Left In Lowell

Lowell Sun journalists Christopher Scott and Jennifer Myers were busy today. Scott reported on the indictment of City’s senior building inspector David St. Hilaire “on charges he swindled charges from an ailing elderly woman her modest South Lowell riverfront home weeks before she died.”

And Myers broke the news that Lowell School Superintendent, Chris Augusta Scott will be leaving when her contract ends on June 30th. Myers reports that “that a majority of the School Committee could not reach an agreement on a new contract.”

As far as Mr. St. Hilaire is concerned, CM Lynch has put on unpaid administrative leave until the outcome of his case. I have never met St. Hilaire nor had to deal with him on a professional basis but speaking to some who have had dealings with him, the opinions are mixed. I hope this is the end of negative news about the Inspectional Services Department which is now called Development Services…a new name, a new attitude.

As for Dr. Scott, the surprising aspect is that the School Committee did not at least make a counter offer. Does this mean that they did not want her to stay? The SC does not need to rush. They could appoint an interim Superintendent. The Assistant Superintendents are quite capable to hold fort until the time the SC hires someone. Tomorrow’s SC meeting should be interesting.

Newly-elected State Senator Eileen Donoghue has joined the WCAP lineup of elected officials, City administration and other commentators, who are interviewed live (and sometimes put on the hot seat) every week on the radio station. I make a point of listening whenever I can. I like the unfiltered nature of the interview and the occasion phone calls from listeners complaining or complimenting.

Here is the weekly line-up:

Of course, in addition to the regulars on occasion newsmakers are also interviewed. I understand that City Councilor Frankie Descoteaux will be on tomorrow morning at 7:35 a.m. to discuss the motion she introduced jointly with City Councilor Rodney Elliott, “Requesting the City Manager to develop a plan to help give Lowellian greater access to jobs.”

This is not the first time a motion on this subject has been passed but the tone and substance of the discussion was new, in my opinion. At a later date, I will be posting on this motion and its potential impact.

Made it to work. It only took 15 more minutes and Dunkin was open. All the major streets were clean and empty. The City looks beautiful. I feel bad for those cars, parked on the side streets, whose owners did not move them; there seems to be a lot of them they got plowed in. If tomorrow morning their owners shovel out and throw the snow back on the street, we will be back to where we started. First post from my IPad.

In today’s Sun, Jen Myers has a story, accompanied by a sidebar, on a meeting that took place last week among Lowell community activists. I know most of the people that Jen mentioned in her piece and I was aware that such a meeting was taken place. I am glad that that the Sun chose to cover it and give it front page attention. Jen did a nice job in covering the issues discussed.

I am one of many Lowellians who believes that the more people get involved in the political process, the better off our community is.

How do we get more people involved in the political process and how do we get more people to vote? How do we get more people to care? Is it by changing the way we elect our City Council? I think that is the goal.

Should city councilors be elected by district rather than at-large? Should terms be lengthened or term limits enacted? Should compensation be increased? What is the best strategy to present their ideas for change to a City Council whose members may have their seats threatened by some of those changes

Jack Mitchell, who posts often on the Lowell blog, is at the center of this discussion group that may at some point develop into a plan. The group met as a result of the motion introduced by City Councilor Patrick Murphy and passed by the City Council:

Request Council discuss larger Charter Changes to increase civic participation(including combined districts, at large system, term limits) at Rules Sub-Committee.

And as far as the questions raised during the discussion, I think a healthy debate is necessary but for now I am leaning towards a City Council made up of a some members at large and the rest district representative. Throughout the years, I have seen the lower Highlands and lower Centraville struggle. Maybe if they had someone there who represented their unique point of view, we would not have some of the economic and social issues we are now facing.

I think John McDonough’s idea of increasing the pay for City Councilors is an excellent one. This is a second job for them. Maybe if we increased it from $15,000 to another figure, some people who are not retired or work for themselves may think of running.

I am looking forward to the Rules Sub-Committee meeting. I do not see it scheduled yet but as soon I learn what date it will be, we will be sure to publish it.

Don’t forget to read the sidebar; it provides a comprehensive history of the form of government Lowell has had since it was incorporated in 1836. It also details the various attempts, both successes and failures, to change our charter.

Another downtown business closes, this one in a week from today, according to Bistro Broad (via blogger Corey Sciuto on Facebook).

In its short existence, Dharma Buns was becoming a de facto poetry, music and beatnik hang when Kerouac celebrations rolled around. I liked this business because it had a focus, a concept. If Dharma Buns was in a college town, where students had more wherewithal to throw their cash around, it could have worked.

Which begs the question, what does work in downtown?

Granted, this is a poor economy and restaurants (or beer/sandwich shops) are difficult to make profitable in good times, but if downtown isn’t a place where UML or MCC students are hanging out spending money, and regular Lowellians are not, and downtown lunchtime workers are but maybe in other establishments (Dharma was a very specific sort of food, you had to be in the mood for it, and beer doesn’t always appeal during work hours), then maybe our downtown has something of an identity crisis.

We might be better served if we can open up a discussion about the direction of this pretty crucial real estate. Not just the usual discussions-that-have-no-resolution, like how dead it is there nights and weekends, either, though those are important too. Maybe we need to take a real hard look at the expectations we have for downtown - and, take an honest look at what that also means for the HCD.

Obviously we also need some smart, savvy business owners to take up retail spaces there. The Descoteaux’s seem to have a good track record - along with Franky’s successful run at Council. What makes Mambo work, and Dharma not? Or a place like Brew’d remain popular, while other coffee spots come and go? Are we aiming too high to expect a boutique atmosphere in a town which still needs affordability? Are the rents too high to sustain a good business model?

In the end, the economy has to take the brunt of the blame for the closing businesses downtown. But we need some long term planning to ensure that downtown remains vital through good times and tough, and that might mean thinking about what’s realistic.

Gerry’s post on the City Council http://www.lowellma.gov/depts/clerk/ma/agenda.2010-12-30.3345670502 meeting gave an accurate and complete picture of what happened Tuesday night.

If you missed the meeting, you can watch it courtesy of LTC’s web site or when it is replayed throughout the week on Channel 10. And here is the link to Jen Myers’ article in yesterday’s Sun.

City Councilor Bud Caulfield’s motion “Manager explain Real Estate Tax Increase and who is affected and how” resulted in a spirited discussion.”

Here is a short clip of the back and forth between CC Caulfield and CM Bernie Lynch:

I, like the rest of the world, would prefer not to pay taxes but I understand it is a necessity to have a productive, safe and healthy community. Out of all of the taxes and fees I pay, the real estate is the least onerous to me. I like Lowell and want to keep it growing.

What bothered me about Tuesday night’s exchange was some City Councilors attempt to once again blame the City Manager for the budget. That is not the CM’s budget, it is the City Councilors’ budget. The time to come up with creative and substantial ideas to hold real estate taxes is in June, not the following January.

How do these City Councilors think that we can have safe neighborhoods; pay for the legal fees regarding the Pawtucket dam lawsuit; pay for the repaving of sidewalks in front of private institutions; stop the smell at the water plant; pay for the installation of a monument; etc…

Again, I am in favor of paying for all of these things. What is disturbing is to hear some City Councilors ask for these items to be payed and then complain when we try to collect money to pay for them.

At 8:00 a.m., I heard of this morning’s shootings on Grand Street while listening to WBUR. My initial reaction was no, not Grand Street again.

I immediately went on line but none of the news site had any information except of course for Rob Mills’ blog. Rob is a one person media corporation (reporting, facebook, blog, twitter, videos). He writes in his article, now available on the Sun’s breaking news section that, “Eight people were shot, including at least two critically, after two disgruntled partiers opened fire on a New Year’s Eve party…” One has died and two people, aged 20 and 19, are in custody.”

On his blog , Rob reminds us that “This incident took place directly across the street from the scene of a double shooting that occurred on July 18. Next
door to the scene of that double shooting is a home where a man was shot in May of 2009, and where a bullet went through a window and hit a television in April of 2009. Police arrested a man for firing several shots on Grand Street in February of 2010.

Tomorrow the Lower Highlands Neighborhood Group is organizing a gathering “to honor victims of violence and send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated.”

The event will begin in Armory Park at the corner of Westford and Grand Streets at 2:00 PM, and participants will walk along Grand Street and place purple ribbons on light posts and telephone poles.

How do a 20-year old and a 19-year old get their hands on guns?