City Council Meeting 03-23-26

Say a few words too.

On behalf of Brooklyn and myself, I just wanted to say thank you to the city council and the mayor. We were so happy to have this opportunity. We went out to, where were we? Holyoke, Massachusetts. And we stayed the weekend with a bunch of other girls. And we lived with different families. So it was really cool to have this experience and meet tons of other young women from around the state and Connecticut. We had to do our dances, an interview, an onstage question, and a fitness portion. So it really shows how we are distinguished young women in every part of our lives and how we bring that into our lives in Everett each day. So thank you. Take a picture up here. Up here?

you you

Good evening. Monday, March 23rd, regular meeting of the City Council. Will the Clerk please call the roll?

Councilor Ellison-Jabouin. present, Council Capone, present, Council DiPierro, present, Council Garcia, present, Council Martins, present, Matewsky. Here. Councilor Nguyen. Present. Councilor Pietrantonio. Present. Councilor Rogers. Here. And Council President Smith.

Present.

Ten members present, one absent, Madam President.

Ten members present, we do have a quorum. Will we please stand and salute the flag?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands.

We do have a long list for public participation, so I will ask if you're here on the same item to please come up and speak together.

Motion to open public participation. Second.

Motion made and seconded to open public participation. All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? The ayes have it. The clerk, please tell us, how many do we have on?

Nine on agenda items, four on non-agenda items.

Okay, and on the agenda items, how many are on the same agenda item?

Seven.

Okay. Do you want to call their names for the seven people that are on agenda item number nine?

Sure. The seven that are here for item number nine is Stephanie McCullough, Joseph, I'm sorry, Joseph, Stephen, Caesar, Chris, Snook, Richie Lamontagne, and Justin. Those are the seven for item number nine.

All right, so we're going to invite you guys all to come up together. You can speak on it.

Madam Chair, just a point of clarification. Don't we have people speak individually? Like if everybody wants to speak against the park or if everybody wants to speak against the mayor, if everybody wants to speak against... They usually speak individually and they each have their...

We do have a rule that if you are If you're grouped kind of together on the same item, that you're supposed to pick one representative to talk on behalf of your group. It is a rule if you have that in the orders. That is actually, but they can come up and they can be recognized. Not everyone's going to get two full minutes to speak as your one group, but you can definitely take your time and we will keep the clock rolling. So just announce your name, you can state your intent, and then we'll go on to the next person. We'll just keep it moving. So I think... Chris, I think you're first.

Yes, my name is Chris Snook. I'm a lifelong resident of Everett. I'm in favor of passing the ordinance for the wage theft. It protects workers. It funnels the tax revenues back to the cities and towns of Massachusetts and it levels the playing field for contractors for a competitive bid on state and city projects.

Thank you. You just have to press the button in.

There it is. Thanks so much. Good evening. My name is Justin Antwitz. I was a resident of Everett for quite some time. I moved on to Lynn. I'm the chair of the Wage Theft Advisory Committee in Lynn. I helped other cities and towns address ordinances that end exploitation of workers. Well, it doesn't end, but we like it to end exploitation of workers. And we've had Attorney General office, Fair Labor Division come and testify in settings like this on behalf of the ordinances that we've been passing. and they helped us really kind of come up with the language that should exist within these communities so that we can better protect workers, better protect the cities themselves through their procurement processes and allow for the city itself to have particular functions and tools in their toolbox to address some of the concerns that they might not have had previously. One of these things being in my community we had a development that came in.

We found misclassification, wage theft, other fraud that was going on. and the city itself didn't have a function to go through. We were able to refer to the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Labor, but that took three years for them to come up with resolutions. had the city had some kind of tool or mechanism to help out with that, we think that the workers wouldn't have to wait three years for the nearly half a million dollars in restitutions that came to them and to the state coffers because the city would have more of that those tools to address those concerns and running out of time.

Thank you.

How you doing? My name is Steven Braugna. I'm a union carpenter. Everett resident of 10 years.

I'm in favor of the wage theft. I just think This is like a big issue in construction. Just to make everything equal. I could go on for a couple minutes, but I'm not going to.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

Got it. Good evening. Thank you once again for the opportunity to speak, and also thank you for your public service in these challenging times. My name is Joe O'Brien. I'm the political and legislative director for the North Atlantic States Carpenters. I'm here just to speak in support of the wage theft. I'll be real quick. We appreciate the opportunity for us all to get our few moments in here. As mentioned before, This wage theft ordinance is going to protect workers who too often are exploited in the construction industry as well as other service sectors. as well. It protects honest contractors who have to compete when they do the right thing by paying taxes, by providing things like workers' compensation, and making sure folks have access to things like unemployment insurance. They have to compete against contractors that don't and therefore put it at disadvantage. And there's almost an incentive to do the wrong thing versus the right thing. And then third, wage theft hurts all taxpayers in the Commonwealth and here in the city.

The reality is when dishonest contractors and vendors are not paying their appropriate taxes, they're not paying into the unemployment system, into the workers' compensation That costs everyone. Everyone here in the city of Everett and everyone here across the Commonwealth. And I would offer a couple quick things to say that cities like Worcester have passed this ordinance, taken action to kind of take action against dishonest contractors who are cheating their workers as well as kind of putting themselves at disadvantage on honest contractors. And then more recently, Governor The governor, actually, through the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, has passed a responsible contractor guidance that is largely based on this idea and the language of the wage theft ordinance, saying that if you're going to use Public money to build affordable housing with things like tax credits and tax incentives from the state that you have to follow very similar language that's in this ordinance. So the idea here is we're trying to raise the bar locally as well as across the Commonwealth. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Wireman. This is not just about union and non-union. This is about any worker that is stolen. They steal money from this worker's family. All right, so I'm just here to see if you could support this wage theft. It has nothing to do with union or non-union. It's workers out there that are constantly being exploited and their wages are being stolen. That's a crime, I think. So, thank you.

Thank you. You have to press the button, Richie. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Richie Lamontagne. If anybody knows me here, I'm joking. So I've been working at Capital Union 24 years. Well, you guys, it's 3.28 now, and I love what I do. Everyone knows who knows me. I'm a hard worker, I'm honest, and that's why I wanted honesty back. Right, you know, what comes around goes around. If you guys support this bill, pass this so we can move on to better things. All right, so for this next project that goes on, it goes to school. Just want to voice my opinion to support this cause.

Thank you very much.

All right, guys. Thank you.

Hi, Stephanie McCullough. So the Carpenters Union recently came to a planning board meeting to ask for our support for this legislation as well. and I just want to say Everett is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth and development and if someone is willing to cut corners on something as basic as paying their workers, I can only imagine what other Corners are going to be cutting. They're pointing together a presentation for the planning board on more of the logistics of how something like this would work in practice and be enforced. So I think that's something that we would be happy to share with city council. just to make sure we can execute this and make sure that workers are being protected, things are being built safely and fairly. So happy to share that information with you when we get it. Again, it's important to support

workers make sure they're getting paid particularly undocumented workers who might not feel comfortable potentially bringing something like this up or filing a complaint or people that can't afford litigation again you're doing work you should get paid for that work and we should be keeping ethical contractors in business. So thank you.

Will the clerk please read the next public participation? Okay.

So our first speaker, item number nine, would be Peggy Serino. Madam President, she's on both lists.

All right, Miss Serena, you can come up and you can speak about both of your items.

Why do you insist on calling the general fund balance free cash? If you have extra money, haven't you overtaxed the taxpayers? Considering the whopping tax increases we have just experienced, I think you should take a very close look at the budget. You passed and see where you might have been able to cut the increases you gave out. How do you know what the water and sewer emergency repairs are going to cost? So why are you looking for $150,000? Do you already have repairs that need to be made? If so, why aren't they listed? I'd like to know what your plans are for all of the money in the account you call free cash. Common sense tells you that there must be a plan for this money. I'd like to know what it is. How are you going to update the rules for public participation? Do you want to give us less time because the school committee does? Remember, we have three separate branches in our city government, the mayor, the council, and the school committee, and they should all be independent. Do you want to forbid us to talk about certain topics? Forbid us to question the majority of the time, never get answers?

Forbid us to use your names publicly and so forth? I would suggest you read the Supreme Court's ruling on public speaking before you make changes that won't stand up in court. We show you respect and sit and listen to what you have to say, perhaps you could show us some respect by changing the agenda items to three minutes and leaving non-agenda items at two minutes. Reducing public speaking doesn't promote a democracy. It hinders it. The fire suppression apparatus equipment should have been part of the original budget. Our fire and police departments should have every piece of equipment they need. It shouldn't be an afterthought. Not one SUV should have been bought before the fire and police departments had every piece of equipment they need. Remember, these are people that run into danger while everyone else is running away from it. I think it's time we use some common sense in regards to our budget. Why do we need another bike station?

Our sidewalks are cluttered with these bike stations. It is very difficult for a handicapped person to get by them. Non-agenda items. I would like to thank Mayor Van Campen for the piece in the paper for Pope John. It's been a long time coming. Thank you. How does any of the agenda items help and improve the everyday taxpayers in their families' lives? This is a question that should be asked before any item is put on an agenda. How does not taking a closer look at the budget and not making serious cuts help the everyday taxpayer and their family? How does not taking a close look at how the ARPA money was spent help the everyday taxpayer and their families? How does not getting $240,000 back that we know from the

Guy in the office that used to be there helped the everyday taxpayer and their family. How does borrowing money for two flag poles that cost $10,000 each and $15,000 for granite and pox help the everyday taxpayer and their families. How does not forcing Kraft to renegotiate his deal with Everett help the everyday taxpayer and their families? How does not forcing the casino to renegotiate with Everett help the everyday taxpayer and their families? How does not bringing in new business help the everyday taxpayer and their families? How does turning our backs on small businesses help the everyday taxpayer and their families? How does reducing public speaking help the everyday taxpayer and their families? I could go on and on, but I think you know what I'm asking. We need to treat the city's budget like we would treat our own family's budget.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Arnault.

Next speaker is Paula Storidi.

Good evening. With all the issues facing the residents, the agenda items totally ignore the reality and concerns that people are ever facing. First, regarding the ordinance for fair wages, can I kindly ask before you add any more ordinances, you work on enforcing the ones the city already has. How about enforcing the overcapacity in all the buildings in the city that now have become boarding houses? Or how about trash bin overflows? or how about illegal parking on the front and side yards or the illegal Airbnb or the drug and gang houses in the city? I don't believe you have enough information to make a decision on the fair wages. I don't believe there was any outreach to the businesses in Everett to find out how it would impact them. How many other cities have done this and what have what has happened to their what are the results in their towns and cities? Next, regarding all the spending and borrowing.

Before spending any money or borrowing, I asked the council and Mayor Van Campen Back in December, you all voted to move $6 million from free cash to raise our taxes on an average of about $1,000 for the next two quarters. And all we are asking for is what caused the shortfall. You voted for it, you should know. I do want to commend the fire department for providing some backup for the funds they are requesting to save money for the future. Next, regarding the Chelsea Park and other expenses. A day doesn't pass where you hear or read about cities and towns freezing jobs, laying people off, freezing spending, cutting budgets, and voting on Prop 2.5 just to balance 2026's budgets. In 2024, DeMaria at the State House hearing about removing the DPA designation stated the city was short over $20 million in tax revenue. Some of you were there at that meeting. But in Everett, it's business as usual.

Spend, baby, spend. Remember, our taxes have more than doubled over the past 10 years, and the council approves the budget. The Chelsea Street... Going on to... Okay. Good evening. It appears the city council and the mayor have forgotten about the $180,000 that Di Maria stole from the city. Well, we haven't. DiMaria dropped his lawsuit against the IG's office back in December. So where is the effort by the city to get the money back? Why isn't the city filing criminal charges against Di Maria and anyone involved with the theft of $180,000? It was a big deal last year. Why isn't it now? Next, not sure if you have read the stadium agreement. From my understanding, Everett is getting royally screwed again. I think the mayor and the city council should step up and block this from happening. It's not about wanting or not wanting the stadium. It's about tax revenue. Constellation for decades was paying $15 million a year.

Kraft will be paying $750,000 a year on land. the land will not be assessed for 10 more years and the stadium will not be assessed ever again Only the land and how disappointing not to see any of you in the mayor jumping up and down saying this is nuts and what can we do about it. This is a TIF agreement without having the TIF vote for it, the council vote for it. Last week there was a call on the silver line If you read the MBTA write-up, the stadium is referenced 54 times. The design includes taking a lane away for bikes. a dedicated line for the Silver Line down the center of Chelsea and 2nd to Broadway. The presenter said this design will cause more congestion but hopefully people will take public transportation or take the bridge or take Route 28. This is insane. I've asked the same questions for years. Why extend anything from Chelsea to Sullivan Square

If the extension is to save Everett residents, why not find a way to facilitate getting people to Chelsea where the Silver Line and the commuter rail already exist? Why add more congestion to Second and Broadway? The only answer is the stadium and the casino. Thank you.

Thank you.

We have two more speakers on non-agenda items left. First is Stephanie McCullough.

So I think in short time you guys should have an ordinance before you regarding banning data center construction in the city of Everett. you guys have heard me advocate for lots of other development in the city it's not that I'm anti development I just think that this is super damaging for our air quality for noise pollution for our water security and again utility rates of up to 25% being hiked. So please, when that is before you, vote to ban data centers from being constructed in the city. The Davis Company asked for the opportunity to present and make their case and they hired Cisco developer to do that, they were extremely misleading in their presentation stating that it would only increase electric rates regionally were a part of the region, news flash, saying that the data center in Downtown Crossing is small.

It's 30 megawatts. It's classified as a medium-sized. Data Center. Just lots of misinformation and lying by omission that really just makes me question Their intentions, anyway please just don't let a data center be built here. I sent you guys previously a data packet that included a bunch of information that you guys can can look up and verify your own sources. If you want to meet with me one-on-one and have a discussion about that, happy to sit down and do that if you guys have questions. I think over time we'll have federal and state regulations that will force state centers to be built responsibly in a way that won't impact you know rate payers as much and we'll have more environmental concern but I think you're putting the cart before the horse letting this be built in your backyard before there's any protections in place for residents and consumers so please just vote to ban it

We can always revise the zoning again should those other regulations be in place that protect residents. But in the meantime, I think a conservative approach is warranted. So thank you.

Thank you, Stephanie. And our last speaker, Madam President, is Jeff Parente.

I would move to allow it if we can.

We will allow it after the speaker even though it is against the rules. Make sure you press the button in. Thank you.

Good evening. Thanks for having me. I've got a few issues, so I'll try and get through them in the time. The first thing I have to say is I was just made aware yesterday from a friend that I There is a restaurant in Encore that I don't know if I can say their name, so I'm not going to name it. But their employees just recently voted to unionize. And less than a month later, they announced that they're going to close. and since the mayor, if I remember right, in his campaign mentioned that he used to be a labor attorney, I would hope that the city looks into this and does what it can to help those employees out, maybe brings it up to the state. It seems like a blatant instance of union busting to me. The second thing is I also recently saw an article that National Grid wants to raise everybody's gas rates by 10%.

In the article that I saw, there's meetings being held by DPU. The closest meeting that I saw is on April 6th in Lynn. So I just wanted to make everybody aware of that because I don't want my rates going up 10 more percent, and I'm sure nobody else in this room wants that either. And then the last thing I'll say is I'll also speak to the data centers. I spoke out against it at the planning board meeting a couple of weeks ago. One thing I'll say is something that, you know, a lot of people talk about the energy consumption pollution, like environmental pollution, noise pollution, stuff like that. If you haven't heard, there have been reports that in the strike that Donald Trump did on Venezuela and in this war in Iran, they used AI to plan those missions.

I don't want our community associated in any way with that sort of activity.

Thank you. Thank you Jeff. We will allow that last speaker to come up before us.

Just since I don't have your name written down, could you just state your name? Thank you.

Hi, my name is Alex Elsevar, and I promise I will be earlier next time. So this is not about the data center, but it will sound like it almost is. I spoke last time about this and I prepared a statement this time instead and sent it to all of you so you don't really have to listen. AI has become a controversial topic and in that controversy we have lost exactly Exactly what makes it so valuable to communities like the one we have in Everett. While corporate leaders and high-level government executives champion and leverage AI without issue, residents of a city like Everett are left with the political fallout, controversies over use of AI in schools, controversies over AI data centers and their environmental impact, which are real, and misplaced fears I have heard myself that using AI will feed it more information and let it take over.

But why should Everett leverage AI? AI can allow the rapid prototyping of custom software and web platforms that can provide real utility and opportunity to close-knit communities. In the old model of building software, the building and deployment of a web application required many resources and a large amount of money. The key thing now is that web applications only need to have champions, a community who supports the builders and users willing to engage with that platform. That's what's scarce. Everett has many incredible tight-knit communities, and both our young adults and our high schoolers have large networks of people who support their efforts.

The only thing that they need now to become entrepreneurs and creators of their own web platforms is a small amount of technical guidance, encouragement from their leaders and a space to collaborate on a regular basis. Just as we lead the state in building housing, we can do the same thing when it comes to building community-based web applications. Thank you.

Motion to close public participation.

Second.

Motion made and seconded to close public participation. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it.

Madam President, I motion to suspend the rules and take item seven out of order.

Second. Motion made and seconded to take item number seven out of order. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Clerk, please read item number seven.

Item number seven. On the petitions and licenses, a petition offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president. A petition requesting the renewal of a Class II motor vehicle deal license for Broadway Gas and Service Inc. at 356 Broadway.

Favorable action. Motion made and seconded for favorable action. Will the clerk please call the roll?

Alcid Jabouin, Capone, DiPierro, Garcia, Martins, Nguyen, Pietrantonio, Yes. Councilor Rogers. Yes. Councilor Smith.

Yes.

Nine yays, zero nays, Madam President.

Nine yays, zero nays.

The license has passed. Motion to suspend the rules and take item 18 out of order.

Motion made in second to take item number 18 out of order. Clerk please read item number 18.

Item number 18 is a petition offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president. A petition requesting a new mechanical repair license for 3rd Street Auto Repair, Inc. at 363 3rd Street.

Second.

Second. Motion made and seconded to accept the committee report in feeble action. Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilor Alcy Jabouin?

Yes.

Capone, DiPierro, Garcia, Martins, Matewsky, Nguyen, Pietrantonio, Rogers, Smith, 10 yays, 0 nays, Madam President.

Teniers, Arnaz, the petition has passed. Madam President, I motion to suspend the rules and take items 11 through 17 collectively and out of order. Second. Second.

Motion made and seconded to take items number 11 to 17 collectively. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Will the clerk please read the items?

Items 11 through 17 are all orders offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president. 11 is in order requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Erica Cobelli to the position of Commissioner of Veterans Services for a term of three years expiring March 9th, 2029. 12 in order requesting the confirmation of Paul Segarino to the City of Everett Library Board of Trustees for a term not to exceed three years commencing on March 23, 2026 and ending on March 23, 2029. In order requesting the confirmation of Michelle Gaudi to the City of Everett Library Board of Trustees for a term not to exceed three years commencing on March 23rd, 2026 and ending March 23rd, 2029-14. In order requesting the confirmation of Nancy Ehler to the City of Everett Library Board of Trustees for a term not to exceed three years commencing on March 23rd, 2026 and ending on March 23rd, 2029-15. An order requesting the confirmation of Mary Broderick to the City of Everett.

DPW Public Works Commission for a term not to exceed three years commencing on March 23, 2026 and ending March 23, 2029. 16 in order. Requesting the confirmation of Patricia Chiva. to the City of Everett Elections Commission for a term not to exceed three years commencing on March 23rd, 2026 and ending on March 23rd, 2029 and 17 in order requesting the confirmation of John T. Spaulding to the City of Everett Zoning Board of Appeals for a term not to exceed three years commencing on March 23rd, 2026 and ending on March 23rd, 2029.

Favorable action. Second. On the motion, Councilor Pietrantonio.

Are these open positions? Are these the mayor's putting his people in place, or are these open positions?

There has to be an open position unless he goes through that other process. So it's either somebody is, the position is either vacant or there's a person in the position and their term is expired. which allows you to keep serving until a successor is qualified, which is what we're doing this evening.

Okay, so we don't know if they were vacant

I can tell you that the library board had vacancies. The elections commission one is definitely vacant. I believe the zoning board one also. I can't tell you for all of them. But those ones off the top of my head, I remember where.

Okay.

We have a motion for, motion made and seconded to accept the Coney report and feeble action. Will the clerk please call the roll?

I'm sorry, who made the motion? Councilor Garcia, thank you. It's 11 through 17. Councilor, I'll see Jabouin.

Yes.

Council Capone.

Yes.

Council DiPierro. Yes. Council Garcia.

Yes.

Martins, Matusky, Nguyen, Pietrantonio, Rogers, Smith, Serenades,

Penny, Zeronese, you have been appointed and I'd just like to recognize that we do have these appointed in the audience today and like to welcome you to the city of Everett and thank you for your service.

If I may, just please reach out to my office, either speak to me or Sylvia, so we can schedule you to come in, take your oath of office, and any other paperwork you may need. All right, thank you, and good luck. Congratulations.

Mr. Clerk, do we have any department heads? I don't believe we do.

Our solicitor just universally signed in for a few of them. Item number nine.

Motion to suspend the rules and take item number nine off the calendar.

Motion made and seconded to take item number nine off the calendar. All those in favor? Opposed? The ayes have it. Clerk, please read item number nine.

Item number nine, Madam President, is an ordinance offered by Councilors Stephanie Martins, Vivian Ween, Wayne Matewsky, Katie Rogers, Anthony DiPierro, and Holly Garcia. An ordinance promoting fair labor standards and preventing wage theft in the City of Everett.

Motion to accept the committee report and favorable action for enrollment as amended.

Second.

Motion made and seconded to accept the committee report and favorable action as amended. All those in favor? Aye. I need a roll call, Madam. Sorry, roll call vote. It's an ordinance.

That's okay. On the motion, yes, Councillor Capone.

On this particular issue, because there was a lot of discussion before the meeting. Am I allowed? Okay. I don't think the City of Everett can even enforce all of the different issues within this Woodman's suggestion. And I just want to say, too, that my father was a Local 7 iron worker. And before my father was an iron worker, he was out of work every winter, and we depended on relatives to take care of us. So I don't see this as just a union issue. I see it as there's only so many things we can do in our capacity as a city council and the state oversees a lot of it. So if we were to vote this in, what would we even be able to enforce? And then what are the subjective and objective standards? And are we opening ourselves up to unnecessary lawsuits?

Thank you. Thanks. So unfortunately, we cannot get a response to that because we are in the middle of a vote. On the motion, Councilor Pietrantonio.

I echo my councilman's concern too. How do we enforce this? That's my concern. I mean, I know it goes to the state. I mean, I think the gentleman said it took three years to settle a Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President, if I may, through you. This was in legislative affairs, and my understanding is that this isn't so much about the city's enforcement of this, but it does give us some teeth. There's a broader issue here that goes beyond the unions. As Councilor Capone mentioned, this can be related to sex trafficking. It can be related to immigration. So in order for the city to enforce it, it would have to be a scenario where it would have to be reported. So if there was a business that was violating this, it could bring it to our attention and we would have the teeth to then elevate it to the state, but it wouldn't really fall on us to be actually going around to enforce it on our own as a city.

from a legal standpoint. Councilor Capone, hold on. Councilor Martins is before you first, if Councilor Rogers is done. Okay. Martins.

Madam President, on the motion, so again, to echo Council Rogers' point, this is not about the city enforcing. The Attorney General is the entity that's enforcing. What we're doing is, as a city, we're choosing not to do business with contractors and businesses that have been reported to have a judgment or being debarred because they're violating. And what we are doing as a city is we have it on the ordinance. We're requiring contractors to maintain industrial accident insurance coverage. We're asking them to properly classify employees, maintain daily sign-in and sign-out logs, Comply with healthcare reform law, submit monthly certified payroll records. So we're just creating standards for them to be able to get into a contract with us and we're also creating a reporting system where Employees can report violations. It does affect especially non-union employees because the unions do a great job at protecting people.

and we have the ability to revoke a contract suspend the contract or impose additional conditions such as a wage bond. As far as lawsuits I believe that A developer or a contractor that's in the wrong, it'll be cheaper and the best option to just pay the employee instead of fighting the city. But as a city, are we not going to do the right thing because someone's going to sue us? That's not... are all acceptable. That's what I'm going to say for now.

Councilor Capone, I would just ask there's no cross-debate.

There's a legal term called interference with contractual relations. And there's also something under agency law that if we hold ourselves of having authority that we don't, we can be sued. and we do represent all of the residents in Everett and we try to prevent lawsuits so they don't have to pay unnecessary money and our tax is going up again. So we always have to be concerned about being sued in lawsuits. We have to. Thank you.

Councilor DiPierro.

I move to call for the question.

Second. Motion made and seconded to call for the question. All those in favor of calling for the question? Aye. No. We only need a simple majority and there was only one person that we believe said no, so call for the question. The mayor, the clerk is going to... We don't have to... So now we're just voting unfavorable action.

Yes. There's no further debate.

You can...

L.C. Jabouin. You're voting for fable action as amended. We're voting for fable action as amended. The ordinance as amended. Yes. Capone, no, Councilor DiPierro, yes, Councilor Garcia, yes, Councilor Matewsky, yes, Councilor Martins, yes, Councilor Nguyen, yes, Councilor Pietrantonio, yes, Councilor Rogers, yes, and Council President Smith, yes. Nine yeas, one nay, Madam President. You have enrolled the ordinance.

Nine yeas, you have enrolled the ordinance as amended. I would ask that if you do have questions that you please... confer with the city solicitor before it's ordained at the next meeting.

I'd like to make a motion for reconsideration. Second. Do we need to?

No, you cannot because it is not considered finally passed. And you have another chance to vote on it. So this evening it passed, but passed to the next step. And our rules do not allow reconsideration on it.

Chodes to be featured.

No, we didn't.

No, the administrative code.

Yeah. The list is number one. Okay.

Yep.

I believe we're reverting back to the regular order of business.

Madam President, I'd like to suspend the rules and take number eight out of order.

Motion made and seconded to take item number eight out of order. All those in favor? Opposed? Clerk, please read item number eight.

Item number eight is a committee report, Madam President, offered by Councilor, it's an order offered by Councilor Katie Rogers, an order amending the City Council rules to update the public participation rules for the City Council meetings.

Rogers.

Thank you, Madam President. So essentially, this is just a change of format. And before anything is misconstrued, I think the current format is actually unconstitutional where we're making people wait till the end of a meeting in oppressing freedom of speech to depending on the subject that they want to speak about. If the three minutes allows for people to speak on whichever matter they want, and it makes our meetings more efficient and streamlined, it's not oppressing anybody. And so therefore, that's what these rules are updating. It's a streamline of three minutes per individual on whatever subject they would like. So I motion for favorable action. Second. And accept the committee report.

On the motion, Council, I'll see Jabouin.

I just want some clarification. I think I do understand what you're saying. Are we changing it to have people speak at the end of the meeting? Because I don't think we should do that.

So if I may, Madam Chair. So no, every individual gets three minutes in the beginning of the meeting. And it would be to the president's discretion They want to take agenda or non-agenda, or if you even want to consider that. However, everybody gets three minutes. Freedom of speech. They can speak on whatever subject they want, whether it's on the agenda or not. For instance, we recently had a woman come up here who wanted to speak about the snowstorm. She had to wait till the end of the meeting. So this is actually making it more efficient by making sure that everybody has a chance at the beginning of the meeting to speak rather than depending on the discretion of the president forcing some people to wait an entire meeting to speak.

Councilor Capone. Is this taking away any time from speakers from two minutes each time to to consolidating it to three minutes instead of four.

So essentially it was, if I may, It isn't taking away time. It's just consolidating to one list, which it used to be a long time ago. Same to the school committee. So as it stands, My interpretation is that the agenda and non-agenda were never meant to be four minutes. It's just that that's what happened because you were trying to separate agenda and non-agenda. So this is... a compromise, so to speak, to consolidate it and allow people. It's actually gaining the agenda items a minute. or either item. So if anything, residents that are only signing into one sheet, which is the average speaker who isn't familiar with the rules, is actually gaining a minute on whatever topic they would like.

But originally it was two minutes for the beginning part of the meeting and two minutes for the end of the meeting?

Hypothetically, to the discretion of the president. but it depends on the discretion of the president. So sometimes we see instances where it's a four minute straight discussion. Sometimes we've seen instances where somebody comes up for agenda, only and they speak two minutes and then we've had other instances where somebody signs up for non-agenda and they've had to wait till the end of the meeting so that's what we're trying to make less confusing. We put a lot of effort into accommodating various languages and braille. And then we make this confusing system that really isn't accessible. So we're trying to make it as accessible as possible. The goal was never to have people speak for four minutes. It was always originally two minutes but now you can use three minutes to speak on whatever topic you would like.

Garcia. Thank you, Madam President. To me, it does make sense to be uniform with the school committee to have the one thing. But I did want to remind folks you can contact us outside of meetings we all have emails and website emails and phone numbers listed on the website you don't have to wait two weeks to come up so I know some people have work at night they can't make it that's all

Thank you. Any further questions?

Second.

Motion made and seconded to accept the Committee of Art in favorable action. Roll call vote.

Alcee Jabouin, Capone, DiPierro, Garcia, Martins, Nguyen, Pietrantonio. Yes. Councilor Rogers.

Yes.

And Council President Smith.

Yes.

Ten yays, zero nays, Madam President. You have so passed the council rule.

Clerk, please revert to the first item of business. Item number one.

And the communications from his honor, the mayor. Number one is an order offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith. As president, an order requesting approval to appropriate $115,000 from the general fund budgetary balance. Free Cash to the auditing department's professional and technical accounts to fund the city's annual outside audit by Roselli, Clark, and Associates.

Refer to the Committee on Ways and Means. Second. Motion made in second to refer to the Committee on Ways and Means. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it.

Item number two is an order offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president in order requesting approval to appropriate $150,000 from the water and sewer retained earnings to the water and sewer emergency repairs account to fund emergency repairs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

refer to the Committee on Ways and Means. Second. Motion made and second to refer to the Committee on Ways and Means. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Clerk, please read item number four. Three. Three, sorry.

I got you. And the number three is an order offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president in order requesting approval to appropriate $40,000 from the general fund budgetary fund balance free cash to the mayor's office advertising account to fund citywide legally required advertising. You can suspend the rule if you're going to do that. Yeah, I was going to motion to refer. You can suspend rule 13. Please.

Second. Motion made in second to suspend rule 13. All in favor? Opposed? I need someone to say. Someone's gonna say aye. Oppose. I motion.

I oppose.

Okay, there's, All those in favor of suspending rule 13 say aye. Aye. Opposed?

Aye.

The ayes have it.

Thank you.

Is there two oppositions? Yes. Okay.

Good. So we have a motion for favorable action. We're not in doubt.

On the motion, Councilor Pietrantonio.

Can we get a list of where this money's...

If there's questions on this item, we have to refer to Ways and Means.

Well, I want to refer it to Ways and Means, because I got questions.

I'll take that motion back. Okay. All right, so I motion to refer it to the Committee on Ways and Means. Second.

Motion made and seconded to now refer those to the Committee on Ways and Means. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it.

Item number four is an order offered by Councillor Stephanie Smith as president. An order requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Samuel Fern to the City of Everett Licensing Commission for a term not to exceed six years commencing on April 6, 2026 and ending on April 6, 2032.

I motion to refer to the Committee on Legislative Affairs. Second.

Motion being seconded to refer to the Committee on Legislative Affairs. All those in favor? Aye. I would ask that the administration please provide us in the committee if this is an open position or if it is to fulfill a position of someone whose term has ended as well.

Item number five. I don't know if I was in order by Councilor Stephanie Smith, an order requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Antonio Canelio to the City of Everett Public Works Commission, Glenwood Cemetery Commission, for a term not to exceed three years, commencing on March 23, 2026, and ending on March 23, 2021.

Motion to refer to the Committee on Legislative Affairs. Second.

Motion made and seconded to refer item number five to the Committee on Legislative Affairs. Same ask from the administration to let us know if this is a position that is vacated or fulfilling a person that their term has run out. So all those in favor sign into legislative affairs, say aye. Aye. Opposed, ayes have it.

Stephanie Smith is present in order requesting approval to accept and expand the grant in the amount of $43,103.44 from Second & Vine, LLC. of Block Properties for the purchase and installation of Blue Bike Station at the 2nd and Vine Street location.

Councilor Halsey-Jabouin.

I just have a question. These grants coming in for these blue bikes, can we reject them? Because I think they're ridiculous in the city. They hold on to trash. Nobody cleans them out. I don't even see people ride those bikes anymore. They're so annoying. We need to get rid of some of them.

So just briefly, I can't fully speak on it, but some of these are required through... through the planning board. So some of them, if you see a grant, not all the time, but many of the times, it was a condition of the approval of that building to help mitigate traffic, and that's why they're adding them. Can you say no? You can say no. But just so you know, that's a lot of times they're part of the planning process. Planning Board's approval process or zoning board, they're going to require them to have bikes near so that we can have less vehicles. Just because I've been at the meetings.

This is an installation for their property, so can it be in their backyard and not take space in our sidewalks?

That's above my pay grade question, so...

Martins. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President. On this topic, I just want to make the suggestion to the administration to rethink these conditions on the planning board because I am not anti-bike, it's great what we have, but perhaps we could be investing this into some other type of transportation. During one of the mayor's transition meetings that we had at one of the organizations, children were talking about Pietrantonio.

Maybe we can get the $43,000 and put it towards our tax rate. All right, let's put it towards the tax rate. Why are we going to put these bikes out there? I mean, they are ridiculous, and they are filthy and dirty, but, I mean... Get the 43. I suggest if it's a grant, put it towards our tax rate.

So we can refer this to Ways and Means if you want to have more discussion on it. This one is specifically from the planning board for our specific development, but if you want them to refer to Ways and Means, invite the planning director to come and talk on this. You can do that.

Make a motion to refer it to Ways and Means.

Second. Motion being seconded to refer item six to Ways and Means, and please invite the Planning Director to come speak about this item. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Clerk, please read item number 10.

Item number... Ten is an order offered by Councillor Stephanie Smith as president in order to appropriate a total of $780,000 from the General Fund Budgetary Fund balance free cash to fund the purchase of a fire suppression apparatus. This appropriation will allow the city to achieve a 50% cost avoidance and a 3-4 year wait time to acquire this critical piece of equipment.

Motion to accept the committee report in favorable action.

Motion made and seconded to accept the committee for art and fable action. I think the roll call vote.

Clerk, please call the roll. Councilor Yeltsin-Jabouin. Capone, DiPierro, Garcia, Martins, Matewsky, Nguyen, Pietrantonio, Rogers, Smith, Teniers, Serenades, Madam President.

Teniers, Arnaz, the item has passed. Clerk, please read item 19.

We are now under unfinished business, Madam President. Item number 19 is an ordinance offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith, an ordinance proposing amendments to the city's fire prevention and protection regulations. Favorable action?

Second. Motion made and seconded.

Was there amendments made? I think it might be favorable action as amended. Yes. As amended. Thank you.

On the motion, was it amended? The amendment by the city solicitor and Mr. Flood, right? I believe he was working on additional amendments.

I believe so.

Okay.

We are only rolling this evening. Yes. Are you going to ordinate with the amendment?

Yes. And it's in your packet. So all the amendments have been made and they have been in your packet since last Wednesday.

Yeah, I'm okay with ordaining it tonight or enrolling it and then ordaining it with the amendments.

Second. Motion made and seconded to for favorable action to enroll as amended. Roll call vote.

For enrollment, Councilor Elsi Jabouin. Capone, Clerk, DiPierro, Garcia, Martins, Matewsky, Nguyen, Pietrantonio, Rogers, and Council President Smith. Ten yays, zero nays, Madam President. You have so enrolled.

Ten yays, zero nays. The item has passed enrollment. Clerk, please.

Number 20 is an order offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president. In order, requesting approvals are appropriate by borrowing the amount of $1,326,928 for the Chelsea Street Park renovation project.

Motion to postpone to the next regular meeting. Second.

Motion made and seconded to postpone to the next meeting. All those in favor? Opposed? The ayes have it.

Item number 21. Is an order offered by Councillor Stephanie Smith as president? No, because I will explain in a moment. Stephanie Smith. Item number 21 is an order offered by Councilor Stephanie Smith as president in order requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Monica R. Lamboy to the position of Chief Development Officer for the City of Everett. These four items, we still need to have a public hearing, which is going to be at the next I move to postpone. Second.

Motion made and seconded to postpone item number 21 to the next meeting. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? You guys have it.

And if you want to take the three collectively. Madam President, can we suspend the rules and take the next three items collectively? Second.

Motion being seconded to take items 22, 23, and 24 collectively. All those in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? The ayes have it.

All right, the last three items, 22, 23, and 24, all orders offered by Councilor Smith as president. 22, an order requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Omar Boukili. to the position of Chief Administrative and Financial Officer for the City of Everett, 23, in order proposing to amend the City's Administrative Code to establish a Department of Strategic Planning and Community Development and the position of Chief Development Officer, and 24, in order proposing to amend the City's Administrative Code to establish a Department of Administrative and Financial Services in the position of Chief Administrative and Financial Officer.

Was that worked on, Madam President?

Yes, so this has been worked on, and I believe we have to refer to have a public hearing.

They're all ready. Just need the public hearing at the next meeting.

So refer to public hearing at the next regular meeting.

We're all three, right?

Motion being seconded to refer to a public hearing at the next regular meeting. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Councilor Garcia.

Thank you. Before we adjourn, I did just want to share that the summer youth job program applications are live on the city website right now. For any youth looking for a job, I know that was our first job. It's a great cause. Also, the Everett Citizens Foundation grant is open, also posted on the city website until March 31st for any organizations who serve those in Everett.

Rogers. Thank you, Madam President. Before we adjourn, we were amiss earlier, but I just wanted to acknowledge that Everett resident Eddie Lucas passed away recently, and he was a Huge advocate in Everett United. He was an Everett staple. A lot of people knew him. He lived in Ward 3 and just wanted to acknowledge his passing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Motion to adjourn.

Second. Motion made in second for adjournment. All those in favor? Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Meeting adjourned.