Good evening. I'd like to welcome you to the Legislative Affairs Subcommittee meeting for May 4th. Please join me in a salute to the flag. Thank you. Roll call of the members, Councillor Greenao Swaiya. Here. Here, Councillor Haas. Here. Here. Councillor Kelly is
absent. Councillor McKenna is absent and Chairman Argentio. Here. Here, quorum is present. There's only one item on tonight's agenda and that's an ordinance further amending title eight of the Revere revised ordinances relative to cryptocurrency ATMs. Any members wishing to speak?
Councillor Silvestri, would you like to? Good evening, members. Um first I want to start off by thanking Claire Inzerello. Uh she worked diligently on this legislation and really making this bill uh have some teeth and uh her efforts in
shaping it with a strong framework to safeguard our community is [snorts] really um commendable and I want to thank her very much. I am proposing a straightforward essential measure to protect our residents to remove all cryptocurrency ATMs from
every publicly accessible location in Revere. These machines pose significant risk, particularly to older, recent immigrants who has English as a second language, and workers already managing tight budgets.
Scammers exploit these ATMs by using intimidation, urgency that convince people to hand over large sums of money with little time to verify what's happening. These schemes are very thought out and
highly sophisticated. I'm asking for your support on this ordinance to remove all crypto ATMs from public locations within Revere. If passed, this removal would take effect 60 days after we notify operators
and store owners, providing a practical window for compliance while prioritizing public safety. The plan includes a formal notice to operations and retailers, a firm removal deadline, and enforcement coordinated by the relevant city
departments. We will also provide a straightforward multilingual information about safer financial options and how residents can protect themselves from scams such as this. Enforcement provisions, should this law be violated, penalties will apply up to
the maximum level allowed. Specifically, the department charged with enforcement, i.e. ISD or RPD, may impose penalties up to $300 per day for each location that is not in compliance after the 60-day grace period.
By adopting these measures, we show our commitment to safeguarding our residents from financial security and ensuring access to trust trustworthy services. I ask for your support so we can move forward in this important policy. It's safety for our community, our
elders, and those who are most in need. Thank you. I also want to just quickly run down a a story of a woman I spoke with just last week. Um she got a call. She was very convincing. The caller had
IDs. The caller had legitimate paperwork that was very convincing to this resident. Um he was he has convinced her that her all her assets needed to be safeguarded. And that while safeguarding
them with him and the government agency, she then would be released through the Revere Police Department. They were able to get her to transfer $350,000. They were able to get her to take out a
second mortgage on her home for $250,000. This woman has no idea where she's going to get the money to pay for these. Probably going to have to sell her house just to get out of these loans. And there is zero things in the laws right
now that says these machines have any any responsibility in payment. The stores, no responsibility. So the store who has the ATM gets a And the person that got scammed ends up out of their life
savings. So I ask you tonight, please support this. Pass it forward so we can get these machines out of our city. Thank you very much. Any questions? I'm willing to answer. Thank you, counselor. Any members wishing to speak? Counselor Haas. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to
thank Counselor Silvestri for putting this motion in, the original motion on You know, it's a it's a wild time right now with the scams going around. You know, whether it's on email, um phone calls, anything like that. But there are a number of scams out there.
Anything that safeguards our residents, English as a second language, our seniors is a is a great thing. So thank you for putting that in. Thank you, counselor. Counselor Zambuto. Council President Zambuto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh I I too want to thank
uh Council Silvestri. When I first heard this, I have to be honest, I said, "What What is this motion? Cryptocurrency?" I didn't know anything about it. That story you just told is heartbreaking. And and I'm sure it's happened to lots of people. And it
the quicker we can stop this nonsense the better, but unfortunately, they'll find another way. But at least this one will be a uh stopped. But so, thank you for your efforts in this, and uh I won't doubt you next time you put in a motion like this.
Thank you, Councilor. And uh kudos again to Claire and Zarello. She's actually continuing to to stay on top of the legislations that's moving in the state. Uh she's gone to courses with the AG's office, and actually that's where
she got the idea to putting the $300 fine because they were finding ways to to change the the scheme, and she figured the teeth in it uh the AG actually gave her the idea of putting the fine to the maximum ability. So, that came from her going to find out
more on this and and to keep up to date. So, kudos to her. Any further comment? Thank you, uh Councilor Silvestri. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You're welcome. Madam Clerk, if you'd like to call call the roll. >> Councilor Silvestri did submit uh two
amendments um that would need to be taken up prior to um voting on the ordinance as a whole if the committee agrees uh to them. So, the first is as follows, proposed um amendment number one, enforcement is hereby amended by
striking the second sentence of the paragraph and inserting in place there of the following sentence, and this This related to penalties. Any person or entity to be found in violation of this ordinance shall be subject to a penalty of $300 per violation per day as set forth in chapter 1.12 article 2 and
chapter 1.16 of the Revere revised ordinances. The second amendment is relative to the time that it the ordinance will take effect. And that's by striking the word 30th and in placing inserting a place there of the word 60th.
On the amendments as proposed by Councillor Silvestri. Councillor Greenough Swiggy. Yes. Yes, Councillor House. Yes. Yes, Councillor Kelly is absent. Councillor McKenna is absent and Chairman Argenzio. Yes. Yes, the amendments have been approved. Now
the ordinance as amended is before the committee for a favorable recommendation. Sure. Shall shall the City Council I mean sorry the legislative affairs subcommittee offer a favorable recommendation to the full City Council to adopt the crypto ATM ordinance as
amended. Councillor Greenough Swiggy. Yes. Yes, Councillor House. Yes. Yes, Councillor Kelly is absent. Councillor McKenna is absent and Chairman Argenzio. Yes. Yes, the ordinance as amended has been and received a favorable recommendation for adoption and there's no further
business. Thank you. No further business. This meeting is adjourned. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Good evening. Welcome to the May 4th appointment subcommittee. Please rise to
salute the flag. 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. Roll call of the members.
Councilor Cogliano. Here. Here. Councilor Haas. Here. Here. Councilor Mercurio. Here. Here. Councilor Silvestri. >> Here. Here. And Chairwoman McKenna is absent. In her place, Councilor Cogliano is serving as the chair of this
of meeting. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And McKenna, or Chairwoman McKenna, wanted me to let everyone know that she is sick and didn't want to get anyone else sick tonight. That's why she's not here. Thank you. First appointment on tonight's agenda is that of the appointment of Shawn Bruno as a constable for the city of Revere.
Good evening, sir. Name and address for the record, please. Good evening. My name is Shawn Bruno. Push the button. My name is Shawn Bruno. Uh 439 Vane Street. Uh Revere, Mass. Thank you for being here tonight. Um I'm
going to open up the floor to subcommittee members. Uh Councilor Mercurio. Uh thank you, Mr. Bruno, for being here tonight. I I just had one question looking over your uh um application here. Um that your uh insurance has expired as
of January 1st, 2026. Uh we have uh recently renewed that with a different company for 2 years. Okay. And you think you can make that uh get that to us, that information? Uh I believe we did turn it into the uh Well, this one says it expires January
1st, 2026. Okay. I didn't get the new one, so I'm just I just want to cover make sure all the bases are covered here. Yes, it is. Is this a continuation bond? No, this is an appointment certificate. It's a new one. Okay. >> [clears throat]
>> With that, uh I I don't know. She going to send it to me? Yeah, I'm going to try to find it. Okay. We need that for the record. Do we need that for the record? Uh if Madam Clerk has it, it's it's Okay. This is all we just have it for the
record. Absolutely. Um let's take a brief 2-minute recess and allow the clerk to obtain that information. Yeah. All right, let's return from recess. Thank you very much. Councilman Curley, anything further? Uh no, I think that was all. And thank
you for the uh updated apple uh um bond. I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you, counselor. Counselor Silvestri. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sean, [clears throat] thanks for coming up tonight. Um looking over you went through all the procedures, you got all your
fingerprints, your query, everything checked out through the police department. Um what makes you want to be a um a constable here in the city of Revere and and what makes you familiar with the city? Well, to for starters I I do uh
I work for some of the lawyers in the area and um my wife runs a law firm. So, I got involved with it through that. And I know the area because I also am a Revere firefighter and I've grew up here. So, I'm familiar with the area and the people in it and
the surrounding community is very well. And how long have you had your um license to carry uh concealed permit? 52 I've had it since I was 21. Okay. Since I was of age. And everything's in good standing with that and Yes, it is. Thank you.
Thank you, counselor. Counselor Hass. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Shawn, thanks so much for being here. How long have you been a firefighter? I know it was a number of years. >> Uh 22 years. >> 22. Great. And well, your license, will you be doing work in Chelsea, Everett? I know we had someone a year ago who their
license they were doing work for all surrounding cities and towns cities, but um will you strictly be working in Revere? As much as possible and then if a outside party asks for for help or for some service, I would probably help them out also.
Great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, counselor. President Zam Zuno. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks, Shawn, and uh I you've been a firefighter almost as long as I've been a city councilor. So, that's I believe so. That's pretty good.
But uh and I'm glad you've had uh your license to carry I think as long as me. So, uh we've got a lot in common. Listen, I know your character. I know you're going to be fine. And uh I certainly support you. Thank you. Best
of luck. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh permission to speak from the chair. Uh so uh in conversation with Mr. Bruno earlier, we realized that Mr. Bruno being a firefighter as well as a constable would need something called special municipal status in order for us
to Uh you know, according to the legal opinion by the Ethics Commission, um this would be something that we need to provide to him unless the Ethics Commission finds that it's unnecessary. Uh to play it safe, I would like to put
a motion on the floor to the subcommittee and hopefully we vote for it favorably. Uh Madam Clerk, uh it would be shall the city council designate the position of constable as a special municipal employee pursuant to
Mass General Law 268A. And if we could take a roll call on that. Shall the appointment subcommittee give the city council a favorable recommendation to award special municipal employee status to the position of constable?
Councilor Coglianadro? Yes. Yes, Councilor Haas? Yes. Yes, Councilor Mercurio? Yes. Yes, Councilor Silvestri? >> Yes. Yes, and Chairwoman McKenna is absent. The uh recommendation is to allow for special municipal employee status for the position of constable.
And on the appointment, all in favor? All opposed? So voted. Thank you very much and uh as you all know, I keep a low profile and I won't do anything out of hand. Thank you. Next appointment is communication from
the mayor relative to the appointment of Juan Jaramillo to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board. I've been notified by Mr. Jaramillo that he will not be able to attend tonight's meeting, Chairman. Thank you, Madam Clerk, and at the request of the Chairwoman McKenna, this
will be tabled to the next appointment subcommittee. Next item is communication from the mayor relative to the appointment of Daniel Osseina to the license commission. I do not see Mr. Osseina. Um so, we will have to table this one as
well. Communication from the mayor relative to the reappointment of Thomas Carlton to the Conservation Commission. Good evening, sir. Name and address for the record, please. Evening. Tom Carlton, 320 Revere Beach Boulevard, unit 328. Sorry, I'm moving.
Thank you for being here tonight, sir. I'm going to open this up to the subcommittee members. Councilor Silvestri. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for coming up tonight. And um what what do you enjoy about being on the Conservation Commission?
Oh, wow. Hard-hitting one. Ooh. Um just making sure everyone's doing the right thing. Uh also helping out the smaller people who don't know what they're getting into with uh Wetlands Protection Act. Okay. How long How long
have you been in Revere? 14 years. Okay. Well, thank you for what you do. Continue doing some good work, and uh I appreciate your efforts in wanting to be on boards here in the city. It's takes people like you to to make the city really function with boards and in
planning and stuff like that. So, thank you very much. >> Appreciate it. Thank you, Councilor. Any other councilors? Permission to speak Oh, excuse me, Mr. President. Go ahead. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I I I just have to say I liked your answer. I thought that was a great answer to
Councilor Silvestri's question, and it shows uh that you really care about what you do, and I'm grateful that you're on this board. I appreciate that. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Permission to speak from the chair? Granted. Thank you. Tom, I've seen you up in action on
the ConCom. You are an excellent commissioner. You know what you're talking about, and you're not afraid to ask questions and postpone things when you need to if you're not happy with the answers. So, you absolutely have my support as well. Good chair. On the reappointment, all in favor, all
opposed? Aye. So ordered. Thank you. Congrats. Congrats, man. >> [snorts] >> Communication from the mayor relative to the reappointment of Robert Silvestri to the License Commission. Good evening, sir. Name and address for the record, please. Good evening. Good evening.
Name and address. >> Robert Silvestri, 11 Barrett I actually 10 Ocean Avenue, Revere. Thank you for being here tonight, sir. Opening it up to subcommittee members. Council Silvestri. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Rob, thanks for coming up tonight. Um My pleasure. How many years has this been now?
On the License Commission? >> Yes. >> Uh we're going on, I think, 8 years or so. 8 years, and you know, you really put in a a yeoman's effort, Rob. Like, you're out in the street, you you go and do your research when you have issues in nightclubs or bars or places with their
licenses. You're you're boots on the ground. You you get involved, and and you really make sure you understand what's going on. You just don't give a decision off the seat of your pants because someone suggests it. You really make sure you you get the law down, and and you understand it, and I
appreciate that. And uh I look forward to moving you on and having you again. So, thank you. Thank you very much, Council. I appreciate that vote of confidence. Thank you, counselor. Counselor Haas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Rob, thanks so much for being here. Congrats on another term. Like you said,
8 years plus a 6-year term here, that's 14 years. That's pretty remarkable. Thanks for all you do for the city. I know you really care about the city, but thank you. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Thank you, counselor. Counselor McKearney. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Robert, thank
you for being here this evening. Uh you do a great job up there. You know what times it gets very difficult when it comes to licensing for the bars and restaurants in here. And I've seen it firsthand. I've come to several meetings and uh you do a very good job keeping order and
uh make sure everyone is fair and and you're a fair person. So, we thank you for all the hard work you do and uh I hope it continues into the future. Well, I appreciate that, counselor. Thanks for the vote of confidence. Thank you, counselor. Mr. President, President Zambuto. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I certainly don't want to say anything negative after all this uh Well, speak your mind, counselor. >> [laughter] >> Uh actually, I I to speak my mind is that Yeah, I I I understand. >> I'm grateful that you're on that license commission. You're a steady, strong voice and uh you don't take any
uh crap from anybody. You do what's right and uh I know your character and I'm grateful that you want to serve another 2 years or whatever the appointment is. So, thank you very much. Thank you, counselor. I appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. President. Permission to
speak from the chair. Thank you. Mr. Sulloway, in my experience with you, I find you to be very knowledgeable, and fair and reasonable with anyone who comes before you. I've seen you give chance after chance for businesses to do the right thing. You're very supportive of new
businesses coming before you. Um I hope you stay there as long as you want to. Thank you very much. On the motion, all in favor? All opposed? Aye. Aye. So, ordered. Thank you. Communication from the mayor relative to the reappointment of Stephen Riordan to the election commission.
Does not appear that Mr. Riordan is here today. We will table that until the next meeting. Communication from the mayor relative to the reappointment of Bernardo Sepulveda to the Conservation Commission. Good evening, sir. Name and address for the record, please. Good evening. Bernardo Sepulveda, 330
Reservoir Avenue. Thank you for being here tonight, subcommittee members. Councilor Silvestri. Thanks for coming tonight. Shows your dedication. And I'll ask you the same question. What What do you enjoy about being on on the Conservation Commission?
Yeah, it's it's a pleasure for me to help the community be part of the the commission. And you know, educate sometimes the people about the conservation
procedures and and knowledge because they have a lot of questions sometimes. So, I I really honor and enjoy to help. Well, I appreciate you being a strong conduit between residents and and city government and
the way things run and laws. Just keep doing a good job. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, councilor. President Zambuto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I happen to know this gentleman very well. I know his character. And he he didn't come with a lot of
experience in ConCom when he got on here, but I knew the type of person he is and that he would learn quickly and he certainly has and he's developed a a good rapport up there and uh I'm just happy that he wants to serve
again and that the mayor is reappointing him. So, best of luck to you, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, President Zambuto. On the motion, all in favor, all opposed? So ordered. Congratulations. Thank you. Communication from the mayor relative to
the reappointment of James O'Brien to the Zoning [clears throat] Board of Appeals. Good evening. Name and address for the record, please. Good evening. James O'Brien, 87 Outwood Street. Thank you for being here tonight, subcommittee members. Councilor Silvestri.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Jimmy, thank you for coming up tonight. Again, uh another person that's really dedicated to the role. Um you you went through a few years of being a a fill-in, and then you joined joined the committee. So, it shows your dedication,
I appreciate it. Just uh please continue to do a good job and and stand firm for the for the Zoning Board. Thank you very much, counselor. Thank you, counselor. Counselor Mercurio. Um thank you, Mr. O'Brien, for being here tonight. Uh I just have a couple questions for you four or five questions I'd like to ask you. And these are
questions I get from uh residents Thank you, Mr. O'Brien, uh for being here. Um I have about five questions I'd like to ask you. And these are questions that people bring to me uh to ask to the Zoning Board, and I am very limited to be asked these questions at a ZBA hearing. So, with you being
here, I just have five questions I'd like to ask you pertaining to ZBA rules and regulations, if I may. Um can you walk me through uh how you decide whether a variance meets the legal standard of hardship and simply being more profitable for a
developer? Well, I mean, the hardships majority of the hardships we have, I'd say, are probably topical. Um we're not all uh developers, we're not architects, engineers. I get a packet,
I'm told why it doesn't meet the requirements, and I look it up. So, that's how I go about it. Okay. Great. And how do you measure the impact of a project on the surrounding neighborhood, traffic, density, parking, and quality
of life? In the neighborhood, I I look at it as if it's my neighborhood. I I look at the project if I was living there, how I would feel about it. Sometimes the project uh I look at the hardship, the impact on
the neighborhood, and I look at the uh benefit for the community itself. Sometimes the benefit and the impact are conflicting, and it makes for a difficult decision. But, you know, I try to make the best decision that I possibly can, even though they're
conflicting. Okay, thank you. With that being said, how do you ensure decisions remain independent and are influenced by repeated applicants or developer developers? Well, I mean we're all autonomous, so I mean we make up our own decisions uh
on the development itself. I mean I don't know what else to say about that. It's just I I look at the development and I decide whether or not I'm going to vote for it or not vote for it. Okay. And what do you think Revere should look like in the next 5 to 10 years?
And how do you How's it How does zoning decisions support that vision? Well, I I think it should go the way it's going right now. I think Revere is great. It's I think it's so much better from when I moved in 15 years ago. I mean, I look down the beach. I I go to the Drift. I
look at all the projects down there, the apartments, the people going to work every day, the new high school. I think we're going in the right direction. Okay, great. And one more question, if I may. Looking back, is there any decision you
would reconsider or handle differently? Uh yeah, there was one when I first got on the board. It was a gazebo. All right, and I didn't know if all the votes were in the affirmative. I was brand new member, and I voted wrong. Rose Street. Be correct. Thank you.
Great. Um thank you. That's all I have, and I appreciate time and effort and uh continue doing a good job at the ZBA. Thank you. Thank you, counselor. Counselor has Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Jimmy, thanks so much for being here. I got to know you over the last probably 5 years or so, but um >> [clears throat]
>> you're a great man. You really care deeply for the city and like you said, you've been here for 15 years. Um so you've really seen the city change, you know, and I know I know you really care and I know you really care where the city is headed, but I just want to thank you. I love I love how you said you look at every project like it's
taking place in your neighbor- neighborhood. And I think that's really important, but I appreciate your honesty and I'm appreciate all you do for the city. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, counselor. President Zambuto Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to ruin my reputation here tonight because
everything I have to say is positive, but it just it just so happens that uh the candidates tonight are all uh exceptional people that I I know for a long time. And Jimmy served as an alternate for quite a while
on that board. And uh I believe truly that he's a person of integrity and he really cares about the city. We may disagree on one or two projects, uh but the direction of the city uh but he truly cares about
doing what's right and and I don't think he's influenced or doing duly un- uh duly influenced by someone just because he knows the developer. I think if he uh didn't think if he thought that a project was detrimental to the neighborhood, he would not vote for it.
So, uh I'm happy that he wants to serve again and I'm happy that the mayor is reappointing him. Thanks, Jimmy. Thank you, counselor. Thank you, President Zambuto. On the motion, all in favor, all opposed? Aye. So, ordered. Congratulations.
>> Congratulations. Communication from the mayor relative to the re-appointment of Gerard Cole as a constable for the city of Revere. Good evening. Name and address for the record, please. 350 Revere Beach Boulevard. Excuse me, Gerard Cole, 350 Revere Beach Boulevard.
Thank you for being here tonight, sir. I'm going to open it up to subcommittee. Councilor Silvestri. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Cole, thank you very much for coming up. Um how long have you been a constable? How long in Revere? And what makes you enjoy doing so? Thank
you. Actually, I was a constable back in '16, 2016. And I just love to serve the community. I've been in Revere now probably almost like 15, 20 years. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Continue to do a good job and you have my support. Thank you.
Thank you, counselor. Any other counselors? Permission to speak from the chair. Good evening, sir. Um Good evening. So, I the first thing is that this you were signed off by the police department that holds pretty much all the weight for us.
Thank you. Um you said you were a constable prior in the city of Revere. And how long did you serve for? I served for 3 years. 3 years? And what capacity? What types of jobs? Because the rules were different back then. >> I was doing a a lot of evictions and most mostly evictions, basically. And as
far as now, if we decide to appoint you again, what type of work would you be performing? Subpoenas, warrants, everything under the under the uh constable. Got you. Okay. Anyone else?
On the motion. Oh, sorry. Councilor Silvestri. Thank you for the leeway, Mr. Chairman. Um I apologize. License to carry, all up-to-date, everything good? Yes, sir. I've been licensed for about now 20, 25 years and it's all good. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you,
counselor. On the motion, all in favor, all opposed? Aye. So ordered. Granted. Thank you so much. There is no further business. This meeting is adjourned. One more motion.