I wanted to let you know that Senator Brown will be at the Owl Diner (244 Appleton St, Lowell) this Friday, January 20th for breakfast and a meet/greet with his constituents .

He will be arriving at approximately 10:15am and will stay for 30 or 40 minutes. Come out to eat, ask questions, and enjoy the company of Senator Brown and fellow supporters

12.01.17 Council Packet

A quiet week on the Agenda but a few of the Manager’s responses to past Council motions did catch my eye. I have included the complete Packet which can also be found on the City of Lowell Website.

2. COUNCIL MOTION OF 01/10/12 BY COUNCILOR LORREY

“REQUEST THE MANAGER CONTACT THE PROPER DEPARTMENT TO FLOOD CITY PARKS AND/OR PROPERTY TO ENABLE ICE SKATING ”

Though the mild winter so far has not been conducive to outdoor winter activities such as skating, the Parks and Recreation Department was consulted as to the feasibility of providing public skating opportunities for our residents should the weather cooperate. The creation of an outdoor public skating venue has been tried in the past with mixed results.

Invariably, changes in temperature have proven a challenge to success. Despite these challenges we do feel that exploring this winter recreational opportunity is worthwhile. With the availability of rest rooms, parking facilities and a pavilion with a fireplace, Shedd Park is a natural fit. Should we get a consistent freeze the Parks Dept. will attempt to setup a “skating rink” in the outfield of the baseball field where there is a natural freeze area. We look forward to reporting back on the results of these efforts if the weather cooperates. In the meantime I am pleased to announce that there will be indoor public skating available at the Tsongas Center in February.

• On Thursday, February 9 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. as part of this year’s Winterfest
• On Tuesday, February 21 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. as part of February vacation activities.

3. COUNCIL MOTION OF 01/10/12 BY COUNCILOR ELLIOT

“PROVIDE REGULAR REPORTS RELATED TO THE LHA PERMITTING COMPLIANCE MATTER”

Adam Baacke, Asst. City Manager/DPD Director has provided a report relative to the LHA matter. As of January 6th safety inspections of the 51 units currently lacking electrical signoffs was completed. All units passed. The LHA has identified Davis Square Architects as their architect. A pre-application meeting with DDS, Fire Department and the architects is planned to discuss requirements and answer any questions they may have in preparing the plans and code analysis. The timeline for the selective demolition, inspection and restoration is anticipated once the LHA has assembled a complete application package. The updated timeline will be provided to the Council once it is determined.

Inspections
Safety inspections of the 51 units currently lacking electrical signoffs were completed on Friday, January 6th . All u nits passed.

Permitting
LHA informed Development Services of their architect selection , engaging Davis Square Architects for the project. Development Services. Fire Department and LHA’s architects are planning a pre-application meeting to discuss the requirements and answer any questions they may have in preparing the plans and code analysis.

Third Party Agencies
The Council received a copy of the notification from HUD indicating they are satisfied with the plan to achieve compliance. The City has also been in conversation with the Inspector General’s office. It is anticipated a meeting will occur in the coming weeks with that office to discuss the matter and how they may assist the City.

Timeline
Based on current progress, it is anticipated that LHA will require time to assemble a complete application package and begin the process of opening units for inspection. The process of selective demolition, inspection and restoration will likely take three days to one week depending on the level of demolition. LHA has informed Development Services they plan to have four to five “swing units” which will be used to temporarily relocate residents into while their unit is inspected.

Development Services plans to discuss the timeline with LHA and make revisions as appropriate. An updated timeline will be released in the coming week.

4. VERBAL COUNCIL MOTION OF 011/11 BY COUNCILOR MURPHY

“VERBAL REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO PROPERTY VALUATIONS AND NEW GROWTH”‘

In response to the Councilor Murphy’s request we are now able to respond as property valuations are final. Mr. Moses, CFO has proved copies of both the 2011 and 2012 recap sheets for comparison.

The average family tax bill now stands at $3,236 up $31 from last year’s $3,205.

It should be noted that of 314 communities reporting so far the average tax bill across the state increased by $163. When all tax data is reported on the Dept. of Revenue’s website we will fall in ranking from 242 out of 338 reporting to a lower rank given the projected trend.