Good evening to all. >> Thank you for being present today. Honorable, >> honorable members of the city council of the city of Lawrence, Today we recognize an act that belongs not only to the civic sphere, but also
reflects the value of serving. Every position of leadership that impacts a community requires integrity, wisdom, and a heart willing to govern with the common good in mind. There's a passage in scripture that
always inspires me when speaking about public responsibility. Babylon, >> the Bible says that Daniel was placed as one of the chief administrators in in the days of the Babylonian.
He wasn't there because of favoritism, but because there was an excellent spirit in him, >> a firm character that made him useful for his generation. He was not placed there because of favoritism. And he also didn't
impose his faith. He was just there as an excellent because of the excellent spirit in him. Today we are here to recognize that this council is a place from which ordinance and decisions are made.
>> And so that each of its members are able to be guided with the wisdom of God. Brother Franklin Miguel is being placed today as a necessary part of this council. He does not come to replace anyone nor
to represent only a sector. But to join responsibly, a body that must work together for the good of the community. And our prayer is that God may enlighten him, strengthen him, and guide him just as he guides all who serve at the table
of authority. >> Allow me to offer a prayer. And before we pray, I'd like to ask God in the midst of this prayer, This morning as I woke up, the Lord spoke to my heart and he said, "I'm going to put in the
city of Lawrence the spirit of Joseph, the one that speaks That spirit is the one that is in charge of recognizing when the big cow is and when the small cow.
>> When do you invest and when do you save? >> So I ask that you close your eyes. Lord Jesus, >> today we present the city council, we ask that it may be a place of wise, clean.
Save the hearts of each one of the members. Guard them of unnecessary competence. them the vision to govern with integrity. And we present especially Franklin. Give him clarity for each vote so that
he's able to do things correctly. Give him sensibility so that he can listen to the people so that he can do his service with strength and honor. Cover him and his family. >> Cover the city of Lawrence.
And we pray Lord that all violence goes away in this city. Lord, we ask that you bring the spirit of Joseph over this city that we are able to have the wisdom >> to do right with the with the resources
that we collect. >> In the name of Jesus Christ, we thank you, oh Lord. Amen. Amen. Pastor, thank you for that powerful blessing. That was very beautiful. Thank you. Um, at this time, I'm going to welcome our city council president, Giovanni Rodriguez, to give some words
of welcome. >> Good evening. Miguel Francisco Miguel pastor Maria clerkto Bian, Michael, Anna, Levy, Wendy, Gregory Rosario, Stephanie,
uh we just want to welcome everybody that is here today. Uh a special thanks to the all the elected officials that we just mentioned. uh fellow counselors Selena Reyes, Vivian Marma, Marco Plant, Anna Levy, Wendy Lon, Gregor De Losario,
and the vice president of the city council, Stephanie Infante, the city attorney that is that is here visiting us as well, uh Tim Hutton, Jessica Ramire, the newly elected for the school committee member. Welcome. Uh and also
special thanks for the chief of police that is here with us today uh Maurice Agillar. Uh I just want to say a few things, few words uh in uh regarding to uh Franklin Miguel. I was uh trying to
uh write a couple of things down but I mean uh I choose not to. And the reason why I choose not to write anything down is because I prefer to just speak from the bottom of my heart. I know Franklin for quite some time. Uh Franklin Miguel
and myself, we used to live together for two years. Um and we were roommate but back 200 11 something like that. We have a long history, a long f a huge a good
friendship. uh after, before and during we were living together and uh we always uh talk about the city of Lawrence. Uh we always talk about different uh different things that we can do uh to improve the city.
We always talk about um how we as a as a as a youth, young generation, young professionals, how we uh as a civil engineers, both of us, how we were going to be able to do something for the city of Lawrence that allow us to uh improve
the city. Uh in 2013, I decided to run for school committee. Uh well, I decided to run for uh for city council at that point. And we have a conversation uh uh around Common Street with the current mayor at the at the time and uh and uh
and the mayor the current mayor at the time he was very clear and transparent that uh he was not going to be able to he was not going to be able to support uh our effort to join the city council at the moment. Uh we choose to uh run in
2013 for school committee under the receiverhip of the uh of the state. um to uh to our school system and after that I decide to run for school committ council. I joined the city council on
the same circumstances as uh Franklin is doing it today a month and a half earlier due to the fact that the current uh uh city council member for district D at the time uh have resigned. Franklin
today I have joined us uh at this and he's he's going to join this council and one of the most important uh date of the year today is going to be the the most important vote for the city of Lawrence
and Franklin is going to be part of history how Franklin is going to be able to take that boat with responsibility just like many other boat he going to be taking about 600 boat uh or 600 items, 600 topics we discuss every year. And
those are about 600 or more items or uh different topics that are going to affect your life, that are going to affect his life, that are going to benefit you, that are going to benefit all as a community. And he going to have
the wisdom. We we we hope uh with the help of you, with the help of everybody, the family members, the friend and close friend, the the closest friend that the any anybody around the community, uh going to have that opportunity to talk
to Franklin, to give it the wisdom, to give us the opportunity to uh to listen to the community and be able to take those to take a boat uh responsibly and those uh about 600 topics that we discuss every here at this level.
And um essentially what we as a as a community need to do is um make sure that we as a counselor we um understand the responsibilities that we are we are taking. Franklin knows that well.
Franklin knows the responsibility that this is going to be for him. the change of his life, the change on his family's life uh and the change around things that he
do, said or even look. But he made that determination. Uh he made that decision and he also decide to start his uh journey of journey of service
uh at the city of Lawrence. And with the hope of all of us, he going to be a great server. Not a great politician because we all politicians, but service
is about it's about it's it's it's a it's is the is the point of everything that we do. The most important thing is that we're going to be doing is the service that we're going to provide to the community. And I'm sure that Franklin Miguel is going to be one of
those that you can count on, one of those one of those that you can hold responsible and one of those leaders within the community that are going to be able to uh speak from the heart, make those decisions from his heart and be able to
represent you with dignity and respect. Um I going to finish with one of that uh one phrase that um that um that his u daughters and son actually stated here at the at the podium. uh one phrase at
the end of the pledge of allegiance which says that we're going to have we're going to have justice and liberty for all. With that phrase, I'm going to finish my
remarks. Thank you everybody for coming over. Thank you, Franklin, for the service that you're going to be providing to the community. And thank you all for the opportunity that you uh that you gave me today. Thank you. Now, for the moment that you've all been
waiting for, I'll um administer the oath of office to Franklin. Franklin, if you could join me, please. >> I want you to say to your microphone so they hear you. Okay. Okay, >> raise your right hand, please. >> Repeat after me. I, Franklin Miguel >> I, Franklin Miguel,
>> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support >> that I that I will support >> the Constitution >> the Constitution >> of the United States >> of the United States >> the Constitution >> the Constitution >> of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts >> of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
>> and the charter >> and the charter >> and ordinances >> and ordinances >> of the city of Lawrence >> of the city of Lawrence >> that I will faithfully >> that I will faithfully >> honestly >> honestly >> and impartially >> and impartially discharge and perform >> discharge and performs >> all the duties
>> all the duties >> incumbent on me >> incumbent on me >> as a member >> as a member >> of the Lawrence City Council >> of the Lawrence City Council >> during my during my service thereon >> during during my service thereon. >> So help me God. >> So help me God. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you.
At this time, the council president is going to place a pin on um our new counselor. >> So, again, at the podium. So, this pin will represent the effort and all the work that Franklin is going to be doing for you on behalf of you and
representing you all the time. So every time you see this pin is your effort that are going to be on his heart. That is the completion of our ceremony. The family is going to stay and take some photos and they're welcome to do that. We're going to be getting the furniture out of the way up here. I do just want to say if you're here for
photos, we are starting another meeting promptly at 7 PM. So, we do respectfully ask that if you could just at that time please stop taking photos in this area. Okay. But again, congratulations to Franklin Miguel, our new District A city councelor. And thank you all for being here
tonight.