L/C Residents Meeting Cut Short Amid Yelling and Threats of Legal Action

NEEDHAM, MA  -  A special meeting of the Linden Chambers Residents Association (LCRA) was held in the 5 Chambers Street community room at 10:00 AM Monday April 21, 2025.  The five resident board members, elected a year ago, signed in, and the meeting began on time, which is often a good sign.

There was a brief chat, before we sat down, with Jim Burke, who offered to take the office of treasurer, implying he would open the bank account the current treasurer was unwilling or unable to do.  We all agreed to start the meeting.  I had the outline of an agenda:

1. start on time, 2. introductions, 3. code of conduct, 4. reading of by-laws, 5. removal, 6. vote on the question, and 7. future events.

There was more chat about taking and keeping an audio recording of the meeting. Nobody objected, so there are recordings.  We intended to start with introductions.  I introduced myself as "Ross Donald, president." 

Jim Burke, said, "Jim Burke.  I am the vice-president.  I'm an attorney, and I will be representing Marlene."

Jim's introduction was ominous, in that, while the subject of the meeting was "removal" with "grounds for removal" listed in the seven day advance notice for this special meeting, no one was named as a target for removal. 

The grounds for removal, listed in the notice, per the by-laws, were listed as opportunities for improvement.

The next was, "Marlene Costa, treasurer."

Around the table was John Kostuk, the elected board member-at-large, and a perfect gentleman, saying, "I'm here to support everybody."

Dorina Moriarty, the LCRA secretary, spoke.  But was interrupted by Marlene, with a question, which we entertained, as a possible point of order.  She inquired, "Does John have a right to vote?"  Jim raised a similar challenge simultaneously.

The questions were out of order, in that we were not considering any vote at the time, so I begged that the matter be held off.  But I was too late!   Dorina was ready, next, and all set to speak, and did so saying, "Ah... No.  Let's continue the... "

Suddenly, in the next instant, I realized everyone (except John) was speaking with great urgency.  And at the same time.  Each person was yelling!  

Dorina wanted to introduce herself.  Marlene was demanding an emergency meeting with the Executive Director of the Housing Authority.  She wanted responses to the letter, she wrote, with her questions about the notice for this meeting. 

Dorina wanted it noted that Marlene was standing up, shouting and trying to take over the meeting.  Jim was saying to Marlene, "Marlene, you said...  You promised..." 

Jim was also demanding the legal citations, of the pertinent by-laws.  He was declaring with volume that John, the board member at large, could NOT vote.  Jim insisted on a copy of the by-laws, copy of the notice, all of which was right on the table.  He also demanded a list of "witnesses." 

Jim and Marlene were referring to this meeting as an "impeachment."  I said, the word does not appear in our by-laws.  Jim objected to one of the five board members, calling the police before the meeting, to ask if a security officer, could be on call, because the situation, in her eyes was volatile and potentially unsafe.

Clearly I'd lost control of the meeting.  Roberts Rules did not apply.  We did not get halfway around a round of simple introductions without the world diving into chaos. 

An attempt to address this aggressive social behavior, our agenda, includes, as a regular item, "Code of Conduct," at the start of every meeting.  Its like a prayer.  To respect each other, to listen more attentively, to turn the volume down, etc.  Don't know why this should be difficult.  But it needs work.

I wanted to read a few pertinent by-laws.  One by-law, for instance, allows for any officer to call a meeting, which is what Marlene did in sending emails around to the board officers and to the executive director.  No one agreed to show up.  However, such meetings with a quorum are valid.

Another by-law states that a board member can remove themselves from the board voluntarily by voicing that desire and having it recorded in the minutes.  During the election, a year ago, one candidate voluntarily stepped aside in a tie vote to allow Marlene to be Treasurer.  So, members can remove themselves.

Finally, there is a by-law that states that the President shall preside over board meetings.  This proved to be impossible, for me, on this occasion, due to my lack of skills.  The meeting attendees were unable, as a group, to get to the matter of board change, nor did we consider any solutions to our main problems, which are starting a bank account and acting civilly together.

The meeting concluded prematurely.  No seconded motion achieved majority support, and the loud cross talk became almost non-stop rhetorical attacks on extraneous topics.  As a failed exercise in self-government, we concluded, with Jim saying he was thinking about bringing a law suit against me for either, naming him for removal, or not naming him.  It was not clear.  Marlene, likewise, claimed that she supported the residents and the union, and that all I cared about was the Linden Letter.  She threatened that if I wrote anything about her, she would sue me for libel.

And so, here we are.