Councelor Levy is joining us remotely. Um councelor Levy Levy is joining us remotely. Um >> I'm here. >> Yay. President um councel is joining us remotely. Um
>> councel plant I'm here. >> Um, >> pres. Yep. Yes, we have you. >> Oh, jeez. I was repeating something on this one.
>> Council Reel >> is good. Is council arya also remote? >> Yes, council rehea is waiting for for someone to let her in. >> She's in the waiting room waiting to be let in.
>> Yes, she's in the waiting room. >> Is the same link as the regular meeting? >> Um, yeah, it's the same link as last meeting. Yeah, it's all one big link. Oh, thank you. >> Okay. Um, councelor Vice President Infonte >> present. >> Council President Rodriguez
>> present. So, please join me for a moment of silence. Now join me for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge of allegiance to the flag >> of the United States of America and to the stand one nation under God
indivisible with liberty and justice for allice for all. So um on the special meeting we are uh we have public participation but we we will appreciate if um uh people that are waiting for public participation hold up
for the regular meeting that is going to happen in a few minutes. So this special meeting is just uh to uh to confirm the location of the next meeting which is going to happen in a few minutes. So is anybody from the public that wishes to speak on public participation?
All right, we wait for the next meeting that is going to happen in a few seconds. Thank you everybody. So there is uh no public hearings communication from the mayor of city of a city official city attorney. There is none. There is no committee reports and there is no old business. Now we're going to
go to the new business and uh >> I know but today is Thursday. Um so the new business uh we have item uh 41425 which is the uh the vote to confirm the
location on the upcoming city council meeting as per the uh city council rule number two. Uh at this point, counselors, I'm looking for a motion to not for this item not to be sent to committee, suspend the rules, and then subsequently
deal with it at this point. >> Motion to suspend our city council rule. >> Second. >> Suspend the room properly. Second discussion. Third, please call the roll. >> Councelor Levy,
>> yes. >> Council Lant, >> yes. >> Council Luzon, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Councelor Marmal, >> yes. Council Reyes. Uh, Council Reyes is noted as absent at this time. Council Vice President
Infonte. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Yes. Counselors, at this point, I'm looking to uh suspend the rule number two and allow this meeting to happen on 165 Crawford Street, which is the South Lawrence East complex.
>> Motion to suspend city council rule number two. >> Second. Motion on the table properly second. Discussion. I hear none. All those please call the role. >> Council Reyes is noted as absent.
Councelor Marmal. >> Yes. >> Councel Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Councelor Luzon. >> Yes. >> Councelor Lelant. >> Yes. >> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Infante.
>> Yes. Council President Rodriguez >> vote on the affirmative. Motion carries. Uh at this time I'll call u a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjourn. >> There's a motion to adjurnn. Properly second. Uh
we we good. All right. Uh Mallay, please call the role. >> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Council Lant. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon. >> Yes. >> Council del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. Yes. >> Councelor Marmal.
>> Yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Council Reyes noted as absent. Council Vice President. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Uh I vote on the affirmative. So councilors at this time we are going straight to this meeting had been
adjoined and we going straight to the regular meeting for the Lawrence city council which is uh today's date uh November 4th 2025 at 7 p.m. and the location is at the South Lawrence East 165 Crawford Street and Lawrence Mass. Pursuant to chapter 20 of the act of
2022, this meeting will be hybrid allowing participation both in person in the city council and at at the location that I just mentioned and also remotely the soon link to to whoever requested uh
was uh submitted and sended. Uh this meeting is also been transmitted live through the Lawren City Council uh Facebook page as well as the Lawren City Council YouTube page. Um, madame cler please call the role.
>> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council La Plant, >> yes. >> Council Luzon, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Marmal, >> yes. >> Council Reyes is noted as absent. Council Vice President Infonte. >> Yes.
>> Council President Rodriguez, >> I affirmative. Um, please join me again for a moment of silence. Okay. >> Now join me for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge of allegiance to the flag
>> and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Councilors, can I get a motion to approve minutes from uh 1162025? >> Motion to approve.
>> There's a motion to approve. Properly second discussion. Madame Cler, please call the role. >> Councelor Reyes is noted as absent. >> Councelor Marmal, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario, >> yes.
>> Council Luzon, >> yes. Council La Plant, >> yes. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> I vote on the affirmative. Um, now we going to public participation. Council
>> President, if I can just make it quick. I I know we just voted for it. I just asked the clerk without the vote if she would just make a a correction on the minutes on the coro square, not decoro. Just a small typo. Great. That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you. No problem. Uh all your participation, you're going to have two and a half minute two and a
half minute to speak. At the two-minute mark, you're going to hear a beep and indication that you still have 30 seconds to go. Um please refer to this council as a whole. Then the first and only person that we have for public participation today is
H. Maliki. Name and address for the record, please. Honorable members, Homo Mali, 53 Chester Street. In this great season of the joy and celebration, we the citizen are united to support Lawrence Police
Officers Union. Lawrence police with the impeccable leadership by honorable chief Morris Agler doing excellent job to protect our citizen. Lawrence police this union of pride and honor. One of the best police department in the
nation. Thank you for making Lawrence a safe city. Million thanks to our DPWU leadership and workers for making Lawrence a beautiful city. Lawrence inspection department. Thank you for excellent job. We must hire more
inspectors. Lawrence public school with the impeccable leadership by honorable superintendent Ralph Guerrero. Moving forward, we are proud. The best teachers in the nation are teaching in Lawrence public school. Lawrence teachers, we are
proud to support your union. Because of you, Lawrence will rise again. We are proud to support our great veterans. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifices. We must hire two new position in a veterans department.
We must create the best Lawrence Commission on Elders. Lawrence always strong. Lawrence always unite. We pray for the safety of all police officers and the first responder. Lawrence Fire Department with the impeccable
leadership by honorable Delaney doing excellent job in this important season of the joy. We wish the best Christmas and holidays for all Lawrence police officers and the first responder. Lawrence police, the true shining star
in the sky of Lawrence. >> Right. Um these names are going to be submitted for the record. Now, now we are going to go to uh committee reports. There is a couple of uh city
employees that are here today and um they've been here since 8 in the morning. So, we're going to go straight to um committee reports. Uh the budget and finance committee. Madame vice president and the chair of the budget and finance
committee. >> Thank you through you council president. Um the first item under the budget and finance committee is item 454-25 appropriation transfer in the amount of 537,38267 from retain excuse me retain earnings to
various airport accounts. It was sent up as a favorable recommendation and I make that as a formal motion. The motion on the table. Second. Can I improperly second discussion? >> I hear none. All clear. Please call the role.
>> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Councelor Lelant. >> Yes. >> Councelor Luzon. >> Yes. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Councelor Marmmo. >> Yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes.
>> Council Vice President Fonte. Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Yes. Now we go to item 45525. >> Item 455-25. Authorization to expend 256,500,000
um of the Mass Save grant funds was sent up as a favorable recommendation and I make that as a formal motion. >> There's a motion on the table properly. Second. Discussion. >> Discussion. >> Uh Council L. Is there anybody here that's the proponent for this that be
able to ask a question? Great. >> Miss King or Mr. >> Mr. McCarthy. >> Hey, Mr. McGardi. So, welcome. Is this this grant that we're about to approve this evening or expenditures? Is this the first time we received this grant
like this kind of grant from them? >> Yes, this is this is the first time we've received this kind of grant. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. That's it. Good. Any other questions? Councilors, I hear no. Madame Clair, please call the RO.
>> Councelor Reyes. >> She was there a second ago. >> Yes. >> Yay. Council BL. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon. >> Yes. >> Council Lant. >> Yes. >> Councelor Levy. >> Yes.
>> Council Vice President Infante. >> Yes. Council President Rodriguez, >> I vote on the affirmative. Item 45725. Madame Vice President, >> item 457-25, authorization to expend $50,000
um of the fiscal year 26 earmark grant towards hand ball courts was sent up as a favorable recommendation and I make that as a formal motion. >> There's a motion on the table. Properly sec. Can I hear a second? >> Second. >> Properly second. Discussion
>> discussion council plan >> um through you director Gonzalez so uh same question as the previous one is this the first time we received this type of grant from DCR >> it's actually the second time so in one of the previous administrations it was
uh it came in in a different amount of $100,000 and we weren't able to utilize that it was before my time so this is the second time that it actually comes in >> you anticipated my question wisely that's that's the one of the cruxes of why I'm asking that question. So, what
makes us more confident that unlike years past, we're actually going to spend this for its intended purpose? >> Well, the the project is actually in the making right now. So, right now, the Oxford Street Park, if you pass by it, it's already being built and it's being, you know, taken the necessary steps to getting that project done now.
>> Okay. And if we didn't get this grant, would that project fall through? >> Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. We need the 50 grand, you know, in order to complete this project. So, it's very important to, you know, be able to utilize it. >> So, we were very confident we were going to get this grant or else we wouldn't have started it, right?
>> 100%. >> I got you. Thank you. >> La plan U just to bring something up. Uh, the city is investing some money on on this grant on this part. They advance the work uh while we actually uh are
getting this grant to to spend it on the project. >> One last question, Mr. Mr. council president, which is this. I hope that I haven't been to this park in quite some time. I was around when that park the reason for why that park is there. And I'd like to remind people why we have
that park. I'm sure many around at this table knows why that park was there. This was during the quote unquote riots back in 1984 um in that area. And one of the things that was an offshoot of that was that was a willingness to try to bring people together through sport and through
through handball. And this court was erected. And I just think that it's important that we don't lose the memory of why that court was put there in the first place. So as we're I'm not sure if that's on the plans somewhere, but I just think that's important that we have
that messaging because it's a powerful and important message that over the course of our city's history, our country's history, we've always had these kinds of conflicts and that we rise above those conflicts and this is an example of that. So hopefully we can have something there that kind of memorializes that. Thank you, Council
President. Yeah, that was not on the uh that's not on the plans, but I mean definitely something that a son of us know but not everybody. >> Thank you counselors. Any other questions? >> All right, I call the questions. All
mankair, please call call the role. >> Um councelor Levy, >> yes. >> Councelor Llant, >> yes. Councelor Luzon, >> yes. >> Councelor Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Councelor Miguel, >> yes. >> Councelor Marmal, >> yes.
>> Councel Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> yes. Motion carries. >> So, we go into communications from the mayor, city officials of city of Cheney.
We have two items here that we need to uh discuss with the city of Chenny and he have a report. Item 46525 uh open meeting law complaint five member statement on fiscal year uh 2026 budget OML 2025
198 the attorney prior to starting if I may I would just like to um thank the council for the postponement of this meeting from Tuesday not many people appreciate what you do I appreciate it maybe I'm getting a little older but I appreciate not having to go out in a blizzard instead
coming tonight so I just want to thank you for postponing people don't recognize but um what we have here is the first is this was a um a press release that was put out by councilors five members um unintentionally violating the open
meeting law um we received a complaint um and as a result of that complaint the state contacted me um uh in contacting me I thought I had the resolution which is that um again the purpose of the open meeting law is so that nothing is is
behind the scenes. Nothing is hidden from the the people at large. So I had each and every uh member of the city council read um what they had drafted in communicating between each other, had
them communicated in an open meeting and I thought that was would be sufficient for the open meeting law. Um, I was then contacted again by the state and what they told me basically is again they don't know the process that went in there and they said, "Well, we want everything that was even spoken behind
the scenes to come out in public." Uh, they had assumed that there was email communications between the five members going back and forth and they asked that I receive all those email communications and make those publics. Um, in fact,
there was not any email communications back and forth. There was one text um there in a line of communications and I have that text um which I will make I will publish and I will also send to the state it um so it was just one and it is
going to be read during the course of this. So what I'm what I'm asking you right now is the um communications was telephonic in nature. Um each counselor called someone else. They didn't call each other at the same time. So, I'm just going to ask each and every counselor to please state um what they
did that night, uh who they called, what they talked about, and that will put it on the public so that the um the state would be happy. >> All right. Thank you, u um Attorney Houston for the advice. Well, the first thing that that I would like to bring up
is that uh how this thing evolved um how this the statement uh was um was uh basically uh on the making and um on June 27 uh both uh council vice
president Stephanie Fante and myself, Council President Joavanni Rodriguez decide to respond to um an statement that was put together related to to the budget by five different four different counselors. And um this this statement was put together
by um um a a four counselors in combination with that uh part of the mayor's office and u over that uh over the phone and uh writing at the same time when I uh when a Google doc uh me and council vice
president uh infante uh begin collecting uh information related to the budget and decide to response uh to that to that statement. Uh at that time uh uh we have decide to
uh contact uh over the phone uh all the counselors and uh and council was present uh going to share her experience as to how that happened. I not okay thank you council president
through you. Yeah. So at that time um I was the one who contacted the rest of the counselors individually asking them if they w to provide a statement. Um at the time I didn't think anything of it. We didn't think anything of it. When you read the the press release everything
within that press release were statements that were already made during a public meeting and it was about the tabled vote that had already occurred. So within that statement there was no future conversations, no future actions, no future um deci decisions that was
articulated within that. So what happened was I called first um counselor, former counselor Santiago. I told her that council president and I were preparing a statement um in response to to the press release u made
by the other fourth four counselors. And I asked her if she wanted to provide a quote. She told me yes. She started talking. I didn't realize she was at that point giving me her statement. So I told her, "Hold on. Um, let me put you on speaker so I can type this out." So I
typed out her statement. I said, "Thank you." And then I called councelor Luzon next. Councelor Luzon did not answer the first time. So the text message that the city attorney mentioned was the text message that I sent to councelor Luzon when she didn't answer my call. And it
was on Friday, June 27th. At 1:35 p.m., I texted her, "Hello, we're preparing to make a statement. Would you like to include a quote?" At 1:40, she answered, "Yes." At 1:40, she called me and it was a twominute conversation asking me, "Who is we?" and I told her it was me and
council president. She tells me, "Okay, I'm going to provide you a quote." Um, then we the then we hang up the conversation. At 205, Councelor Luzon texted me her conversation and it and the quote is I mean, I'm sorry, texted me her quote and the quote is, "I didn't
vote no on summer programs. I voted no on rushing to approve millions without transparency. The people of Lawrence deserve to know exactly how their money is being sent. Accountability isn't personal. It's our job." Councelor Wendy Luzon, District B. After typing that
into the document, I then called uh councelor Marmal. Councelor Marmal asked me to give her a call back so that she can think about what she wants to provide as a statement. So I did um at that point I was fixing my own my own quote. Um I gave it a few minutes. I
called her back and she read to me over the phone her quote and I also had her on speaker and while she was reading me her quote I was typing it in within the doc um that we were drafting the press release >> and that was it.
>> I would like if you wanted to stack out just verify what the vice president has said. So um yeah through you council president um >> council councelor >> okay um yes I was working at the time so um you know when I get phone calls from
either the council president or the vice president from if if if it permits um during that time frame I did answer the the phone call she asked if I wanted to provide a statement and I did say that I needed a minute to come up with something and um uh there was a
conversation after the fact when I was able to come up with something and everything was done telephonically. So, >> and my my my statement has been made public. So, I didn't feel the need to reiterate what that statement was.
>> I would only ask if there was anything that that you said that it's not contained in your statement. So, we understand that there is a written statement. Okay. If that encompasses, that's fine. I just council. >> Um, thank you to you, Council President. Um, yes. And I'm going to confirm what u
the statement that made by uh councelor uh infante uh she called me on uh June 27 uh 1:35 p.m. she she sent me a text and called me as well. I didn't respond. I
respond by 1:40 up 1:40 p.m. with a Jess. She asked for a quote and then I called her, we talked for less than two minutes and then I send the quote that she read. Um,
and that was said >> and this is an accurate copy of that quote. >> Yes, I keep records of my texts. >> Thank you very much. I think that will be sufficient. Thank you very much counselors for that. I will put that in a letter as well as the um minutes of this meeting and and hopefully
>> Thank you attorney. >> Yep. If also it is important to recognize that the document that we use we both were working at the same time writing and typing uh at the same time me and councelor res and >> that is not a separate document that is
the final document which has already been provided to the state. So there are no other documents that we there is no other we will provide the email the text and that's the only written document that we have. >> Correct. >> Thank you. >> Anything else? >> Not on that.
>> All right. Do we need to do we need to >> All right. And then we we also have um u item 46625 which is the open meeting law complaint on the school committee interviews in a secretary section. >> So you have the floor.
>> So we've received a complaint. Um uh Jonathan Goodman filed a complaint saying that the uh council was in error in doing the uh preliminary screening uh hearings in executive session. Um we uh as a result we must I must present that
to you at your next meeting. Here's the next meeting. Um I have advised you and I have stated in the past uh that we were allowed to do a screening committee under the exemption to uh open meeting law for section 8 which allows for a screening committee. Um I will answer
that to the state. The state has not obviously asked for an answer at this point but uh I well I am obligated to bring it to you. So I'm going to respond to that in in my passion and tell them that uh it was a screening committee that no final vote was taken. this was
uh it is allowed under the the rules of open meeting law. So that will be mine. I'll I'll give you all a copy of my response to the state. If anything comes in further, I will keep you praise. But I I have an obligation once received to bring this to your attention and that's what I'm doing tonight.
>> All right. U All right. U Thank you for the uh for the for the communication. Um uh just for for belt and suspenders, maybe you should take a vote authorizing me to respond to the state. >> Well, we definitely will uh would like
to do that. I mean, up to the council, but I mean, I'll entertain a motion to allow the city Houston to respond to the complaint and regard to item 46625. Can I get a motion? >> Repeat. Okay. I get a motion to u allow
attorney Houston to respond to item 46625 which is an open meeting law complaint uh related to the school committee interviews. >> There's a motion on the table. >> Second >> properly second discussion
>> just so I'm clear. So this is just authorizing attorney hoot to go ahead and respond. That's all this is. Okay. Thank you. >> Yes. >> Uh any questions? I hear none. Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Councelor Levy, >> yes.
>> Council Lant, >> yes. >> Council Luzon, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Marl, >> yes. >> Council Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez,
>> yes. >> Thank you very much. I think that with this we're going to finish up with all of the city employees. So, and attorney Hon will prefer if you stay for the for the next step which is
the set of interviews. Uh Maki, do you have anything? Okay, perfect. So counselors, there was a little a little situation with that uh with a zoom and there was uh somebody
that have contact us that wanted to express her opinion public participation and she's been waiting on the zoom meeting. So counselors can uh can can I got a motion to open up public participation again? >> So moved. >> Second. >> There's a motion on the table properly
second. Discussion. I hear none. All those in favor, please say I. Madame Clair, please call the RO. >> Um, Council Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Marmal, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario,
>> yes. >> Council Luzon, >> yes. >> Council La Plant, >> yes. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council, Vice President Fonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> yes. So, now public participation is open again. You're going to have two and
a half minute to speak. At the 30 minute mark, you're going to hear a beep and indication that you still have 30 seconds. So, >> I'm going to say her name. >> So, the next person that we have is uh Pat Mariano.
Uh school committee school committee member Mariano. She's on Zoom. >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yes, >> you can hear me. >> Correct. >> Okay.
Um, good evening um, President Rodriguez and councilors. Uh, as you know, the last month has seen my life um, healthwise
turn upside down. As luck would have it, I entered the hospital the day that my interview was scheduled. I never got the opportunity to share my sincere desire to be considered for the
education portion of the new school committee. I thought I'd share some of my information from my packet. Um I know you all received a cover
letter and in the cover letter it um expresses my passion for education and student advocacy um for many many years. Uh, I've been
elected by the voters of District D for six and a half consecutive school committee terms. And most recently, this past August, I had the prof profound
moving experience of holding and for helping cut the ribbons on two new KD8 school buildings in North Lawrence. Um, I just want to share a couple of
things with you. I know it it's late. Um, when I decided to approach this application, I thought about the cohort of people that I would be responsible for or
continue to be responsible for. and I decided to talk to a student, a past student, a parent, and also a a faculty member.
So, here's a few excerpts from the from their letters. It is with great pride and heartfelt admiration that I write this letter in support of my former principal at the
Ley School, Patricia Mariano. As someone who has known Mrs. Mariano for many years. I can confidently say that she is one of the most dedicated,
compassionate and visionary leaders in the field of education, not only in Lawrence, Mass, but throughout the region. Um, and then she continues to say, "On a personal note, I have had the privilege
of sharing as a a special connection with Mrs. Mariano. We share the same birthday. Every year without fail, she would invite me into her office to celebrate
with a slice of cake." school committee. Mariano, your time is up. >> I'd like to make a motion that we extend participation for two and a half more minutes to spend the rule. >> Sure. There is a motion to >> uh allow public participation for another two and a half minutes. Properly
second discussion. I hear none. Oh, Madame Clair, please call the role. Um, councelor Levy, >> yes. >> Council Plant, >> yes. >> Council Luzon, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario,
>> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Marmal, >> yes. >> Councelor Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> yes. Uh, school commo, you have the you have the floor.
>> Thank you. On a personal note, I have had the privilege of sharing a special connection with Mrs. Mariano. We share the same birthday. Every year without fail, she would
invite me into her office to celebrate with a slice of cake. Those simple moments spoke volumes about her character. Even admiss ad Amidst the demands of
leading a school, she also found time to connect personally with the people around her, to listen, to encourage, and to remind us that we are all part of something greater.
During those small celebrations, she al she often took the opportunity to gently push me out of my comfort zone to take on new challenges, to pursue goals I once thought were beyond my reach and to
believe in myself and and the way she believed in me. Those words are of encouragement have stayed with me to to this day. The next group I thought I would
uh present are the parents and um this parent is um Anna Rodriguez. I first became acquainted with Mrs. Mariano. In 2009,
while I was researching various elementary schools for my daughter Jasmine, I contacted the Ley school and said to the meeting, Mrs. Mariano explained the school guidelines, her
commitment to the education of children, and her desire for all to be part of a of a greater family. Um, I know right then and there
that the lady was the place I wanted my daughter to be. Jasmine went to >> You have 30 seconds. >> I'm sorry. You still have 30 seconds. >> Oh, I'm sorry. All right. So, Jasmine went to the lake for five years.
Um the last letter or the last group I thought was very important was the uh faculty and um I'm going to the page of the staff of
>> Thank you. Thank you. Uh thank you school committee Mariano. Your time is up now. All right. Um, thank you for giving me the opportunity to to um talk to you
about this and to share my deep commitment with Lawrence Public Schools. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Anybody else would like to speak on public participation?
All right. At this time all uh public participation is now closed. So so now we're going to go to >> Mr. President. I would like to make a motion to un to
unte as a group as well. Um, unte items. Item 451-25, review applicants and select appointee for school committee member education. Item 452-25,
review applicants and select appointee for school committee member finance. And item 453-25, review applicants and select appointee for school committee member legal. >> And I make that as a motion. >> There is a motion on the table.
>> Second. properly second uh to bring it up out of front table matters. U all madame cler please call the ro up. Please call the role. >> Um councelor Levy >> yes. >> Council plant. >> Yes.
>> Council Luzon. >> Council Lon is not here. Council Luzon. Thank you. Council del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. >> Yes. Council Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infante, >> yes.
>> Council President Rodriguez, >> yes. >> So, uh, councilors, uh, at this time we are going to proceed with the interviews for the applicants related to three different positions. This is in regard to the educational school committee member that is going to
be appointed and select and confirmed by the city council. uh also the finance uh school committee member that is going to be appointed and confirmed by the city council as well as the legal uh school committee member that is going to be appointed and confirmed by the Lawrence
city council. Uh at this time I going to uh read um an email. Madame Clair, if you can help me uh read the email that was sent to us by that um uh by that u personal director
so advising us and following u proper procedures when it comes to these interviews. Do they have that? >> So madame clerk please read those that email for the record. Um,
this is a email that was received by all of you yesterday. Says, "Good morning, city council members. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Miss Bernell has picked up the score sheets, and I'd like to take a brief moment to share a few reminders on how these should be handled. The score sheets contain sensitive information,
including individual assessments, and should there therefore be treated as confidential and for your review only. They are considered work product of the city council." Miss Bernell will be making copies for each of you and will collect the copies at the conclusion of your meeting. Regarding the interviews,
we ask that they follow the same approach the council has used in the past. Please refrain from asking personal or reputational questions. All questions should focus solely on the candidates's qualifications, their ability to fill the responsibilities of the positions. If you need anything further, please feel free to reach out.
Stay warm. Carol M. Garcia, personnel director. Um, in addition, Director Garcia did send you folks uh um package which is in your package. It's in there three times under all three documents um back on November 5th
outlining the process for hiring the school committee members. Um which you have that as well. I don't think you need to read that into the record. We are going to quick overview of that so everybody at home is aware of what
we're doing. Council >> so council vice president fant the chair of the personnel committee. >> Thank you council president through you. Um, so to be completely honest with my colleagues, about an hour before the first um, personnel committee meeting, I
took the liberty of converting the memo that director Garcia sent us into a PowerPoint presentation and um, I started both meetings, we actually had three scheduled, but the two that were mainly um, for the interviews. Um I started
both meetings with this presentation so that everyone who was participating as an applicant and also um people watching at home knew exactly what this process was going to be and what to expect. Um I'm sorry I did not update the dates or
anything like that. The only thing I did update to uh made an update to this presentation was I included uh the last slide that has a a copy of the questions that was sent down by the personnel director um for us to ask. So the first
page on the presentation is just an overview of the purpose of the process. Um the per our purpose to outline a fair, consistent, transparent process for the evaluation and interview of candidates for the Lawrence School Committee. the our goal to identify candidates who best meet qualifications,
experience and skills necessary to serve efficiently in the important role. Uh slide number two just it goes it's an overview of the appointment process um the pre-screening how the applications got forwarded to the full council and
also to the personnel committee um interview one the score sheet I mean the score sheet and the numbers the review of all the scores in the applicants by the personnel committee interview two and um finally the appointment now on
the last personnel committee meeting, the committee did make a vote to instead of sending the top two qualified applicants to send the top three. Now, that vote was not unanimously, but it did pass um with a 2 to1 vote. The next
page is just the interview again, just um the Lawren City Council interview, and that that um went over that again, and it has the beautiful picture of us as a group. Um the slide after that
focuses on the interview focus areas. So we we went over what we're looking for for core um competencies. So we're look we were looking for the knowledge of education and policy, teamwork, collaboration, communication and community engagement, character and and
skills. And within that bucket we were looking for ethics and judgment, decision- making, problem solving, and commitment to equity and inclusion. Now counselors, these three buckets were also the buckets where the questions that were asked um fell fell under as
well. And I'm sorry I printed that page twice. Uh the slide after that is it's the scoring system that we use the one through five scale that has been used by the personnel committee. uh prior it was
a five excellent strong specific examples demonstrating full understanding and ability. Four good clear response with relevant experience and insight. Three satisfactory meets expectations response adequate but not
detailed. Two, fair, limited or unclear response. And one poor no relevant experience or understanding shown. And the last slide um was just the the the interview breakouts and how we were going to do that. Um we conducted the
interviews by order of agenda item and within those agenda items, whoever confirmed their interview first um was then placed as you know one two three u interview order. And then the last slide
that I added today were the questions that were asked by the committee members. The these questions were provided to us by the personnel director um director Garcia and I'm just going to read quickly what they are. So under the
knowledge and education and we did not engage in in other questions or other communications. We strict we um strictly stuck to the conversations that were provided to us by um the personnel director. So under knowledge and and
knowledge of education and policy the question was in your view what is the most important issue facing public education in Lawrence and how would you address it address it as a school committee member she also provided a follow-up question for each qu for each
of the main question which the committee did um decide to ask all the follow-up questions. So essent so we essentially ask two questions um per per category. Follow-up question can you share any experience you've had with education policy or or school governance and what
have what did you learn from it? Uh the second was under teamwork and collaboration. The question was tell us about a time you worked with a team where there were differing opinions. How did you help how did you help the group reach a decision? The follow-up question was when disagreements arise among
colleagues or stakeholders, how do you approach resolving them? The next bracket was communication and community engagement. And the question under this one was, "Describe a situation where you had to communicate a difficult decision to a group or community. How did you
make sure your message was clear and respectful?" The follow-up question to that was, "How would you engage families or community members who may not agree with the committee's decision?" Next was under ethics and judgment. The question was, "Give an example of a time you face
an ethical challenge or conflict of interest. What steps did you take to h what steps did you what steps did you take to handle it appropriately?" And the follow-up question was, "As a school committee member, how would you ensure your decisions are fair and transparent?" Um the next category was
decision making and problem solving. The question was tell us about a time you had to make a difficult decision with limited information what process did you follow? The followup question to that was when faced
with competing priorities or requests how do you decide what to address first? And lastly was under commitment to equity and inclusion and the question to that was share an ex share an example of how you promoted fairness or inclusivity
in a group program or policy and the follow-up question for that was how would you work to ensure all students in Lawrence have equal access to education opportunities and with that that is how um the two-day interviews were conducting were
conducted within the personnel committee um council president. >> All right. And also it is important to to mention that every question was asked to every candidate. >> Yes. >> Equally. So no different questions for
different candidates or uh no different anything uh anything else was the same question uh to everybody. And that same rule applies to this interview that we're going to be performing to the top three candidate because as per the vote
that the personnel committee took was to send out the top three uh candidates uh to the full council and we are going to have those interviews today's uh so we can have that uh uh we can pick one. So
if counselors if you have a question that question must be asked to every candidate out of that specific section. If we are interviewing the candidate for education so and you ask the questions that
question have to be asked to every candidate related to the other or to the other candidates related to the same position. Uh so and that's basically what the the law says that we need to do.
So at this point if it is any questions for by the counselors >> I've got a question before I start a question. >> Sure. Uh councelor Lablan. >> Thank you. So, um I'm a little caught
off guard by the the request or the rules that we have to ask the same questions in the same to everybody when I may have a question regarding someone's background. It's going to be different than somebody else. And I I don't want to be constricted to just
having to say the same questions. If I've got a candidate that I want to ask a certain question within the rules of, you know, within our rules, then I I hope to be able to ask that question and not ask that question to all the others when I'm not that interested necessarily
in finding that out. The idea is for the for me asking the question is for me to understand the candidate so I can make an informed decision based on the question that I have for that particular candidate. So I may not be interested in having that same question answered three times. So, I would hope and I I would
ask the city attorney who I I talked to about this prior to just to make sure I'm on the same page and maybe if is this a just a rule or a guidance or >> No, it's uh when we using u well based on u based on the recommendation of many different
boards that I have been part of and actually interview that we have performed at the city council uh when we have positions that we need to interview and the fact that we using public funds to make it fair to every candidate. Questions need to be asked the same way
to every uh to every candidate on the same position. But do we have u the personal director here online >> and the city attorney also can uh can help us? >> Yeah, this a policy.
>> Good evening. >> Uh yes. >> Hi. Good evening everyone. This is the uh personnel director. >> Thank you. Uh you have the floor. >> Could you just repeat what the question was? I'm sorry. >> Sure. Council Lan.
>> So the council president has advised us that if we ask one question to one candidate, we must ask a similar question to all the candidates within that grouping. And I question that saying that the idea behind me asking the question is so that I have a better
understanding of that person's qualifications and it may have each question could be different. Did I misspe? Did I misspe? >> Okay. Um, if I want to ask one question, it may be a different kind of question depending on the candidate based on their resume,
based on their application, and I don't want to be beholden to asking a question of a candidate that I don't really have a need to to get that question answered from somebody else. So, the question here is, do I have the freedom to pick and choose the question that I want to ask of a candidate or am I have to
follow this rigorous rule that I've asked to ask the same questions to all three candidates or whatever they are? I believe as indicated in my email, so long as it's not personal or reputational in nature, uh I think that the council could be okay with asking
specific questions pertaining to, for example, as you so mentioned, if someone in finance has um has certain experience within a specific um company, you can absolutely ask a question about their experience within that financial institution. as opposed to someone in
education may not have the same experience. >> The the point I was going to make is you might the person in front of you is a garbageman. You might say, "How has that job helped you in this? The second person may not I'm making this up.
Second person may not be a garbage garbageman." So it would be no use to ask the second person, "How was your experience as a garbageman helping you in this job?" So I I do believe you can tailor it to the person. In other words, what's their background? How do you feel that that your background has helped you for this particular one? Obviously, all
these people have different backgrounds. So, you can tailor it. You can't go outside the bounds to say they you can't go out and say, you know, your criminal history, your things of that nature. But as long as you're within the bounds of, you know, what helps you in this job, how's your education helped you? So,
because each person might have a different level of education, I think you you can tailor it. Again, we're not trying to restrict you wholly. We're just trying to keep you on track that you don't do anything about, you know, a person's reputation, things of that nature. So,
I'll be >> we understand when it comes to that uh the uh the >> Yeah, we don't have >> questions that are not >> so supposed to be asked. >> Uh I think that to be honest with you, I think that we have done it
uh actually on positions that we have hired. uh when we hire the city clerk, when we hire the city attorney, we ask the same question due to the fact that I believe we have a policy in Lawrence that not in Lawrence, I mean even within the state, the same
question have to be asked if it is a public fund. Uh this public fund is being used to hire this person to make a fair but I'll follow the advice of the of the city attorney. I hope that we not
run and then uh and then something else happen. I prefer to ask the same questions to everybody to make it fair. >> Council President, I'm not going to labor this. I have a different question now. Thank you for indulging that question. So, the other one is we did
have um chairwoman Mariano speak um during public participation and I and I noticed that of the three candidates that were sent to us, she was not one of those candidates and I I I think that needs to be addressed. um why why that
is or was. Um it seemed to me as though looking at her resume and looking at her application, seeing what she's done for many many many years that she would be an amazingly strong candidate for this position. >> Correct. Let's clarify that.
>> Uh madame clerk didn't interview >> and the chair of the personal committee. You guys >> Thank you. I I'll I'll explain what happened through you, council president, what happened at the committee level, and then we'll um go to the city clerk um for the rest. But so what uh
committee woman mentioned today about um her unav her her her availability during that time. We tried at least myself as a committee chair tried to accommodate um her being able to interview which is why
overall the school the the personnel committee had three three um meetings. I was advised to keep the process going. So that's what I did. Um we attempted to call her many times. Um from my
knowledge at one point uh her daughter did reply back. A question was asked and the response that was given back was a thank you not an answer to to the question pertaining to the interview process. Um so at that point my my
wrists were tied and I had to we already had started the process and I had to continue the process after the process was done after that third meeting um happened was when um I received a a communication from committeewoman Pat
Mariano and at that point uh we asked for legal guidance on what to do next >> and also I'll pass it on to >> when was that uh the third meeting when And that that meeting happened two weeks ago, right? >> We had Yep. So we had um the first meeting November November 12th, which
was Wednesday. The second meeting November 13, Thursday, and then the third meeting was that Monday, um November, >> it was a Tuesday the 18th, right before the regular meeting. >> I'm sorry. I'm Tuesday the 18th, right before uh the regular meeting of the
city council. So at least process-wise at the personnel at the committee level that is what occurred. >> So let me ask the council president how do you envision this going forward as far as um once the set of interviews is
done how do you envision that we will come to a selection >> um when it comes to when it comes to this specific person? No, I'm talking I'm talking about that in general and then we'll factor out the specific person afterwards. >> Uh once we finish up the interviews and
the questioning based on the counselor's u question that they have >> and then we will take a vote based on names. We are uh we will u uh we will continue to having the vote based on the name since we have three top candidates
and then whoever have the majority vote will be elected. >> Is it majority? So you're talking um five votes. >> Five. Correct. >> You need five to get through. >> Yeah. And then essentially does it uh does a selection process of a name, not
a vote. Eventually after that happened, we need to confirm through a vote that person to be the next school committee school committee member. And then finally, could anybody be nominated um at at the time even if they're not one
of the three individuals that were recommended by the personnel committee? Uh the council have the prerogative to uh to uh pull the candidates from the committee. We have done that in the past. I remember that we we did that
with um with the city attorney prior to Tim Hon. and uh but it's it is going to be up to the council to to uh take the recommendation from the from the personal committee or uh move away from
there and decide to uh proceed. >> So just point of clarification so if there's a desire to go outside of the three there needs to be a commit a motion to discharge a name out of the personnel committee. Is that what you're suggesting? >> That's that's the way it should be because that person is still on the
committee. I was just going to check. I I didn't Let me look at it again. Is there in in in our packet? It doesn't Does Am I missing? Is it listed on here? Who are the three for each in our packet? >> The top condent.
>> No, in our packet. I have the I have the the fact the sheet from the personnel committee. >> Open the That's >> the item didn't come up from committee in the traditional way. Um so the documents were sent to the personnel
director. >> Um if you recall at your last meeting there was a vote by the >> chair to pull the items from committee. So they were all pulled from committee at your last meeting on November 18th. So because of that I don't have a
committee report in there for you. Um what we did try to do was to create that that one pager. Um because we don't have a committee report. So trying to give you something in lie of that what the top three nominees were based on the score sheet. You have the scoreeet. Um the top three
are highlighted in yellow. Um, >> but there's not a committee report per se because it was pulled from committee by this body at your last meeting. >> And then and then and the personnel chair, you can confirm those are the three on the highlighted three are the ones that came out of your committee,
right? Okay. Thank you. >> I'm done, council president. Thank you. >> All right. Uh, we are we are going to proceed with the interviews. the interview for item um >> 451.
>> 451 is the education. >> Yeah, >> let's proceed with item 451. Item 451, review the applicant and select the uh the appointee for school committee member education. Um
counselors we have the top three candidates here with us. Um if you have any question related to the candidates uh for the interview now it's the time to call them up and uh and ask questions.
>> Yeah. The first is the school the education. uh the top three candidates for education was uh as per the recommendation of their of the school of their personnel committee was uh Don Bartoolino, Christian Guusman and Nilson
Rosario. Uh counselors at this time I'll call those three candidates to come forward. And if you guys if your counselors have any questions, uh this is the time to ask.
>> Uh councelor Mamo. Um, since I'm not part of the personnel committee, this these these line of questions are going to go for all three candidates. Um, I want to start off by mentioning how I at one point was in one of your shoes.
>> I've had to interview for two hours to be part of the school committee for greater Lawrence Tech. And not only did I have to be interviewed by the Lawrence city counselors, but by also the LE board together. Uh, so I understand the
pressures. Um, and hopefully given the experience that I had once, um, been in your shoes, um, hopefully this would, um, my line of questions, you you would see it as, um, how important it was for
me as a school committee member and how in your role that would continue to be important um, if if you guys were to be appointed. So, I guess Christian. Okay, Christian,
how do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and city council to support the needs of the Lawrence uh public schools? >> Good evening, counselors. So, the way I see this is uh we're the middle middle
person. So, you got to communicate with the mayor, with the counselors, come up with what's the what's the problem with the within the city and the education. I've been living here for 28 years. I love my city. Um, and it's just hear the
people's voices and then communicate with that because you have so much the counselors have so much to focus with with the school committee is one focus. What's going on? How can we how can we solve this or how can we make it better?
It's um like I said, you're just the the voice from the middle person and you're going from one one room to another room and then meeting in the middle. >> Okay. >> If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how
would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on what's important? >> Well, these these agreements are always going to happen. It it's like you're part of a team. You may have one opinion, another person has an opinion. At the end of the day is how can we make
it better. So this disagreement is always going to happen is we care. We care about a common goal and we got to remind each other that this is the goal. This is what we're trying to do. We're trying to make the city better. We're trying to again come up with the same
goal. Explain to everybody the why. This is why we're doing this. Yes, you may think this way is better. I may think this way is better. But let's meet halfway and just communicate. Communicate is the one of the biggest thing here in life.
>> How would you handle a situation where city leaders want budget cuts or changes that you would believe would negative negatively impact Lawrence public schools? >> Well, that's that comes along with the disagreement. So, and it is a it comes
along with the why is I'll explain my reasoning. I explain my why and then just come up with facts, uh, data, and this is why I think this would hurt the budget cut. And I'm not I'm going to give them a reason. I'm not just going
to tell them, hey, if this happens, I'm going to give him a why, explain the why, and then come up with a solution, and then just go out, throw out the donation data and explain why this will hurt uh the budget cuts.
>> Okay. Uh my next question would have been targeting um as to you mentioning what are the the ties that you have within our community, but looking at your resume, I must say that I'm I'm highly impressed with the years that you
have been a coach. It looks like um I like the fact that you're a police officer. So uh I I I feel like you're going to bring a different perspective with that prior experience as a resource officer as well. So, as a police officer
and a former RSO, >> what experience do you bring? Um, have you worked with kids before? Um, and um how how how does uh would you see that as an asset to the to the role as an
appointed committee member? >> So, I see it as a big asset. I've been coaching at Lawrence. I'm the longest tenure coach at Lawrence High currently. I know I'm I just turned 37. So I'm 37, but I've been there been there. This is year 16. I started off right when I was
21. I was driving my car every single day from Fitsburg to Lawrence High cuz cuz I said I want to be a coach when I was in high school. I graduated from Lawrence High 2007. What a coach meant to me was a father figure. I wanted to pass that along
because we have that a lot of issues here in that city. I'm one of them. So I just want to pay it forward. I became I got my masters in education from American International College. I was I worked as a parent as a long-term s here
from 2012 2016. I worked at Lawrence High for two years. So I know the teacher side how it is. Then I became a police a police officer. So I know how it is on the the law side. Then within that, I said, I want to be an SRO
because now I want to be be with the kids, help the kids before we get them in the street. Um, as an SRO, I sat with the meetings with the admins, the city of Haver, the mayor, the counselors, and we talked about education. We talked about with Desi and the state. So, I'm
very familiar with that side of what we can do cuz the public sees why is the schools not doing something, but they don't know that our hands are tied. They don't know that the state only lets you suspend a kid for so long
and then you have to explain why or do paperwork. I want to be able to tell that to the public so they can see why we're not doing um nothing, so-called nothing. Um, so I see that as a benefit.
Um, I'm on the I'm on the streets. I've been on the schools for a couple years. I still fill in the school. I still keep my uh SRO certification. I have said that eventually I'll go back once my kids grow up, once they stop playing sports and so on. Um, and I just keep
that good connection with uh with the schools. >> Okay. Um, and my last question would be, and I'm I'm making this one up at this point. Um, >> what was that? >> I know I'm gonna remember this one. Um,
in the positions that we're all in, it comes with political pressures. So, how do you see yourself being able to handle that when uh there will be certain items that will come before you and there'll be a group of people that want you to vote a certain way and another group that will
want you to vote another way. How do you stay true to what you think it's right despite the the tugofwar that you will potentially face? >> I need to write that down. Hold on. >> And it's valid. I must say it's this is
probably one of the most valid questions I'm asking you. >> Is what you see is what you get from me. There there's no pressure. Is my wife said cut your hair so you can look proper. If the counselors don't like my curls, then I don't know. But
what you see is what you get. There's no pressure. I'm a police officer. I've been doing it for eight years. I worked two years at the jail. I is I think I think I do what's fair. I'm very firm as a coach. I've been there for, like I said, 15 years. Not a single person will
tell you who's my favorite athlete because I treat everybody the same. It doesn't matter. Expectations are the same throughout the whole entire team. expectations are the same with the coaches. Um, so it's I don't get swayed as a police officer
is you have a job to do. Whether the public think it's right, whether the public think it's wrong, a job, you have a job to do. The law is the law is you go by policy. If you break it, you follow it and then that's it. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Any other counselors? Well, you you go into the other three. Yes, >> I believe all three should answer. Is that Isn't that the way? >> No, no, no. That's the way. Yes. Sorry. >> Could Could Donna go next? Miss Berdalino. Miss Berlin, give me one second.
Miss Berelino, thank you so much for joining us. Uh the first question was, "How do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and the city council to support the needs of the Lawrence public schools?"
My approach is always to get to know people on an individual basis. Um that means getting to know who they are, what they stand for, what their goals are, um what their vision is, and understanding where they're coming from and
why they have these goals. Um not necessarily that I might agree with all of them, but I need to understand what they are so I can get to know them um and work with them collaboratively. >> Okay. If disagreements arise between the
school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students? >> Again, I feel it's it's understanding why people are making decisions. Um why they have that point of view and
it's okay to have a different point of view. It's just really understanding where people are coming from but understanding the common goal which is the students. they are the number one priority and whatever is going to benefit the students in the city is what will take
president. How would you maintain um let me see I wrote this down. How would you maintain professionalism and collaborate collabor uh let me see hold on did I ask that I said how would you handle a situation where city leaders
want budget cuts or changes um that you would believe would negatively impact um Lawrence public schools >> I always go toward um reality data data speaks um how will these cuts affect students specifically what does that
look like um And that's how I would move forward making a decision as to whether it's something that I don't even want to say should be cut, but is a possibility of being cut or not. Okay.
See, and how will you ensure that decisions are um I'm like forgetting my questions. I'm sorry. The last one was the one I read I wrote down, which is uh political pressures. How would you handle political pressures? um how would you um
stand your ground um and stay true to how you feel despite the tugofwar between certain items that would come before you? >> I feel like we can't fall to political pressure. Um we always need to look at the facts. We always need to keep
students in mind first and foremost and to do what's best for them. And I have my own opinions. Um and everyone has their opinion but again it's all about what is going to benefit the
students. >> All right and that was the last question. So um I will conclude the line of questioning with Mr. Rosario. >> Hello. Good evening counselors. >> I'm so sorry Mr. Rosario. I knew there
was one question missing with Miss Berilino. Um it was the the ties to the community. Um do you mind going into what ties do you have with the community and what experience do you bring um
given your education and experience? >> Sure. Um so I'm a lifelong resident of Lawrence, born and raised. Um I graduated from Lawrence High School. I'm I remain in the city obviously. Um I've done a lot of public service. I was an elected member of the school committee
in 2017 for district A. I served on the Lawrence Family Development Charter School for many years. I worked with um the Lazarus House, um the Essex Art Center. I've done numerous public service activities. Um, I've worked at Northern Essex for 39
years, um, which is really solid experience working through, um, various capacities, um, in leadership roles. Um, worked really closely with Lawrence public schools and many schools from around the Marramac Valley, K through 12, um, with
early college, with just overall enrollment efforts. Um, I don't know if that answers all of your question. >> Thank you. Yes, I'm glad I asked that question. Um, Mr. Rosario, thank you for joining us. First question, how do you
plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and the city council to support the needs of Lawrence Public Schools? >> Um, showing face, being around, understanding what everyone is doing. I've been building relationships with a lot of people throughout the city
community throughout the community, administrators, teachers, whoever. and to be aligned on the same page. I just would always remember our common denominator is always going to be Lawrence public schools, our students, our families and our and our staff and
the community. And yeah, just showing face, being around, being present, understanding what I stand for, understanding what you stand for, what you guys what what you guys your values, your characteristics, and respecting everybody no matter the opinions.
If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students? >> The answer is kind of in your question. Just keep the focus on the students. Um, stay true to what you stand for, knowing
what the discussions are, keep professionalism, transparent, understanding why I'm feeling a certain type of way and why I'm doing it. And we're always going to have this in where that's the beauty of having a console in a committee. There's multiple people to
have different thoughts on one thing that way, right? If everybody thinks the same way in a committee, it won't be too successful in my opinion. But um yeah, just keep it professional, understand what they're saying. Same way I would like to be respected and again keep
pushing for our common denominator, Lawrence for the schools. >> Okay. How would you handle a situation where city leaders want budget cuts or changes um that you believe would negatively impact Lawrence public schools?
>> Yeah. Um educating, letting um the community know the um the students, making everything public by being transparent on why I don't agree with the cuts or why I would like the cuts, vice versa. um standing true to it and
listening to why they think the cut should happen and putting out different um scenarios with whatever the budget cut might have to be or to extend anything. Um looking at the future of it
in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, how would it affect us? Is it something that I have that we should take into consideration or is it something that it's a political move and just stand true to the facts and what is important about it and why it has to happen?
Okay. Um and the last question I believe is um it's not the last question. Um based on your um experience um what are the the ties to the community?
um if you could elaborate um in reference to the history that you have um and what any local organizations you've worked for um and how that has been an asset to you uh to serve in this role. >> Yeah. Um since young actually Christian
and I went to the same middle school classmates since since young since forever. Um I was always the troubled kid and got in trouble here and there but um started playing sports, playing football and um became a coach to give
back to those kids that were like me. I brought my little cousin and I noticed that on the field half the team was a bunch of Nilson Rosarios, a bunch of kids that came from single family homes and needed help in school. And since then, I've been
involved since 2010, just coaching, showing up to the schools, report card night, um, giving rides, being part of the community. And I needed to make better money. So, I had to get into the school system to have the same schedule as the coach as the kids to be able to
coach. And just then from there, a bunch of different organizations, Lawrence Pop Warner, um, volunteer community works with TMF, just a bunch of different stuff from Lawrence. been here the whole time doing all types of
involvement, community work for over the last what 20 25 years just been around and which led me to run for city council as well. Um yeah, I just been doing so much like so I have so much stuff that I done in LA
that I just it's not lining up right now. But yeah, um just doing a bunch of different um being part of a bunch of different organizations throughout the city. well known. >> Okay. And the last question is uh the political pressure question which is how
do you stay true and stand your ground um when items would come before you that will play a tug of war? >> Yeah. Um just again staying true to who I am and fighting for the right reasons, listening to the community and doing what's right for them and for the and
for the school system and just focused on that. I mean, I feel like I'm already a public fa figure from influencer or social media and all that. So, like eyes are always on me, no matter where I go. Just always remembering who I am and what I
represent and making sure I'm making the right decisions and doing the right things to not damage myself and who I am and what I represent in the future of Lawrence. >> Okay, council president. Councelor any other
questions for the sum for the >> council president council president I noticed that there's a few candidates that are either u work for the school department or or the fire department before we move on to the next
set of u um interviews can we get um >> can get the attorney uh to explain because we don't want to waste their time or the people that are watching. >> Council President,
>> councelor Vice President Fante and we're going to also allow the city Tim Hen to >> Thank you. I >> I'm I'm glad. Thank you for asking that question, Councelor Luzon, because before prior to starting this process,
we did ask about about that about being a city employee of applying for a board and we all got a a email from the city attorney stating that it was okay as
long as they didn't receive um a salary. However, we got a different communication this evening from the city clerk. So, I also would like a clarification on what what is going on with with that.
>> Thank you, Council President, my Madame Vice Chair. >> Do I still have the floor? >> Hold on. Um, one one more thing if I may, Council President. >> Sure. Uh, council. >> I recall when I was a school committee
member for JLTS and after while being employed at JLTS um became a a a city a city counselor. I was okay because that was a a another district as well as what while I was a
school committee member there was a a a firefighter um on the school committee and he was also an exempt to what we thought is the rule because again greater Lawrence Tech was its own district its own so we're
we're getting two different >> we have we have the >> two different um things >> we have the chart here sections uh 5.6 Let's allow the city chain to discuss. >> Uh the first question I am unaware that again anybody works for the schools.
>> That would be you cannot be you cannot be a school uh committee member and work for the schools. You you would then be your own boss. So there would be a natural conflict in that. >> The the well essentially let's reach
section 5.6 of the ch of the city shadow. Section 5.6 um reads prohibitions A. Holding city office or city employment. No member of the school committee other
than the mayor shall during the term for which he was elected hold any other compensated city office or employment. >> Compensated >> compensated. >> So you would be not compensated for the
work that you're doing. Um and and it's you're giving up not just the the way this is reading is you can't hold other compensated city employment. So if you're getting paid as a coach or any other thing, you'd be giving up that salary. I just want to make sure people
are aware of that >> or just or just serve on the capacity of this of the school committee. >> So I just we just want to make sure like everybody's on the same page. eventually what might happen if you guys get elected as the school committee.
>> So, but that we won't we won't it's going to be up to them to resign to the opposition. So, we cannot hold or not interview them because of a potential conflict. >> It's it's in the future. So, essentially, we have to do our job and
and if they choose to uh resign to the compensated position and then it's going to be up to them. that happened to me when I become the city council uh for district 3D. I need to resign to this to the uh school committee at that point
because I went in in November. Um and then for that month and a half or two months I need to resign to the school committee on writing but that's that was going to be up to up to the up to the person to hold one of the other one. So we cannot just not interview a person
that is here because of that fact. We need to proceed. Uh yes, council president but we just interview uh Mr. uh Mr. Rosario and my understanding that he works for the school and then the attorney just mentioned something
totally different if I >> we read the chart. >> No, the attorney just mentioned something totally different. He said you cannot be >> he is lo or is here. >> It says Lawrence you checked. Can you
guys confirm where you guys work? >> The three of you guys said >> he works for Low Public Schools. >> You're clear. >> So he's not a >> Northern Essex Community College. >> Those are clear. >> At city or habil. >> So okay, >> if you're compensated as a coach
>> coach, he mentioned coach de uh Mr. Rosario a coach as well. >> I'm no longer coaching this year. >> Okay. So now we're clear. and and and you coach in coach.
>> Okay. And then eventually if that if that happen you willing to give that off >> if you get elected >> paid for two jobs >> compet >> and not get paid. >> Oh >> yes he said if he did it unpaid. >> Yes that's the the chart says.
>> Thank you co president. I just wanted to be >> thank you >> all all of us to be on the same page. >> All right. Uh let's proceed. Any other qu any other questions counselors for that education section of that school committee member section item um
>> uh 45125 any other questions councelor llam >> sure uh there'll be similar questions identical it's very similar you'll take you like that uh let's start off u with Mr. Guzman. Um, if you want to throw it out. So, on your resume, Mr. Guzman,
through you, you you mentioned that you're a police officer and you're also a coach. >> Yes. >> And so, um, I'm so sorry. My first question and I'm nervous. Let me be sorry again. Have you watched any school committee meetings or been at any of these school committee meetings? >> Yes, I have. >> You have? Good. So, you So, now that
you've watched and at least been there with your experience, I'm looking at your police and your coaching. How do you think you're going to impact the school committee based on those experiences that you currently have? >> I'm going to explain to the public
because sometimes even myself when I show up to the to these meetings I get confused because there's so many chapters, so many numbers and you guys don't have the time to explain all that, right? So, it's just taking it to a side and explain it to the public what's going on. break it down because
sometimes you guys say chapter and then go on and then I explain I understand a little bit then after the meetings I look up the chapter and then read it and get a better understanding. So I would just explain it to the public. Hey, this is exactly what's going on because if I
don't if I'm having a hard time understanding I know there's a lot a lot more people just like myself. >> Yeah, that's not my question though. My question is cuz you don't have to be a police officer. You don't have to be a coach to to actually make simplify language and do all that kind of stuff.
I want to know from your experience. >> Yes. >> How are you going to translate anything that you've gotten from that experience now that you've seen the school committee in action how that you're going to impact the school committee on the various decisions and the various things that the school committee votes on?
>> Well, I bring my own views. my own views as a police officer and as a coach and I'm currently the head coach for the Lawrence High wrestling team and I have to make decisions on based on the team. So if if I need to decide that I need to
go uh to a certain tournament for the better of the team than the individual, that's what I bring to the table to the city council. This is hey I've run a team. We have we have over 50 wrestlers. I was a union rep for four years at the city of Haver for the police department.
So I had bring experience on decision- making. As a police officer, we make decisions every single day. Okay. U Thank you. Um Mr. Rosario. First question, same question. Have you ever watched a school committee me
meeting or you ever been at a Lawrence school committee meeting? >> Yes. >> Now? >> All the time. >> Pardon me? >> Yes. All the time. >> All the time. So based on I'm looking at your resume and your application. You have previous employment at L public
schools for example. Um you've gone through it already. Um you actually were here. You worked here for a number of different South Lawrence E school. So based on your operations managers, your stuff at LO at Lowel, um how do you see your experience, your
work experience impact the Lawrence school committee? Uh my work experience impacting the school committee would be very um helpful I would say. Uh been in uh not too long ago student employee just par profofessional an
educator and administrator uh done a lot of family engagement stuff with central office. I think I have done all aspects of the Lawrence public school system and at every level from the bottom all the way to the top. The only thing I'm um I haven't done is policy, but understanding what's
happening in our schools every single day from uh from our students, from our parents doing family engagement, from our educators being a teacher, from our par professionals being apparel, and from an administrator being an administrator currently right now. I kind of have a a field for all the
worlds of the law of of a school system. And that experience would bring what's happening today to the my experience would bring what's happening today to the tables, not was what's happening in the past. What Lawrence public school is needs now and today. I think my experience would that would be what I
could. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Rosario. And and lastly, um school committee member Bertolino, because that is your title. Um you were previously member of the Lawrence School Committee. Uh you uh work at Northern Essics. you're talking about that and you've also I
mean you've been on the school committee so I'm not going to ask you the question if you've ever seen one you've been there I've been to many yeah I I suspect uh that to be true so but you've got the you've got I think the benefit now of been on the school committee been outside of the school committee have you seen the school
committee since you've left the school committee have you watched any of the meetings or been to any of the meetings I' >> I've seen yes >> sure so now that you've been there took time off watched it and with your experience with your if you go back there again. How do you see yourself impacting the Lawrence School Committee?
>> I think my experience in in higher ed, right? What what happens today impacts tomorrow or I see today what happened, you know, yesterday. I see the impact of education
long term. Um, I see how retention and graduation impacts students getting a a higher degree. I see how it changes lives. I see how students are impacted by interacting um with higher ed very early
on. Um, I see how early college students can gain credits and move on to get a higher education degree. So, I see the impacts of education. Now >> if that if that helps.
>> Thank you. I don't want to monopolize all the time. Thank you. >> Council, any other questions? >> One question, Mr. President. >> That's very counselor. >> You guys can take turn only one question. Miss Bino there.
School still on receiverhip. Mhm. >> If you being appointed, what would you be doing at the school committee to try to get the conversation going to try to get the school back? >> I think we need to focus on right now.
Um, we've been under receiverhip since 2011. We can't look back. We can't forget, but we we can't continue to go backwards. We need to focus on the current, focus on the goals that are currently being worked on in the strategic plan
districtwide. Are we meeting those goals? Look at the data because data speaks. And move forward from there. Um, that's what I would focus on. Turnaround plan, get the district back, excuse me.
Um, focus on retention and graduation. Can you just ask the question one more time, please? >> If you been if you if you if you're the one elected, what would you be doing to try it? I mean, the school is still in receiverhip.
How do you work uh to try to maybe bring the school back? >> Yeah. uh just putting in the work, showing up and trying my best to increase family engagement, which I feel like that's one of the biggest issues we have here. This this engagement. If we have more families involved, we could um
get better numbers and focus on the um on the quality, not the quantity. And just do my job as if there we weren't on the receiverhip to better everything. That way one day tomorrow we'll be out of it with the results we're getting from the work that I will be giving my
all to. So to answer that question is I say let's set the right foundation. Let's get a good foundation. Um we have to get a good group good group of personnel so we can set the foundation and show the state hey we're going to be okay. We're going to be fine. But we have to show
that first. So, I truly believe get a good group that people that care and care and mean it for the right reasons. Um, and then just like I said, it's all about the foundation. Show the state that hey, we're going to be fine.
>> Thank you, counselors. >> Counselors, any other questions? >> Council President, >> councelor Espressant. >> Thank you. I wasn't planning on asking a questions. I was part of the personnel committee, but something just came to mind. just ask one question to all three of you.
You all answered um councelor Leland's question stating that you all either have been have been to a school committee meeting involved directly in a school committee meeting or have watched a school committee meeting. >> So
given I'm going to I'm going to use the current school committee as an example from what you have seen where is an area of improvement that you believe that if you were to be appointed, you can help contribute to strengthen either the committee as a
whole, the committee's relationship with elected officials and slash or the community in general. Uh, that's a really good question because back in December I was really against this whole thing because I didn't trust the process,
not trusting Lawrence politics. But I'm kind of happy the way it's playing out. It's I feel it's very transparent at least from being on this side and the way everything's going. We have people elected by writings,
not going against each other. We have members that I haven't seen at a meeting from the ones I tune in in. So, at least with this way, I feel confident, at least of one of us three, I haven't heard the other six, that we will show up and we will we will do the job that
we're up here trying to get and that's definitely a start. the three elected members right now with Quinn, Jessica, and um Vice President Guzman,
I know they going to give their all. And from what I'm seeing right now, we're going to give our all and just build that relationship with those three and the the three on this side and really put in the work that's not being put in now by some people. Well, I don't want
to say that nobody in the current school committee doesn't do that work. Shout out to my Robert teeth here. Yeah, >> just that just come in, gather us in, understand each other, coach each other up, learn from each other, and do what's
best for Lawrence >> public schools. I am a really strong collaborator. Um, and I believe in the power of team and we're all well people want to be on the school committee for the same reason. So
we can't do things in silos. We have to work together. Um, so I would treat them as a team, collaborate to get things done because we all have that one common goal and that is education, our students, um, and getting the district
back. >> So, usually what I see is we have so many middle schools, so many elementary, each school has their own issues. Um, the north schools has a different issue than the south school because of the families. um everything that goes on
personnel is we have to at least myself I would love to go to each school and see what's the com common issue that we have attack that as a whole and then bringing the city together like I said it's just you build a house brick by brick in the foundation
and bringing the foundation of the same issue that or the main issue that we have as a whole with LPS and then just attack that first like I said uh earlier about foundation. I truly believe about I truly believe about foundation and you
build on brick by brick and just having the common goal within all the schools of Lawrence. >> Thank you >> counselors. Any other questions? All right. At this point there is not
other questions. >> Council President Councel >> like to make a motion that we discharge the name of Patricia Mariano from the personnel committee. There is a motion to discharge the candidate uh Patricia Mariano from the
personnel committee. Can I hear a second? >> Second >> properly second discussion discussion. PL, >> the reason why I'm making this motion is um
we heard from school committee member Mariano that she was incapable of attending the um the meetings. And so for reasons that are excused apparently and outside of her power and I think if she could make it
uh she would be at the meeting and as a courtesy to someone who has spent and devoted her entire life at the highest levels of education in our city and have done things with the LE as well as being a principal and a teacher etc etc and
being so involved. Um, I don't know how I'm voting uh for this uh yet because I do want to hear everybody and then come with the conclusion in my mind. But I just think at some level it's it's important that someone who has done as
much and is as qualified as she is have at least an opportunity to have a vote at this at this council. Whether or not she gets it, I don't know. But I think she should be doing it. And I don't think quite frankly it's any special consideration because I believe that
because of the circumstances that she found herself in um and we've seen her body of work over the years. I don't think it's uh at all unreasonable to think that we can at least have that vote here. Councelor Loose, any questions?
>> To the motion is to pull uh the candidate u school committee Mariano from the personnel committee. Any other questions? All right. This time, Madame Cler, please call the RO. >> She had a question. >> Oh, do you have you have a question?
>> Yeah. Councelor LMO, I didn't see you. Um, I don't want to put a damper to the the comments made by counselor Lelant because everything that the counselor mentioned is true. Um, and I agree with you. I just feel like we need to be
careful and we need to tread lightly as to the optics of doing uh these type of moves because it may show favoritism. It may show I don't know. I just feel like we need to be careful. Um,
unfortunately, you know, I I am sad to hear that she missed the interview. I'm just wondering, would we be doing that same would we be doing that as well for other candidates that would have missed their interview as well?
>> Councelor Man, do you mind sharing as of why she actually missed the interview? >> She stated she stated it. I mean I just want to make sure like I don't know if we stated it >> just for president >> uh councel give me one second madame
clerk have the floor >> just for full disclosure on the um the day of the interview we did reach out to um Miss Mariano together I I reached out separately I wasn't getting through um counselor and fonte called her while we
were together and um she did let us know that she was in the hospital and I wasn't unclear on how she doesn't sound well but um we were unclear how you know sometimes do you think you could be on a a call tomorrow would that be realistic
and she wasn't sure and she would let us know and we did not hear back from her I did reach out several times um and I reached out several times between that was a Thursday the 13th till the following Tuesday the 18th to say the
council would very much like to accommodate you for an interview um could you do a Zoom on the 18th? Her daughter did respond back just to say thank you, but never really responded back. She let me know again that she was still in the hospital and just said, um,
thank you like for making it available. I was like, would she be available? And I never got an answer to that question. So then on Tuesday the 18th, we did send the codes. We did the counselors made themselves available. I know she was in the hospital and and I have the that's my neighbor and a friend and I have the
utmost respect for her. But at that point the council had made three attempts to interview her and the city attorney um sat down and said at that point just a question that council memo asked if this was anyone else would you still be making these accommodations?
You've made three attempts for her. um at some point it's going to be unfair to the other candidates where you've already made three attempts. So at that point the um personnel committee stopped trying to interview her um where they had made three attempts and she was
unavailable for all three. Um just by way of background so people know where this is coming from. >> All right counselors any other questions? >> I need to entertain the question. Uh the question is in order and uh and no more
questions has been asked. So at this time madame cler please call the role. >> Um councelor >> oh give me one minute. I'm sorry Levy I'm sorry councelor Levy have a question. >> Okay.
>> Thank you C. No my question was maybe that's the city at could answer but the city clear already did it. um what happened and that's why we stop it that we didn't continue calling because it was unfair for any other candidate
that's you know that we did all of the attempts and we knew that she was sick but uh at that time uh we has to stop it according to the city at so that was the the only thing thank you
>> thank you madame cler please call the role >> council Reyes is >> the motion before the body is to pull the candidate Patricia Mariano from committee. >> Yes.
>> Council Marmal. >> No. >> Council Miguel. >> No. >> Council Del Rosario. >> No. >> Council Luzon. >> No. >> Council Lant. >> Yes. Council Levy
abstain. Council vice president. obsession. We need to vote. >> I know I've been This is tough. I've >> I've been a stickler for >> Yes, your vote, please. >> I I sec I second this, but I've been
>> outspoken about processes. I'm going to vote no. >> Okay. >> Council President, >> I vote no. >> Motion fails. >> Motion fails. What's the count? Um two in favor
um six opposed and one um abstain. >> All right. Motion fails. Uh counelors uh at this time I will uh um entertain the selection process uh to
the three candidate that are in front of us. So how this going to work? U thinking it through and discussing it with the city clerk how it might it might work. We're gonna have to choose a name between the three between the three of you and then um eventually
subsequentially confirm the vote. So I will ask a question of selections. So by mentioning their the last name please uh uh madame clerk call the role based on
the last names. >> Sure. Do you want me to just state the three names? >> Just just clarify. Yes. So the three options counselors are to either state Berilino, Guzman or Rosario. So rather than say yes or no, you're going to say which name you be voting for and then once we
have a sense of if someone gets five votes then we'll be there. If otherwise the top two people will go to the next round. Um but so the three options right now, excuse me, the three options are
Bertilino, Guzman or Rosario. Council Levy, you want me to start? Council Levy, I'm going to start with you. Okay. Um, I'm going to go with Donna. >> So, Bertilino. Okay. Um, council plant.
>> Bertilino. >> Council Luzon. >> Sorry. >> Just the last state. The name of person. Oh, >> Rosario. >> Rosario. Thank you. >> Um, council del Rosario.
>> Berolino. >> Berolino. >> Yep. Thank you. Council Miguel >> Berina. >> Council Marmala. >> Guzman. >> Council Reyes. >> Guzman.
>> Councelor Infonte. >> Borderino. >> Council Rder. Council President Rodriguez, >> what's the count? >> Um, right now I have one, two, three, four, five for Berelino, one for Rosario, and two for Guzman. >> Berino.
So, um, with one, two, three, four, five, six, uh, Miss Berino has enough votes after this round. So, >> all right. Uh, Miss Berino, >> congratulations, >> uh, on your appointment. So, counselors, now we are going to I'm going to
entertain a motion to confirm uh uh Miss uh Dona Verolino to be uh the appointee person uh for the school committee member and approve it 45125
uh with her name as the uh appointee of the school committee uh for education. Can I get a motion? >> Motion to approve. >> Motion to approve Don Dona Albertoino as the next school committee member on the
educational side. It's been properly second by councelor Levy. Can uh any questions? >> I hear none. So, Madame Cler, please call the role. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. Yes.
>> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon. >> Yes. >> Council La Plant. >> Yes. >> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez.
>> I vote. Yes. Congratulations. You've been confirmed. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you so much. Now counselors, we're going to go to the next uh the next item which is item 45225 review uh review applicants and select
appointee for the school committee member when it comes to finance. Uh for that we have uh three uh top candidate finalist uh and one runner up that actually came up based on their
so >> okay >> so the names for their finances my uh Martha Civert and Jesus surel So with that counselors we are going to
proceed with the same process. We are going to be ask asking the candidate to please come forward and to uh proceed with the interview as uh we just did it for the previous item. At this time the interview is it uh it's
been u open for questioning from the counselors. Councilors, any questions? >> Council President, >> Councelor Luzon, >> uh before we begin this round of uh questions, uh uh would you please uh
mention the people that we draw their candidacy in writing? >> Madame Clerk. >> Sure. Um two candidates on this category withdrew their candidacy in writing. The first was Sarah Perez and the second was Marlon Gil. Um both women withdrew their
um candidacy in writing via email to my office. >> Um another um question, Council President, if I may, and can we ask Madame Chair from the U personal committee to explain why we have u Jesus
Suriel as the third candidate in finance because he was >> was only three. No, no. He was We interview him. >> Uh, vice president. >> Yes. >> But go ahead. Can you mind explaining
that if I uh if the president's allowed? >> Well, I'm vice president. >> Uh because he's he's scored within the top three. >> Okay. >> Yes. I I I'm asking this because I just got a my colleague uh
asked me the question and I wanted the people that are watching to understand why. Okay. Scoring >> we have we have the scoring sheets counselors. The scoring sheets are there with all the numbers. Um >> yeah. So but this you have the you have
the overview but this sheet here goes into detail with the numbers and and all that good stuff. No, Madame Chair, if I may, council president, if you see what you have in front of you when you see that one of the candidates is out of the draw her candidacy, you get to see only
two candidates. >> So that's why I wanted >> there was a So there is a mistake here. There was person highlighted that shouldn't have been highlighted. >> Okay. >> But when you look at the numbers from our tallied score sheets, um he is one of the top three. >> Thank you.
>> You're welcome. Councilors, we opening up for questioning for the finance people candidate. Congratulations all for applying and and we happy to have you here. So counselors, what's the questions? Same as everybody else from
the previous group. >> Yeah, councelor Lamo doesn't have to be the same question. It have to be just just asking the the question you asked to the three candidates if you mind. finance related.
>> I like my question. >> They they they could relate to be honest with you. >> I like my question. >> They could relate to the sand sand. >> I mean despite the different backgrounds, I feel like uh my line of questioning kind of um across the board.
Um, Miss Ortiz, I I I see you. Oh, I'm so sorry. Okay, >> Council Marwoman Cortiz. Yes, >> member. Council member, >> council president. >> Yes. Uh,
>> yes. Uh, council Levy. Um, >> I have the floor. >> We we we council mom is asking questions. So do you want to be on the list for questioning? >> No, no, no. I don't want to make any question but uh through you and also uh
the council by uh vice chair just to remind that the question for now is going to be like a related that they can answer related to uh the finance part. >> My line of questioning goes across the board for every um >> yeah is is we got it
>> for education, legal and finance. Yeah, as a moment. >> Um, Committee Ortiz, how do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and the city council to support the needs of Lawrence public schools?
>> I plan to maintain the relationship that I have with the mayor and the city council uh to continue the work that I've been doing as a school committee member and a community member uh with the Lawrence public schools. Let me see. If disagreements arise
um between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students? >> I think navigating any conflict is always keeping it about the issues. And so keeping about the issues and keeping the students first has been my motus
appariation with the mayor and as well with this council. >> Okay. And how would you handle a situation where city leaders want budget cuts or changes that you believe negative negatively impacts the students?
>> I would fight for those. And so standing on the side of the student, what does the student come first? Right now we're underfunding our schools. We're underfunding them under the chapter 70 um um obligation. We're underfunding them by over 5% and no other school
district is doing that. >> Okay. And then um if you could go into based on your experience uh the the ties to the community um and um how that has uh been an a how that will be an asset to
the role that um you are vying for. >> Um I believe the asset that I bring is the experience in this position. I presently am the school committee member for district A. I was previously the school committee member for district A. previously also um city counselor. What
I'm most proud of is um being a YBL basketball coach and understanding understanding that community is um many things and many stakeholders and so that our community is uh feeling a lot of different things and understanding that
people first and students first and so that's you know people over politics all the time. >> Okay. And then the last question is due to the political pressures that you often see within uh these roles, how would you stay true to um how you feel
about certain issues and topics and um how would you stand your ground on these items when there's a tugofwar? >> Um I have stood my ground. I think my experience and values in standing even my ground on this process and being against this process of having an
appointed school committee is evident and is documented but it's also been um articulated and respected in respect to saying that the students come first and then you continue to be a part of the process people will always um prevail and so I think that there's opportunity
always to learn from each other and learn from our mistakes. >> That was the last question. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, so I'll direct Yep, you're all set. Thank you. And I'm going to direct these same qu questions to you, Miss Cybert.
Thank you for joining us. Good evening. >> Hi. Good evening. >> Okay. How do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and the city council to support the needs of the of Lawrence public schools? I think um building relationships require uh communication
and meeting um dialogue, understanding each other with their points of view. Um I think the best way to build relationships is by spending time with people and and listening. Um my my parents always said you got two ears and one mouth so close your mouth and
listen. So I think listening um to the concerns and um that's the best way to build a relationship in my opinion. Okay. If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students? I
>> I think that um one of the best lines that I heard when I worked in Reading Public Schools was we make student-based decisions, not adult-based decisions. And if you always keep your focus on the students and their achievements and what's best to support them, then the decisions that you make
will ultimately support the educators and the administrators in the buildings. So, I think that's it's keeping students at the focus of everything you do is how you build the right the right policies. >> Um, how would you handle a situation where
city leaders want budget cuts andor changes that you believe will negatively impact the students? >> I think budget reductions are facing every district in the Commonwealth right now and Miss Ortiz did articulate very clearly that we are underfunded by
chapter 70. Um, budget reductions. I currently work in Andover Public Schools and we're facing budget reductions in our district the last three years. Our gap right now is 1.3 million and we're trying to figure that out. Um, we figured out by working collaboratively with the building
administrators because they know where reductions may be able to come from. Um, a lot of reductions, we're a people business. Probably 80% of our budget is staffing. uh you can't save your way out of a budget crisis by eliminating paper clips and a lot of times it comes down
to staffing and those decisions are best made by building leadership not by the school committee. Um so I think that working in collaboration with the superintendent and building leadership would be where you would identify where you could have reductions potentially. >> Okay. Not that I would support them
because I would be advocating for money for this for the district, but >> any ties to the community um based on your your um experience, education, your resume, how would you uh how would you
vocalize how that would be an asset to the role that you're vying for? >> So, I've lived here for over 20 years. I'm a homeowner. I live in um the Mount Vernon neighborhood of uh of Lawrence. Um, I'm a member of St. Patrick's Parish. I taught Sunday school for 12
years. Um, my my nieces and nephews are no longer active in South Lawrence West uh softball, but I was a coach years and years ago. Um, so I am in the community, I am around um available and uh I think that it might be nice to have a new
voice um on the committee. And the last question is due to political pressures that come with this role, how would you stay true to your opinions um and items that would come before you, how would you stand your ground despite the the tugofwar that you
will face? >> Um I think we all have a moral compass that guides us when we're making decisions. And if you stay true to who you are and what your focus is, which is the ultimate education for our kids and um and the achievement and making sure
that they're successful in beyond school and what that whatever that is, whether it's career ready or college ready, um staying true to that is how you could resolve some of those conflicts. But uh conversations to understand someone else's point of view. You don't want to
go into an argument dug into a corner um when you might not have the right all the facts. necessarily. So, >> well, thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> And Mr. Suriel, good evening. Thank you for joining us.
How do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and the city council to support the needs of Lawrence public schools? >> Like echo what most have said tonight is we our common thread is the kids. So, we have to like come together and we know
that we're all pushing the ball together. It's for the kids. So, yeah, there might be like, oh, I want to run it. Someone might might want to pass it, but we are trying to get to the touchdown to get these kids educated. So, we have to figure out a way to work
together for at the end of the game day is for the kids and figure out like a solution that is going to, you know, we we have to come together. We can't just stay stubborn in one corner and stubborn in the other corner. We have to come together. And I demonstrated that in
past boards, nonprofit boards that I served on where the opposing sides were working against each other. And I said, "Look, we and again, we all volunteering here for this. So, we have to figure out a way to keep going forward."
If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students? >> Uh listen, uh listening to both sides trying to see what is the common thread. Is there any way any you know one corner
is on this side, one corner is on that side. What are we listening? Okay, common thread. Where's the common thread that we're trying to uh get to? Is there any consensus that we could build on like okay what if we work on this where you come and move forward and help us
with with the endgame? >> How would you handle a situation where city leaders want budget cuts or changes that you believe will negatively impact the Lawrence public schools? It's you you have to go through the budgets like a fine comb and try to figure out see
what okay this is going to negatively impact and try to figure out okay a sol always my I always had a a boss that always says when there's a problem presented always have a solution so I always try to figure out a solution to the problem before just saying hey that's not going to work okay what's
your solution to this problem like and and broadcast it out and say hey this is going to negatively impact if you cut from this Can we find a way to like keep that program going or and figure out a different um avenue where we could cut
and because and has the biggest impact towards the mission of the u the Lawrence public schools. >> Okay. Um based on your resume uh experience education, do you mind touching a little
bit on the ties to the community and how that would serve as an asset to the role that you're vying for? Uh, sure. So, I served on So, I I worked in Lawrence. I'm been in banking. My home office is here in Lawrence and um and I live in
Lawrence. Um, and I served on various nonprofit um organizations here in Lawrence. Um, from started from the bottom, worked my way up to chair of one organization, vice chair of a current organiz current organization, and clerk
of another organization. So, I've had that experience. I also co I this common thread tonight we're all coaches I also coach girls basketball so so that's another common thread but don't worry it's a volunteer position so >> um so yeah it's a ties community I also
in my role as a working at a bank I come in and teach a lot of financial literacy and I always say that I teach it in from my my footprint is southern New Hampshire Marramac Valley and I always say the Lawrence public school kids they always got give the ask questions cuz
they need to learn. They want to learn how to budget, you know, they want to learn all those questions. So, I always appreciate that when I have like a an assignment that says it's going to be at one of the Lawrence public schools, I'm like, "Oh, yeah. I'll sign me up." >> Thank you. And then the last question is
the political pressures that come with this position. um how would you stay true uh to how you feel about certain items uh that will come before you and how would you stand your ground despite the the tugof war that you will be facing?
>> Stay true. I I'm going to be kids first. Uh and my end goal is always is for this um position is to find a pathway to get this out of receiverhip. Right. So that's my end game uh for this position.
Um, and to say true is, okay, I I'll communicate why I made the decision, why I'm thinking this way, but let me listen to your thoughts. Let me I want to listen to how you're think and and talk about, all right, I know I see that
you're coming from this point, but this is where I'm coming from. And if there is middle ground, I'll work and see if there's like a middle ground that we could work on. >> Okay. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Councelor Rosario.
>> Thank you. >> In any order. Uh it's only one question. >> Uh I'm just going to throw a number there. $300 million budget at the school prior years with so many needs in the school. We gave money back to the state because we didn't have nowhere to use it
according to where it was managed that money. How do you going to make sure that we are budgeting correctly and using the money where it needed to be used for the Lawrence public schools? Any order?
>> Um, that's a really good question. It's not uncommon in any school budget to give back a small percentage to go unspent at the end of a year. um if it's any more than 1% that would be concerning because you're not doing a very good job budgeting. Um one of the
reasons you end up with with money at the end of the year is you have positions that go unfilled over the course of the year. So that's not necessarily a budgeting, that's a hiring problem. So attracting and retaining staff I think is one of the priorities that this committee and this district
face um in terms of resources and allocating resources where the the need is or where the the enrollment is that's where the resources should follow. So depending upon what the enrollment is at various schools, looking to make sure
that you allocate the resources appropriately. Um and and looking at what you're spending on your curriculum, what what other programs and needs do you have curriculum-wise that you could be spending um money on, whether it's a a one year, two year, threeear license,
things of that nature to help spend money. And technology as well. What are we doing with our technology spend? That's an easy place to to spend quite a bit of money very quickly. >> The next person, >> can you just repeat that question one more time? So,
>> sure. And I I throw a number there. $300 million in the in in the school budget to spend a few years with all the needs that we have in the school system. They'll gave money back. So how do you budget correctly to spend the money and what it needs and not give
money back to the state? >> So it's working with the various stakeholder different administrators is to are we forecasting correctly? Is it a are we not ret is is our forecast incorrect or are we should we adjust our forecast so that we're allocating and
using the the budget correctly or is it the staffing the staffing? Is it are we budgeting correctly to make sure that we're paying adequately so that we don't have to go through attrition and lose staff and and maintain the staff that's
staying with us and not going to other school districts. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councelor D. Rosario. That's such a great question. Um, we are short 5%. Not 1%. We're short 5%
which is equal to 11 million.4 because of that very question that you that you've asked. This has been a habitual thing for the last three consecutive reported years. Um,
and that's as of, you know, 2024. I think that the onus falls on the receiverhip board as the oversight to the Lawrence public schools and that also falls on the city council during
budget season to work that through. I think that um when the school committee is fully um liberated from receiverhip then there's an opportunity
to oversee the budget, oversee the allocations. But there's no other school district that is has been consistent in their shortfall. And at right now we sit at 5% and 111.4 4 million and that can be
looked up. So the answer to that is um communicating and actually having these open this is considered open dialogue to me and so I I I appreciate that question so that this is something that's not hypothetical this is something that we can work on now.
Thank you. Uh, councelor Llan. >> Thank you. Going to throw we're going to mix it up a little bit. Mr. Surreal, I'll start with you. Um, the first question, so everybody knows what the first question is. Have you been to a school committee meeting or have you watched one on television?
>> I've watched them on online. Yeah, >> watched it online. Fine. So, um, by looking at your resume, you're a banker. I think that's a good way to look at it. Uh so tell me uh from your banker's eyes when you're watching the school committee uh from the banker's monetary
budget angle, what are you seeing or from the discussions that you were able to watch or that you know about that you think you might be able to better impact the discussion on the school committee >> on a banker's eyes is is almost like working uh like the conditions on a
loan, right? Trying to figure out, okay, these are um these are certain issues. Okay, I'mma check put them in as a condition like all right we to work it out. So um all right I don't want to go into quick details like but like on a
condition like for example in a loan rise we so in order to get a loan approved we have to get these 10 conditions settled. So looking at the school committee meetings I will see like from past is I notice it's like all right there's no d the dialogue or it
just goes one way or the other way. was or is um the the part different parties. So it's like okay where is it that we could work together condition okay um budget-wise all right this is uh a condition uh how do we forecast this budget correctly so that we don't spend
time going backwards and up and and and not going forward yeah and so on. Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Thank you. Uh, next I'll ask Miss uh Cybert. Um, as I look at your resume,
Miss Cybert, um, it jumps out at me that you're a finance director and a business manager. Is that an appropriate way to catalog your either your current or your past? >> Yes, that's correct. >> So, um, I'm so sorry I forgot the first question. Have you watched any city uh, city councils, God bless you, school
committee meetings or been to a school committee meeting? It's it's been a while since I've been to a school committee meeting, but I did go um when we first went into receiverhip, actually a few years after receiverhip to see the budget process unfold. Um but I have not watched one recently. I I attend them
regularly as part of my job in other communities. >> Okay, fair. Um that my question would be similar to what I asked Mr. surel which is based on your background your knowledge and perhaps your knowledge from other communities when you see their traps or whatever it is that
you're witnessing there what kind of guidance can you provide because of your finance background to the school committee >> um I I think not I think under mass general law school committees have a purview over certain things and certain
items one of them is the budget and the budget review which is I think the most important thing that they do other than hiring a superintendent. That's probably one of the most important things that a school committee has focus and and purview over. So I think bringing the knowledge that I have, I am a licensed
school business official. I'm MCPO licensed um which is procurement law, understanding procurement law. Um I think I bring that knowledge to the table. I think our budget book is good if you want to know what we spend by school, but there's a lot of depth to it
that's missing. Um you know, what's our FTE count? Uh there there's just it could be a lot more depth there and transparency there to help people understand how you spend the 300 million and what your plan is on how to spend the 300 million. Um a big part of the school committee's role is policy. Um
Massachusetts Association of School Committees has a great framework of policies um to work from. So you don't have to reinvent the wheel, but we certainly can tweak it for Lawrence. Um, and I think bringing um uh a professionalism and understanding
of school committee and and what their role is um would be a benefit to the city. >> Thank you. Um, councelor Ortiz, if I can call you counselor as a former colleague. >> So, you are on the school committee
currently? >> Yes. >> I'm not going to ask you that question because I think you have pretty good attendance. So, you've been there. >> I was there yesterday. >> Okay. >> Yes. uh >> present. >> So, your question is a little bit different, at least your first one, which is I just want to make sure as I'm looking at your resume. Let me pull it
up. You're I'm looking at your your current work experience. Um you're at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in Boston. Doesn't say how long you've been there, unlike other applicants. How long have you been in your current
position? Okay. So, the pandemic was 2020, 2022, 2023. I think I started in 23. I'm on four years. So, what year are we in? 20. >> Currently in 2025. Yeah. >> Okay. So, 2022,
2021. >> Okay. So, you've been around for three or so years. >> Three plus years. There you go. With that position, >> I satisfactory. So, and it says here you're a senior finance and operations manager in addition to being a school committee member. >> You have these clearly you've already
demonstrated you have some current knowledge about the budget. So, yes, you're going to hope to continue. So, now that you hope to continue there from this optic, from this budget optic, maybe it's the same thing, maybe it's something else. You get to choose. What is it that you how do you want to impact and influence the school committee for
the next term? >> Um, by bringing education not only to community but to this council, right? who's in this process, who is now um a part of the school committee by being the appointed body to three positions. And so before the purview of the of the
city council um was separate and different, but now it's not. I'm here in front of you um for an appointed position by the city council. And so the city council will have a a closer eye and kind of skin in the game as to how
the school committee is structured. That's not really my question. So, let me rephrase it. >> Yes, please. >> So, I want to find out on the money side when you start looking at what how you can impact especially because you're you're going to be having the seat that
has some sort of experience more so than maybe others, right? >> So, some people may be looking at you for some guidance, some knowledge, some whatever on on some money matters before the school committee. So I'm trying to figure out because of your background in in finance and the job that you have currently for example,
>> how do you think that's going to impact and shape the school committee? >> It's not because we're on the receiverhip and so the money and the budgeting issues and the decisions are made by the LEA board. So all that my colleague here that um
candidate in the space has said that is under the purview of school committees and powers of school committees is not under the power of this Lawrence school committee >> as a point of clarification. >> No that's that's fine and
I would love to ask one more question. I just don't want to run a foul of the >> So, so, so the question there is if if in fact what you say is true, and I'm not going to debate that with you. >> Why would you want to serve on a school
committee that has gotten really no impact in CLA? >> I think the impact happened today. I spent two hours with a tough university student doing research on vulnerable populations and vulnerable schools and the impact of receivership
um overall and how Lawrence stands to be uh further impacted as a title one school with these federal cuts that are coming our way. Anytime you have an opportunity to have civil discourse that
grows agency and education, then sign me up because people are policy. And when people are taken out of policy, we end up here at a decade and a half of
pointing to um each other, right? instead of working together as stakeholders for a solution. So, I'm I'm a solution-based individual. I'm always looking to solve the problem. And the way that you do that is by being
um a part of the game, right? You you can't take me out the game, coach. I hope that answered your question. >> Thank you, C. >> Do you mind asking the same question to the other candidates so they can have that perspective as well?
>> I'm satisfied. I mean I I'm I'm satisfied to for my I don't really need to hear from the other candidates on because they've satisfied my question. So I'm good. Thank you councel. Appreciate it. >> Thank you so much for your time. >> Hi counselor. Any other questions?
>> All right. U anybody online that have a question? All right. We are now calling same way as before. We are calling for last names. The three candidate that we have is uh
uh m Ortiz ma cyberts and sured. So counselors um malan clerk help me out by calling the names. >> Sure. So again council I'm going to start with you councelor Levy if you can
just respond with either Ortiz Cybert or Suriel um for your response. Zia, >> council plant >> Cyber >> Council Luzon
>> Ortiz Council Del Rosario >> Sudian >> Council Miguel >> Suriel >> Council Mama >> Sudian
Council Reyes Sur >> council vice president Infante >> Suriel >> and council president Rodriguez >> surel what's the count >> for Mr. Suriel there is one two three
four five six seven votes for SIL um one for Cyber and one for Ess >> um Mr. Suriel congratulations now councelor we are going to take a vote to confirm Mr. Surio as the next school committee
member for the next two years uh on the finance aspect of the school committee. Counselors, what's the motion? >> Motion to approve and confirm. >> There's a motion to approve and confirm. Properly second. Uh discussion. No questions. No discussions. Madame
Clair, please call the role. >> Um council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Council Marmal. >> Yes. Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Luzon,
>> yes. >> Council La Plant, >> yes. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> I vote yes. Congratulations. >> All right. Now we going with item 45325 which is the review applica uh review
applicant and select select appointee for school committee member related to legal. Um I will call the the um I will call the the two candidate that are here present and we have u um one of
the candidates that are online. So I'll call them to come forward and and begins the questioning. >> Hello. I don't know if everyone can hear me. This is Sandra. >> Yes, we can hear you. >> Great.
>> Thank you. >> I wanted to be >> Go ahead. Uh school committee member U Edwards. >> Yes. Yes. Thank you. I wanted to uh begin by bringing everyone's attention to the fact that I sent an email
yesterday to Clerk Bernal uh letting her know that I had had a previously scheduled oral surgery procedure that was this morning at 11:00. I apologize for not being there. I certainly would respect
the council by being there in person if I could, but like everyone posts surgery, I'm on 24-hour driving restrictions, so I can't be there. And I'm really not quite myself. You can see
I'm not the regular glamorous lady that I usually am. So, um, but I am here. I am here to respect the process. I am here to answer your questions and again I apologize for not being here in
person. I also want to uh congratulate and say welcome to Councilman Franklin Miguel. >> Thank you. Um thank you for clarifying that. Um >> yes of course
>> school committee member Edar. So counselors at this time uh we are going to ask counselors to proceed with the questioning if it is any question to the candidates. >> Do we call them read the names?
>> You want me to? >> Yeah. Uh counselors give me one second. I don't think that we actually read the names for the candidates. So with the legal um section, the three candidates were
Sandre Edwards, the um the current school committee woman who just spoke, Denise Molina, and um Michael Armano. >> All right, counselors, any questions to the candidates? >> It's been mario the plant.
>> Yeah, councelor Maro, >> we had ask a lot of questions. through you, council president. Um, >> go ahead. >> Mr. Armano, >> or should I say attorney Amano?
>> Okay, let's be professional, guys. Come on. >> How do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and city council to support the needs of Lawrence public schools? Thank you for the question. Good evening, councilors. U I appreciate the
opportunity to answer your question. Councelor Marl, I building I I've had the great benefit of being part of this community and building relationships already with so many people including the mayor hopefully with all of you. I think mostly at this point it's not just maintaining but it's about feeding a
relationship. In today's world with being on the run technology sometimes it's tough to keep relationships together. So it's important to stay present in a community, be involved in a community, have opportunities to be side by side and and hear what's going on and
learn about someone's values. So feeding that relationship would be the way I would do that. >> Okay. If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while
keeping the focus on the students? >> If there's disagreements or conflict between anyone, I think we all need to understand just like we we hear the term constructive criticism, there's also constructive conflict. And what I mean by that is conflict can be constructive
and it should be and it should be something that we work together and build on based off really trying to have understanding not just simple understanding but a deep understanding about where people are coming from and when we have constructive conflict I
think that's when things get done and that's when decision decisions that we make uh grow with strength so keeping those relationships part of your first question is one of the keys to that constructive conflict. >> Okay. And how would you handle a
situation where city city leaders want budget cuts or uh require changes uh that will um that you believe will negatively impact the students. >> Budget cuts are difficult and municipal
budgets are complicated, but they also run deep. And I I've had the pleasure of working with several different departments with budgets and I can tell you this, sometimes there's just no money. And what that means is when you cut budgets, you have to look at what is
that budget item about? Is it connected to something? Is it connected to a shortterm goal or a long-term goal? Also with budgets, you have to understand, is it something that I can do now or can I wait for something else later? >> Motion to pass 10. Motion to pass.
>> Second. >> Motion to pass 10 properly. Second. Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Councelor Levy. >> Council Levy to go past 10. >> Yes. >> Council plant. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon. >> Yes.
>> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. >> Yes. >> Council Reyes. Council Vice President. >> Yes. >> Council President. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. Continue.
>> Thank you. So, when we're looking at budgets, again, it's important to look at the short-term goals and the long-term goals and find the time when it's most appropriate to use up those funds on whatever the goals may be, assuming that it aligns with the mission. And there's so many things we
can all think of, so many things that we need money for and that could benefit our school system. Um, with that being said, the budget isn't it. It's it's going deeper than that. It's about partnering with the community. It's about finding resources, partnering with other municipal departments. Sometimes
when there is no money, we can't just sit back and fight over a budget, but we have to find solutions, look for grants, whatever it may take. But there's so many people that want to help our children, so many people that care about our school systems. It's just a matter of collaborating and connecting so that
not everything is just about a budget fight. >> Um I believe the next question is based on your resume experience education um the ties to the community um how could
you elaborate on how that would be an asset to the role that you're vying for? >> Sure. my my ties to the community run pretty deep and they run wide as well. And what I mean by that, I've been quite involved in municipal departments,
several of them. Um I frequently uh watch city council meetings and get involved and find out what's going on in departments. So I know the community at least on that level. I also know the community as once being from it living in the community. Um I I grew up in this
community. I live in this community now in a highly populated Arlington Arlington district. Uh my children grew up in this community. They went to Lawrence public schools. Their friends are over my house. We eat dinner together. I coach their friends. I volunteered as a parent. Um when I was
in high school, I volunteered in this communities for charity. In college, I worked at city hall and volunteered at the Frost School. After school, I became a firefighter and also the director of inspectional services. uh organizations that I've met, nonprofits, forprofits,
businesses. I I frequent these businesses. I've met and volunteered for nonprofits. So, I have a wide understanding of what it what's going on in the community. All of those experiences, their their true lived experiences where I've made human connections, had great opportunities to
connect with so many people and just understand their perspective and all those perspectives I would be able to bring to the board. >> Okay. And then the last question is um the political pressures that come with this role. Um could you describe to me how would you
stand your ground um when you will have items come before you that will cause um a tugofwar between different groups that will have different opinions as to what's the the way you should approve something. >> Sure. Political pressures. When I think
of politics, I think of both people and policy. I guess with people, we have to get away from thinking that someone is good and someone is bad and someone is right and someone is wrong all the time. And I truly believe this. It's a way that I live and I I hope um in connections that I've had with all of
you, you you understand this. To me, everybody has good and bad. Everybody makes right and wrong decisions. We can't get up caught up with personalities. We have to really focus on the policy. And with policy, there's give and take. That's just how working
with a group is. The real question is, can we come together? Where is the leadership? Can a leader bring out the true reasons? And I've heard some of you on the council state that so many times. You hear an issue, you hear what someone's getting at, and you quite you don't quite know where they're going, so
you bluntly ask it. Where are you going with this? So many times you've said that as a council and as individuals. And I think that's a healthy conversation to have. When you ask where are you going with this, I think you really have to have a mission. And for me, it's it's always about what I call
the three Ps. When you look at what we're doing here, we have a profession. We have the school system that we all want to be stronger. If we have a strong school system, we're going to gravitate or children and teachers, good teachers, and children who want to be in our
schools will stay here and they'll flourish. That's that's the profession. Then if we focus on the the people and what I mean by the people that's our students. What's the mission for them? What do they need? And sometimes we only talk about the students but we don't think
about the system itself, the profession and we don't think about the personnel as well and that's our school teachers. And I think it's important to have a balance of three because they all are the same. They all work together and they succeed together or they fail together. And when you understand those
three things, whether you're dealing with a labor union or a parent student committee or you're thinking systematically, what does the the Commonwealth want for for Lawrence? I think when you understand that there's three branches that need attention, you
find ways to make sure that they each get what they need so they can grow strong together. >> Thank you. Um, Miss Molina, pleasure to meet you. Good evening.
Thank you for being here. >> Good evening, counselors. Thank you for having me. >> Um, how do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and city council to support the needs of Lawrence public schools? So I am a person who also believes in
partnerships and I think that the partnerships begin before you start having those difficult conversations. It begins with listening. It begins with having clear goals. It begins with bringing a listening ear to the table and really understanding the different
perspectives. But if you start with understanding what the clear goal is, um it makes it easier to be able to have those difficult conversations later on. And so I think that there has to be value both in having formal
conversations about the vision, about the interests, about um what is in the best interest of the children and families, educators and administrators in the Lawrence public school district. And then I think it also comes down to the other pieces that have to align in
order for those things to happen because the Lawrence public school district doesn't operate in a silo. And so in order to build a better and a stronger and a firm foundation with the mayor and other um elected officials, I would have
formal conversations. I would have informal conversations. That would be a grassroots effort for me in terms of just having coffee, really understanding where they're coming from, why their perspective is what it is, coming to the table ready to answer questions. Data
does not lie. The law is what it is. How do we work to build a structure that is firm for our Lawrence public school district? And what does that mean in terms of what our elected officials have to do on their end? and how does that work with what the Lawrence Public
School District has to do on their end? Where are the conflicts? How do we come together um on one accord? Where are the where are the pieces that we don't necessarily have any real control over, but how do we navigate those waters? So,
I think it's looking at it in a way where we're looking at all the tears that apply here and then also making sure that I'm coming in with a listening ear, that I'm coming in with an understanding of everybody's um perspectives.
Values matter, but at the end of the day, we're working with specific policies. We're working with specific budgets. We're working with specific issues that need to be um navigated. And so I think taking all of those things into account and being respectful of
everyone's perspective is important to build those relationships and build trust. >> If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students?
>> Again, I I think it's it's challenges are not a bad thing. I think challenges open our eyes to the biases that we may hold, to the lack of information that we may hold. And I think that it's important to always be prepared to really understand what are
the facts that are that are at play. Um, who are the stakeholders that are being impacted the most from top to bottom? What the perspectives are on at every level and why are they there? People always want to know what's in it for me
and that means what's in it for the city, what's in it for the budget, what's in it for the children, what's in it for the administrators, what's in it for the educators. And people don't want to speak in that way, but the truth of the matter is is that everyone gets impacted by every decision that's made
at any level within the city. Um, so it's important to for me to stay informed. It's important for me to understand the different stakeholders that will be impacted by the decision. And it's important for me to have those conversations with the mayor and
understand what his position is in making those decisions um and what my position is in order to help him understand other facts that are related if it's not there or if the full picture hasn't been seen. Making it so
that we're able to have a a conversation about it. Again, we may not always be able to stop a decision from being made. That doesn't mean that the task at hand is impossible to rectify or to fix.
Again, there's I've worked for the nonprofit. Nonprofits are constantly being cut as far as budgets are concerned, but they still get the work done. And so, there are other avenues in order to affect impact, in order to affect change. And we have families, administrators, and educators who are
open to being a part of these processes and figuring things out. We have a strategic plan. Strategic plans work if we are goal oriented and we understand what the end goal is. How would you handle a situation where
city leaders want budget cuts or changes that you would believe would negatively impact the students? >> Can you repeat that one more time? >> How would you handle a situation where s city leaders um want budget cuts or changes um that
you believe will negatively impact the students? again bringing the facts to the table. I think another important piece that that has been highly neglected is the need to empower and include families,
administrators, and educators in being able to share their perspective, how they're impacted with decisions that are being made. I think that we often fail to understand how they are in the trenches. We are on
the outside looking in. I've been a teacher. I've been an administrator. I'm also a parent to a special needs child. I've seen every single part of the trenches and I know where the communication is lacking. I know where the empowerment is lacking. And so for
me, it would be important for our elected officials to understand the impact of the budget cut and to also understand that if the cut still needs to happen, what are some other ways that we need to work together in order to help what is being hurt by that budget
cut? Okay. um the ties to the community. Do you mind elaborating um and explaining how that would be an asset to the role? >> Absolutely. So, I'm not born and bred in
Lawrence, but I I moved to Lawrence myself for the sole purpose of becoming an attorney. I started as an educator to pay for law school. Once I graduated law school, I did not
take the bar right away because the school that I was working in was put under receiverhip and I was asked by the head of the school to become a part of the of the committee that was going to take the school out of receiverhip. We
managed to do that in a year. And the reason why we managed to do it in a year um well I won't go into that. So after we finished doing that, I I took the bar. I became an attorney. This city has seen me through being an educator for
prek through six for adults, English as a second language. I developed a career development for the school as well. I've been an attorney in this community. I'm still an attorney in this community. I'm still an educator in this community. only now my focus is special education
and helping people plan their estate plans. I also have a nonprofit Spectrum Support Collective which helps families who have um loved ones with special needs navigate not just the school system navigate the medical systems and
navigate what does this mean for our life now that our child has been diagnosed. We don't know what to do. We don't have any resources. So, my ties to the community run very, very deep. They've known me in many capacities. I've built trust with the community. I'm
bilingual, so I have access to community members that don't speak English as a second language. Um, I'm knowledgeable as a parent to a child who was in the Lawrence public school system and was having difficulty. I was able to
navigate the school system in a different capacity and understand what it is that our families are lacking, what it is that our educators are lacking in terms of partnership, collaboration, empowerment,
communication. And so I have no doubt at all that my connection with the community will continue to get stronger in the capacity of a school district committee member because I'm already trusted within the
community and I've been here for over 20 years and I don't plan to leave because I love this community and I have an a passionate and invested interest in this community and this is where I want to raise my son. And the last question is political
pressures. Um, how will you uh navigate those political pressures when you have items come before you and the decision- making that comes with it? >> I think first and foremost, there's a
need to always have an awareness of your bias. There's always a need to have an awareness of remaining respectful and to steer clear of becoming instead of going with the facts becoming
emotionally invested. Um, it can be difficult to be under pressure in that way, but I also believe that that difficulty with that pressure comes an awareness and a and a a gain of
knowledge. It's important because it helps you stay on your P's and Q's. Um, and if you understand what your clear goal is, if you understand what your priority is, what it is that your interest needs to stay on, that
political pressure is almost non-existent. Because if you you if you understand what you're fighting for, if you understand what you're speaking for, then you understand you need to come to the table with facts, with data, with knowledge, and you need to also understand the other side of the party. As an attorney, you're trained to
understand both parties. who's going to argue what? What will they say to your argument? How can you not necessarily debate that, but how can you have this conversation that will lead to a fruitful solution? So, the pressure is not necessarily a bad thing. It sharpens you.
>> Okay. Thank you, Attorney Molina. Um before I target this these same line of questions to Attorney Edwards, um I do want to state for the record um that you've I I don't know who to give credit to, but this has been an amazing
experience and I feel like each candidate that ha that has come before us, I want to give each and every one of you props. Um I like I feel like I'm impressed. um the the group of each each and every candidate. you guys are
educated and capable and the the education and the experience like I I actually feel proud of the the school committee that that's about to be formed and um I just want to you know vocalize the fact that um again I don't know who
to give credit to but um I just I appreciate to see the group of candidates that have come before us And this is honestly again I we haven't finished but I feel like this this process have has been hard because
each one of you guys are so amazing and good and I I'm just proud of the process that has taken place. So I just wanted to make sure that that was stated for the record. Um okay. So Attorney Edwards uh I don't
want to hold up this process. So, um, I'll start off with the same line of questions. How do you plan to build a constructive working relationship with the mayor and the city council to support the needs of Lawrence public schools?
>> I don't know whether um, President Rodriguez is trying to get your attention. >> Me, Commoman Marmal, I I I I'm looking from home, so I don't know. But in any event, I believe I already have done
that. As all of you know, I am presently probably for the last year or so an appointed member representing district of the school committee. And I came to you with one focus about a year ago when I stood before you and
told you that my goal was to get Lawrence out of receiverhip. In other words, regain local control of our schools. That was my one objective. That was my one goal. And I went about my
tenure thus far with that in mind. And to that end, one of the first things I did was form a relationship with Mayor Dea, who was also the chair of the school committee. And I spoke with him. I sat down with him. he and adv uh
advisor Spanner and we made an action list and fortunately number one on his action list was the same as mine which was regaining local control of our schools. So that has been and it will remain my
focus. Yes, we had a setback, a recent setback. I'm sure everyone in the room has read the letter from new uh Commissioner Martinez. So, what that means is that we regroup and we soldier
on and that's certainly what I intend to do. So, I think that the key is collegiality. I don't think that you can be you can disagree without being disagreeable. Um, I think it's also forming
relationships. And that's why one of the first things I did was find myself over at city hall in the mayor's office talking about again our shared goals and our shared objectives and how we would go about doing it. And I'm honored to
say that I was uh chosen by the mayor to be the liaison between the city of Lawrence as a result of that and Desi. So I've already met with Ann Marie, I've met
with uh Laura Woo, Bana Higgins, and we've already set forth a plan that is not going to meet its goals. Honestly, we will not be out of receiverhip according to the timeline that we originally had. But again, we're still
forging our directive to do that. And uh I I feel that I've been successful. I feel that my way of doing things and planning and and uh working on getting this done
has been successful. If disagreements arise between the school committee and the mayor, how would you navigate those conflicts while keeping the focus on the students? They have they did many times last year
and I think that I I don't mean I'm going to challenge that question because I think that we all have a focus on the students and I think to suggest that we would have to fix a disagreement in order to focus on
the students suggests that we are not focused on the students. I think that that's part of the issue that sometimes we have such passion for the students, but we disagree on the route. We're all heading to Boston, but are we taking 95
or 93? Are we doing back roads 28? But we all have the same goal. So I would do what I did and that was to meet with all involved all stakeholders and see what we have in common so that we can work
toward that goal but to understand from the outset that we all want the same thing. I think we just have different ideas of how to get there. >> Okay. And by no means was this question um
questioning on the fact that the focus wasn't on students. Um my question was specifically saying how to navigate these disagreements while focusing on the students. Um but thank you. I appreciate um given your your your
experience as a school committee member, you have a whole different perspective um from other candidates. >> Sure. How would you handle a situation where city leaders want budget cuts or changes
that you believe will negatively impact Lawrence public schools? >> I think that as an attorney and I think that this specific role on the school committee of attorney is a data-driven and outcomedriven role and and that's
kind of good, right? because then you don't really focus on outside factors. Lawyers are educated and taught to look at the law, look at data, look at outcomes, look at the history of the
law, and what causes the law to be so. So, it comes as no surprise that a good city council would want a lawyer on the school committee. So I think that my charge as the legal representative on the
school committee would be to look at data and to look at outcomes and be informed by that as I approach any disagreements or any issues that might arise between two,
three, however many different parties and look to the law. And I think that that that's that's a blessing quite frankly because you can always say the law is going to be the law and this is what the law says. So that would be my
niche. That would be my charge and my responsibility in my role as the attorney or as the legal representative on the on the school committee. >> Thank you. And um the next question would be the ties to the community. if
you don't mind elaborating a bit uh as to your the ties that you have locally here and how would that serve you as an asset to to the role um as an appointed member? >> Well, I bought here up up on Tower Hill
uh in 1996 in May. So, that's how long I've been in the community. And as long as I've been in the community, I feel that I've been active uh in the community. I come from a long line of community activists, civil rights folks
that we can't live in a community without contributing um to the community. In 2013, I assisted a good friend in founding the Dream Network. And the Dream Network is an organization that
not only helps and provides to students and youth in our community, but it also helps and provides to those who are impacted by our recent incarceration
and other indisha that of well indisha that doesn't necessarily end up in success. So, I have been doing that as their legal advisor again since 2013. I've been involved with Elevated
Thought. I've been involved with the um Boys and Girls Club right down the street from me. And I've been involved, of course, in any number of activities that my sons, who are now in California, tucked away in college, were involved
in. So wherever I'm needed, I kind of just plug myself in and I'm kind of ever present around just a presence in the community, helping out where I can, but more specifically concretely involved with different
organizations and giving my talents that I was fortunate enough to get, my legal talents, giving of those for free in way of advice, and way of counsel etc. as I have been since well as I did prior to
that in Boston and since 1996 when moving here. >> Okay. And then the last question is um the political pressures that come with this position. Um how would you navigate um staying true to how you feel about
certain topics that will come your way and the the tugof war in terms of making decisions? You know, I think councilwoman that that's the best part about being again the legal representative. I need to
stress that because I'm here for a reason. I'm here to be the legal representative. So, the legal representative doesn't get caught up in the back and forth of what's going on. If what is the issue? What is the law?
What is required of us as a school committee to further our points in the law? Do we write a brief? Do we go to the to to Tim and the legal office? What
do we do? But I think that I think that it's important and I continue to say that to stress what my position is. I have a specific carved out responsibility and that is to
be the legal representative. So for example, last year if there's any kind of an issue, we look up the law, we read the regulations, we read the charter, we ask for clarification from the city from uh the city attorney and we go forward.
So my role while it is to be collegiate and while I am to collaborate with others and I have done that, I have been friendly. I have stood in the gap and worked with both sides. But as I
understand it, my role as the legal representative is to bring those talents to bear in my role to come up with solutions from a legal perspective. However, I
would also be friendly, collegial. I would I would be the one who sits down with the mayor, who calls everyone to the table, which I did. Last year was was a um challenging year. And so
everything I'm saying, at least in answer to this question, has been proven out within that span of the last 12 to 15 months where we had to do all of that and we had to come up with solutions and we had to work together in the spirit of
collegiality. and in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation. But once again, as the legal representative, that would be my first charge, and that would be to look to the law.
>> Counselors, we we are opening up. We continue with it uh with the questioning. Uh any other any other council lean? >> Sure. I'll go with make it really easy but continue with attorney Edwards. So we'll just continue with that. Welcome attorney. Um >> uh yes. Good evening.
>> Good evening. So I'm looking at your resume and and the amazing experience that you bring to to bear. One of the things as I've looked at everybody's resume and you've already heard me and I have to ask you the question. Have you seen any school committee meetings? You have been a school committee member. So >> yes. So, uh, we'll go right to the
second question, which is your resume really is very, um, prominent on a lot of, uh, diversity, equity, and inclusion kind of a programs, uh, social justice and civil rights programs. I think we just lost her.
>> I'm here. If you can hear me, I see you. Yes. >> Sorry to frighten him. >> You said civil rights programs. That's where the last thing I heard you say. >> Yes. So, it it really is. So as in your uh position as as an attorney and being on the school committee uh with that kind of background, how do you see uh
yourself um impacting the school committee with respect to those kinds of issues? >> Of course. Of course. specific to education. I would consider myself given the quantity and quality of work I've done as an expert in Title 4, Title 6, 7, and
the most important to me at least, Title 9, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act. All of those laws directly impact students and school committees. And often times when you don't have a legal representative on a
school committee, you don't see an issue coming at you. I believe you're also an attorney uh councilman and you know that it's very difficult to spot legal issues without being an attorney. So for example,
when there were um and not to get too graphic, I'm not going to do that, but I am going to stress the situation that arose. There was a uh an issue a couple of years ago on in the schools of
assault. It was of a sexual nature, sexual assault in the schools and um students were complaining. I actually sat in on a meeting with the chief of police and a mother who was in tears complaining that her child had been her
daughter had been sexually assaulted and nothing was being done. So in my mind, what happens? I don't say, "Oh, that's awful. I don't really know what to do about it." In my mind, I I think immediately of Title N. And I think
immediately of Title 9 and gender discrimination and sexual assault. and I checked to see whether or not we were in compliance with the law, specifically the Department of Justice, whether or not we were in compliance
with them in terms of having a Title 9 person in the district. As it turned out, we weren't. So, there wasn't anyone. We were out of compliance with federal law, the Department of uh Justice. We were out of compliance with DESIE, and that got fixed. So there was
a place, there was somebody that victims could go to and there were procedures put in place in compliance with the law for these victims. That's but one thing. We can go on and on about Americans with
disabilities. We can go on and on about the different forms of discrimination as I mentioned with Title 4, six, Title 7. So I think that that's what I bring to bear. And again, I am hopefully
going to be and I look forward to continuing to work with you all in furtherance of our goals, but I am going to be not just a school committee member, but the the legal one, the one that folks go to for
legal advice and from a le and for a legal perspective. The same way I'm listening to the education folks, the finance folks, my wheelhouse would be the legal. Thank you, Attorney Edwards. I
appreciate your response. I'm just going to move on now to Attorney Molina. Uh, attorney Molina, similarly, uh, you and looking at your resume, you also have a very strong background in DEI, uh, diversity, excuse me, diversity,
equity, and inclusion programs in your employment background and also, um, social justice. So, um, I'm so sorry, I keep forgetting the first question. You know, my first question, have you been watching at all any of the city council, I say school committee meetings or or attend any school committee meetings?
I have wa both watched, attended, and been a part of school committee meetings and city council meetings. I've um watched and attended. >> No extra credit for watching city council meetings, but plenty of credit for school committee. So, um I guess my back to my question, which is this that I've already prefaced it by
saying you've gotten tremendous background in DEI and and social justice issues. as you're watching, as you're seeing, as you envision yourself being on the school committee, how do you see your background in those issues impacting the school committee?
>> So, I see myself being a a very big impact on the school committee. As I've noted before, I not only have the legal background, but I also have the experience from different perspectives. Um, I'm able to again look at it through the legal lens. I'm able to take the emotion
out of it, take the the passion out of it, and really pay attention to what does the policy say at the city level, what does the policy say at the DESI level, and what does the policy say at the state level, because those are all three different types of um policies and ordinances and things that we would have
to pay attention to. I also have the lens of being a parent and understanding how is a parent looking at this and what part of this are they not understanding that we need to make known. I also have the perspective of an administrator. I've been a principal in this city. I've been an educator in the city. I have a
nonprofit in this city. And I've also served on nonprofit boards and still am serving on nonprofit boards. So, all of those perspectives have different legal lenses that I've had that I've utilized and that I've used to help guide and
facilitate conversations, help guide and facilitate um policy, not just in the city of Lawrence, but in the in the other city. um and other government entities that I've worked for. I've worked at the city level. I've worked at the state level. And so I believe that
um as my sister said, as an attorney, you are um trained to be able to hold lenses that are coming at you, but then also isolate that to what does the law say? What does the law say at the city
level, at the state level, at the federal government level? And how does this affect us? Where do they interact? Where do they conflict? And how do we make decisions the best decisions that will positively impact our children, families, educators, and administrators
and quite frankly in the long term be something that can be sustained because a lot of times I think decisions are made and the decision is not made thinking about the sustainability of that decision. um the impact of that decision not just on the city but other
stakeholders no matter where they lie on the on the totem pole. >> Thank you. Um thank you. Appreciate that. And and the last one is to >> uh Attorney Armano. Uh Attorney Armano, I'm not going to forget to ask you this
question. Have you seen a school committee meeting? Have you been to a school committee meeting? >> Yes. >> Yes. I' I've been and seen to school committee meetings, many other meetings, board meetings. I've had the pleasure of recently serving on the parent committee to choose the current superintendent
with the LE. Um I've served on boards um not served on boards but been the administrative supervisor of the board of health, the licensing board. Uh also >> I get that. So let me just jump to my question and looking at your at your
resume um um your focus it appears um just by looking at it is more in the municipal side where I'm seeing things obviously um maybe services stuff um fire department heavy
right and so I'm seeing I I notice that there's a lot of other things too in your legal capacity you doing stuff on the side but what I see as the strength that you're bringing potentially to this position would be the kind of the municipal element. So based on what
you've seen through the school committee and the experience that you have had, what impacts can we expect from you if you're on the school committee based on your legal terms? >> Yeah. So it's funny when I uh graduated
from law school, I went back to different places to mentor students and try to convince them to go to law school. I loved it so much. And one of the pamphlets we used to h hand out was 600 things you could do with a law degree. When I first saw that pamphlet, I was blown away. I never thought of 600
things. And I think the point being is the law is everywhere. It's so diverse. There's lawyers in schools, lawyers in the firehouse, u lawyers in city hall, you name it. Once I started working in municipal government, I paired up my jurist doctorate degree with a masters
in public administration. And I'm not one just to get a degree and end it there. I like to really dig deep into my training and education. So I love cross trainining. I started getting using my both degrees, my knowledge, my foundation, all of the skills you can imagine as an attorney. Advocacy,
budgeting like in ITAL accounts down to the penny, writing, clear, concise writing, um reading regulation, ordinance drafting, you name it. So, I took those skills and I brought into the municipal world and I dove into
procurement as a department head. Budgeting again, I've met before or had to advocate at hearings, different types of hearings, municipal hearings, housing court hearings. I've had I've actually filled in once for for the city attorney when she was out at the time uh in
housing court. Um I've gone before um district court with juveniles. I've had all these experiences as attorneys and I just found myself I I guess being the attorney in the city whether it was in inspectional services or the fire department. I was asked to do things
that were sort of not completely in my box and it gave me that experience to see all these different elements. So when you look at schools, whether it be labor relations or management, uh so much is tied into the attorney world and those skills I've had the opportunity to
practice them in so many different ways. >> Thank you, Mr. Romano. Thank you very much, Council President. >> Any other questions? Any other questions? All right. Um at this time, councelor will proceed the same way as before.
Madame clerk, please lead us uh through >> councelor Ray. >> Yes, just >> councelor Rays, we'll be starting with you. The three options you have are Edwards, Molina, or Armano.
Councelor >> Mr. Armano. Councelor Marmal Molina. >> Councelor Miguel >> Armano >> Council Del Rosario
>> Molina >> Council Luzon >> Council La Plant >> Armano >> Council Levy Um, let me see. I'm going to go with Arvano. >> Councelor Infonte
>> Molina >> and Council President >> And I need a second to calculate here. Mr. Amano has one, two, three, four.
Um, Molina has one, two, three. >> And Miss Edwards has one, two. >> Okay. So, the top two at this point would be um, Armano and Molina. So, do we want to do have those two move
forward or how how that traditionally how we've proceeded? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So, I'm going to do another roll call. Um, this is going to be again, um, this is with regard to document 45325, which is the legal. And this time,
councilors, your response is going to be either Armano or Molina. And counselor um, Levy, I'm going to start with you. Armano. Council La Plant, Armano.
>> Council Luzon, Armano. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Molina. >> Councelor um Miguel >> Arano. >> Councelor Marmal. >> Molina.
>> Councelor Reyes. >> Manos. >> Councelor Infante. Council vice president Fonte >> Molina >> Council President >> Molina was it >> got one two three four look like I have
four for Molina I just make sure I'm doing this right I apologize um one two three four five for Amano and one two three four for Molina uh Armano carries >> y >> um before we finish up with the
>> wait we need Yeah, I know. >> Oh. Oh, sorry. >> Before we finish up with that uh with the process, I want to make sure that uh that we go back to sections 5.6
of the city chat. And I want to ask you that you are aware of that section of that uh of the uh of that of the chat. >> Yes, I'm very familiar with 5.6. I I did a little research on it myself before
this. I did have a question um before for maybe the >> reason why you're asking is because we have firefighters. >> Yeah. Yeah. So to to answer your question, I have no trouble uh doing this without compensation. I noticed that when we did move forward with the
um the uh acts of 2024, I believe they were we changed 4 point I'm sorry 5.12 and three I believe it was uh with 5.6 6 was not part of that change. And it does read that it's an elected school committee position as opposed to an
appointed position, which may have been an oversight or it may have been something that we just need to contemplate. As we've talked about, there's um there's appointed officials, firefighters who serve on the retirement board, firefighters that serve on the housing authority that get stipens. Again, I have no trouble doing this.
It's not about um any sort of compensation, but I wanted to point that out to the council that um that 6 was not changed. It still does read elected uh which um could uh leave an opening for a change.
>> So essentially, >> you wanted an attorney. >> Yeah, that's what I was going to say. >> You wanted an attorney. There you go. Uh so essentially is there is it the school committee that shouldn't be paid or is it the other
position that shouldn't be p I I'm a little confused uh attorney do you mind at Tenny Hilton because we have four attorneys. Uh do you have anything on that? >> It's really not their choice though. >> The answer is simple. Whichever pays the
least. >> That's that's the one you're not going to take. But >> but you don't you >> that's not what the CHATA says. The CHATA says that he shall not hold a compensated city office or employment. So it implies that he wouldn't get compensated for his employment. Is that
>> No, he would still be >> be paid as a firefighter. He will not be paid as a city councelor. >> Let's read the section. >> I'm just going to read it into the record because I >> I I was just concerned for Mr. Amano. don't want him to do this and then be like I can't get compensated and then
you're come January we're doing this all over again. Um that we're holding a city office or city employment. No member of the school committee other than the mayor shall hold during the term for which he was elected any other compensated city office or employment. So that's the compensation is clearly
meaning from the employment side. I know that we have the position where you can't get paid from two departments and I get that also, but the language in the charter specifically talks about the compensation from his city office or employment. >> I don't think that goes to the
compensation that goes to whether he can hold the position. Again, I would have to research, but that almost suggests that he cannot hold the school committee position. If you read it, it says no one on the school committee can hold a compensated city position,
>> right? And that's >> that's what is read. And >> in 2016, the personnel director was on the school committee. And the language used to read under the purview of the school committee. And they specifically amended the charter in 2016 to remove
that language. That wouldn't be just people under the purview of the school committee, but all city employees, whether they're under the purview of the school committee or not, to be prohibited from serving on the school committee. >> Correct. And so that being said, you know, the attorney
Ammano does raise a valid point that specifically references only elected because all we had was elected up till right this minute. >> Yeah. I I would I would not want to make an opinion at this point. I really would have to research it where you're now talking about that the the whole scope of the school committee has changed,
>> right? >> And none of the um none of the attaching um provisions have have changed at all. But again, I don't want to give opinion at this point. I mean, I can tell you what my gut feels like, but don't don't make a motion yet. Let's let's keep on
talking. So, will you recommend us to u wait to confirm to confirm or until you do the research or >> I would. >> Okay. >> Motion to table. >> All right. Give me one second.
>> Motion to table item. Uh 45325 >> item 453-25 >> second. >> It's a motion to table properly second on discussion on the table matters. Uh ML clair please call the role.
>> Councel Reyes on a motion to table counselor. Um council Mamo. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Del Rosario. Yes. >> Council Luzon. >> Yes.
>> Council La Plant. >> Yes. >> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Infante. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> And do you councelor um Reyes, are you there? >> Yes. >> Yep. >> If
carries. Uh now going back to the top of the agenda, we have one uh specific public hearings that >> Thank you so much. uh and congratulation to all the candidates. We are going to be sending u a letter of appreciation to everybody
that applies to these positions and uh and we definitely have one more meeting to uh discuss that u the school committee situation when it comes to that um the legal. All right. Now going
back to the top of the agenda, we have one public hearing here that is related to uh attorney Houston. So we're just going to take that right away so he can leave. Item manker, please read the notice for item uh 26625
uh longevity pay for senting employees. Document number 266-25. Notice is hereby given that the Lawrence City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, December 2nd, 7 PM at the South Lawrence East Education Complex, 165 Crawford Street, Lawrence Mass, pursued to section 2 in the Acts of 2023
in accordance with the recently revised rule 2. This meeting will be hybrid, allowing participation both in person and remotely to accommodate participants with health considerations that prevent them from participating in person. Access codes for remote participation are available from the city clerk,
Eileen. at city of Lawrence.com or 978-620-3230. Meeting is also available on Facebook and YouTube. The purpose of the hearing is to gather testimony, information, and public input concerning the proposed amendments to the revised ordinances of the city of Lawrence be further amended
by deleting the following sub paragraph to section 2.140200 of the municipal code longevity pay for certain employees. All permanent full-time employees other than those appointed by the school committee shall be granted annual
longevity payments in addition to their regular salaries or wages according to the following schedule. Completion of 5 years of service, $400. Completion of nine years of service, $700. Completion of 10 years of service, $1,000. Completion of 15 years of service, $1,216.
Completion of 16 years of service, $1,280. Completion of 17 years of service, $1,344. Completion of 18 years of service, $1,472. Completion of 19 years of service, $1,536.
Completion of 20 years of service, $1,1600. And adding the following sub paragraphs to section 2.140.200 of the municipal code, longevity paid for certain employees. All permanent full-time employees, whether other than
those appointed by the school committee, shall be granted the annual longevity payments in addition to their regular salaries or wages according to the following schedule. Completion of five years of service, $900. Completion of 10 years of service, $1,500. Completion of
10 years of service was $1,500. Completion of 15 years of service, $2,000. Completion of 20 years of service, $2,400. Completion of 25 years of service, $2,700. Completion of 30 years of service, $3,000. To the extent that there exists any ordinances to the
contrary, they are hereby repealed. In that respect, only persons wishing to be heard shall be forwarded the opportunity. >> Public hearing is now open. Anybody from the public that wishes to speak? Public hearing is now closed. Attend. >> Uh, this is presented by the CAFO. Um,
as you can see, it simplifies the um the wage scale. It is actually the current scale that's being used. She's using this current scale. She's asking that the uh the city council adopt this u it just it didn't make sense the old one.
Why would 16 years 17 years whereas this formally have real milestones 15 20 etc. Councilors, any questions? I hear none. Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Um,
councel Levy. >> Yes. >> Oh, I don't have a motion. >> Okay. >> Motion to approve. >> No, my my I apologize. We need a motion. Counselors. There's a motion to approve. Can I hear a second? >> Second.
>> Properly second. Uh discussion I hear none. So my cler please call the role. >> Now council levy. Thank you. >> Yes. >> Perfect. Council plant. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon.
Council is not is absent. Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. >> Yes. >> I'm sorry. Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. >> Yes. >> Council Reyes. Yes. >> Council Vice President Infante. >> Yes.
>> Council President Rodriguez, >> vote yes. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you very much, counselors. >> So, thank you so much, Attorney Hton. So, now let's go top of the agenda. We have Handic Park in and the public
notice uh for item 14825, 14925, uh 38225, 38325, 38425, and 38525, 38625. Madame Cler, please read the notice uh for those uh public hearings.
>> Motion to w the preamble. >> There's a motion to wave the preamble. Can I hear a second? >> Second. >> Properly second. Discussion. I hear no clear. Please call the role. >> This is on the motion to wave the preamble. Council Reyes.
>> Yes. >> Perfect. Um Council Marl. >> Yes. >> Councel Miguel. >> Oh, he's recusing himself. I'm sorry. >> Yes. >> To all of them because we're going to take individual vote.
>> Okay. This is just for the public for the preamble. >> Okay. >> Um, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon. >> Noted as absent. I'm sorry. Council Lant.
>> Council La Plant. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Council >> Levy. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Infante. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Yes. Uh, Madame CL, please read the notice.
>> The purpose of this hearing is to gather testimony, information, and public input concerning the proposed amendments to the revised ordinances of the city of Lawrence. >> Motion to pass 11. >> There's a motion to pass 11. >> Second. >> ML, please call the RO.
Um, councelor Levy to go past the 11. >> Thank you. Council Lant. >> Yes. >> Council Lozan is noted as absent. Council del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Maro. >> Yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes.
>> Council Vice President. >> Yes. >> Council President. >> Yes. >> Madame Clair, please read the notice. Um um the purpose of the hearing is to gather testimony, information, and public input concerning the proposed amendments to the revised ordinances of the city of Lawrence to be further
amended by adding to the following sub paragraphs to section 10.36.340 of the municipal code handicap parking in the proper alphabetical order. Document number 148-25 Tukbury Street west side from a point 196 ft north of
Andover Street to a point 216 ft north of Andover Street. Document number 14825 Oxford Street west side from 80 ft north of Champlain Avenue to a 100 ft north of Champlain Avenue. Dog number 38 382-25
Berkeley Street northeast side from a 157 ft northwest of Jackson Street to 177 ft northwest of Jackson Street. Document number 383-25 Cross Street southside from a 243 ft east of Franklin Street to a point 263
ft east of Franklin Street. Document number 384-25 Myrtle Street southside from a 222 feet east of Walnut Street to a point 42 feet east of Walnut Street. Document number 385-25 Osgood Street east side from a 20 ft south of Marcus
Street to a point 40t south of Marcus Street. Dog number 386-25 Trinity Street East Side from a 107 ft south of Avon Street to a point 127 ft south of Avon Street and deleting the following sub paragraphs of section
10.36.340 of the municipal code handicap parking document number 192-25 Elm Street north side from a 20 ft westerly of the intersection of Lincoln Court to 40t westerly of the intersection of Lincoln
Court and document 426-2 25 High Street west side from a point 730 ft north northerly of the intersection of Pleasant Street to 750 ft northerly of the intersection of Pleasant Street and sorry
document number two excuse me 427-25 AM Street east side from a point 40T northerly of the intersection of Texas Avenue to 60 ft northerly of the intersection of Texas Avenue and finally document number 441 West Street, West
Side, from a point 40 ft southeasterly of the intersection of Manchester Street to a point 60 ft southeasterly of the intersection of Manchester Street. Persons wishing to be heard shall be afforded the opportunity. >> Uh counselors, we we read all the notice.
>> Well, that's cool. >> All the removals as well. >> Yeah. And we have child care. >> Just the handicap. >> There's only childare. Everything else is there. >> All right. Counselors. Um public hearing is now open. Anybody from the public that wishes to speak? Public hearing is
now closed. Counselors. We're going to take individual motions for each one of those. >> It's just that all roll calls. Is there any way you could take it as a block? This makes the minutes like >> Chancellor, it's up to you if you want to take it as a block with all the
handicaps, which is item 148 uh 25, 149 25, uh 38225, 38325, 38425, and 38525, and 386 25. If you want to take it as a block, it's all >> council. I have no I have no objection
for doing that. Although I will I'm I'm my my colleague I'm going to help a little bit has has a conflict. So we pull that one out. We should be fine. >> Yeah. Uh every everything but um item um >> uh 38425. >> Can we take it as a block?
>> Uh can we motion to approve and to take it and take it as a block? >> As a block. >> Yeah, there's a motion to take it as a block and and to approve. Um can I hear a second? >> Second. >> Second >> properly second. Uh discussion.
I hear no discussions. Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Council Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Marl, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Luzon is noted as absent. Council
>> Lant. >> Yes. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infante, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> I vote. Yes. And now we're going to take a vote on item uh 38425.
>> Council President, I have to recuse myself. >> All right. U counselor Miguel U has recus potential cons conflict of interest. >> Counselors, what's the motion? >> Motion to approve. >> There's a motion to approve properly
second discussion. I hear no discussions. Uh clair please call the role. >> Councelor Levy. Yes. >> Council La Plant. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon >> is noted as absent. Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel has recused himself. Council Marl.
>> Yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Council Vice President Infonte. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> Perfect. >> Now we I believe madame clerk you read the notice for 42625 42725
>> and 44125. So the public hearing was open and closed for those and we can take those three as a block. Counselors >> motion to approve. >> There's a motion to uh to approve and
take it as a block uh for item 426 427 and 44125. Um can I hear a second? >> Second >> properly second. Uh discussion. I hear no discussions. Um, please
cler, please call the role. >> Council Reyes, >> yes. >> Council Marl, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Luzon, noted as absent. Council
Lant, >> yes. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Fonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> yes. Now we are. Did you read the notice for 2205? >> I did not. >> Okay. Mana cler, please read the order
for 2022. >> Document number 220-25 is childcare parking at 140 Exchange Street. Um, the purpose of this hearing is to gather testimony, information, and public input concerning the proposed amendment to the revised ordinances of the city of Lawrence to be further
amended by adding the following subparagraph section 10.36.450 of the municipal code daycare dropoff zone in the proper alphabetical order. Document number 220-25 Exchange Street, east side from a 233 ft north of
Arlington Street to 253 ft north of Arlington Street. Persons wishing to be heard shall be afforded the opportunity. >> Public hearing is now open. Anybody from the public that wishes to speak? Public hearing is now closed. Counselors, what's the motion?
>> Motion to approve and wait the 30 days. >> There's a motion to approve and wave the 30 days. Uh, properly second discussion. I hear none. Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council La Plant,
>> yes. Council Luzon is noted as absent. Council del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Marmal, >> yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Fonte. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez.
>> A vote. Yes. Uh going top of the agenda, uh the ordinance committee, uh council plant, item 29825. Uh on 29825 the ordinance committee met this is to install a one JO pole at the midspan pole P774-50
on Mount Vernon Street at Crestwood Circle. This was sent up to the full council with a recommendation to order a public hearing. That's the motion. >> Second. >> There's a motion on the table properly second. Madame discussion >> quick discussion. I'm not going to take long. So, uh, there has been many, many
comments and discussions at the committee level regarding the double polls and the installation of polls. I'm not going to go into this tonight. The hour is late, but um, but I just want folks to know that this is on the on the front burner. Uh, trying to figure out how we can make some improvements. I'll stop there.
>> But a J pole is not a double pole, right? >> Well, sometimes what they're doing is that they are putting a new pole in a certain location and not taking the stuff off. And so, it's it's becoming a problem throughout. It's an I don't want to it's I'm happy to explain maybe at the next meeting the public hearing but
um there's a lot there. >> All right. Okay. >> Um it's been properly second to order a public hearing. U Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Council Reyes.
>> Council Marmal. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. Council Luzon is noted as absent. Council La Plant, >> yes. >> Council Levy, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez,
>> yes. Item 29925. Uh, the orders committ. >> Yes. >> Yes, we got it. Item 29925. The ordinance committee met on this item to install one JO pole and one midspan pole P74650 on Mount Vernon Street near James
Street. This was sent up to the full council with a favorable recommendation to order a public hearing. That's the motion. >> Motion is to order a public hearing. Can I hear a second? >> Second. >> Properly second discussion. I hear none. Madame Clair, please call the role. >> Council Levy,
>> yes. >> Council Lant, >> yes. >> Council Luzon. It's noted as absent. I'm sorry. Council Delhario. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. >> Yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte.
>> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> But yes. Uh Council La Plan, do you mind taking 399 uh 401, 402, 403, and 404 as a block? >> I do not mind. I'll make a motion that we take these items. Handicap parking at 288 Lauren Street. Handicap parking 25 Belmont Street. Handicap parking 81
Bucker Hill Street. Handicap parking 94 Draen Street. Handicap parking at 52 Basswood Street. as a block. Second >> and uh All right. We take it as a block. Can I hear a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> Properly second. Discussion here. None. All clear. Please call the role.
>> Um council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Council Marmal. >> Yes. >> Council Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon is noted as absent. Council plant. >> Yes. >> Council Levy.
>> Yes. >> Council Vice President Fonte. Yes, Council President Rodriguez, >> I vote. Yes. And that was to order a public hearing or that was >> No. So, um, so now I'll get the the committee report. So, the committee came out with a table recommendation on all these items to order a public hearing.
That's the motion for all. >> The motion is to order a public hearing to for the blockage properly second. Uh, discussion I hear none. Madame Clair, please call the RO. >> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Council La Plant. >> Yes. >> Council Luzon is noted as absent.
Council Del Rosario. >> Yes. >> Councelor Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Marmal, >> yes. >> Council Reyes. >> Council Reyes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Council Vice President Fonte. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> Yes. Now we're going to all business.
Item uh 42525, remove handicap parking out of uh 18 Fton Street. >> Council President, if I might, um that Fton Street >> item was to order a public hearing. However, there is not a corresponding ordinance in the books that needs to be deleted. So, it would be a waste of
money to run the ad in the paper. So, at this point, the document just needs to be withdrawn. >> I'd like to make a motion and withdraw item number 42525 remove Handicap Park into 18 Fton Street. >> Motion to withdraw. Can I hear a second? >> Second. >> Yeah.
>> Properly second. Discussion. I hear none. Madame Clair, please call the RO. >> Councel Reyes. Yes. >> Council Amaro. >> Yes. >> Council amigo. >> Yes. >> Council Del Rosario. >> Yes.
>> Council Luzon is noted as absent. Council Lant. >> Yes. >> Council Levy. >> Yes. >> Council Vice President Infonte. >> Yes. >> Council President Rodriguez. >> I vote yes. Going on top of the agenda. Now we going to any table matters that we're not to take off of table matters.
I hear none. So we go to new business. Item 46725 transfer of 124,253 uh dollars from free cash to through uniform replacement that's going to the
budget and finance committee. Item 46825 transfer of 72,918 90 cents from free cash to motor vehicles. Um that's going to that finance committee. Item 46925, authorization to spend $144,000 assets
management planning AM grant uh with $66,000 cash match and $30,000 in in services match city staff. That's going to the budget and finance committee. Item 47025
program proposal for unatted drums and uh gust shot detention technology uh for public safety that's going to the finance committee item 47125 authorization to spend 268,180
uh grants awards from executive office of housing and livable uh communities to the to secure 204 204 beds for winter overnight shelters. and warming centers. That's going to the ban finance
committee. Uh item 4 7225 SEIU local 80888 uh competent and trade unions collective bargaining agreement transfer for the amount of $19,000 from the general funds uh to the DPW
bill and facility maintenance salary of wages. Uh that's going to the banana finance committee. Item 47325 SEIU 88 88A parking attendance union collective parking agreement transfer for the amount of 16,000
uh from retained earnings to salary wages that's going to the budget and finance committee. Item 47425 and parking uh and lo London score that's going to the uh to the ordinance
committee. Item 47525, childcare parking at 556 Howard Street. Uh, that's going to the ordinance committee. Item 47625, remove of Hica parking at 76 Eman Street. That's going to ordinance
committee. Item 47725, remove of Hendica parking at 25 uh Darnham Street. That's going to the ordinance committee. At this time, counselors, if it is u any other business, on on your agenda
>> 478 47825 >> 47825 resolution honoring Gustavo Bella the greatest Lawrence Tech students athlete holding the state alltime leading Russian records in high school football
that's going to the ordinance committee so now counselors we're going to hear the different meetings for the committee Uh but you know uh ordinance committee >> Tuesday night 7 o'clock. Are we is the chambers available?
>> Uh maybe we don't. >> So stay tuned. I guess we'll figure that out. >> Just they actively working today, yesterday, and and tomorrow. >> Okay. >> So >> we don't need to make a decision tonight on that, right? We can just >> Yeah, we don't have >> for your posting notice as clerk. You
need to know where this is happening. We we'll need to know by the time we post um >> which is tomorrow, right? >> Well, for Yeah. >> Okay. So, we we we posted on on site and also on Zoom if there's anything and then we need to deal with it, but I mean
most likely will be for for that. >> I don't know if the technology portion of it will be available though. >> Okay, >> that's the that's the thing. >> Are these meetings going It's lit. It's a late night. >> Literally, we just talk about
>> news for the deaf. Here we go. >> Let me check. >> Uh, let me check. >> We might be able to because I mean it's depend on how they when if they finish up tomorrow, but uh the electricity was done yesterday and and the desk going to
be finishing up tomorrow. The floating uh that's going to be next week. the chairs. That's going to be next week, too. Um, >> you know, something, council president, I think we're just going to do it virtually. I would virtually ability to just post it and not worry about it.
>> Yeah, let's do virtually. Yeah. >> All right. Uh, budget and finance. >> Budget and finance. Um, if I wanted to schedule it for Monday, it's not I don't know 48 hours, right? >> No, it's not going to be 48 hours. >> All right. So, it's going to be scheduled for Thursday.
>> Okay. at 6:30 p.m. virtually >> Thursday. >> Okay. Uh there is any other business on that? I recommend uh if it's anything else. >> Oh, I do. Sorry, Council President. I do have one more thing uh pertaining to uh
new business item 478-2025. Um, if all goes well within the ordinance committee next week, um, the tentative date to to present that that resolution will be at our next full
council meeting. Um, if that's okay with you, council president. And also, um, I did invite other elected officials for this recognition. Um, and you guys will hear more about that in detail in the ordinance meeting, but I am ex I did get
a confirmation from the mayor's office. Um, we might have some of the state officials with us as well, but waiting on those confirmations. >> Yeah, the same day potentially will be the the the early meeting or perhaps the events that we're going to have for the
chambers to be reopened. >> So, that's everything worked fine. >> All right. Uh any other meetings? >> Um no, but can everyone just make a point to please leave this package um before you leave? I appreciate that.
Thank you. >> All right. At this time, I entertain a motion to adjourn. >> There's a motion to enjoy second. Uh discussion. There is none. Madame Clair, please call the role. Um, council Levy,
>> yes. >> Council La Plant, >> yes. >> Council Luzon, notice is absent. Council Del Rosario, >> yes. >> Council Miguel, >> yes. >> Council Marmal, >> yes. >> Council Reyes, >> yes. >> Thank you. Council, um, Vice President
Fonte, >> yes. >> Council President Rodriguez, >> yes. Motion carries. All right. If I could trouble somebody to help us. >> That's perfect. God bless you. Thank you
so much. >> No, that's okay. I appreciate you.