Agenda

Town Council · from the Town's website · released Nov 10, 2026 · 33 pages · 2.1 MB
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WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL

Town Councit Members MEETING AGENDA
Town Council President James Letterie
Vice President Swope-Precinct 4 NOVEMBER 16, 2026 6:30 PM
Precinct 1 Councilor Costigan
Precinct 2 Councilor Dimes TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
Precinct 3 Councilor Romano DELEO SENIOR CENTER
Precinct 5 Councilor Reardon

Precinct 6 Councilor Finn
Councilor at Large Millar
Councilor at Large Tassinari

CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
LLEGI E
MINUTES
* Approval of Minutes October 20, 2026 & October 27, 2026 as circulated
1. ENE 0 0
= Swearing in Fire Fighters
Firefighter Harry Benson Firefighter Nathan Rich
Firefighter Adam Lundbergh Firefighter Jason Rich
* Citation

= FY27 Tax Classification Presentation- Nate Kramer and Deputy Assessor Kathy Hickey

«  FY27 Tax Classification as Addressed by the Assessor’s Office and Presented by Deputy Assessor and
to vote to establish the local property tax rates for the upcoming fiscal year

= Town Council Review Establishing an Amendment to Chapter 17.50 Of the Winthrop Zoning ByLaw

Special Provision Applicable to the CBD Designating the Town Council as the Special Permit

Granting Authority for the CBD in place of the Winthrop Planning Board

Town Council Review Amending Parking Requirements 17.50.210 for Center Business District (CBD)

Town Council Review Eliminating Footnote 14 & 15 and Amend Max Stories Height Table 17.16.030

Town Council Review Striking the Entire Section 17.50.210 (d) — Fees in Lieu of Parking CBD

Town Council Review Amending Section 17.12.040 Mixed use

Town Council Review Tree Ordinance as presented by Councilor Swope

PAGE 1

10.

Il.

NEW BUSINESS
«Town Election Recap-Review current Voting Tabulators
e Town Council Authorize the Creation of a Temporary AI Policy Subcommittee
¢ 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
¢ Town Council Review OML Complaint (s)--(All information is on the Town Council Website and
included in Agenda Package on Website)
o Mark Sennott-
o Mark Sennott
o Mark Sennott
o Birin Martynowicz

¢ Town Council Review Referred Information to Rules & Ordinance Committee prior to 6 month
dissolution.

PUBLI ELAT. E
Nov. 11, 2026 Veterans Day Celebration 11 AM
Nov. 27, 2026-Holiday Lights & Victorian Nights — French Sq. 3-6:30 PM

ENT

Page 2

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Town Hail, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1742 Fax: 617-846-5458

Motion by: Councilor Romano November 5, 2026

MOTION

I move that the Winthrop Town Council to establish an amendment to Chapter 17.50 of the
Winthrop Zoning Bylaw, Special Provisions Applicable to the Center Business District (CBD),
for the purpose of designating the Town Council as the Special Permit Granting Authority
(SPGA) for special permit applications within the Center Business District, in place of the
Planning Board.

I further move that:

The proposed zoning amendment revise Sections 17.50.120 and 17.50.130, and any other
applicable provisions of Chapter 17.50, to reflect the proposed designation of the Town Council
as the Special Permit Granting Authority for the Center Business District.

October 27, 2026

To: Winthrop Town Councit
Ce: Senator Lydia Edwards; Winthrop Town Attorney Jim Cipoletta; Town Manager

Anthony Marino

Re: Formal Opposition to Proposed Transfer of Special Permit Granting Authority and
Center Business District Zoning Amendments

Dear Members of the Town Council,

!am writing in my capacity as Chairman of the Winthrop Planning Board to formally express
my opposition to the proposed transfer of Special Permit Granting Authority (SPGA) within
the Center Business District (CBD) from the Planning Board to the Town Council, as
presented in tonight's October 27, 2026, special meeting agenda.

l respectfully but firmly believe that Special Permit Granting Authority should remain
with the Planning Board, where professional expertise, technical review, and long-
term planning considerations are central to the decision-making process.

This proposal represents a significant change to Winthrop's land-use governance, removing
permitting authority from a board specifically constituted to address planning and
development matters and transferring it to a legislative body whose primary responsibilities

serve a different purpose.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41, Sections 81A and 81D, establish the statutory
framework for municipal Planning Boards and thelr role in guiding the long-term physical
development of their communities, Section 81D specifically addresses comprehensive
planning across land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, and economic
development. Chapter 40A, Section 9, further recognizes Planning Boards as eligible
Special Permit Granting Authorities.

These responsibilities are closely connected. A community's long-term planning objectives
must ultimately be reflected in the individual development decisions that shape its
physical environment. This is especially important within Winthrop's Center Business
District, where individual projects collectively influence the character, economic vitality,

and future of our downtown.
Winthrop's Planning Board is composed of dedicated volunteers with professional

experience in planning, architecture, design, development, and zoning. These individuals
contribute substantial time and expertise to reviewing proposals involving site design,

density, building massing, parking, circulation, infrastructure, and neighborhood
compatibility. Their professional judgment provides a tevel of technical scrutiny,
consistency, and institutional continuity that is particularly valuable in municipal

development review.

The Town Council serves an essential legislative role in establishing zoning policy and
representing residents. The Planning Board serves a distinct and complementary function
in applying those regulations through specialized, independent technical review.

The authority to establish zoning policy and the responsibility to apply that policy to
individual development applications are fundamentally different functions.
Maintaining this distinction strengthens the integrity of the permitting process and helps
ensure that individual decisions remain consistent with the Town's broader planning

objectives.

While Massachusetts law permits municipalities to designate different Special Permit
Granting Authorities, no compelling justification or demonstrated public benefit has been
presented for removing this responsibility from the Planning Board. Nor have deficiencies
in the Board's administration of special permits been identified to justify such a substantial

restructuring.

A change of this magnitude should be supported by a clear demonstration that the existing
process is inadequate and that the proposed alternative will better serve the community.
Absent that justification, transferring this authority risks weakening the professional
oversight and continuity that Winthrop's existing land-use review process provides.

lam equally concerned that this proposal is being advanced alongside several other
substantive amendments to the CBD zoning ordinance, including changes to parking
requirements and associated mitigation fees, ground-floor residential restrictions, and

building height limitations.

Individually, these amendments warrant careful planning consideration. Collectively, they
could materially alter the character, development standards, and future growth of
Winthrop's downtown. The Council is effectively considering changes to both the rules
governing development and the authority responsible for administering those rules. Such a
consequential combination deserves comprehensive evaluation of its individual and

cumulative impacts.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40A, Section 5, establishes specific procedures for
zoning amendments, including Planning Board referral, public hearings, and an opportunity
for formal recommendations before adoption. These requirements reflect the Legislature's
recognition of the Planning Board's role in evaluating changes to municipal zoning.

Given the significance of these proposed amendments, | respectfully request that the Town
Attorney clarify whether tonight's motions initiate the zoning amendment process or seek
final adoption and confirm that all applicable statutory requirements have been satisfied
before any final legislative action is taken.

| therefore respectfully request that the Town Council decline to support the proposed
transfer of Special Permit Granting Authority and defer final action on the remaining CBD
zoning amendments until the appropriate statutory review and planning evaluation have
been completed.

Winthrop is fortunate to have residents willing to volunteer their professional knowledge in
service to the Town. That expertise should be meaningfully incorporated into decisions that
shape our community, particularly when those decisions directly relate to the
responsibilities and qualifications of the Planning Board.

A Planning Board entrusted with guiding the future of its community yet removed from
meaningful permitting decisions in its central business district, represents a troubling
disconnect between long-term planning and the decisions that ultimately shape that
future.

This is a consequential decision with implications extending well beyond tonight's meeting.

1 ask the Council to preserve the Planning Board's established role, recognize the value of
professional land-use oversight, and protect the integrity of Winthrop's development review

process.

Chairman, Wintlrop Planning Board

Submitted in my capacity as Chairman. The views expressed are my own and do not
represent a formal position of the Planning Board unless separately adopted by the Board.

| respectfully request that this correspondence be distributed to all members of the Town
Council and entered into the official meeting record.

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1742 Fax: 617-846-5458

Motion by: Councilor Romano November 5, 2026

MOTION

I move to amend 17.50.210- Parking requirements for Center Business District:

Current: 17.50.210- Parking requirements for Center Business District. D. Fees In Lieu of Parking. In the
Center Business District, any commercial or mixed-use structure that is required to provide parking spaces
may make payments to the town in lieu of providing for part of the on- site required parking. Payment made
to the town in-lieu of providing up to 50% of the required on-site parking spaces for a project in the Center
Business District (CBD) shall be allowed by special permit from the planning board, consistent with
standards to be adopted by, and published in advanced by the Planning Board. These standards must be kept
on file with the Winthrop Town Clerk. A one-time fee of twenty thousand $20,000 (the approximate cost of
a structured parking space) per parking space is to be paid to the Town of Winthrop prior to the receipt of an
occupancy permit. Fees in-lieu of parking shall be deposited into a town downtown parking reserve account
to be used for expenses (e.g. land acquisition, design/engineering services and construction costs) related to
adding parking spaces, improving the utilization of existing parking spaces (e.g., signage, parking
management activities), or reduce the need for new parking to serve the Center Business District (e.g.,
bicycle, parking, ride sharing, improved transit).

Replace with: 17.50.210-Parking requirements for Center Business District. D. Fees in Lieu of Parking. In
the Center Business District, any commercial or mixed-use structure that is required to provide parking
spaces may make payments to the town in lieu of providing for part of the on- site required parking. Payment
made to the town in-lleu of providing up to 10% of the required on-site parking spaces for a project in the
Center Business District (CBD) shall be allowed by special permit from the planning board, consistent with
standards to be adopted by, and published in advanced by the Planning Board. These standards must be kept
on file with the Winthrop Town Clerk. A one-time fee of twenty-five thousand $25,000 (the approximate
cost of a structured parking space) per parking space is to be paid to the Town of Winthrop prior to the
receipt of an occupancy permit. Fees in-lieu of parking shall be deposited into a town downtown parking
reserve account to be used for expenses (e.g. land acquisition, design/engineering services and construction
costs) related to adding parking spaces, Improving the utilization of existing parking spaces (e.g., signage,
parking management activities), or reduce the need for new parking to serve the Center Business District
(e.g., bicycle, parking, ride sharing, improved transit). Requests to appropriate funds out of this Reserve
Account shall be filed with the Town Council.

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1742 Fax: 617-846-5458

Motion by: Councilor Romano November 5, 2026

MOTION

I move to Eliminate both Footnote 14 and Footnote 15 and amend Max Stories/Height in Table 17.16.030:

Current: Footnote 15 tag to Height limits in Central Business - Footnote 15. For lots greater than 100,000
square feet in area that are adjacent to a residential district, Footnote 14 shall not apply and the maximum
height shall be 35 feet at the minimum setback and may increase one additional foot up to a maximum
height of 48 feet so long as an additional foot of setback is provided for each foot of additional height up to
48 feet. Where the height maximum is lass than 48 feet, the maximum number of stories shall be 3.

Proposed change: Eliminate both Footnote 14 and Footnote 15 and revise Max Stories/Height in Table
17.16.030 to Maximum Height of 35 feet only in the Center Business District (CBD)

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1742 Fax: 617-846-5458

Motion by: Councilor Romano November 5, 2026

MOTION

I move to strike the entirety Section 17.50.210 (d) - Fees in Lieu of Parking.

Current: Fees in Lieu of Parking. In the Center Business district, any commercial or mixed use structure
that is required to provide parking spaces may make payments to the town in lieu of providing for all or
part of the on-site required parking. Payment made to the town in-lieu of providing up to fifty (50)
percent of the required on-site parking spaces for a project in the central business district (CBD) shall be
allowed by special permit from the planning board, consistent with standards to be adopted by, and
published in advance by the planning board. These standards must be kept on file with the Winthrop
Town Clerk.

A one-time fee of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) (the approximate cost of a structured parking
space) per parking space is to be paid to the Town of Winthrop prior to the receipt of an occupancy permit.

Fees in-lieu of parking shall be deposited into the town downtown parking reserve account to be used for
expenses (e.g., land acquisition, design/engineering services and construction costs) related to adding
parking spaces, improving the utilization of existing parking spaces (e.g., signage, parking management
activities), or reducing the need for new parking to serve the Center Business district (e.g., bicycle parking,
improved transit).

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1742 Fax: 617-846-5458

Motion by: Councilor Romano November 5, 2026

MOTION

I move to amend 17.12.040-Mixed Use:

Current: 17.12.040-Mixed Use. Under "Dwelling units shall be allowed on ground floors of buildings if :"
C. the street frontage exceeds 100 feet in length and the maximum ground floor street-facing dwelling units
do not exceed 75 percent of street frontage: at the discretion of the Planning Board by special permit
consistent with standards to be adopted by and published in advance by the planning Board. These standards
must be kept on file with the Town Clerk.

Proposal to Eliminate the following in its entirety: C. the street frontage exceeds 100 feet in length and
the maximum ground floor street-facing dwelling units do not exceed 75 percent of street frontage: at the
discretion of the Planning Board by special permit consistent with standards to be adopted by and published
in advance by the planning Board. These standards must be kept on file with the Town Clerk. Changes to
Chapter 17.16.030 Table of Dimensional Regulations

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1742 Fax: 617-846-5458

Motion by: President Letterie November 5, 2026

MOTION

Motion to Establish an Artificial Intelligence Policy Subcommittee

Motion: | move that the Town Council establish a seven-member subcommittee of a temporary
Artificial Intelligence Policy Subcommittee for the purpose of reviewing the potential use of artificial
intelligence technologies in municipal government and developing recommendations for an Artificial
Intelligence Policy for the Town of Winthrop municipal government.

Its membership to be appointed by the Town Council President
One (1) Town Councilor

One (1) Town Manager or designee

One (1) Superintendent or designee

Four (4) Residents of the Town of Winthrop

Town Council will direct the subcommittee to review current state and municipal Al governance
practices and develop recommendations for an Artificial Intelligence Policy for consideration by the
Town Council and request that the subcommittee report its findings and recommendations to the
Council at the April 20, 2027 Town Council Meeting

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN MANAGER

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1077 Fax: 617-846-5458

Authony Wvarino
Town Manager

Town Council Motion
November 5, 2026 Fiscal Year 2027

Motion Summary

Title: FY27 Lead Line Replacement Project (Contract 14)
Motion ID: TCM27-004

Amount: $980,000.00

Funding Source: MWRA Lead Line Replacement Program

Moton Details

Motion Type: Borrowing Authorization
Submitted by: Anthony Marino, Town Manager
Date Subiiitted: Noveniber 5, 2026

Text of Motion
MOTION: I move that the Winthrop Town Council adopt the following order:

ORDERED: That 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. ¢.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 payments received prior to the issuance of any
bonds or notes; and that the Town Manager is authorized to take any other action necessary or convenient

to carry out this project;

Funding Details
Funding Source Funding Destination
Account Description Amount Account Description Amount
MWRA BORROWING {$980,000 Water/Sewer [Lead Line {$980,000
(Capital Project |Replacement
Fund Project

Please Cow werk acopy
we Vou nr Conne |

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ~ res\ dev
Office of the Attorney General

One Ashburton Place REC = i,
Boston, Massachusetts 02108 EIVE D4n
"2026 OCT 21 P 2: Ihe
OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM;

wo

\
Pup uices
» instructions for completing the Open Meeting Law Compla nt 'F

The Attorney General's Division of Open Government interprets and enforces the Open Meeting Law, Chapter 30A of the
Massachusetts General Laws, Sections 18-25. Below is the procedure for filing and responding to an Open Meeting Law

complaint.

Instructions for filing a complaint:
o Fill out the attached two-page form completely. Sign and date the second page. File the complaint with the public

body within 30 days of the alleged violation. If the violation was not reasonably discoverable at the time it
occurred, you must file the complaint within 30 days of the date the violation was reasonably discoverable. A
violation that occurs during an open session of a meeting is reasonably discoverable on the date of the meeting.

0 To file the complaint:
o Fora local or municipal public body, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the

public body AND to the municipal clerk.
o  Forall other public bodies, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the public body.
o Complaints may be filed by mail, by email, or by hand. Please retain a copy for your records.
0 Ifthe public body does not respond within 14 business days and does not request an extension to respond,
contact the Division for further assistance.

Instructions for a public body that receives a complaint:

0 The chair must disseminate the complaint to the members of the public body, 72

o The public body must meet to review the complaint within 14 business day: isually 20-22 calendar days).

o After review, but within 14 business days, the public body must respond to the complaint in writing and must
send the complainant a response and a description of any action the public body has taken to address the
allegations in the complaint. At the same time, the body must send the Attorney General a copy of the complaint
anda copy of the response. The public body may delegate this responsibility to an individual member of the
public body, its counsel, or a staff member, but only after the public body has met to review the complaint.

0 Ifa public body requires more time to review the complaint and respond, it may request an extension of time for
good cause by contacting the Division of Open Government.

Once the public body has responded to the complaint:

o if you are not satisfied with the public body's response to your complaint, you may file a copy of the
complaint with the Division by mail, by email, or by hand, but only once you have waited for 30 days after filing
the complaint with the public body. Mail may be sent to: The Division of Open Government, Office of the
Attorney General, One Ashburton Place - 20" Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Emails may be sent to:
OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

o When youfile your complaint with the Division, please include the complaint form and all documentation
relevant to the alleged violation. You may wish to attach a cover letter explaining why the public body's
response does not adequately address your complaint.

0. The Division will not review complaints filed with us more than 90 days after the violation, unless we granted an
extension to the public body or you can demonstrate good cause for the delay.

If you have questions concerning the Open Meeting Law complaint process, we encourage you to contact the Division
of Open Government by phone at (617) 963-2540 or by email at OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108
Your Contact Information:
First Name: Mark Last Name: Sennott
address: 1/ Girdlestone Rd
City: Winthrop State: MA Zip Code: 02152

Phone Number: [removed] pt
[removed]

Email:

Organization or Media Affiliation (if any):

Are you filing the complaint in your capacity as an individual, representative of an organization, or media?

(For statistical purposes only)

{) Individual [_] Organization [] Media

Public Body that is the subject of this complaint:

(Hl City/Town [_] County [_] Regiona/District [_]State

Name of Public Body (including city/ Winthrop Town Council

town, county or region, if applicable):

Specific person(s), ifany, youallege Town Council President Jim Letterie

Date of alleged violation:

committed the violation:
10/20/26

Page 1

’ Description of alleged violation:

Describe the alleged violation that this complaint is about. If you believe the alleged violation was intentional, please say so and include
the reasons supporting your belief.

Note: This text field has a maximum of 3000 characters.

President Jim Letterie introduced the council to an idea to zone the Winthrop Golf Course as a 3A Overlay
district during the October 20th Town Council meeting. This was not on the agenda in the meeting
beforehand, nor did anyone else in the meeting bring this topic up first. He also gave a summary of a recent
meeting he had with the EOHLC at an unspecified previous time and reported on that meeting to the council.
Nothing relating to 3A, the golf course or the EQHLC was on the agenda or mentioned previously to
President Letterie introducing it. When questioned, the President said that this information was on the town
manager's report, which is just not true (please see attached town manager's report for details). Then he
said that he did not have time to update the agenda. Nothing came up mid meeting that would make the
President bring this up. It is clear to me that he always wanted to give this update but he did not want to put if
on the agenda as he did not want people to attend the meeting and speak out about it during public
comment. As the chair of the committee, if he wanted to talk about this (as should have been reasonably
expected as the meeting with the EOHLC happened well before this council meeting), then he should have
put it on the agenda plain and simple, even if that meant amending the agenda. This is also on top of a
separate issue earlier in this same meeting, where | had my hand up to be called on during multiple public
hearings and the President chose to close the public hearing before ever calling on me. Breaking the open
meeting law, then lying about it is inexcusable and | will not stand for his opaque way of running this town
council. |, as long as the rest of the residents, should have the right to speak out on issues without fear of the
President repeatedly skirting the rules and breaking MGL.

What action do you want the public body to take in response to your complaint?

Note: This text field has a maximum of 500 characters.

| would like President Letterie to take additional open meeting law training courses. | would also like
for him to issue a public apology taking full responsibility for breaking the open meeting law. This
apology shall take place at a regularly scheduled town council meeting during an open session. |
would like for him to commit to not breaking the open meeting law in the future and for him to make
it known publicly that he has (or will be very soon) taking additional open meeting law training
courses as a result of this mistake he has made.

Review, sign, and submit your complaint

I. Disclosure of Your Complaint.
Public Record. Under most circumstances, your complaint, and any documents submitted with your complaint, is considered a public record

and will be available to any member of the public upon request. However, the Attorney General's Office will not disclose your address, phone
number or email address in response to a public records request.

Publication to Website. As part of the Open Data Initiative, the AGO will publish to its website certain information regarding your complaint,
including your name and the name of the public body. The AGO will not publish your contact information.

Il. Consulting With a Private Attorney.

The AGO cannot give you legal advice and is not able to be your private attorney, but represents the public interest. If you have any questions
concerning your individual legal rights or responsibilities you should contact a private attorney.

Ill. Submit Your Complaint to the Public Body.
The complaint must be filed first with the public body. If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Open Government by calling

(617) 963-2540 or by email to OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

By signing below, | acknowledge that | have read and understood the provisions above and certify that the information | have provided is true
and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Signed: Mark Sennott Date: 10/21/2026
Y Prod La For Use By Public Body For Use By AGO
Date Received by Public Body: ‘Date Recelved by AGO:

Page 2

TOWN OF WINTHROP
OFFICE OF THE TOWN MANAGER

Town Hall, 1 Metcalf Square, Winthrop, MA 02152 Telephone: 617-846-1077

Anthony Marino
Town Manager
Town Manager Report

10-20-2026

* The Revere Street TIP project continues to wrap up, and the contractor is working
on punch list items. We thank everyone for their patience with this project and are
happy to move forward with revamped Revere Street, including new utility work
and sidewalks.

«The Fire Station retaining wall has been installed next to the existing gymnasium
building. Now that this work is complete, G&R Construction will be on-site to
prepare for the new foundations. The existing roof leaders that were dumping water
into the hole next to the gymnasium were identified and rerouted to go into the new
stormwater pipe that was installed. The stormwater system for the new fire station
building will be completed during construction.

¢ The McKinley School Construction project is moving along and is on schedule for our
regional dispatch center (MNRECC) to move in during September of 2027. We look
forward to moving into our new facility and welcoming Chelsea as the newest member of

our regional dispatch center.

¢ The new riprap rock structure is being installed at the properties located at 242/244
Grandview Avenue. We anticipate this will be completed next week, and then our
DPW crew will finish backfilling whatever remains to bring the grade back to street
level.

«The Coastal Dune at Yirrell Beach has been installed along with the wooden beach
fence and the access ramps. We are still waiting for the seagrass to be installed,
which will happen in November. Thank you to our DPW crew for their great work
installing the Coastal Dune!

* Great news: we have been awarded funds to plant trees through a Congressional
Airmark from the Office of Congresswoman Katherine Clark and funded through
the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, in the amount of $100,000.
After losing the cooling corridor grant last year, this is good news, as we can
continue to grow the Town's tree canopy.

Please contact me if you have any questions about the items listed above. Thank you.

Anthony Marino
Winthrop Town Manager

’ ZOOM AVAILABLE
Meeting ID: 82066827964#
Passcode: 509355
Phone: 1-309-205-3325

Town Council Members MEETING AGENDA

Town Council President James Letterie
Vice President Swope-Precinet 4

Precinct 1 Councilor Costigan
Precinct 2 Councilor Dimes TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
Precinct 3 Councilor Romano HARVEY HEARING ROOM

Precinct $ Councilor Reardon

WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL

OCTOBER 20, 2026 6:30 PM

Precinct 6 Councilor Finn
Councilor at Large Millar
Councilor at Large Tassinari

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
MINUTES

10.

Approval of Minutes October 6, 2026 as circulated
GENERAL INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
PUBLIC BEARING(S)
. Motion Amending Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for FY27
. Proposed Tree Ordinance

Review Center Business District Zoning (CBD)
FY27 Tax Classification

CORRESPONDENCE
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Finance Committee

Rules & Ordinance

TOWN MANAGER REPORT

OLD BUSINESS
Motion Amending Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for FY27
Rules & Ordinance - Dissolve for Six Month Trial Period

Review of Town Council Rules & Procedures
Small Commercial Vehicle Allowance for Resident Parking Sticker
Proposed Ordinance Amendment(s) Center Business District (CBD)
Proposed Ordinance-Tree

NEW BUSINESS
FY27 Tax Classification
Temporary Prohibition on the Use of AI by the Town Council Pending Adoption of an AI Policy by the Town of Winthrop

Holiday Lighting

IN COMMITTEE

Early Voting October 17% -30%-Town Hall Lobby-Business Hours

Please call the Town Clerks Office to verify your voting status-617-846-1852-Avoid Long Lines
Only (1) Town Council Meeting November 10, 2026

10-29-26 Halloween Haunt Winthrop Center - French Sq. 4-7 PM

10-30-26 Cummings School Trunk or Treat !-3:15PM

wd

Denise Quist

From:
Sent:
To:

Ce:
Subject:

Good evening.

James Cipoletta

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 10:19 PM

Joseph Romano

James Cipoletta; towncouncil@town.winthrop.ma.us; Anthony Marino; Denise Quist

Re: open meeting law complaint

This is a follow up to Councilor Romano's question regarding certain procedural aspects relative to an
OML complaint received by the town today. | have reviewed the complaint allegations as well as the law
pertaining to the Open Meeting Law. The complaint is made against Council President Letterie.

| have requested a copy of the audio and video of the October 20, 2026 council meeting as well as the
minutes taken at the meeting. The council should make every effort to meet to discuss the allegations
contained therein as soon as possible as required by law. Since the only council member named in the
complaint is Mr. Letterie, the response should be made by him or in his behalf.

| have intentionally refrained from citing allegations, facts, or any opinions relative to the merits of the

complaint in this e-mail

Respectfully,
James Cipotetta
Town Attorney

WINTHROP

MASSACHUSETTS

JAMES J. CIPOLETTA

Town Attomey

Town Hall - One Metcalf Square
Winthrop, MA 02152
Telephone 617.846.1852
icipoletta@winthropma.gov

From: James Cipoletta <jcipoletta@winthropma.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 6:03 PM

To: Joseph Romano <jromano@winthropma.gov>
Subject: Re: open meeting law complaint

Good afternoon , Councilor Romano.

RECEIVED and UNDER REVIEW.

Yes, you are correct with respect to meeting prior to submitting a response. The due date for response is
14 business days following service of the complaint. | will have more detail for you when the review is

complete later this evening.

Jim Cipoletta

WINTHROP

MASSACHUSETTS

JAMES J. CIPOLETTA

Town Attorney

Town Hall - One Metcalf Square
Winthrop, MA 02152
Telephone 617.846.1852
jcipoletta@winthropma.gov

From: Joseph Romano <jromano@winthropma.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 2:09 PM

To: James Cipoletta <jcipoletta@winthropma.gov>
Subject: Fw: open meeting law complaint

Good afternoon Attorney Cipoletta,

The council just received this complaint (files attached) from Mr. Mark Sennott. | just wanted to make
sure you were aware.

Reading the first page of this document it says the council has to meet about the complaint before the
town does any kind of response. Just want to confirm that my interpretation relating to the council having

to meet is true

Best Wishes,
Joe Romano
Winthrop Town Councilor, Precinct 3

From: Mark Sennott <[removed]>

Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 1:24 PM

To: jletterie@winthropma <jletterie@winthropma>

Cc: towncouncil@town.winthrop.ma.us <towncouncil@winthropma.gov>
Subject: open meeting law complaint

Description of alleged violation:
Describe the alleged violation that this compiaint is about. if you believe the alleged violation was intentional, please say so and Include
the reasons supporting your belief.

Note: This text field has a maximum of 3000 characters.

President Jim Letterie introduced the council to an idea to zone the Winthrop Golf Course as a 3A
Overlay district during the October 20th Town Council meeting. This was not on the agenda in the
meeting beforehand, nor did anyone else in the meeting bring this topic up first. He also gave a
summary of a recent meeting he had with the EOHLC at an unspecified previous time and reported
on that meeting to the council. Nothing relating to 3A, the golf course or the EOQHLC was on the
agenda or mentioned previously to President Letterie introducing it. When questioned, the
President said that this information was on the town manager's report, which is just not true (please
see attached town manager's report for details). Then he said that he did not have time to update
the agenda. Nothing came up mid meeting that would make the President bring this up. It is clear
to me that he always wanted to give this update but he did not want to put it on the agenda as he
did not want people to attend the meeting and speak out about it during public comment. As the
chair of the committee, if he wanted to talk about this (as should have been reasonably expected
as the meeting with the EOHLC happened well before this council meeting), then he should have
put it on the agenda plain and simple, even if that meant amending the agenda. This is also on top
of a separate issue earlier in this same meeting, where | had my hand up to be called on during
multiple public hearings and the President chose to close the public hearing before ever calling on
me. Breaking the open meeting law, then lying about it is inexcusable and I will not stand for his
opaque way of running this town council. |, as long as the rest of the residents, should have the
right to speak out on issues without fear of the President repeatedly skirting the rules and breaking

MGL.

What action do you want the public body to take in response to your complaint?

Note: This text field has a maximum of 500 characters.

| would like President Letterie to take additional open meeting law training courses. | would also
like for him to issue a public apology taking full responsibility for breaking the open meeting law.
This apology shall take place at a regularly scheduled town council meeting during an open
session. | would like for him to commit to not breaking the open meeting law in the future and for
him to make it known publicly that he has (or will be very soon) taking additional open meeting law
training courses as a result of this mistake he has made.

Review, sign, and submit your complaint

{, Disclosure of Your Complaint.
Public Record. Under most circumstances, your complaint, and any documents submitted with your complaint, is considered a public record

and will be available to any member of the public upon request. However, the Attorney General's Office will not disctose your address, phone
number or email address in response to a public records request.

Publication to Website. As part of the Open Data Initiative, the AGO will publish to its website certain information regarding your complaint,
including your name and the name of the public body. The AGO will not publish your contact information.

ll, Consulting With a Private Attorney.
The AGO cannot give you legal advice and is not able to be your private attorney, but represents the public interest. If you have any questions

concerning your individual legal rights or responsibilities you should contact a private attorney,

i, Submit Your Complaint to the Public Body.
The complaint must be filed first with the public body. if you have any questions, please contact the Division of Open Government by calling

(617) 963-2540 or by email to OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

By signing below, [ acknowledge that i have read and understood the provisions above and certify that the information I have provided is true
and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Signea: Mark Sennott pate: 10/21/2026
For Use By Public Body For Use By AGO
nua. jw Date Received by Public Body: Date Received by AGO:

Page 2 fl
rd

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Office of the Attorney General

One Ashburton Place EC El VE D

Boston, Massachusetts 02108.

yom oct 24 AW 3%
OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM .

Instructions for completing the Open Meeting Law Complaittt Form

The Attorney General's Division of Open Government interprets and enforces the Open Meeting Law, Chapter 30A of the
Massachusetts General Laws, Sections 18-25. Below is the procedure for filing and responding to an Open Meeting Law

complaint.

Instructions for filing a complaint:
o Fill out the attached two-page form completely. Sign and date the second page. File the complaint with the public

body within 30 days of the alleged violation. If the violation was not reasonably discoverable at the time it
occurred, you must file the complaint within 30 days of the date the violation was reasonably discoverable. A
violation that occurs during an open session of a meeting is reasonably discoverable on the date of the meeting.

oe Tofile the complaint:
o Foralocal or municipal public body, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the
public body AND to the municipal clerk.
o Forall other public bodies, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the public body.
o Complaints may be filed by mail, by email, or by hand. Please retain a copy for your records.
0 Ifthe public body does not respond within 14 business days and does not request an extension to respond,
contact the Division for further assistance.

Instructions for a public body that receives a complaint:

0 Thechair must disseminate the complaint to the members of the public body. vw

o The public body must meet to review the complaint within 14 business days (usually 20-22 calendar days).

o After review, but within 14 business days, the public body must respond to the complaint in writing and must
send the complainant a response and a description of any action the public body has taken to address the
allegations in the complaint. At the same time, the body must send the Attorney General a copy of the complaint
anda copy of the response. The public body may delegate this responsibility to an individual member of the
public body, its counsel, or a staff member, but only after the public body has met to review the complaint.

0 {fa public body requires more time to review the complaint and respond, it may request an extension of time for
good cause by contacting the Division of Open Government.

Once the public body has responded to the complaint:

0 If you are not satisfied with the public body's response to your complaint, you may file a copy of the
complaint with the Division by mail, by email, or by hand, but only once you have waited for 30 days after filing
the complaint with the public body. Mail may be sent to: The Division of Open Government, Office of the
Attorney General, One Ashburton Place - 20" Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Emails may be sent to:
OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

o When you file your complaint with the Division, please include the complaint form and all documentation
relevant to the alleged violation. You may wish to attach a cover letter explaining why the public body's
response does not adequately address your complaint.

0 The Division will not review complaints filed with us more than 90 days after the violation, unless we granted an
extension to the public body or you can demonstrate good cause for the delay.

If you have questions concerning the Open Meeting Law complaint process, we encourage you to contact the Division
of Open Government by phone at (617) 963-2540 or by email at OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108
Your Contact Information: —
First Name; Brian Last Name: Martynowicz
Address: 129 Strandway
city: Winthrop state: MA Zip Code: 02152
Phone Number; [removed] Ext.
Email: [removed]

Organization or Media Affiliation (if any): None - filing individually

Are you filing the complaint in your capacity as an individual, representative of an organization, or media?

(For statistical purposes only)

individual [_] Organization [_] Media

Public Body that is the subject of this complaint:

City/Town [_] County [_]Regional/District  [] State

Name of Public Body (including city/ Winthrop Town Council, Winthrop, MA
town, county or region, if applicable): , ,

Specific person(s), if any, you allege

committed the violation: None individually alleged; Town Council as a body

Date of alleged violation: 10/27/2026

Page 1

Description of alleged violation:

Describe the alleged violation that this complaint is about. If you believe the alleged violation was intentional, please say so and include
the reasons supporting your belief.

Note: This text field has a maximum of 3000 characters.

I submit this complaint in my individual capacity about the specificity of the public notice for the Winthrop Town Council special
meeting held October 27, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. The public notice listed ‘Motions related to CBD Ordinance Changes’ and ‘Motion for
Town Council Rule and Procedure Changes.‘ The proposals presented for discussion involved distinct matters including certain
Central Business District special-permit authority, payment-in-lieu-of-parking requirements, ground-floor residential/mixed-use
provisions, building-height restrictions, and revisions to council agenda, committee, and meeting procedures.

{ allege that these broad agenda headings may not have identified topics with sufficient specificity to reasonably advise the public
of the issues to be discussed, insofar as those detailed topics were reasonably anticipated at the time the notice was posted, as
required by M.G.L. c, 30A, sec. 20(b) and 940 CMR 29.03(1)(b). The Council discussed individual CBD proposals and read
detailed proposed rules changes into the record.

Some motions in the agenda packet bear an October 26 date. That alone does not establish when their subjects were first
reasonably anticipated, when they were made public, or a late posting. | request examination of the original notice, any revisions
and recorded posting times, and when the detailed proposals were first anticipated, including $40 CMR 29.03(1)(d). [ do nof allege
late posting or intentional misconduct as established facts. The committee-dissolution motion was listed on the notice and is not
claimed to have been omitted. Questions about the special-meeting call under the Winthrop Town Charter are separate from this

Open Meeting Law allegation.

See the attached two-page supporting statement and evidence summary, incorporated by reference.

What action do you want the public body to take in response to your complaint?

Note: This text field has a maximum of 500 characters.

Review the original meeting notice, any amendments and their timestamps; determine when the specific CBD and
Council-rule proposals were reasonably anticipated; assess whether the published notice was sufficiently specific; take
appropriate corrective action if warranted, including renewed properly noticed deliberation where appropriate; and provide
a written response under 940 CMR 29.05.

Review, sign, and submit your complaint
|. Disclosure of Your Complaint.
Public Record. Under most circumstances, your complaint, and any documents submitted with your complaint, is considered a public record
and will be available to any member of the public upon request. However, the Attorney General's Office will not disclose your address, phone
number or email address in response to a public records request.

Publication to Website. As part of the Open Data Initiative, the AGO will publish to its website certain information regarding your complaint,
including your name and the name of the public body. The AGO will not publish your contact information.

ll. Consulting With a Private Attorney.
The AGO cannot give you legal advice and is not able to be your private attorney, but represents the public interest. if you have any questions

concerning your individual legal rights or responsibilities you should contact a private attorney.

lil. Submit Your Complaint to the Public Body.
The complaint must be filed first with the public body. If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Open Government by calling

(617) 963-2540 or by email to OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

By signing below, |acknow! read and understood the provisions above and certify that the information | have provided is true

Date:_/U/ 27 (I

For Use By Public Body: 52) “For Use BAGO?
Date Received by Public Body: Date Received cd byA

ATTACHMENT A | EVIDENCE AND ITEMS FOR REVIEW

Evidence summary and source references

The following sources are identified to make the complaint verifiable. The supplied iranscript is automatically generated; names, wording and
timestamps shouid be confirmed against the meeting recording before reliance on verbatim quotations.

A. Public meeting agenda and accompanying packet

Official document: "10-27-26 TC.SPECIAL MEETING.AGENDA PKG.pdf" (21 pages), published by the Town of
Winthrop at winthropma.gov/AgendaCenter.

Relevant subjects include multiple Central Business District ordinance motions and proposed revisions to Town Council rules.
Individual motions in the packet are dated October 26, 2026, PDF metadata shows creation on October 26 at approximately 11:17
a.m, Eastern and modification at approximately 11:23 a.m. Eastern; these metadata timestamps do not establish when the
substantive motions were first proposed or made available.

B. Meeting transcript (October 27, 2026)

» About 58:50-1:03: Town counsel raised questions about the October 26-dated motions and which versions were to be
considered.

+ About 1:25-1:34: Multiple individual CBD zoning proposals were read, including permitting authority, parking payments,
tmixéd-usé provisions arid Height limits.

« About 1:34-1:43: Extensive amendments to Town Council procedural rules were read into the record.

+ About 1:09: Council voted to dissolve the Rules and Ordinance Committee for a six-month trial period; this item was identified
in the posted agenda.

C. Publication and notice records to confirm

Please identify and preserve: (1) the original official notice with recorded posting date/time; (2) every revised version and its
timestamp; (3) any notice page and attachments accessible to the public at each time; and (4) the date each detailed proposal
became reasonably anticipated for Council discussion. A third-party listing suggests the basic agenda was available by October 22,
but does not establish the official posting timestamp.

D, Separate Town Charter questions

In addition to the Open Meeting Law notice issue, speakers and town counsel discussed the original written four-councilor request
calling the special meeting and documents delivered to councilors (approximately 5:20-9:30 and 1:06-1:07). These may merit
separate review under Winthrop Town Charter § 2-6(c)(ii); they are not asserted here as independent Attorney General Open
Meeting Law claims.

Related prior correspondence

| emailed a preliminary notice-specificity concern to Council President Letterie and Town Clerk Quist on October 28, 2026, at 9:06
a.m, Eastern. This signed official-form filing is intended to initiate the statutory complaint process; the prior email is background
correspondence, not a substitute for the Attorney General form.

For identification only: This supporting statement is an attachment. It must be submitted with the signed Massachusetts Attorney General
Open Meeting Law Complaint Form to the Cauncit President and Town Clerk.

Winthrop Town Council special meeting | October 27, 2026 Page 2

ATTACHMENT TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM

Formal complaint - supporting statement

Complainant Brian Martynowicz

Address 129 Strandway, Winthrop, MA 02152

Email [removed]

Public body Winthrop Town Council, Town of Winthrop, Massachusetts

Alleged violation date - October 27, 2026

Subriiitted to Coiiici! Présidérit Jaitiés Létterié atid Towii Clerk Denisé Quist

Description of alleged violation

| submit this complaint in my individual capacity concerning the specificity of the publicly posted notice for the
Winthrop Town Council special meeting held on October 27, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. | request review under M.G.L:; c. 30A, §
20(b) and 940 CMR 29.03(1)(b).

The meeting notice described substantial matters as “Motions related to CBD Ordinance Changes" and "Motion for
Town Council Rule and Procedure Changes.” The 21-page agenda packet includes discrete proposals to transfer
certain Central Business District special-permit authority from the Planning Board to the Town Council; change
payment-in-lieu-of-parking requirements; alter ground-floor residential and mixed-use provisions; reduce building-height
limits; and revise multiple provisions governing council agendas, committees, and meeting procedures,

At the meeting, the Council discussed individual zoning motions and read extensive proposed rules changes into the
record (approximately 1:25-1:43 on the supplied automated transcript). My concern is that the generic posted descriptions
may not have reasonably advised residents of these distinct, consequential subjects if they were reasonably anticipated
when notice was posted.

Several packet motions bear an October 26 date, and the assembled PDF metadata records October 26
creation/modification, | am not alleging that these facts alone prove late posting, The initial agenda appears to have
been publicly available earlier. The original official posting time, any revisions, and when the detailed subjects were first
reasonably anticipated remain to be established. | therefore request examination of the posted notice and any
amendments, including date/time records required by 940 CMR 29.03(1)(d).

The committee-dissolution motion was separately identified in the agenda; | do not claim that particular motion was absent
from the notice. | also do not assert that any violation was intentional. Questions raised during the meeting about the
written special-meeting call and delivery to councilors implicate the Town Charter and should be reviewed separately, not
presumed to be Open Meeting Law violations.

Requested action

+ Determine whether the posted notice sufficiently identified all subjects reasonably anticipated for discussion, considering what
was known at the time of posting.

+ Preserve and examine the original timestamped meeting notice, every revision and its timestamp, and records identifying when
the detailed motions were submitted and made public.

+ Ifa violation is found, provide appropriate corrective action, including renewed public deliberation or reconsideration of affected
actions where warranted, and measures to improve future notice specificity.

+.Respond in writing and forward the complaint and response to the Attorney General as required by 940 CMR 29.05.
Signed: Date: (of/2 of 2
\ 7

Winthrop Town Council special meeting | October 27, 2026 Page 4

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Office of the Attorney General a
One Ashburton Place R
Boston, Massachusetts 02108

SAB IY
OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM BT) “Ol Eph
MNTHROD [a en
Instructions for completing the Open Meeting Law Complaint Form MASS @

The Attorney General's Division of Open Government interprets and enforces the Open Meeting Law, Chapter 30A of the
Massachusetts General Laws, Sections 18-25. Below is the procedure for filing and responding to an Open Meeting Law

compiaint.

Instructions for filing a complaint:

o Fill out the attached two-page form completely. Sign and date the second page. File the complaint with the public
body within 30 days of the alleged violation. if the violation was not reasonably discoverable at the time it
occurred, you must file the complaint within 30 days of the date the violation was reasonably discoverable. A
violation that occurs during an open session of a meeting is reasonably discoverable on the date of the meeting.

o To file the complaint:

o Fora local or municipal public body, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the
public body AND to the municipal clerk.

0 Forall other public bodies, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the public body.

o Complaints may be filed by mail, by email, or by hand. Please retain a copy for your records.

0 If the public body does not respond within 14 business days and does not request an extension to respond,
contact the Division for further assistance.

Instructions for a public body that receives a complaint:

o Thechair must disseminate the complaint to the members of the public body.

o The public body must meet to review the complaint within 14 business days (usually 20-22 calendar days),

o Afterreview, but within 14 business days, the public body must respond to the complaint in writing and must
send the complainant a response and a description of any action the public body has taken to address the
allegations in the complaint. At the same time, the body must send the Attorney General a copy of the complaint
anda copy of the response. The public body may delegate this responsibility to an individual member of the
public body, its counsel, or a staff member, but only after the public body has met to review the complaint.

o {fa public body requires more time to review the complaint and respond, it may request an extension of time for
good cause by contacting the Division of Open Government.

Once the public body has responded to the complaint:

o If you are not satisfied with the public body's response to your complaint, you may file a copy of the
complaint with the Division by mail, by email, or by hand, but only once you have waited for 30 days after filing
the complaint with the public body. Mail may be sent to: The Division of Open Government, Office of the
Attorney General, One Ashburton Place - 20" Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Emails may be sent to:
OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

o Whenyou file your complaint with the Division, please include the complaint form and all documentation
relevant to the alleged violation. You may wish to attach a cover letter explaining why the public body's
response does not adequately address your complaint.

0 The Division will not review complaints filed with us more than 90 days after the violation, unless we granted an
extension to the public body or you can demonstrate good cause for the delay.

If you have questions concerning the Open Meeting Law complaint process, we encourage you to contact the Division
of Open Government by phone at (617) 963-2540 or by email at OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM
Office of the Attorney General

One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
Your Contact Information:
First Name: Mark Last Name: Sennott
Address: 1/ Girdlestone Road
City: Winthrop State: MA Zip Code: 02152

Phone Number: [removed] Ext.
[removed]

Email:

Organization or Media Affiliation (if any):

Are you filing the complaint in your capacity as an individual, representative of an organization, or media?

(For statistical purposes only)

[—] Individual [] Organization [] Media

Public Body that is the subject of this complaint:

[i City/Town [_] county [_] Regional/District [_] state

Name of Public Body (including city/ Winthrop Finance Committee

town, county or region, if applicable);

Specific person(s), if any, you allege Max Tassinari Chair

committed the violation:
10/20/26

Date of alleged violation:

Page 1

Description of alleged violation:
Describe the alleged violation that this complaint is about. if you believe the alleged violation was intentional, please say so and include
the reasons supporting your belief.

Note: This text field has a maximum of 3000 characters.

The agenda for the 10/20/26 meeting was not specific enough to meet an open meeting law
posting, saying only "Amending Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for FY27”. Aliso the agenda lists this
under discussion, but the committee would ultimatly take a vote on this at the meeting (giving ita
postive reccomendation). They posted that this would be something that was discussed, not given
the committee's final vote. If the committee was going to vote then it should not have been posted
under a section that says discussion. This is intentionally deceiving.

What action do you want the public body to take in response to your complaint?

Note: This text field has a maximum of 500 characters.

Councilor Tassinari should publically apologize and take responsiblity for all violations that have
occured. He should take additional open meeting law classess, and he should publically
acknowlage that he will be taken those classes before he starts them, then announce to the public
once they are completed. | would also like a commitment that the open meeting law will not be

violated in the future.

Review, sign, and submit your complaint

|, Disclosure of Your Compfiaint.
Public Record, Under most circumstances, your complaint, and any documents submitted with your complaint, Is considered a public record
and will be available to any member of the public upon request. However, the Attorney General's Office will not disclose your address, phone

number or email address in response to a public records request.

Publication to Website. As part of the Open Data Initiative, the AGO will publish to its website certain information regarding your complaint,
including your name and the name of the public body. The AGO will not publish your contact information.

Il. Consulting With a Private Attorney.

The AGO cannot give you legal advice and is not able to be your private attorney, but represents the public interest. If you have any questions
concerning your individual legal rights or responsibilities you should contact a private attorney.

Ill, Submit Your Complaint to the Public Body.
The complaint must be filed first with the public body. If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Open Government by calling

{617} 963-2540 or by email to OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

By signing below, | acknowledge that | have read and understgod the provisions above and certify that the information | have provided Is true

and correct to the best of my ennott “Jrrwef,
Signed: Mark Sennott Date: 11/3/26
For Use By Public Body For Use By AGO.

Date Received by Public Body: Date Received by AGO:
Page 2 i

Winthrop Board or Committee
Public Body Posting

Members
Councilor Tassinari
Councilor Dimes
Councilor Reardon

Name of Public Body: Finance Committee

Date and Time of Meeting: October 20, 2026 6:00 PM

Location of Meeting: Harvey Hearing Room
AGENDA

Roll Call

Discussion

e Amending Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for FY27

Adjournment

Zoom

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:

hitps://us02web.zoom.us/j/88415 148621 ?pwd=ba72clnGS 1P5b7AfU9FnOPtij VYIrd.1
Meeting ID: 88415148621# US

Passcode:770615

Phone: 1-646-558-8656

The listing of matters is those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting.
Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may be brought up for discussion to the extent
permitted by law.

Please note that a quorum of the Town Council may be present at this meeting/event.
However, uo formal Town Council deliberation or action will be taken

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place mai!
Boston, Massachusetts 02108

OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM; ve
Were eect
instructions for completing the Open Meeting Law Complaint'Forni'4SS

2

SS

%

y

The Attorney General's Division of Open Government interprets and enforces the Open Meeting Law, Chapter 30A of the
Massachusetts General Laws, Sections 18-25. Below is the procedure for filing and responding to an Open Meeting Law

complaint.

Instructions for filing a complaint:
o Fill out the attached two-page form completely. Sign and date the second page. File the complaint with the public

body within 30 days of the alleged violation, if the violation was not reasonably discoverable at the time it
occurred, you must file the complaint within 30 days of the date the violation was reasonably discoverable. A
violation that occurs during an open session of a meeting is reasonably discoverable on the date of the meeting.

0 To file the complaint:
o  Foralocal or municipal public body, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the

public body AND to the municipal clerk.
o Forall other public bodies, you must submit a copy of the complaint to the chair of the public body.
o Complaints may be filed by mail, by email, or by hand. Please retain a copy for your records.
0 If the public body does not respond within 14 business days and does not request an extension to respond,
contact the Division for further assistance.

Instructions for a public body that receives a complaint:

o Thechair must disseminate the complaint to the members of the public body.

o The public body must meet to review the complaint within 14 business days (usually 20-22 calendar days).

o Afterreview, but within 14 business days, the public body must respond to the complaint in writing and must
send the complainant a response and a description of any action the public body has taken to address the
allegations in the complaint. At the same time, the body must send the Attorney General a copy of the complaint
anda copy of the response. The public body may delegate this responsibility to an individual member of the
public body, its counsel, or a staff member, but only after the public body has met to review the complaint.

0 Ifa public body requires more time to review the complaint and respond, it may request an extension of time for
good cause by contacting the Division of Open Government.

Once the public body has responded to the complaint:

o If you are not satisfied with the public body's response to your complaint, you may file a copy of the
complaint with the Division by mail, by email, or by hand, but only once you have waited for 30 days after filing
the complaint with the public body. Mail may be sent to: The Division of Open Government, Office of the
Attorney General, One Ashburton Place - 20" Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Emails may be sent to:
OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

o When you file your complaint with the Division, please include the complaint form and all documentation
relevant to the alleged violation. You may wish to attach a cover letter explaining why the public body's
response does not adequately address your complaint.

0 The Division will not review complaints filed with us more than 90 days after the violation, unless we granted an
extension to the public body or you can demonstrate good cause for the delay.

If vou have questions concerning the Open Meeting Law complaint process, we encourage you to contact the Division
of Open Government by phone at (617) 963-2540 or by email at OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108
Your Contact Information:
First Name: Mark Last Name: Sennott
Address: 1/ Girdlestone Road
City: Winthrop State: MA Zip Code: 02152

Phone Number: [removed] Ext.
[removed]

Email:

Organization or Media Affiliation (if any):

Are you filing the complaint in your capacity as an individual, representative of an organization, or media?

(For statistical purposes only}

[i] Individual [-] Organization [_] Media

Public Body that is the subject of this complaint:

[mi] City/Town [_] County [_] Regional/District [] State

Name of Public Body {including city/ Winthrop Town Council

town, county or region, if applicable);

Specific person(s), if any, you allege President Jim Letterie

committed the violation:
10/20/26

Date of alleged violation:

Page 1

Description of alleged violation:

Describe the alleged violation that this complaint is about. If you believe the alleged violation was intentional, please say so and include
the reasons supporting your belief.

Note: This text field has a maximum of 3000 characters.

On top of my previous complaints against this meeting (which | still stand by), | also want to add that the
agenda was not specific enough to meet the open meeting law requirements. Specifically the public hearings
that was listed were not specific. We did a public hearing on the "proposed tree ordinance" that President
Letterie only let the tree committee members in the crowd and one other member of the crowd speak on.
Everyone else in the audience was not called on. The public has never seen this tree ordinance as it is only
a "draft" that was sent to certiain people. How can we do pubilc hearing about something that was never
shared or public? Also the line item on the agenda of proposed tree ordiance was not specific enough. This
is the council's introduction to amending its tree ordinance, and yet the agenda does not say what part of the
tree ordinance | should go to the meeting expexting to be looking at. This is too broad. For the public
hearing about "Review Center Business District Zoning (CBD)”, | still think that is not specific enough. This
public hearing was also closed as | had my hand raised shortly after it was opened. This was closed
because apperenlty the public hearing was being held without proper notice posted in the local
newspaper-—something that a resident pointed out. Having a public hearing without proper notice is another
open meeting law violation. This agenda also had a public hearing on "FY27 Tax Classification". How can |
give a participate in a public hearing so vaugeu? This has not been introduced to the council yet this year. |
do not know what they want to do with the FY27 taxes going into the meeting, so how can | meaningfully
participate? This council is clearly run with trying to limit public engagement in mind. This is a malicious
attempt by the Council President to discourage meaningful public input.

What action do you want the public body to take in response to your complaint?

Note: This text field has a maximum of 500 characters,

President Letterie should publically apologize and take responsiblity for all violations that have
occured. He should take additional open meeting law classess, and he should publically
acknowlage that he will be taken those classes before he starts them, then announce to the public
once they are completed. | would also like a commitment that the open meeting law will not be

violated in the future.

Review, sign, and submit your complaint

1, Disclosure of Your Complaint,
Public Record. Under most circumstances, your complaint, and any documents submitted with your complaint, is considered a public record
and will be available to any member of the public upon request. However, the Attorney General's Office will not disclose your address, phone

number or email address in response to a public records request.

Publication to Website. As part of the Open Data Initiative, the AGO will publish to its website certain information regarding your complaint,
including your name and the name of the public body. The AGO will not publish your contact information.

ll, Consulting With a Private Attorney.

The AGO cannot give you legal advice and is not able to be your private attorney, but represents the public interest. If you have any questions
concerning your individual legal rights or responsibilities you should contact a private attorney.

IH. Submit Your Complaint to the Public Body.
The complaint must be filed first with the public body. If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Open Government by calling

(617) 963-2540 or by email to OpenMeeting@mass.gov.

By signing below, ! acknowledge that ! have read and understoog the provisions above and certify that the information | have provided is true
and correct to the best of my knowledge,

Signed: Mark Sennott , te: 11/3/26
For Use By Public Body. For Use By AGO.

Date Received by Public Body: = Date Recelved by AGO:
Page 2 E

ZOOM AVAILABLE
Meeting ID: 82066827964#
Passcode: 509355
Phone: 1-309-205-3325

WINTHROP TOWN COUNCIL
_ Loum Councit Members MEETING AGENDA
Town Council President James Letterie
Vice President Swope-Precinct 4 OCTOBER 20, 2026 6:30 PM
Precinct 1 Councilor Costigan
Precinct 2 Councilor Dimes TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
Precinct 3 Councilor Romano HARVEY HEARING ROOM
Precinct 5 Councilor Reardon

Precinct 6 Councilor Finn
Councilor at Large Millar
Councilor at Large Tassinari

CALL TO ORDER
BOLL.CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

MINUTES

¢ Approval of Minutes October 6, 2026 as circulated

1. GENERALINFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
PUBLIC HEARING(S)

Motion Amending Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for FY27
Proposed Tree Ordinance

Review Center Business District Zoning (CBD)

FY27 Tax Classification

ee ee

4. CORRESPONDENCE

Finance Committee

Rules & Ordinance
6. TOWN MANAGER REPORT
7 OLD. BUSINESS
Motion Amending Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for FY27
Rules & Ordinance - Dissolve for Six Month Trial Period
Review of Town Council Rules & Procedures
Smal! Commercial Vehicle Allowance for Resident Parking Sticker IN COMMITTEE
Proposed Ordinance Amendment(s) Center Business District (CBD)
Proposed Ordinance-Tree
8. NEW BUSINESS
FY27 Tax Classification
Temporary Prohibition on the Use of AI by the Town Council Pending Adoption of an AI Policy by the Town of Winthrop
Holiday Lighting
9
¢ Early Voting October 17° -30°-Town Hall Lobby-Business Hours
© Please call the Town Clerks Office to verify your voting status-617-846-1852-Avoid Long Lines
e« Only (1) Town Council Meeting November 10, 2026
¢ 10-29-26 Halloween Haunt Winthrop Center - French Sa. 4-7 PM
¢ 10-30-26 Cummings School Trunk or Treat 1-3:15PM

10. ADJOURNMENT