Minutes
Town Council · from the Town's website · 5 pages · 33 KB
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TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF DECEMBER 16, 2025 President Letterie calls the meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Harvey Hearing Room ROLL CALL TOWN COUNCIL Present: Councilor Aiello, Councilor DeMarco, Councilor Costigan, Councilor Swope, Vice President Belcher, President Letterie on Present on Zoom-Councilor Costigan & Councilor Tassinar i PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Vice President Belcher MOMENT OF SILENCE- Peter Finn MINUTES Motion by Councilor DeMarco to Approve the Minutes of December 2, 2025, as circulated. 2 nd by Vice President Belcher ROLL CALL VOTE Yes: Councilor Aiello, Councilor DeMarco, Councilor Costigan, Councilor Swope, Vice President Belcher, President Letterie Yes, on Zoom -Councilor Costigan & Councilor Tassinari Motion Passed GENERAL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Aaron Toffler & Jerry Falbo of the Massport Community Advisory Committee give an update of current events and information. Please see Presentation on our Website https://ma-winthrop.civicplus.com/702/Massport-Citizens-Advisory-Update-12-16-26 PUBLIC HEARING Public Hearing Opened Town Council adopt that the Town Council appropriate $980,000 to pay the cost of replacing lead water service lines. DPW Director Calla gives update. This is our 7 th Lead Line Removal Project. This is a 10 Year Loan that allows us to remove our lead lines. Vice President Belcher reports the Finance Committee met earlier and voted with a Positive Recommendation Public Hearing Closed Motion by Councilor Swope to take this motion out of order. 2 nd by Councilor DeMarco ROLL CALL VOTE Yes: Councilor Aiello, Councilor DeMarco, Councilor Costigan, Councilor Swope, Vice President Belcher, President Letterie Yes, on Zoom -Councilor Costigan & Councilor Tassinari-Zoom Motion Passed TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 16, 2025, PAGE 1 Motion by the Finance Committee with a Positive Recommendation t hat the Town appropriates the sum of NINE HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($980,000) to pay costs of replacing lead water service lines, including all costs incidental and related thereto; that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Town Manager, is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to M.G.L. c.44, §7(1) and/or §8(5), or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor; that the Treasurer, with the approval of the Town Manager, is authorized to borrow all or a portion of such amount from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (the “Authority”) and in connection therewith to enter into a loan agreement and/or financial assistance agreement with the Authority and otherwise to contract with the Authority with respect to such loan and for any grants or aid available for the project or for the financing thereof; that the Town Manager is authorized to accept and expend any grants or aid available for the project or for the financing thereof, provided that the amount of the authorized borrowing for the project shall be reduced by the amount of any such grants or aid received; and that the Town Manager is authorized to take any other action necessary or convenient to carry out this project; No 2 nd Needed Coming From Committee ROLL CALL VOTE Yes: Councilor Aiello, Councilor DeMarco, Councilor Costigan, Councilor Swope, Vice President Belcher, President Letterie Yes, on Zoom -Councilor Costigan & Councilor Tassinari Motion Passed PUBLIC COMMENT Erin Barcellos P5 -Share her gratitude for Vice President Belcher and Councilor Aiello. This being her 16 th Town Council Meeting and she is grateful for their being with the Town Council. John Morgan P4 -Thanks the outgoing Town Councilors and appreciates all that they have done for this council and appreciates each outgoing councilor personally. Celeste Ribiero Hewitt P1 -Member of the Climate Commission and has sent the Town Council information on taking action on Morton St. It has been over 18mos. they have done “hotspots” on town that are impacted by infrastructure and climate. Approx. $80 Million Dollar Project. Looking forward to an actionable response from the Town Council. There has also been a letter sent to the Transcript. She also thanks the outgoing Councilors and personally thanks them. Marci Hamilton P2 -Reads her Holiday Wish List. Looks for funded climate resilience stage. All constituents have a voice. Wishes all the new councilors. od luck. Cassie Withaus P6 -Thanks outgoing councilors for all their hard work. Needs representation on the North Suburban Consortium that Winthrop can help contribute to future projects. Marty Finn P6 -Thanks all outgoing councilors. Lisa Alberghini P4 -Thanks all outgoing councilors. Remembers each individually. Tom Derderian P3 -Thanks all outgoing councilors. Does his normal pitch for helping our Town Trees. Asks citizens to contribute to the Tree Watering, purchase and maintain trees. CORRESPONDENCE None COMMITTEE REPORTS FHBC-Council President reports the committee met last week and had a neighborhood meeting. Decided to wait until after Christmas to begin construction of tearing down. Week after Christmas trucks will be coming in ready for the tear down. Demolition should take 3-4 weeks to take building down, then a 3-4 week clean up. SCHOOL DEPARTMENT REPORT Council President reports committee met last evening. Also have departing members leaving, he personally thanks Suzanne Leonard serving as Vice Chair, Julie Barry and Chair Jen Powell. They will be missed and wishes newly elected best of luck. Hockey Season has begun. Boys team travelled to Lake Placid, it was a great experience. UPDATE POLICY MAKING COMMITTEES- Please see attached…. TOWN MANGER REPORT-Please see attached copy of report. Town Manager Marino reviews a letter written by Council President to the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy with regards to the denial of the grant of the Cooling Quarter Grant of $100,00 for our Trees. Due to the fact we are not MBTA 3A Compliance this is still a grant that should have been considered for our town. Town Manager states budget season has begun. Information has been sent out to each department head for them to submit their FY27 Budgets. Councilor Swope asks about water leaks in homes and increasing in home occupants. Town Manager reports normal increase in homes with occupants but this is one of the reasons why increased water usage in that particular property. Leaks can cause a major increase in your water bill. She is asking how we can see this increase in people. Will it be in the Census? Town Manager Marino gives an update on the Dispatch Center’s future new location the McKinly School in Revere. Bids have gone out on the School for General Contractors. It’s a dual use building for Revere; it will also be used for a school and 1/3 of this building will be for the Dispatch Center. OLD BUSINESS Town Council adopt that the Town Council appropriate $980,000 to pay the cost of replacing lead water service lines. This motion was taken out of order and voted on. Town Council Sub Committee Minutes Town Council President reports that the Sub Committees are lacking in their meeting minutes and encourages these committees to turn their minutes in prior to the end of the year. NEW BUSINESS Ingleside Park Update: Baseball/Softball Field, Pickle Ball Courts Council President reports action on the baseball field. It will have the ability to be multi use. New home of the Winthrop High School Girls Softball team. The success that the town has had with pickle ball involves our Tennis Courts of which we will be adding two pickle ball courts. Town Councilor Appreciation: Vice President Belcher, Councilor Aiello, Councilor DeMarco, Councilor DaRos Town Council President discusses our outgoing Town Councilors and Citations will be given for each outgoing Councilor and discusses the last years with these Councilors and the individuality each councilor has brought to our town and Precincts. Each outgoing Councilor remembers their last years with the council of their experiences, education and emotion of being involved with their community and the great opportunity they have been involved with. TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 16, 2025, PAGE 2 Current Town Councilors thank all the outgoing councilors for their hard work and commitment and direction to each other with assisting each other during their time on the Town Council Each agreed that social media can be a detriment and all must be very careful of this in the future. It used to be to find friends, family and have fun on. It can and has been used for unfortunate comments on people. Council President thanks each councilor for their taking their seats seriously and doing the best they can to provide for our community. PUBLIC COMMENT Shannon Poulos P3 -Want to thank all outgoing councilors for their hard work, time and commitment. Thanks, President Letterie, for his continued hard work on this council. Everybody needs to look in the mirror to see what they can do for their town. Cassie Withaus P6 -Encourages all to continue participation within these council meetings. Kim Dimes P2- Thanks all the outgoing councilors for their hard work and commitment and looks forward to working with councilors who want to stay involved. Kurt Millar P2- Thanks all outgoing councilors and look forward to being a member of this council and hopes all keep involved, whether with the councilor or personal. Celeste Ribeiro Hewitt P1- Discusses that town can be divided on what has or has not been done but work still needs to be done and is looking forward to less social media, less venom and more working together. Contribution of all is needed. PUBLIC RELATIONS / UPCOMING EVENTS Dec. 7, 2025, Following 10 AM Church at St. Michaels, Amy’s Breakfast with Santa Dec. 14, 2025-Beginning of Chanukah Dec. 17, 2025-Menorah Lighting at French Sq. 7 PM Jan. 6, 2026-Swearing in Ceremony – Sr. Center at 6 PM ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn by Councilor DeMarco at 7:20pm 2 nd by Vice President Belcher ROLL CALL VOTE Yes: Councilor Aiello, Councilor DeMarco, Councilor Costigan, Councilor Swope, Vice President Belcher, President Letterie Yes, on Zoom -Councilor Costigan & Councilor Tassinari Motion Passed Public Documents used in the meeting are available at Town Managers Office. Documents Used in this Meeting: Handwritten Notes / Committee Openings Documents Roll Call Log Written Motions / Verbal Motion Respectfully submitted. Denise Quist Town Clerk Council Clerk TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 16, 2025, PAGE 3