With union carpenters filling the seats, the Everett City Council voted 9-1 on Monday, March 23 to enroll an ordinance against wage theft, the first of two votes needed to make it law. Councilor Michele Capone was the only no. The same night the council changed its public comment rules to one three-minute turn per speaker and approved $780,000 in free cash for a new fire apparatus.
Wage theft
Seven people spoke for the ordinance sponsored by Councilor Stephanie Martins with Vivian Nguyen, Wayne Matewsky, Katy Rogers, Anthony DiPierro and Holly Garcia. Justin Auschwitz, chair of Lynn’s wage theft advisory committee, said workers on a Lynn development waited three years for nearly half a million dollars in restitution because the city had no tool of its own. Joe O’Brien of the North Atlantic States Carpenters said honest contractors who pay taxes and workers’ compensation cannot compete against those who do not. Chris Snook, a lifelong resident, said it “levels the playing field.”
Capone, a lawyer, asked what the city could enforce and whether it was “opening ourselves up to unnecessary lawsuits” for interference with contractual relations. Councilor Peter Pietrantonio shared the enforcement worry. Rogers said the ordinance “gives us some teeth” to elevate complaints to the state, and Martins said the attorney general enforces the law; the city would require contractors to carry workplace injury insurance, classify employees properly, keep daily sign-in logs and submit certified payroll, and could suspend or revoke a contract or demand a wage bond. “If, as a city, are we not going to do the right thing because someone’s going to sue us? That’s not acceptable,” she said. Paula Sterite said no one had asked local businesses how the rules would affect them.
Three minutes
Rogers’ rule change passed 10-0: one sign-up list, three minutes each, at the start of the meeting, on any topic. She called the old system, which made non-agenda speakers wait until the end, “actually unconstitutional.” Peggy Serino, who spoke for both of her old two-minute slots, said cutting four minutes to three “doesn’t promote a democracy; it hinders it,” and asked for three minutes on agenda items plus two on everything else.
Spending and appointments
- $780,000 from free cash for a fire apparatus passed 10-0. The administration said buying now avoids a 50 percent cost increase and a three- to four-year wait.
- Erica Corbelli (veterans services commissioner), Paul Guarino, Michelle Goudy and Nancy Hila (library trustees), Mary Broderick (public works commission), Patricia Cheever (elections commission) and John T. Spalding (zoning board) were confirmed 10-0. The clerk said the library, elections and zoning seats were vacant.
- Amendments to the fire prevention regulations were enrolled 10-0. The Chelsea Street Park loan was postponed again. Confirmation of Monica Lamboy and Omar Boukili and the administrative code changes creating their departments were set for a public hearing April 13.
- $115,000 for the Roselli, Clark and Associates audit, $150,000 in water and sewer retained earnings for emergency repairs and $40,000 for city advertising went to Ways and Means. Samuel Fern (licensing commission) and Antonio Canelo (public works commission) went to Legislative Affairs.
- A $43,000 developer payment from Second and Vine LLC for a Bluebikes station, a planning board condition, went to Ways and Means after Councilor Guerline Alcy Jabouin called the bikes “ridiculous” and “so annoying,” Martins suggested the money go to youth transportation, and Pietrantonio said to put it toward the tax rate.
In public comment Stephanie McCullough urged a full data center ban and said the Davis Companies’ March 2 planning board presentation was misleading. Jeff Ferrante said employees at an Encore restaurant voted to unionize and the restaurant announced its closing less than a month later, and noted National Grid has asked for a 10 percent gas rate increase. Rogers noted the death of Everett United advocate Eddie Lucas. Garcia said summer youth job applications are open on the city website.
Previous council meeting (March 10): Everett Council Removes Phil Colameta From the Housing Authority Board 9-2 at the Mayor’s Request. DiPierro: This Is No Way to Treat a Former Elected Official
