calling the meeting to order. Um, first budget hearing for fiscal 27. Wow, here we are. Um, welcome everybody. Um, we are running about eight minutes behind already. So with that, I will turn it over to the city manager so that we can move on with it, our first
department for the night. >> Thank you, counselors. Um we are very excited uh to present this budget to you over the next three nights. Um we we have done an extensive amount of research, extensive amount of outreach
when it comes to this budget. Um we we held uh four community sessions. Uh we also um published this budget the the earliest that that we ever have. Uh um there is an online version of the of the budget that that was published as well as the physical version uh of of the
budget which is what we will use tonight. Uh as as stated um we are going to start with uh with information technology with which in your book counselor start in page 101. So, if you can open up your book to page
101. Um, and and our chief information officer, Ramon Garcia. Proud Chelsea resident is is with us here today. Um, and I just wanted to to start with with a uh a high level overview. Uh um overall this budget is uh as you can see
uh uh is going down as as a whole. Uh um there is one one change that I I wanted to to point out. Uh um we are adding uh one position uh which is the the confidential business manager. That position is shared between the law department and
and Ramon's department of IT. So it uh um it it is not necessarily a net headcount addition to the city. The the the headcount as a whole remains the same, but it but it is it is being restructured. The person that is uh is in that position uh is Naomi Libran who
as you know is a is a longtime uh uh uh Chelsea resident and and Chelsea employee. The reason for that position is is that we are seeing a tremendous amount of public records requests uh and and uh uh it was taken up a lot of resources from the law department and
from the the uh um the IT department. So what we did is is we created one consolidated position which is is is handling the public records request but is helping with a lot more other things. Uh and we are seeing a lot more
efficiencies. Uh um that is the reason why on page 104 on on on salaries you see the increase. Uh um but as as you'll see uh our amazing chief information officer was able to offset that with uh
uh with expenses. So, so overall as a department it is going the the entire department is going down uh by 6.45%. Uh a and just to introduce the the layup of the budget book right uh um uh it
starts it in the beginning with the mission of the department. Then it goes in in in into goals and accomplishments. Uh and then has a a a detailed breakdown of expenses and salary and and an organizational
chart. And finally a a list of every position that is funded in that specific department along with names and associated salary. We feel that that level of transparency is important. uh and and you will see that with every uh
every department that is before you this budget season. With that, I will turn it over to our our uh our CIO with any comments. >> Good afternoon, everybody. Uh like uh Fidel mentioned, I mean there is a reduction and uh the operational budget
for it this year. It's basically continuation of the efforts that we did last year. You notice that from 24 until now there is a a reduction in budget. Uh we basically keep negotiate renegotiating contracts. That's what we do. Uh we see opportunities. We are not
married with anybody. So when it comes to technology there is a B and Z. The C if it offers the best that's where we are heading. So uh 28 is looking similar already. We are starting to negotiate
already contracts for the following year as well. And as you know, the economy is not that great. So the more that we can get for every every dollar that we we spend, the better for the city. And that is money that can be used for services that are beneficial for the community.
Um we are also you are going to notice that some of the contracts that we do are on based on three-year contracts that is to best unlock the pricing. uh that gives us the leverage to basically manage the
budget in a better concise way. So uh many questions about it. Uh >> thank you. Um we'll open to questions. I just want to remind folks um we're here for a while and I you know make sure that we're not like at the end kind of asking no questions and at the very
beginning asking a lot of lengthy questions. Let's you know let's ask all the questions that we need. But I just want to flag for folks that sometimes we end up at the end wanting to ask no questions because we asked too many at the beginning. So just wanting to flag that for folks. But please councelor Rupo, you have the form.
>> I was just wondering I heard the city manager talk about the confidential business manager. Um does she already works for the city, right? Where she works is she works in the law department. >> She worked in the law department before counselor. uh she continues to be
physically out of the law department but is uh uh is doing a lot of work uh for the law department and also the IT department. >> So the question I wanted to ask is is this an addition to her pay? >> It is not. It is not council. >> I mean it's combined. >> It is combined.
>> So so this one won't affect this more or less this doesn't affect anything right? It's that's correct. Just >> changing a half and half. >> That's ex absolutely right. Yes. Yes sir. >> Okay. That's weird. Thank you. Anybody else? Councelor Sanicade. Yeah,
absolutely. >> Yeah, I had more comments than I had questions. So, I just wanted to commend you for uh the job with payroll and digitizing the payubs. I get that myself and the um employee access portal as well. And we haven't had any cyber
attacks that I know of. So, well done. and also uh your department seems so stable and the longevity payouts are a testament uh to it you providing I think a good place to work. So uh
congratulations with your um staff consistency. >> As a matter of fact, we uh we are being attacked last year alone 3,000 times. >> Whoa. See, and we didn't even know >> that's how we are being attacked. Breach zero. Congratulations.
>> So that that's what you don't that's why you don't know. So >> uh councelor Robinson >> could you give us a cost of what it cost us to maintain the licenses that we currently have that you provide to all of us?
>> In average we spend between five to 7,000 per user. That's how we classify uh 5,000 on the let's say counselors and smaller smaller departments up to other departments that are more effective with
tools. So I will say it's an average of 5,000 licenses that's cyber security, email, uh file service, printing services, uh and other contracts. The financial system is covered under that. I mean like uh council councelor Santaag
mentioned I mean we now have the employee access we have the transparency tools also as well we have a full transparent portal also um included so yes that's the cost >> thank you
>> Taylor councelor Taylor >> I I I don't have any questions I think everything's in line and I really have to say as I was as I was going through the budget um this this last week. Um, you know,
I I always make a big deal out of the city government being proactive and and this is one of my favorite departments because this is kind of all about being proactive and and I just I just have to salute you uh and especially for the the
information you just gave us about all the attacks and zero breaches. So, that's that's awesome. Um and and as far as uh you know being being flexible with uh uh you know
trying to trying to make up for you know this additional uh employee or half employee whatever it is. Uh I I I really commend you because this is the kind of thing that um that we need to kind of see as much as we can across the board.
I mean some places you can do it better than others but but my hats off to you. Thank you Ramon. >> I will say that I follow the steps of my city manager is about efficiency and maximizing resources. So every dollar that we spend has to be very well spent.
>> I'm I'm sure he'll get his additional kudos in due time. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you councelor Tesh. >> Thank you. Um I'm wondering what if any you know intent do we have uh in when it
comes to the potential implementation of any AI capabilities um in our former government are we intending to use any of it um what are your thoughts and if not then potentially why not >> for security reasons I am not going to mention the name but we are currently
working in two things one is the AI policy we have to have a policy in place on how to use it where to use it and we are already selected a tool to provide to all employees. It's a control AI with
that means is that for public records I have to submit also the all the chats that are being done in AI. So we are in that process I will say in the next few months you are going to see emails about it and how that is going to be released.
So you will be able to do uh proofing of documents and those type of things. It's just that we want to implement the tools so people are aware of what they can share on AI. I mean we want to keep our certain data confidential. I mean can
you imagine your social security posted on chat GPT? I don't think so. So we have to have some controls but it's is coming. Thank you >> councelor Coopra. >> I only have one question. What uh artificial intelligence is they're going
to replace jobs in your your opin your opinion now I'm not asking you if it is or I'm just asking your opinion in the future would they reduce the workload on your department >> this is a very good question uh few months ago I had a chat about it uh in
um in a conference it's not about replacing jobs it's about basically uh evolving resources today you are doing this on paper. You're writing tomorrow. You're going to have a tool that may help you how to write. Your
time and effort is going to be reduced time that can be used for other things. So, it's going to force the workforce to be developed specialized in other areas. So, it's not about replacing still AI is something that has to be guided by a
human. And if you see colleges now, they have AI courses. they have even a degree now in computer science. So people, my daughter for example is now encouraged to take a course in AI and she's only for electrical engineering. Why? Because
even though that role is going to change in the future so it's not about replacing per se, I think you're going to see an evolvement. Manufacturing is not about replacing the humans. It's about making them more efficient so they can do other tasks. So that's how I see it.
>> Thank you. All right, seeing no other questions, we'll move on to procurement. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, thank you, councilors. I'm here this evening to present to you the city's
procurement department budget for fiscal 27. Uh this office assists us all departments with the purchase of goods and services uh and helps us navigate the very complex bidding uh laws and regulations from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Inspector General's
Office. Uh for fiscal year 27, we have a reduction of one full-time uh position within the department uh which results in a savings of about $80,000. Uh the operating expenses for this department have been level funded with
some minor tweaks uh in between line items. Uh earlier this year we welcomed Lydia Koko as the city's new chief procurement officer. Uh Lydia has held several positions within the city and I'm sure she's no stranger to the council. Uh
she's been >> just really quick for counselors, we're on page 76. Uh Lydia has been doing amazing work for the city in her new position. Uh we'd be happy to answer any questions the council may have about the purchasing department. >> Councelor Tesh,
>> could you quickly explain what was the reason for the 88,000 saving? Did the position change? >> Um I'll take that one. Um we we when we um two years ago there was a significant amount of purchasing that was happening.
Uh it it was it was uh a lot due to federal funding um that we no longer have. Uh and and but on both sides on the school side and on the city side. Um so it was a position uh called uh assistant chief procurement officer. Uh
and um that that person left the city. Uh so we did not backfill that position. I have councelor Sanagate and councelor Okupar. >> Yeah, my question was connected to that I believe because in the personnel um
organizational structure etc. I see that there was an assistant procurement officer listed under the general fund but then that same person and title are under the school fund. So, is that
did the person move to um be paid by the school fund or is that totally separate from what you're talking about? >> It's totally separate. So, we we do have one person uh uh that is funded out of the the school department budget and that's Teresa. So, you'll see this in in
some of the of the budgets that we have where where uh um uh they sit on on uh uh on the city side, but they're they're uh um their salary comes out of another budget. So, uh uh and there's a few examples that you'll see uh uh uh over
these next few nights. Teresa is one person that she works for Lydia and is doing a lot of procurement obviously uh for the city and the schools but her her salary is funded out of the the school budget. >> Sorry, just just to quickly clarify that was assistant chief procurement officer
was the different person that was reduced because I I think the titles are just very similar and that's why the confusion but but they're different people. Okay, thank you councelor Rupo. Go ahead. >> Uh there's a joke. How many pencils you going to buy? But that's besides the point. I got a question. My question is
uh the maintenance equipment it went down. So you is that just in your office? No. So that would be for the whole city. We haven't had to use it. Uh we would like to keep the money in there just
because if the copers uh don't work and if it's not under the current contract uh we would still need to fix some. So but we since we haven't seen as much use from that line that is why we resisted by about $300 and we put
that money to better use in other lines. >> And the next one is a rental lease equipment. It went up. So we rented more stuff now. >> No. So that's just for the procurement office, but our contract is expiring in uh October and so we just wanted to
increase it by about 4% in case price goes up. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right, I think no more questions. Thank you so much. It's good to see you. >> Thank you so much. >> Moving on to permitting.
>> Um >> you're going to go to page 118. >> Thank you. Sorry. Okay. The um the sheet that we have has uh department numbers but not page numbers. So bear with us. Um
>> 118. Yep. >> Yeah. If we could have an Sorry, is this is this you or um for the next two nights if we could have them with page numbers that would be deeply appreciated. Thank you. We can do that. I'm excited to announce uh the permitting and land use planning
department tonight. Many of you are uh very familiar with the director John Der priest who I am happy and proud to introduce. I am sure he is also feeling quite happy that it is his last budget hearing with the city of Chelsea. Uh maybe some mixed emotions. Uh permitting
and land use planning is obviously the department that shepherds through all of your development, the permitting process. They touch every part of this city and and Mr. Derri has certainly walked every part of this city. Um you'll see uh very few changes. This is
a level funded department. Um one of our small but mighty teams um and and we're very excited about the direction of of permitting and land use under John Depri and and our and our incoming director as well. I'll turn it over to him um to expand on any of this or take any of
your questions. Thank you. Well, I'd just like to introduce to the uh council Will CCO who is a right now the land use administrator but will shortly become the director of permit. All right. Congratulations, Will. Thank you, John. I will now move on to
counselors. Councelor Vupro first and then let me let me know. I would like to thank you, John, for all the years you gave to the city and all the great work you have done. You will be missed very much by me and by the rest of the community and all of us. And uh
congratulation on your retirement. Very welld deserved and enjoy your life. Enjoy it to the fullest. >> Thank you, councelor. >> All right. Uh councelor Senate. Yes. >> I just had some comments. Um, I was pleased to see the start of the 2026
histo in 2026, the start of the historical preservation plan. As someone who lives in a home that uh the the first residential home in Bellingham Square, I think it's really important to
mark um and know the history of all the city. There's so much so great and for 2027 really incredible and lofty goals the 40R and the affordable housing
overlay district. Um excellent wishing you every success. John, you you will um be passing the torch to Will. So uh all the best to you. We've worked together for a long time. And uh I'll
miss you and congratulations Will. So you have some lofty goals to reach. >> Thank you. I probably should have written those goals out. I should have asked him before I wrote those goals. >> Councelor Tash.
>> Um so quick comment before I go ahead and ask my question. I also wanted to extend the gratitude um that I think we all feel out of the service that you have provided the city of Chelsea. I will say that, you know, every time that we did have any conversations having to do with issues regarding planning, you always carried yourself uh business only
and that's what I really appreciated. Um, you know, that being said, I I did wanted to just ask a quickly clarifying questions. I I see on uh uh contra contract services between the year 25 and 26 and now 27 there was that
increase between from 9,000 to 40,000. Can you just remind me what the increase of contract services? Um >> well the 9,000 is what was spent at in that year actual spent we actually had at by that time I believe it was 30,000
that was uh allowed for us it was raised to 40,000 because of you know increases in costs all that um I think this is the uh we will be spending the 40,000 this year >> and is that contract services what are
the kind of uh ordinary services the planning department. >> Uh in the in the past when it was first developed, it was to hire a person when when I was running the department by myself. It was to hire a person to help us write the decisions because the decision was a time consuming uh portion
of the you know it's a legal document that has to be recorded. So it took some time. So we had a lawyer working us for a short while. Um now it's uh we have an intern with us. Um his name is Adam Roy. He's from TUS and he's been uh we've been using the funds to have him with
us. >> Awesome. So, he's the one who's under a contract. >> Pardon? >> He He's the one >> he's the one on the contract services. Yes. >> Okay. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. I just have a quick question. I assume, you know, Will has been doing a lot of
work in his current role. So, as he steps in, uh we'll be back filling that role. Great. Thank you so much, >> Councelor Taylor. >> Yeah, I I think I think the budget looks right in line. Um and and uh you know, I
thank you for that. I just wanted to say on a on a personal note. Uh John, I over the years I've really appreciated uh the kind of vast knowledge and expertise that you have and especially
with this you this project coming up in Bradville. I mean there's a lot of moving parts and a lot of you know interesting things that you know we we we rely on that vast wealth of of knowledge. So I thank you for that. And on a on a personal on a personal note,
you know, I came up on the planning board and I learned a lot of stuff about housing from you and I I just wanted to thank you for that. It it's given me um kind of a a good knowledge base about what's really going on here. And I I
just wanted to say thank you and I wish you all the luck in the world. You're a great guy. Thank you. >> Thank you uh council. That uh learning was two-way. Uh I one of the things I always treasure is learning something new every day and working with not just with the boards but with these this council, previous council. You've been
so supportive of planning in general and I very much appreciate that and it's what made coming to work every day very enjoyable. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Oh, Council Robinson, sorry. Yeah, John, I'd personally like
to thank you for all the years and the relationship you and I had. And as Paul and I were out walking the community, who do we run out walking the community? John de Priest on on the goal of the 40R. Can you
mention what benefits that would bring to the city if the state actually sends it back to us? >> Closer to me, >> it'll bring a number of benefits. One is the increase in the number of housing not only for the uh residents who live there now but also for those um
workforce housing and for market rate housing as well. And then in addition to that there is benefits to the city once we adopt the zoning we are eligible for an incentive grant for hiring it and I believe it's at the rate of 3,000 per extra unit that's can be developed
there. And then once the building permits start being issued, we're eligible for for addition additional funding and that's usually helps us with infrastructure needs that around the area. And then there's a mixed juice involved here. So there will be uh allow
for some commercial uh development in there in an area that doesn't have a lot of commercial use. >> Thank you, John. >> Thank you so much. Seeing no further questions, um we will move on to the police department. Thank you, John.
>> You're gonna go to page 132. >> Counselor, thank you very much. >> Yeah. Thank you so much. >> Can we say thank you to John? Stand up and give him >> a hand. You're you're you're making it hard to leave. >> He's uh he's got another two months,
too. So, not leaving quite yet. I'm sure the first day that you don't have to have an alarm will be uh will make you rethink coming back. >> I told my wife the first m month I'm not doing anything. No alarms, no calendars, nothing. >> Amazing. Thank you so much. All right.
So, uh 132 for police. >> 132 for police. And with us is our amazing um police chief, Chief H. Hot. Hotton. Um I will not do any introductions to this budget because uh it's a hard one. Go
ahead, Chief. Uh Mr. President and honorable council, uh glad to be here with you tonight um uh to go over the budget for this upcoming fiscal year. Obviously, as the city manager said, uh it's uh we're a very fluid organization with a lot of
moving parts. Um uh but you know, I'm very proud of our department. We've uh made great strides in um reducing crime and uh uh engaging youth and uh working in neighborhoods and you know fulfilling
our mission of uh engagement over enforcement and the budget definitely uh obviously reflects all our our needs. Uh a very dynamic community and a uh outstanding uh bunch of young police officers. uh our department has really
uh significant significantly got younger over the last few years. Uh I think since I've been chief there's been 30 new officers uh on the job probably at the average age in their 20s. So you're going to have a great agency long after I'm gone. Uh it's probably best I just
have you ask questions on the uh the budget if anything uh sticks out. Any questions on the police budget? Uh, councelor recuper, >> right? We're we're budgeted for 115, including myself. Uh, we have three in
the academy council. Same thing. It's fluid. We have two uh that just retired. Uh, I believe we're at one. We have um one that's going to be transferring, one that's um leaving to go to the uh a federal agency, the ATF.
Um so we're actively seeking to uh replace those with two laterals. I believe we're at uh 110. I've always told the city manager, my goal is to get to the 115. We never seem to get there because of retirement or people leaving, but we're we're we're much healthier now
than we have been over the last few years numbers wise. >> Is that why longevity went down? probably. Yeah, longevity is definitely based on years of service. Like someone like me with 40 or most offices less than five that that's definitely relates to that.
>> Thank you, >> Councelor Taylor. >> Thanks for coming, Chief. Um, I have I have one question here that kind of just kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, and it's on the uh kind of
the first uh the first page there and it's under crime related incidents. That seems to be the only category that went up but everything else went down. Crime >> the categorizing of incidents is a uh
lengthy and complicated process because you have to go through what the state considers a crime and what the federal government uh considers a crime. So, our crime related incidents are they are more of the calls we respond to that a an alleged crime has occurred uh
but didn't result in an arrest or at that point at least. That's an officer responding to a call right now that someone may have broken into their vehicle. Uh officers responding to a person that fled shoplifting. Those are the calls that again did not result in
an action or at an action at the time of the incident. So, would you would you say that these are mostly kind of more on the petty uh petty crime? If you could say that, you know what I'm trying to say. >> No, I know what you're trying Exactly.
Yeah. I'm very happy it's not serious crime, but anything uh as you all know from your constituents, if someone breaks into your car, right, it's but it is uh there would be more on the misdemeanor uh end where a felony would be much more uh on our end that we would
assign a detective to the followup. Some some cases are just unsolvable at the >> minor or or just too too many to >> Exactly. You know, >> and we're hoping that that our neighborhood efforts and offices engage kind of quell it that way. >> Right. That I mean that's what I kind of
thought that it was. Do you do you do you find that that's a useful category to to track? >> It's useful in uh crime uh analyst division because they can track trends in a neighborhood. So if we did have multiple car breaks at certain hours, it
alerts it alerts us to put our resources to that location. >> And is there anything that you might attribute that to or what's your what what's the analyst best guesstimate on on why why why those incidents have have gone up? I think any urban area, I think
any uh like crimes of opportunity, a lot of them are just leaving their doors open and people I've been a victim of that, not in this city and another city. Uh shoplifting has always been that's one of our huge issues with Home Depot and uh you know TJ Maxx. Uh that's
always been an issue and and sometimes it's the way we categorize it and we're doing much better categorizing correctly where it should be placed in the um tabs tabulations. >> Um I'll let some other counselors go first. >> Councelor Sneaggate.
>> Hi Chief. Um I had a question about software just because it looks like um a license is going to increase in cost and I was wondering what it was. >> Our department is run on many different platforms you know whether our record
management system uh which I don't believe it is this line item we have software for our body cameras. We have software for uh cameras within the city that uh that the city of Boston and the region use. All those are licensed. There's there's nothing that we some
things we don't own outright. You we have a product, but you still have to purchase licensing for the year to keep the upkeep, the upgrades and things of things like that. >> So, you have new stuff and maybe >> maintaining and upgrading and there's
always uh fees associated. >> Great. Um Aside from that question, we work closely together. Uh I'm the subcommittee chairperson for public safety also in a district where there is uh high rates of crime. And I just
wanted to uh commend you all for your youth hub initiative and the downtown task force, both of which I'm involved with, and see firsthand what you do um for the city. So congratulations on that work. And as far as your uh future goals, I think expanding the traffic
unit by another officer is an excellent use of money. Um knowing how much uh how many problems we have with that. Um and also the um I'm very interested in the unmanned aerial system and what
that can do. I know that even having a drone for the fire department has really been useful. So I'm hoping that will be the same with that expenditure. >> The drone will be very helpful if we finally have the uh it has to go through so many layers with the federal government then state passed down through the state government. Uh EOPS
executive office of public safety did sign off on it. Uh ours will be different than the fire department. Ours will be more robust uh aerial tied to our system to respond to calls. uh when you're bringing up extra traffic officers, uh you you see what goes on in
the summer with mopeds and motorized vehicles. We can't chase them. Someone will get hurt, but the drone's the perfect tool. We uh Re's getting one. Everett, we were going to jointly if it went into another community. Let the drone follow the the person home. Then
we'll we'll seize the bike peacefully without people getting hurt. Uh one other thing that the captain did notify me, this is for uh the first question. A lot of our non-rime the crime related calls a lot of them happen because of car accidents. Uh so they're not violent. They may not be people breaking
into cars. It's someone technically running a stop sign, striking somebody. A lot of hit and runs. So that's also part of that large uh group there. We have our traffic flow through the city is crazy as you know. >> Councelor Taylor, do you have something
or Councelor Tesh, >> thank you for being here. So I am aware that um you know as you mentioned the police has cameras throughout the city that that um are primarily run by by the
police department. Um there are however um you know some areas where the only cameras that we or footage that we have access to is of uh property owners. um you know what's I'm wondering what's the extent of that and and should we be
taking any you know u precautionary measures to try to um at least have an eye in most of our streets um you know considering how sometimes incidents happen and the person who has access to a camera will not turn over or will not
cooperate with the police. Do do you see that kind of as a as a problem or is that >> I can tell you every serious incident we have uh our administrative staff one of our offices is amazing at tracking you know prior to the event during the event
into another community. We are linked in a lot of ways to other cities with like they call it the flock camera system license plate readers. Um, our last four homicides were all solved by uh admin division in our real crime center tracking stuff. Most people do cooperate
with the police with their private cameras. The issue they have is they worry about being part of a potential like case. And we kind of tell them in my 40 years, no one's ever came after somebody for providing video. They don't even know where it comes from. A lot of
cases don't make it to trial. I think maybe one or two times we had to actually get a search warrant. If it if it goes up to that level, we will get a search warrant for the uh for to seize the video if need be. But that is once or twice in the last like 10 years. Uh
believe me, everything is on video whether private ring cameras, our cameras, uh it's pretty tough to get away with anything at least in the area. And just for the record, we only keep video for 30 days. >> That's it rewrites itself. I know a lot
of people are privacy concerns. We don't store it unless it was used in a a crime. We will we would pull that video, take it out. But a lot of people come in 31 days because they were away and their car may have gotten hit. It's it's already re uh uh read over wrote over
itself proper if I'm saying it properly, but it's it's pretty much gone to protect everybody's uh civil liberties. It's It's not used for any uh continuous action. >> Thank you, Chief. Councelor Rabra. Um Mike, please. Mike,
>> I have two questions, Chief. One is I see your cars. You 100%. So, it means we didn't get no new cars. No, we are get we are This is the capital. >> I think that's is that capital budget? >> Is that the capital budget? >> So, so that's we're not that's not under
discussion now, right? Because that's separate. It says police expenditure, >> reverend. No, I think it's just that's a capital budget expense and we're not talking capital budget today, right? >> Yes. So, in the past uh uh it was built into the budget, but this year it was not. It was funded out of free cash outside of the budget.
>> So, this is not part of it. >> This is not part of it this year. >> All right. Another question I wanted to ask you. Uh how many officers are we have injured? >> Are you like out, you know, out? >> Are you able to say it if you don't want to say it?
>> No, no. We we uh I mean we're a public agency. We have offices. We have uh uh two on long-term. One is going through the retirement system and that's just uh you know they they go through the state regulations. Uh we have another officer
that's been out long term and we're working with HR and how to um bring that person back quicker or uh make other uh measures to uh correct it. what our job like the fire department officers get injured. Most of the time they're short-term injuries. Uh a couple of
times we've had officers break fingers and you know strain themselves, but they're usually back quick as possible. So we have two long-term uh people out right now, which is uh probably the least we've had in a long time. >> I I asked you that simple question because maybe you should hire more to
compensate for the ones that are out. No, we agree. And that's why we always try to get close to that number because we're never going to be at like in the best case scenario, no one ever gets injured, no one ever gets sick. Someone's going to be injured, someone's going to be sick. That's just part of
the job. >> Thank you. Let's do Councelor Hines and then Councelor Taylor. >> How's it going, Chief? >> Hello. Just to go back a little bit, you mentioned footage and I I I'm the guy who keeps asking about um um for uh what
is it? Public records requests. Those are still on CDs. Any >> any >> Yes, it's it's more of a cost measure. And if people bring a thumb drive in, we will provide it on a thumb drive. Uh that's the issue. I know CD technology,
it's uh it's like having it on a VHS tape. I I agree. Uh I did speak to my admin and they said just the cost of someone coming in to supply them a thumb drive every time they want you know especially a lot of people want hours of footage it it's uh timeconuming but we
do offer them uh if you bring it in we will put it on that that device Taylor and then councelor Brown after. So, so one of your FY27 goals caught my
eye and that is to develop a 24 officer civil disorder unit. Um, can you talk to us a little bit more about that? And is is is do you guys know something we don't know or >> No, it's uh it's been in the planning.
Um, obviously today's climate we never know and it's a regional effort. uh our offices have already we've already started the training with the city of the Lynn uh Reier and Everett are also going to go to it. So we have a pool uh you never can plan on something and right now it's
only the city of Boston and the state police. Uh if you remember during the COVID times during uh some of the protests they were thin we sent officers over to Boston not trained properly and we all want to be on the same page. All the the region wants everybody to be
trained. if we have to go to Boston, have to go to Everett, they come to Chelsea, god forbid, uh the commander, everybody's on the same sheet of music that everybody understands the same commands. So that's what it's for. It's just sadly it we've had years ago we've had it. It's just coming back and it I
think it's needed. Hopefully never used, but needed. I I the the reason why why I bring it up is is I I think it's I think it's actually a good deal, a good thing to do. Um, you know, I I I I've worried both publicly and privately about some
of the some of the goings on and how people uh oftentimes get carried away in in in in one thing or another. So, um, you know, you can you can kind of see we're we're we're we're drifting a little bit in that direction. So, I I
I'm I'm glad I just wanted to know a little bit more about uh I'm glad it's a regional effort. >> It's a regional effort. Yes. Thank you, >> Councelor Brown. And then councelor Robinson. >> Thank you. Appreciate your time, Chief, and your offices for being here today.
Again, I read a lot of your initiatives and, you know, I just want to comment um being out there seeing you you folks out in the communities, whether it's with the um youth and the gyms, the walks in the park, the streets. um I you know
conversate with the residents and the initiatives that you have forward and and suggest for goals moving forward meets the budget and also what we as counselors would like to see because the feedback that we get from the the feedback that I have been receiving from
the residents whether it's you know watching folks in the parks or just uh attending things up at the high school with the youth and the you know their time off um when they're on vacation. I really appreciate your effort and what you do and you know it's really great
that you know um the initiatives are already in motion and and doing some of the things that we would like to see to continue to engage our community and neighbors um even with the churches and stuff. Um it's very wellreceived and you know um it's it's really tight. We all
saw the story in the Boston Globe today regarding the budget. Uh, but I see your budget is um tight tight and come in with what you're trying to do in our community to make sure that we have the public safety that the residents feel
safe and and also no lack of days ago. So, no agency I believe is perfect, but I believe that you guys are doing a great job. You guys and women are doing a great job on what we asked you to do, and it's the spirit of what I like to see. Thank you. >> Thank you, councelor.
Thank you, councelor Ricupro and then councelor Hines. One last two two last questions. One, are you going to bring dogs back? Do we have any dogs? >> We we have a comfort dog cash. Um I feel uh strongly that the traditional German
Shepherd K9 is not the best use of police resources in an urban city. Um the connotations with them are not first of all there's a lot of training. I'll use a line from uh former Chief Frank Arvin. You might as well send the dog to Harvard because that's how much
schooling the dog gets and he's never in the city or she's never in the city. Uh comfort dog. I would get another comfort dog that is uh Cash who's assigned to the elementary complex is incredible. Um it has multi-purposes
and trauma with young kids. We're trying to engage with youth. It's the it's the best tool uh to engage with youth is uh the comfort dog. And uh most of these around us are going away from the traditional German Shepherd type of canine. >> I think the coun council would need the comfort duck to be here the next two
nights, please. Um if possible. Um we can do that. And the last do you have a followup? >> Yeah. The last question is did you ever think about getting a horse patrol? >> The horse patrol? Wow. Okay. I don't not a lot of green area unless they were on the state property of Mario Park. The
Boston police got rid of theirs about six or seven years ago. They actually donated them to the New York City Police Department. So only the state police I believe there may be uh New Bedford or some place down Fall River may still have a horse unit, a mounted unit, but um even Boston doesn't have a mounted
unit anymore. >> Thank you. Uh, Councelor Hines, >> I just want to echo similar sentiments as my fellow counselor, Councelor Brown, and express an appreciation for the involvement that you guys have in the community, um, and the community service initiatives you guys have put forth to
be in certain areas of the community, in the schools, in the churches, grab, have a coffee with a cop. Like these are like really wonderful initiatives. Could you just speak a little to >> Oh, absolutely. That's just my um uh I would say it's my purpose in policing.
It's always been the community engagement even in the 80s when community engagement was not very popular. My my goal is the younger the better like these young individuals here even younger than these uh students back here. You start building that positive
trust when they're five, six, seven, eight years old. Uh we have a food truck that's going to be coming online along with our ice cream truck. So, we'll be able to uh do a lot more seasonal engagement beyond ice cream season. Um I just my whole thing's always been
engagement over enforcement and every interaction should be positive. You know, an officer one year of 40 years, it's if you take a year and condense it, it's probably five minutes of like times that you have
to make horrific arrests. You're wrestling somebody. 99.9% of the time you get to talk to somebody and make a difference. And that is the truth. It's that so it's 1% less than 1% 99% of the time that's how you build your community and make it safer and make it more uh
engaged with our offices. And uh I think a younger department which we have different mindset, more educated, more into the community engagement, it's um it makes a huge difference. Councelor Garcia and then Councelor Robinson.
>> Okay. My question super brief. Um Chief, thank you so much for being here and thank you to the officers who are also here present. Um my question is around details. I noticed there are a lot less details uh this year and
um I'm worried about that. Um and it and can you speak a little bit more on on that? Is it because we paused the construction? I I'm sure that's a big part of it, right? Oh, I think uh people in um Broadway are very happy that there's not as many details on >> the flip side, right?
>> It is driven by uh construction. >> Uh there's no there's no question about that. Uh but we have mutual aid agreements with cities as far out as Haveril that offices Cambridge, we probably had offices working in Cambridge and Winthre. Uh there's always
details. I'm happy that traffic is flowing a little easier in Chelsea uh this summer. And I will say councelor that that 2027 is going to be awful for details. We are going to have uh in a good way I guess in a good way. Yes. Exactly. We we uh
which actually was the case in 2024 when uh uh when 2020 2024 was happening if you remember we had a a upper Broadway was happening >> while downtown Broadway was happening and and um >> we had so many calls that that we
couldn't fill them and it was causing a challenge on the street. uh uh 2027 is going to be like that where uh uh we are coming back uh and we're finishing uh downtown Broadway and we are also starting Park and Pearl. So, it's going to be a little rough.
>> Okay. >> Yeah, there's always time. And remember, we had the tunnel closure compounding everything else we had going on a couple of years ago that caused gridlock all day. So, um yeah, as the city manager said, we're prepared moving forward. Uh
it's it's tough trying to get navigate vehicles who don't they don't know where they're going. Everybody's just focused on their um ways and if it takes them down a one-way street and ways took them down the oneway street because we switched it. It's it gets a little confusing but our offices uh we'll handle it.
>> Awesome. Um >> if we can get through the tunnel closure we can get through anything. >> Sorry. Go ahead. >> Um no actually I'll save my question. I know we are two minutes um away from our hearing from our fire chief but thank you so Thank you. >> I have councelor Robinson and then councelor the hesus.
>> Yeah, I'm I'm happy to see that you're bringing back the civil disorder unit and actually had the opportunity to see it firsthand on Warren Avenue a few years back. We had the incident on Warren Avenue across the street from me
>> where a person um kind of lost it a little bit with the firearm. I've never seen so many units come to Chelsea to respond to that incident led by the Chelsea Police Department. So, I think
it's very appropriate and all the training that is do you at St. Rose and doing some of the things at the schools I think is very helpful for people. >> No, I think we're way ahead of the curve when it comes to training active shooters. There was one out in San Diego
today. Yes. At a mosque. Uh I think other departments follow us. Uh we had the uh regional training this past summer. Uh this past fall I guess it would have been at the elementary complex with all surrounding uh cities.
Uh we're also part of a tactical SWAT team because you have to prepare for the worst and work constantly and train constantly with uh regional assets to make sure we're all on the same page. >> Thank you. Sarasus.
>> Thank you, Mr. President. Hello, Chief. Thank you so much for your work. >> Um, my question is more about staffing. I'm curious to know um how, you know, has it uh compared to previous years, has it been easier to get more Chelsea
local folks? I'm assuming yes. And the second part to that is um I see that there are a lot of diverse officers on the team. Um are you finding yourself um having challenges with language barriers. I mean, I myself am Latina,
but my Spanish is not very good-looking sometimes. So, but I want to make sure that um if that's the case, um are we incentivizing some of the officers that we're relying heavily on to communicate whenever it's a Spanish call that's coming through? >> That's always been an issue. Even when
we were probably 95% not Spanish speaking, we there's so many different dialects. I've learned from the officers who are from Puerto Rico and they deal with someone from El Salvador who lived in a village and they barely understand each other. I'm thinking they're talking and it's it's a struggle. And we have
more languages than just Latino. I is there's all sorts of languages and that we even have the possibility with our body cameras if we choose to uh purchase the next option. You press the button and it does how many language? It's it's amazing. Every language I
could talk to you in Swahili and you're gonna I'd understand it on the way back. It's uh yeah, it's part of the body the body cameras are evolving to that level. Other cities >> that's already included in the >> it's not included in this year's budget. It's something that we're we're looking into, but we have not had we have
language lines and uh I I don't recall the last time we had an issue with a language problem that caused any disscent toward the police or someone getting hurt or uh total miscommunication. >> Okay. My other question is I know that
we've changed the shift. Are there any updates on how this new shift has been going? >> It's the first year. The shift is uh well I it's for I think it's excellent for your first point about recruiting officers and having new Chelsea officers want come on the job. I think that's
two-part. One is uh you know we talked about co and the protests that we lost a lot of officers because of that. The things and because of the officers what they do in the city have made policing a a career that a lot of young people who
live here want to do um and the four and four shift is better for their lifestyle. We've had detectives leave the detective unit which is a conventional five day on two day off because they want to spend more time with their family. So um it's definitely
it's the it's the national model now. There's not many departments that do not have this shift. >> That's awesome. Um my last two questions I'll bundle into one is more on sustain sustainability. So, when we're thinking about the rising
personnel and contractual costs statewide, what are you most concerned of in the near future? And um how does that like how can how should the city be preparing for that for those costs?
>> Well, I think uh the since the city manager came on, the city manager was the uh you know architect of the four and four. Uh, I believe he gave the best contract for the workers behind me since I've been here in 40 years. Uh, maybe during receiverhip when the government
gave us a raise. Uh, it's competitive. Uh, we're losing one officer to other cities make different money, other cities may, you know, we have two may want to go to another city, but we have always people who want to come here, which is a good thing. So, um, I don't think we're going to have that issue. Uh
we've actually budgeted when I first became chief we were really short-handed and I had to take laterals at their salary level like they were a Chelsea police officer. I can take younger officers at a much lower rate of pay that because they want to be here
and we can tap into college police departments now. We signed into thatou which allows people to leave but allows us to bring people in. So I think it's kind of a wash. I don't think we're gonna have an issue with uh with like a huge de deviated like that we're out of
line with other area police departments. >> That's it. >> Thank you, Chief. I think we're all set. >> All set. Well, thank you. >> Moving on to fire, which is page 148. >> Thanks, Chief. >> Thank you, Chief. Good job. Page 148.
And Fire Chief Queri is coming up the way up. Um we'll give him a second and similarly I will let our fire chief introduce the budget.
Thank you. >> All right. Good evening. Thank you uh for the opportunity to speak tonight. Um this budget um reflects our continued plan to manage uh the implementation of engine 4 which was a a major step uh for
our department. Um you know that engine has proven to be uh significant um in helping us to um meet the demands the service demands of the
city. Um it's it's enhanced our response efficiency. It's reduced response time citywide. It's done everything that we we had thought it would do. Um so the budget, this budget has two new positions uh funded as part of a plan to
bring our staffing up um to manage the cost of that engine. Uh so we're at we're currently at 104. The additional two firefighters will bring us to 106, but we also have a grant that we applied for through Mass Gaming um that uh paid
for two additional firefighters. So, um with this the two additional in this next budget, it'll bring us to a total of 108 uh total personnel. >> Any questions? Great. Councelor Senette, please.
>> Hello, Chief. >> Hello. >> Um, just commenting on the work you've been doing. Um, the drones and engine 4 and the residents assistant. All great work. And, um, 2027 goals, the specialized
vehicle for the mobile command post. I'm really looking forward to having that in the city. that will help so much too when there's an emergency with people um who have been displaced. So I think that's something that will be used for
as well, right? That >> Yeah. So that that'll be a true multi-purpose vehicle. Um as much as we need that it fires, it'll have a compressor uh system on it for us to fill our breathing air bottles, which we currently do not have. It'll um have
room to fit eight to 10 residents to get them out of the weather when needed, >> but it'll also have the capacity to store equipment on it. It'll have a generator on board, lights. Um it can be used for community events. Um it the and
it'll be a vehicle that doesn't get used every single day. So I think we we we could see a 25 to 30 year use out of that one truck. Yeah, it really I think will be a wonderful addition. So, having seen and what we've had to do in the
past as far as getting a bus or whatever and so that's great that we'll have something also uh upgrading the insurance services was very interesting to me to read about especially if it could lower the premiums for residents. So, I was happy to see that as well.
>> Yep. So, we had our first uh review in October um and the uh ISO um is currently um getting ready to do a second review. So, we're very close. Um so, we have to
score at least 90 um on their rating chart. I think last time we went for a review, we were 83. So, we need to make up seven points. And I think uh especially with the addition of engine four, I think we're going to be very
close. Um so um the second review will be a more thorough review. They don't hand out a class one rating uh very easily, but um you know, we're hopeful that we're going to uh we'll have the uh the points to get there.
>> Councelor Tesh, >> hi. Good to see you, Chief. I wanted to ask regarding the uh uh battery plant facility. U I thought that the fire department was getting a bit of a I don't know if you consider a stipen or a
little financial um support when it comes to preparing um you know for whatever potential hazard it may pose. Is is is that true or is the department of financial >> or is that just through the through the community plan community agreement? Yes,
it's it's through the community benefits agreement. >> Okay. And is it like a specific amount um going to the fire department or is that just uh >> for what whatever the board decides? >> It it's for whatever the board decides. It it uh it's it's roughly $600,000 a
year. Uh but but it starts um once the once the project is live. Um right. So So um luckily the project is underway. they they have demolitioned the the old building. Uh and and they they believe
they're going to be fully online by 2028, so in two years. Uh >> which is really exciting for me because that one project alone will add $1.5 million in in in tax revenue. Uh plus this this uh $600,000 on top of that. It
will help a lot. >> Got it. Thank you, Councelor Deesus. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um, hello Chi. Thank you so much for the work you have been doing. >> Um, my question is, uh, regarding a new program you have, if you could just walk
me through the new resident assistance program and how that sort of works out. >> Sure. So, um, one of the things I realized early on when I became chief is, uh, as you well know, we had a pretty rough year with fires and, uh,
there was a definite gap between you know, after the fire was out, getting uh residents temporary housing and then how to get them back in to their homes if they if we could. There was always questions. Um so this unit was put
together. Um they have a probably a a 10page list of check off list of things they inspect after every fire. And uh the goal there is to give the property owner or the resident a copy of what needs to
be done in order for them to get back in to their residence. Um which will always seem to be the the question, you know, the next day. What do we need to do? Um the other part of that is there's always a need uh for residents to get back in
to uh a building after a fire. I mean, obviously they want to get whatever belongings they can get. This unit helps with that. Um, and I can tell you the fire we had on Cottage Street, um, the second floor resident had an appointment
the following day, um, I believe with, uh, it had to do with her immigration status and all her paperwork was in that apartment. Um, and I'm happy to say that they were able to go in the next day and they found everything she needed for that appointment. So,
>> thank you, Chief. Um, I think that's my only question. And again, thank you for your work and, you know, the attention to detail that your team um, along with other departments, you know, coming together. Truly, what we do
in Chelsea after a fire, you don't see anywhere else. So, extremely grateful for your department and all the hard work that you guys do. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Thank you, Chief. I think that's all the Oh, Councelor Hines, go ahead. Chief, could you first off, how's it going?
>> Good, good, thanks. >> Could you speak to um the uh record management system first due just a little bit? >> Yep. So, um the system that we have been using probably for the last eight years uh is no longer supported. Um we're
still using it in fire prevention just for fire details, but we've managed to get everything else onto this new system. This is a state-of-the-art. Most of the fire departments in this area are switching to this uh records management
system. Um, and I would say it it's there's a lot of work that's gone into it. We're probably using about 70% of the platform altogether. So, we still have some work to do. Um, but um, we do
all of our incident reporting on it. Um, we do all of our scheduling, our overtime. Um, it manages all of that, our hiring. Um, so it's been it's been a great and the old system that we were
using is is starting to fail. So, uh, that timing was pretty good switching to the new system. >> All right, I think now we're all set. Thank you so much, Chief. >> Thank you. Moving on to emergency management, page 162. >> 162.
>> Welcome, Steve. >> Thank you, counselors. Um, I will let Steve take it away. >> Thank you, sir. Good evening. Thank you for having me. Um, thank you. So as you folks know from previous
>> page number 162 >> from previous presentations the um office of emergency management is divided into three divisions uh emergency management emergency communications the 911 dispatch center and technical services. Um emergency
management division provides training uh planning exercise support logistical support for planned unplanned events and emergencies. Um during emergency incidents, I assume the role of a logistics lead and provide a support in the field. Uh one of the successful
programs to mention is our continuous refresher of ICS incident command training for police, fire, and public safety and public service staff in the city. And you'll see that obviously in the booklet. uh the emergency communications division that provides the 911 dispatch services to our police,
fire, EMS, and various other city agencies, especially for off-hour notifications. And the technical services division provides maintenance and operational coordination for the city's municipal fire alarm system, all the red fireboxes that you see, as well as all the 2A
radio systems for all the agencies in the city in the city. As far as the FY27 budget, um, for the most part it's level funded. Some expense lines may have went up a little, others have, uh, decreased. So, um, and I can also speak, um, I want
to elaborate a little bit on number two. So, the 911 dispatch, as you folks know, is, uh, regionalized, going to be regionalized. We have about 13 and a half months left. And as far as timelines and the progression, everything is seems to be on target.
even the buildout of the McKinley school. Um there was recently some pictures of some of the renovation, the beginning of the renovation um inside and removal of the uh interior of the school. So the target date for that is July 1 of 27. Um and on that date at 7
a.m. in theory, our dispatchers will move into the regional center. But prior to that, what we're working out and at the next board meeting we're going to discuss as one of the topics is cross trainining, which is very important. So, uh, the regional director and myself pretty much have to come up with a date
that makes sense to actually start regional cross trainining so that my folks learn what happens over there and her folks learn what happens in Chelsea. And we've been working closely with the police and fire chief, all six of them, as far as blending the procedures together so that it's a smooth
transition. So, with that, um, any questions? >> Thank you, Steve. Councelor Senate. Hello, Mr. Stafia. Um, I was interested
in your goal um for updating the um EOCC's citywide plan. Yes. So, um that's a generic uh caption if you will. So, in the EOC, I have white booklets for all the citywide plans. Um they range from evacuation,
shelter, housing, transportation, reunification, continuity of operations, continuity of govern government and etc. Um so each of those plans are um all pretty a couple of them I should say are complete the rest of the majority of them are in
mid-stage in which I'm working with various departments to complete them. Like any plan that's ongoing um you know folks change contact information changes and so on. U but that's that's kind of the goal is for this next year is to is
to complete them and get them to a point where they're complete and they just need to be refreshed as information changes and they are they're located in the EOC and more than welcome to take a peek at them. >> Thank you uh councelor Garcia and then councelor Brown.
>> Steve, hi Steve. Um can you share a little bit about the expenses if any required uh during the big move for July? >> Actually the and again there should be no expenses. Um the way it works is through the state 911 through the grant
program. The grant pays for the move for the transition. Um for example in the technology end of it um as we merge uh the radio system or the fire alarm system for example or even the computer systems and so on that has all been identified as well as the cost and it's
in two-phase grants that are happening. So we'll know actually next month on the phase one grant um that everything in theory will go through but that's all paid for through the grants. >> Incredible. Thank you. >> Yep. >> Councelor Brown.
>> Thank you Mr. Chairman Steve, um, thanks again the work you do. I always see you around. You're always at events and when you're not working. So, I appreciate your commitment not only to your job and dedication, but also to our city to make sure that people if they have questions,
they can ask you in a setting that they feel comfortable with. Um, we talked a lot, you talk a lot about the merge and stuff and it's somewhat, you know, in operation force, but can you tell me how how how's things going with the residents from Chelsea, the Chelsea residents and workers and stuff, how how
are they adapting to all the new stuff >> with regards to the regionalization? >> Yes, >> there's been no issue that I'm aware of at all. >> Okay. I know during the voting period to the city council had taken >> there was some questions some concerns that were here
>> publicly after that month. >> I haven't heard of anything. >> So the staff is still you know members. >> Yeah to to give credit the staff has come around um and they're working toward regionalization. So they buy into
the operation to fulfill your goals and you know uh and what's the under your leadership with the three components here what's the um what's the employee ratio how many employees we talking >> that I currently have? >> Yes.
>> Yeah. So we are um we're we have a delta I should say a minus of uh three right now that we're short. So, we normally would have 13 full-time dispatches, two supervisors, >> and myself. Um, currently we have 10 full-time dispatches, two supervisors,
and we just brought on a PDM dispatcher. >> Okay. >> So, but we're down three, and we So, what happened to those three? Were they they moved, they retired? Why are we down three >> in this business? And you'll find this whether it's regionalization or not very
tough um in the dispatch business to um keep dispatches a lot of times it's a stepping stone for police, fire, um other types of public safety and service jobs. >> Um so we see not as a matter of fact maybe
one year I was here I've had a total of 13 or 14 and that lasted a couple of months. >> Um but never am I really at full staff. >> Okay. And when you talk to other directors, they'll tell you the same thing. >> Last part of the question. So, where's the three positions that you're looking to hire in this budget? I just didn't
see that. >> They Well, by the time this was written, they it may be um it may show different names that already gone, but yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Right. Any one of these vacant spots. Okay. That are in the last page.
>> Yeah. And we're actively hiring. In fact, uh um you made offer to to two employees recently who are working through the process, right? I mean, if you know anyone that that is is interested to be a dispatcher, we're actively hiring. >> Correct. So, so one started today, the
PDM, and then next Tuesday after the holiday, a full-time employee starts. >> Okay. Thank you again for your >> No problem, >> counselor deos. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh first and foremost, Steve, thank you so much. We
are so lucky to have you. you are. When I think of Steve, I really >> I really think about like the glue to all the departments in the midst of chaos >> and that's hard. >> Um and so we're very grateful for the work that you do. Um
>> council counc >> I often think about um my questions in the form of like prevention or intervention and I know with you it's it's naturally often just intervention, right? like you're entering that space. And also with with this um with the
previous structure, it there was no room for you to really think about that long term where now you have all these projects that we can really start thinking about that long term and really start um thinking about that uh prevention and planning and all of that. Um, and in a community like Chelsea
where so many in in the population are um very vulnerable and um and and often disconnected from these emergency plans. Um I'm curious to to know if you know what's in the works for that. Like what
are you thinking? What are you planning? Um even though we've regionalized and and and also regionalized, right? like how are we continuing to maybe use some of that model um in some other areas so we can continue to increase resources
and save money at the local level. Um but really just I I want to hear more of like what are your plans in terms of this new space that you have to actually breathe and and think further ahead? >> Yeah, thank you. No, good question. So, um, once regionalization is
complete, um, true, I'll have these other two divisions to be able to focus on, um, and I'm lucky enough, and thank you, Supervisor Koulian is here, who takes care of the municipal fire alarm system, uh, which in itself is is a hard job. He does a great job at that. Um, on
the emergency management side of it, as far as talking about plans, uh, public outreach, uh, education, and so on, um, I definitely plan on expanding that. We do currently work closely with HHS for example tomorrow night is the heat summit seminar that we're going to have.
So it would be nice to have more of those type of seminars to educate the public on all these various types of plans that we have. Another thing with a little feather in our cap and you've heard it from both of the previous chiefs. We are so much ahead on our public safety in the city of Chelsea
compared to other communities. They actually look toward us. So, for example, when the police chief spoke about active shooter, hostile event type training, we take it a step further. I'm continually doing this incident command and incident management refresher with our public safety staff. It's now
spilled over, which River had called and asked if I could host an EOCC incident management class for their public safety folks as well as Winthre. So, one of the things that you'll probably see down the road is even regionalizing emergency management, emergency coordination with
other communities and bringing that all together. Safety net's another one. Um, and we just had an activation over the weekend. Um, safety net is an investment that originally the fire chief had found. The bracelet originally designed for elder
folks. Um, and in Chelsea, it's more popular on on young u children. And uh we're up to I think over 20 residents now that have the safety net. Um, and that's a program that we'll expand on. Um, and works very well.
My last question is um kind of related to you, but also I know you share that responsibility with other departments with the ARPA being absorbed and a lot of these resources not being available the way that we were able to
provide services in in the past. What what are some of your biggest concerns with what our community members were able to benefit from the bene like if you were to rate it like what would if there's a way which which is your biggest concern
>> really the only one that would that would touch me or does touch me is the um emergency sheltering piece of it so when I had come into it and we solved this problem of what happens after fire flood type of event and we hit a home run with the program what What we've been talking about behind the scenes is
is expanding that uh we talk about homelessness and sheltering and not just for a disaster, but believe it or not, we get calls for all kinds of situations in which somebody may need to be sheltered and whether that's one night shortterm or helping them long term. So,
one of the ideas is to expand that program if it's under emergency management in which Paul and I can can work a program that makes sense and that's fiscally responsible, too. Um, I want to piggyback and say that I am terrified. I am terrified about that
because the the uh um uh in in this budget um Steve has I believe $50,000 to cover for for an entire year of of uh uh of incidents, right? Uh um uh right now with ARPA funds, we are spending
probably $600,000, right? And and uh uh I am terrified for two reasons. One is there is no way that we're going to find that money in our budget. Uh and and and two is uh um it's going to be a hard transition for us to for us to like move
to that new normal both from a uh what happens after an incident and then uh um h how do we how do we educate our residents what we are going to be able to do after an incident. Right? that uh we are very lucky that we have built a a
a very uh um robust right uh program that really takes care of of the uh uh of the residents. Uh um we are going to stretch our ARPA dollars as much as we can. Uh luckily um we are allowed to
spend until December 31st, 2026. Uh and we are not going to leave any ARPA dollars on on the table. I I I make that commitment. But what happens on January 1, I it keeps me up at night. I am terrified. So So anyone that is worried about uh uh about this a and sees me
panicking about the future, uh it it it partially is because of that cliff. >> Thank you, city manager. And just to follow up on last question, I'm sorry, guys. Um I know that you guys have multiple meetings with Devin and and and
Ben and multiple departments. In what spaces are you seeing sort of the workforce, the housing and the emergency uh sort of coming together to talk about that prevention side? Um, right? Because I'm thinking about
uh how we're how we may be able to get creative with some of the funding that may exist in other areas to come up with a a system or a model that could support it or partner up with um folks on the ground that may already be doing it. But
in terms of like the long-term planning, are those conversations already taking place? >> Those conversations are are not taking place mostly because we we we don't want to have them too early either. We right uh um we we are going to be fine for the rest of this calendar year, right? Uh
because um we are moving around ARPA funds in order to make sure that that it's going into the right into the right places. we are are are moving money around if you will, right, to address uh uh the actual needs. We are going to have this conversation probably at the
end of this summer uh and we're going to uh we are going to convene all those players that as you said and and we are going to have to develop a scaledown project that we can then approach the city council for money because we don't have any other funds uh
aside from city funds at this point. >> Thank you. >> I have another question. Councelor Taylor and then councelor Senate. Sorry. >> I see. >> Um so I think I think first of all I just want to make a comment and then I want
to go to a couple different things. Um first of all I got to tell the public out there who's going to be watching this what great people the city of Chelsea has in place. And I wouldn't trade
all the all the department heads that we've seen so far have knocked it out of the park, including yourself and and Mr. Cooling, that goes for you, too. >> Um I I really um I really mean that, too. I'm not I'm not just up here, you
know. I I I think that I think that over time we have we have uh accumulated a great deal of talent and and I just want everybody to be aware of that. Like we we really we really do in comparison
with a lot of other municipalities have have top people and I and I u you know I just want to acknowledge that. Um, I'm glad you mentioned the safety net thing earlier. I I I think this is another way that we have tried to be
proactive and you know, I can remember the days when I had officers knocking at my door at 9:30 at night or something wanting to go into my backyard because they're searching for a lost kid. and and um
you know to to to to see this incident that just happened over the weekend. I mean it's it's it's like I say, you know, we it shows that this program is working and that we're doing something right, right? So I think that we are
going to face challenges coming up. Um, but I'm pretty confident we have the right people in place to to meet those challenges and and and I think we're going to do whatever we can to try to, you know, cover these things that need to happen. You know, we've seen them
over the last the last year. So, um, I just wanted to get that out first. Um, as far as this question that you were talking about about running out of the ARPA funds that, uh, councelor De Jesus was was bringing up this it's an
important um, topic. You know, we can we can try to manage a lot of different things in the city, but those are the things that we can't manage and that we have to respond to because we have to take care of people. Um
my my point is is that as we may be running out of funds, you know, we have to we have to concentrate on how we're going to replenish those funds. But also, I think for things like this, we may um also
want to go outside of the the city and try to try to try to work with some other private organizations that can try to uh fill in the breach, you know, so to speak. I know as member of Chelsea Rotary, we, you know, we've we've we've
helped out with different things. Uh the latest being the fire department's uh drone. So, you know, I think that there are other ways to kind of get things done other than just, you know, the city council writing a check or or or what,
you know, whatever. I So, so, so I would encourage us to to to try to reach out to a lot of the other organizations and other people that uh that have the means to to to try to help make this happen. Um
uh but as far as your as far as your budget goes, I think like you said, it's pretty it's pretty level. So um again, I'm not surprised and thank you for for uh for the you know, we only have so much money to
spend, so we got to make sure we make it count. So I I I thank you for that. Um, is there any other um are there any other like I think we've got most of the things covered. Is there
anything that you're you are more worried about coming up as far as like either either things um things that that may happen uh that that we're not quite ready to meet or uh if
there's a uh other financial u you know trepidations is there anything else that that we haven't already discussed that's kind of on your minds? As far as my end of it financial, no. Um and um like a typical emergency manager,
uh I worry about severe weather. I know we've got FIFA uh events coming up and I ensure that when we have those coordination meetings, we ask the hard questions um to make sure that we're prepared if something happens. >> Yeah. So, city manager,
>> um Steve walked into my office, uh um I think two weeks ago and wanted to talk about how do we plan for nuclear war. So, uh he is literally up at night and he's thinking about the worst case scenario. Uh uh and with FIFA, uh um he we are our
>> that's what we that's what we pay him to do. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. We we are uh very much ahead of the game uh uh even compared to our our bigger neighbors. Uh, and it is because of Steve and and all of the the coordinating he is doing.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, councelor Sagate. >> And then Council Brown. >> Hi. Again, just to piggyback on what we were talking about, what keeps you up at night keeps me up at night as well, especially since I witnessed the horrible displacement of so many people
a few years ago on Malro Street. And I just wanted to talk about trying to encourage people to get renters insurance. I think that needs to be a big push for us. It's not that costly and maybe there's a way that we could
have some kind of fund for it. Um but because it will certainly be less money than trying to house people after and replace things, etc. So just trying to make a push for that again. And I I agree and we could fit that in uh like an educational piece to one of our
seminars to so they understand exactly what that covers. >> Council Brown and then councelor Ro. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just again wanted to say with Tart um councelor Taylor stated that we are so lucky to have so many department heads that work
together to organize to strategize to give us the spirit of the things that we got elected to do to try to make this city feel like it's running in the right direction that it's a safe city an inclusive city and an embracing city and I just want to say thank you all that
have come up so far thank you very much thank Council >> Okabra, >> thank you for putting the evacuation signs all over the city. They're all over the place. Before there was none, now there is some.
>> And the next thing I wanted to ask you is um when we combine together with the other three cities, right, the operation will be run not from Chelsea, it'll be run from Re. >> Correct. >> Is that going to save us? That's supposed to save us a lot of money.
>> Yes. What do you how much money will be saved? >> So the first three fiscal cycles, first three years each year we're looking at 2.1 in that ballpark. >> Yeah. And then year four, year five or assessments by percentage and then year
six would be a full assessment. >> And um >> now when this run out of reair, who will up be the operating manager? Will you be one or are you going to be part of it? How's how's they going to operate? Who's going to run it all? All right. So, they currently have a regional director and
she'll continue to be the regional director adding Chelsea in. Um, and she has a complete uh command staff, if you will, or admin staff to help run the operation. Um, I'll continue to be the city's liaison as far as procedures and operations when it comes to
communications um with each of the chiefs of their designate. And then on the technical services end of it, um, when it comes to repairing the radio system and stuff like that, >> I asked you that. I asked you that question because people have asked me. They wanted to know how it actually
works. So, I wanted you to explain for whoever is watching how it will work cuz I already knew because I was at the meetings when you did it. So, I ask you the questions for the public to understand and thank you for explaining to them how it actually works. >> Yeah. Thank you, counselor. >> Thank you. Thank you. You've
>> done a great job. >> Councilor Robinson is next. >> Just to follow up on uh Lisa's question in regards to insurance, I had floated out a plan um a couple years ago in regards to the insurance.
$100 gives you $5,000 worth of insurance. and we had a lot of the um monies to spend or was trying to get the city if you paid $100 and you brought your receipt to the city, the city would reimburse
you for 50. Well, we just couldn't seem to get it kicked off the ground. But I think it's important that we push for people to get insurance. You know, I mean, the city can't keep dishing out thousands and thousands of dollars every
time that we have a fire when there's a simple solution on purchasing $5,000 worth of insurance for $100. >> We'll definitely make it a priority. >> Thank you, everyone. Uh, now Steve, uh, from an emergency management
perspective, who are we rooting for in the World Cup? I'm kidding. >> Don't give an answer. You will throw half of Chelsea against you. No, I uh thank you so much, Steve. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, all set. >> Thanks, folks. Thank you.
>> I'm waiting for football season. >> All right. Next, we have housing community development, page 122. It's my pleasure to introduce Director Ben Cares, our housing and community development department director. Um,
housing and community development HNCD is one of our largest uh city departments um with technical professional staff. Uh they oversee a broad range of area issues and there is a lot of um not only wealth of knowledge
in that department but innovative projects to technical infrastructure work that happens here um affordable housing anti-displacement economic and workforce development community preservation and development climate resilience sustainability social infrastructure and then some of the
policy analysis research and um administration planning I will uh turn it over to Director Cares to give a little overview and then any questions that you have. >> Thank you very much, Deputy City Manager of Operations, Devin Fields. Um, hi
folks. Uh, you you know us well. Uh, we're we're really a a 13 person department and as the deputy city manager mentioned, we oversee a lot of different uh subject matter areas for the city of Chelsea. Uh, we've had a successful year. We've done a great job
of leveraging the funding that's available to be pushed out to the community, including ARPA, including the Community Preservation Act funds, the affordable housing trust fund board, uh, and we've done a lot of, uh, work to bring improvements to the quality of life of our residents, and that transcends all of the areas that, uh,
the deputy city manager mentioned. Um we're, you know, happy to propose a very a level budget and actually a reduction in some of our operating costs due to uh a grant that we were able to earn um for the operational cost of the the blue bike system. Um and so we continue to
bring in funding to the city, right? When when we're paying for the positions for housing and community development, there is a major return on that investment. Uh and we're really proud to have brought in, you know, millions of dollars this year, last year, the year before that. uh and we're going to continue to do so. Um and really we do
that through the spirit of you know community engagement, leveraging uh collective exercises like the master planning process um and through just our work with nonprofits, CBOS, residents, all the work that we do in the community. So we are very uh proud of
the work that we've done and I'm happy to answer any questions about the the budget or anything related to to HCD. >> Councelor Sakate. >> Hello Ben. Um, I'm glad you mentioned grants, etc.
because having been directly involved with Vision Zero. Um, I know that there's been a lot of funding and grants to help with Vision Zero and to help with um, vehicle and pedestrian safety
and that's really great for our city because we see a lot happen. So, um, great. And the public art and cultural programming as well. And going through this section in preparation for tonight really you your department does so many
different things. Um, so thank you all for your hard work and thank your team as well. And as far as future goals go, I was interested in uh the strategic housing plan and also the goal for um increasing transportation and and open
space. So, I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about that. >> Yeah, absolutely. You know, we're going to continue to to leverage the strategic housing plan that we've completed uh to inform our housing policy decisions within the city of Chelsea. And that includes, you know, finding sustainable
funding sources for the affordable housing trust fund board. Um that includes revising policies that need to be revised to meet the market where it is because housing production is is sorely needed in this community. Um and it really is about, you know, sort of weighing all the tools that we have at
our disposal and coordinating with the permitting and land use department to up update our zoning um to address a lot of those issues in those spaces. So um we're looking forward to that. Uh, and I'm sorry, what was the second part? >> Um, the goal about um multimmodal
transportation and parks and I I know that you um put a park on the calendar for each year and uh Boston Park was done and I know it's Palonia then CM and then um >> the park in another park in district
five, the Bellingham Hill Park. Yeah. >> So, um just again how that happens and how you choose. >> Yeah. So, we typically look internally at the parks that have you know that need TLC that haven't been addressed in
a number of years. Um what we try to do is also look at our open space and recreation plan which was done very recently in the last couple of years to prioritize parks that uh are actively used uh need those types of updates um and really will receive those funds well
um to bring improvements such as ADA accessibility splash features for urban heat mitigation. Um so it is informed by a community process. It's also informed by um sort of in-house expertise and understanding of where we need to make those open space investments. Um and
I'll say that that that also transcends to how we address infrastructure upgrades in the transportation and multimodal environment as well. Um all of the planning efforts that we do are based in, you know, community engagement and we use those to sort of make efficient decisions about where to send
funds. Um when we do that, we also include a community engagement process to actually do those designs um and implement those those improvements. And I think they're from what I've seen also connected to your other goals about climate resiliency.
>> Absolutely. Yeah. All of the park designs that we do and infrastructure upgrades we do, we leverage those as moments to create, you know, co-beneficial improvements that raise the roadway, help with flooding, address urban heat mitigation needs, um expand
tree canopy. So we as a department that oversees all these different subject areas always approach things from kind of an intersectional perspective um and address all of those things through through our work. >> Thanks. I appreciate that uh
interdisciplinary work very much. >> Councelor Robinson and then councelor Taylor. Yeah. Can can you share with this council what the urban planner for economic mobility what his role is?
>> Absolutely. Yeah. So that position was created I believe a few years ago. Um it was meant to create a senior position in the department that could help work on economic development and economic mobility projects. So that includes things like convening the good jobs coalition. Uh most recently we we've uh
finalized a workforce development action plan that's working with community- based organizations like Laabativa and the neighborhood developers um Chelsea Black community to bring in workforce development opportunities to our community. That position also oversees the EPA brownfields grant that's meant
to provide environmental assessments for properties to help you know catalyze economic development in our community. That position also helps to staff and oversee the economic development board. Um that position also helps to support a number of initiatives within the
department um that are related to furthering economic development including advising on zoning decisions. Um it completed that position helped complete the West Chelsea economic development action plan which has been very useful in visioning the the zoning in that district. We just completed a
second phase of that economic development action plan. Um and really uh that position is meant to sort of hold knowledge around all of those areas and help to provide senior advisory um responsibilities to the policy decisions of the department.
>> All right. Thank you, >> Councelor Taylor and then councelor. >> Um I got to say my hats off to you in this respect that you have a lot of moving parts and it It it can't be easy
to um uh it seems to me a lot of the times uh you're you're you're you've just got a lot going on and so it's it's it's uh it's a hard thing to manage and I'm I'm acknowledging I'm
acknowledging that fact. Uh so I app I appreciate that. Um, and I think I think that in in general I think you're you you've really done a pretty good job uh doing that. Um, of
course there's things that you know we're we're always not going to agree on on on everything, but I think in general um I think you've done a you've done a nice job. Uh, I want I want to talk a little bit or
have you talk a little bit more about um kind of going off what count what um uh councelor Robinson was saying. It seems to me like
often times we we concentrate so much on one side of the equation and not too much on the other side, right? But we got to know that there's an equal sign in between, right? So So we got to have we got to have a balance.
So if you can if you can talk about um because I think our our goal in city government really is to uplift our residents, right? It's to make the lives of these people better as much as we can, right? And you know, some things are out of our out of our league. We
can't, you know, we can't do everything, but we can do our part. Um, so I what I really want you to talk about is what the city's really doing or what what maybe you can be done better when it comes to uh small business
development and attracting uh businesses here because really it's it's about you know if you want to lift people up you got to give them the economic opportunity to do so and that's where I think this city has kind of you
know not been not been focused on enough. We we always focus on on you know having enough housing and you know doing what we can for instead of giving people opportunities to help do it themselves because the
city can't do it all and I think everybody here knows that but so can you please talk about that or or what are your thoughts on that? >> Yeah, absolutely. I think that we're at a really important inflection point as a city in that we need to market this city
for external businesses to to come here. And there's a number of ways that we can do that. Um, you know, through some previous roles as as an economic development director, a lot of that can feel like spaghetti at the wall and kind of see what sticks. And so one of those
efforts that we've accomplished so far is actually building out a prospectus uh and sort of identifying vacant properties in our industrial commercial areas that are suitable for move in uh and working with people in the region that are sort of plugged into things
like tech innovation spaces, bringing in some of those light industrial uses that can really help create better and higher uses for those vacant properties. and also just having those kind of um divergent uh conversations with big developers that are in the commercial
industrial space. I'll say this that from a lot of the conversations that I've had, there's a lot of interest in Chelsea just given our proximity to uh transit, the infrastructure that we have, um some of the the zoning capabilities of our industrial commercial districts. And so those
efforts are ongoing and I think that we're going to have a real opportunity to expand those efforts through designating new areas as opportunity zones which I'll be happy to talk with you a little bit more about which is pretty interesting. Um and leveraging the the Commonwealth's economic
development you know long range plans um to incentivize those businesses to come to the city of Chelsea because we certainly do have very valuable land here for those businesses. I guess talking a little bit about the small business support that we've done. We just re-uped one of our contracts with
Rev Consulting and they really go out and actually meet with small business owners to help them understand their finances, how to be better um with their marketability uh on online and also in person. Um we're really excited that we've been selected as a transformative development initiative district under
Mass Development's effort. All of those efforts show that we are open for business and that we support our small businesses. Um we're also really excited in the next uh community development block grant round to offer some small business grants to help allay some of those real concerns that businesses are
having um during this really difficult economic time. And so all of that work that we're doing in that district of downtown Broadway, in other areas of the city, and in our major commercial industrial areas is about making sure that we are open for business and attracting new development.
>> So So I'm glad to hear you. I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm I I'll be anxious to to see the results. Um, but you know, one thing that really worries me is, you know, we've we've
we've lost we've lost some good restaurants in in town and we're about to lose some other ones, I think, places that people people all know and love. Uh, just because it's just, you know, it's it's not a good it's not a good time for restaurants.
>> Sure. And um and so my my worry my worry about all of this is to is when we when we get so overloaded on on on trying to you know
spend all the money in in one place and not kind of focusing on proactively on making the whole economic environment of Chelsea more productive and not just a place where, you know, poor people can
come and get taken care of. And and I think that and to credit to credit our community. I mean, we're kind of victims of our own success, right? I I wanna I want to make sure that we're
spending enough time and resources on having something productive for for for people to do so they can actually get out of affordable housing and afford afford something better. And this is the only way we're going to get out of this
kind of, you know, eddy that we're in. We just go around and around and around on a on a treadmill. So I I just, you know, I I hope we can I hope we can do that and and really and really make a a solid
effort. And you're right about the industrial spaces. I mean, that is I I've been saying that for a long time. I mean, we we really need to protect those spaces and not, you know, just convert everything over into housing because what's it going to do? You know, we have
we have a whole bunch of people already here. You know, we have people in illegal apartments that need housing, right? instead of, you know, just importing more and more people. So, anyway, I'm I'm I'm done preaching. I just I just uh >> Thank you, Council.
>> Um I just want to say, Council, that that we we we hear you loud and clear. We we we hear the marching orders and uh uh Councelor Robinson has been uh banging on this drum for a while. We uh um uh Ben and I had a call this morning
with with an entity that is essentially is uh you know is doing this right. They're they're connecting us with w with potential investors. Uh um we are are are doing this more often than we
did uh uh two years ago. Uh uh it and we should have been doing this uh the entire time, right? But it you know our priorities were elsewhere. uh uh which is your point uh um we we are 100%
focused on this uh um and also also on on on highlighting how good it is to have a business in Chelsea, right? So so I I'm sure you've seen the videos that that we're putting out whether it's KM uh uh or or or the new flower exchange
uh or or uh Cinco de Mayo tortillas, right? We we have thriving business in Chelsea. uh I if you are a business that that is labor intensive, right? And needs uh a reliable workforce, then then uh you want to be in Chelsea, right? So
So but but it's it it's a little bit of of if it it's a full-time job, honestly. Uh and and it's really hard to be a to be Ben and be applying for Massworks grants and vision zero and doing everything kind of given the impossible
task of of doing all these things. And to your credit, I mean, that's I really want to give you uh props for for for doing that because you you oversee an awful lot of things. And so maybe, you know, I mean, I I'm not here to ma
manage the city. you are. But but my my my observation is is that you know we need to concentrate a little bit more on that and um and and steer maybe a few more resources that way and so we can
you know try to balance out things and have you know better paying jobs, more economic opportunity. This is how we make things happen with economic opportunity not necessarily with housing. >> Yeah. And I'll say one example. Uh uh uh
two years ago this council wanted us to focus on sports and we hired Charlie, right? And and and I hope that we can all agree that it worked, right? So So I I absolutely hear you. I and and the the the marching orders are clear. >> Thank you, Mr. Man. >> Thank you.
>> Let's go to councelor Cooper. Sorry. Oh, quick quick comment. I just think uh councelor Taylor, are you saying we should just give him a raise? >> I don't think that that's what is being said. Um, sorry. >> I am prepared to do less. >> I said he was great at managing his budget,
>> which you know. >> All right, councelor Cooper, go ahead. Uh, thank you. >> As my fellow counselor says, you have a big job, big department. You do the best you can. So, I commemorate you for that.
I say you do a great job. Um he also asked some of the question I wanted to ask you but more or less I'm sort of like believe in him. This city needs more development in businesses than housing. This a lot of people believe
they need housing but housing is really not affordable in this city. So put that to bed. Everybody thinks there's affordable housing but affordable housing does not exist in this city because the ones that get affordable housing already have it affordable. they just move along to another building.
That's all it is. But that's besides the the point. The main thing is um I understand what housing project manager Julio is there to help the seniors. Weren't you supposed to have somebody else to help the regular citizens not
seniors if they need a help with fixing their homes? Then we have something like that. But I don't see it here. Uh because I know there is a program and people tell me all the time about that program. I know a person that told me he went down there and they said there's no money for them and uh I don't understand
how there's no money in that particular but I see over here you got money for a lot of stuff that I don't agree with but I don't get it. I asked you earlier about raft and you said that's founded through the CPA but in this book it says we found it. It doesn't say the CPA
funds RAFT. >> I'm happy to respond to some of those those questions, counselor. Um, RAFT is funded through right now ARPA as well as um rental assistance programs are funded through the community preservation act. To your earlier point about rehab programs, at the time that this budget
booklet was written, we had yet to receive a couple of of grants that are actually uh servicing exactly what you're talking about. One is that in the next upcoming round of community development block grant funds, we'll be running a housing rehab program which is not just for seniors. It's for um
individuals that uh have owner occupied homes. Um and we would vet their eligibility under that program which is guided by federal policy. We are also the recipients of a $2.2 million grant for lead abatement um as well as something called healthy home funds
which addresses code issues uh in in residents homes. And those are really for owner occupied units, one to four unit um housing uh projects that I believe, you know, many of your constituents that elevate this concern to you um could certainly be uh expressing their interest in. Um and I
will say that there's a lot of need in the community for those types of projects and we have a long waiting list. And so, you know, when people come in requesting uh those types of services, what we do is we try to give them the resources that are available to them and we put them on a waiting list.
Um and we do our best uh to address that need. Um and it is a sore need in the community. There's a lot of old aging housing stock. Um and so we are working hard um with the one housing development project manager, Julio, who'll be overseeing those programs um to address
those those issues in our community. >> There's something that you said that kind of interesting to me. You said those housing programs were run through HUD, but we have our own program which was established before that doesn't follow HUD rules because if you go by HUD rules, the only ones that are
entitled to those funds is people that already have hot tenants inside. That's how it operates. If you don't have a hot tenant, you can't get those funds. But the city has his own cuz I established that a long time ago because of that reason. And the purpose was because
there was homeowners that live in their homes and they didn't qualify because of the federal standard of HUD. So we have what happened to that program? They disappeared or was it still existing? >> Uh city council, I would be really happy to hold a one-on-one meeting with you to talk through all of our programs for for
rehab. Um and I think I can help sort of answer some of your questions. Uh I don't think that um right now like the specifics of it uh will be helpful, but I can assure you that the programs that we have currently funded are meant to help owner occupied units. I can share a
little bit more about that at another time. >> I understand what you're saying, Mr. Ben. I get what you're coming from, but I want the public to understand outside. The program you have doesn't work for the people outside because poor homeowners that don't have our tenants
don't qualify for your programs. >> That's what I want the public to understand. >> I will reassure you that they do not need to have HUD tenants to be eligible for the programs that I'm talking about. >> But earlier you said you got to follow HUD rules. You said it a few seconds ago. That's what you said. CDBG is
guided by HUD. Um, but that does not require that the tenants are HUD tenants. And I will be happy to meet with you to talk about what what owner occupied units are and aren't eligible. >> But the thing is, there was a program before that helped these tenants. That's what they're asking me cuz I told them
they don't have to follow HUD because the HUD rules are too strict for some of these homeowners to get. We we successfully committed all of those funds from that previous program that you're referencing, which we leveraged the Route One rehabilitation project to
do um something called a workforce housing rehab project. >> But there wasn't but those funds went for the workforce housing. It was to help specific home >> I think my understanding is that the what you're talking about is no longer a program that is in existence. Correct.
>> Is that what you're saying? You did away with it. >> I believe so that we have fully committed all of those funds. But why did you why did you do away with a program that was helping tenants that was helping homeowners? The part that I don't understand. I'm sorry. What? Let me explain to the public so they can
understand. The whole purpose of that program was to help poor homeowners. They cannot afford to fix their homes. So there was appropriated. Now that program is gone, but you help everybody else except the homeowners that are here in this city that you're
not helping anymore. So when they call me and tell me about this program, I'm going to have to tell them the program doesn't exist. >> Council, let's take some time to to look into this later. >> But I I I understand what he's saying. Look into it later. But I want the
public to understand this program does not exist. They took it away to give it to affordable housing. They took your program and gave it to affordable housing to fix everything else that has to do with affordable while you, the homeowners of this city that want to get
help cannot get help. >> So go and tell your elected officials to fix it because they're supposed to fix it. They work for you. >> Never mind. I'm I'm loud and I'm >> councelor. I think you've made your point. >> Well, I want to make sure that they
understand. >> I I think you have. Okay. So, go and apply for the thing that they're supposed to give you which they took away for affordable housing. >> Councelor, I'm going to stop you right there so that we can move on to the counselors who have other questions. Councelor Robinson.
>> Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, councelor. I've been having this conversation with the city manager probably for the last year and I know that certain things need to fall in place in order for it to
happen. And one of those things that needs to fall in place is zoning and a couple other things. And and my conversation to him is that if all these things fall in place, we need to be able to hire a person who goes out and sells
the city to recruit businesses and other opportunities to come to Chelsea or relocate to Chelsea. And I think that's a very important aspect if we're going to survive as a community.
>> We can't keep carrying everybody. >> Yeah. >> So it comes to the point if we don't grow, they can't grow. >> Ben Ben was the economic development uh director in Reading, right? Uh uh um here. He does a whole lot more than just
that. I I can assure you that that if if Ben was only doing that uh uh um the success would be a lot higher in this one particular bucket. How what's difficult is is is that all of the other things are important as well. So, we we
we hear you loud and clear and and I think it's it's it's what councelor Taylor has said as well, which is we need someone who who is dedicated into into uh being being the uh uh economic development manager, if you will, of of the city of Chelsea. We hear you.
>> Separate aside. >> Understood. >> Who who actually reports to you directly? >> Understood. I'm sorry, it's been a minute, so I forgot. >> It was supposed to go after councelor Robinson. Was that councelor Tesh?
Please, you have the clerk. And then councelor H. >> So um also want to congratulate you uh congratulate you for work. Well done. Um considering all the hats you have to um wear. Um I wanted to ask you specifically with the energy advocate. I
know um from what I recall seeing in my emails, this was a position kind of geared towards helping um families throughout the city access kind of uh energy programs that would help them offset prices. Is that is that correct? >> Yep, that's correct. That yeah, that
program is funded through the community first partnership with Massaves. So, it's a fully grant-f funded position that connects residents to utility assistance programs as well as energy retrofit programs, cooling and heating pumps, weatherization, insulation, that sort of thing.
>> And this this position was non-existent prior to you. Is that correct? >> So, we actually had this position funded as a part-time position, but we wanted to increase the capacity of this position to work with not just Chelsea, but it's actually the North SuffK area. So, that includes River and Winthrop.
Um, and we're actively hiring for that position right now. Um, and we're hoping to move someone into it that has community engagement expertise, Spanish speaking capabilities to more effectively reach our residents and connect them to these programs while leveraging other sustainability efforts
that our department oversees. >> Awesome. Thank you. And just last follow-up questions uh question, this position kind of made made me think about what what we are doing in terms of uh you know renewable energy incentives in the city of Chelsea. Do we do we have
um kind of any initiatives, any pushes or intents? >> Yeah, you know, we have a good a great relationship with um one of our consultant teams, Amaresco. We actually have um an energy management um contract with them. And so part of that effort is
to look at a solar community plan um for our city um and specifically trying to target areas that are in the municipal portfolio to expand solar and increase renewables. That being said, those are very costly systems to implement. Um, but we also rely on our sustainability
manager, uh, Abd Zakazib, who's a part of the North SuffK office of resiliency and sustainability to help think about those types of renewable incentive programs and expansion of, uh, renewable energy uh, solutions. And so that includes the micro grid system that we're currently working on, you know,
thinking about community solar, um, working with, you know, all of our community based organizations to also connect property owners to those programs. Um, so we are certainly working on that and ensuring that we're expanding that. >> Awesome. Thank you. Thank you, >> Councelor Hines.
>> First and foremost, how you doing? >> I'm doing great. Thank you. >> I want to first thank you for all it is that you do because your position is very layered, nuanced, and comp. You work on and oversee and handle a bunch
of different things. Um, thank you for that. Um, I also would just like to clarify because I don't think my fellow counselor I think my fellow counselor might have missed the mark a bit. I did not hear you say what
it is that he was saying. And my understanding was that you used all the funds for the program that no longer existed to support residents who weren't only HUD residents.
Yes, there's there's layers to that response, but I will assure you that the program that I believe he was speaking on has been fully committed. >> Got it. >> That was through city council appropriation. And now we are left with community development block grant funds and then HUD funds for lead abatement
and healthy homes rehabilitation efforts. >> Got it. >> And those are for owner occupied units. Got it. >> Investorowned units. And um tenants can also sponsor themselves to bring in those rehabilitation efforts. And it is all under the the guise of the
eligibility that HUD puts in place. But the tenants are not required to be HUD recipients or section 8. It is just an income limit. That is the requirement. >> Could you could you just clarify those three? Owner occupied homes. >> So an owner occupied would be a unit
that you reside in and you own and you are on the actual deed. your name is there and you reside in that unit. >> Investor owned would be like something that uh a larger development company or property management company owns. Um and then the other one would just be
basically be like tenants actually asking the city to work with the owner of that property to do those types of rehabilitation efforts. >> Got it. And there's a a income limit to to be eligible for >> there is. Yeah, it's varied between each of those scenarios and I'd be happy to
share more details about that. Um but it just ensures that at least the beneficiaries are income eligible for for those resources. >> Thank you. I just wanted that clarification. Y >> um for one of the goals um you spoke to
um the multi multimodal transportation vision zero um which also includes some intersection improvements. Could you speak a little bit to that? >> Yeah, absolutely. We've been really successful in leveraging both state and federal funds for intersection improvements and roadway improvement
projects. Um downtown Broadway is going to be a major improvement. The streetscape will be transformed. We will be addressing intersection um issues. We'll be increasing safety for pedestrians using that corridor. So that is going to be really a cornerstone of the next couple of years worth of
infrastructure projects. We also have a federal federally funded grant that is stewarded through safe routes to school for the intersection of Eastern and Stockton which is right near the Mary C. Burke school. And so we've gone through a pretty rigorous process with the community to design that intersection
and those improvements to help usher school children across that intersection as well as everybody else that uses that intersection. Um we're embarking on a few different grant applications to address intersections that came up in our vision zero planning exercise. Again, those are typically areas that
have a crash cluster, meaning that there's been incidents of crashes at that intersection or through other data like the density of the use of that intersection. That's how we prioritize our our improvements. And we do a great job of leveraging the funding that exists to make sure that that doesn't
fall directly onto the city's coffers for those improvements. And all of that is part and parcel of our multimodal improvement strategy to just make it uh a nicer place to walk, drive, bike, all of those things that our community's been asking for. >> Thank you for that.
>> Thank you, Ben. Seeing no other questions, I think we're all set. Thank you, Ben. You have a wonderful evening. >> Thank you. >> Next, we have the entire DPW section. Um, welcome, Kate. Thank you, counselors. Um, DPW starts uh
on page 179 and goes through several sections. Um, and I will let our commission public works walk us through well, walk us through the sections. >> Statistics. >> I'm sorry. I believe first page is page 179.
>> I thank you for for having me this evening. I just want to start with sharing a few statistics from this year to, you know, give you some breath of the the work that we do. Since July 1st of this year, we have responded to over 3,500 requests that have come in through
311 from the public. That's in addition to the hundreds that we get from direct phone calls, people coming in person and emails, an additional 477 requests that are internal departments um asking for assistance from our buildings and grounds team.
We issue permits for private entities to work in the public way and then we inspect and oversee that work to make sure that our assets are protected. We issued 22 excavator licenses for those companies, 59 street opening permits and
73 street occupancy permits. Our billing department has uh done a 88 final reads. That's when a property sells or transfers hands and we need to issue the final reading of the water meter. We have eight additional ones this week. So, just to say sales continue to
happen. We have some transactions here. Our business office uh signed 38 new contracts this year in addition to 22 contracts continuing from previous years. So, there's just a a lot going on. Um we put in 4,370 man hours on snow
response, salting, shoveling, plowing. Uh you all know it was a big year. Um, we've done over 2,000 individual payments. Uh, so that burden is also on our budget office, our auditing office to issue all of those checks. And I
wanted to finish up by saying when we were talking last year, one of the big changes we were presenting was bringing our contracted fleet maintenance services inhouse. And that is a project we executed this year. We have two experienced mechanics that are now part of our staff. In this spring semester,
we hosted a student intern from the Northeast Metro Tech School. He is uh graduating this year. So, we congratulate him on that. And we hope to be able to continue to host students and give them this opportunity to build their experience and resume over the next several years. Um but I just want
to share that with you and we can now dig into the details here. Um central billing to DPW admin
179 for the council. Um >> we you will see in our staffing that most of our staff that are part of admin are also partially funded uh from some other divisions. These are um you know.5.8 a
FTE and the expenses are are primarily standard office expenses, paper, copers, uh some subscriptions to software. So, we have a flat budget this year. We're not expecting any increases there.
The next division is streets and sidewalks. Um I would sorry, sorry. Oh, questions on each department. I just want to ask the council, are we okay with going over since it's all Kate? Do we want to do um kind of a couple of these and then come
back and or do we want to do one at a time? It's up to you all combine a couple. >> Sounds Sounds good. Sounds good. >> Great. All right. So, yeah. So, let's do um I think streets and sidewalks, no removal, and solid waste are kind of back to back in the budget book and then
we can stop there and do those four. >> Sure. >> Great. >> On the expense side of streets and sidewalks. This is where we have the mechanics budget. As I mentioned, we transitioned what was previously a contract services line into personnel
and um and vehicle expenses. And so far, we've been able to keep consistent with that original budget between the the salaries and the expenses. We've had some, you know, startup purchases and we're hoping that in future years that that we can really keep a lean operation
here. Um, we made a few reductions in uh supplies and street signs um to in order to have an overall reduction in the budget 1.39% that's to offset some of the small increases you'll see elsewhere. Uh try to be as conservative
as possible. You will see a larger increase in the personnel section. Um, I don't know if Fiddle brought this up earlier in the year when we presented the FY26 budget a year ago. The local 25 Teamsters
contract was still in negotiations and not knowing what those new terms would be, last year's budget did not include the increases from the first year of the contract. So this 10% is essentially two years worth of increases built into to
one year there now that that contract is signed. You'll see the same thing in our water and sewer enterprise. Uh let's see. Next up we have snow removal. As you'll remember we level fund this each year and then come to you all for supplements in the spring based
on what the actual snow operations looked like. our solid waste department. We have an operating expense, our um budget going up 5.73%. That is almost exclusively our two large trash curbside collection and
trash disposal at Wheeler um contracts. Those are pre-negotiated rates and I think it's still fairly competitive given the overall trash disposal industry and challenges. Did you all have any questions at this time?
>> Any questions on these four? Councelor Sagate. Yep. >> Do we we can hold off until we do a couple more? We have four others from Kate. >> Sure. >> Yeah. Great. Go ahead.
>> Next up, we have our water and sewer enterprise. We do have um an overall increase. >> Sorry, Kate, you're going by the book order. Um, so just want to let folks know we're skipping structures and grounds and central billing to sew under
prices, which is page 195. Then we'll circle back to the others. >> Thank you. Yes. >> Oh, do go to water and sewer. >> Um, you can you can do sewer and I mean are folks did folks already go to structures and grounds? >> Structures and grounds it is. >> All right, let's do that. So that's page
207 for everyone. >> Yes. Sorry about that. Um on this one, we have also tried to level fund as much as possible. As you all know, we are often um addressing shortfalls in our electric
bills in the spring supplement request. So, we did do an increase here, 5.9%. Um when we put this budget together in January, that was the estimate of where where we might stand. Um, we'll continue to audit our accounts and try to um
keep any expenses down to the extent possible. We have also removed $15,000 in groundskeeping supplies. We added this amount two years ago when we hired our parks manager so that you would have some budget to work with. What we have found since then is that most of the
work can be done through our existing staff and supplies. He's also been able to get a few grants that have helped cover some of the smaller improvements like CPC improvements at Creek Side Commons Park. Um, central billing, >> that's page 106.
>> Central billing. Um, our our major expense here is the software for our billing system and then printing of the bills themselves. We do still send out paper bills to all uh property owners in addition to having the digital ones
online and there are contracted increases in both of those. Um however when we bid out the bill printing and mailing services um the company we work with has very competitive rates despite the annual increases.
And then sewer and water, page 195. >> Water and sewer are our enterprise funds. Several of our purchases or many of our purchases we we split evenly between them. So the salary for staff is split between the two and many of our other
large expenses. Overall, both of these budgets are seeing a small operating cost increase uh around 3%. We always have the MWR assessment, which is a very large portion of our bill.
We are anticipating a 5% increase this year, a four to 5%. So 5% here was on the conservative side. However, because we've been able to do some of our large roadway projects over the last several years using significant grant funds, you
will see a reduction in our debt service payments because we haven't had to take on new local debt over the last several years and we're we're finishing off some of our previous payments. Um because most of our almost all of the work for
water and sewer takes place in a public way. um police details does become part of the the cost here. So you've seen we have a small increase in uh paying for police details because we just need protection for our staff and also for drivers and pedestrians when we are
working out there. Um, we have also reduced in the capital section of water and sewer the infrastructure lines by several hundred,000 as our team has become more experienced and we've be able been able
to uh purchase equipment through the capital improvement plan and build up our supplies and take on larger and larger repairs inhouse. We've seen less need for our contracted services. So, we've been able to reduce these lines and I think those
that's that's what we got. >> Thank you, Kate. Um, Councelor Sneaggate. >> Sure. Um, I'll go through my notes from from all of it. It will be brief. um under administration. Uh what was notable for me which you mentioned was
in-house mechanics and your youth employment initiatives. So I'm glad that those are going well. Um uh streets and sidewalks always happy for any new trees and also the traffic safety initiatives. Um
>> we have with us uh Jimmy Karen, our deputy commissioner for operations, and Chris Barrett, our deputy commissioner and city engineer. Um Jimmy Karen, as you know, sits on the traffic and parking commission and is integral in helping link together our daily operations around traffic calming with
the longer term plans coming. >> We talk often about And guess what? The crosswalks were started to be painted today. >> Yes. >> Um and that was very exciting for me. It's finally warmed up enough to do some lights. >> The paint is here. Um, under snow
removal again, the warming center, I think you were connected to that initiative. I saw um and that's >> not not funded through this budget, but >> your support. >> Absolutely. >> Um, and as a goal for solid waste,
increasing recycling efforts. Absolutely. um all my little sticky notes under the water. I you mentioned the uh decrease in cost because you have in-house people
taking the water operators exam. So that that's great and uh all the hard work on the super sewer separation and the replacement of the lead service lines >> an ongoing effort. >> Yes. and for structures and grounds. Uh
I had heard about this from the chief as well and that is the locker uh room for um female officers and I know that's uh sorely needed and in connection with the fact that they are also um hiring there
are more female officers so that's more needed than ever and uh I think that's all I have. So >> thank you. Thank you, councelor. Um, councelor Deesus, >> thank you, Mr. President. Um,
first and foremost, thank you to your team. It was a rough, rough winter for us. And, um, I'm just grateful, you know, that you guys were quick and able to really secure not just the streets for our vehicles, but for our pedestrians as well as they are walking
to school or um, commuting. Um, so, thank you. My question is related to the vehicles. um due to the increase in gas um how are we seeing that impact sort of the budget or are we seeing an impact
already forecasting it? I don't know. I was just in shock when I pumped my gas the other day. I was like, "Oh my god." >> I when we put these numbers together, we were not yet seeing those increases. Um and let's all hope that things return to
normal as soon as possible. Um I yes we do have slightly higher bills recently. We're also coming off of the winter season where plowing uh is not particularly uh efficient in terms of
mileage. Uh so we we had higher higher bills there and and through the spring. Um but it isn't uh breaking the budget just yet. >> Okay. Just wondering. Thank you, >> Councelor Heinds.
Just curious, what does a full team like staffing wise look like for you? >> Like how how many people personnel are you guys at? >> Yeah, ju just around 50. So our um buildings and grounds team, let's see,
the the the field staff, we have four. Streets and sidewalks has 18 plus a supervisor and a manager, so 20 total. Water and sewer has 10 field staff plus uh manager and environmental um our
superintendent and environmental compliance manager. So that is 12 uh and then our office staff I believe is an additional 14 uh between our engineering teams um which oversee our larger
projects work with you know planning and HCD on many of the NISD on all of these special permits and reviews. um our parks and open space manager uh Victor Tieran also here our superintendent of buildings and grounds and then our
billing staff, our front office staff that speaks with customers who come in person and do all the payments, do all the contracts and Mike Sandival, our community services administrator who spends all day talking with Chelsea
residents about trash and doing what he can to keep the city clean. So, >> does that does that feel like enough? Does that >> I think we get a lot done. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I mean, everyone is everyone is busy for sure. >> Yeah. I'm I'm not saying that you guys
don't. I just just ask. >> I think he's asking if he want 20 additional staff. I I think is what I hear him saying. >> Just curious because you guys do so much. You started this conversation with uh all the the amount of calls that you guys respond to on a daily, right? and
just thinking about how many you have and what you know I'll leave it there. >> Y we certainly get a new question every day something I had never thought of before but try to help where we can >> I want to go back to council Dus who had
another question. Last question. Um, >> Robinson after >> could you walk me through the progress and actually I'm not sure city manager if this is the right department but with the lead removal and the funding that we've received um where are we at and
how how is it looking in terms of like the timeline of it all? I believe we have done around 50 lead service removals so far this fiscal year. We have an open contract and a contractor who's currently out there
every day uh continuing to move forward. Um that may be an undercount. Maybe it's more like 100. I'll have to follow up with you on the specific numbers. We are replacing everything that we find. The biggest effort is verifying whether
someone has lead or copper. So, in addition to our lead service contract, which is funded through a combined grant loan with the MWR, we also use the other part of that grant loan to fund a contract that just tests just digs a hole, looks to see what it's made out
of, closes it back up to verify copper or lead. Um, so that is that is the biggest part right now is getting to the unfortunately thousands of of unknowns uh to verify that. And what we look for help with, and I believe our staff has reached out to several counselors here
about your own districts, is uh building the trust with the residents to allow us to come inside and visually inspect to confirm what it's made out of. >> Yeah. Um Chelsea has been going gang busters on on uh on that service lines,
as Kate says. Uh uh it is if we find it, it's replaced at no cost to the resident uh or or the owner. Um, uh, Ben is doing the Healthy Homes program, which is a $2 million grant from the federal government to to remove lead inside of
the home, which is is very exciting. So, uh, what Kate is doing is is doing, uh, replacement on the water line. What Ben is doing is is, uh, uh, replacing lead, uh, on the inside of the home. and and Ben is working with with uh with MGH
particularly to to target homes that that have children with elevated lead levels, >> right? So we we we wanted it to be u really targeted. >> Awesome. And um I'm assuming our board of health is also part of that. Okay. >> Absolutely.
>> We do have a lead task force which is interdep departmental that works on outreach and communication jointly on all of these. Thank you, >> Councelor Robinson. >> Well, first I'd just like to thank you and your staff for all that you do. My
only question is, have we had a lot of injuries? Are people out long term on being hurt? >> Uh, no. A lot. No. There there always are, you know, someone nicks a finger, needs to
go to urgent care. Um, but in terms of long-term absences, Um, I don't believe that we have anyone on long-term absence right now. >> I have one person on workers comp. >> Okay. >> Thank you. I just have a quick question.
Um, as far as police details, are these all Chelsea police or are there police details >> like 98%? uh every once in a while it'll be reverit if if our department is at capacity and unable to fill the
>> and then when it's us it's kind of just moving money around within the budget so it's not actually an expense in the in the way that it would be if it's reve >> they send us an invoice and we do have to cut a check um but yes it is addressed to the >> one bucket to another rather than
actually having to pay an external party right >> it would be a lot more efficient to actually transfer funds Paul Maybe we can we can work on that in the future. >> All right. Thank you so much. That is all I had and I think we are all set.
Councelor Taylor, >> thank you. Um, again, I want to I want to thank you for the job you do and and your crew. You're always so responsive. It's it's it's it's really great. And I think that
something that I'm I'm responsive as a counselor, so I appreciate other people who are responsive as well and that uh that that uh that call you back and or or so it's great. I I appreciate you. You actually help me get my job done.
So, um thanks. I appreciate it. Um so, there's one kind of couple questions I want to ask. one is and it looks like a lot of the a lot of the increases that I see in the budget are things that are
just kind of unavoidable like the you know solid waste and the tr you know trash in general and I get that um I didn't see really other than um
categories of gasoline if about energy costs and how much that's that's gonna gonna cost. I mean, those are those are rising things and we see it kind of across the board in how's that affecting DPW?
>> They they have been rising. You're right. And uh we had supplement requests earlier this spring to for some of our natural gas and electric bills. Uh, I don't know that it's my position to tell our staff to wear sweaters
instead of uh, you know, turning up the the heat a little bit more. Um, >> didn't work for Jimmy. Didn't work for Jimmy Carter. If you maybe I'm dating myself. >> Uh, but it is something that I'm monitoring throughout the winter trying to project where where we're headed and
and also during the summer with our when our electric bills get higher. I haven't found any clear opportunities to reduce consumption. Um, >> but we we try to monitor it as much as possible, >> which is kind of coming to my next question. You anticipated it. Um, and I
know I know you said earlier that, you know, we've been able to buy equipment through the capital improvement plan and and train people to do do a lot of the work that we used to pay contractors big money to do. So, I'm I'm glad to hear
that. um where you know where are you looking next to kind of see where we can kind of get leaner and meaner? That's a very good question. Um I not certain I have an answer for you.
Um, a lot of it a lot there are the predictable elements of of DPW and then there's all all the things that show up that we, you know, didn't plan for. One thing we
can try to do is say tree trimming instead of calling someone out for every single request. Like add them up, you know, wait and say in two weeks we'll get someone out there and one crew can spend all day uh addressing these 15
locations with one mobilization charge. And so that we've tried to be a little more efficient with how we're we're doing that as well. Yeah, >> we are also readressing our uh rat baiting and
rodent control plans in terms of what are the regular maintenance call outs versus when is a specific incident service call and um exploring services with different companies and and looking at that budget more closely.
>> That's kind of one of those things though that just never seems to go away. So, >> right. So, so how how much in terms of resources do we throw at it? >> Yeah, it's it's a it's I I get it. I mean, it's you you again you you do a lot of different things in your department, too. I mean, you're one of
the big, you know, pillars of the of the uh of the city and and and and do a lot of the work that happens. So, you know, I I know it's no easy task and and I I I don't think you were here when I said it earlier, but I was I was really
uplifting our department heads and what great people we have in Chelsea and as compared to other communities around the Commonwealth and, you know, I I I get around the state myself and so I I get to talk to other people in in different parts of the state and and and ask them
about, you know, what they're doing or what they what the problems they're having or whatever. And I and I always I always say I'm so I'm so grateful that we really have such top people and and and I mean that I'm not just trying to glaze people. I I really I really uh I
really think that Chelsea is blessed with a with a with a good uh uh talent pool. So thank you. >> I mean all that our department does is is all of the staff be beyond me. And so
I guess one answer to your previous question is when we need to tighten the belt, it's seeing what more we can we can do ourselves as opposed to bringing in someone else. Our water and sewer division um are now getting their pesticide licenses in order to do the
sewer baiting directly instead of bringing in a contractor. And um we will likely continue to do more of that. and I'm I'm grateful that our staff is willing to take on the challenges and and do more. >> Thank you,
>> Councelor Hines. Um, these two questions will definitely be better than my last, trust me. Um are are with all that you oversee, are there certain areas of the city that have required more attention in certain areas
like the streets? Um and I'm sorry, >> we definitely have dedicated um trash and cleaning times in the downtown area. So, we still have someone who comes through in the morning before the regular shift starts to to clean
trash in the downtown commercial corridor and additional um daily assigned staff working in the broader downtown area um Bellingham Hill down to Williams. >> How about like the sewer and water? Is
there any like areas of the city that require more attention or older? Maybe that's in the capital improvement and we don't even need nothing that we can pinpoint. Yeah, there there are a few areas that are more common to have backups with rags
and grease. Um but not that I would say a whole district is a main focus. >> Got it. And then my last question and then I'm sure that everybody's ready to to get a move on, but um uh regarding the youth employment opportunities and the
crossover with the recreations department, um one of your accomplishments and goals is that partnership and the continued growth of that opportunity. Can you just speak about that a little bit?
Yes, we have hosted um students as summer park workers for many years now. When I first started, that work was largely focused on on trash cleanup with some beautifification, um flower
planting. But with Charlie and his efforts through the recreation department, really building more programs and bringing in uh youth staff to supervise, our parks program has now grown to be able to have uh these youth
set up for some of those events, help direct the younger kids in the right directions, you know, engage more with the public. And our parks manager, Vladimir, has also planned several programs, you know, repainting to make things look nice, having them go through
and do safety inspections on the play equipment, make sure we're catching loose bolts, um those kind of things. So, we we've been able to expand the types of things that the youth get exposed to and the the way in which they engage with the public, which I think is
a important workforce development skill. Seeing no other questions, I think we are all done. Thank you everyone for a lengthy but very informative evening. >> Thank you. >> Meeting adjourned.