Left In Lowell

The votes have been counted, and I congratulate all of you for your success, and each of the candidates for having enriched the process. But the only number that counts now is 106,000. For we are meant to represent no less than the entire city of Lowell to the best of our ability.

We particularly look forward to the contributions in ideas from our newest Councilors Marty Lorrey and Vesna Nuon, and returning Councilor Ed Kennedy. I suspect each of you has something to teach, even early on, if willing to speak, and we can all learn from one another if willing to listen.

In many extraordinary ways, through many groups—non-profit, school, business, cultural, neighborhood and otherwise—another generation of Lowellians is again reinventing our city, once the site of an Industrial Revolution, into an exciting center for arts, innovation, entrepreneurship and a more just and sustainable future.

Government has also played a vital role in this renewal, and proven in the last few years that it can be a positive force in the lives of people; That, after all, is why we’ve sought to be a part of it.

Working together, the City Council and Lynch administration have developed an ambitious vision for Lowell with specific objectives to realize our goals. In fact, the last few years has ushered in an era not of more government, but more efficient and effective government with the LowellStat Initiative which has generated over a million dollars of savings and new revenue, the development of our first ever performance-based budget which measures actual outcomes from our expenditures, and the regionalization of some functions and the reorganization of others to enhance code enforcement and compliance.

But while residents will soon be able to track the productivity of some departments in order to encourage their constant improvement, we must work in this term to add several more. And we ought to further pursue opportunities for efficiencies wherever they might be found, whether through the proposed Emergency Communications Center or the internal consolidation of city departments. Moreover, we must fully engage with residents in better delivering services through new technology, while still delivering them with a human touch.

Much of what has been done, when coupled with the city’s fiscal management policies, has led to positive developments with our city finances: our removal from the Department of Revenue’s watch list, an improved bond rating, and modest tax relief this year. Perhaps most significant is the signing of a collectively bargained agreement with all unions on health insurance which will result in millions of dollars in savings to the city each year. We can maintain this progress only by maintaining sound policies, higher reserves, and conservative budgeting, and yet we can only call this progress by ensuring the protection of our most vulnerable workers.

Despite a difficult economy, many projects even in the private sector are progressing. The city approved two new tax increment financing agreements, designated a new Cultural District, a Cambodia Town business and cultural village, supported numerous small businesses through its grant and loan programs in the downtown and neighborhoods, and amended its investment policy to make more capital available to local businesses looking to expand. More affordable housing options have been added with city support, park and playgrounds have been renovated for greater use. Our strong educational and health institutions remain anchors of our economy, and position the city well for future growth.

Perhaps most promising is what kind of growth we can encourage. Work for living wages, work that improves rather than degrades our environment, work that addresses rather than creates social problems. UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College continue to be important partners in preparing a force for that work.

And the city is doing its part to directly spur work opportunities. The City Council approved over $20 million dollars of capital improvements to reduce our energy costs and consumption, and has offered residents energy audits and support to weatherize and increase the efficiency of their homes. With the adoption of the stretch energy building code, a green fleet policy, incentives for renewable energy, and plans for a carbon neutral National Park, Lowell has become recognized as a leading Green Community. A cluster of solar and similar companies have located in Lowell, and with greater effort, we can yet become more of a leader in the green economy or even render the term redundant.

Despite all of these achievements, funding cuts at the state and federal levels threaten to strain our local budget. Now more than ever, we must strive to reinvest in our community—in both our green and grey infrastructure to lay the groundwork for future development, in public safety—not only in enforcement activities, but in prevention efforts, in afterschool opportunities, recreational spaces and programs—and finally we must invest in the education of our people. Only in the last three years has the city met its commitment to 100% of its net school spending requirement. Our schools have done well with the resources available, and with the leadership of Superintendent Jean Franco and the teachers in the classroom. But we can do better. And we can start by developing a plan for more early childhood reading and literacy support in preparing to take advantage of potential grants proposed by the Governor.

More than more funding what all of these investments require is creativity, time, effort, energy, not just by a few, but by many. Because no matter what policies we adjust, or which projects we approve, no real change can happen without the sustained engagement of our citizens.

This is the important work before us.