CC MTG MINUTES APRIL 28 2008 SPECIAL JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE AGAWAM CITY
! COUNCIL AND THE AGA WAM SCHOOL COMMITTEE
APRIL 28, 2008
! President Letellier—Good evening and welcome to the Special Joint Meeting of the
Agawam City Council and the Agawam School Committee on April 28, 2008. As you
know this meeting is being called to fill the School Committee seat vacated when John
Burns passed away. Although we could never replace Mr. Burns, we must fill the seat on
the School Committee. This meeting has been called pursuant to Section 4-6 of the
Agawam Home Rule Charter which provides that if there is a vacancy on the School
Committee within the first eighteen months of the term"the remaining members of the
School Committee and the Town Council shall forthwith meet in joint convention and
elect a suitable person to fill the vacancy for the balance of the unexpired term. The
President of the Town Council shall preside at the convention. A majority of the ballots
of the officers entitled to vote shall be necessary to such election." And since there are
! eleven members of the City Council and six remaining members of the School
Committee, nine votes will be necessary to elect the new member to the School
Committee. Nominations will be accepted from the members of the Council and the
School Committee and nominations should be seconded. At the close of nominations,
should the majority of those present and voting which should be eight because we have
! fifteen people here move to go into Committee as a Wlfole, members may ask questions
of the nominees. If there's no motion to go into Committee as a Whole or if such a
motion does not pass, we will go directly to discussion and debate and then the election.
If the members vote to go into the Committee as a Whole upon coming out of the
Committee, discussion and debate will commence and the election will follow. The roll
for the election will be called in alphabetical order with the joint membership and the
Mayor will be called last as provided for in the School Committee rules. When your
name is called to vote, please state the name of the person for whom you are voting.
Balloting will continue until one nominee has received at least nine votes. The Chair
reserves the right to call recesses and a voting member may also request a recess. If you
have additional questions, please hold them until the beginning of the discussion prior to
voting. Thank you.
Item ]. Roll Call
ROLL CALL - 15 Present, 2 Absent(Councilors Bitzas and Mineo)
•
President Letellier—Thank you. Ms. Galarneau?
School Committee Member Galarneau—Madam Chair, I have a parliamentary inquiry
please?
President Letellier—Can we hold that until after a Moment of Silence and the Pledge of
Allegiance?
School Committee Member Galarneau - Sure.
Item 2. Moment of Silence and the Pledge ofAllemiance
President Letellier—Thank you. Could you please rise for a Moment of Silence and
Pledge of Allegiance and please remember John Burns and his family.
•
Item 3. Filling of a Vacanc on the Agawam School Committee Pursuant to Section 4-
6 of the Agawam Home Rule Charter
President Letellier—School Committee member Galarneau, you have a question?
! School Committee Member Galarneau—Yes, Madam Chair, thank you. My inquiry is
with regards to the voting procedure where you had mentioned that the Mayor would
reserve the right to vote last,is that correct? Did I hear you correctly?
i President Letellier--I indicated that her name would be read last on the roll.
School Committee Member Galarneau—Okay. For voting, correct?
President Letellier—Correct.
! School Committee Member Galarneau—Okay. Well, it is my belief that or according
to Roberts' Rules that the Chair protects his or her right by exercising vote right, you
know, vote right to vote last. And since you are the Chair of this Committee, I don't see
where the Mayor can exercise that right to have her name called last for voting purposes.
It is on the School Committee because she resides as Chair however, you are Chair of this
! Committee therefore I am questioning the rule as far as her name being called last in roll
to vote.
President Letellier—Thank you. I was doing it as a courtesy to the Mayor as the highest
elected official in town. I will defer to the Mayor as to whether she wishes to be called
alphabetically or remain being called last.
Mayor Dawson—My preference would be to remain last. I don't know of any place in
the Charter where there is any clarification on this. If anyone else does, I'd really like to
hear that. Thank you.
School Committee Member Galarneau—I was basically referring to Roberts' Rules.
President Letellier—Thank you. My ruling will stand that the Mayor can vote last.
Thank you. Okay the item of Agenda is number 3 —filling a Vacancy on the Agawam
School Committee pursuant to Section 4-6 of the Agawam Home Rule Charter. Do we
have a motion? Moved by Councilor Simpson, seconded by Councilors Rossi and.
Cavallo. Do we have any nominations? Councilor Young?
Councilor Young—Yes. It would be my pleasure to nominate James(Jay) Cameron.
President Letellier—James (Jay) Cameron has been nominated, seconded by Diane
Juzba and CeCe Calabrese. James (Jay) Cameron is in nomination. Any further
nominations? Councilor Simpson?
Councilor Simpson—Thank you. I'd like to put into nomination the name of Sue
Pettazoni.
President Letellier— Susan Pettazoni has been nominated. Do we have a second?
Seconded by School Committee member Galameau. Susan Pettazoni has been
nominated. I'm sorry. Councilor Rheault?
Councilor Rheault— Yes. I'd like to place in nomination the name of Teresa Kozloski.
President Letellier—Teresa Kozloski has been nominated. Do we have a second?
Seconded by Councilor Rossi. Teresa Kozloski has been nominated. Any further
0 nominations? Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry—Yes, Madam President, I would like to nominate John Cesan.
President Letellier—John Cesan has been nominated. Do we have a second? No
second for Mr. Cesan?
Councilor Rossi—I'll second it.
President Letellier—Seconded by Councilor Rossi. John Cesan's name is in
nomination. Do I have any other nominations? Seeing none, do we have a motion to
close nominations? Moved by Councilor Calabrese and seconded by Councilors Cavallo
and Rossi. Any discussion on the motion to close nominations? Barbara could you
please call the roll? A yes vote is to close nominations; a no vote would be to have them
remain open for further nominations.
0 ROLL CALL— 15 Yes, 2 Absent(Councilors Bitzas and Mineo)
President Letellier—With fifteen yes, you've unanimously voted to close nominations.
What is the Council's pleasure? To go directly to elections or go into Committee as a
Whole to ask questions of the nominees? Councilor Calabrese?
•
Councilor Calabrese—I move to go straight to elections.
President Letellier—Okay. Motion to go straight to elections which we don't really
need, all we need would be a motion, we'll just go into committee as a whole. So absent
i a motion to go into Committee as a Whole, we'll move on to elections. Alright your four
nominees are James (Jay) Cameron, Susan Pettazoni, Teresa Kozloski and John Cesan.
0
When your name is called please indicate the name of the person to whom you wish to
vote, for whom you wish to vote Thank you.
•
ROLL CALL— ...
Councilor Perry—Madam President?
President Letellier—I'm sorry. Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry—No discussion in between,just go right to election?
President Letellier—No, we'll go right to the election.
ROLL CALL— 1 Cesan, 8 Cameron, 4 Kozloski, 2 Pettazoni and 2 Absent(Councilors
Bitzas and Mineo)
President Letellier—After the first round of voting, John(Jay) Cameron has eight votes,
Susan Pettazoni has two, Teresa Kozloski has four and John Cesan has one. We will next
go to the second round of balloting. Barbara could you please call the roll?
ROLL CALL-- 1 Cesan, 8 Cameron, 4 Kozloski, 2 Pettazoni and 2 Absent (Councilors
Bitzas and Mineo)
President Letellier—After the second round of voting,the votes remain eight for James
Cameron(Jay), two for Susan Pettazoni, four for Teresa Kozloski and one for John
Cesan. So we will have the third round of balloting. Barbara?
ROLL CALL—0 Cesan, 9 Cameron, 4 Kozloski, 2 Pettazoni and 2 Absent (Councilors
Bitzas and Mineo)
President Letellier—With nine votes, we've elected James (Jay) Cameron to be the
newest member of the Agawam School Committee. Congratulations! (APPLAUSE)
That concludes our items of Agenda. We have any other that may come before the
Council or the School Committee, if any member has anything they wish to add after the
meeting. School Committee Member Galarneau, do you have anything you wish to add?
School Committee Member Galarneau -No.
President Letellier—Thank you. School Committee Member Doering?
r
School Committee Member Doering—No.
President Letellier—Ms. Juzba?
School Committee Member Juzba-No.
•
President Letellier—Ms. Borgatti-Reed?
• School Committee Member Borgatti-Reed -No.
President Letellier—Mr. Bonavita?
School Committee Member Bonavita -No.
•
President Letellier—Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry - No.
S President Letellier—Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi-No.
President Letellier—Councilor Cavallo?
Councilor Cavallo -No.
President Letellier--Councilor Young?
Councilor Young -No.
•
President Letellier—Councilor Simpson?
Councilor Simpson -No.
President Letellier—Councilor Messick?
Councilor Messick-No.
President Letellier—Mayor Dawson?
•
Mayor Dawson - No.
President Letellier—Councilor Rheault?
• Councilor Rheault-No.
President Letellier—Vice President Calabrese?
Vice President Calabrese -No.
• President Letellier—Alright. I'd like to thank everyone for attending and I'd like to
thank everyone who put their name or asked for their name to be put into nomination.
•
•
And I wish Mr. Cameron well. Thank you. Do we have a motion to adjourn? Moved by
the Council and School Committee, seconded by the Council and School Committee. All
• in favor please signify by saying Ay. Opposed? Thank you.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•