🔨 Council Demands Tremblay Appear at Meeting
Heat Wave | Disability Flag Raising | The Civic Week Ahead
Man, it's a hot one, Framingham. (...Like seven inches from the midday sun…)
After taking a week or so off from The Ham’er, I’m back. July is a bit slow so this week’s issue is shorter than usual.
Let’s dive in…
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Council Demands Tremblay Appears at Meeting
Framingham Public Schools Superintendent Robert Tremblay will appear at tonight’s Council meeting after Councilors voted 11-0 “in accordance with the Home Rule Charter, to have the Superintendent required to attend the next meeting in accordance with Article II 7b and invite the School Committee to join.” The motion was made by Councilor Michael Cannon and seconded by Vice Chair Tracey Bryant.
School Committee Chair Jessica Barnhill will also appear with Tremblay.
Formal letter from Council: Chair Phil Ottaviani wrote to Tremblay in a formal letter under the guidelines of the Charter, “As you are aware, the Council has repeatedly expressed concerns on behalf of residents about the ongoing, daily safety of students and others in the Framingham Public Schools and on buses. Violence continues to be of great concern and it is the Council's hope to enact a collaborative effort to address it before the opening of the next school year. The Council invites the Chair of the Framingham School Committee, Ms. Jessica Barnhill, to be in attendance and participate in this meeting. Members of the Framingham School Committee are also invited to attend.”
Barnhill’s response: Leading up to tonight’s meeting, Chair Barnhill responded with documentation outlining student privacy rights, Massachusetts law regarding suspension and expulsions, and School Committee minutes addressing recent school violence issues.
What does Article II 7b say?: Simply it states that the Council can require any officer, member of a department or employee to appear before it to give any information the Council may require “in relation to the municipal services, functions, powers, or duties which are within the scope of responsibility of that person and within the jurisdiction of the council.”
Why did the Council request to see Tremblay?: At the Tuesday, June 4 Council Meeting, the Council voted to invite Tremblay again to a Council meeting to address more concerns about recent school violence. On the June 25 meeting agenda, it stated the Chair requested Tremblay to provide an update pertaining to the most recent violence on a middle school bus.
Tremblay’s response: In an email to the Secretary of the Council, Tremblay stated he would be away on vacation this week, and could not attend. Further, he said: “...my formal engagement with the City Council last winter seems to have created confusion in the community as to where matters of education policy, budget, and my responsibilities as Superintendent of Schools lie in terms of elected official oversight. I feel it is best to make that course correction now so that we don't perpetuate confusion.”
School Committee handles school issues: Tremblay recommends a joint meeting between the Council and the School Committee, moving forward, to “discuss educational matters that would otherwise fall under the purview of the Framingham School Committee.”
Previous visit to Council was a long one: Dr. Tremblay last visited the Council in February to discuss recent school violence. He spent an hour and 28 minutes discussing Councilor questions and concerns.
What’s next?: Considering that school issues are, in fact, under the purview of the School Committee, and not the Council, it will be interesting to see what action items or resolutions will come out of tonight’s meeting.
It is Hot Out There - Stay Cool!
The Sisitsky Administration declared a heat emergency this afternoon as temperatures reached the triple digits. The heat will stick around for tomorrow, but thankfully cool off on Thursday.
If you need a place to chill out, visit one of Framingham’s three cooling centers:
Main Framingham Public Library at 49 Lexington Street – open until 9 p.m.
Christa McAuliffe Library branch at 746 Water Street – open until 9 p.m.
Callahan Center for seniors aged 55 and older at 535 Union Avenue is open until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, and until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, and Thursday, July 18.
Or head to the beach: Our three beaches are open: Saxonville Beach, Learned Pond Beach, and Lake Waushakum Beach. Visit the city website for information about our beaches.
Disability Flag Raising Next Week
Next Thursday the Disability Flag will be raised over the Memorial Building in celebration of Americans with Disabilities Act Day.
Sponsored by the Disability Commission, the event highlights Framingham’s disability community and celebrates accomplishments made to make Framingham more accessible to all, while recognizing more work needs to be done.
What time does it start? The flag raising starts at 6:00pm at the Memorial Building Plaza (150 Concord Street).
The event line-up: Speakers include Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, Disability Commission Chair Sheryl Goldstein, State Representatives Danielle Gregoire, Jack Patrick Lewis, and Priscila Sousa, Council Chair Phil Ottaviani, and District 3 Councilor Adam Steiner. Entertainment will be provided by the Flutie Foundation’s Spectrum of Sound.
The Civic Week Ahead
Tuesday, July 16
Wednesday, July 17
In Closing…
Please stay cool during these hot days! I’ll be back next week with a review of tonight’s Council meeting and catching up on some loose ends.
-Mary Kate