Speaker 1: Good evening. I'm calling this meeting of the Natick School Committee to order. This meeting is being held in hybrid format with both in-person and remote participation. So any votes will be roll call. I'll now take the initial roll call of who's here, and I'll just read the names. Elise Goeth, Speaker 2: Present, participating remotely. Speaker 1: Catherine Brunel, Speaker 2: Present, participating remotely. Speaker 1: Kathy Collins, Speaker 2: Present, participating remotely. Speaker 1: Shai Fugman. Present Matt Brand Present. Jamon Patel. Present and welcome Matt Welch. Present. Kay Gomes.
Speaker 2: Okay, Speaker 1: We will now move to public speak. Actually, we had pledge and moment of silence and announcements are not listed on the posted agenda, so they are on our regular meeting agenda. Speaker 2: You can do it then. Speaker 1: Is it sufficient to do it then? I just wanna check once. Okay. Speaker 2: It's fine. Speaker 1: Okay, great. So I'm gonna skip that and we'll transition to the organizational meeting portion of the, oh yeah. Okay. So yeah, it is on there.
We'll move to public speak. Public speak is scheduled for a period of 15 minutes. Each speaker will be permitted a maximum of three minutes during which time they can speak about topics within the scope of responsibility of the school committee. All remarks will be addressed through the school committee chair or myself. Today. Public speak is not a time for debate or response to comments by the school committee. We're now opening for public speak. If there is anyone Speaker 2: Sign up here. Speaker 1: No one has signed up in the room. And is there anyone online? Okay. Seeing none will close public speak for this meeting
and move to the organizational meeting portion of the agenda, which I will preside over until a chairperson is elected in accordance with policy. So I'd like to open for nomination for chairperson Dr. Folkman. I'd like to nominate Matt Brand. We have a nomination and Ms. Collins is a second. Are there any additional nominations? I just wanna make sure there's no hands up. I do not see any. Okay. Ms. Brunell? Speaker 3: Yeah, I just wanted to speak to the motion. Speaker 1: Yep. I I was gonna move to that just to hearing none.
Nominations are now closed. And we'll open the floor for discussion on the nominees, Ms. Brunell. Speaker 3: Thank you. Appreciate that. So I, many people have asked me over the last couple of days, weeks, if I was gonna be chair while I was willing to serve in that role. I spoke to Matt and understood that he has a strong preference to be chair this year. I thought also about the way that he and I worked together for the superintendent search committee. And we did a really good job given the sense that we have hired Dr.
Bash and we collaborated with a large group of people over a complicated process. And we essentially did that together as co-chairs. That wasn't the official title, but that's how we work together. Matt and I ended up on a accidental run walk this weekend and he and I, I think, admit that we don't always see eye to eye, but sometimes that's what makes us stronger. And I would like to continue on as vice chair knowing that he and I will work together this year. And that the titles really
at this point don't matter if we're have, if we have a functioning group. And that's the most important thing to me, that we move forward as a school district and continue to support the amazing leadership that's happening right now in the district. So I'm gonna support this motion and would like to continue on as vice chair. Speaker 1: Thank you Ms. Brunell. Is there any further discussion Dr. Fugman? Yeah, Speaker 4: I'd just like to speak to the motion as well. I nominated Matt Brand and I'm gonna very excitingly support him and his leadership as chair of the committee. I've known him for quite some time. In fact, he was the person who recruited me
to join the school committee years ago. Whether that's to the benefit or detrimental of the town, I don't know, but others decide. But in those years I've seen him serve as vice chair for two years. I saw him serve as chair of the sub policy subcommittee for the past couple of years. I've seen him serve as the chair of the screen committee. And in all those roles, he's always led with fairness, with a even temperament, which I wish I could say I always have, but I can't.
I wish I had your temperament and I just think you're the right person to lead us in the next phase of the school committee. I know we, there's a lot of really important and exciting projects, initiatives that we're gonna be working on and I'm excited to have you lead us through that. Speaker 1: Thank you. Is there any further discussion? I don't see anyone with their hand raised online. Okay. Hearing none. We will proceed with a roll call vote. Elise Goeth? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 1: Catherine Brunell? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 1: Kathy Collins? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 1: Shaman? Yes. Matt Brand?
Speaker 5: Yes. Speaker 1: Jamon Patel? Yes. And Matt Welch? Yes. By a unanimous vote. Matt Brand is now elected chairperson of the school committee and I'm happy to turn it over this meeting over to him. This is not my preferred role, so thanks for your grace. Love. Speaker 5: Well done. Thank you. We we don't need to move any chairs just yet. So the, the next No, I'll move later. The next i next item on the agenda is to nominate and elect a vice chair for the coming year. Any nominations? Elise? Ms. Corset?
Speaker 2: I'd like to nominate Catherine Brunell as Vice chair. Speaker 5: Second. Okay. Ms. Goth nominated Ms. Brunell Jamon seconded. Any discussion? Any other nominations for vice chair? Seeing none in your line? No. Any discussion? Seeing none. So we'll do a roll call. Vote again. Ms. Corset? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 5: Ms. Brune? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 5: Ms. Collins, did we lose her? Speaker 2: No, Speaker 5: We did. Okay. Dr. Fesman? Yes. Mr. Patel? Yes. Dr. Welch? Yes. And I'm a yes.
6 0 0. Mr. Brunell is the, is the current new continuing vice chair moving on to clerk. Any nominations for clerk? Speaker 2: I'd like to nominate Jamon as clerk. Speaker 5: Second. Second. Any other nominations? Seeing none. All right. Any discussion? Did No. I mean, did we, didn't I haven't. Let me just check. I don't think so. If you don't mind. I appreciate that. But
Speaker 2: She has interest in it. Speaker 5: Kathy's pretty flexible. All right. You texted her. No, but Dr. Bashes, we'll wait 30 seconds. Speaker 3: If you get her back, I'm happy to redo the vote for the vice chair as well. Speaker 5: I mean, we, it was, I appreciate that won't be necessary 'cause it was a six, but that we can do it if we'd like. Speaker 3: Just trying to be inclusive. Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah. Sorry everybody, we're waiting for the dot dots to turn into a, to turn into letters. Speaker 3: Suspense is killing Speaker 5: Us. I know, right? Speaker 1: Yes, she says Speaker 5: Move on. Okay. So Ms. Collins will not be returning to this meeting.
So no competing motions. Any discussion about Mr. Patel as clerk? Seeing none. So we will vote. Ms. Corset? Speaker 3: Yes. Speaker 5: Ms. Bruell? Speaker 3: Yes. Speaker 5: Dr. Fesman? Yes. Mr. Patel? Yes. Dr. Welch? Yes. And I'm a yes. 6 0 0. Mr. Patel is the new clerk. We now move on to a recording secretary Before we, I'll take a nomination for recording Secretary. I'd like to nominate Linda McGrath for our recording secretary. Second. Second. Alright. Any discussion?
Ms. McGrath, are you alright with that nomination? I Alright. Just wanna make sure and, and thank you for your continuing service. We'll do a vote. Oh, Ms. Brunell has her hand raised, please. Speaker 3: No, I just wanted to also, thank you, Linda, you've done a, a lion's work of the lion's load of the work this year and it goes so un I go, it goes under the radar. So thank you for keeping us organized. And it goes beyond just the minutes. It's all the scheduling that you do. I just wanted you to know that we appreciate you. Thank you Speaker 5: For those who, who haven't met Linda.
So little would happen here, if not for her work. All right. So we'll vote. Catherine, do you have another? Okay, that was just the hand being up. Ms. Corset? Speaker 3: Yes. Speaker 5: Ms. Brunell? Speaker 3: Yes. Speaker 5: Dr. Folkman? Yes. Mr. Patel? Yes. Dr. Welch? Yes. And I'm a Yes. 6 0 0. Welcome back. Thank you. And the, the last item on the agenda is the, the lawyer for the district. Before we do that, because we've discussed other things, superintendent Bash,
would you like to say a few words? Speaker 1: Sure. I'm happy to send this memo that I received from Deputy superintendent Sue. B, just reflecting on our cabinet's experience with our lawyers this year. And I'm just gonna read the summary statement. Cabinet members who've engaged with the firm consistently described the relationship as strong, trustworthy, and effective. The most frequently cited strengths are responsiveness, deep subject matter expertise, particularly in special education law and a conservative protective approach, the prioritizes the district's interests.
The only recurring observation noted by more than one member is that scheduling can occasionally require some patience for my schedule as well. The responsiveness to the substance of legal questions is not in question at all. There's a broad confidence from the cabinet in supporting the our legal partner, Murphy Hess to Tumi and Lehan. Speaker 5: Thank you for that update. We don't generally, I think it's a nice idea to explain things like that to a lot of the folks who we sometimes go through that pretty quickly. So now we'll take a nomination for the lawyer.
Speaker 4: So I'll make the motion to nominate the firm of Murphy Hess to me and Lihn, LLP and Andrew Wa as our, as the district's attorney. Speaker 5: Second. Seconded by Mr. Patel. Any discussion? Seeing none vote. Ms. Brunell? Speaker 3: Yes. Speaker 5: Ms. Corset? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 5: Dr. Fugman? Yes. Mr. Patel? Yes. Dr. Welch? Yes. And I am a yes. 6 0 0. That is the entirety of the reorganization. So we have one more motion to do for this meeting. For those who are watching. We probably are about to, to end this meeting.
We will be back in roughly 16 minutes for our regularly scheduled six 30 meeting. I will take a motion. Speaker 4: Motion to adjourn. Speaker 5: Second. Any discussion on that? Ms. Nel, do you have a Speaker 3: Well, as you all know, I'm, I'm away at a conference right now. So Matt Welch, I just wanted to welcome you officially to the school committee. And I'm sorry that I'm not there in person for your first meeting. If I can log back on later tonight, I will be there. But thank you so much for being here. And I vote yes to adjourn the meeting Speaker 5: And, and before we finish the vote, I should say, because I don't know if Ms.
Goeth is gonna be at the, at the following meeting too. I wanted to publicly thank her for a great year of chairing this committee. It's a lot of work. And Ms. Brunell obviously, and glad to be working with you again. And, and Ms. Collins for her work as clerk last year. It's a tough job and we appreciate the effort. So with that, we will vote. Ms. Renell was a yes already. Ms. Goeth? Speaker 2: Yes. Speaker 5: Dr. Fugman? Yes. Mr. Patel? Yes. Dr. Welch. Yes. And I'm a yes. Thank you everybody. We are adjourned. We'll be back at six 30 for a new meeting.