🔨 Disturbing Public Comments, School Violence and the Return of the Great Stationery Debate
Outrageous Public Comments During Council Meeting | Tremblay Addresses School Violence | Council Argues Over its Rules | What I'm Reading | The Civic Week Ahead
How’s the Nor’easter for you, Framingham? Roads are clear and the snow is a covering of wet slop. Certainly not good quality for sledding. Even with all of their technology, maybe the media should hedge their frantic reports about snow.
In this issue I am going thru the top four highlights points of interest from last week’s Council meeting. Buckle up.
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Disturbing Public Comments, School Violence and the Return of the Great Stationary Debate: Last Week’s Council Meeting
The Blumer Room was as packed as the meeting agenda for the Tuesday, February 6 Council meeting. Teachers, parents and students gathered to hear from Dr. Robert Tremblay regarding violence in the Framingham Public Schools.
First the happy news: After public comment the Council recognized former District 8 Councilor Judith Grove’s 80th Birthday. Proclaiming February 6th as Judith Grove Day, the Council resolution stated all of Judy’s professional and community achievements, including her service on Town Meeting, the Framingham’s First City Council and her work on Mary Dennison Park. It was a well deserved honor!
Disturbing Public Comments
Fake profiles spew hate via Zoom: A group of anti-Semites using fake names and addresses used the public comment section to share their disgusting views.
Baby shark: One of the callers claimed to be a student at Framingham State, but couldn’t give the address. Another gave a real address in the city, but an address that was so ordinary it probably exists in every town in the country. By the fourth caller, the crowd in the chamber started to singing the “Baby Shark” tune to drown out the hateful comments.
One of the callers gave out a website linking to known hate group GDL, who have a lengthy description on the Anti-Defamation League’s website. These tactics on Zoom are very much part of their MO.
Not the first community: Framingham appears to be one of many communities who lately been the subject of these verbal attacks. The Ashland Planning Board had a similar issue.
Comments from the Mayor: Before the giving his Mayor’s Report, Mayor Sisitsky read a statement about the comments, stating “The words spoken tonight were antithetical to my core beliefs and were a personal affront to every person in attendance or watching this.”
Dr. Tremblay Addresses School Violence
On the heels of a viral video of a fight at Framingham High: Dr. Robert Tremblay and Mark Albright, Acting Principal of FHS, gave an update on the status of violence in the public schools, not just FHS.
What they said: “We have behaviors manifested as communications in our schools that include biting, fighting, kicking, punching, swearing at staff…all of the things that make us wonder why we do what we do, and how this could possibly happen in our schools,” said Tremblay.
The facts: According to Tremblay, school suspensions are 170% higher than the previous year. 121 staff members are dedicated toward student social-emotional health, also a significant increase. About 1% of all students in the elementary and middle schools, and 2% of students in the high school, who are taking up 98% of the resources dedicated towards student improvement. There have been 16 fights at the high school this academic year so far. Tremblay also remarked there are state laws that outline the why and how a student can be suspended or expelled.
The 1%: Framingham, like everywhere else, is facing a mental health challenge among young people. Many of the students in the 1% are from troubled backgrounds and are experiencing forms of trauma, along with other mental health issues. Tremblay said “1% support meetings” are held in every school to watch and discuss those students in need. Tremblay expressed the importance of meeting students’ needs sooner, for example getting a student into an Individualized Education Program (IEP) faster than usual to start addressing their needs.
Additional Potential Remedies: While the issues are complex, Tremblay and Albright outlined several initiatives to help alleviate the situation. Tremblay did acknowledge there are too many students at FHS.
Expanding the Thayer Campus: Thayer is an extension of FHS for students who have not been able to succeed in a traditional academic setting. The plan is to move the program from Lawrence Street to the Farley Building, now that MassBay moved out. The move provides space for more students.
Exploring alternative programs at FHS that are a better fit for some students, such as evening opportunities.
Campus Safety Monitors at FHS: According to Albright there are 9 CSMs, who are not educators, monitoring public spaces at the school. One of the Vice Principals walks the hallways with a CSM daily. CSM are stationed at every bathroom to limit how many go in at a time.
Councilor Comments: Chair Phil Ottaviani said “How do kids learn if they don’t feel safe? Not feeling safe has to be the worst feeling of all.” Councilor Noval Alexander, an educator in another community, recommended establishing a school court of justice, where students have a voice in the restitution process. Councilor Michael Cannon who began the questions, requested FPS keep the Council in the loop about what is going on in the schools concerning this issue.
The one hour and 28 minute discussion resulted in no items to be voted on, but an understanding this is an ongoing situation that may require further collaboration in the future.
The Return of the Great Stationery Debate
Longest Council meeting in years: The last one hour and 37 minutes of Tuesday’s meeting came to a screeching halt at 11pm, due to Council Rules stating no meeting can go beyond 11pm. Speaking of rules, they spent that 1 hour 37 minutes debating their Rules for this session.
Background: Every new Council session, the Chair appoints a Temporary Rules Committee who review the Council Rules, the guidelines for how they operate, and if necessary make suggested changes. So far in our brief history as a city, the Council Rules have become ground zero for arguments, snide remarks, petty comments, and a tug of war between factions.
This year Chair Ottaviani appointed five members to the Temporary Rules Committee: himself, Tracey Bryant, Christine Long, Janet Leombruno and Michael Cannon. The committee met and voted 5-0 to adopt the existing rules with the opportunity to review them again in six months.
The Debate: After spending 8 minutes deciding on how to proceed, Chair Ottaviani allowed Temporary Rules Chair Tracey Bryant run the meeting. Councilors Steiner, Long and Bryant submitted a memo with further suggested changes after the Temporary Rules Committee voted to approve and move the rules onto the Council.
The Great Stationery Debate: Councilor Adam Steiner made a motion to bring back a rule from two sessions previous that prevented Councilors from sending letters using official Council stationery without a majority vote from the full Council.
This rule was first put in place in June 2020 after five Councilors wrote a letter to the Mayor advocating for restaurants during the early days of the pandemic. Due to open meeting laws, not every Councilor was consulted and this resulted in some Councilors being upset they were not included. The rule was removed from Council Rules at the beginning of the 2021-2022 session. No issues regarding letterhead has occurred since May 2020.
Ottaviani commented that Councilors should be able to use the letterhead for letters of support for individuals and grants, and should not need to get Councilor approval. Steiner remarked if he needed to use stationery, he would use his own personal stationery. Councilors Cannon and Long pointed out that using personal stationery for official business is problematic.
How to solve this problem: Councilor Brandon Ward made an amendment stating official Council stationery can be used by an individual, or communication initiated by a subcommittee or the Council. The amendment passed 6-5 (Steiner, Long, Bryant, Mallach, White Harvey, Ward - Ottaviani, King, Leombruno, Cannon, Alexander).
Creating a New Subcommittee: Also in the Long-Steiner-Bryant Memo was a recommendation to create a new subcommittee called the Capital Improvement Committee, to assess Framingham’s facilities and capital budget. Under the Charter, most of this responsibility is given to the Finance Subcommittee.
Ottaviani pointed out this proposed committee was discussed in the Temporary Rules Committee (TRC) but was voted down, and lead to an ongoing discussion about whether or not the TRC was “rushed”. Ottaviani further pointed out the irony of the conversation preventing more than one Councilor getting together to write something on letterhead, but now it is okay three Councilors wrote a memo proposing new rules after the TRC met.
Steiner argued having this subcommittee is important to oversee the city’s important assets and gives another committee so all councilors can sit on three committees each. Leombruno commented “I was told by some people that Councilors have too many meetings, subcommittees and are overworked. I asked where did you hear that? ‘Oh some of the Councilors complained there was too much work.’”
How to solve this problem: Alexander recommended making it an ad hoc committee. Ward made the amendment to establish a 3 member ad hoc committee about capital improvements. Steiner’s original language failed 4-7 (White Harvey, Steiner, Bryant, Long - Ward, Alexander, Mallach, King, Ottaviani, Leombruno, Cannon). Ward’s amendment was approved 11-0.
Running out of time: Further chaos ensued as the clock was about to strike 11pm. A discussion about rejoining the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which had been tabled several times, was next on the agenda. The Mayor left the Council meeting during the debate about subcommittees and didn’t return. Councilor Leslie White Harvey made several attempts to approve membership without discussion or a presentation, while other Councilors made motions to adjourn or remarked that due to the time the meeting had to end.
The meeting ended at 11:00pm.
What I’m Reading
Puttshack, designed to challenge your putting game, opens this weekend at Natick Mall
March 5 primary ballot will look different for Framingham Democrats
Wealthier Mass. communities avoid brunt of expanding shelter crisis, Globe analysis shows
In Milton, it’s downright ugly with neighbors against neighbors ahead of Tuesday’s vote on housing
Mass. leaders say Steward Health Care will not receive bailout
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, February 12
Tuesday, February 13
Wednesday, February 14
In Closing…
Many of you have asked when does Season 2 of The Ham’er podcast drop. Well, season 2 starts recording soon! Catch up on previous episodes here. Have suggestions on who I should talk to? Let me know!
Have a great week,
Mary Kate