Council Calls On Mayor To Apologize For 'Political Grandstanding'

MELROSE, MA — Someone had to step in. In the end, it was the "technology gods."

For the second time in a month, the City Council had to pull the plug on a virtual meeting after running out of recording space. Only this time, it appeared to be to the benefit of all involved after fed-up members of the fractured council issued searing rebukes of Mayor Paul Brodeur. They called on him apologize for "political grandstanding," saying it resulted in an unfair situation that has divided the city.

The council never got to vote whether to approve nearly $200,000 in free cash to the police department — an appropriation that includes $26,000 for weapons upgrades that the mayor at the last moment last week requested be redirected to fund citywide implicit bias training.

But the council did appear to put the pressure back on Brodeur to completely reimagine what training might look like and how it could be funded. While it's still not known whether Melrose police will get their new guns or how bias training might be funded, one thing was clear: Many councilors did not appreciate what they perceived as being made the targets of community-wide ire.

At issue was a last-minute request before Thursday's Appropriations Committee meeting asking councilors to redirect the funding. The memo, which was sent around 1 p.m., was not seen by many councilors until some were getting out of work and sitting down for the meeting.

"Sending us information at the 11th hour, sending no information at other times, it's become your signature move with this City Council," Councilor Jeff McNaught told Brodeur, who was not in the meeting.

McNaught wasn't alone in that sentiment. Councilors said they were caught flat-footed heading into Thursday's meeting. What followed that night was an intense discussion that resulted in an 8-3 vote to recommend the police appropriation as is — with the guns and without the training — and a firestorm of criticism that walloped the mostly brand new council.

The councilors were meeting again Monday to decide whether to finalize their vote. But before that could happen, emotions ran high.

Councilor Chris Cinella floated the idea of cutting $250,000 from the city's operating budget — which was also on the agenda — and having the administration use that money for bias training. The motion was eventually withdrawn for a number of reasons, including a lack of clarity on if it was even legal, but the floodgates were opened.

Cinella was among the Councilors who felt Brodeur's $26,000 offering was not a meaningful investment. He was also frustrated at what he said was Brodeur's sudden willingness to fund bias training after Cinella said he was working on it with him early last week, only to be cut out of the conversation. Police Chief Mike Lyle brought bias training up as early as January, and Brodeur showed no interest until right before Thursday's meeting, Cinella said.

Brodeur was accused by councilors of working with a select few and not including the rest of them, leading to Thursday's meeting.

Councilor Leila Migliorelli, one of the three councilors who voted against appropriating the police money last week, shied away from criticizing Brodeur and instead asked why a late memo caused some councilors to say things that some in the community found hurtful, calling the blame game "a little bit ridiculous."

"It seems like the anger and fury that the Councilors are sharing tonight are in regards to the mayor's memo and his quick turnaround," she said, parrying implications that she got cut in on early discussions with the mayor that others weren't privy to. Migliorelli said she was proactive in speaking to the administration about the training and questioned why others may not have been. She said she had the same information Cinella had.

McNaught had among the sharpest criticisms of Brodeur, who several councilors painted as a career politician.

"I think we have all been put in a horrible position by him," the Ward 2 councilor said. He added, "It was a desperate attempt at political gain."

McNaught has made his desire for implicit bias training clear, going as far as suggesting the city dedicate a department to such issues. He said the $26,000 was an "insult."

"The situation we're in right now is your fault," he said.

McNaught called on Brodeur to apologize to the council and the community, and he wasn't alone.

"I think it's time, Mr. Mayor, you owe this city an apology for the way this has turned out," City Councilor Mark Garipay said. He also said the administration's practice of sending late or no information "must stop."

>>>Heated Melrose Conversation Just Getting Started

The Councilors, many of whom were clearly smarting from the community backlash following Thursday's vote, didn't get a chance to vote again on the issue.

Disk space on the virtual recording had run out again, and councilors had to rush to finish a meeting that had veered off track and become an airing of grievances.

"It looks like the technology gods are striking down on us again," McNaught quipped, more than three hours after the evening began.

At least one of the hours was full of impassioned public comment. Many who spoke both supported local police and highlighted the need for training. Several of those who spoke identified themselves as people of color.

Some lamented what they called a "false dichotomy" between choosing police weapons or implicit bias training. While they were accurate — there is nothing keeping the administration from requesting the money from a number of other items — Brodeur acknowledged in his memo it would be "misguided" to fund the gun upgrade given the current national climate.

As one commenter said, once the issue hit the council, it became a choice between the two.

"Let's call this what it is," Jason Chen said. "It's bad timing."

Police had been seeking the money to upgrade from their 14-year-old .40-caliber firearms to what Chief Mike Lyle called more accurate, cost-efficient 9mm guns. The last time the guns were upgraded was to replace 15-year-old firearms.

The administration does not yet have a plan for who would provide the bias training or how much it would cost — something councilors harped on Monday night. Brodeur said the $26,000 could go to the Department of Human Resources, which would find an outside vendor.

Some of the public expressed disappointment at what they said was "inflammatory" language on Thursday from councilors.

"What filled me most with despair was the tone that was set with [Thursday's] meeting," Bonnie Clapp said. Former City Councilor Manisha Bewtra said the language was racially coded, sexist and exclusionary.

Councilor Shawn MacMaster was singled out for how he defended the police in Thursday's discussion. He apologized Monday.

"We are white men in a privileged society," he said. "I regret the impact of [my] words, of how questions were asked and interpreted."

MacMaster said the topic blindsided the council, saying what "we have witnessed over the past few days in this city is a failure of leadership" and accusing Brodeur of purposefully causing division in a political stunt to satisfy part of the community.

Councilor Maya Jamaleddine, who along with Migliorelli and City Council President Jen Grigoraitis, voted against appropriating the free cash Thursday, said the council had failed its residents and used MacMaster's realization that his words may have hurt people of color as an example of why implicit bias training is so important.

"Is this how we listen to them? By buying guns?" Jamaleddine asked. "We do need guns, but we can wait on it. What we need the most right now is to show them we are willing to open the door and listen to them. What we need right now is [to say] we are sorry we didn't hear you all these years because this topic was never opened by any City Councilors before."

Where the council goes from here is unclear. They will meet again to resume the meeting, possibly with the unforeseen benefit of having more communication from Brodeur.