Good evening everyone. I'll call the city council to order at 8:00 on Monday evening, May 5th, 2025. This meeting is being recorded. Please join me in the 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. Thank you. We have 18 items on this evening's agenda and I will ask the city clerk to please read agenda item number one. Minutes of the
city council meeting April 28th, 2025. Councelor Brown. Thank you, Mr. President. Move to set. No, we're not sending them anywhere. Move to accept and place on file the minutes. Motion's made and second to accept and place on file the minutes. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor?
Opposed? The motion carries. 90. Agenda item number two. Now is the time for the public hearing on the application for a special permit from attorney Brian Faulk on behalf of Malbor Hospital and UMass Memorial Realy Inc. to allow for proposed 8,000 foot expansion of the emergency department, a new
multid-disciplinary clinic and a proton therapy center. Order number 25-1009418. Okay. This public hearing will be taken up in four stages. First, the public speaking in favor. Second, questions from the public. Third, public speaking in opposition. And then fourth,
questions from the city council. So we'll open the first part of the public hearing with the public speaking in favor starting with the applicant. Please state your name and address for the record, please. Mr. President, sorry, councelor Roby. Thank you. Please note that I am recusing myself from this
and I have that written in big letters here too. We will let the record reflect that council Roby will not be participating in the public hearing. Yes, attorney Faulk. Thank you, President Osley and counselors. Um, attorney Brian Faulk with Mrick 100 Front Street in Worcester. Here on behalf of the
applicant, Malro Hospital and UMass Memorial Realy. Um, here with me tonight is John Kelly and Ellen Carluchi from UMass Memorial Marble Hospital and Brian Melissi from Haley Ward Engineering. Um, this is an application for a special permit for several exciting projects at
Malbor Hospital. Mobile Hospital in UMass Memorial proposed a $36 million 8,000q foot expansion of the emergency department, more than doubling the number of treatment rooms from 13 to 27 and other state-of-the-art improvements.
The second floor of the expanded emergency department would house a new $6 million multiddisciplinary clinic treating patients with complex and chronic conditions. We're also proposing a $40 million proton therapy center at UMass Memorial Cancer Center at Malbor
Hospital. This advanced cancer treatment involves precision targeting and is particularly effective in treating children. The proton therapy center in Malra would be only the second such facility in New England. On the site plan that you see here, the existing hospital buildings
are in tan. Um the blue area towards the front left would be the expanded emergency department. um and multiddisciplinary clinic. And the blue area to the rear of the building would be the expanded cancer center with the new proton therapy
center. Just about to pull up a rendering of this is the front of the hospital with the expanded emergency department, a multi-disiplinary clinic. Um emergency department would be on the same level as the existing emergency department. And again, the expanded
emergency department would include 27 state-of-the-art treatment rooms, up from 13. The ED would also add two bays that can combine to serve patients in need of additional space along with two trauma rooms. Project will help alleviate overcrowding, reduce patient
wait times, improve the patient care experience, and enhance staff morale. The new $6 million multi-disiplinary dis disciplinary clinic would be on the second floor of this new expanded wing. That clinic will bring together health care professionals from various
specialties within the UMass Memorial Health Medical Group, providing patients with comprehensive coordinated care closer to where they live. This next slide, this is a rendering of the new proton therapy center, an expansion of the UMass Memorial Cancer
Center at Malro Hospital, which opened in 2013. New proton therapy center will expand the life-saving care offered at the Malbor campus. Proton therapy is an advanced cancer treatment that improves the precision of radiation in targeting tumors. This reduces potential damage to
healthy tissue in the body and the amount of radiation that's needed and the side effects from treatment. technology is particularly effective in treating children uh minimizing unintended cell damage. Marble would be just uh one of two locations offering
this treatment in New England. I'm going to turn now to John Kelly, chief operating officer at Marbor Hospital with some additional details on these projects. John, great. Thank you everyone. John Kelly, I'm the chief nursing officer and chief operating officer at Marbor Hospital. Thanks for
having me tonight. I've been uh fortunate to be at Marble Hospital for 11 years. This is um month of May is actually my 11th month anniversary. So I'm quite familiar with Marorrow and Marble Hospital over the years and it's you know I'm proud to work there. They we do a really great job taking care of the patients in the community and and if
you we can't take care of you, we make sure we get you to the right the right spot. Uh but we've had incredible growth in the emergency department over the years and uh you know we started off when I was when I got there 11 years ago around 22 23,000 visits and now now we're just under 30,000. You know when I say just under but just a couple hundred
patients. uh we're in the 29,000s and change. So the emergency department's gotten a lot busier and with our current volume, you know, the emergency department is just really not able to uh take care of the patients that are coming into it every day. Um that along with uh the behavioral health patients
and all the the the kind of the 13 current treatment rooms we have, we are frequently overcrowded and there's patients in the hallway and it's just, you know, it's not a it's not a great environment to take care of patients in the hall. you come there and there's, you know, we have uh, you know, violent or intoxicated patients and, you know,
then we have a grandmother or a young child getting stitches, it's, you know, quite dissatisfying for them and it's not really the environment we want to take care of patients in or or the environment they want to be in. So, by adding these additional spaces, the rooms will be able to safely provide care in rooms for patients. Um, you
know, there's about uh we can take care of about 1,600 patients in a room per year. Once again, it depends how they spread out or if they're spread out perfectly, that works out works out great, but that's not usually the case. But with this with the additional uh space, we'll be able to to care for everyone that comes in there. Um you
know, I think Brian has mentioned you got to stay by the microphone. You can take the microphone out and walk around if you want, but you got to stay by the microphone. I'll build up for that part. Thanks. Um you know, Brian spoke spoke of some of these things about UMass Memorial's health missions provide the best uh class patient care, compassionate to the care to the
communities we serve. You know, the emergency department expansion of the proton therapy will lead to a better patient health outcomes, improve the career experience and access to tertiary care, enhance caregiver satisfaction and strengthen healthcare in central Massachusetts. This project will contribute significantly to the economic development of the Marble community and
bordering areas. Um Brian mentioned this a little bit ago, $36 billion expansion of the ED, so I don't want to kind of read necessarily everything to you again. Um the I will jump down to the bottom part of this is the CT scan and that's uh
part of will be part of the emergency department expansion. That's going to go in the current hospital space right side out of the emergency department. This will provide us with two CAT scanners which is a huge boost because a lot of patients that come to the emergency department, you'll end up needing a CAT scan. So we do CAT scans for
outpatients, inpatients, and all of the folks in the emergency department. So this will really allow us to do uh more more CAT scans for the community. It's also a will be a procedural CAT scan. Not the not a there's there's three level of CAT scans like a basic CAT scan, level one procedure, then like a
level two procedure. This is in the middle. So, it'll be able to do biopsy work, breast MRIs, be able to do some biopsies in your liver and your stomach and other areas. Once again, being able to provide this service at Marorrow versus having to send people out to a different hospital, you know, usually being Worcester to get these services.
So really a huge benefit and you know this is very exciting uh opportunity to get the this cat scan along with this project. Um you know and I'm going to swap and talk about cancer center for a moment and UMass Memorial Cancer Center at Marble Hospital has been operating
within the medical center license. So we have the Marble Hospital license the medical center license. The cancer center operates under the medical center license since opening in October of 2013. The key features include a linear accelerator and the CT simulator technology for radiation therapy,
medical oncology, and access to a fully integrated systemwide electric health record. Um, the strong foundation for advanced cancer care at Marble Community has laid the groundwork for even more new and exciting opportunities to enhance cancer care treatment regionally throughout the state. We're hoping to
acquire a proton therapy system for the UMass Memorial Cancer uh center at Marvel Hospital to expand the life-saving care offered. And so you'll right now you hear a lot about Linax and that's the that's the radiation how it's how you're getting it normal normally. The proton therapy
system which Mass General has one is the only one in New England. So people travel all over the place to come get this treatment. There's a long waiting list to get into it. So frequently why this might be the best care way to deliver the radiation people can't get access to it. They can't get they they don't do it. Their waiting list is too
long. So the difference between uh and this is interesting um I promise the difference between the radiation that's getting delivered is lin will go uh right through you right. So if it's a proton if it's a they're delivering the radiation it if you have to treat here on my hand it goes right through my hand and will only stop once there's
shielding that will protect it. So it's the lead line. So if if it's your brain, it goes all the way through your brain and damages all the tissue on the other side of that where the tumor is where the proton can be triggered to deliver um you know exact measurement. So where
it ends so you have to go 6 in into the ed where the where the tumor sits it will go 6 in disperse the radiation and will not go off the other side. So it really doesn't destroy all that surrounding tissue. So this is really really you know great care particularly when we Brian mentioned children children that are still growing that
they have to you know they don't want to do the the collateral damage but even for even for adults that you know you don't want to go through several organs and damage the other side but your brain your throat your mouth where a lot of the radiation can cause significant damage this is just you know incredible treatment and a really superb
opportunity for for patients in this area to be able to get it and quite honestly we will get other patients from around because we'll have access to um access to this. Um so that you know that would be built and behind the will be attached to the current cancer center but really uh
huge opportunity for Marvo to uh be a a huge opportunity from a cancer center site to deliver great care. So I'm happy to answer questions about either or. Thank you John. Thanks John. 35. Thanks John. Just
wrapping up. Um, so as mentioned earlier, we're seeking a special permit. This is both a traditional special permit for the hospital use. Um, and a section six finding special permit for the hospital's pre-existing non-conforming use and structures in the A3 zoning district. Council issued
issued similar special permits for the hospital's cancer center in 2011 and the women's imaging center in 2019. Uh, we believe this proposal meets the legal standards for a special permit in a section six finding. Um, we're meeting with the city site plan review committee
this Thursday to discuss the plan and to gather comments for the council. Um, the project will also require formal site plan review following the special permit um, and a number of state approvals. At a time when many medical centers are facing significant
challenges, Malbor Hospital and UMass Memorial are investing millions of dollars to improve the lives of patients in Malbor and surrounding communities. look forward to working with the council and the urban affairs committee on this important project for the hospital and the city. Look forward to your questions. Thank you. Thank you,
Attorney Faulk. Uh Mr. Clerk, do you have a piece of correspondence? Uh yes. I just wanted to let the council know that we did receive a communication from Emily Greenwood of EKG networking that she is in support of Malbor Hospital's uh proposed expansion. Thank you. Any
other members of the public speaking in favor? I have a question. No questions yet. Hang on. It's okay. Any other members of the public speak in favor? Please step up to the microphone. State your name and address, please. Good evening. My name is William
Fiser. I live at 540 Bigalow Street, Marorrow, Mass. I've been a resident of Marorrow for the last 49 years. Um, I have also been a patient at Marorrow Hospital. Um, I had a heart attack and
they stabilized me 20ome years ago and took me out and I had ended up triple bypass. I currently have cancer and so I go into Boston for my treatment there. Um, but my whole family has benefited
from Marbor Hospital and all the services that Marbor Hospital has. Um, I also was the co-chair of the patient and family advisory committee, our council at Marboro Hospital. The patient and
family advisory council was there to share our ex our experiences with care at Marboro Hospital and come up with better ways or improvements that we or
our families uh thought could help. um uh enhance the patient experience. We also pulled the community uh members to get more ideas to enhance the patient
care. I am currently uh or for the last seven years I've been a member of the board of trustees at Marbor Hospital. again trying to enhance the patient care and also working fiduciarily to try and make sure that we
can financially sustain that fantastic asset that we have in this community. Um, I thank you for listening to me and I hope you vote to move this forward. Thank you, Bill. Any other members of the public speak in favor?
Thank you. My name is Anne Mallaloy and I live in Northboro at 144 West Street. I've been on the board of Marlboro Hospital for more years than I can remember since before John Kelly started. And um I've been a patient
there too, as have many members of my family or all of them in the emergency department. Probably all of you have had experience with some emergency department somewhere and you know from current experience and everything that
you hear in the media of of the stresses and challenges that are facing hospitals generally and emergency departments in particular. Now, um I think this is this is a great opportunity for the community
uh and both the emergency department and as John so practically explained what the proton therapy project will do for the community. In my professional life, I'm a partner at the Worcester law firm Mountain Dearborn and Whiting. So, I'm
not a medical provider, but I'm the daughter, wife, and mother of physicians and the sister of a nurse practitioner in New Britain, Connecticut. Um, and so I I've lived the hospital environment in
many ways. Professionally, I practice trust and estates law. And the first charitable gift that I encountered was for a client who was a a resident of Marlboro, Beatatric Johnson, who's been
dead for many years. Her family owned a lot of farmland in the community and she wanted to give they I think they were here before the hospital was founded and she wanted to give $5,000 to the hospital at her death. Uh,
so you know that was my first experience with this community and I've felt a part of it ever since. I hope as Bill did that you'll move this forward. Thanks very much for the opportunity to talk with you in this beautiful council
chamber. Thank you an other members of the public speaking in favor? Any other members of the public speaking in favor? Any other members of the public speaking in favor? hearing none. I close that portion of public hearing. Questions from the
public. Come on up to the m You come up to the microphone. Yep. Please. Hello. Uh my name is Jacqueline Deario and I live at 46 Belleview A in Malro here and I commend you for adding beds. I think it is a much needed um project
for our community. As you know, there are lots of condos um coming into Malro and it's going to add uh hundreds of um people to our community. So, I am just curious to know if your expansion of the ED will include
any kind of holding area space because sitting in those seats and waiting and feeling like you're never going to get seen is not very comfortable um scenario. So I was just curious if there's any plan for that kind of space
in your ED. So I you're referencing waiting room space in the emergency department. I So the waiting room we have is actually uh pretty large and currently we use part of our waiting room for patient care right now just to have you know because
we don't have enough space. So we it's kind of been modified to allow for uh you know to take care of three or four patients at a time. It's been walled off. Uh well, as once the new space is built, the waiting room will go back to being purely a waiting room and we will have more seats out there. But what we don't want is anyone sitting in the
waiting room. So our goal is really to be able to have bring patients back and get them in a bed and not have you waiting in the waiting room. So you know, you read all the time that the waiting rooms now are, you know, can be hours and hours. Our waiting time is still less than a lot of of places, but we really want you, you know, from the time you arrive in the emergency department, our goal is have you seen by
a a provider in less than 30 minutes. Um, and we're we're working on that, but until we, you know, have some additional space, we're not gonna be able to get there. So, um, you know, if you've had to wait, I'm sorry. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Jack. Any other questions from the public? Questions from the
public? My name is Pete Sharon, 95 Lakeshore Drive, Malbor. Just a couple questions. Sounds like a real exciting project. And it sounds like I'm questioning will both programs be built at the same time simultaneously?
Uh more or less the emergency department is scheduled to uh you know start off with some kind of utility pre-work uh there has to be some generators and so forth moved. Then the emergency department project will sp will will start uh you know kind of mid to late summer. um it'll really feel like a
construction project. Uh and the proton uh expansion you know to the cancer center will start uh one or two months behind that. Um so they they will be in parallel at at at times but you know the beginning and the ending they'll be alone. One other question with the expansion and everything is there any
plans for parking expansion? So currently right now there is not any plans for parking expansion. You know we have done some parking surveys and looking at kind of the available parking spots you know during our kind of peak hours and you know right now it looks like we're in good we're in good but
we're in good shape. You know I don't want to you know what what you know I'm not going to promise anything to you but right now it looks like we have enough parking based on what we have. You know there's always empty spots. We have a lot of construction vehicles there right now. Um, and we have, you know, minimal parking. Kind of the emergency
department will only take up 11 current spots. So, I don't think that will impact us at all. Uh, the proton beam may take a few more up, but the way it's laid out, we we anticipate being okay. Thank you. Thanks, Peter. Any other questions from the public? Questions
from the public? Any questions from the public? Hearing none, I close that portion of the public hearing. Public speaking in opposition. Members of the public speaking in opposition. Members of the public speaking in opposition. Hearing none. I close that
portion of the public hearing. Questions from the city councilors. Councelor Oruron. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your presentation. Both of you. Um, one question is during this construction, will the emergency
department still be available or will we have to send people somewhere else? It it will be open at all times and and it has to be so it will remain open during construction. And I one of my family members were going over this just about an hour or so ago and he always said it
actually got brought up on parking too. Uh there just doesn't seem to be enough handicap spaces. Will there be additional parking for people that need the access? Additional handicap parking? I don't know if it's called that any longer. We
will make sure there's addition We'll make sure there's enough handicap spots. I don't know what the kind of the correct quot is and I think we have more handicap spots right now than what is needed because we frequently get patients, you know, or even staff members saying they they need, you know, to park in handicap spots. If that's something that's uh been brought up,
we'll we can take a closer look at that and make sure because that that's good to know. Thank you. Yeah, it was an elderly res relative that was questioning it. Um the cell tower is on the chimney right now in the back of the old center building. Uh will that I couldn't tell from your plans if that's
going to remain there or is that going to get moved? That will remain there. It's actually just been reinforced and kind of you're building the proton unit around it is how you're doing it to the back of it. If you were to look at the kind of the very rear of the hospital where the cancer center comes off, it
will come directly off of the cancer center. So, you're not moving the cell towers. That was my main uh question on that. And actually, I could have had a conflict many years ago. I worked at Ma Hospital for 11 years and then volunteered there for 20 years. Uh, so I
know every inch of the space prior to all these additions, which I think is a fantastic asset to our community and I welcome you to this project and as long as you work with the abutters to make sure there's no disturbance and you keep that emergency room open, you have my
vote. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, council or council vital. Thank you, Mr. President. I have three questions. Um any idea or not locking you in but how many new jobs will be created once these two uh wings get completed?
Uh you know that's a good question. So uh you know so with the emergency department they will be you know we're we're taking care of 30,000 patients a day now you know in the emergency department a year now. Um the same staff for the most part will take care of those 30,000 patients. So we increase
staff as the volume will go up. uh we'll have to look at a little bit because it is a bigger space to make sure that we have the kind of the correct uh spread of staff as there won't be as congested of an area. But you know the staffing changes in the emergency department I anticipate would be minimal until we see you know more patient coming in. How
about how about the proton lab? The proton lab uh will certainly require more staff as it'll be an additional uh you know be its own piece of machinery to operate as well as patients and to come in there and so forth. 20 50 uh no I would say um probably about uh you
know about probably about 10 FTEEs off the top of my head would be the kind of the best way for me to Very good. Yep. Uh second question as you know this is Marble Hospitals in right in the middle of a residential area. Uh have you done any traffic uh surveys with the addition
if you double the size of the emergency room there's going to be a an increase in traffic that's going to be going through those neighborhoods? Have you have you looked at that at all? Not to my we not to my knowledge that we have done any traffic studies. Uh we've you know we've had some meetings with the abutters and we've discussed the
ambulance traffic and u but there you know the majority of our patients do come by you know car uh but there has been nothing done specifically around that. And lastly is there still a helport in the back? Yes. Well the expansion out back it seems like the the
building is physically going to be going in the back. Will that impair Will that impact where the helport is now? Uh, no. The heliport does not need to move where it's at. Very good. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Council Vital. Councelor Ducet.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Um, I'm really excited about the changes. I do have a couple of questions. Um, so you're expanding. The blue section is the emergency room expansion, the one that's further to the left, right? Correct. Yes. The entrance to the
emergency room is where I just like is is it changing? Is the entrance to the emergency room changing? Because that's into the main entrance, right? So, no, it's the the entrance will remain the same. The entrance will remain the same. And the uh front you'll end up the front
way. Go to the left. You still go to the left. So, that's not changing at all. Okay. Okay. Um I think I'm I'm I'm glad to hear that. I think the uh proton therapy center is a great asset for the community. Um I am concerned of the
increase in traffic because more people coming in and out of here for everything that I think you guys have to re-evaluate your tra your parking you know to to provide adequate parking because yeah it's it's very tight to find a place to park. So, uh, either
better signage to go around the back or I don't know what how you guys can address it, but I think that's critical to at least, uh, address it to some extent. Thank you. Thank you, Council Ducet. Any other questions from the counselors? Councelor Preciato. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for
being here. Um, I'm very excited about this project. Um, you know, I just had a friend uh recently be diagnosed with a brain tumor and had it successfully removed just last month. So, he's currently going through uh cancer therapy. So, you know, it' be very exciting to let him know that this is available or will be available hopefully
in our city. Um, so I did have the same question as uh council vital about staffing. Um, so you've kind of answered that. So, there will be a slight increase in staffing. Um, in the emergency room specifically, will there be any in the emergency department?
Yeah. So, at this time, I would say no. But I you know as we get closer we're going to take a we need to understand really how the workflow and how it's working. So you know why I say no that is not an absolute no by any means. We you know we we will look we could be seeing 5,000 more patients you know in
in a year of you know who knows what happens in in the communities and healthcare. So yeah just because we have more beds doesn't mean we'll have more I would anticipate we get more patients. So we will, you know, most likely end up adding staff. But if, you know, kind of it's apples to apples, we if we can take care of all the same patients in the
same way, uh, we would we would, but if we're, if that doesn't work and we need to add resources, particularly, you know, during the day shift where people are spread out, um, we would add staff. But, you know, we'll have to, you know, we're doing some flow kind of studies and beginning to beginning to talk about that. But we were really kind of waiting for a lot of this, you know, the
construction and to kind of get going before we focus on the operational. Um, I also had another um question regarding um some safety concerns that were voiced by nurses a few months ago. Um, and I don't know if if expanding services from
with the hospital will help address those concerns or I don't know if if anything's being done uh to coincide with these projects regarding that. Um, but that might be something to to um consider as well. What are the concerns? I believe they
had some concerns um regarding their patients um security issues with their patients and and how they would be able to interact with them. Um and I believe there were were also some shorting staff uh staff shortages that they had um
discussed. Um we have added this was you know prior is this during the negotiation period? Yeah. Yeah. We have added additional security you know we have three security guards there 24 hours a day. We've just in, you know, less than a month ago or about a month ago, we added an additional greeter
who's a security guard in the emergency department as well. So, we really have, you know, four security guards there for, uh, you know, 16 hours a day and three for, you know, kind of the overnight. So, we have done add some additional security. Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you, Council Presiato.
Any other questions or comments from the counselors? Questions or counsel from the counselors? Council Naven. Thank you very much, Mr. President. This is an urban affairs. So after we get a draft permit, um we'll send it around to managers for comment and then we'll schedule a time for you to come in to the committee. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Council Naven. So any other questions or comments from the counselors? Questions or comments from the counselors? Questions from the counselors? Hearing none, I close that portion of the public hearing and the entire public hearing. And this is in urban affairs. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Agenda item number three, communication from the mayor regarding proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget in the amount of $215,32,846, which represents a 9.91% increase over the fiscal year 2025 appropriation. And the fiscal year 2026
budget is available for viewing in the clerk's office and on the city website. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Motion to refer to the finance committee um and to ask the city clerk to advertise and set a public hearing for May 19th, 2025. Please. Motion made and second to refer this
item to the finance committee and advertise the public hearing for the fiscal year 26 budget for May 19th, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor opposed. Motion carries. The vote is 90.
Agenda item number four, communication from city solicitor Jason Gfield regarding proposed home rule petition relative to the vacant W 7 city council seat. Council Brown. Thank you, Mr. President. Move to accept and place on file the
communication and to move the item down to item number 11. Motion's made and second to accept and place on file the communication and move this item down to agenda item number 11. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? opposed. Motion carries. The vote
is 90. Agenda item number five, communication from city clerk Steven Carrian regarding public hearing on the application for a special permit from 27 Curtis Aav LLC for a proposed renovation reconstru reconstruction of a pre-existing non-conforming car wash located at 27 Curtis Aav. Order number
25-100 9397. Councelor Roi. Thank you, Mr. President. Unfortunately, we had a public hearing which was notice was not properly properly sent to the abuters. So, we are
back at square one. Uh I move to refer this to urban affairs set a public hearing for June 9th and advertise. Motion made second refer this item to the urban affairs committee. We'll set a public hearing for June 9th and to advertise. Any discussion on the motion?
Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? The motion carries. It's going to Urban with a public hearing June 9th and advertised. The vote is 90. Agenda item number six, communication from the planning board regarding an unfavorable recommendation of the proposed zoning map amendment for 36 Jefferson Street
identified as map 56, parcel 153, order number 2425 100 9330D. Council Roby. Thank you, Mr. President. Move to accept and place on file the communication. Motion made second to accept and place on file the communication. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor
opposed. The communication is filed. 90. Agenda item number seven, application for renewal of a junk dealer secondhand dealer license from Roman Kimar Kimaragrav, DBA Arthur Suns shoe repair 107 Main Street. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Motion to refer to
public service committee, please. Motion made second. Refer to the public services committee. It'll be quick. Uh any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Going to public service. The vote is 90. Agenda item number eight, application for renewal of a junk dealer, secondhand
dealer license from Gerald Dumis, DBA Dumis and Sun Secondhand store, 65 Mechanic Street. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Motion to refer to public service committee, please. Motion made second. Refer to the public services committee. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, are those in favor? Opposed? It's going to public
service. The vote is 90. Agenda number nine, minutes of boards, commissions, and committees. Mr. President, councelor Ducet. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Motion to accept and place on file the minutes of the boards, commissions, and committees. Motion's made and second, accept and place on file the minutes. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, are those in favor?
Opposed? Minutes are going to be filed and the vote is 90. Agenda item number 10, claims. Council Brown. Thank you, Mr. President. Move to send the claims to legal department. Motion made in second to send the claims to legal department. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor?
Opposed? Claims are going to legal. Votes 90. Reports of committees. Who would like to go? Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, finance committee met on May 1st, 2025. Uh, meeting convened at 6 p.m. We
had two items on the agenda that evening. Our first order was uh, order number 25-1009425. uh communication from Mayor Dumis transfer uh request in the amount of $581,7 uh from free cash to shortterm
interest to cover the interest payment on a bond anticipation note which is a band. Uh the chair read the letter from the mayor on a motion by council Brown, seconded by the chair. The committee recommends approval of the transfer in the amount of $587,7 uh with a request uh for
suspension. Vote carried 4 to zero. Uh, next item was order number 25-1009426. Uh, communication from Mayor Dumis, transfer of $4,187,233 from free cash to healthcare trust fund to cover the project projected deficit. Uh, the chair read
the letter from the mayor on a motion by council Brown, seconded by the chair. The committee recommends approval of the transfer in the amount of $4,187,233 uh with also request for a suspension. The motion carried 4 to zero. Uh the meeting did adjourn at 6:41 p.m. That's
the end of my report, Mr. President. And I will be asking for two suspensions this evening for the first Yep. Yep. For the first one would be on order number 25-1009425. Motion's been made. Second for a suspension of the rules. All those in favor of the suspension opposed. Suspension carries
90. Councelor Irish. Thank you. Move the recommendation of committee to uh approve the transfer request in the amount of $581. $581,7 please. Motion made second to approve the transfer of $587,000 87 and $7. Right. That is
correct, sir. Mr. President, motion made and seconded to approve the transfer. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Transfer carries. 90. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, we'd like to ask for a suspension on order number 25-1009426, please. Request for
suspension of the rules. All those in favor of the suspension opposed? Suspension carries. 90. Council Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Move the recommendation of committee to approve the transfer request in the amount of 4,187,233. Please. Motion made second to approve the transfer of $4,187,233.
Is any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, are those in favor? Opposed? Transfer carries. The vote is 90. Council Roby. Oh, you go. Go ahead. I'm sorry, Council Irish. Uh, thank you, Mr. President. Uh, just a public service announcement. uh finance committee will
meet on May 12th, 2025 at 6 p.m. Uh we'll meet at May 13, 2025 at 7 p.m. and we'll also meet on May 14th, 2025 at 6 p.m. Um and this is to take up the proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank
you, Councelor Irish. Councelor Roby. Thank you, Mr. President. The city council urban affairs and housing committee also met on Thursday, May 1st. Our posted time was 6:30. We started at 6:45. We had two items on our agenda.
Order number 25100 9378 referencing order number 211008214C. An application for a special permit from Green Meadow Farms LLC to allow for the sale of medical marijuana in addition to the existing sale of
adult use marijuana at a facility under construction at 239 Boston Post Road West. The chair read through the comments from the department managers and read through the draft decision. The chair noted that number four in the findings of facts may not be
needed. Also, as I wrote this up, I realized how poorly I had looked at this. Um, noting that in the finding of facts number three, the date of May 24th, 2025 is not correct and we never voted to transfer the original special
permit. We did vote on May 20th, 2024 to grant an extension of the date the special permit would lapse. Whether this needs to be in the document will be up to the solicitor. In finding effects number five, the filing date was February 11th, 2025 and it was on the
council's February 24th agenda and again the solicitor can decide what dates need to be there. Councelor Naven moved to recommend approval of the amendment to the special permit to allow for the sale of medical marijuana. It was seconded and the vote carried four to zero. I
will ask for a suspension tonight to have this referred to the solicitor to be put in proper form. You want to do that now? Sure. Motion been made for a suspension of the rules. All those in favor of the suspension opposed. Suspension carries 90. Councelor Ruby. So move to refer this order to the
solicitor to be put in proper form and back on our agenda for the next meeting. Motion made in second do refer this item to the solicitor put in proper format to send back for our next meeting. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those Oh, counselor Detent. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Um, just
for clarification, um, you brought this up, uh, counselor. Um, but, uh, we never passed the transferring the license to the other party, nor do we need to. Oh, nor
do we need to. Okay, that's the permit exists. Okay. I didn't know if we were involved in the handoff when Okay, thank you for the clarification. I appreciate that. Thank you, councelor Ducet. On the motion, refer to the solicitor. All those in favor? Opposed? The items going to the solicitor put in proper format.
The votes 90. Councelor Ro. And the second item on our agenda was order number 251009330A. The proposed zoning map amendment from Ramunto Netto, owner of 36 Jefferson Street to reszone 36 Jefferson Street identified
as map 56, parcel 153 from residence B to neighborhood business. The chair read the letter from the planning board from their April 28th meeting where a negative recommendation carried on a vote of 5 to zero. Committee members discussed their agreement with the
planning board's recommendation and the chair read a letter from councelor Presiato who was not able to attend where he also stated his opinion this should not be approved. Councelor Naven moved to recommend denial of the proposed zoning amendment to reszone 36 Jefferson Street
from residence B to neighborhood business. It was seconded and the vote carried 4 to zero. Councelor Ducet moved to adjourn and we adjourned at 7:15. This one can just lay on the table. Any public service announcements?
Affairs meeting on the 13th at 6:30. will be taking off the wash. Okay. Any other reports of committees? Seeing none, agenda item 11, order number 25-100 9414, procedure to fill the vacant ward 7 counselor
position. The recommendation of the legislative and legal affairs committee is to approve home petition. Councelor Brown. Thank you, Mr. President. Um, move the recommendation of the committee to approve, please. Motion's been made and
seconded to approve the home rule petition. Any discussion on the motion? Councelor Ducet. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I just want to uh compliment the city solicitor for making it so simple, sweet, and elegant. So, it's nice to see a lawyer lawyer clarify
things. Thank you. I'm sure he's going to appreciate that. Thank you, councelor Ducet. Any other comments or questions from the counselors on the motion to approve the home rule petition? And all those in favor opposed. Let the record reflect. It is a unanimous vote of 90 to approve the home rule
petition. Agenda M12. Order number 25-1009404 grant acceptance in the amount of $450,000 awarded to the city of Malbor for various projects as part of the fiscal year 2025 state budget earmark funding. The recommendation of the finance committee is to approve the following. $25,000 for the boiler at
city hall but to be used for the Walker building boiler. $30,000 for security cameras at public housing, $35,000 for the dog park, $75,000 for the temporary speed humps, and $200,000 for the MEEDC shuttle. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr.
President. Um, I'd like to have an individual vote on each of those air marks. Um, please. Sure. So, fire away. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, on the first one, the $25,000 for the boiler at city hall to be used for the Walker building boiler. Motion's made. Second to approve $25,000 for the boiler at
city hall. Any discussion on that motion? Councelor Roby. Thank you, Mr. President. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make the finance committee meeting. I did listen to it and I was a little confused about the discussion about the fact that they're really not going to use this for the city hall. They're going to use it for the Walker building.
And so, I was going to suggest that this be denied. But in looking at the documentation that came from the state, it doesn't really say what it's being used for. It just says boiler. So, I'm okay with this. I'm a little
uncomfortable. I I wish there was a better way to do this because I know we need a city hall boiler, but my understanding from DPW is that there will be a capital, if it's not already in the capital, there will be a capital request to take care of this. but they
need to take care of the funding that's already been spent on the Walker building. Any other comments or questions on a motion to approve the $25,000 for the boiler? All those in favor? Opposed? $25,000 approved. 90. Councelor Irish.
Thank you, Mr. President. Next air mark was $30,000 for security cameras at public housing. Motion remains seconded to approve the $30,000 to security cameras at the CDA housing projects. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? $30,000 is
approved. The votes 90. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Next air mark is $35,000 for the dog park. Motion made seconded to approve the $35,000 for the dog park. Any discussion on the motion? Councelor Ducet. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Through you to uh councelor Irish. Um was the dog park already built or is this another fund? I'm sorry. I The dog park was built. Is this the dog park that was built or is it a different? So, we already spent that. Uh, kind of sort
of. Okay. I just wanted clarification. That's all. Thank you. Any other comments on the motion to approve the $35,000 for the dog park? All those in favor? Opposed? $35,000 approved. The vote is 90. Council Irish. Thank you,
Mr. President. Uh, next earmark is $75,000 for the temporary speed bumps. Um uh and council vital did oppose that. But that's the next one. Motion made second to approve the $75,000 of speed humps. Any discussion on the motion?
Council Roby. Thank you again. I was not at the meeting, but I did talk to the DPW. I actually was going to vote against this. I hate speed humps, speed bumps, temporary or otherwise, as I believe most of the traffic commission members do. Um, I know they're having a
lot of discussion on slowing down traffic and how to deal with this issue. My understanding is although they did not request it, they would like the money and most of the money will actually be going towards signage that
will tell people how fast they're going and to slow down. So I think to me that that cost and need across the city is much more important than a couple of pieces of plastic they can throw down on the road to irritate the drivers. So I
will be supporting this. Thank you. Any other discussion on the motion? Council Vital. Thank you, Mr. President. I did some research since our our meeting. I was against it before, but now I'm even more against it. There's a wonderful article entitled why municipalities are moving
away from speed humps as traffic calming solution and they must give 1 2 3 4 5 6 many many many reasons not just destroying people's cars but other environmental reasons and speeding reason just a whole bunch it's a
terrible terrible thing to have in our c in our city and um they can check out that article if you want again it's entitled Um, municipalities are moving away from speed humps as a traffic calming solution. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Council Vital. Council Ducet.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. And I request councelor Vital to send that link to Karen so she can send it with the rest of the city council. Uh, but I'm actually for speed bumps, speed humps. Um, so firsthand experience,
Grove Street and Framingham, right? They got five speed bumps that they laid down within a mile in the middle of nowhere. Okay. And I that was that's been my shortcut back and forth between Malbor and Framingham since the 80s. Okay. When
before these things came in, it was a common truck. It was a common truck pass. You'd see a lot of heavy trucks on and stuff like that. And they'd either be going, heaven forbid, around so eventually on Pomer or going up Nixon. God only help them. Uh, but with those
five speed bumps that they put in place, that street's only getting local traffic, and I consider that to be a move in the right direction. I'll still take it because I'm so close to it. I know how to get around speed bumps, but, you know, speed bumps can be very effective at at traffic calming if
they're located at the right location. And there are certain streets I would love to see street, you know, and it's it's a it's an emotional decision. I understand that. But there are certain streets that people just go way too fast based upon what they think they can do
and that's what the traffic calming is all about. But I'm obviously for it. Thank you, Council Ducet. Council Naven, quite a bit of engagement here on a very exciting topic. Uh nice to see everybody uh really stepping up for this one. Um I um I share Councelor Roy's concerns
about speed bumps. Um I've I've had this experience a lot um in a couple of different roles in public service. Um people always think speed bumps are a good idea until they go in and then often times it is the very people who request them um that request them to be taken out. That's neither here nor
there. Um I did also talk to the DPW commissioner um and he assured me that um that a lot of this money would be going towards traffic coming. Um, and anybody here who has gone to traffic commission and who has begged the traffic commission to take up a request
um knows how how the process goes and has likely heard that the traffic commission um particularly the fire chief is against speed humps um and speed bumps due to the wear and tear it takes on the very expensive equipment that we also approve here in this body. Um but um the DPW commissioner did
assure me that they will be taking this under consideration um and using them as a last resort if necessary. But we also know that takes quite a bit of time when someone calls to say they're speeding on State Street, they're speeding on Bolton Street, they're speeding on well church street. Um I was showing
my ward six roots councelor Roie um but across the city and so um and we know that it takes a long time to get those speed signs. We know those speed signs are expensive. So, um I am not um overly supportive of speed humps, but I am very much not in favor of telling the state
that they can have some of their money back when they have decided to send it to our city. And so, in that regard, I will take any amount of money that they want to send our way um for our taxpayers. So, with that, I will be supporting this. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Council Naven. Council Preso, I hate to prolong this,
but I'm also say share the same sentiment as uh Council Nan Roby. Um, it'd be great to have this as uh traffic calming measures. And if the DPW commissioner has assured us that there will be very few speed bumps, then I'm for this as well. Thank you. Thank you,
Council Preciato. Anyone else? Everybody's good. On the motion to approve $75,000 of speed humps. All those in favor? Opposed? One. Motion carries. The vote is 8 to one.
Uh, councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, the last airmark was for $200,000 uh for the MEEDC shuttle. Motion made second to approve $200,000 for the MEEDC shuttle service. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, are those in favor? Opposed? The
$200,000 for the MEC shuttle is approved. The vote is 90. Agenda item 13. Order number 25-1009405 a transfer of $63,600 from reserve for salaries to various accounts for salary and sickly
buyback for the mayor's office and the police department. Recommendation of the finance committee is to approve. Council Irish. Thank you. Move the recommendation of the committee to approve the transfer. Please motion remains seconded to approve the transfers. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? Transfers carry. The vote is
90. Agenda item 14. Order number 25-100 9406. the transfer of $147,581.95 from reserve for salaries to various accounts to fund the collective bargaining agreement with the police command officers association local 366. Recommendation of the finance committee is to approve. Councelor Irish. Thank
you. Move the recommendation of committee to approve the transfer. Please motion made and seconded to approve the command officers contract. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor opposed. The transfers carry. The vote is 90. Agenda item number 15. Order number
25-1009407 to transferring the amount of $167,32.32 from reserve for salaries to various accounts to fund the cost of living adjustment and stipen for all non-union employees. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. President. Move the recommendation of committee to approve the transfer. Motion made second to approve the transfer. Any discussion on
the motion? Seeing none. All those in favor? Opposed? The transfer carries. The vote is 90. Agenda item 16. Order number 25-1009408. transfer of $784,320 from economic development to MEEDC funding for the fiscal year 2026
operating budget of MEEDC and a transfer request in the amount of $150,000 from economic development to MEEDC funding for the economic development toolbox. Recommendation of the finance committee is to approve. Council Irish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to take this in two votes, please. First, the MEEDC budget, please. Motion made and seconded to approve the
MEEDC fiscal year 26 budget of $784,320. Motion's been made and seconded. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed? The vote is approved. The vote is 8 to1. Council Irish. Thank you, Mr.
President. Next would be the $150,000 for the toolbox, please. Motion made seconded to approve the $150,000 for the toolbox at MEEDC. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Opposed. The MEEDC toolbox program is
approved. The vote is 90. Agenda item 17. Order number 25-1009409 MWR lead loan program bond request in the amount of $750,000 to replace galvanized and brass water service services pursuant to new mass D
regulations. I'm reading my bold print this time. Council Naven. Thank you, Mr. President. May the record show that I will be recusing myself from this vote. So, please let the record reflect that Council Naven will not be participating in this item. Okay, councelor, since this is a bond,
it is a roll call vote. Uh, well, first I'll need a motion. Councelor Irish. Thank you, Mr. Move the recommendation of committee to approve the bond, please. Motion's made and seconded to approve the bond for $750,000. Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none, I'll ask the clerk to please call the role. Councelor Oram,
yes. Councelor Presiato, yes. Councelor Fuchillo is absent. Councelor Brown, yes. Councelor Vital, yes. Councelor Roby, yes. Councelor Oing, yes. Councelor Irish, yes. Councelor Ducet,
yes. And councelor Naven is abstaining. Eight in favor. One. I just made it. The motion to approve the bond for $750,000 is approved by a vote of 8 to zero with one abstension and two one
absent and one vacant. That right way to character. Sure. There you go. Okay. Agenda item 18. Uh, order number 25-100 9411 proposed ordinance amendment to city code chapter 125 personnel section 6 salary schedule regarding the part-time assistant electrical and
plumbing inspectors. Recommendation of the finance committee is to approve. Councelor Irish. Thank move the recommendation of a committee to approve the change to the amendment. Please motion's made and seconded to approve the salary ordinance change for the assistant electrical and plumbing
inspectors. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing none, this is an ordinance change. It's required to go through the four stages. All those in favor of suspending the first reading and approving the second reading. All those in favor opposed. That passes. The vote
is 90. All those in favor of the passage to be enrolled. All those in favor? Oppose. That also passes 90. All those in favor of the passage to be ordained. All those
in favor oppose. That also passes 90. Is there any objection to passage in one evening? Seeing none, the salary ordinance change is approved. Council Naven move to adjurnn.
Motion's made and seconded to adjurnn. All those in favor? Opposed. We are adjourned at 8:56. Have a good evening everyone.