Sept. 10, 2013 LIVE FROM THE MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS CITY COUNCIL

121,601
7:15 PM 

LIVE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL OF MEDFORD MASSACHUSETTS

* Please note this is typed as quickly as possible.  This is NOT the complete transcript of the Council meeting.  It is a "rough" quick type of the proceedings.  See broadcasts on the Government Channel if you desire to see and hear the entire meeting

All City Councilors are in attendance as are the City Clerk and City Messenger.
approximately 43 in attendance
9 city councilors, clerk and messenger
52 in attendance

This is a "GOOD" showing for Medford, but for a city of 57,000 it is still a pathetic turnout.
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Stephanie Muccini-Burke is speaking.

Paul Camuso takes the floor, says he lives on Lincoln Road and that the money was spent on Winter St. only.   

Stephanie: Our city engineer is here...it's the Winthrop Street work, down to the rotary
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Camuso: Let the records show...

Dello Russo: I was going to ask you, through the chair, if you could give us a quick overview of the project 
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IN ATTENDANCE:

Nick Iovino of the Medford Transcript
Anne E. Baker, Finance Director
Stephanie Muccini-Burke Budget Director
City Engineer
Candidate Jeanne Martin
Candidate Robert Cappuci
Candidate Mark Crowely
Andy Castignetti
"Rick" George Sacco
 Fire Chief Gilberti
School Superintendent Roy Belson

approximately 40 people in attendance, a "full house" given the caution tape around the room from the unfixed ceiling.  Gone 

7:27 City Solicitor Mark E Rumley
        a city worker
        John Costas of Chevalier Commission

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7:20 PM Councilor Penta "If the City wants to come back and make a separate presentation to the Council, so be it."

Councilor Penta is discussing the surpluses and wondering if someone is underestimating for a particular purpose.

"The money STILL has not gone out to fix those firestations.  And the Mayor now wants to take money that the council has voted on for the science lab and designate it for the meeting house."
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Stephanie Burke: The Solicitor can write you an opnion

Robert Penta: I would rather, to be honest with you, have that money come back as a separate paper.
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Stephanie: That was very clear that we would be coming back to the council for the additional money

...this bond is already in house
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Penta; If this is really that important...if the Chief of the Fire Department is here...all of them need help, and they still haven't been touched...we've already voted for something and it hasn't taken place
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Stephanie:....the option to let this money sit idle until the labs are finished, april 2014, then the money would be considered excess...

by amending the use we are able to get to use those funds

...you'll have it documented by the time it gets to the third reading
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Maiocco: Councilor Marks

Marks: ...the company...the name escapes me...

Stephanie: the architect and....selected by...

Marks: Todisco...  off 13 or 14 percent in the bidding process?   

Getting the latest fees for production.  How are we off 14 percent?

Stephanie: We're as surprised as you

...We're thrilled...we're hoping the taxpayers are thrilled as well...

...we hope that that stays true moving forward


Michael Marks: Do we have any recourse as a City to go back to that company ....we went to bond at great expense...now (money we can't touch till 2014)
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Councilor Maiocco: The Solicitor just walked in 

7:27 PM (along with a city worker and John Costas)

Michael Marks: You said it is extra money

There's no such thing as extra money. The fact is that when we have bids go out...we come back to the council and ask for more money.  There's never a savings, never a thought of the taxpayers out there. We can't have it both ways.  A bid comes back, it's not enough, we want additional money. A bid comes back, it's over, we don't give back the money (paraphrased)
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Stephanie Burke: It doesn't make sense to go out for another loan ...when you have these funds...

Speaker: The reports were complete, 2011...and we're very, very lucky that we didn't have a major flood. I"m very concerned about the fact that we have the construction done.  We're transferring from the Lincoln Road area to...

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Marks: The next phase is this $700,000.00

it was mentioned that 700 thousand might not cover the cost.  I haven't heard of any discussion of even the Winter St...

Mystic River, no dollar amount tagged to that.


If we are to look at the 

30" pipe from Lincoln Road to alleviate
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7:35 Stephanie Burke talking

7:39 "This is strictly the difference in the estimate and the budget that came in."

Dello Russo: Very simply understood, the way I look at it, is that water slows down.  We have to make (the water go) as best we can.  One way of looking at is this IS relief for the taxpayer...a concrete improvement on quality of life on a section of the city that is beleaguered by (flood) problems.  I offer my motion for approval

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7:45 Caraviello: Science lab?

Stephanie Burke: We have the contingency built in. Construction contingency about 760,000.00 ,,,(*the money comes back to the council for a different purpose)

Caraviello: You have to wait until people bring claims?

Burke; We analyze the claims...and tally them...every time there's a FEMA announcement...

once again...there are a number of other people struggling for those grants

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Caraviello: One more question


Burke: This is a significant

to remind everyone...70 years a utility that is now failing to do its job... 

Caraviello: What do you estimate the costs...benefit

Burke: We had a preliminary estimate 200k, we're still talking to the DCR about a cost/share, ...more pedestrian looking...so that's still in the planning phases

Caraviello:

Burke; We want Winchester to take care of its piece

MAIOCCO: COuncilor Penta

Penta: ...You folks...40 or 50 years of neglect, well, so be it.  We passed before - I know I have - give us a list of what your priorities might be, not the Mayor's priorities, your priorities. The last time this Council met was August 6 and now it is September 10th.  We haven't got a call from you or the Mayor... Council President had a committee of the whole meeting tonight...we have no verification from the outside bond council that you can do it. And now that Councilor Caraviello has asked a very important question...

...why wouldn't the city just wait, take the remaining amount of money...and just do the project. To me it is piece meal...if this is such a major important issue...

To me...the Fire Station (is a major important issue)...the Mayor's idea of a major important issue doesn't seem to have the same...as your...

This is a lopsided way to make a presentation with all the issues going on in this community

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Woman next to Burke: "I hear what you are saying, you asked him what the priorities are...with a city as old of this, and so much going wrong...it's a lot about putting out fires...doing the best we can

Penta: Sondra, in all honesty, if you were on this side, sitting here in January 2012, the Fire Stations in this community...the corrections have YET to take place...here we are Sept 2013 and we're talking about a meeting place

If you're right, Mrs Burke, if the 

what you've done, you've taken the money from the taxpayers, for the Enterprise fund...

...or maybe finish it; you've already got the Bond rating

STEPHANIE: We'll be going out to Bond very quickly on the DPW yard.  We have a plan

Penta; You guys might have a plan, 7 minds over here, one over there, just because he has a plan

7:52
Redirect it at the proper time, not now.

...it's got nothing to do with the school labs

Stephanie: I wholeheartedly agree, you're amending the purpose, not the loan order (paraphrased)

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Maiocco: We have a motion for the paper to take its first reading

Councilor Marks, what's your motion?

Marks; ...take money from the water and sewer account; it's a water project...

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Paper Approved 7:56

Camuso NO
Caraviello NO
Marks Yes
Penta Yes

Motion Fails  
PENTA's Motion 7:58 PM

Camuso NO
Caraviello No
Dello Russo No
Lungo Koehn NO
Penta Yes
Marks Yes
Maiocco Yes
paper fails

Motion takes first reading
Vote 6 in Affirmative, 1 in the negative

While we are under suspension

Maiocco: Request the Bond counsel to be present
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WHILE WE ARE UNDER SUSPENSION
Councilor Lungo-Koehn, 2013-664

Moratorium on Marijuana

Prohibit entities known as "Hookah"

Ordained that article 2, the following...blah blah blah 
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8:05 City Solicitor is speaking

Dello Russo: My questions have been answered

Councilor Marks; I support this here tonight.
My question is: cigar lounges in Boston, why will we not (endorse) a cigar bar ?

Rumley: This is a different use.  It's arguable that cigar bars are not allowed now (paraphrased)

If the Council wants to prohibit cigar bars...that might

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Councilor Lungo-Koehn: I don't know if Team Medford is ready to talk about this tonight
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2 women speak  8:08 PM

July 2012 two of our interns did a thorough check of every place selling tobacco products...products being sold considered to be drug paraphernalia ...wraps tobacco itself but largely people are wrapping marijuana in these cigars.  They are colorful, sexual...

we have seen pipes, classic pipes, metal pipes, that you can sp

Glass tubes with picture of a roach in it...they look very unsuspecting when you walk by them...but they are to smoke crack or major hard drugs with this device.

We can submit this report to every single City Councilor...the highest risk items that we see being sold... a large density in the Salem Street area


Lungo Koehn: A perfect description of what you've done...it's also good to let the public know what is out there...if you have teenagers and young children going into these stores...  Thank you for your hard work.

Hopefully, in conjunction with the council, we can make positive steps

MOTION  8:12

Amendment will take effect immediately

Roll Call Vote:
Camuso Yes
Caraviello Yes
Dello YEs
Lungo Yes
Marks Yes
Penta Yes
Maiocco Yes

PAPER APPROVED

Memo from the Mayor regarding Amendment to revise - enact moratorium on Medical Marijuana Treatment centers in Medford for 6 months

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PUT IN PLACE A MORATORIUM

8:14 PM 
121,619 hits

Following language approved by City Solicitor for your consideration... 


Camuso: Motion

Penta: Mr. Solicitor, is it you asking 6 months or the Mayor

Solicitor: The Mayor, obviously

Penta: The law that was passed by the taxpayers of the Commonwealth, how can you differentiate having a medical marijuana treatment ANYWHERE in the city of Medford, if its a treatment to be had.  This just happens to be marijuana medical treatment. How do you make a distinction on a MEDICAL TREATMENT on whether its marijuana or ...

Solicitor: We'd like to take 6 months ...zoning issues...to determine where...

the questions you are asking are best answered

...on the state level

...applications in and looked at ...whether they can go to Phase 2 and approval

...the answers to your question may

...discernment without being rushed

Penta: What if it is a tax exempt non-profit, then where are you going with this?

Solicitor: They would still have to comply with the requisites of the state regulatory scheme

Penta; Before we make any decision here...wait until what the state does first?

Solicitor; the implementation

Penta: So, this goes back a few years when tCouncilor Maiocco and myself ...a district for adult entertainment

8:16 pm

Penta...but it's a medical treatment

Solicitor: ...there is at least some kind of evidence that smoking marijuana ...would alleviate some of its 

i wouldn't equate it with an adult book store

Penta; Could we honestly say that if Lawrence Memorial Hospital wanted to put a treatment center in...

Solicitor

Penta; So let me ask you this

bonding for science labs.  You, through you and the Mayor, are we going to be involved (the council)

Solicitor: Without question the council IS involved

Penta; I'm talking about, as the process goes along. Are we going to be notified?

Maiocco: Council has input...it is going to be a zoning law, Council have INPUT on the language

Marks; That was part of my question  

we're the legislative body in the community, and this is something we should be working on.


State Statute allows, if you live within a certain distance, distance from it, you're allowed to grow it in your home?

Solicitor: In one particular town, in central Mass, because they had a moratorium, and there was some citizen in this town...for medicinal purposes, that person petitioned the state for a hardship...to grow it on the premises.  I think it is more likely to occur in towns and cities... some cities and towns may want to SHORTEN their moratorium


that is a case that did occur, I believe it is in central mass.

MARKS: SO you're not ...

Solicitor: A person petitioned I need a hardship exemption...and was granted a hardship

Marks; I assume that under the protection of the medical health information act, information is something that we as a community are privy to...

how would we govern this in our community...if your neighbor has 6 foot marijuana plants in their backyard...

Solicitor: In a private home, if a person has a hardship...if the police were coming down and they showed them the hardship paper, that would be the end of that
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8:45 PM
EDITORIAL NOTE
SUPERINTENDENT ROY BELSON IS SPEAKING

TRANSCRIBING THIS CITY COUNCIL IS
TEDIOUS SOMETIMES, WHICH SAYS TO ME THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT IN HOW THINGS ROLL ALONG.  

MR. MAIOCCO, THOUGH AWARE OF THE RULES AND STEERING THE SHIP IN HIS STYLE, STILL MISSES THE BOAT WHEN IT COMES TO EFFICIENCY, BEING PRUDENT, AND GETTING TO THE CORE OF WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CITIZENS OF MEDFORD

MAIOCCO LEAVING IS THE BEST POSSIBLE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO THIS COUNCIL NEXT TO MCGLYNN BEING VOTED OUT.

WE GOT RID OF UNCLE GENE,
BOB MAIOCCO, BOB COVELLE, NO DOUBT THAT FRANK PILLERI AND MIKE MCGLYNN WILL BE BOOTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, PILLERI MUST GO.

MAIOCCO DOWN, PILLERI TO FOLLOW!
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8:46 PM

DELLO RUSSO: WILL RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES...


SUPERINTENDENT:WE HAVE MEASURABLE ENERGY SAVINGS...