Left In Lowell

Lowell City Council Meeting 3/28

13 Responses to “Lowell City Council Meeting 3/28”

1. waittilnextyr Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 1:32 pm

   There may be some latent issues under the lead story of the $290K payment. First of all, without adequate documentation (it is now 10 months late) it may be difficult for the city to recover the 90% reimbursement from the State. So, whereas some councilors think the $290K is a drop in a $24M bucket, it could well be a significant portion of the city’s bill on the school. Secondly, the payment apparently came with a settlement agreement, which may have let Jackson construction off the hook. This may be the real problem as Councilor Donoghue sees it.

2. No one you know Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 1:42 pm

   Mimi wrote: “All the reappointments and appointments were approved as well as the letter of resignation of George Zaharoolis from the Planning Board.”

   So much for the council motion that all holdover positions be posted so new blood can have a shot
   at them!

3. K-R-S Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 2:06 pm

   Once again, Waittil, you have an excellent point..Does this jeopardize are reimbursement from the State?
   And from what I gathered the purpose of the payment to Jackson was so they could pay their subcontractors
   and Jackson has yet to do so..as a result the subcontractors will not go back in to complete the work?

4. Lynne Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 2:12 pm

   If Rita Mercier is mentioning blogs in the meetings now, the sky MUST be falling!

   No one on this site has said anything at all about having enough votes to fire Cox, though several people including myself have called for his resignation ASAP. *shrug*

5. K-R-S Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 2:41 pm

   We have never discussed votes of termination. I have an idea where this is coming from, but not at liberty to disclose.
   That’s up to the Council. Someone must be advising her of what is being written
   about or she is visiting herself. Nice to have her along for the ride! : )

6. Jim Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 5:21 pm

   “A new noise ordinance will be in effect downtown this summer. So those bands playing on Central, Market, Palmer, etc… will have to stop.”

   That’s too bad. Downtown was lively last summer.

7. waittilnextyr Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 5:26 pm

   “A new noise ordinance will be in effect downtown this summer. So those bands playing on Central, Market, Palmer, etc… will have to stop.”

   It sounds like they can apply for a special permit, but expect those to be few and far between.

8. K-R-S Says:
   March 29th, 2006 at 10:12 pm

   Jim,
   There is a delicate balance between the live outdoor music and the residents of downtown.
   I suppose if one were to place a bar/nightclub in my neighborhood, I most likely wouldn’t be too thrilled
   (but I live in a very quiet section of the City). However, if I were a
   business and live music was my calling card and my revenue was at stake, I’d be worried.
   Many of the issues raised by residents have been from those whose residence downtown predated the outdoor entertainment.
   Same goes for where the tents for Winterfest are placed….Just my opinion. Mind you, had a great time at Winterfest, but was
   taken aback by where the tents were located (right next to residential housing).
   On the issue of special permitting for outdoor music..depends on the administration.

9. Paul Says:
   March 31st, 2006 at 9:00 am

   K-R-S - never thought about the placement of tents for winterfest, (which I myself also enjoyed) but were would you suggest they go?

10. waittilnextyr Says:
    March 31st, 2006 at 9:04 am

    For a look at how Lowell has been rated for business development, look at:

    www.MassTrack.org

    Lowell was ranked 178th overall out of the 351 cities and towns. It has several strengths, such as potential commercial space for development, TIFs and raw numbers of workforce. However, it is brought down by the education level of the workforce (302nd in college degrees), performance on MCAS (331st) and tax differential (comercial/residential, 309th).

    The councilors could help by reducing the commercial premium on taxes, although that has effectively occured in the past few years with slower commercial valuation growth. However, if they were to take this a step further by reducing the commercial rate, they would have to do so carefully so as not to have a homeowner revolt on their hands. Smart use of increased State funding and controlled spending would be one way to accomplish both objectives. Then any commercial development that did take place would gradually increase the overall valuation so we could avoid significant tax rate increases.

    Let’s see if they can develop a strategy that works.

11. waittilnextyr Says:
    March 31st, 2006 at 9:17 am

    Quarterly Update: 3/31/06

    1. Control Property Taxes
    (too soon to tell)
    2. Expand Commercial Tax Base
    (Broderick has motion to investigate)
    3. Put 180 Units of Affordable Housing on-line at Julian Steele
    (maybe a start in April)
    4. Close an Acceptable Deal for Hamilton Canal Properties
    (floundering)
    5. Put 900-car Parking Garage on-line on Middlesex St.
    (bids way over budget)
    6. Initiate Private Development in accordance with the JAM plan
    (not much progress)
    7. Initiate Private Development at the Hamilton Canal Properties
    (zero)
    8. Close Loopholes in Zoning Code to Avoid Neighborhood Exploitation
    (first steps underway)
    9. Eliminate “Appearance” of Conflict of Interest on Local Boards
    (televised meetings)
    10. Facilitate the Private Development of Next Phase of Mass Mills
    (needs someone to push)
    11. Create Significant Development Opportunity on Post Office Site
    (not much publicized)
    12. Get Courthouse project underway, without taking liability for another parking garage (consider JAM area instead of E. Merrimack St.)
    (What is the answer to question on relocation to JAM?)
    13. Maintain Full Funding for School System
    (too soon to tell)
    14. Establish Enforceable Contracts for New School Construction Projects
    (floundering with Stoklosa)
    15. Create Plan for Mixed Rate Affordable Housing
    (zero)
    16. Support UTECs efforts to Find New Home
    (Hurd street location in the works)
    17. Improve Traffic Flow and Eliminate Bottlenecks and Safety Hazards Citywide
    (no progress)
    18. Bring jobs to the city
    (maybe some in the old “Hale St. renewal” area)
    19. Make connection between educational institutions and new jobs
    (no obvious action)
    20. Provide more opportunities for the city’s youth
    (no obvious action)
    21. Reduce crime, particularly gang activity
    (too early to tell)

12. bb Says:
    April 1st, 2006 at 6:43 pm

    City council meetings are usually re-broadcast. I have been waiting for Tuesdays. Is this censorship? Why won’t they show it?

13. K-R-S Says:
    April 1st, 2006 at 7:39 pm

    BB-LTC has rebroadcast it, I’d recommend calling LTC for the times the CC mtg. is aired.
    It is also available on DVD from the Library
    By the way Wiattil–Nice update!

Leave a Reply