If you have any questions for me, I'm happy to answer them, but I know it's been a long night. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mayor. All right, I see member Goodwin and then member Deniv, but um I think I don't know about you guys, but the world is a mess. And I think I just want a number. What is the number you need from us? I just want to know how much we're looking to cut from what's in front of us because the reality is that that has to happen. But I guess I need I'm looking at all these numbers and I sort of want to know, you know, are we cutting a million? Are we cutting um how much we need um for to help with the process? Um, I I I just want to know that number, I guess. And I don't know if you know that number.
And it's the health insurance that's that's killing us. And that is killing every municipality in the state. And the state we survive on our our education and our hospitals and and our insurance. So, it's not like the legislators are going to go after the insurance company. So, it's a struggle that has to be fought on the local level. And I am here in here with you as your mayor saying this is a very big problem and I appreciate the the chance to bring it to everyone's attention. All right. Thank you. Um unless there Yeah, sorry. Remember to mute. Thank you for giving us all this information, Mayor Sordoni. I appreciate it. I had a question. Um are these health insurance companies that we're dealing with open to plan reform? Is that something that we can pursue as a municipality? Yes, we can and we have 14 unions.
>> I I don't think I I can honestly say today I don't think I know what that number is, but you know, I will pitch in from the city side whatever we can to put into the pot because just like all of you, I want class sizes to be appropriate. I want our children to get the best education that we have, but I hardly want to look at the budget this year because it's such an enigma. I met last uh week, we talked with um Sean Cronin, the head of the Department of Revenue, and Joe Comfort because it is such a that this health insurance thing is what is putting people just many municipalities over the edge. And I'm already talking to department heads and not anybody's favorite today. But um you know a $1.7 million increase in addition to that health insurance is it's not sustainable.
So, if we do a plan reform, which we are looking at, and we have brought brought plan reforms up each year. That would mean that every union would have to agree with the plan reform. It's a pretty tough thing to ask for. As a mayor who loves the employees as well because we all go to the grocery store, we know what's happened to to the price of food. We know what's happened with the price of utilities and what's about to happen at the pump. Um it everybody's pocketbooks are pretty slim. So, to ask for that change I we were almost there with the plan change a couple of years ago and we will be bringing something forward in the next couple of weeks. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it will pass, but I I don't imagine that it will. We have a couple of different thoughts.
And it's the health insurance that's that's killing us and that is killing every municipality in the state and the state. We survive on our our education and our hospitals and ins and our insurance. So it's not like the legislators are going to go after the insurance companies. So it's a struggle that has to be fought on the local level and I am here in here with you as your mayor saying this is a very big problem and I appreciate the a chance to bring it to everyone's attention. All right. Thank you. Um, unless there Yeah, sorry. Member Den, >> thank you for giving us all this information. Mayor Disorger, I appreciate it. I had a question. Um, are these health insurance companies that we're dealing with open to plan reform? Is that something that we can pursue as a municipality? Yes, we can. And we have 14 unions.
Um and we certainly reach out to every insurance company that we can. You know, we may be looking at change to the GIC, but that would be a whole year out if that passes. Thank you. My other question is um there is a house bill aimed at this municipal Medicare retiree situation. If we I know everyone's like, "Oh, these things don't even work." But if we were to write a resolution say supporting it, could we then sign it and have the city council sign it and have you sign it? Could we Would it be worthwhile to try to do a little bit of grassroots supportive energy on something like that to help you at the state level plead our case? It might help. We're trying to organize up and down with um we've had uh legislators from different towns coming to meet with Greenfield because every everyone is struggling with this.
So, if we do a plan reform, which we are looking at, and we have bl brought plan reforms up each year, that would mean that every union would have to agree with a plan reform. It's a pretty tough thing to ask for. As a mayor who loves the employees as well, because we all go to the grocery store, we know what's happened to the price of food. We know what's happening with the price of utilities and what's about to happen at the pump. Um it everybody's pocketbooks are pretty slim. So to ask for that change, we were almost there with a plan change a couple of years ago and we will be bringing something forward in the next couple of weeks. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it will pass, but I I don't imagine that it will. We have a couple of different thoughts.
So, certainly uh we're not leaving any stone unturned. The reform is going to take a a long time, but by all means uh I'm happy to sign on. Thank you. All right, I'll bring one whether it's useful or not, at least we can do something. Thank you. All right. Um if there's no more discussion on this, I would love to move us along to the remainder of our agenda. But thank you again, Mayor. Um okay. So, Chair Sexton, yes. Not on this, I would like to move that we bump item 12 O up in the agenda. Because we've got people who've waited long so long that we've lost people who are explicitly waiting for it. Heard. Yes, item O which is the motion about moving fifth grade, which I think is what brought a lot of folks out tonight. Um Yes, so I'm I think I'm happy to do Do we need a vote to change the order of items?
Um, and we certainly reach out to every insurance company that we can. You know, we may be looking at a change to the GIC, but that would be a whole year out if that passes. >> Thank you. My other question is um there is a house bill aimed at this municipal Medicare retiree situation. If we I know everyone's like, "Oh, these things don't even work." But if we were to write a resolution supporting it, could we then sign it and have the city council sign it and have you sign it? Could we would it be worthwhile to try to do a little bit of grassroots supportive energy on something like that to help you at the state level? Please our case. >> It might help. We're trying to organize up and down with um we've had uh legislators from different towns coming to meet with green fields because every everyone is struggling with this.
We do need a vote to change the order of items. All right. Well, I'm happy to have that vote. Motion, second. From me. Let's do it. Um member Goodwin. Yes. Chair Sexton. Order. >> Change the order to bring O to right now. You want to do O right now. Secretary Webb, I'm yes. Vice Chair Childs. Yes. Member Geneve. Mayor DeSorger. Yes. Member Dietman. Yes. Did I get you, Stacy? Nope, but yes. Chair Sexton. It's all good. All right. Looks like that passed unanimously. Great. We are now ta uh going to tackle item O, which is a motion from member Goodwin that the school committee direct the superintendent to move the fifth grade to our elementary schools. Member Goodwin, would you like to motivate this motion? Yes. So, constituents um came forward who um are feeling very strongly that they would like the school committee to um make this motion for fifth grade to return to the elementary schools.
So certainly uh we're not leaving any stone unturned. Uh the reform is going to take a a a long time, but by all means I'm happy to sign on. Thank you. >> All right. I'll bring one whether it's useful or not. At least we can do something. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um, if there's no more discussion on this, I would love to move us along to the remainder of our agenda. But thank you again, Mayor. >> Um, okay. >> So, Chair Ston, though, not on this, I would like to move that we bump item 120 up in the agenda because we've got people who've waited long so long that we've lost people who are explicitly waiting for it. heard. Yes. Item O, which is the motion about moving fifth grade, which I think is what brought a lot of folks out tonight. Um, yes.
Uh they feel like we postponed a decision last year and they would like to know now so they can make decisions about next year. Um and it's a a good chunk of people who feel like we postponed and we kind of moved on. But I I heard that it was fifth grade. This has nothing to do with the fifth grade teachers. This has nothing to do with performance or anything else. This is parents looking at choices for their children who still feel like they would like an elementary school model where the fifth grade is in the elementary school. Um and as somebody who sits on school committee, I feel that I have to voice what um people come to me with. And um I did my student teaching in fifth grade and I spent a lot of time at the middle school. And it is the time I spent in the middle school, the fourth grade was there and we spent a lot of time trying to bring parents into the middle school.
So, I'm I think I'm happy to Do we need a vote to change the order of items? >> We do need a vote to change the order of items. All right. Well, I'm happy to have that vote. Motion, second from me. Let's do it. >> Uh, member Goodwin. Yes. Chair Saxton order >> change the order to bring O to right now. >> Order to O right now. >> Secretary Webbum. Yes. Vice Chair Childs. >> Yes. >> Member Dene. >> Yes. >> Mayor Disorger. >> Yes. >> Member Dyman. >> Yes. >> Did I get you Stacey? >> Nope. But yes. >> It's all good. All right. >> Look, that passed unanimously. >> Great. We are now t uh gonna tackle item O which is a motion from member Goodwin that the school committee direct the superintendent to move the fifth grade to our elementary schools. Member Goodwin, would you like to motivate this motion?
It looks like a big school from the street. And there are a lot of parents who still um have reservations about that. And so um and every parent, you know, has heard from me, go see whatever the choices are, go see. And but there is a key group of people who after we postponed want to know um if And the eighth grade wasn't added because of the cost. There was a cost to the eighth grade when it was the original motion, it was like 400,000. But there wasn't a cost to fifth grade. Um there is room in the elementary schools. Um and one of the things I think also um you know, is is important is that everybody is heard and maybe this is one place where this motion is for fifth grade to return to the elementary schools where they were located many years ago.
>> Yes. So, constituents um came forward who um are feeling very strongly that they would like the school committee to um make this motion for fifth grade to return to the elementary schools. uh they feel like we postponed a decision last year and they would like to know now so they can make decisions about next year. Um and it's a a good chunk of people who feel like we postponed and we kind of moved on. But I I heard that it was fifth grade. This has nothing to do with the fifth grade teachers. This has nothing to do with performance or anything else. This is parents looking at choices for their children who still feel like they would like an elementary school model where the fifth grade is in the elementary school. Um, and as somebody who sits on school committee, I feel that I have to voice what um, people come to me with.
Okay. Thank you for that rationale for your motion. We need a second in order to open up discussion. Second. All right. Mayor has seconded, so now it's open for discussion. All right, member Deneve. I really feel for these parents that feel this way. I was a parent that felt this way. I was on the districting subcommittee for two plus million years and we talked about this endlessly, endlessly with so many listening sessions and I heard from so many parents and so many teachers and we worked on this so hard. I still feel deep frustration in my soul that we were not able to make this happen. But Robert's Rules got manipulated by someone and we had to we couldn't do it and then the second year we had the budget cut and we couldn't do it. So it it's not that we didn't want to do it, it's that we couldn't financially do it.
And um I did my student teaching in fifth grade and I spent a lot of time at the middle school and it is the time I spent in the middle school. The fourth grade was there and we spent a lot of time trying to bring parents into the middle school. It looks like a big school from the street and there are a lot of parents who still um have reservations about that. And so um and every parent you know has heard from me. Go see whatever the choices are. Go see. And but there is a key group of people who after we postponed want to know um if and the eighth grade wasn't added because of the cost. There was a cost to the eighth grade when it was the original motion. and it was like 400,000 but there wasn't a cost to fifth grade.
And now I'm so thankful that the fifth grade teachers came to speak to us and I'm so thankful that Ms. Fenimore came to speak to us because what I heard is that they had to have some sort of make it work moment over there because that's what they had. That's what they had to do and they really pulled it together and now they've got a great team. They've got a great situation. They're feeling confident. They're seeing a positive movement. They're out of Dessi status. They're feeling really good and I want to honor that as well because something changed between the time when we voted to do this and we were ready and then being unable to and we got these years now and they really had to step it up. So, great work to them and but I hear there is harm and pain here because this is what the community wanted.
Um there is room in the elementary schools. Um and one of the things I think also um you know is is important is that everybody is heard and maybe this is one place where this motion is for fifth grade to return to the elementary schools where they were located many years ago. >> Okay. Thank you for that uh rationale for your motion. Um we need a second in order to open up discussion. >> Second. >> All right. Uh mayor has seconded. So now it's open for discussion. All right. Member Deniv. >> I really feel for these parents that feel this way. I was a parent that felt this way. I was on the redistricting subcommittee for two plus million years. And we talked about this endlessly, endlessly with so many listening sessions. And I heard from so many parents and so many teachers and we worked on this so hard.
This is what we voted for. This is what we promised. We did complete part of the work by redrawing the lines, which I think was an important active equity. So, I'm glad that we did that. But I don't think that we could do this this year even if we wanted to, even if we poured all of our energy and intention into it. I don't think it's possible. It will take a second Herculean effort for the administration to figure out how to make this work. And I think that we have to revisit all of our discussions with the community and I think we have to revisit the building situations maybe even. And there's definitely a cost associated with all of it. And then that leaves the whole eighth grade thing on the table, too, which would maybe is another discussion, but it's all just one whole of a problem that I have heard and I acknowledge and I wish that I could turn back time and not have had any of the decisions I wish I could have stepped in front of the decisions, but I couldn't.