City Council

City of<Taunton :MunicipalCouncil:Meeting :Minutes City 1fa{[, 15 Summer Street, <Taunton, ~ In tne Cnester ~ :Martin :M.unidpa{Cound{ Cnam6ers :Minutes, January 30, 2024 at 7:52 O'cCoc~/P.:M.. cpfetfge ofJl.Cfegiance ~gufar :Meeting :Mayor Snaunna £. 0 'Connell'presid'ing <Prayer was offerea 6y tne :Mayor Councifor :McCau[as~afor a moment to prayfor J. CP. :Marcowifor a speecCy recwery as ne is currentfy in tne nospitaC. <Present at roll'call'were: Councifors (J)ooner, (J)uarte, (posteCC, Quinta[, Sanaers, (pottier, :Martin, CBorges ana:McCauC Record of January 23, 2024 meeting was read by title and approved. So Voted. Opportunity for input by the general public. No one spoke during public input. Hearing: NONE, Communications from the Mayor: Mayor O'Connell stated that the Communications from the Mayor are listed on the Agenda. She stated that February is Black History Month and there will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at the Trescott Street Art Gallery. Appointments: Appointment and Swearing in of Stephen Harrison as a Permanent Full-Time Police Officer. Motion was made to approve. On a roll call vote, nine (9) Councilors were present, nine (9) Councilors voted to appoint Stephen Harrison. So Voted. The City Clerk swore in Stephen Harrison as a Police Officer. His effective date is January 28, 2024. Appointment of Superintendent John Cabral, Derek George (Taunton Resident), Carolyn Blennau (Taunton Public Schools), Gregory Gay (Taunton Public Schools) and Amanda Abbott (Bristol-Plymouth) to the Scholarship Fund Committee. Superintendent Cabral will serve as Chair of the Committee. Motion was made to approve. So Voted.  2 Appointment of Councilors David Pottier, Phillip Duarte and Scott Martin to the COTMA Grievance Committee to be served coterminous with the Mayor. Councilor Lawrence Quintal to serve as an alternate. Motion was made to approve. So Voted. Communications from City Officers: Com. from the City Clerk for the appointment of two (2) permanent full-time firefighters. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Fires and Wires. So Voted. Com. from the Chief Financial Officer stating that the Finance Department is requesting a transfer from the Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund to a special revenue fund to be spent in accordance with the allowable expenses pursuant to the Department of Revenue Standards. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. So Voted. Com. from the Chief Financial Officer stating that there was a public health and safety incident which occurred at 437 Whittenton Street recently. Mayor O'Connell instructed City officials to work with the owner of the property to remediate the safety concerns and demolish unsafe structures identified by the City's structural Engineers, Fire, Building, and Code Enforcement officers. The owner of the property, who owes the City several hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes, received demand notices from the City's Law Department and has failed to take the necessary steps to address this serious public safety concern. The City has subsequently moved to file emergency measures with the State's DCAMM and has received authority to take immediate procurement actions. The City will utilize its on-call vendor to demolish buildings 7-10. The cost will be close to $350,000. This amount is hereby requested by way of a reserve fund transfer to the Building Department and will be added to the lien they have against the property. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Finance and Salaries. Mayor 0' Connell stated that this is an emergency situation and was hoping the Council could vote on this matter this evening. Councilor Sanders withdrew his motion. Motion was made to approve the request to transfer $350,000 from the Reserve Fund. So Voted. Com. from the Fire Chief requesting a Current Civil Service List for Lieutenant be provided to his office to fill the vacancy of Lieutenant Jeffrey Durham who retires from the Department on January 20, 2024. Motion was made to refer to the City Clerk. So Voted. Com. from the Executive Director, OECD stating that with the recent removal of the Galleria Mall signs and the permitting for the new site totally nearly 1 M square-feet of industrial space, they are seeking the Council's permission to now move forward with the renaming of Galleria Mall Drive. In discussing with City Engineering and with the developer of the site, The Portman Group, the name Silver City Drive has come up that proved favorable for all involved. They would like to formally request the current street name "Galleria Mall Drive" be changed to "Silver City Drive" when it's convenient for the Council. Motion was made to refer to the City Clerk to schedule the appropriate hearing. So Voted. Com. from the Building Department notifying of the buyout of William Butler in the amount of $22,424.64. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted.  3 Com. from the Building Department notifying of the buyout of James Kennedy in the amount of$19,587.18. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted. Com. from the Safety Officer regarding parking concerns on Charles Street. He observed parking in this area for several weeks and noticed that parking was much busier during parent drop off and pick up. He did not notice any funeral home parking during this period. He spoke with Lisa Pereira, the principal of Leddy School about the parking issue. They decided to inform parents to make sure they park in a legal parking spot during parent pick up and drop off. Mrs. Pereira sent several notices to parents to remind them about the parking. He will continue to monitor parking in this area. Motion was made to receive and place on file. On discussion, Councilor Pottier stated that he received a call from the individual who originally complained about this, stating that he was unable to get out of his driveway today. He stated that he would like to refer this matter back to the Police Department for further monitoring over the next few days. Motion was made to refer this matter back to the Police Department for further monitoring of this area over the next few days and verbally tell parents to not block people from getting out of their driveways. So Voted. Com. from the Executive Director, Downtown Taunton Foundation stating that the Downtown Taunton Foundation will be hosting the 2nct Annual Cinco de Mayo Salsa Night on May 3, 2024 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The purpose of this event is to foster community engagement while supporting local businesses and promoting a vibrant neighborhood atmosphere. Motion was made to close the street and allow public drinking of alcoholic beverages for that night only. So Voted. Com. from the Police Department requesting to have their current certification for the positions of Police Captain, Police Lieutenant and Police Sergeant rescinded. Bruce Howard, Director of Operations for the Civil Service Unit at the Human Resources Division has indicated that the new certifications for Captain, Lieutenant and Sergeant will be established in a few weeks. In internal discussions, there is a concern about using an expiring list to make promotions when the new list is ready to be established. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So Voted. Com. from the Director of Procurement stating that the Finance Department would like to present to the Municipal Council an informational update on the Bacon Felt Request for Proposals and associated timelines. Their goal is to ensure the City has the most competitive and transparent RFP process. They want to make sure this important project has strong support and receives as much advertisement as possible. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Public Property. So Voted. On discussion, Councilor Pottier stated that he will commit to having this presentation on February 6, 2024 and will try to get a copy to the Council early. Com. from the City Solicitor stating that on December 12, 2023, the Council voted to ratify a recommendation from the Public Property Committee relative to the purchase of 62 County Street. The Law Department is recommending that the Council adopt a more specific vote to clarify the record. Motion was made to authorize the acquisition of the real estate at 62 County Street for the sum of $375,000.00. So Voted.  4 Communications from Citizens: NONE. Petitions: Hours of Operation License - RENEW AL Cumberland Farms, Inc. -dba- Cumberland Farms #6766 located at 660 County Street, Taunton. Motion was made to refer to the Committee on Police and License and the Police Chief. So Voted. Personal Kennel License - NEW Petition submitted by Kelly L. Piontek, 350 Harvey Street, Taunton for a NEW Grade 1 (4-6 Dogs) Personal Kennel License/NOT Business Use to be located at 350 Harvey Street, Taunton. Motion was made to refer to the City Clerk to schedule a public hearing and request that the Dog Officer and Assistant Dog Officer be present at this meeting. 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 Committee Reports. So Voted. Unfinished Business: Councilor Postell stated on page 8 of the Communications, there is a discrepancy between the number that was typed in of $22,424.64 and the total number in the print out of the sequence, which was $22,460.64. He requested that they receive a clarification on this matter without any delay to Mr. Butler. Orders, Ordinances and Resolutions: NONE. New Business: Councilor Pottier requested to refer to the Committee on the Department of Public Works to discuss the street light cycle at Bay Street and Industrial Park Road, particularly at 5:00 p.m. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted. Councilor Pottier requested to refer to the Committee on the Department of Public Works to discuss the lack of right turn only at Rt.140 and Taunton Depot Road. Councilor Pottier stated that he spoke to members of the ADA task force and it was recommended that he retract this motion as he did not realize the need of people with physical challenges in that area. Councilor Pottier retracted the motion. Councilor Pottier requested to refer to the Committee on the Department of Public Works an update on the ramp for Rt.24 and Rt.140. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted. Councilor Pottier requested to refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole and the City Council an update on the South Coast Rail. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted.  5 Councilor Pottier requested to refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole and the City Council a discussion regarding the Department of Local Services Municipal Law Proposal. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted. Councilor Pottier requested to refer to the Committee of the Council as a Whole, the City Council or the Committee on the Public Health and Environmental Affairs a discussion regarding Mass Green Communities Designation. Motion was made to move approval. So Voted. Councilor Pottier stated that the Presidential Primary will be taking place on March 5, 2024, which is a Tuesday. Councilor Pottier motioned to refer to the City Clerk and the Clerk of Committees to meet on Monday, March 4, 2024 at 7 :30am instead. So Voted. Councilor Borges motioned to refer the City of Taunton Zoning Table of User Regulations to the Zoning Committee, specifically to discuss the usage in Urban Residential. So Voted. Councilor Duarte expressed gratitude to the Clerk of Committees, Maggie Clarke, and the Human Resources Director, Amy Kazlauskas, for their work to hold the first Parliamentary Workshop, which took place yesterday evening the Council Chambers. List of Documents and Other Exhibits: • Agenda • Mayor's List of Upcoming Community Events - January 30, 2024 Meeting adjourned at 8:12 P.M. A true copy: Attest: (J~11}~.fC . u i~.'J ,., / /Jennifer L. Leger V City Clerk JLL/MAT  6 City of Taunton RECEIVED Municipal Council CITY CU:J~WS OFFICE January 30, 2024 zozq FEB ·· s P 2: 4fr The Committee on Finance and Salaries The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall 15 Summer Street Taunton-Mk 027&0 ib.1tb.i L: r~ K. ' ' ' Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Members Present: Councilor Phillip Duarte, Chairman Councilor Estele Borges Councilor Scott Martin Also Present: Patrick Della Russo, CFO Gill Enos, Budget Director The meeting was called to order at 5:35 PM. 1. Approve the minutes from January 23, 2024 Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to approve. So voted. 2. Meet to review the weekly vouchers and payroll for City departments. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to approve the payroll warrant in the amount of $1,476,585.19. So voted. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to approve the accounts payable warrant in the amount o/$2,533,606. 71. So voted. 3. Meet with the Finance Department to discuss the need for repayments of loans from the Taunton Revitalization Fund to this account. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to invite in the interested parties. So voted. Mr. Della Russo explained that the City has successfully issued micro-loans or small business loans to rehab properties and need to dedicate these funds to the Marketable Properties Program Revitalization Fund which the Council previously established. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin that loan proceeds derived from the Marketable Properties Program be moved directly into the Revitalization Fund, previously established, as they are repaid So voted.  7 4. Meet for the Quarter 2 fiscal review. Mr. Della Russo gave a presentation with an overview of the financial position as of the end of Quarter 2. He stated that General Fund revenue is on pace to outperform revenues from previous years. Notably, investment earnings are over $4 Million. He also noted that no hotel tax is being received as the State still has not reimbursed for the rooms housing migrants. General Government expense was 40% expended and Public Safety was 44% expended. Mr. Dello Russo stated that Public Works has $1.4 Million in encumbrances and referenced major snow events. Health and Human Services and Culture and Recreation were 33% spent but he noted that the spring months will see an increase with Parks and Recreation being more active. Mr. Dello Russo touched on Fixed Costs which were 42% spent and noted that a key driver is health insurance. He discussed the Capital Improvement Plan and stated that $30 Million was appropriated over CIP 1and2 and there is $2.9 Million remaining. He hopes for completion by next Christmas. Mr. Della Russo also discussed the Whittenton Mills building where the City took emergency action to demolish. Overall, the City is 8% under budget with revenues over projections. Ms. Borges asked if target dates and dates of completion could be added to the CIP slide. Mr. Sanders asked ifthere is a way that abandoned buildings could be addressed upfront rather than waiting for an emergency. Mr. Dello Russo stated that it is difficult with private property to force people to take action unless there is a health or safety concern. In this case they have petitioned the Land Court to take expedited action. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Martin to adjourn at 5: 50 P.M So voted. List o(Documents and Other Exhibits Used: The Committee on Finance and Salaries Meeting Minutes from 1/23/24 Payroll Warrant #121 Bill Invoice Warrant #120 List of items over $100,000 Presentation: Fiscal Year 2024 Quarter Two Review CllY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, JAN 3 0 2024 IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ~ef.~ Clerk of Council Committees REPORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. 1'ltu~,1A ~ lf1 Jlt Committee on Finance and Salaries bf~iF~~ ~. LEdE7 January 30, 2024 Page 2 o/2 CITY CLERK  8 City of Taunton f\ECEIVED Municipal Council CITY CLG:r.'S OFFICE January 30, 2024 wzq FEB ·- s P 2= LJ e The Committee on Public Property The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton, MA-02-1Sflin-th& l TY CLEF K Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Members Present: Council President David Pottier, Chairman Councilor Kelly Dooner Councilor Jeffrey Postell Councilor Phillip Duarte Councilor Scott Martin Also Present: Patrick Della Russo, CFO Andrew Sukeforth, Director of Procurement Gill Enos, Budget Director The meeting was called to order at 5:52 PM. 1. Approve minutes from December 19, 2023. Motion by Mr. Postell and seconded by Ms. Dooner to approve. So voted. 2. Meet with the Finance Department for an update on the Marketable Properties Program. Mr. Sukeforth gave a presentation updating the Committee on the status of the Marketable Properties Pro gram. He stated that to date they have sold 10 properties for a total of $1. 5 Million, 60% of which is already in the coffers and the rest is expected by March 1. Rachel Drive is buildable but difficult and sold below the assessment. Holloway Street sold to an abutter. Ashleigh Terrace II sold for more than expected with a single family home restriction. 21 Weir Street is going to be arestaurant with apartments on the second floor. East Water Street is a small parcel with conservation restrictions which sold for more than expected to the abutter next door. Winthrop Street sold for $80,000 and is a big piece of property but the back is very wet This includes the water tower. Mr. Della Russo stated that there is approximately $300,000 in savings with not having to demolish the tower. The front part of the parcel is Highway Business District and the back is Residential. Upcoming future properties include Prince Henry, Bacon Felt, Leonard School, Nickerson Ave (going to auction this week) and the Nursing Home which Mr. Della Russo stated is a liability to the City. The Administration will be bringing forward three options for an RFP for the Nursing Home property.  9 Mr. Duarte asked ifthe housing on Wier Street is technically affordable and Mr. Pateakos indicated that it will not be affordable by definition but will be low-rent. Mr. Duarte asked if the RFP required the water tower to be removed and Mr. Enos stated that it did not. Mr. Postell asked what the cost was for the police to remove their repeater system from the water tower and if any of that could be recouped to their fund. He further asked if there is concern with the condition of the tower and Mr. Dello Russo stated that there is salvage value to the tower so he believes it will come down because it makes sense that they could sell it for a profit. Ms. Borges stated that she is disappointed that the removal of the water tower was not written into the RFP. Mr. Sanders discussed the Winthrop Street property and noted that it is environmentally sensitive. He stated that he believes that the property has value beyond the dollars and questioned why the RFP didn't at least deal with the tower. Mr. Dello Russo stated that this is an opportunity to bring a business in. He said that the Industrial Park is built out and also noted that MPP2 will have a conservation component. Mr. Sanders suggested that future RFPs reflect the City's obligation to be good stewards. Mr. Pottier stated that this came before the Council but suggested that with MPP2 they take a finner look at the environmental impacts. Mr. Quintal asked about the potential that the water tank be abandoned and lead paint makes its way to the neighbors' properties and asked ifthe City would need to step in. Mr. Dello Russo suggested that would probably be the case if there was a health concern. Mr. Duarte suggested that some of the tension is arising because the Council reviewed the properties to surplus but then did not participate in the RFP process. He clarified that only the front portion of the property is developable for commercial use. Mr. Dello Russo stated that the Chair of the Public Properties Committee is on the RFP committee. Mr. Postell expressed his concern that a business might see issues with the land and could punt the problem back to the City. :Ms. Borges suggested that, going forward, for certain properties, the motion be made that the RFP come back to the Committee. Motion by Mr. Postell and seconded by Ms. Dooner to excuse the parties with thanks and adjourn the meeting at 6:20 PM So voted. Committee on Public Property January 30, 2024 Page2 oj3  10 List o(Documents and Other Exhibits Used: The Committee on Public Property Meeting Minutes of 12/19/23 Presentation: Marketable Properties Program Update CITY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, JAN 3 0 2024 IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ~t.~~ Maggie E. Clarke Clerk of Council Committees REPORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. (k4L~R ~i::RK Committee on Public Property January 30, 2024 Page3 of3  11 City of Taunton RECEIVED Municipal Council C1TY Cl.FHK'S OFFICE January 30, 2024 'ltJ2Q FEB ·· S P 2: 49 The Committee of the Council as a Whole - Joint Meeting with the Tauntou iglj®l MA, Committee '~'Ty r.1 f" -·-·---.-·--·----~··----.. t .. 1 ~· . .,(,..... l~ K ~ The meeting was held at Taunton City Hall, 15 Summer Street, Taunton, MA 02780 in the Chester R. Martin Municipal Council Chambers. Councilors Present: Council President David Pottier Councilor John McCaul Councilor Estele Borges Councilor Scott Martin Councilor Barry Sanders Councilor Lawrence Quintal Councilor Jeffrey Postell Councilor Phillip Duarte Councilor Kelly Dooner School Committee Members Present: Gregory DeMelo, Chairman Christine Fagan Donna Chaves Gill Enos Louis Loura Nathan Pawlowski Melissa Santos Steven Vieira Also Present: John Cabral, Superintendent of Schools Brenda Moynihan, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Mark Freitas, Director of Facilities and Operations, Taunton Schools Patrick Della Russo, CFO Chris Carmichael, Superintendent of Public Buildings Attorney Thomas Gay, Second Assistant City Solicitor The meeting was called to order at 6:25 PM. 1. Meet to discuss the future use of the property at 2 Hamilton Street (former Coyle and Cassidy School).  12 Mr. Pottier read a letter from Superintendent Cabral dated January 12, 2024 regarding the property at 2 Hamilton Street. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Postell to make that part of the record So voted. Mr. Cabral stated that this is an exciting opportunity but suggested that in order to move something ofthis magnitude along that they will need to go slowly. He further reminded everyone to be mindful of the human element involved since this will be impacting people. The Committee wants to ensure that due diligence is performed. Mr. Cabral stated that he will provide a menu of options and indicated that the plan is to go back, discuss, and come back to the Council with the Committee's proposal. Depending on the determined use, it may trigger different code requirements. He reviewed a document on use proposals which gave several options. Options included the relocation of the Taunton Extended Day Program, growing the early college program by partnering with BCC, creating an early childhood center, creating an gth grade academy by relocating a Middle School to Coyle, centralizing the central office which would free up valuable classroom space, and offering additional in-house programming. Mr. DeMelo stated that the School Committee cannot move forward until a comprehensive assessment of the facility is completed including structural, architectural, ADA, mechanical, and plumbing, and noted that this will impact the FY25 budget. Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Ms. Dooner to invite in the interested parties. So voted. Mr. Carmichael discussed the building assessment so far. He has looked at everything and plans to replace the roof this year. The rooftop units need to be replaced as do the boilers. He is looking at everything throughout the building but noted that if this changes to an educational use, sprinkler upgrades will be required. He stated that they are looking at the electrical. There is no security system so one will need.to be replaced or added. They are looking at replacing the passenger cars in the elevator. ADA compliance will also need to be reviewed. Once the use is decided there will need to be a code review. Mr. Dello Russo stated that they have appropriated $3,250,000 for the upgrades. This happened on January 16 and the Order will be finalized on February 6. Additionally, some items are in the five year plan. Mr. DeMelo asked ifthat funding is from the City side or if they will be looking for money from the school side as he doesn't want to be laying off teachers. Mr. Dello Russo stated that in the FY25 budget the City is committed to achieving 100% net school spending. The $3 .25 Million is a capital project. Mr. McCaul asked if there is a plan to install solar on the roof and Mr. Carmichael stated that he has only been looking to replace the roof at this time. Mr. McCaul suggested that if they are looking to add solar they should consider carports. · Committee of the Council as a Whole Joint Meeting with the Taunton School Committee January 30, 2024 Page2 of5  13 Motion by Ms. Borges and seconded by Mr. Postell to make the Use Proposal part of the record. So voted. Ms. Borges asked if the Council has any say over the use of the building and Attorney Gay stated that the Council would be voting to transfer the property to the Schools. Ms. Borges stated that of the proposals she heard, she would be in favor of turning it into a Middle School and redistricting. Mr. DeMelo stated that the School Committee would need to accept the building. Ms. Borges indicated that she hopes there will be public meetings on the topic and stated that she would lilce to see some of the fields and parts of the building used by the public. Mr. DeMelo stated that buildings will continue to be available to public groups and Mr. Cabral stated that he wants to ensure that the school facilities are utilized by the community. Mr. Martin noted that if the plan will involve small children, the bathrooms would need to be reconfigured. He also stated that parents he has spoken to all want to see the gth graders out of the High School. Mr. Sanders asked for details on the City's involvement with the schools. Mr. Cabral explained that the City maintains the overall facility as far as the boilers, the windows, and anything that needs to be maintained. Any upgrades are covered by the schools. The schools maintain the cleanliness of the buildings with the custodian and groundskeepers. The only time they ask for assistance with this is during snow storms. Mr. Sanders asked if some of those city-side expenses are included in indirect costs and Mr. Cabral stated that the 75% of the Building Department expenses are charged to the schools. Mr. Sanders asked ifthere is a precedent for shared ownership. He further stated that BCC has been a great addition to the community and mentioned that 25 year old and up members of the community have a great opportunity to start or resume a college education. Mr. Quintal asked about keeping BCC separate from the rest of the school's students and Mr. Cabral indicated that they have the same concern but will investigate options such as doors, gates, and using alternative entrances. Mr. Postell stated that the City is growing and changing. He felt that the gth grade at the High School was a success for his son and he thought he was more prepared. Mr. Postell stated that the world has changed and BCC is a great opportunity. The City must be mindful of the safety and security as well as the duel jurisdiction as he noted that BCC has its own police. Mr. Postell encouraged a centralized office. He asked if, because of the age of the building, they are checking for asbestos or other hazardous materials. Mr. Carmichael stated that they will need to do a Hazardous Building Survey but the Diocese had removeq most of it. Mr. DeMelo stated that they are not currently bursting at the seams and Mr. Postell suggested that this is preparing for the future as he believes there is growth on the horizon. He noted housing developments that are forthcoming. Mr. Duarte suggested that between the substantial residential growth and the needs documented in the use proposal, the school can use the space to accommodate going into the Committee of the Council as a Whole Joint Meeting with the Taunton School Committee Januaiy 30, 2024 Page3 o/5  14 future. He asked about a plan to collect public input and feedback and ultimately make a decision. :Mr. Cabral stated that while he doesn't have a timeline as of yet they do intend to survey the community and hold forums to gain public input to make a well-informed decision. Ms. Dooner stated that she is happy to hear that the schools aren't busting at the seams but that the City is growing. She likes the opportunity for a middle school and she has received calls from parents regarding this. Mr. Loura asked for a breakdown of the mentioned $3.25 Million and Mr. Pottier clarified that the $3 .25 Million is in year 1. Mr. Carmichael stated that the roof is the priority and will cost approximately $1.4 Million to $1.5 Million. Heating is another priority. Mr. Loura further asked about the asbestos and other hazardous materials and Mr. Carmichael indicated that they need to complete a hazardous building survey. Mr. Mc Caul asked if there is water damage from the roof and Mr. Carmichael stated that there are hard concrete ceilings. Some ceiling tiles will need to be replaced as will some roof drain systems. Mr. McCaul asked ifthere are any mold issues and Mr. Carmichael stated that he hasn't seen any but that they would need to test. Mr. McCaul asked ifthere is asbestos on the boilers and Mr. Carmichael stated that it was abated previously. Mr. McCaul asked about the kitchen and Mr. Carmichael stated that it will need to be completely done over. Many of the appliances were removed. Ms. Borges asked about the process going forward. Attorney Gay suggested that something should come from the Law Department in writing. Ms. Chaves stated that she agrees with the options presented and suggested that they need to determine the option to pursue because there will be different expenses associated based on the age of the students. Mr. Pawlowski stated that whatever they do, they will be gaining net 600-700 seats. He stated that they should be looking to the future and, with all of the residential growth, preparing for that. He indicated his thought is to look for the areas of opportunity or improvement and how they will be addressed. Mr. Vieira stated that in planning for the future, the 1st interest is for the students. He asked if there is a plan to have an engineering firm do a structural assessment, an architectural assessment, an accessibility assessment, electrical, plumbing, and someone to review and provide a summary of each discipline. Mr. Dello Russo stated that Mr. Carmichael is uniquely qualified to spealc to any and all concerns raised by Mr. Vieira and the City has a five year capital improvement plan. Mr. Vieira stated that he is wondering if there will be a 21E completed. Ms. Santos stated that she believes continuing the relationship with BCC is important. She also noted that there are many left over memorabilia items remaining there that should be put to use. Committee of the Council as a Whole Joint Meeting with the Taunton School Committee Janu01y 30, 2024 Page4 of5  15 Mr. Loura stated that for centuries Taunton has had students educated in that facility and that there is historical value to that. Mr. Enos stated that he is a proud graduate of Coyle and Cassidy as are his children. He applauds the Mayor and the Council. Ms. Fagan recalled that there were difficult times on the School Committee but all decisions were made with careful consideration. She referenced Hopewell School and indicated that the City needs to take better care of that school. Ms. Fagan looks at this as an opportunity to have an gth grade academy. She also expressed the hope that kids could be brought back in district. Motion by Mr. Loura and seconded by Mr. Vieira to adjourn the the School Committee meeting. So voted. Motion by Mr. Postell and seconded by Ms. Dooner to adjourn at 7:45 PM So voted. List o(Documents and Other Exhibits Used: Letter from John Cabral dated 1112/24 2 Hamilton Street Use Proposal CITY OF TAUNTON Respectfully submitted, JAN 3 0 2024 ~t:~ IN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Maggie E. Clarke Clerk of Council Committees REPORTS ACCEPTED. RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED. ~L.~G~ lri~~~:~ Committee of the Council as a Whole Joint Meeting with the Taunton School Committee January 30, 2024 Page 5of5  16 CITY OF TAUNTON ORDER#l8 FY 2024 ~ ~ ()~·-··················-~-~~~-~~X.~.~:..~.?.~.~-·-···············-- 20.............. The sum of three hundred fifty thousand dollars and zero cents ($350,000.00) be and hereby is transferred as follows: From: 01-132-5200-5784 (Reserve Fund) To: 01-492-5200-5599 (Building Department) ................................................................ ~k£.