HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-08-03 ad Hoc - Reading ARPA Advisory Committee MinutesorR
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Meeting Minutes T OWN CLERK
Board - committee - commission - council: 2622 SEP - I AM 7: 40
Reading Arpa Advisory Committee
Date: 2022-08-03 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: Reading Town Hall
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: General Business
Attendees: Members - Present:
Location:
Select Board Meeting Room
Session:
Open Session
Version:
Final
Chair Marianne Downing, Vice Chair Mark Dockser, Shawn Brandt (remote),
Geoffrey Coram (remote), Chris Haley, Joe McDonagh, Tom Wise
Members - Not Present:
Andrew Grimes
Others Present:
Town Manager Fidel Maltez, Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom (remote),
Community Services Director Jenna Florente (remote), Roisin Munson, Gioia
Butler, less Bailey, Tim McIntire, Michelle Hopkinson, Gail Calazza, Diane
Finigan, Gregory Cate, Sherilla Lestrade, Karen Gately Herrick, Laura King
(remote), Karesa Killam (remote), Sarah Cestrone (remote), loellen Killam
(remote), leniffer Rogers (remote), All (remote), Rev Emilia Attridge
(remote), Joyce's !phone (remote), Mary Anne (remote), VIP (remote), Meg
Powers (remote), Catherine's !phone (remote), Ellen Commito (remote),
Ann's iphone (remote), Lauren Gramolini (remote), Vanessa Alvarado,
Simone Payment (remote), Hal Torman (remote), Meesh 814 (remote),
Mark Farrin (remote), Chuck Webberly, Pastor Joseph Young
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held in-person at the Town Hall Select Board Meeting Room and remotely
via Zoom.
Chair Marianne Downing called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Jess Bailey, president of the Reading Teachers Association, along with members Michelle
Hopkinson, Ro Munson, Tim McIntyre, and Giola Butler, contextualized the experiences of
teachers during the pandemic and asked that the RAAC hold all bargaining units to the same
standards. Teachers shared their experiences struggling to get kids to wear masks
properly, having added responsibility of cleaning, having to alter routines and family
Interactions, having increased workloads and taking on additional roles, having salaries
affected where stipends for extracurriculars were reduced, managing hybrid classroom
models, and risking exposure to COVID.
Select Board Chair Mark Dockser called the Select Board to order at 7:10 pm.
The Committee members asked many questions about how many teachers were In-person
and when, and which teachers they feel are Included in the request for ARPA funds. Ms.
Bailey stated that the RTA Is not asking for people who have left, or left the profession, but
are asking the RAAC to consider people who retired. She also stated that they will work
with the administration to collect data as requested by the Committee, including who
worked In-person and when, and who and how many staff had their stipends reduced.
Gall CalaZZa, Treasurer of the Reading Paraeducators union, noted that their union agrees
with a lot that was laid out by less Bailey of the RTA, but wanted to focus on the risks that
paraeducators took during the pandemic. The average age of paras is over 50 years -old
and many have underlying conditions. This posed risks to themselves, their families, and
those who support their elderly parents. Many took leaves, and left the profession for good.
Ms. Calazza noted that paraeducators are some of the lowest paid employees in the district.
Paras assisted with the hybrid model by working In-person with students, taking on multiple
students across multiple grade levels due to the shortage of paras, and working in
windowless classrooms where air circulation was a concern. There are approximately 115
paraeducators in the union, about 75% of whom are full time. The Paraeducators are asking
that COVID funds be distributed equitably for those who worked from September 2020 to
June 2021.
Diane Finnegan, President of the Reading Association of Secretaries recalled the experiences
of the school secretaries during the pandemic. On March 13th, everyone was sent home,
but the school secretaries continued to work from home. In May, the secretaries were
asked to return to their buildings. They worked with administrative staff to empty lockers
and desks, and facilitated the return of belongings to staff and students. The office is the
hub of activity of the school, and secretaries were always in the presence of other people,
including students who were symptomatic waiting to see the school nurse. Pool testing was
also organized by the secretaries. Ten of the thirteen secretaries work year-round, with the
other three working August to June. They tracked who was remote or not, and when
attendance was affected by quarantine. The Secretaries are asking to be treated equitably
in the distribution of ARPA funds, and are asking for pay for nine secretaries who started In
May through August 2020, and three who worked from May to June 2020, not Including one
who retired at the end of lune.
PRESENTATION /DISCUSSION (follow ug) - Reading Chamber of Commerce to
Present/discuss updated request for ARPA funding in view of receiving state grant
of 425k:
Jeniffer Rogers, President of the Reading North Reading Chamber of Commerce, and Laura
King, Treasurer, provided an updated request to the RAAC, which was adjusted due to
funding coming from the state. The Chamber is requesting: $15,000 to support
membership, which is down due to COVID; $10,000 for extensive marketing for Shop the
Readings; and $4,000 for signage downtown to alert people to the fact that stores are open
during construction. The North Reading Economic Development Committee Is also
contributing $8,900 for the Shop the Readings campaign. The $15,000 helps support new
memberships, and memberships for businesses who are past due, but unable to justify the
expense at this time, as they are still trying to recover from the Impacts of COVID. It will
help membership for the next two to three years. The focus is on businesses that need the
help.
The Reading ARPA Advisory Committee held a brief recess at 8:43 pm and was
Celled back to order at 8:49 pm.
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Chuck Webberly, President of Reading Youth Lacrosse, outlined the benefits of having a
lacrosse wall, not just for lacrosse, but also for soccer, tennls, and stick ball skills. Years
ago, one of the members on the Youth Lacrosse Board worked in construction and was
going to be able to get the wall donated. But that member is no longer on the board, and
the organization can no longer get the wall donated. The organization can try to fundraise
for a $10,000 donation, but Mr. Webberly requested that the RAAC support funding the wall
project.
PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION (follow up) - Readina Food pantry to present
amended request and RAAC discussion on same:
Vanessa Alvarado presented the amended ARPA request for the Reading Food Pantry based
on the Committee's feedback. The total amended request is $84,600 for $12,000 for 2
industrial size refrigerators, $57,600 for gift cards for three years, and $15,000 for a space
consultant to help identify space within Reading that is accessible to neighbors. There is
$25,000 earmarked by the state for future construction, but It is not yet guaranteed, and
the Food Pantry cannot count on it until the money is actually received. The $57,600 for
gift cards anticipates having more neighbors in need over the next three years.
Committee member Andrew Grimes was unable to attend this evening's meeting. The
Committee was able to continue their discussion without his recommendations. Mark
Dockser advocated for additional funding toward a new Senior Center and activities, and
affordable housing. Chris Haley advocated for Birch Meadow, as ARPA funds are limited,
and Birch Meadow has been waiting for a decade. Tom Wise and Joe McDonagh agreed with
Birch Meadow, as the survey indicated a need for more recreatlon and the project is more
shovel ready than a senior center, and Mr. Wise stated that his other priority is water based
on survey responses and Its alignment with ARPA restrictions. Geoffrey Coram agreed with
Mr. Wise, and noted that Town Meeting voted to use ARPA funds for the water tower, and
expressed his concern on funding the Imagination Station parking lot at Birch Meadow.
Shawn Brandt noted that the Imagination Station parking lot Is about creating safe
accessible parking and managing storrnwater. He also noted that he initially recommended
allocating $100,000 for affordable housing, but now feels it is premature to do that. He also
noted that a lot of ARPA funds have already been allocated for water and sewer, and use of
free cash would be a more appropriate use for the water tower. Marianne Downing noted
that ARPA might not be able to fund It all, but could fund a little of a lot.
Most Committee members agreed that premium pay for essential workers should be
considered, though Joe McDonagh stated that while he does not take the work of essential
employees for granted, there were many people who faced hardshlps and were not
compensated, and he favored other priorities based on community input and Investing In
the community for the future. There Is more discussion and data needed surrounding the
time frame to be considered, what amount or percentage of ARPA funds should be allocated,
and the number of employees eligible. Committee members Shawn Brandt and Tom Wise
were tasked with creating a formula to assist with allocating which employees might be
awarded funds, and how much. Marianne Downing stated she would try to gather the head
counts of employees by month.
Discuss future aaenda items
The Committee discussed and agreed on August 3111, September 6th, and October 12th for
future meeting dates. At the next meeting on August 31", the Committee agreed to invite
back the YMCA and AFSCME to further discuss their requests.
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The Committee reviewed the minutes from the ]uly 13, 2022 meeting, and requested a
minor edit.
On a motion by Mark Dockser, and seconded by Shawn Brandt, the Reading ARPA
Advisory Committee voted 7-0-0 to approve the meeting minutes of July 13, 2022
as amended.
Roll call vote: Shawn Brandt - Yes, Geoffrey Coram - Yes, Tom Wise - Yes, Chris
Haley - Yes, Mark Dockser - Yes, Joe McDonagh - Yes, Marianne Downing - Yes.
On a motion by TOM Wise, and seconded by Mark Dockser, the Reading ARPA
Advisory Committee voted 7-0-0 to adjourn at 11:17 pm.
Roll call vote: Geoffrey Coram - Yes, Joe McDonagh - Yes, Shawn Brandt - Yes,
Tom Wise - Yes, Chris Haley - Yes, Mark Dockser - Yes, Marianne Downing - Yes.
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