Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plan to begin moving school facilities to a combined city department fails in committee
Summary
Committee declined to start the negotiation process to move school custodial and facilities responsibilities under a city-run combined facilities department under Mass. Gen. Laws ch.71 §37M; the motion to initiate the process failed on a 1–6 vote.
A city-council‑sponsored proposal to start talks on moving custodial and related facilities responsibilities into a combined city department under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71, section 37M failed to win school committee support Wednesday.
The city council had passed a motion unanimously to request the school committee begin negotiations. On the school committee floor, union and school staff urged caution. "This will allow the city to move all your custodians out of the school department over to the city, which I think is disrespectful," said Michael Sheehan, chapter chair for UTL custodians and security guards.
Committee members said they were not prepared to vote affirmatively without more detail. The roll-call vote recorded 1 yes (the mayor) and 6 no; the motion to begin the process was defeated. Committee leaders emphasized that a "yes" at this stage would have only opened the negotiation process and that any transfer would require further public hearings and negotiated agreements.
Members asked the city to return with specifics on which staff and payroll elements would move, how administrative pay and maintenance responsibilities would be handled, and the draft memorandum of understanding before the committee takes action.
