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Residents urge caution on cell-phone spending and call for civility after heated council meeting
Summary
A Ward 3 resident warned the council that a March 2 capital request appears to fund a $54,473 school pouch policy; another resident, read into the record, criticized council members for poor civility at a June 18 meeting and urged more respectful deliberation.
Two public commenters used the special meeting's public comment period to press the council on separate issues: a capital request tied to a proposed cell-phone pouch policy in schools, and concerns about council conduct at a prior meeting.
Dan Bryndel of Ward 3 told the council that a March 2 capital request lists $54,473 to implement a bell-to-bell cell-phone policy and related student pouches, and he urged councilors to "dig into this stuff and just double-check what you're passing." Bryndel said the School Committee and principals have been debating cell-phone rules and that the city should not pre-commit capital funds before School Committee decisions and state guidance.
Sam O'Hara read a statement from Shelly Berkwith who described the June 18 City Council meeting as "horrifying and embarrassing" and criticized what the statement called disrespect and poor communication among council members. The statement praised some members for prior collaboration on issues like a Medicare-for-all resolution and called for more civil, constructive deliberation going forward.
The council did not act on either public comment during the special meeting, but the capital request and the minutes' descriptive language were discussed by councilors as part of the agenda and will receive follow-up at future meetings.
