and it won't become stagnant. Councilor Coute questioned the benefit to Taunton and it was discussed that this will allow for the expansion of the water system into Berkley. Mr. Comaglia emphasized that this will pass 21 existing houses who will eventually want to tie in. Mr. Coute requested a presentation with the discussion on the Waste Management agreement. Councilor Quintal expressed his opinion that this is beneficial to all involved and made the motion: MOTION: Approve agreements.  15 Page Two September 20, 2022 The Committee on The Department of Public Works - Continued Councilor Postell questioned what the benefit is to Taunton from this venture. Attorney Gay emphasized the importance of establishing an IMA and explained that this increases capacity and closes the loop which keeps the water from becoming stagnant. Mr. Cornaglia noted that this is close to the plant in Lakeville and Mr. Hamm indicated that the existing dead end will go from 10,000 to 2,000 feet which is manageable. Councilor Postell further asked if we will be able to sustain this growth - expanding into other communities. He would hate for Berkley to have better water pressure than the residents of Taunton and wondered how to take care of folks here. Mr. Arruda indicated that the plant is only at 40% capacity so there is plenty of capacity and that water pressure problems in Taunton are typically due to infrastructure. There are many cast iron pipes from service lines. Councilor Duarte questioned Taunton' s areas of responsibility without the IMA and it was discussed that this is a gray area since no agreement exists. Councilor Sanders asked Attorney Gay what votes are needed and he explained that he needs approval and authorization of the IMA, approval of the appendix as to cost share detail, and approval of the agreement with Berkley LLC. Mr. Sanders confirmed that the Council only received the IMA tonight and asked if this could be put off a week to allow time for the Councilors to read the agreement. Councilor Quintal asked the impact of delaying a week. Mr. Hamm indicated that the most time sensitive agreement is the agreement with Berkley LLC. Councilor Sanders suggested that the IMA be tabled for a week. Councilor Postell expressed his frustration that the Town of Berkley had reviewed the IMA but the Council only received the document tonight. Councilor Quintal retracted his motion. Councilor Duarte made the following motion: MOTION: Approve the agreement with Berkley LD, LLC with the IMA, addendum, and Waste Management agreement to be discussed next week. So Voted. Councilor Borges questioned the fees and asked why they aren't being passed back to Waste Management and Mr. Hamm indicated that Waste Management had designed and agreed to let the City use their plans. She asked if there would be any betterments and he indicated that there would not be. So voted.  16 Page Three September 20, 2022 The Committee on The Department of Public Works - Continued MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:38 P.M. Respectfully submitted, -1 CITY OF TAUNTON ·)W~t. ~/V(_ SEP 2 0 2022 Maggi~-£Yclarke I IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL j Clerk of Council Committees ..J PORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. ~...,.._....·~  17 City of Taunton Municipal Council September 20, 2022 ZOZZ SEP 2b A q: 12 The Committee of the Council as a Whole The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton;-MA--ez780l{ti tlJeE!tt\ Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Present were Councilor Phillip Duarte, Chairman and Councilors Dooner, Borges, McCaul, Pottier, Coute, Sanders, Quintal, and Postell. Also present was Patrick Dello Russo, CFO and Christine Clymens, Treasurer/Collector. The Meeting was called to order at 7:46 P.M. 1. Meet to discuss including the Assistant Collector Treasurer in the provisions of M.G.L. ch. 41 s. 108P. Christine Clymens explained that Julie V enerus has over 25 years of municipal experience and has achieved collection and treasurer certifications and has renewed as required. She indicated that several other communities have adopted this provision which offers a $1000 stipend to qualified Assistant Collectors and Treasurers. Councilor Duarte questioned if she currently receives this stipend and Ms. Clymens informed the Council that no, Ms. Venerus does not currently receive this stipdend. Councilor Pottier questioned if this was in the COTMA contract. MOTION: Approve and refer to the law department for future collective bargaining. Councilor Sanders suggested that it would make sense to offer this to anyone who would achieve this certification and Ms. Clymens explained that the plan is to get others in the pipeline on their way to achieving this status. Mr. Sanders said that he would endorse making a policy that makes the stipend a result of achieving a certain level of licensure. Councilor Duarte explained that by approving this, anyone with this level of certification would be eligible for the stipend. Councilor Sanders suggested and Councilor Pottier amended his motion to refer to Finance and Salaries. AMENDED MOTION: Approve and refer to ihe law department for future collective bargaining and refer to finance and salaries for further discussion. So voted.  18 Page Two September 20, 2022 The Committee of the Council as a Whole - Continued MEETING ADJOURNED AT 7:52 P.M. Respectfully submitted, CITY OF TAUNTON /'!!~'- l _Cb~'-(_/ SEP 2 0 2022 Maggie E. Clarke Clerk of Council Committees IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL RE ORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED.  19 CITY OF TAUNTON ORDER#3 FY 2023 3/i, ~ COil/lCi!. .-. . . . . . . . ~~:.:..~~~~.~--~~:..:.~::.. . . . 20.............. THE SUM OF FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND ONE CENT ($425.01) BE AND HEREBY IS TRANSFERRED FROM SUPER/PUBLIC BUILDINGS, SUPPLIES - OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ACCOUNT NO. 01-492-5200-5599 TO: SUPER/PUBLIC BUILDINGS, SUPPLIES - OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ACCOUNT NO. 01-492-5520-5999 (PRIOR YEAR EXPENDITURE) .......................................................... :..... .efkL.