Board of Aldermen 8-11-2020 Page 11
Resolution will have a first reading, a second reading and then passage. And then after the first reading it
will be referred to a Committee. We as a Board of Aldermen don’t make decisions by ourselves, we do it by
a whole and we do it by the Committee process. So maybe it was my fault for assuming we were following
the Ordinances and the rules and if | am mistaken about that, | apologize. But as Director Cummings
pointed out in his Memo, the Ordinance require 5-91 requires that amounts over $1 million dollars be
approved by the Board of Aldermen. What does that mean? That we just accept what — we have excellent
people working for us, Director Cummings is one of them. And | don’t doubt that for a minute. But the
people didn’t elect us to just rubber stamp what our staff tells us is the right thing to do. We have an
obligation to look into it ourselves. And we do that through Committees, that’s my only point. | don’t want to
hold up the Board of Health and their moving process. But | am not going to take the blame for this. This is
not my doing. | am not the one, | mean this could have been presented to the Finance Committee, a
Special Meeting could have been called by the Mayor and this could have been vetted by the Finance
Committee and tonight we would have a recommendation from the Finance Committee. But that wasn’t
done. It is just being presented to us and | apologize but | cannot support this without what | think is the
proper following of the Ordinances and the rules and the proper procedure.
President Wilshire
Alderman Jette, the Finance Committee did approve this contract; they approved it up to $3.6 million. It’s
been to Committee. | don’t understand why you are thinking this is just getting passed ...
Alderman Jette
Madam President, the price has been reduced by $800,000.00. We don’t know if under the circumstances
the price could be reduced by $1 million. How do we know? Do you know? | don’t think so. We are just,
you know, we are saying the price is less, isn’t that terrific? Maybe it could be more, maybe it could be less
than that. | am not saying it should be, | am not saying it can be, | am just pointing out that we are, in my
opinion, we are not doing our jobs and so | mean | understand most of you disagree with me. But that’s
how | feel and | apologize for it.
President Wilshire
You don’t owe anybody an apology Alderman Jette, but you are right, some of us don’t agree with it. | don’t
agree it, and | am entitled to not agreeing with it as much as you are entitled to your opinion on the matter.
Alderman Clemons?
Alderman Clemons
Thank you, Madam President. | agree with | guess Alderman Lopez earlier, a brief synopsis would have
been nice with the Agenda, | think that would have helped. Maybe going forward we can do that, however,
we got the Agenda on Friday. Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday, Monday all day today. Why is the
question being asked tonight at the meeting is my question? It is our responsibility when we read the
Agenda which comes out on Friday to look at it, but not only to look at it but to understand it first of all. And
if we have any questions to ask them. So it probably would have been appropriate to ask Director
Cummings ahead of time what your questions might have been.
Secondly we are not violating any Ordinances and we are not violating the rules on the Board either
because this isn’t an Ordinance and it is not a Resolution; it is a contract. And the contract already came
before the Finance Committee and was voted on. This is a reduction in that contract which has to be voted
on by the entire Board of Aldermen. So | can see where the Mayor and Director Cummings had the
thought process that because it was a reduction that it shouldn’t have to go back before the Finance
Committee, because it was a reduction. And | understand the point that, well how do we know if it was the
appropriate reduction, but again, that is something that should have been asked ahead of time, particularly
because the Agenda shows that it was intended to be passed this evening.
