I'm going to call the Friday, September 19th, 2025 meeting of the economic community development committee of the city council to order. The clerk will please call the role. >> Councelor Gasinskus, >> present. >> Councelor, >> present. >> President, >> present. >> Thank you. Is anyone recording today's
meeting other than staff? No one is recording the meeting. We'll begin with the review and approval of the meeting minutes of August 22nd, 2025. Is there a motion? I'd like >> to uh make a motion to uh wave the reading of the minutes. Take them as presented. Second.
>> Motion made by councelor Heat, seconded by President Tyrros to review to approve the minutes and accept them as presented. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed, no. Motion passes.
Items. first time on the agenda. We'll begin with the introduction of the economic development and finance manager director. >> This is I'm proud to welcome Iris Quapo Mensah as our new economic developer, economic development and finance
manager. Uh rounding off the team for community development and planning. Um Iris comes to us with a wealth of experience. Uh got her masters at Harvard. Um, previous to that worked in uh or not previous to that but previous to this worked at Coastal Enterprise
Inc. as a grant management uh consultant and prior to that was at the Ministry of Finance for uh Ghana the the country of Ghana during the COVID uh pandemic managing um small grant funds to local businesses. um I believe up to like
15,000 in individual small grant uh funds throughout the co pandemic. So has a wealth of experience in terms of grant management, financial uh reporting and responsibilities. Um, and I cannot say enough good things about her for her
ability over the last weeks, uh, little over a month now of being able to kind of parse through the, um, financial aspect of of our department where myself and want to give thanks as well to Jennifer Demick, the treasurer, for
being able to package everything up and and pass everything off to to Iris. um and also being the wealth of knowledge that she is. Lots of uh great great knowledge uh from her passed on to Iris. So with that, I'll just let her uh intro
I feel like I've introduced herself already, but I'm just speaking your praises. Um but yeah, >> thank you. >> Sure. Go ahead. >> Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Iris and I'm originally from Ghana. I moved to the US two years ago before I moved to the US.
I work for the Ministry of Finance in Ghana like he mentioned doing grants management and like financial administration. When I came to school, I majored in local and state economic development and I worked on the state of Maine's economic development plan. So I moved
out there after school to work with them. One of the things I worked on was like designing a research for them and the state to measure the impact of CDBG funds. So it was like a a great transition to come here and work on CDBG funds.
In my time here on the financial side, Jen and Jackie and John have really been helpful bringing me up to speed on what we have to do. Jason has also been helpful because I think he was performing the finance manager role. So he's he's able to like teach me some of
the things to do as well. And we're trying to design templates. So anything that anybody teaches me I try to document it so that if somebody comes after me they have like a manual to go through and they're working blind and on the econ development side we're updating
our manuals like things like for the small businesses to be able to navigate city hall what they need to do like where the health department and Jason also mentioned that we could design manuals for them on like how to be diversity certified like to help them in
procurement processes. So, we are trying to design that as well to be able to pass along to them and I hope to be able to go around and meet the businesses when my business cards are ready. >> Yep. >> I'm excited to be here. Everybody here is I >> Wow, that's that's also very good to
know. Um, thank you so much, Iris. I uh I don't I mean, that was a great introduction. I'm very confident in Director Stevens's ability to find a qualified and great fit um for this position is he is he's probably the
happiest definitely by far. >> I'm beaming every day >> happy for so many reasons because as you said he's been juggling the department for so long. It's a big day I think for this committee for um the the work that we've been doing to support your department as the um the city council as
a legislative body for the city. uh you know, we um certainly recognize that the mayor would oversee your department as he's the head of the department heads. Um, but we wanted we formed this committee specifically and maybe director Stevens has shared this with
you, but we formed this subcommittee of the council specifically to just be sure that um, new best practices are developed and kept and that any support that you would need is um, we're here to
be able to do that from what our capacity is as a city council because we just want to see this department be successful. As you are well aware, it's incredibly important to the success of the city and um the best utilization of our taxpayer money and all of the resources that are available uh federal
grant-wise, state grant wise, all of those things. You have a ton of experience and uh and we just want to see it be as successful as possible moving forward for the reasons that we're in this position as kind of the check and balance. So, uh you know, this is a very exciting day for for for this committee and you can say you have a
full department. and it was one of the the goals um director Stevens has done a lot in a very short amount of time um for this department and uh has worked you know very well with us and kept us surprised of what's going on. So um I'm
just so glad to see you here. I like I said I have I have no questions. I think did a great introduction and I know you haven't been here very long so that's the other side of it. Uh but um thank you again and um welcome to the city. Is
there any questions from the committee? >> Um I just like to go ahead and say welcome. Um >> I see that you're relieved. >> You look a lot less stressed. You're looking you're looking good. >> Back in my face. >> So um I'm pretty sure um soon enough
I'll see you in the um appointments committee. So you know we'll dive a little bit deeper and have you introduce yourself again. So, thank you. >> Thank you, >> Iris. If you think you're excited, I can't begin to explain how excited I am to see you today. Um, it sounds like we
do have an all-star team now in this department. Um, music to my ears to hear you talk about things like documenting processes and reaching out to local businesses. Um, what a what a far cry from where we were at last year at this time in this department. I think Director Stevens deserves a lot of
credit for that. um from leading from the front and um your resume is incredible. It's very impressive. I love uh the kind of energy and excitement you're bringing. I hope that stays and that you know the city um keeps you for a long time. It seems like you have a
lot lot to deliver and a lot to give. So, thank you for choosing Gardner and welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you. There's anything I think. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> Have a great weekend. Tell everyone else have a good weekend,
too. >> They'll be gone by the time I get over there. >> It's almost It's the end of the day. >> It is. It is. That's right. Okay. Well, thank you for that. And um it looks like you have a good outlook moving forward here with the full department. That's
super exciting. Uh, you know, it's it's so fun to get, you know, to this point where you have a new team and you have such a um interesting outlook on all the things you can do cuz you've seen all you've done so far. >> Yeah. And Iris brings a very unique
perspective of wanting to understand how local municipalities work in terms of distribution of funds, understand its processes so that you know if she eventually wants to bring that back or you know share those processes with some of her co-workers back in Ghana of you
know different ways that they can change the processes they have over there of economic development uh compared to how we have over here. Uh that really was what sold me. uh you know the resume and everything else was icing on the cake, but to have such drive and passion for
exactly what we had positioned this exact position for was it was like the stars aligned and she she she came in. So I'm very happy to have her among amongst the rest of my team. I will never stop uh highlighting how awesome
my team is. >> Great. Well, thank you. Uh, okay. We will move to item 11454, a report on the investigation of the Mackie Park project. Director Stevens. >> So, I probably have the best update on
Mackie Park since its original completion, not to the full st probably in the in the history of Mackie Park. I don't want to overstate this, but I know this has been an ongoing issue of ADA compliance and um we've been working to
gather the funds for this. Um together uh I can happily say at this point we have both contacted the um the contractor for the work. We have gotten the funds together for the required that's in the Munice print out here. If
you look down at available budget, available budget at $60,237.90 that's in our Mackie Park expenses account and the change order five done by our contract on call contractor time bond has the remaining value for the
change order at $58,863. And on the back of the packet confirms that that is what the option that we got from the contractor for Busybe Nursery. So that is on the back page if you flip all the way over. Um that is for the 76
uh ft of railing for one ramp landings and a 10 foot long section by the parking lot. Includes labor equipment and materials to match the existing railings. Relocate tables and install new sycamore round wheelchair accessible tables with checkerboard including
labor, equipment, and materials. I should say line item one for $15,360. That's the 76 ft. The relocation of tables and install new sycamore is at $5900. Item three, site prep for one concrete ramp and landing, including the removal
of stone dust, cutting into the existing retaining wall and removing top, removing subs soils, changing grades, and adding processed gravel to raise the grades, including including labor, equipment, and materials at 13,700. Item four at 229 square ft of concrete
ramp and landing to form and pour concrete, striping forms, cleanup, and ceiling concrete including labor, equipment, and materials 18,500. And finally 5% transplanting shrubs, cleanup, repairing beds and fixing stone dust areas including labor equipment
materials at 2600 with 5% bond at 283 for a total cost of 58,863. So between the two budgets, between what we have budgeted with the $60,237.90 and what we have accounted for the quote
from the contractor, uh we are all good to go. And with the signed change order by both Tyen Bond, the mayor and the contractor at Busybe Nursery, the change order has been completed, and we are just waiting for the contractor to be able to mobilize and begin the work. We
have notified them that the upcoming event for the October Fest on September 27th still needs to happen as the we can't have construction happening on one of the main sites where we host you know uh a lot of our a lot of these events.
So construction has to occur at at least following um that event. Um, and I believe they have on here for the contracted times with all approved change orders now as substantial
completion on November 21st, 2025. So, we expect it to be completed before then, but that is given a chance for most of the cleanup to happen. All of the pouring in the concrete are going to happen while the weather is still amicable towards construction. Um, and
the latter part of that leading into November should just be for cleanup and non uh construction construction related activities that require uh that don't require uh temperate clim climate. Um so
we are hopeful that we're not more than hopeful. We we are confident that um this is the best move that we've could have made um since since our last meeting in terms of getting this project completed,
meeting the requirements uh of ADA and finally having Maggie Park in a finalized state uh for probably one of the existing things in our department that has long been on my mind and on the mind of on the rest of my team as as
something that, you know, we we've taken with stride since I started here in January, something that I know has been on the mind of a lot of the citizens, on the mind of members of the disability commission and and others. Um, and that,
you know, we have not stopped. Uh, we have been mindful of this throughout the process. We have been trying and trying to get this into a place to where it is today. And I am confident and happy to say that, you know, this is where we're at and that we were
able to move forward and finish this. >> Thank you. >> Okay, I have um this is uh really good information. This is a ton of progress. Um I just want to have a couple things for clarification and just a couple of
questions. So, uh, first just just to be clear, the Mackie Park completion date of November 21st, 2025, it could be completed sooner, but this is when that is like the date that it is sure, all things considered, it will be completed by. So,
just to be clear for the public, anybody watching. >> Um, but obviously with any type of construction, you build in the time and it could be done sooner. Yep. >> Okay. And then the final um price tag is $58,863.
>> Yep. >> Okay. And the Can you just clarify the funding source just again to kind of do this all at once? >> So most of the funding came from the downtown phase 3 which we have talked about previously. Um, I don't have the
exact numbers and can have those at a at a future meeting, but those funds, the expected amount for the remaining funds for that project were ARPA funds. So, all of these funds were moved through what remains out of ARPA, which we were given direction from the federal government. Those funds have to be
expended by December 31st. So given the movement that we've had with downtown phase 3, downtown phase 3es for anyone watching not not familiar is the removal of the double poles along Park Street next to the Park Street park. I believe
there are seven of them in total. Um it has been a long process of trying to get the wires removed and working with utility companies and determining that. Um but we were we we do continue to have a amount contracted for the remaining
work needed for that for that work to be completed once those wires are removed and once the poles are removed by by the owners i.e. the utility companies. Um the remaining funds that are outside of that were moved given that you know we don't know whether or not that the
utility companies will complete that project by year end. and just to make sure that we are spending as much of the ARPA funds as we can before calendars year end. Move those into the existing account for um for the Mackie Park
expense account. Um and the rest were acquired through the ARPA funds for uh the park account for Bailey Brook. Uh, I believe it was around um is around like
23,000 for um the downtown phase 3 that was outside of what was encumbered for the additional work needed and the remaining funds out of the the um the remaining funds were acquired through
the park fund PRC for Bailey Brook. Um again, those both being ARPA funds um for that. Thank you. And for just for clarification on Bailey Brook, because you're right, we have talked about this multiple times, but just to kind of
summize it all today on this um with having this information here, Bailey Brook, the the park fund, which is from ARPA, that was that was um like excessive funds for that project. Okay. So, that was it was expected to be
spent, it wasn't spent, so it was redirected to this. Okay. Thank you. Um, and then my other question was just, and this is laid out, I appreciate these descriptions quite honestly from Busybe. This is super helpful, I think, in understanding how this relates to the
ADA compliancy piece of it, which is the reason for all of this. There's so much more that goes >> um into it, but this was that was the reason that we needed to um to continue this process as as to get it done. So,
and I and I see the I see all of this laid out here. I just want to be sure again for the public watching to be and to make it very clear um who signs off or is be or is sure that this is done properly like this is going to be ADA compliant when it's all said and done.
We're going to have no more issues. We're going to be we're not going to find ourselves in a place that we found ourselves in previously. >> That is where Tai and Bond takes over. So that is um the team that we have for many of the projects. They're currently
the ones overseeing um they oversaw the North Central Pathway. They are overseeing Greenwood Pool uh demolition. um they work with us on a many number of projects and they were the ones completing this change order and the ones that are going to be overseeing the the project to make sure that once the
construction is completed that it's to the specifications that were laid out to make sure that the park is ADA compliant upon completion >> and the change order is so they're listed obviously as the engineer on the change order they're the one who initiates the change order
>> um well it was initiated by the city but they're the ones who initiated this is the change order. This is all the specifications and it's it then it has to be signed by you, our city solicitor, the city auditor and the procurement officer and all those signatures are here. So, it looks like it's good to go from there. So, this ensures that the
park will be properly ADA accessible. Yes. In the end, thank you. >> Um and I would request to and I know that you've communicated um with the disability commission obviously on this in the past. Um we do have the um chair of the of the disability commission
here. Thank you for being here, Chair Hurst. >> Um >> and so I would just say that as you have kind of met with their meetings, if you two can communicate and just do you know your updates at their next meeting on the project as well as you have um and you know anything that they have on it
as well. I know you I just want to acknowledge in this meeting that it's not just you know we've been following this obviously it's been on our agenda for um you know since the beginning I think of the forms of this committee um but you have been working on it we've gotten
>> updates every single meeting we did find >> a need for action really to say okay what are we doing because you you had just been working so hard to get that funding source to get the funding um and acknowledge that something needed to be done and so it clearly has been but I
want to acknowledge that the disability commission also has been, you know, working on this and has fielded questions from the public as well and there's been communication there. So, I would just say like there's this update here, but if you would continue that as well too, I think that would be great. >> Oh, absolutely. I've been very towards
working with an working with the disability commission, attending their meetings, um, and would be glad to attend a future one and attend and give a the same update to the rest of the committee as well. >> Yeah. And that way too they can have a conversation with you in their capacity
as what their duties are to the community as well. So I think that's just a nice um transparent but also closes the the circle on it as well. And then again we'll still entertain this until it is actually completed just so that you have that you need. But this is uh
>> this is great information and I appreciate the documentation you provided as well. Are there any other questions or comments from the committee members? covered. >> Um, thank you, Chair Cassinskus. First thing I just want to say, um, Miss Harris, I was wondering the whole time why you were here, and now you just went
ahead and you, uh, segueed and explained why you were here. So, that's an excellent combination to go ahead and, um, go do that. Um the question I had was or the statement I had just cuz you know it's it's election time you know
and and as I sit here and I talk to citizens and everything else like they ask questions about me. >> Mhm. And um you know they like to highlight promises, things and such and it's been you know we're going on this
will be the second October Fest without it being done but you said it'll be done by Thanksgiving. So, I just want to say thank you. At least now I can when people ask me questions because everyone doesn't watch the YouTube videos. Um, >> which is a shame because we have to go
ahead and explain it to them and they say there's no transparency, but it's all right here. And, um, you know, so like now I can go ahead and let them know, you know, what's going on, what the plans are, cuz people ask and you know, when I don't know an answer, I crack a
joke and I always tell them February 30th. there is no February 30th. So, you know what I mean? But now I can give them a direct answer on exactly when it's going to be done and everything else. So, thank you. Obviously, you just got into it and you did a lot in a little bit of
time. So, um thank you for everything that you did and that's all I got to say. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council President Harris. >> Before I uh kind of make my statement and end on a few questions that I'd like to make motions on, there's four people I'd like to thank. First and foremost, Director Stevens, you picked up this
ball and you've brought it to completion now that we have this change order. So, good work. This wasn't uh this was something you walked into, right? And you took leadership and and took it and got it back on track. Obviously, Matt and uh Rick from, you know, Matt from Ty Bond and Rick from Busybe, I think we're
very fortunate that Matt, he was the Ty Bond engineer when this project originally started and BizzyB uh the contractor that originally did the work did a fantastic job and they're willing to come back to the city. I think that's that's very good on them and I appreciate that. And also councelor Kazinskus cuz she you know back in July
um you know asked for a more substantial update and I think that enabled you to go deliver the results for this change order. Um, so your leadership on that as well, but I think it's important to look at this change order and reflect. But because it was exactly a year ago today that the
council met under special uh meeting and voted to go into a section 25 charter investigation of the Mackie Park project, this change order document shows total of previous contract time changes add 388 days. 388 days for a 10-
foot long ramp to be added to Mackie Park for a total price of $461,000. It's it's a little bit numbing and disappointing when you think about uh the amount of focus, time, and energy that's went into this project. That, you know, the council very unanimously said
we need to fix this. there's a group of underrepresented and vulnerable individuals in our community that this project was built that ignored and it you know as council he said has been an entire summer has been two October Fest has been two downtown festivals that it
wasn't fully accessible to the entire community. Um it's extremely disappointing. I'm very pleased to now see that there is a fix that is paid for, but it brings questions now because on Monday I just went for a run with my wife and my child on uh the new bike
path and we went up Park Street, went into the skating rink. The double poles are still there for months. I want to say since March, we were given the update that the funding was held up because the double poles >> were still there.
>> The funding is now available. >> The double polls are still there. So, I'd like to make a motion that we send a request, a question to the mayor of why now has the funding been made available and released to the Mackie Park project from the downtown phase
>> three >> phase three work. >> Second. Oh, I was just >> I was just going to ask for clarity again on what's the motion again? >> To ask the mayor to send a question to the mayor to ask why the funding is now
available from downtown 3 uh for the Mackie Park uh change order. >> Second. >> Okay. So, motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. Those opposed? No. Motion passes. >> Another motion I'd like to make uh with
the chair's approval. Uh you know we were told uh a number of different things were kicked off when the Mackie Park report was uh received and the mayor had committed that uh you know communication and interdep departmental awareness of the work would be improved
that there would be quarterly department updates to the mayor with reports. We're now again 388 days later for a 10-ft ramp. I'd like to make a request of the administration to provide the quarterly reports from the departments um involved
in the Mackie Park work. I would imagine Director Stevens, you've obviously come to this committee that we're here for the sole purpose of helping and providing oversight to your department, but you've had to rely on other departments to get this project done, multiple finance departments. I'm assuming the city engineer look at these
plans. Um I assume the building I hope the building commissioner is involved. Thank you. >> I've already emailed Melissa. >> Perfect. So um building permits on >> I'd like to make a motion that we receive the quarterly reports that the mayor receives from department heads uh that involve the Mackie Park work so
they can see the work that had been done to date second. >> Motion made and seconded. Um any discussion? Uh all those in favor? >> I oppose. No. Motion passes. >> Those are all the information requests I
would like to make today. Madam Chair, I thank Director Stevens again. This is very promising but um we'll leave it at that. It's a very promising report. I look forward to seeing the work being done. Thank you. >> Thank you, President Taros. Any further discussion?
Uh I would also just like to say that my remarks earlier uh I mentioned the signoffs. There were other signoffs that needed to happen. The change order had to be recommended by Matt from Tai and Bond needed to be approved by the mayor and then it needed
to be accepted by Rick from Busybe. All of that happened too. Um obviously these are public documents but I just wanted to put that out there as well because I had mentioned uh the other um the other people that had to provide signature and
approval of the change order. Uh, thank you, President Tyros, for your requests and I absolutely agree. I think it's important again just um we are a check and balance for the city departments, for um the mayor, for the
processes in city hall. And so I appreciate um you you know closing the loop on that and acknowledging uh the the issues that were from this and and how it's gotten here, but also like there's so much that have been learned. And so I know especially with director Stevens walking into this, this is
something where you have an example now of anytime you do anything moving forward, you can say, well, there was Mackie Park, you know, and so you'll always have that because of the work that you've had to do, the mess that you walked into and all of the things along the way that happened. It's all
documented now. So for you, it's like I I would guarantee this wouldn't happen in the future if I and I would and I would hope so. But also it's this is this is I just think you only get better if you learn from it and you move on. It's like this is definitely this has
been a case study and it's unfortunate for how long it's taken and all the things but we're here where we are and and again very quickly. So I appreciate that. Um, you know, and then I I with councelor Heath's uh remarks as well,
you know, it is people they ask us regularly and chair hurst I'm sure runs into that as well and I'm sure your office runs into that as well. This is a we are a public organization here. Um, and it's really helpful to have a meeting that meets regularly on something. It just it's so helpful to
say actually we met on that or this is what we're expecting. but helps with the followup and things that we've had and really any requests that you know this committee has had of you or I had of you along the way you have met exceeded you know done action on as soon as possible met with the appropriate people and when
you weren't here before that sometimes it's hard to do to come in to do that but I never saw you not do it and I saw you have a great attitude and you saw action so uh again you just continue to set the bar for yourself so it just gets
higher and higher Um so u meeting and exceeding that has been great especially for for this item. Uh but I you know I just want to acknowledge that like how much went into this and uh it certainly has been um it's been interesting along
the way to uh to see how it's all worked out now. So uh we will I think I'm going to say to keep this on the agenda just um until completion. Yeah. >> But I I would expect obviously moving forward we're going to have different types of updates. But I think we should just keep it on there just until it's
completed so we can close this. So >> I'd also recommend that that way you know council consensus can bring an update to the full council too of like you'd said lessons learned and we're you know moving forward we can see more change. So >> yep absolutely. Okay. Unless there's any objections, we'll keep it on the calendar. >> Okay.
>> Okay. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Uh item 11529, a discussion of the regional planning commission. So the only real updates I have in regards to this and I would kind of defer to the committee in terms of what
items are are you know kind of waiting on to kind of move this move this item along. Um but the only updates that we kind of have for this were that the um MRPC uh had sent over that the fiscal
representative or fiscal lead for their team had put in their their two weeks notice and that they had planned to come into city hall to train Iris and Amy. uh my assistant director Iris was included in
this one so I don't have to introduce her but um trained them on CDBG requirements for um reporting and um bookkeeping and you know specific requirements related uh through there because there is an additional leg on
the stool for for that which includes intelligants which is our system for uh grant uh financial management um so it's a very specific uh system. So with them not being able to, they coordinated with a number of local municipalities
reaching out to see if any would be available to attend and make this training possible. The fiscal representative for the town of Athl uh took up the mantle and uh came in uh I believe on Wednesday uh to um Wednesday
the 16th, 17th, 17th. um to train my team. I feel like she did a pretty good job and, you know, kind of opened us up to uh both a number of uh individuals who
either, you know, weren't available, but you know, are still going to be good contacts for us down the road for any questions that we have because some questions with the town of Athl weren't necessarily able to be answered because we are a mini entitlement community. There are other specifics that, you know, she wasn't really aware
of uh for requirements, but you know, we were able to get introduced to a number of individuals that we can potentially, you know, throw those questions to to get answers from. Um, and I know in previous meetings for this item, I have
presented um the presentation on the comparisons between MRPC and CMRPC. Um, you know, my recommendation being that we maintain our relationships with both of them. MRPC is our main uh planning commission uh that we're filed to under
ordinance and uh CMRPC, Central Mass Planning Regional Commission uh for the additional work that they have available uh despite their current workload given staff turnover and the amount of municipalities, you know, outreaching to
them. So, I would just ask that, you know, for this item, um, you know, I don't I'm I'm trying to find what other items I could bring to the table for these meetings. Um, aside from, you know, what interactions I might have with Ether Planning Commission. Um, that
would be that'd be very helpful for me. >> With that update, I'd like to to move uh to place this item on file. >> Second. >> Motion made and seconded to place item on file. Was there discussion? >> Yes. Uh the reason I'd like to place it on file and the purpose behind this item
was to to get action from the RPC's on services to the city. And I think now that we've seen actual action with peer connections being made and that kind of >> communication opening back up um and this resource being made fully available to you and your team. I think uh my only
ask of you is in the future if you run into any roadblocks or issues with the RPCs, you feel free to come to the council and we'll do our best. >> Absolutely. further discussion. >> I I would just say as well that um you know there are other things that besides
just pure connections that we look towards uh you know working with MRPC on I think there are great benefits potentially to the say traffic commission with their ability to do um traffic studies in in the municipalities
that they they do work with. Um, you know, so I I I do think there are ways that we can coordinate with them and as we continue to have my monthly updates. Uh, as you know, I look towards, you know, other ways that we can engage MRPC and CMRPC, I'll definitely include, you
know, those action items that we're able to to work with in my department, uh, into my monthly updates to just keep the council informed on how we're interacting with those two commissions. >> Great. Thank you. Uh, I I agree with President Taros as well. I think um and
you know everything you said if it's obviously on your radar you wanted to use it to your >> as a resource for your department and that was um kind of the intent behind it to begin with you know like what's going on with this this is something that we use so I was happy to bring it to the committee but I agree I think we can place it on file for that reason I
appreciate the update and again now having Phil staff that is aware of these resources and wants to utilize them especially as there's been kind of obviously some hiccup with some hiccups with some personnel things going on there too we can be sensitive to that, but you seemed informed on it and I feel like if that wasn't the issue, you
wouldn't be informed on it and they but you are. So, um I appreciate the updates and you know understanding how and why this is important to us and it's important to you've been on the same page with us the whole time. So, um if there's no further discussion, all those in favor say I.
>> I. Those post say no. Motion passes. A motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion made second to adjurnn. All those in favor say I. I. I. >> Those oppos I. Those opposed? No. Motion passes. Making stands adjourned.