MELROSE, MA — It's the weekend. So let's shake the reporter's notebook and see what comes out.
Coming together
It's easy to be invested when issues have a lot of friction — everyone has an opinion about the problems. But people rarely get as involved in the solution.
So because it's important to understand what the compromise on the issue involving bias training and guns consists of, here it is again.
(Read a recap of Wednesday's meeting.)
- Melrose is taking $26,000 that was once earmarked for upgrading police guns and $14,000 that was once headed to IT to fund an external needs assessment of racial equity across the city. This is not implicit bias training, though it stands to reason that the assessment could lead to that.
- The police are likely still getting their gun upgrades, just not as soon as anticipated. Mayor Paul Brodeur committed to taking $26,000 from the next round free cash (expected to be certified by November) to fund the upgrades.
- Brodeur also committed to taking at least $100,000 from the next round of free cash to help implement whatever suggestions come of the external needs assessment.
- Lastly, Brodeur said the FY22 budget (which would go into effect July 1, 2021) will begin what would be an annual commitment to funding a diversity, equity and inclusion line item. That would go "to assist in meeting the challenges and goals identified through the external needs assessment and any related actions including, but not limited to, training, diversity in recruiting, hiring and retention practices, and community engagement," according to a memo from Brodeur.
So the guns and bias training (or a reasonable facsimile) are likely on deck, and there will be dedicated funding for equity and inclusivity moving forward. It wasn't everyone's perfect outcome — and in some respects it's just the start — but this is what meeting in the middle looks like.
If and when Brodeur makes the aforementioned proposals, they will still need to pass the Council. Obviously much of this was agreed upon behind the scenes (more on that in a minute) and there is no reason to think this won't all happen. But if we've learned anything over the last month, it's that public opinion and external circumstances are powerful, and nothing is done until it's done.
On the agreement between the Council and the mayor: We've heard questions about how an issue that was pitting people against each other in previous meetings was so quickly resolved without any public discussion. Surely an Open Meeting Law must have been violated, some have said.
Multiple sources Patch spoke with said that was not the case. There is a limit to the number of councilors who can speak on Council matters outside official meetings, but that number was not exceeded.
Brodeur found common ground with some of the opposing councilors leading up to Wednesday's meeting, though it wasn't immediate. Multiple sources told Patch that Councilor Mark Garipay brokered an important meeting between Brodeur and some councilors.
The acrimonious Council meetings the past few weeks have rightfully garnered some local attention, but we're not sure any unforgivable lines were crossed. Juxtapose the frustrations that boiled over in Melrose with the naked falsehoods and disrespect just down the road in Everett.
Friday's disheartening Boston Globe story about what the first black woman on the City Council has endured from her colleagues makes Melrose spats look like patty-cake. One councilor accused the woman, Gerly Adrien, of, "trying to destroy our city since day one." A former councilor called her "a cancer on the City Council."
But our favorite line came from Councilor Wayne Matewsky, who the story points out is white.
"I personally have not experienced racism in Everett."
Right. From one fellow white man who grew up in Everett to another: Take a step back, councilor. Maybe take a step down.
Melrose officials have disagreements, often very healthy ones, and they can make for good theater in a relatively quiet community. But everyone always seems to be working toward a similar goal: A better Melrose.
Not sure the same can be said in Everett.
It's hard to imagine any Melrose officials making such obtuse statements.
Monday
There are five meetings or hearings scheduled for Monday night: Finance, Appropriations, Planning Board, City Council and a public hearing for the Planning Board. Among the discussions:
- There has been a lot of talk about Melrose potentially consolidating all voting locations to the middle school gym for the September and November elections. Without advocating for or against it, it's important to remember the city is counting on what is expected to be early and mail-in voting this year, which would in theory reduce how many people head to the polls.
- Keep an eye on the Melrose Emergency Fund order, in which Councilors Shawn MacMaster and Jeff McNaught will be trying to pry some information from the administration.
- A demolition of the home at 272 Tremont St. and the construction of a mixed-use four-story building.
This and that
Brodeur's office was supposed to release the results of a citywide self-examination regarding racial inequality by June 19. Sunday is June 28 ... Expect a whole lot of news from Patch over the summer on what school will look like this fall — both in Melrose and beyond. The state's back-to-school guidelines were released last week and tell districts to plan for a return to class, continuing remote learning and a mixture of the two. Here's a good overview and some personal questions from School Committee Member Jen McAndrew ... Will there still be a Fourth of July without cute kids riding their wagons around the Common? According to the calendar, yes. Take a look at what the city is asking you to do instead ... A great "what if?" is what would have happened if the Council didn't run out of recording space in its June 15 meeting. In many ways, it was the best possible ending to that evening ... Can't say Councilor John Tramontozzi didn't try. Tramontozzi tried to make at times even painfully minor cuts to the budget in every department — even the City Council salaries — throughout the process. His reasoning: There could be thin days ahead due to the pandemic. He was the lone "no" vote on the final budget approval ... You know the scene in 'Elf' where Will Ferrel busts into the coffee shop to congratulate on having the "world's best coffee," as noted by a sign out front? We might do that to Petrone's for their buffalo chicken ... It had been a while since we had an everything bagel toasted with cream cheese from Bruegger's ... Thank heaven for peach biscuits from Buckalew's.
Thanks for all the feedback these past few weeks, positive and otherwise. Reach me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me on Twitter @PatchCarraggi for the latest Melrose happenings. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free and like us on Facebook.
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