your wife. >> All right, welcome everyone. Uh, I'll call this uh Ways and Means Committee meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. This meeting is being recorded by the Ways and Means Committee. If other persons present are doing the same, you must
notify the chairperson at this time and it looks like no one is. So, I'll do a roll call of members. Uh, councelor Bottomley, that's me. I'm present. Councelor Terzo, Councelor Master Tataro >> here.
>> Councelor Brown, >> Councelor Perry >> here. >> Uh, approval of minutes from July 15, 2025. >> I'll move. >> Second on that. >> I'll second.
>> Great. All in favor? I >> I um we'll move on to public comment. There's anyone online that'd like to do public comment? I guess no public comment tonight. So, we'll move right on to motions.
>> Uh the first one is if I guess um I'll read this motion. Welcome. >> Brown has arrived. Welcome. Um, the city council moved that it be ordered city
revoke the revenue dedication of Massachusetts state subdivision for statewide opioid settlement funds to the special purpose opioid settlement stabilization fund established under MGL chapter 40. Uh, is that section 5B local option in paragraph?
This is in accordance with MGL44 section 53 clause 4 which now allows for establishment of a special revenue fund which allows funds to be expended without further appropriation. Do I have a second on that? >> Second
>> and I guess we'll open this up for discussion. seems to me that this is uh makes things a lot easier. So I am all for it. >> Yeah, I think the purpose is to be able to expend these funds and the committee
is all set um >> so that uh we would no longer need to do >> appropriations of what come to us. So it seems like that makes sense. This money that's sitting there could actually be spent. >> Yes, Mary. Um
we had our first meeting yesterday of that opioid um group, opioid settlement group and there have been three uh deaths that we will be helping to that you know we've approved to pay for.
So this will be very helpful to the city and for folks who need this if it's made simpler so that they can access it quickly. So, I think Sarah Hearn from the group may be speaking on that tomorrow night, but I just want to mention that.
>> Thank you. Great. Any other comments on that? >> No. So, we vote all in favor. >> That's a unanimous positive. Uh, moving on to
revenue accounts creation for parking. Here we go. Uh, FY26-024, the city council moved that be ordered that the city council approves the establishment of accounts for revenue and expenses associated with the newly created downtown parking benefit district. Majority vote required.
And a second on that. >> Second. and uh open up for discussion on this. >> Well, I believe we already talked about this at EDC and uh it's a great idea. I think we should
just go ahead and do it. I mean, the uses are for basically to keep uh help upkeep Main Street downtown. All that money be used for that. Um, so
yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've had a question to EDC. I mean, >> right. Yeah. I feel like the discussion all happened in that committee and this is just finishing >> the finishing speeches. Um, so all in favor? >> I.
>> That's unanimous. And now we'll work on the former bill here. The fiscal year 26-025. Uh upon mayor uh recommendation of Mayor Disorder, move that it be ordered that the city council authorizes the payment
of a fiscal year 2024 pole worker salary in the amount of $453.75 from fiscal year 2026 election temporary wages accounts number 01 0162005122 majority vote required. second.
>> And I talked with Kathy Scott about this and this was >> just an oversight, wasn't it? >> I think paperwork wasn't filled out properly or timely and so it finally got submitted and so it's just paying this uh old bill for uh work already done. So
it seems pretty self-explanatory. Any comments? just like is that the general procedure? If there's something from like 2024, 2023, then it has to come back to council. Is that how usually work? >> I would imagine in this case, especially
if it's um outside of the year that it was budgeted for if there was we get these old bills once in a while where something gets missed. >> There's just it's too bad there's wasn't a mechanism to catch it sooner. That's all right. You know, you think you'd have a check off by everybody's name or work that day and then if they not
invite a month later, you would think you call them and so just so it avoids this sort of stuff, but otherwise no big deal, >> right? And I'm not sure the whole process of how that works. Um, all in favor? I
>> another unanimous and let's see we have purchased a van is the last one for today. Um FY26-026. Uh the city council moved that it be ordered that the city council approves
the purchase of a Rockport utility van for central maintenance in the amount of 90,000 from unused and available capital funding appropriated for the fire department ladder truck. Majority vote required. >> Does Joseph want to say anything?
>> That is probably a great idea. you if you would like to >> I hope uh can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Great. >> Well, can everyone hear me? All right, >> that's better.
>> Okay, great. >> Okay, I'm more than happy to field questions. Ultimately, the Rockport van is a mobile shop on wheels platform. I'm sure you've seen examples of this where
uh it's like a box truck but the rear access door is a manway door. Um and within you have workbenches, storage for equipment. Uh the department has taken on a number of roles that go far beyond
electrical or plumbing or anything of that nature as far as doing interior design and remodeling, wall construction, returning to our shop space uh to cut materials um and put components together and then ultimately
ferry all this stuff whether it be piping or um doors or uh you know construction. materials back to this job site. And so ultimately, we feel it would be very prudent for our department to have a
shop truck that we can actually bring to the site location. >> Um, any questions? >> Well, you explained in the request what happens if you don't get it. Then you have it's multiple trips back and forth to the site to bring stuff back and
forth. So I understand now that part uh when did the central maintenance actually uh become a separate department? Do you remember off hand? >> Probably about a year ago. >> And this request did go the request did
go before the um capital committee didn't have approval of the capital committee. I would say about a year ago, I held off on that so that we didn't spend everything, which is kind of a good thing with one of the emergency orders that you saw. >> My first reaction when I saw it was,
well, man, we spent over a half a million dollars on vehicles for DPW. I understand it's a different department. And my other first reaction was, well, gee, the fire chief spent so much time trying to save money to the city by, you
know, really researching the fire ladder and re doing stuff to cut down the cost. And so we we saved that money, but now we're kind of just going to turn around and spend it. That just seems a little I don't know, strange to me in a way. That
was my gut reaction. I hear what everybody's saying, but I just wanted to put that out there. That's was those are my initial reaction advice when I saw this. So I I'm willing to go and listen to what everybody's saying, but I also just felt,
>> you know, I don't know how the chief did the chief say anything to you. Did he does he is he aware of this or anything or >> the fire chief? >> Yeah, the fire chief is definitely aware of this. Um because um it it may be that
some of that in the end some of what is left is repurposed for this use, but with the tariffs going up the way that they are, we're encouraging, you know, everybody if you have a a a vehicle purchase in line and
I that one I definitely approved. We were just holding on to it for a little bit. Um but they absolutely need that. But yes, his extra money may be rep may be repurposed for this towards this use as opposed to capital and that all makes
a wash but we have to get the okay from city council. It's a need that they have. >> All right. >> Um question on the fire truck if that's okay or just like was that already it's been purchased already and is and when
is that? Um, >> we paid uh the deposit on it. Um, we have all the money ready for it and they're just it's been built in Canada. So, that's that's what I >> they're not like
roll off the assembly line made to order. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I'm curious. Do you know that? Let's go through uh the energy director. Uh Carol Collins. Okay. >> But the mayor, you support this, mayor.
>> I am >> I I am actively coordinating with Carol Collins with regard to vehicle selection. Um I I said I am actively coordinating with Carol Collins for the vehicle selection. Um although it isn't
uh it's above the weight class >> um yeah I don't know I mean I'm in favor you get that >> with the departments uh when they put their needs in >> uh and then it goes through the whole capital process I feel like multiple layers approved it >> I think there's a lot of ultimate
savings is involved. I mean, uh, it makes it easier to h labor wise on the work site and do trips back and forth to farm, you know? I mean, it's a mobile shop.
So, makes sense to me. >> Same. >> Great. So, we ready to vote? >> Um, right now we're >> Go ahead. Oh, sorry. I just wanted to expand and say that right now we're actively using
our bucket trucks to ferry, you know, large equipment like pipe threaders and saw horses and materials and everything. That's that's kind of where we're at right now, which just reinforces the need for the vehicle
is that our our existing vehicle platform isn't really configured for work like this. Thank you. Um let's go ahead and take a vote. So all those in favor I >> uh abstains
>> I'll abain. uh against see so that carries. Sorry, my brain is not looking. >> We know you're tired, John. >> Um I believe >> that's >> that's it for our agenda.
Um I think there's a few first readings on the city council this month that we'll be talking about next month. >> Um but otherwise, yeah, but that's it. Quick meeting tonight. So, thank you all
for being here. Um can I have a motion to adjourn? So move second. >> Great. All in favor? I I thank [Music]