WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=lMp6JhdEQFk

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: lMp6JhdEQFk):
- 00:00:22: Initial Discussion: Patio, Cooking, and Future Agenda Items
- 00:01:05: Public Comment: Santiago Matz's Concerns About City Rebranding
- 00:03:04: Housing and Economic Development Committee Meeting Begins
- 00:04:25: Approval of Minutes: January-March 2026 Meetings
- 00:05:29: Acceptance of New Layout Plan for Short & Other Streets
- 00:06:38: Director McCarthy Presents Short Street Layout Plan Details
- 00:09:36: Engineer Shik Explains Project Plans, Potential Impacts
- 00:10:58: Challenges and Considerations: Business Impact, Street Closures
- 00:13:54: Bridge Safety Assessment, Pedestrian Sidewalk Condition Discussion
- 00:15:30: Next Steps: Land Acquisition, Permits, Construction Timeline
- 00:16:52: Questions Regarding the Bridge Project and State Requirements
- 00:18:14: Acceptance of New Street Layout; Variables and Unanswered Questions
- 00:20:13: Additional Info: State Requirements and Project Funding
- 00:22:52: Continued Discussion: Affected Parcels and Project Scope
- 00:25:10: Easements, Takings, and Potential Impacts on Properties
- 00:27:05: Motion to Send Short Street Layout Plan to Full Council
- 00:28:42: Table Request: Items 19126 and 19226 Due to Absences
- 00:30:05: Meeting Adjourns: Housing and Economic Development
- 00:40:16: Personnel Committee Meeting Commences: Pledge of Allegiance
- 00:41:22: Concerns About Appointing to Lawrence Redevelopment Authority
- 00:42:45: Senior Advisor Spanner Requests Untabling Item 205-26
- 00:45:50: Motion to Table Robert Blackwell Appointment Request
- 00:47:30: Motion to Untable Appointment of Carmen Garcia King
- 00:48:22: Presentation of Carmen Garcia King for Lawrence Airport
- 00:49:56: Opening Remarks From Garcia-King About Airport Operations
- 00:51:05: Reading Emails: Letters Opposing Doug How Reappointment
- 00:55:25: Council Member Questions about Long-Term Position Status
- 01:01:17: Conflict of Interest Discussions for Public Positions
- 01:07:55: Reviewing Financial Disclosure Rules for City Employees
- 01:15:16: Conflict of Interest Concerns, Position Opportunities, Local Voice
- 01:21:58: Prepared and Consistent, with Exceptional Work Ethic
- 01:26:35: Motion to Table Carmen Garcia Appointment Until a Formal Response
- 01:29:17: Meeting Adjourns: Personnel Committee
- 01:41:01: Budget and Finance Committee Meeting Commences
- 01:44:31: Meeting Called to Order, Pledge of Allegiance
- 01:45:21: Approval of Minutes and Table Proposed Fiscal Budget
- 01:46:26: Approval to Accept Earmark Funds From Congresswoman Trahan
- 01:49:59: Appreciation and Happiness for The Earmark Project
- 01:52:45: Importance of the Local Process, Discussion of Safety Event
- 01:53:50: Transfer of Funds From Airport To Public and Neighborhood Safety
- 01:57:01: Ray Fiori Speaks About Funds to Support Fire and Police
- 01:59:00: Importance of The Fest To The City, Mitigating Cost
- 02:05:14: Challenges of Increasing Cost and Fundraising Giving to Charity
- 02:12:30: Long Term Planning if City Doesn't Have Funding
- 02:16:39: Approval To Send To Full Council With The Recommendation
- 02:18:04: Meeting Adjourns Finance Community
- 02:19:12: Transfer From Litigation Reserve Item 181-26 Review
- 02:21:20: Outside Counsel Bills and Wayjack Case Transfers
- 02:23:20: Discussion On The Budget and An Anticipated Executive Session
- 02:25:23: Request Investigation Unclaimed Properties, Item 187-26
- 02:27:09: Year to Date Inspection Service Department 133-26 Review
- 02:28:14: App Opioid Settlement Funds Update item 44-25 and Applications
- 02:29:37: Budget Items and Annual Audit Report Discuss


Part: 1

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outside questions now. Anything else on the agenda? You can use the mic. The patio will be discussed tonight. Outside cooking in the patio will be done tonight. The rest of these stuff

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like Gateway, the Elks, uh Tavern, um 316 Long Street, Broadway will all be done next Wednesday. >> Let me tell I tell it in Spanish.

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>> Oh, go ahead. Okay. You can go ahead. Okay. >> Okay. Lawrence. Hi, my name is Santiago Matz and most of you know me here in the city. I've been working like a OPD director, acting OPD director for city

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Lawrence. Um, we have a real problems because we want to rebranding the city, right? I can't hear. I can't hear anything. >> Oh, you can hear. Let me I'm going to have to mute you or if you can mute yourself.

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Okay. Um, good evening and welcome to the Housing and Economic Development Committee. Today is Wednesday, May 27th. It is approximately 6:15 p.m. Note, this meeting is being held um and conducted as a hybrid meeting. You may remotely

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access the meeting through the digital platforms um such as our Facebook Lawrence City Council page and our YouTube Laurens City Council page. Pursuant to chapter 20 of the acts of 2022, this meeting of housing committee is being conducted both in person and

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via remote participation. A reminder that persons who would like to listen to and or view this meeting while in progress, council president, please mute yourself. Um while in progress may either attend in person at 200 Common

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Street at our city council chambers or they may have access to view these meetings um with the following access that I had previously mentioned which is our Facebook and um and YouTube Lawrence City Council pages. Um before we commence today's meeting, I would like

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to uh please stand for our pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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>> Okay. Voting members present today. To my left is our counselor for district A and our vice chair uh Frankly Miguel and our city council president and counselor at large uh via remote uh Giovanni Rodriguez. Um I'm looking for a

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recommendation for approval of minutes uh January 12th, 2026, February 9th of 2026, January 28th, 2026, and March 11th of 2026. >> Motion to move the minutes. Uh

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>> second. >> Motion has been made properly. Second. Madam uh madam clerk, could you please call the role? >> Sure. >> Council of vice chair Franklin Miguel. >> Yes. >> Council uh President Giovanni Rodriguez. >> Yes.

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>> And then madame chairs uh Vivian. >> I vote in the affirmative. Motion carries. Um I would like to um it would be out of order of today's agenda consider taking into consideration those that are present

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here uh at today's meeting. It is item um and I'm looking for a motion to unt this item. It is 8426 and I want to make sure that this is clear um director McCarthy because on your email you have it as 8726. So, I just wanted to make

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sure that it is item 8426. I think 8726 was a typo. >> I don't have the agenda in front of me. >> I got it. >> 8426. So, can I get a motion to unt this item?

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>> Motion to unt item 8426. >> Motion has been made. Can I get a second? >> I can second. >> Okay. Properly second. Madam clerk, could you please call the role? >> Okay. President Giovanni Rodriguez. >> Yes. >> Vice Chair uh Frankly Miguel.

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>> Yes. >> And then uh Chair Vivian Marl. >> Yes. Motion carries carries. Um Director McCarthy, if you could uh please proceed with uh the presentation on this item. Um, just to be clear, madame clerk, the item is 8426, acceptance of new layout

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plan of public ways for parts of Short Street, Maple Street, Courier Street, and Irving Avenue. >> So, there should be five packets, five documents in your pack. >> Oh, director, if you could please turn on your mic.

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>> Oh, thank thank you, chairperson. Um, I'm old. the um there should be five documents in your your package. Three of them were late editions. Um the three the last three documents that come in uh can drop off copies. >> Oh, I would love a physical copy. Thank

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you. >> These are letters and decisions from the boards. So, so one of these documents, um, I put this actually, let me start that I put this item on the agenda back in in March, but one requirement is that anytime that you're accepting or

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modifying the streets public ways, it has to be reviewed by the Lawrence planning board. Went in front of the planning board in uh May 6 of 2026 and they reviewed the plans. they had speakers and they had a public hearing and they uh made a favorable

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recommendation uh to support uh having these plans approved. Then you'll also see there is a letter on the back side of this is a letter from the city engineer that he's reviewed the plans and he made some comments and that that that he is uh in support of that. And

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the last letter uh which is pretty short and sweet I guess is uh from our city attorney that says I have reviewed all the documents and plans and I find them in good legal order. >> So I'll um trying to get the

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shot. Oh, there we go. >> Um should I turn Let me So, so the streets we're talking about are um Short Street, which is um the the street where the bridge that's going to be replaced is located on Maple Street,

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which intersects with Short Street uh near the Spaet River, Irving Avenue, which is the road that's on the other side of the bridge, and let me see if I can and Curry Avenue. These are the three um streets that are going to be

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impacted. Um when the um when our land surveyor were that went out there to survey them and they were looking for the original plans that should be recorded at the registry of deeds, they couldn't find any plans identified in these public ways. So that's one of the

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requirements for spending is that all the plans be done. So we had an accur accurate survey done and the plans were were then uh corrected. So these are the plans that we intend to record at the registrated deeds after they ex are accepted and approved by the city

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council. Um again I have Mr. John Shik here with me today. Mr. Mr. Shikes is an engineer from TEC Engineering. He is the uh design engineer for this project and has been working with the city for the last year and a half as we work on as we

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develop these plans and the projects. So we're also working with the state to get these approved. the city has some preliminary pro requirements that we need to meet and getting these plans is one of the accepted ones. >> Okay. Well, considering you've made your way here, um seeing that you're

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physically here, I wouldn't want um you know, uh for it to be a waste of time. So I would love to hear as to um your plans what has been um the work study that's been done for this project any ch like I know specifically on my end I'm

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not I can't speak for other counselors but considering how we do have a pending project with another bridge >> it's um laid the foundation for me to ask certain questions now with this uh with this project so I'm curious to know

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uh any challenges that you guys already have taken taken into consideration. >> Oh, well, are you done with the Hold on, Mia. Are you done with the presentation? >> That's that's those are those are all the slides I have. >> Okay. >> Um, >> so I'm curious to know if there are any

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any pending um if there are any businesses in the surrounding area that might be impacted because of this project and have um have you guys done your due diligence to communicate with them? uh closure dates how long this

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project will >> well I think like I said uh uh engineer spike uh shikes can probably comment more about the scheduling of the project it's not going to be happening immediately so going around and talking to the um uh the businesses around there

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um probably wouldn't be fruitful because it it's probably going to be more than more than a year till the construction starts so I don't want to worry people okay >> prior to that >> it the property it is it is a heavily residential area. The businesses that

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are located are on Lauren Street. There's a Dunkin Donuts at the corner of Maple Street. Uh there's a um funeral home uh on that block. And on the other side is the Lehey School. So that's one of

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the ones that we were worried about being impacted more than anything. >> Oh no, I'm familiar. I believe would is like is that the like the back roads of Big and Beefy like Urban or Brothers Pizza? >> Brothers. >> Brothers Pizza. Yes. >> Yeah. That >> I I'm familiar with the traffic

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currently as how it is now on a day-to-day basis. So, I'm I'm hoping that um >> people do use as a cut through. Really shouldn't be used as a cut through. It's a small very thin street. Um it's heavily trafficked. I I'll admit I use

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it a lot because I'm aware it's there. Same thing with Irving. Irving a lot of people cut through, >> but we we kind we do want people to stick to it. >> I don't believe by the time this project starts, >> Amesberry Street should be completed. So, we're doing the Amesberry Street,

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Lauren Street, Rotary Park, all that project that's under construction right now will be done before we even start this project. >> Are these projects done in phases? So considering that it's two bridges, are you is is the projection that the project will start with uh working on one bridge to then segue into the

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second? I'm just >> It depends. It depends on the schedule of of the uh contractors. It depends on the financing from um the state. It depends upon a lot of criteria. This last summer, we actually were working on four major projects at once, which is

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kind of unheard of. We're doing Mary Street intersection, Marson Street intersection with East Haveril and the rail trail and uh Amesberry Street. So it does it it does create a lot of a lot of um issues

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that the city has to be ahead of to make sure that the detours are correct, that the businesses aren't impacted, and that uh you know, but these are all that's that's part of my job. That's what we do. >> Okay. I want to make sure I'm giving other counselors an opportunity um to

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ask questions. So uh discussions counselors uh councelor Miguel >> through you sure um taking into consideration that this is going to take I mean this project will take some time um before construction have we do we

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have any assessment of the bridge right now uh in terms of safety that we don't have to proceed with any emergency repair just in case like between >> you want to speak on that >> now and two years one year >> speak on that I'm not the structural there's a

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>> structural engineer who's um a manager on the product on sort of the highway lead >> even though it is a >> to the mic sorry >> so sorry to a little defer on that I wish I could answer that question specifically with like how it's being rated and and what it's rated for

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currently I do know that it's in without using specific term very bad shape and that's why it was earmarked for a complete replacement um not just like a superructure you know not just like a superructure replacement where they'd like um save the beams but replace the deck. The whole thing's going to be

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replaced and that it has to do with the condition that it's in. Um the easiest thing I can say is that the you know the state's been involved. We we've been involved so if it were dangerous to ride on right now it would be closed. I wish I could give you like a like an easier answer than that and

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that if um you know that they know that it's not starting to um I can ask more specifically to get you know follow up on that but I know if it wasn't safe to >> at all drive on at the moment. I think it's just one of those like the life of the bridge and it's in very rough shape as as you may might know going over it.

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Um but I do believe it's still it's obviously still safe to travel on at low speeds because a very low speed road now um until the product's done or they close it. Um I wish I can be more spe I can get more specific numbers >> comment a little bit on right now like

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as as as Mr. I said, um, if it was dangerous structurally, they wouldn't let us drive on it. The the major problem with it right now are the sidewalks are in such deteriorate shape. They've got barriers up, New Jersey barriers to keep people walking on the

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sidewalks, which means the kids have to walk in the street to get across that bridge. Um, you'll see that in several of the bridges in the city. The bridges aren't shut down from car traffic, but the sidewalks are impassible. the Union Street Bridge. Um the the one on Daisy

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um not Daisy on on the Casey Bridge on the Central Bridge. There's a lot of these bridges that really it's the concrete on the sidewalks, the the pole arms on the sides that have all deteriorated to the point where it's unsafe for pedestrians to be on them. So, that's a major flaw with this one

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right now as far as actual safety. But cars still drive by it. >> Okay. >> Any other questions? Um in terms once we this process is completed uh like what what will be the next step in order for

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us as a city to you know procure the the repairs? >> Yep. Um the part of the process is going to require us because the the the bridge construction is right next to the Isabel Melendez Park >> and we'll be closing down a portion of the park where the construction area is.

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the state, the federal government is going to require us to acquire some what they call um replacement land and we're in the process of doing that right now. So that p that that that that pro that process takes six to nine months sometimes a year because we have to deal

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directly with parks parks and uh national park service in Washington and the state uh approval that then that has to go up to the legislature and we have to get what's called a uh a article 97 um permit from the state. So that takes

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uh a period of time. Uh we just did one for the O'Neal park um for the for a part of the construction. Um so we were anticipating construction starting like in the fall, but it may be of of 97, not this fall, next year. So it's it's a

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it's it's some ways back. >> Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> Uh >> follow 97. >> 27 follow 27. I keep saying 97. >> Oh, it's okay. I I I wish it was 97, but >> okay. Discussions. Councelor Rodriguez,

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did you have any questions, concerns? No. Okay. Um, okay. Trying to make sure I'm giving him ample amount of time to unmute. I was like, Council President, do you have your

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binder? You don't need your binder. Oh, I guess not. Do you have any questions? Um, the one thing I do want to mention before uh moving this item forward is I are you just looking to have this

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accepted as a new layout? Because again, my my concern is um sending this up to full counsel when there's still a lot of variables that haven't been answered yet. And I get it that they you can't answer them, right? But it's hard for me to kind of make

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sense to send this up and we still don't have basic questions that have been answered. >> Variables and scheduling and variables in in in the process and but there's no qu there's no variables in these plans. These plans are the way the streets are laid out

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>> and by no means I'm not objecting to the project. I I understand the gravity. >> Yeah. So we've had an engineer work on it. We've had a land surveyor go out and do the meet meets and bounds and the measurements and we've had them all measured out. You should have the the street measurements there. So these are only portions of streets. Uh

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>> so how will we know? Would you come before us to notify us as to when the scope of work would commence, how long it would be uh projected to >> Yes, there are other items I'll be coming to see you for. Um >> okay. because when we as we approach

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construction, we'll probably be getting a number of uh private easements from some of the land owners and and that would require your your uh authorization. >> Okay. Uh I believe council president uh you have the floor.

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>> Thank you, Madam Chair. So, let me see if I'm clear with the item. So, you're looking to acquire a title 96 Excuse me. >> You're looking to acquire an approval for Title 96.

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>> We're looking to acquire a acceptance of the submitted plans. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> And then eventually you're going to have to go through the state to get the >> they are going to be recorded the registry of deeds. >> Okay. So, and what is the uh the squad footage

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that we're talking about? >> The frankly every street in the city that's a public way should have a plan record at the registry of deeds. uh outlining the the meats and bounds of that property to be part of the state's uh

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highway uh funding system. That's a requirement. Um as we go through the projects, um time to time, not for every project, but from time to time, we'll find our land surveyor will say, "Hey, the streets are no longer matching historical or the correct um or we can't

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find any plans recorded because they're so the streets might be so old." this case. Um, I I couldn't tell you why these weren't recorded, but this property was part of the launch redevelopment project back in the 1970s and 80s and all the houses were torn

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down and these streets were all regraded and relayed out. So, that might be the reason. Um, >> yeah, let me >> Yeah, >> just say on that real quick. Yeah, the whole point of this is to just accept these layout plans so that those plans can then be recorded in the registry of

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deeds. Um, it's not it's not only Lawrence that this happens. It's happened to other cities and it's one of the state's requirements that if they're going to fund this and approve the route of way, which means there are a few easements that you need to get to for the state to fund the bridge project that all the layouts within the limits

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of the project have to be accepted at the registry of deeds. Um, so it's their state requirement. So the same thing happened for um the Ames Bridge Street project right now that's going on with the Rotary. There was a one or two of the side streets weren't recorded. Most of the roads were already in the registry of deeds, but there was one like Havil Street. Part of Havil Street

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wasn't recorded and that got recorded and and that got approved. Same process. This was like four years ago or something like that. And that got um we did the same type of thing. We did layout plans because they weren't recorded just to get that portion of the street that's within the project in on

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file at the registry of deeds as an approved layout. So that's a requirement of the state. So that's what all these plans are doing. All they're doing is like here's the layout for those portions of the roads that are within the project and they have to be recorded at the registry before master DOT will move forward and approve all the

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rightway um that is associated with the project. >> Council President, I believe you still have the floor. >> Yes. Um so you got three pieces of parcels that are going to be affected by the construction and then essentially Do you have the layout very quick? You can

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put the Can you put the layout back again? Okay, that's that's panel one. >> Just just skip that one. >> Try it. >> Are you able to control it or is it back there that they have to move it for you? >> Oh,

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>> you're looking at two of the streets right there. You're looking at a portion of Irving and a portion of um >> Cara. >> Carrier. Mhm. And >> the bridge is right. >> Yeah. You're looking at a portion of Irving and a portion of Courier right there.

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>> And that's the only the portion that's within these uh limits of project. >> And the other slide showed the portions of Short Street and the portions of Maple. >> So there's four streets that are um >> just a small portion of them we're looking to get recorded at the registry.

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So essentially the the the organization that is funding this they require this layout to be on the radio set of deeding department >> recorded here. >> Yes. >> And then even though this is part of a

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layout from the street >> it's from the layout but these portions of the layout are not currently at the registry of deeds. They're not filed at the registry right now. >> So there is it's like it never exists. So there's no record of them in the the state registry. >> Okay. >> Even though that Lawrence might have

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certain records of the roads, they haven't been recorded at the registry of deeds >> um for these particular roads. Um and it again to tell you exactly why in the history of that it's hard to say. Some roads are recorded, some roads aren't. And we found this in other

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municipalities as well. It's not only Lawrence. It's sometimes that like, oh, this main road is recorded, but the side street's not recorded, but the work involves some of the side street and everything within the limits of work has to be recorded for them to fund it. >> This is something new that they have.

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>> Um, no, it's just a when um it's just a state requirement um for rightway, state rightaway requirement in order to issue a rightaway certificate. um they can't issue that >> because I mean I remember that before we have many different project that we

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accept the the temporary easement and the permanent easement for the construction. Um and those need to be recorded and need to be accepted. >> Uh but I mean the layout itself of the road um >> I kind of like start seeing it more

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often than before but not as you know >> depends on the funding source. You know what I mean? And that requirement I guess this would be the type of project maybe. >> Yeah. I there'll be there there will be like I said I'll be coming back to do the easements and the takings. There

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will be some takings. We're going to be widening the Short Street Bridge. So we're going to be taking about 2,000 square ft of land from Isabelle Melendez Park. That will have to be that taking will have to be recorded to registry deeds. We're going

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to have to purchase land on the other side that's owned privately to make up for that loss of land. The federal government, that's why he's discussing the federal requirements. There's also a couple of homes that will be impacted. They'll be given us temporary easements

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so we can stand on their land while we put down new sidewalks. We do some of the landscaping. We do some of the street work. And we require both sides of the work to be uh um accessible for the contractors to stand on.

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>> Okay. >> And we'll pay we'll pay those people >> uh a value for they'll get an award for the use of their land. >> Sorry. I mean uh I don't see that this is a is a problem. It's just the recording the plans recording and that's it. When when this goes up to city

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council and gets accepted and I get the vote, I will then the the the sand the land surveyor Hancock will provide me with the myar the plastic one. We'll sign that off in that put the put the document numbers on it for the vote and

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then we'll record that with the registry so they know that that's been approved by the city council data was >> okay. I don't see that. I don't see this as a as a it's a mayor mayor issue. >> I mean, it's not transfer of property or anything like that that we do. Just it's

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just a >> plan recording. >> It's it's our it's our it's our property. It just needs to be >> uh like I said, registered. >> Have this is the second time we do this uh at the same time. >> I I did we did a portion of it for Ames Street. We've done it for a couple other smaller projects. Um a lot of projects

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we don't have to do it for. It depends on on the situation. >> All right. No problem. >> So, if there's no further discussions, I'm looking for recommendation on this item. Oh, wait. Sorry. Let me repeat that. My mic was off. Um, if there are

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no further discussions, I'm looking for a recommendation on this item. >> Motion to send to full council with federal recommendation. >> Second. >> Um, all those in favor say I. >> I. And the eyes have it. >> All right. So, I'll see you at the full

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council meeting on Tuesday. Um, I would love to see you there as well as there will be other counselors. Um, hopefully it'll be a full house >> and just be ready that um that you you know questions may arise. >> Yes, I will. >> All right. >> Appreciate that.

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>> Thank you. >> Okay. Counselors, so I did receive communication regarding item 19126. uh Senator Pavo Payano and his uh office are requesting additional time in order to be prepared to speak on behalf of

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this item. So I'm looking for a recommendation to table. >> Motion to table 19126. >> Okay. Motion has been made properly second. All those in favor say I. I. And the eyes have it. Um we also received communication regarding item 19226.

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Um uh Mr. Howerin from CESU um is not able to make it to today's meeting. So it it was mentioned that uh we will post postpone and table this item. Um we will send additional um correspondence to the

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organization to ensure that they receive the proper date and time of our next meeting. Um so I'm looking for a motion to table. >> I'll make a motion to send correspondents and subsequently table the item. uh second respondent to the organization that purchased uh the

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property of 141 143 Hancock Street and motion as well as motion to table. >> The correspondence would have to be sent um the day of our city council meeting when we're scheduling our subcommittee meetings and that when we'll know what date our next housing committee meeting >> correct

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>> okay um so motion has been made. Can I get a sec? Probably all those in favor say I. I >> I and the eyes haven't. Can I get a motion to adjurnn? So move. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. And the eyes have it. Good evening and welcome to the

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personnel committee meeting. Today is Wednesday, May 27th, 2026. It is now Oops. It is now 6:53 p.m. Committee members present. To my

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right, I have the vice chair of the committee, council vice president Anna Levy. To my left, I have councelor Franklin Miguel and councelor Rosalie Gonzalez. Pursuant to chapter 20 of the acts of 2022, this meeting of the personnel committee is being conducted both in person and via remote

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participation. A reminder that persons who would like to listen or view this meeting while in progress may either attend here in the city council chamber or view through our YouTube channel. At this point, can you please join me in the pledge?

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>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This one

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councilors, we do not have any minutes to approve, so we're going straight into new business. Um, the first item and only item under new business, we have item 231-26, appointment of Robert J. Blackwell to the Lawrence Redevelopment Authority

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that was put on the agenda by the senior advisor to Mayor Deina, Octavian Spanner. Uh before we begin with this counselors, I I will say something um from the beginning. Uh the city council

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is currently in a lawsuit with the um LRA and we're still pending a decision from the judge. I personally do not feel comfortable taking any matters pertaining to the LRA until we get that that judgment from u the decision from

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the judge. I know that this is not related to the the what we are in court for, but at this time that's my personal opinion as an individual um counselor. So, if the committee decides to proceed,

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um I will be voting against this. Uh but I recommend what the committee should do is table until we hear from from the judge on the current situation that we have. All right. >> May I speak? >> Go ahead.

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>> Yeah. Good evening, uh, counselors, madame chair, committee chair Stephanie Infante. Um, I had a request because, uh, there's a there's another item that is tabled. >> Uh, I would request uh the totable item 205.

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>> Oh, yeah. Yeah, we are. That's We're doing new business right now. So, >> Okay. Good. No, I just I just wanted to make make sure that that's the case. And in terms of the the comment uh madame chair uh I believe it's irrelevant. The decision of the court is

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not um as if the LRA is against the city or the city is against the L. We have a impass >> in terms of how uh both bodies are interpreting the law and we're looking

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for a declaratory judgment. This is not something that because we can't one entity one body cannot needs to depend on the other for us to move the city forward. So um I just wanted to clarify that this is not uh anything to do with

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the um with uh with with uh it's personal or one way or the other it's going to impact the um your decision is going to impact any further dealings with the LRA. What it will do is that we have a

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um a board member the term has expired. Uh the council president and also the body uh the city council as a whole uh requested information concerning the time limit the the terms of each one of the serving board members. And now that

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there's a vacancy we are presenting uh the applicant which is Mr. um uh Robert uh Blackwell before you. So I kindly request uh for you to consider this item because we need

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another board a board member just in case if uh on votes uh it is not an uneven number right now. >> It's not an uneven number. >> No. So we we need uh we need to replace

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the I do understand the whole I I understand this is irrelevant. However, we've had had and I don't know who the attorney for the LRA is currently, but we've had had the attorney be present in every single um city council committee meetings, regardless if it's related or

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not. Um and to me, I I don't know. Again, we're now waiting for the judge, but you never know what can happen in an legal process. And I'm only speaking for myself. Uh that's how I I am that is my position right now in terms of anything related to the LRA to

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be on the safe side until we get a final judgment on that particular matter um pertaining to the L >> and I'm going to open up the floor to the rest of the members. Um council vice president Levy

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>> I have a question. Um, so this is a person, this is a new person that we are appointing to the L. >> Correct. >> Okay. So my what I would like to is to send the table I would like to table and

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send it to the city. So to give it at least you know um information on if that is okay that we can proceed or no on this item. >> It's an official member memo an official

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memo attorney exactly so that we don't have any interfer whatever decision that we taking in here won't be any problem later or with that whatever that is going to happen with the case that we having right now. So

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as a formal motion motion to table >> there's a motion to table plus um a request >> to to re to for of correspondence from the city attorney just so we can have it on the record and make sure everything is is

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>> before you vote for any there is a motion on the table >> discussion >> there's no discussion on on table matters there's a seconded um all those in favor say I >> I I >> the eyes have it. >> I apologize. There's no discussion on

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the table motion. >> No, that's okay. The >> I wish I we had the information before we would have spoken to the attorney today. >> Yes. >> And govern. >> Well, I can tell you I think there there's an impression that sometimes or that elected officials speak before. I

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spoke myself um as one city councelor. I was not aware that other counselors may have had the same sentiment. Um, and now I learned that that they do. So, if if there was prior knowledge that

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would have been definitely I would have reached out. >> Yeah. >> Okay. We'll proceed. >> Thank you. Thank you. Senior advice. >> I'm staying for the other item if you're going to bring it up. >> Yes. Counselors, may I have a motion to unte item 205-26,

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appointment of Carmen Garcia King to the Lawrence Municipal Airport Commission. It was put on the agenda by city attorney Hooton on behalf of Mayor Brian A. Deep Pena who we have now today as you've heard um the senior adviser, Advisor Spanner. >> Yes. I want to just uh through you

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>> guys have I'm sorry. You guys have this as a separate document. Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yeah. through you. Uh uh Madame Chair, I would just like to give a very brief uh presentation. Uh we have Carmen Garcia that is well known within the community.

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Uh she has a um a uh she has a master in business administration. She has been a long-standing uh community member involved in the community in different uh in a variety of capacities. and um we are presenting

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the mayor would like to present her uh candidacy for the um as a u member of the airport commission. Um I believe her background is closely related to um to marketing and advertisement but also she

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has written several uh worked with the media and also uh has presented several articles and she's currently working in the office of the mayor as the um as the public relation uh person for the city

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and I would like to invite her to do her own introduction as to end for further questioning. >> Thank you. Can we have Miss Garcia King um on the podium and if you can name an address for the record, please

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>> motion table. >> Oh, so okay. I did ask for a motion. Nobody voted. Okay. All right. So, we had I did ask for the motion. Did Did anyone >> Okay. So, can I have a motion to say thank you? Probably second. Is there a

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sec a second? >> Yes. I second. >> Motion's been made by the vice president, seconded by councelor Miguel. All those in favor say I. The eyes have it. You may proceed. Thank you. >> All right. May I proceed? >> Yes, you may proceed. Yes. Thank you.

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>> Uh well, uh thank you, Madam Chair. Um thank you for the opportunity. I'm honored to be considered for the uh airport commission. I have already visited the airport. I've met with the airport manager last month. I listened

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in on a recent commission meeting uh which gave me a helpful introduction of the of its operations and I'm looking forward to joining the team and being able to answer any questions you may have. >> Thank you. Um as part of

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hold on I as my colleagues know and those who have watched uh my committee meetings and also myself on the full council when I receive emails I do read them into the record um

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as I done prior. So, I did receive two emails pertaining to this matter which now I will read into the record and then I will open it up for discussion. The first email was sent to the full council on Monday,

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May 4th, 2026. It is from the chairwoman of the Lawrence Municipal Airport, Sharon Burch, and it reads the following. Dear counselors, please see the attached letter from town manager Melissa Rodriguez regarding the reappoint of

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Doug How as airport commissioner representing the town of North Andover. Mr. How is currently up for reappoint and is proposed to be replaced by Carmen King who resides in HR and is employed by the mayor's office. The commission

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already includes a pilot who resides in HRO and maintaining balance balanced representation across communities is important to the board's integrity. With major construction at the airport scheduled to begin next month, experienced commissioners must remain

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actively involved to ensure continuity, oversight, and successful project execution. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Sharon Virtual Chairwoman. And the following email that she was referring to from the town manager of North

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Andover reads the following. Hello Mayor Deena. I hope all is I hope you are doing well. It is my understanding that the airport commission currently has one member Doug Hal from North Andover whose appointment is due to expire. I respectfully request that you consider

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maintaining the North Andover representative on the board. The a the airport is an important community partner and having a representative helps ensure our partnership and collaboration continues. The airport the airport works with many of our departments including public safety and

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community development. I appreciate your consideration of this request. Best Melissa. The second um email that I received was on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

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This is from Bill Collins. Um, and it states the following. This statement invokes the protection of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 149, Section 185. Madame Chair, please indulge me for a moment to offer words

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of praise and support for Commissioner Douglas How. I also attach a synopsis of his experience. Doug has been an ex exemporary member of the Lawrence Airport Commission and has achieved perfect attendance since his initial appointment a few years ago and has

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applied for reappoint. He has volunteered for every subcommittee assignment and most recently authored our first airport rules and regulations manual. As our only north andor resident, Doug has been instrumental in smoothing the quote smoothing the way

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unquote with town government and boards. we've rout routinely deal with. His advocacy has been immeasurable. In addition, as as a member of the airport management team, he resides closest to the airport and has been first to respond to any incident. It is

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understood that the mayor is appoint is the appointing authority to this position. I respect that process. I would be remiss, however, if I did not express my disappointment and dismay that Commissioner's House's reappoint that Commissioner How reappointment, as

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demonstrated by his his exceptional performance and diligence, as well as his phenomenal resume is not forthcoming. Respectfully, Bill Collins, Commissioner, um, and as I stated before, this is just I've done it every other time. So this is just a a process

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that I follow to ensure that every everyone voice is heard. Um now thank you for your introduction. Um now that uh the introductory part of this is all set. I am going to open it up for committee members if they have any

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questions or comments u for Miss King and pertaining to her um um application for wanting to join the airport commission. counselors. >> So, >> council vice president,

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>> your mic is off. >> Thank you, Council President. Mr. Chair, um, for how long is this position? >> Uh, to my understanding, it's a two-year term. >> It's a two-year terms. >> Yes. This is a pay position.

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>> It up to my understanding as well. Yes, they do receive a stipen. >> Okay. So, I would like to ask to Mr. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. So, Carmen is being appointed to

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this. She's been working. She's been working also for the city. >> Yes. There's there's um there is no uh there are certain rules that applies

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to when you have a city employee being appointed to a commit committee meaning giving as an example as long as there's no conflict of interest meaning that for instance I'll take as an example if you have someone uh that's

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working at the office of planning and development cannot be part of the zoning board uh or a planning board because it's a direct conflict with the position that they have. Um the

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we don't see any conflict having uh Carmen be in part even though she's working with the city of Lawrence and living at the city of Haveril. It doesn't impose any particular conflict of interest. The conflict of interest

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that may arise is that if she receives the stipen there's direct conflict of interest because you cannot uh double dip. So meaning you can be in one position and then um receiving payment for one and having another payment otherwise I would

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have been receiving paying from the LRA as well. So that's the particular um uh conflict that exists. Uh in addition to my knowledge and what I have uh previously

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uh discussed with um with the OIG's office in correspondences I believe uh the chairperson of the committee uh councelor Infante upon her request we have also been dealing with the OIG's office. Um, to my knowledge,

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the members of the board are not special municipal employees. Um, I may be mistaken, but that's something that the city council never have basically previously decided on. What I do see as a conflict based on the

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information that we have received uh and during the conversation that we had with one of the applicants that uh was providing logistics and transportation services. If you have a pilot

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that is using that airport, uh there might be a conflict, a potential conflict, but that individual needs to request that information. But in terms of um Garcia, we don't see that that as a

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as a particular conflict. >> So um there is nothing. So I know I know you call me I know your works you know I know you for so many years is nothing again. up. But uh uh once again I feel

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like um I did something that I approved something and that was practically not a conflict but at the end like we receive a letter from the city attorney that was a conflict of interest. Okay. So when I

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try to revoke my bowl again because I don't feel okay uh when I did the bowl they told me no and right now we've been having some really you know some conflict on this at this time I what I

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would like and that's is something that maybe we should ask again is to the city attorney to send off you know uh a letter or a memo telling what they think about this position and to make sure

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that we are doing the right decision uh regarding getting you on the board of this commission. That's is my uh my say. So I don't know if the other counselors thinking on the same way but

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I don't want to I don't want to say yes. I don't want to say no. Okay. without having something a me or or like a memo from the city attorney say okay we can go ahead and we will not have the same

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problem like we are having at this time. >> Yeah through you madam chair may I say and only the only ask that that I would have on behalf of the administration is to have consistency. So, if this is the process that you want to follow, which I agree because I've

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seen that before in other municipalities. Here's the only city that I've worked with that whenever you send a package, you don't come with a uh uh recommendation or uh a legal um a legal

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um opinion concerning an item. So, if that's the standard that you would like to do, I mean, we'll be happy to whenever we need to submit an application, send it to to the um to the attorney so we can have that ready and so there cannot be further delay with

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any other boards and commissions that we have. >> Vice President M. Okay. And uh, Vice Chair uh, Levy, absolutely understand your concern. I actually took

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the liberty of going to an extra step and reached out to state attorneys to discuss and I have the form here, the disclosure by municipal employees of financial interest and municipal contracts.

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my current role, my responsibilities, there is no immediate of whatsoever uh conflict by being on the commission. The only thing that actually was questioned was the financial piece and

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even that there will be if they allowed it will be a waiver on that which at this time what I uh wanted to share was that um I understand the importance of maintaining clear boundaries. Some of

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you do know how I am and how I work and therefore I would recuse myself if at any moment there is a matter that would be a conflict of interest. But in the light of my current position with my current responsibilities,

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there should be none. So I understand uh uh chair when you uh read the emails regarding uh living in Havville. I don't see anything that's in writing that says that there's a certain amount of in uh commission members that have to be on

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that board. So that right there um it's you know debatable for the other piece um when it comes to the the role itself I do see the airport as a very very important asset to the city uh both

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economically as well as regionally uh regional connectivity and that's why I am looking forward to even learning more about its own enterprise um operation and that's where my strength comes in when it comes to communication. Um I

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know um senior advisor Spanner briefly talked about uh some of my background but it's not just on communication. I also serve um I just got reappointed uh through Kim Driscoll who appointed me and I do apologize this will be my

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second term for a two-year term uh for the home um and let me give you the correct name because it's very long through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the division of occupational uh uh lensure and I am a board member a public board member uh

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for the registration of home inspectors. I know the process. I also have been on every single meeting. I have never missed a meeting. I am a very responsible person. I also do my due diligence. There was even a moment where

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the um and I'm trying to remember what it was, but it was the contract as far as the requirements. A lot of home inspectors uh from New Hampshire want to be a part of or get a license here in

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Massachusetts. Unfortunately, there is one stipulation that does not allow them to just become home inspectors here. I was actually part of that board and read with every legal uh council that was there uh over hundreds of pages. That

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right there opened my eyes. So I feel and well not even feel I know that I will be the right person to be a part of this uh commission uh through the obvious um uh skill sets that I mentioned on top of that being bilingual

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if there's ever any um communication that needs to be out there being in the mayor's um office right now uh we have been getting a lot of praise because everything that comes through my desk is always in two languages. And I just last

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year and now in February officially got my certification for translation as well as interpretation which is two different things that a lot of people tend to intertwine. There are two separate skill sets

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uh with that. So aside from being already on the board almost four years uh with the commonwealth which is even at a higher level um as well as my uh educational my academic experience as um

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senior advisor Spanner mentioned uh do have my MBA plus two years of my PhD which I will not complete because most likely crossing my fingers I will be attending law school and And that is uh last and not least I

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want to say that I do value of course collaboration, listening, asking thoughtful questions and being able to support any decision making. So I hope uh vice chair that puts you at ease when it comes to conflict of interest. It wasn't just me

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taking on oh this is a great idea for me to be on board. I've had various discussions with the mayor to try to do my due diligence and I also spoke with the city council uh excuse me city attorney and the only issue was the

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stipen issue which is why I presented to them the uh municipal contract and that he said he will get back to me but as of right now that is the only thing that I am aware of that was up for question but it should not be a reason not to be

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appointed uh for the commission. That's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um before we move forward, I did pull up um the the financial aspect of the conflict

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of interest law and also uh what would what would exempt a municipal employee from from this law. So there's two situations that would be ex that would be considered an exemption. And the first one is the section 20B exemption,

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the 500 hour rule, um, which is the most common pathway for full-time municipal employee looking to seek a second part-time position or join a compensated board. To qualify for the

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compensation, all of the following um, criteria must be met. independent agencies. The second board or position must be under a completely independent department. Actually, uh be before I I continue to read this, do we have anyone

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are any of these gentleman's part of the airport commission that are here right now >> in the back? >> No. No one. >> When does the airport commission typically conduct their meetings? >> Does anybody know? to my understanding I

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believe it's once a month they meet or depending what if there's nothing on um on the agenda they might meet two months so I do apologize not to give you a clear answer to that >> do we know that like the time frame when meetings are scheduled times meetings

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are are scheduled >> well the one that I attended in April which I believe was April 16th uh that one was in the evening 6 o'clock >> yeah so it >> yeah go right ahead Oh, there you go. Yeah, perfect. >> So, it is once a month and it is after

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hours. Okay. 6 p.m. >> Thank you. >> Uh, the employee cannot have official respon. Let me let me start over. Independent agencies. >> The second board or position must be under a completely independent department. The employee cannot have

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official responsibility for or financial management over the second agency in their primary job and the first agency cannot regulate the second. Public availability. The position or contract must must have been publicly advertised or open to public bidding.

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>> Off hours. The duties of the board must be performed completely outside the normal working hours of the employees primary job. No duty overlap. The services provided to the board cannot be part of the employees regular duties in

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their first job. Time cap. uh the employee cannot be compensated for more than 500 hours per year in the second position. And then this the disclosure and approval process. The employee must file a full written disclosure of their

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financial interests with the city or town clerk and the city council board of eldermen or select or select board must vote to approve the exemption which is the process that we're currently doing right now. Uh the second

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the second is the special employee status which we also spoke a little bit about earlier section 20C and section 20D. The restrictions are specifically more flexible if the board position or primary job is designated as a special

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municipal employee status. A position can be designated as special by a vote of the city council or select board if it is unc uncompensated part-time um or does not exceed 800 working hours in the preceding year. Under TW under

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section 20 C is a special municipal employee can have a financial interest in add in addition to the contract or position with a municipal agency by which they are not employed or in whose activities they do not participate or have official responsibility provided

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that that they filed the disclosure with the clerk. Um was there an official disclosure filed? >> Uh at this time they there is not. I do actually have it with me and that's when I spoke with the city attorney who said that he was just looking into regarding

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the stipen so the financial piece. >> Right. Right. Right. >> Um and if I may, Madam Chair, just to add three additional things that are actually on the application. Uh if you would like to have a copy, I'd be happy to. I just want to make sure that I'm

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following the process because I didn't submit it based upon my conversation with the city attorney. >> Understood. But can we You said you mentioned that you have it tonight. >> I do. I do. >> Can you give it to our secretary? Can you make copies, please, Maria? Thank you. >> And actually, yes.

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>> And just quickly, just to wrap this part up, section 20D, if they do have responsibility or work within that same agency, they can still hold a position if they file a disclosure. and the municip and the municipal legislative body example city council votes to

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approve the exemption. So that is what our mass um >> just >> ethics law states. Sorry, I just wanted to Yeah, just for and it's it's all of this is a learning curve. >> Um,

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>> any person that receive or has has a job a position with the city or a contract with the city would be scrutinized. I mean, in other words, we need to keep that in mind. So, the fact that someone is uh uh has a contract and

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say, well, I don't work for the city. Yes, you do because you do have a a commitment. I would suggest in the future or in the near future that the city should adopt the special municipal uh employee position because as you read

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that's the same response we received going back and forth with the uh ethics uh the commission on ethics. >> Thank you. We're just going to wait for those. Do you have the copies? >> Um, one >> chair. Oh, I do apologize.

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>> No, go ahead. >> I just wanted to read the three points. Uh, and again, it's on the uh uh the contract itself. Um, my municipal agency, meaning the city um hall, it's not the contracting agency to

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the airport. So, that's where I check that off. My municipal agency does not regulate the activities of the contracting agency. And in my work for my municipal agency, I do not participate in or have official

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responsibility for any of the activities in the contracting agency. So I just want to of course make it very clear that I am currently not currently I am not officially a lawyer but I wanted to understand what did they mean by um

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contracting agency and municipal agency and that's where I explained myself earlier that my responsibilities have nothing to do with the airport itself. So, it's really two separate um entities >> uh entities and at the end of the day

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it's just two different jobs. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Are there any other questions or comments? >> Yeah, we all know uh Carmen and you know know her of her background and community uh involvement in the city. Um I do

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share the same concern as uh my colleague Anvy consular analevi and uh I mean it's just not that you don't have necessarily a direct involvement with the the airport but you work for

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the mayor's office and the mayor is the direct is the boss I mean the airport director uh is one of is >> thank you >> uh the airport is one way or the other

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under the mayor's responsibility >> and for some you know at some point you you have to see or I see the the board um as an opportunity for someone to you know to serve uh the community at this a different capacity and you know I just

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don't see myself um if we can fill all the the position of the board with city employees there there is no need for a board um is uh you know what I'm saying we all you know like the work that you do there is no doubt of your background

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it is just a feeling that you know we had going through the same situation that we had I mean that uh councelor analy chair uh previously and you know I would like you know now that I have this uh document just to take a look at it as

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well uh for the municipal employee the disclosure form and I'm not sure were you able to get any um confirmation for the state ethics commission on this matter just to just double check with them if you as a you

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know mayor staff um can wouldn't interfere and have any conflict of interest with uh serving in the board. >> All righty. Well, uh thank you for that. Um, oh my god, it's a council. I like I know

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there's chair like oh uh committee uh committee uh member uh so this uh financial interest uh municipal contract >> that was when I reached out to SEC. >> So they were the ones that were instructing me to fill this out.

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>> So there should be no issue there. The second piece you mentioned feelings and respectfully sir if everything was based on feelings we would never get anything done. >> I shared the facts um of course I'm sure everyone here will do their due

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diligence uh because unfortunately we can't base things on feelings. So if you feel that more research needs to be done uh as uh senior advisor mentioned earlier we should have some sort of stabilization

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of across the board when anyone's going to be whether on a commission or on the board because there is a lot of conflicting even at whether an employee of the city but even as a resident of the community not in Lawrence but in

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Havil. um when we're listening to residents, there is a lot of conflicting information and that really delays a lot of the municipal work that needs to get done. Um, just to put it a little bit towards the side, as a public relations

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director, you cannot imagine the amount of nuances that are happening with many different departments, particularly the city council against the mayor and all that other stuff. And unfortunately,

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it's just that there is not to blame any one person. It's just that there is no clarity. But then one moment we will have you know someone going to a board or a commission that is a city employee. This is I am nothing new to be on a

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commission. There are many city employees in different capacities but have never been as scrutinized as it has been I want to say since the last term of the mayor's office. So

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respectfully we need to have consistency because if you know some of the concerns uh like vice chair mentioned uh yes I completely understand if you are concerned about there's a financial interest well I did my due diligence

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ahead of time so that way you will have that information if you're feeling which unfortunately I cannot uh you know research that because feelings unfortunately do not matter matter. What matter is what's in writing, but when

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there is conflicting information, there's always constant delay and that is one of the frustrations that a lot of individuals in this community have. So, just wanted to share that. >> Okay. >> Thank you. Um, >> Madam Chair,

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>> one uh give me just one second. One thing I I will add to the discussion is one thing that is factual that was and I understand your position on on this matter. um miss acting director uh Garcia King is that regardless of of we

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were waiting for the city attorney, this should have been timely filed with the city clerk. It states very clearly under under the Massachusetts general law that it still should have been filed. But what I do appreciate is that you came prepared and that we were able to make

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copies of it. But for the future, regardless if we're waiting for the mayor or the city attorney, let's just make sure that we have the documents included and that that little piece of we're still waiting for additional information can just be articulated as as we're doing now. >> And I appreciate that, but I this would

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be an excellent example of saying I follow instructions and I was told not to. Well, that's why I I I'm looking at the I should I should I'm looking at the advisor. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, no. That that's a

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conversation between you guys. I got no I just want to clarify >> at that point I'm calling for if at least uh I was asked I mean I know that that that Carmen is is new with the city but dealing with you for four years or most of you for at least two of you for

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four years. We know that the request has always been um to give the supporting uh documentation earlier, but tonight also we're looking at, you know, if we had time with the attorney, we would have requested the information as well, but

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that's okay. >> Understood. Um C councelor Gonzalez, >> thank you, Madam Chair. Um, Carmen, um, you have an exceptional background and, um, I haven't known you for a long time,

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but I appreciate that you came in and you were prepared and you did the leg work for for us. Um, I do I am not going to say I'm not going to say no, but I do agree

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with counselor Levy. I yes I believe that we should at least have some sort of memo from the city attorneys so we can be in the clear. >> Fair enough. And um just so you know how fairly new I am to the municipality.

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First and foremost, thank you for the compliments that it's not always um said publicly or out loud. So, thank you for that. And secondly, if this is like I said something that should be a norm,

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it needs to be in writing because there's someone like myself who does go above and beyond to make sure that we have the necessary information so there is no delays but then they keep adding something else and adding something else and it's like you know at what point do

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we stop you know and uh I know many of you from a city council aspect sometimes I've heard you guys stay here till 12 midnight. I will tell you right now, I will not be a great city counselor because I cannot be at 12 pm. So, um, completely understand and anything you need, we will make sure that it gets

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done. >> Thank you. >> All righty. You're welcome. >> Um, I'm going to add before we go into the second round of of questioning and comments, I heard uh comments about position with this administration and

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how, you know, inconsistencies um, etc. And that's one thing throughout my three terms um well current term as a city council that I've heard with positions that I have taken that the city council didn't do x y and z when it

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was intramor Vasquez or intram mayor um I mean mayor verera and my and now I'm only speaking for myself my my position on that is I wasn't a counselor during those times I'm a counselor now um during this administration and I think I can speak

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for the my colleague he's a counselor now um during this administration as well. One thing that I am going to be clear on is I've since since I've started I've taken a position that I do

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not support city employees being on boards. I have voted against it in the past and I will continue to vote against it currently and until my term is is up. Um, I even for to give you an example that I've been consistent on this

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position. I voted against my good friend Mike Armano for the school committee appointment. >> I saw that video. >> So, um, yes, I'm I'm consistent and, you know, I do you your the professionalism that you have brought since joining the

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mayor's office. I do recognize that and I appreciate that as a city counselor and you try your best to communicate with us and I do read your email. So, I I do recognize that and I appreciate that as a city council. Um, however, my posi my position on this particular um

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remains and um but there's still hopeful council and if this passes, I do look forward to working with you and I hope that my position doesn't um uh what's the word I'm looking for? um

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affect affect our a working relationship if you do become an airport um commissioner. >> I can assure you on the record it will not um same to you chair. Thank you very much for the compliments. Uh like I said it's not something that comes easy um or

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often. So I do appreciate that and you know I I am doing and continue doing my best to lead by example which is why I was already ready to make it very clear that if this does go through and there is an issue with the stipen piece as a

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city employee I will be declining it and I will not be attesting to it. And at any given point, if there is a subject matter at the commission that would sound or even look like a conflict of interest, as I mentioned earlier, I will

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recuse myself. >> And I believe that you definitely will. I And I know that you will. I know that you will. >> Yes. Um, councilors, I what I'm hearing from the body is that we are looking to

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have that memo from the city from the city attorney. I believe this matter should be retabled until we have that. Um, but it's up to the committee's discretion on how you wish to proceed. >> Okay. >> Well, Madame Chair,

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>> uh, council vice president, >> thank you. Like I said to you, Car you know it's nothing again. I know your background. I know your works. I know you for so many many years. But I don't want to commit maybe the same mistake that I did it

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before just trying to uh like the share mention um at the time I did the vote and re in reality I tried the next day just to avoid and to change it and it was

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practically too late. I don't want to do that again. So, um I want to hear from the the city uh attorney. I want to make sure that any decision is the right decision. And I'm going to make a motion

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to table until we got all of the information. It's not trying to delay this. It's trying to get the right answer, the right uh documents that we really need it. And I know that you going to be, you know,

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uh something that is going to be um a bra for part of the AR board if we make a decision just to approve the position. So I'm going to make it a motion to table >> second

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>> motion has been tabled properly second. No chair and it's no discussion but we want to make sure that we are sending corresponding to the city attorney and we submitted any paper that we have in here. You can submit any paper to the

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>> to your motion. >> Yes, pleaseing >> pending documentation by the city attorney and also documentation that has to be submitted to the city cler. >> Thank you. So motion to table and send

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correspondence. I think Miss Carmen, uh, Miss Garcia King knows exactly what she needs to do. >> My husband, my husband will be like, "Wait, what did she call you?" I'm like, "Um, to the to the city attorney and Miss Carmen, Miss Garcia King is going to do what she needs to do with the city with

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the city clerk." All right. All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you all for your time. Appreciate it. >> All right. Um, at this point, anybody here for personnel? Anything else? Seeing none at this point we have no

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other business. Can I have a motion? >> Motion to adjourn. Second. >> Motion has been made properly seconded. I'm not entertaining discussion. All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. Thank you. Probably. Facebook.

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So, City attorney, can you hear us? >> Okay. >> I know he's muted, but he said, "Yeah." Good evening and welcome to the budget and finance committee meeting. Today is Wednesday, May 27th,

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2026. It is now 7:5 7:57 p.m. Voting members to my left I have the vice chair of this committee councelor Vivian Marmmo and to my right council president Javanni Rodriguez. Councelor Mark Lelant could not make um could not join us this

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evening uh due to a personal reason. Pursuant to chapter 20 of the acts of 2022, this meeting of the budget and finance committee is being is being conducted both in person and via remote participation. A reminder that persons who would like to listen or view this meeting while in progress may either

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attend in person here in the city council chamber or follow through our using our YouTube channel. Councilors, can I have a motion to approve the minutes from our April 27, 2026 meeting?

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Oh, allegiance. Thank you. I forgot the pledge. It's been in meetings. Can you please join me in the pledge? I allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under

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God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> And now counselors, can I have a motion to approve the minutes from our April 27, 2026 meeting? >> So motion second. >> Motion has been made by the council president um seconded by the vice chair. Any discussion on the minutes?

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>> Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. Council, can I have a motion to table? We're going right into new business, but motion to table item 228-26, proposal, proposed fiscal year 2027,

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municipal budget. >> Motion to table. >> Motion has been made by the vice chair, seconded by the council president. All those in favor say I. >> I. The eyes have it. Next item we have is item 229-26, authorization to expand $1.2 2 million

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dollar of an earmark from Congresswoman Lori Tran for the municipal bridge repair and it was brought to us by director McCarthy. Director, you have the floor. So name and address for the record and then >> Good evening councilors. Uh Daniel

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McCarthy, planning director for the city of Lawrence. Um, I'm here today um in regards to a um earmark that we received from the federal government through Congresswoman Li's office. Um I did have

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a conversation with uh chair chairperson um Infante earlier I told her that I really had no documents to submit because we really just get this notice um via telephone call uh that we received this $1.2 $2 million. Uh you

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typically when you get a grant or something, you get an award letter or you get a notice to proceed or something of that nature, but under this case, we didn't. So, what I did this afternoon was I I just gave you some documents. I went down and looked on the Federal Register to find the awards. This is the link we are provided when we gave the

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when we get the notice. And as you can see, um our award is on page 17 out of 142 pages under register. and it's a fairly simple uh instructions. It's from the highway infrastructure program. It's part of the community project funding

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for the c congressionally directed spending and it's a large bridge restoration project for $1,200. Um I wanted to get a little more information about what the grant does. So the second page that you have in front of you is is directly from uh

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Congresswoman Trann's page. She has a project page that she lists all the projects that she submitted for different communities. And this was the Lawrence project that was on that pa page. Now, if you look on this project, you'll see that the requested amount of

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money was $2.4 million. Um, I had actually worked on this last year when we were submitting the documents and we were originally asking for 3 million, but Congress gave us $1.2 million. Uh the the directions to use the money on

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an earmark are fairly broad. In this case, um the request is to use the money on the uh Casey Bridge and the Daisy Street Bridge because those are the two that were uh the two major bridges that were in crisis. Um and when we speak a

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lot about the Casey Bridge, um a lot of people confuse it. I think part of this is is a bridge called the Henry Man bridge which get gets confused. It looks like it's part of the bridge but every time you cross a body of water that's a separate bridge. So, the Casey Bridge

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crosses the Marramac. The Henry Man bridge crosses the uh South Canal and um we've spoken to uh uh Representative Chan's office and she said these are clearly we can use the money on both of those bridges because that's what they

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that's what that was what the direction was for. Um we we are having an event on Friday uh that was arranged uh through um Congresswoman Trhan's office to announce um the arrival of the airmark. And again

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um uh we need uh it's it's the responsibility of city council to accept uh the monies for appropriations so this money can be spent and that's what I'm here for today. >> Thank you director counselors. Any questions or comments? Council President

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Rodriguez. >> Uh well, thank you, director, for bringing this up to us. Uh I will I wanted to express my uh uh my happiness when it comes to u the Lawrence uh priority bridge improvement

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project and the Congresswoman Lori Tran. My gratitude uh is going towards uh her u her well dedicated office as well as uh as all the work that she put in to be able to get us uh this $1.2 million.

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uh when it comes to this uh specific area uh the central bridge of the Casey bridge uh it is it is one of the most important bridges of the city the city of Lamas if not the most

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uh about 23,500 vehicles as an ADT average daily traffic go across that bridge and the mobility uh of the city of Lawrence is directly directly dependent on uh on this on this

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specific location area as you mentioned. Yeah, you're right. We have three different bridges on that location. One that is for the south canal, another one for the north canal and the and the main bridge or the central bid which is the Casey bridge that goes across the Myar

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River. Um we we definitely happy, content and at the same time uh definitely looking forward to work with the uh the with uh Lori Drahand the our US representative

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uh with her office when it comes to uh things that we need in the city of Lawrence and as well as thing things that we need in the region. Uh we definitely uh very happy about uh this situation and how this is going

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to possibly possibly impact the city of Lawrence and the need that we have when it comes to mobility around that specific bridge. uh that uh the the railing for that bridge that we're talking about going

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across the the soft canal there that is buried buried um a lot of repairs that are needed. I'm going to be able to uh to be covered with these funds and definitely appreciate the fact that uh

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we're going to be able to repair those for that uh for the people of Lawrence. So, thank you. Thank you to Thank you to to that uh Lauren Johan's office for this. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments?

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Seeing none, I'm going to publicly state um what I said to you, director, earlier about the events. And I understand there's there's another office involved in planning an event, but I do wish to see the local legislative process finish

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its process before we make a big event, public event, um happen. Um, we typically obviously don't turn down uh our federal help, our state help that we get from our state de delegation or or our federal um delegation. However,

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there is still a local process and I do wish to see that being respected as well. And that's my my advice or my suggestion for the future um when planning these these events. Councilors, at this point, I will entertain a motion. >> Motion to send it to the full council

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with a federal recommendation. >> Motion has been made by the council president, seconded by the vice chair. Any other further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. Thank you, director. >> Thank you very much.

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We have item 230-26 appropriation transfer in the amount of 30,000 among city department ARPA/free cash allocations. And we have Sue Frink, our OPD manager of financial and

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administrative services here tonight. Mrs. Frink, you have the floor. Good evening, counselors. Um Sue Frink, 360 Marramac Street. So, I'm here tonight um at the request of the mayor to request an appropriation transfer of $30,000

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from the airport opera free cash project account to the public and neighborhood safety project account to support fire and police detail costs at the upcoming feast of the three saints which will be held on Labor Day weekend. There is currently $36,194

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in the OPA free cash for the airport. Um, and as typical, we would do an internal transfer of those costs from our um, account to the fire department's account and the police department's account. So, no funds will ever go to

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um, any other organization. There'll be just an internal transfer once those invoices are received. Um you recently approved a trans similar transfer for um Sana Hispana um for um those types of

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requests. And as you see at the back of the um room, there are several members from the organization that would be happy to provide any further details that you may need and we're happy to answer any questions you may have. >> Thank you. Councilors, any questions or

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comments? Council Mar, >> Miss Pink, um just uh for clarity purposes, the transfer of decreasing from the airport to increase it uh for this specific uh account. Um, and the

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reason why I'm asking is because um, uh, the the airport uh, director I believe there's so many projects happening and there's one specific project where it's pending certain funding. Um, so I'm just curious in

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terms of like are is these is the transfer of the of this specific account um is it because they don't require these funds? there's no need for the airport to use these funds. >> So, um I was here um last month for a

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transfer out of this same account and when the APA free cash was initially awarded to the departments, the airport decided they did not want to take the award they were given because it was going to be a loan. >> I remember. Thank you for jogging my memory. Thank you. >> You're welcome.

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>> Um that was it. I was just trying to make sense if it's because they didn't need it. Okay. So, you you've answered my question. Thank you for reminding me. >> Okay. Can you just um repeat where what the I the 30,000 is going to public and

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neighborhood safety, but what specifically within that? >> So, that's an opera free cash project um >> that exists right now. It's one of the department free cash. >> We do have the committee here. Is there anybody from the committee that would

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like to speak or make a comment? and thank you for your patience. We ran a little behind. I appreciate it. >> Good evening, councils. My name is Raymond D. Fiori. Um, I was the DPW

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director for the city for 15 years. I started working in the city in 1974, long before the three of you were even a thought in anyone's eye. >> But, uh, >> he was a great director. I uh I'm asking

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for your support on this item. We have paid for police and fire for many many years and the cost is just becoming unbearable. Um we have our treasurer here and our president is Joe Mariano.

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Uh feast chairman is Wayne Peters and our treasurer Billy Scoffield. And they can give you any facts or figures you'd like to know. But uh all our money that we earn and and raise goes to charity. Charity as well as scholarships. Uh each

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year we give scholarships to Lawrence High, Mazouan High, surrounding communities. And all the money that we collect from the saints on Sunday all goes to charity. Not we keep none of that ourselves. So it's becoming more

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and more difficult to pay for the the cost. And we're not here to be unhappy about what services the police or fire provide. They do a great job. We have no problem with that. It's just that the

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cost is becoming too difficult. So if you have any questions, these gentlemen will be more than happy to >> answer them. >> Uh council president. >> Well, once once again, um welcome to the city council.

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Uh I think that at some point we as a city uh with the different uh groups, culture groups and the feast you guys have been doing have been done this for 102 years >> 103 >> 103 years uh it's quite amazing but I

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think that at some point we need to sit down and and and talk about um you know how we can mitigate those cost because we don't we don't want those those events that are so important to the community to just get away

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because of it a cost involved that is not controlled by the organization. Uh and and I believe that potentially a a a a safety study

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within the last 10 15 years. uh how we can we can analyze that and and based on those data make determination that is a little bit less harms for the organization like yours uh because I'm pretty sure that nobody even

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kiss on that festival imagine fighting so it's like it's like we need to evaluate the facts how far back was the last inter in in

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interaction between people on on on on your festival like I I cannot even remember. I haven't hear anything forever. I never hear anything. >> Similar to other organizations like we put in more officers. Yeah. Obviously we put in more offices but at the end of

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the day we need to actually evaluate the fats because that's those cost keep on increasing increasing and increasing and at some point uh it's going to be you know like it happened with other festivals that they disappear

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uh and and that's a lot to do with cost most of the time right >> uh so we need to we need to come up with some type of uh strategy, resolutions and and and plans to be able to come up with a

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better idea that reduce cost that is still safe. Uh somehow one way or another figure one way or another figure this out because I mean it is it is outrageous in the way that the costs are going up. Just to give you an example, my my late father

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was a Lawrence police officer and we lived on Common Street right next to Tripoli Bakery. And when we had the feast back in those days, there was one police officer that walked that street. My brother is a retired police officer.

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He was in the 1980s and back then it was four to five police officers. Now we have a tremendous amount of police officers and again I'm not here to say that they're not necessary. We want to keep a very safe feast and they

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very very they do a great job but the costs are just getting too much for us to bear. >> Yeah, I agree 100% with you. Uh we need to look at the facts. We need to look at the reality and we need to value

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what the true meaning of those festival to the city. To me, your festival is extremely important. >> It's important. It's very important. I've been a member for 52 years. So, I'm not going anywhere soon. So, I just want to >> Thank you. Thank you. That's good to

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hear. Good to hear that. But I just want to bring this up because I mean at some point we need to start talking about this. >> Thank you. Do you want to give a couple of what we give in scholarships and >> Yeah. Um Yeah. So, uh Bill Scoffield,

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treasure, uh St. Alpio Society. So, so yeah, every year, um at least since I've been the treasurer, which I think I'm going on year 10, that's about right. Uh we have done anywhere from five to six $2,000 scholarships uh to local graduating high school seniors. So

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that's Lawrence High, Mthuan High, I think we had Haveril High one year, Central Catholic, Notre Dame Academy. So we make it a point to make sure we're giving back to the community, not just in other charitable giving, but we're also, you know, recognizing uh local

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families as well um in providing scholarships. And I think we've done just in terms of charitable giving outside of that, we've done well over $100,000 uh in the last decade or so. I mean, that's that's a rough number. I can go I have I have my laptop. I can give you an exact number if you want, but you know,

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it's you know, we're we feel we're it's a it's a very important part of the community and we love to give back to the community and and as Ray said, it's been it's been challenging in recent years because uh of the of the increasing expense of the police and fire because that impacts essentially

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that sort of bottom line that we use to go put back out in the community. So for us, it's a lot of strategy. you know, we we face headwinds in other parts of how we raise money. Um, and we're facing some headwinds in other expenses, but these security items in particular have

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really increased significantly in the last five or six years. So, >> thank you. Um, Council Marl, >> um, I must say that I, um, I want to concur with our council president in understanding and preserving the

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importance of the the history and the contributions of, uh, your community, your heritage, um, to the city of Lawrence. Um, I'm a consumer of the festival. Last year I was joined by our um council font and myself. We we make

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it a point to to visit and and consume and enjoy. Like I enjoy myself. I need to have an Italian sausage regardless and a meatball before I leave. Um and in doing so, I I'm understanding

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that, you know, you're saying how back then it was only one or four. So what I'm understanding is the challenges of the cost is coming from the details. Do do we have an answer in terms of who

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makes the determination as to how many officers are required? Is it based on the projection of how many folks are going to come to visit? Which I think it's hard to make these projections. I don't know. I'm not um so I'm curious as to who makes the

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determination as to how many officers are required. It's it's a combination of the police chief and the uh person the person that's in charge of the all the details and they meet with us during uh before the festival months before and we

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give them an overview of what we're having this coming year if there's anything special or if it's the same as last year or if there's something new coming up and then they make a determination uh and then they come back to us with their proposal >> and we basically not too number like how

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many officers are were required last festival. >> It's going to be the same the same amount as last year. Do you have that number? >> That's something to look into. It's it's a good point because this is unrelated to to the festival but related to police detail.

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>> Um I received a few comments. Uh we had we we had the the state senate's committee um was the on small business committee or I forget what the committee was but they hosted a meeting here in the city of Lawrence and they were at

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the South Lawrence East and I guess there were many police officers there that really wasn't the amount that was there wasn't needed was the feedback that I received from multiple people. So >> that's what's making me question. So yeah, so that's something that that we

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we definitely need to look into as to how this is determined. I know before um Captain J. Serillo was involved in in this planning, but I know the police department has has made some changes since the new chief stepped in. So I don't know who if he's still involved in

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it or >> we we met with the police chief and the fire chief in the mayor's office two weeks ago. >> Okay. and they explain why that they need this number of officers. Uh because not only do they need the number inside

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the uh festival, they also cover the outside perimeters >> which is very very important to them, what people really don't see >> that they're protecting the outside so no >> um >> bad things happen before they come in. Right.

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>> One of the things that the police chief had mentioned was uh last year they got a tip that these kids on these bicycles that were going into Boston and to ruining ruining some of their festivals. Uh last year they got a tip that they were heading towards our festival and

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there was multiple there was 30 or 40 bikes that were heading toward this way. Well, they got a tip and they headed them off and they stopped them from coming in. So that's one of the things that is he told us it's not so much what goes on inside which we've never had a problem inside excuse me as far as I've

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been a member for 39 years but it's the outside things that we don't see that they're always they're watching the cars and things that go on outside the perimeters also. >> But are do you guys have any records of any incidents? Um you >> you know what we have not had an

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incident >> okay >> as long as I can remember. >> Okay. Um but just remember that at one time we had u auxiliary police but that has been eliminated. Uh the police chief

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now is meeting with other police chiefs in the area to see if the possibility of bringing them back. To give you an example, when we take the saints out of the church and we process through the streets,

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money is put on the saints anywhere at the end between 11 and $13,000. So that money is out. You need someone to protect the outside perimeter of it. And generally that was done by the auxiliary police. We don't have them

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anymore. So now they've got to supplement that with regular police. That's some of the issues. >> No, I I get it. Um and I could just see you know the I I'm assuming your organization every year you want it to be bigger and better and you know for

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more folks to participate and um take space uh during these fi festivities. And the more folks that come in, the more more likely we're going to require um uh police presence um >> and the more things that we add. If we

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add something new and bigger, obviously the rates uh the the cost is going to go up. I can I just mention one thing that council president had said. I've been coming here uh and meeting with the past mayors, the past six mayors over the

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years. And one of the things that I've always mentioned to the to the mayor was I wish not only for our organization, for the other organizations in the city that somehow someway that it could be incorporated into the city budget that we could all benefit from so we all

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don't have to struggle every year because what we do is for the city is is a benefit for the city also. It gives it brings people into the city. Just our event alone, it brings 50,000 people into the city on the course of three days and it gives the city a a a star.

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So, we were always hoping that that could be done and it it never happens. So, here we are again coming to ask for some help. >> Okay. Um well, I I I don't oppose. I'm again I'm a consumer. Um, I'm

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appreciative of uh each one of your presence here. Um, I would love to continue to foster and build a relationship with you guys. I think it's important considering that um, we have to look at the bigger picture and you guys are not going anywhere. I'm hoping

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none of us are going anywhere anytime soon. So I think there's um there's a major importance in trying to foster that relationship with you guys and for you guys to understand that we want to work with you. We want to see you guys flourish and having these festivities to

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continue for the next, you know, I don't know how many years um forever if if possible. And hopefully you'll be able to pass the baton to someone else and have it, you know, it's it's history and I I'm a big believer in preserving

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history and and celebrating it at the same time. >> You know, we have one other thing. uh in the church the uh Franciscan fathers have taken over Holy Rosary Shrine and they bring in thousands of people young

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families and it's growing bigger and bigger uh every the masses are bigger than they were before. So we got a lot of people that we want to take care of and unless we have help we can't do that.

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>> I'm all set Madam Chair. >> Okay. I'm looking >> Hold on. So, I wouldn't be a counselor if I didn't play a little devil's advocate, right? As you heard from council Marmal, I also go to your festivals every year. I love

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your festivals, but we need to cover all the bases, right? Make sure that these discussions are are happening. Has the society spoke about or or the I'm assuming you guys are the executive board. The executive board spoken within each other. What would a plan B be or

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you know potential plan say if the city one day doesn't have the extra free cash or our well we won't have arbor funds but free cash available to help this organization or any other organiz organization at that that matter now I'm

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looking at Sue but have there been these discussions happening >> yes there um again my name is Joseph Mariano uh longtime resident of circle um we've had uh internal discussions questions about that possibility. And I think if it came to that, you would see

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um um shrinkage of the footprint of the feast where it would just uh be inside the parking lot of Holy Rosary Shrine in our building where we wouldn't need the detail as many detail officers or um firefighters for the event. and that

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would, you know, unfortunately he wouldn't have the vendors lining the street, you know, and everything that goes in with that as far as permits for blocking Common Street and Union Street and stuff like that. So, it just be a a general shrinkage of the footprint and a much smaller event unfortunately. So,

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>> understood. Has this society ever have you ever um hosted fundraisers for up to that? >> We we have fundraisers constantly. We just had a $100 ticket uh fundraiser that we uh net approximately what,

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Billy? >> 17,000. >> 17,000. So, for every dollar we raise, whether it's our tickets during the feast, >> the money that we get, we do have a policy that whatever we get off the saints, we give directly to charity.

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>> Right? So, whatever fundraisers we do have, and we have a lot, keep in mind that if we've got to pay police and fire, there's that much less that we give to charity, that we give the scholarships that we give to, we feed

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people during uh Thanksgiving, during Christmas, the homeless. We do a lot of um outside reaching to people that need help. for every dollar we got to pay for police or fire or um any of the city

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um services that's $1 less we allowed we are able to pay uh for charitable work. >> Thank you. Uh I do agree that some some

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type of long-term plan we need to look into that because I don't foresee a shrinkage. Our community is growing at a rapid rate. Not just the city of Lawrence but surrounding communities that also come

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into Lawrence for this feast and other community events that we have. So I see this becoming a bigger issue not just for you guys but for organizations across the board and that's something that we need to and I'm sure there's been discussion some discussion already

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but uh I think we're aware of that and hopefully we can figure something out so that we can continue to see cultural events because they are important to our community as my colleagues have mentioned in the past. Um, lastly, counselors, I do want to add senior advisor Spanner was here. He had to

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leave. He he did approach me after the personnel committee meeting to state that the that the mayor is in favor of this and he wanted to make sure that the committee members knew um that because he had to leave and that we would have Miss Frink here with us if we had any

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other questions. And that is all I have. Any other questions or comments? >> I'll make a motion. >> Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to send it to the send it to the full council with a favor and recommendation. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by the council president, seconded by the vice chair.

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Any further discussion? >> Any further discussion? >> Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. And the eyes have it. >> Thank you so much, gentlemen. Thank you so much, Sue. We will see you next Tuesday for the final vote. >> Pleasure meeting you.

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to see you. >> I'm going to find you. >> Thank you. Thank you guys for your service. >> How is How's your mom doing? to meet you guys. Thank you for joining. Nice to >> meet you. >> You know, last time I was at Pat's house

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like >> she showed me some of the last I know the mall I've seen like people that do the one in Boston. >> It doesn't happen often, >> but it does happen. >> And it happens with vendors, too.

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>> I know. I mean, people coming last year, we didn't feel it as much. >> Yeah, >> I'm here trying to think of ways. So, >> thank you, gentlemen. >> Thank you. We had to keep you said like there's the parking down there.

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>> Thank you. >> I know who's in charge of the >> Okay, great. >> Thank you. Have a great night. U we have also city attorney um Hooen online attorney Hen

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>> give us a minute >> I'm assuming you are here for item 181-26 >> attorney you're you're muted Are you able to unmute him yourself? No. >> Okay, there we go. >> Yeah. Okay. No.

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>> No. >> No. We can't hear you. >> Do you think it's it? >> Oh, sorry. It might be us. Just give us give us a second. >> Does Bill know how to do that? the zoom stuff. Yeah,

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>> it's unmuted. Can you can you can you talk? >> Can you hear us? >> He can He can hear us, but we can't hear you. Can you >> Tim? Can you try say saying something?

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>> Testing. One, two, three. Testing. >> Oh, finally we got you. >> So, I'm assuming attorney H, you're here for item 181-26, >> transfer from litigation reserve. Yep. >> Yes. >> All right. All right, counselors. Can I

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have a motion to unte it 180 181-26 transfer from litigation reserve in the amount of 1 million and free cash in the amount of 1 million to legal services account in the amount of 400 450,000 and

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also for the court judgment account in the amount of 1,550,000. So move >> motion has been made by the council president. Is there a second? Seconded by council council Marmal. All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. And you do have this

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in your packet. Under old business. We do have the attorney. Attorney Huen. You have the floor. >> Yes. As you know, um we've had just recently a rash of new cases. Our litigation expenses have gone up. Um and reviewing it consistent with prior

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years. I would need uh transfer $450,000 to legal service. I'm not saying I I need to use that, but I need to have that available for payment. In addition, um after years of me coming before you and informing you about the way Jack case, um the Wayjack case has been

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settled and I would need a transfer amount of 1.550 um for that case. So, as you have aptly stated, the transfers would come $1 million from the litigation reserve, $1 million from free cash. They would be

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transferred to legal services in the amount of $450,000 and to court judgments in the amount of $1.55 million. >> Thank you. Counselors, are there any council marble? Um, attorney I know you just

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mentioned right now that one of the transfers is going to the wage act case. What is the other transfer for if you're >> the other transfer is to pay? So, um, because I am alone in the office, we have to hire outside counsel for a lot

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of the other cases and so we have to pay those attorneys. So, that money would be would be to the year's end, which is July, which would allow me to pay for any of the bills for outside counsel. So instead of coming weekly or monthly

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and saying I need 20,000, I need 30,000, this would allow it to go into the funds so that through the proper channels these bills could be paid. >> Um do you have a year to date as to the expenses um

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the the the expenses incurred uh due to legal services or litigation so to speak? >> I can give you that number. I'm I'm guessing it's about $458,000, >> but I I will I will supply you with an exact number. I don't have that.

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Obviously, I thank you for taking this on Zoom as I had a family matter and could not be there in person tonight. >> Okay. Um All right. I'm I'm going to limit my questions because some of these questions I not sure if we'll have to

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discuss it either in executive session or privately. Any other questions or comments? Seeing none, what I will add, Maria, uh for the full council, can we add an anticipated executive session in case we may need it?

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Yep. >> We'll need it. >> We'll need it. >> Okay. So, we we will need it apparently. So, okay. Perfect. I don't have any questions or comments. Um so, if there are none, I will entertain a motion.

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>> Motion to send it to the full council with a federal recommendation with an anticipation of an update uh of these matters. Motion has been made as a federal recommendation, but there is an anticip

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with an anticipation of an update with actual numbers or the report that we we just discussed that the attorney will will provide us. Second, it's probably seconded by the vice chair. Any further discussion?

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Did I get that right? Is there anything else? Did I get that right? the question >> and you you have the question, right? What >> I do? >> Okay, perfect. All right. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> I. >> The eyes have it. Thank you, attorney. >> Thank you very much.

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>> Nothing more on this one. >> Nothing on this one. >> Um, no. I don't I don't have anything on that one. >> This one? >> That one? >> 187-26. All right. Uh, councilors, can I have a

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>> Oh, yes. Um, councilors, can I have a motion to on table item 187-26, request investigation of unclaimed properties entitled city of Lawrence as listed on missingmoney.com. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by council

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president, second by the vice chair. All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. councilors. Um, when we received this item, we didn't have anything attached to it and the reason why we tabled it last meeting.

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>> Uh, well, we did have the the communication from Mr. Collins, but there was no other other additional information and we did not have a representative for this at last meeting. So, can I have a motion to send correspondence to councelor Franklin

430
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Miguel and William Collins? And also I would add the city attorney as well >> for an official memo um pertaining to these unclaimed properties um titled city of Lawrence. >> I'll make the motion. >> Second.

431
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>> Motion has been made by the council president, seconded by the vice chair. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. Now, can I have a motion to ret item 187-26? Motion has been made by the council president. Seconded by council Marmo.

432
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All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. >> Council, can I have a >> Oh, yeah. We're done. We're done with that. Can I have a motion to unte item 133-26

433
02:27:09.920 --> 02:27:26.880
yeartoday budget review inspectional services department? >> So moved. >> Motion has been made properly seconded. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. The eyes have it. >> Now can I have a motion to withdraw item 133-26?

434
02:27:26.880 --> 02:27:42.880
>> Second. >> Motion has been made. Properly seconded. Discussion. Seeing none. All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. >> Um actually and also can I have a motion to unte item 164-25?

435
02:27:42.880 --> 02:27:58.960
>> So move second. >> Motion has been made properly seconded. Um all those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. The eyes have it. Can I have a motion to withdraw item 164-25 fiscal year 2026 municipal budget? >> So second.

436
02:27:58.960 --> 02:28:14.319
>> Motion has been made properly seconded. All those in favor say I. >> I. The eyes have it. Um, >> can I also have a motion to unte item 44-25

437
02:28:14.319 --> 02:28:30.399
opioid settlement funds update >> modo application development. >> So move. >> Motion has been made properly seconded. All those in favor say I. I. The eyes have it. Um can I have a motion to withdraw item four

438
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because we don't know what is update. >> They haven't Oh, they have >> they haven't finished and then now they finish. So that's what's the problem. >> So can I have a motion to send correspondence um to get a update on the Modello

439
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application development um and the >> the fin and the financial aspect of it. Um, I would assume this will go to the acting director of community development, um, acting director Santiago Matias. So, can I have a motion

440
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to send corresponding? >> So, move >> second. >> Motion has been made, properly seconded. Any discussion? >> Seeing none, all those in favor say I. >> I. The eyes have it. Can I also have a motion to unte item 117-25,

441
02:29:21.439 --> 02:29:37.760
review? Actually, we're going to wait. table. >> Oh, can I have a Can I have a motion to read table item 44-25? >> Second. >> Motion has been made, properly seconded. All those in favor say I. >> I. The eyes have it.

442
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>> Um, can I have a motion to unte it 157-26, year-to-date budget review, Department of Public Works? I need to give you that. >> So, move. >> Motion has been made. Is there a second? Second >> properly seconded. Now can I have a

443
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motion to withdraw item 14 157-26 yeartoate budget review department of public works. So move >> second. >> Motion has been made properly seconded. Any discussion on that? Seeing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. The eyes have it.

444
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>> Um annual audit report. Can I have a motion to we we discussed it. Can I have a motion to to on table item 169-25 submission of the annual audit report to the city council? >> So move. >> Second.

445
02:30:33.520 --> 02:30:49.760
>> Motion has been made properly seconded. Um discussion. I believe we've already present this was already presented to us and at the full council as well right >> from my memory of last year. >> Yeah. Okay. We can withdraw >> because that's the FY24.

446
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>> Yeah. >> All right. I uh motion to withdraw item 169-25. >> So move >> second. >> Motion has been made properly seconded. Um we have some

447
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items here that we need updates on. Um, I'm going to leave this here for now because there's some things that I need to reach out for. So, I'm I'm going to leave that I'm going to leave those as is for now.

448
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Um, and then next meeting we'll either withdraw or make motions to send correspondence officially. Um, >> so at this point, can I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to move. Motion has been made, properly seconded. All those in favor

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say I. I. The eyes have it. Thank you so much, counselors. Speaking of withdrawals, it