Board of Aldermen 11-26-2019 Page 22
Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja
Thank you. | too was looking at this informational meeting and looking at the timelines but as Alderman
Dowd indicated there will be a presentation prior to the Public Hearing. As | am looking at the e-mail
about the informational meeting, | would hope that much of the information that is going to be presented
at the informational meeting will be presented the night of the Public Hearing because all of the
Aldermen need to have that information to vote or at least those who are members of the Budget
Committee. Supposedly this e-mail says that they are going to talk about the options that were
analyzed regarding the renovation of the current facility, potential of utilizing City land and the option of
building new. | would think all of that will be presented at the Public Hearing. So what | would
encourage people to do is watch the Public Hearing, even if you don’t want to come to City Hall
because | think for some people that will be the first time they hear the information. And then go to the
informational meeting the next night and then maybe have some questions crafted after listening to the
Public Hearing. Seek answers for your questions or additional information. And then again when that
piece of legislation comes back to the full Board there will be another opportunity to at least comment,
not ask questions, but comment. So a good presentation at the Public Hearing | think will lay a nice
base for people to have 24 hours to mull over what is going to be presented to go to the informational
meeting and not hear that information cold but then maybe dig a little deeper. I’ve been looking across
the horseshoe at Alderman Dowd and | am sure you will convey that message to DPW.
Alderman Dowd
Not only will | convey it, but | am sure the Mayor will as well.
Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja
Thank you.
Alderman Lopez
| just want to say, well it is my understanding of roles that while the at-large Aldermen have to represent
the entire City and have obligations to engage and interact with the entire City, one of the reasons |
have never wanted that job, it is because at the local level we also have the same obligations to
represent our constituents in a vote, make decisive action and then also to engage them when issues
that we are not sure about personally, we want to make sure they are aware of, we have a
responsibility to actually reach out to them and act as ambassadors. The timeline laid out here seems
like there is plenty of opportunity for us to do that as local Aldermen as well. There will be plenty of
media. The City spends money on paying staff to put it on YouTube, to promote it on Public Access, to
record the minutes and all of that.
We have the media in this room, and | believe they will be at this meeting now, so there is going to be
plenty of content. So | think if there is concern that our constituents aren’t going to be aware of
something, then we need to work to make sure they are aware of it.
Alderman Jette
| realize that the Board of Public Works needs new facilities. | learned that after | was elected and
before | attended the first meeting of the Board. So | am not opposed to their building a new building. |
feel it is very important that my constituents in Ward 5 where this proposed, you know, the landifill
property where this is proposed to be. They deserve an opportunity to hear what the plans are. | am
looking and because | am down this path this far, even though there doesn’t appear to be a light at this
particular tunnel for me. | feel that | need to pursue this. So right now the informational meeting is
scheduled for December 9". The Budget Review Committee has a meeting presently scheduled for the
16" and the Board of Aldermen has a meeting scheduled for the 23. If | am not correct it seems to me
that we could postpone the Public Hearing on the BPW building only, not the Middle School, just the
