Pt 2 - 8:53 PM Penta takes on Mayor McGlynn
"I'm looking out for you, Roy. I know you make a lot of money, but I'm looking out for you."
Councilor Robert M. Penta to the Superintendent of Schools, Roy Belson
COUNCILOR PENTA SLAMS MCGLYNN!
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Dello Russo: I agree with Councilor Penta that something is wrong with this system...it doesn't work. ...People were bidding on, spending money on projects that they didn't know what they were working on... in a sense, we're in a catch 22...it is not a good system...
....this building that could withstand a hydrogen bomb if it was dropped on the circle...1960's science labs...where do we go from here?
Belson: We know that the building we have - have systems in it...
Choice: pay 100% of it ourselves, or have a new building. ...I think it is worth taking it down the road...I think it's a very good investment to find out...if nothing else...even if we did it for ourselves without the Commonwealth
PENTA: All due respect, it seems every week someone comes up here (looking for money)
...I don't want to operate like that Councilor Dello Russo is right, I don't want to operate like this. This should be part of the Mayor's Chart the Course, I call it the Mayor's Chart the Taxpayer's Pocketbook...
this makes no sense...you just spent $40 thousand dollars...if the City Council doesn't go forward on this
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Superintendent: You're going to have a study in hand
Penta: All due respect, Roy, when the City Council voted on the swimming pool we got a 2007 study that we (were told) was a current report
Superintendent: A whole building with wiring...far more complex... it's far different than it was a few years ago...
One way or another, with this school building, you're going to need (a study)
You're in a position right now to find out
9 PM Or you want to make the total investment, we'll make a smaller investment...right now we're living off less information than we should have
MARKS point of information: When this Council was asking for the Capital Improvements from the Mayor and the Mayor finally succumbed and gave us a list of Capital Improvements, in no particular order, the boilers at the high school were NOT on the list. You're telling us the boilers...you're saying the importance of it, Roy, and I appreciate it...but when the Mayor came out with this, THIS was not on the radar, the Brooks Estate was on the radar
Maybe it's mismanagement...in the private sector it's not just "hey, what do you want to spend your money on." What's the game plan?
(above from Councilor Marks)
MARKS: Now this
BELSON: ...you have to qualify for it...they have to come out and do a site visit...they looked at things from their engineering standpoint and said
this is a qualified site.
MARKS So why now...he could have taken advantage of the grant for boilers a couple of years ago
Roy: Let me put it this way, it's my responsibility to bring things to the Mayor, to this council
I have to make those recommendations. I think it is time for us to make those recommendations
If we choose not to go the MSPA route, at least we have a study that is consistent with modern technology...but if we decide to go forward and get approx 60 cents back from the Commonwealth... we need to look at it anyway
I'm responsible for bringing the Mayor up to date
MARKS: If this is the time to bring this forward, was it the best time to move forward on the DPW, 16 million on science labs or the pool...the police station...the parking garage...I don't understand how all of a sudden all these projects come up in one year
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ROY: I didn't bring it to his attention
MARKS: He's the CHAIRMAN of the School Committee...maybe he has his head in the sand
121,631 hits 9:05 PM Cappuci leaves, room is at 33 percent of what it was.
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PENTA: On the motion, Roy, before I vote for this, can you send us the School Committe vote?
#2, can you give us the 2008 report? 3)Can you give us what the State said? Can you answer, what is step 3?
Roy: We need a vote this week.
Penta; Point of information: when did you get this information
Roy: it was part of the original information we had
Penta: Date?
Roy: September 4th;
Penta; I have a letter dated August 20th, 21 days from then to know, so how important can this be?
Roy: It's very important. Whatever mistakes I've made, I'll accept that. It's a wonderful opportunity we should take advantage of it. The School Committee voted last night...it was on public television set,
Penta; That's not the point, it's having all the paperwork in front of us.
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Roy: I think we know the facts
Penta; Well, you might
Roy: I'm telling you the facts. I want to watch (Obama's Speech?) tonight ...you know what the score is. Do we do some of this work on the Commonwealth's dime/ We need a partnership to do it right
Penta; This council is going to be forced to vote with it because the partnership is between the state and the city?
Roy: No, you may do a piece of it...I only want to do....% of it now...
MAIOCCO: COUNCILOR CARAVIELLO
Caraviello: Boilers since 1970...two boilers that aren't working at all. I don't know why they didn't replace them years ago?
Roy: MONEY
Caraviello: and we only replaced one boiler in 2008
Roy: We have a recession,....the school has to do what it has to do
MARKS: POINT OF INFORMATION"
If it is such a strong budget, why can't you take 100K out of YOUR budget?
Roy: Do I want to trade the education against this project/ I'd do it, but I need your support and your vote; I think it is in the best interest of the school system
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Caraviello: Like Councilor Marks said, all the projects are being brought to us this year...
Roy: Maybe we are finally turning that corner and now there's the time to do it. There's no time like the present ...
Marks; You'll get my approval if you find the funding in the school budget. Maybe it's about time the school committee put money where their mouth is and step up to the plate. They say we need "this this this this this" and this council approves...
Eventually it will need to be bonded...if you can find one hundred thousand for the study, I think it is only the appropriate way, not only the city council but the school committee has its hand in the game
Roy: I don't think you want to take 100k from the education of the young people
Marks; all do respect, I served on the school committee for six years...if you can't find 100k, there's something wrong
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9:15 PM
Marks; I'll be honest, i'm not going to support it tonight unless the school committee has skin in the game; let them have a little skin in the game, let them make a decision on that.
Roy: Reimbursement is almost 60 percent, it's a forty thousand dollar outlay
ROLL CALL REQUESTED
Camuso (couldn't hear him mumble)
Caraviello No
Dello Russo No
Lungo Koehn No
Marks Yes
Penta Yes
Maiocco No
on motion for approval of paper
9:15 PM
Marks; I think it is only appropriate we have a COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE meeting
Maiocco: A motion on the floor for approval
Dello Russo: If it results in the survey to give us the best information for a committee of the whole discussion....what this council wishes to fund
Marks; That's after the fact
Dello Russo: Eternally, people's opinions of the boilers are...
Maiocco: Councilor Penta
Penta; Didn't National Grid come in??
Roy: They brought gas burners in; they changed from oil to gas; that saved us money?
Penta; Do we have no boilers?
Roy: We have burners...
Penta; So how many of those are running?
ROy: You have one that's real good, three that's not so good, inefficiency in three of the boilers that are working
ROLL CALL
Marks; I want to be noted in OPPOSITION that
Maiocco So noted
Camuso Yes
Caraviello Yes
Marks NO
Penta NO
Maiocco YES
five in affirmative, two in the negative
Roy: I will do my best to provide you more information
I appreciate the opportunity...