35. M. Murphy/C. Nuon – Req. Mgr. explore a Percent for the Arts policy and other ways to encourage public art throughout the city

I asked the Mayor last Friday what exactly this motion was, but he hasn’t had the time or want to respond. I looked this up on Google and found that Seattle had the following ordinance:

SMC 20.32.010 Purpose
The City accepts a responsibility for expanding public experience with visual art. Such art has enabled people in all societies better to understand their communities and individual lives. Artists capable of creating art for public places must be encouraged and Seattle’s standing as a regional leader in public art enhanced. A policy is therefore established to direct the inclusion of works of art in public works of the City.

All requests for appropriations for construction projects from eligible funds shall include an amount equal to one (1) percent of the estimated cost of such project for works of art and shall be accompanied by a request from the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs for authorization to expend such funds after the same have been deposited in the Municipal Arts Fund. When the City Council approves any such request, including the one (1) percent for works of art, the appropriation for such construction project shall be made and the same shall include an appropriation of funds for works of art, at the rate of one (1) percent of project cost to be deposited into the appropriate account of the Municipal Arts Fund. Money collected in the Municipal Arts Fund shall be expended by the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs for projects as prescribed by the Municipal Arts Plan, and any unexpended funds shall be carried over automatically for a period of three (3) years, and upon request of the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, carried over for an additional two (2) years. Any funds carried over for three (3) years, or upon special request for five (5) years, and still unexpended at the expiration of such period shall be transferred to the General Fund for general art purposes only; provided, that funds derived from revenue or general obligation bond issues or from utility revenues or other special purpose or dedicated funds shall revert to the funds from which appropriated at the expiration of said three (3) or five (5) year period.

So it appears the Mayor and Councilor Noun want to implement this type of ART dedication into the city..I have a much better idea.

Implement a 1% ‘donation” or percentage to FIX and Maintain our city school buildings!

Last week I was involved with the Robinson School PTO Legacy Wall project, we took a group of women that had graduated from the school in 1976 on a tour and heard one say ” Well the walls and floor are still the exact same color and in the same shape as when we went there.”

The PTO had to open the dividing wall between the Cafeteria and School Auditorium because the wall was so filthy it was embarrassing to leave open!

This isn’t Seattle or Cambridge Mr. Mayor we don’t need art, we the working families who have students in these buildings want their children in a clean, maintained building not a building that looks like it did in 1976! Keep your art deco and your statue and get me a coat of paint and some stalls in the bathroom.

STOP Blaming Union 1705 for not allowing non-union people to paint and fix issues, the city found a way to privatize the cemetery and street lights over their objections, find a way to close some of the outstanding issue that deal with maintenance and painting at the city schools.

What good is all the money the state gave us to build new schools if the city doesn’t maintain them properly?

Forget the ARTS Mr. Mayor and instruct the Manager to find a way to paint, polish, fix and maintain the school buildings.

It will not matter if the school dept. spends money on new technology if the classroom electrical socket is broke or if the roof leaks. Some bathrooms have broken sinks, how sanitary is that?

The attach report that will be presented at this weeks School Committee Meeting shows over $5,607,000.00 worth of repairs needed for Roofs, Plumbing, Flooring, Masonry etc.

School Repair List

Before we fund the arts… FUND THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR CITY SCHOOLS!!!!!

City Life every morning on Comcast Channel 8 from 6 AM until 8 AM (repeated weekday afternoons from 4-6PM) George Anthes hosts with John McDonough at the controls.

This Week’s LineUP:

Monday: State Senator Eileen Donoghue

Tuesday: Mayor Patrick Murphy

Wednesday: From GerryNuttersLowell.com – Gerry Nutter, and the remarkable Kamal Jain

Thursday: A co-star of Left in Lowell Jack Mitchell and Chelmsford Host and School Committee Woman Evelyn Thoren

Friday: one of Dracuts favorite people John Dyer

Saturday: (repeat of Monday) State Senator Eileen Donoghue

Sunday: (repeat of Tuesday) Mayor Patrick Murphy

LOWELL CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
TUESDAY MAY 1, 2012
CITY HALL, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER
TIME 6:30 PM

CITY CLERK
1. Minutes of City Council April 10th, Public Safety S/C April 24th, Special Meeting City Council (City Auditor) April 24th for acceptance.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
2. Vote – Amend City Council rules

UTILITY PUBLIC HEARINGS (Scheduled for 7PM)
3. National Grid/Verizon New England-Remove and replace poles on Middlesex Street.
4. National Grid-Install underground conduits on Bridge Street.

CITY MANAGER
5. Communication – From City Manager Responses to City Council Motions and Requests.
6. Communication – From City Manager request approval of Out of State Travel, (3) DPD; (3) LPD.
7. Order – 60 day trial (31 Crowley St. and 200 Cross St.)
8. Vote – Approve sidewalk seating agreement 280 Central Inc. dba Ward Eight (280 Central St)
9. Resolution – Support House Bill 1355 regarding mandatory mediation w/Judicial review.
10. Vote – Ratify Memorandum of Understanding Local 1705
11. Vote – Approve Fed FY 2012-2013 Annual Action Plan and Amend Fed FY 2011-2012 Annual Action Plan
12. Vote – Auth Mgr execute License Agreement w/UML to use portion of parking lot at Sheehy Park
13. Vote – Transfer ($12,000) to Cemetery to repair approx. 50 monuments at Edson Cemetery.
14. Vote – Accept Easement from Residents First Development Corp for construction of public infrastructure at River’s Edge on the Concord Development site.
15. Communication – Accept resignation from Amie Stevens (Lowell Historic Board)
16. Communication – Reappoint John J. Linnehan to Board of Parks
17. Communication – Reappoint Girard Largay to Cemetery Commission
18. Communication – Reappoint Eleanor Belanger and Joan Bedford to Council on Aging

REPORTS (Sub/Committee, if any)
19. Public Safety Sub/Committee Report from April 24, 2012.
20. Technology & Utilities Sub/Committee Report from May 1, 2012.
21. Wire Insp. – National Grid and Verizon New England – Pole location Willie Street.
22. Wire Insp. – National Grid and Verizon New England – (3) Pole locations Middlesex Street.

GENERAL PETITIONS
23. Claims – (1) claim for property damage, (1) claim personal Injury.
24. Misc. – Thomas Lynch, Lowell, Ma request a Handicap Parking Sign 401 Lincoln Street.
25. Misc. – Diego Garcia, Lowell, MA request a Handicap Parking Sign 55 Willow Street.

MOTIONS
26. C. Nuon – Request the City Mgr. have the appropriate department install crosswalk between Branch and Nichols Streets.
27. C. Nuon – Request the City Mgr. have the appropriate department replace street light at 30 Berry Street.

28. C. Mercier – Request the City Mgr. find out what the problem is with the air conditioning unit at the Stoklosa School and what measures will be taken to correct the A/C problem for the summer school students.
29. C. Mercier – Request the City Mgr. report on status of consolidation of Cemetery with DPW crew.

30. C. Lorrey – Request the City Mgr. report on number of private contracts and amount spent on selected departments.
31. C. Lorrey – Request the City Mgr. report on unfilled positions in DPW, City Hall, Police and Fire Departments.
32. C. Lorrey – Request the City Mgr. have proper department report on feasibility of running sewer line to Lowell Youth Soccer Facility.

33. C. Kennedy – Request Mayor create and Ad-Hoc Subcommittee regarding the selling of municipal lien bundles.

34. M. Murphy/C. Nuon – Req. Mgr. develop application for Sustainable Materials Recovery Program grant to increase diversion of organics from waste stream, or to broaden the school recycling program.
35. M. Murphy/C. Nuon – Req. Mgr. explore a Percent for the Arts policy and other ways to encourage public art throughout the city.

36. M. Murphy – Req. Council consider home rule petition to allow public legal notices to be posted on the city website in lieu of current costly requirements.

Tip of the Cap to City Councilor Marty Lorrey who has three very timely (with the budget coming up) and interesting motions on this weeks City Council Agenda.

30. C. Lorrey – Request the City Mgr. report on number of private contracts and amount spent on selected departments.

This should help answer some questions about how much “savings” has actually occurred by the layoffs we have heard about. It is known that the upkeep of the Cemetery has been “privatized” and we know we are contracting out the repair of the street lights, also some of the street sweeping has been “privatized”. So how much are we actually saving?

31. C. Lorrey – Request the City Mgr. report on unfilled positions in DPW, City Hall, Police and Fire Departments.

How many positions exist in the budget that are not filled and if not why not? Also if they are not filled and the depts. are running without these people in place are they really needed?

32. C. Lorrey – Request the City Mgr. have proper department report on feasibility of running sewer line to Lowell Youth Soccer Facility.

Good for him. This is something that should be done and everyone knew when this stand and bathroom opened that it needed to be done. We have seen throughout the city where private groups raise money for something (Shedd Park WaterPark) and the city “matches” the funds or contributes to complete the project.

Lowell Youth Soccer build these bathrooms themselves and the City was aware at that time that septic was only a temporary solution. Every year we see the City have excess or free cash when the books are closed, we also have a solid contingency fund. There is no reason that $23,000 or $27,000 can’t be found for this project.

Over 800 families use this park!

Office of the Mayor
City Hall
375 Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01852-5909
P: (978) 674-1551
F: (978) 453-1510
mayor@lowellma.gov

PRESS RELEASE

Greater Lowell’s Sierra Leonean-American Community to hold flag raising at City Hall
Lowell, MA – On Saturday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m., Greater Lowell’s Sierra Leonean-American community will raise the green, white, and blue flag of Sierra Leone over City Hall in Lowell. Sierra Leonean flag raisings in Lowell date back more than ten years.

Sierra Leone is located along the west coast of Africa. A former British colony, its official language is English. Sierra Leone was once one of the major world exporters of industrial and gem diamonds. A civil war in the 1990s, however, destroyed much of the nation’s infrastructure.
“We have always been grateful that the City allows us to do the events. It’s a way for us to recognize the independence of our former country. This is dedicated to the Sierra Leonean community so they can rejoice. We want to do anything we can to help the country move forward from the ravages of the rebel war,” said Lowell resident Rosaline Willie-Bonglo, a prominent member of the city’s Sierra Leonean-American community.

For any questions about information contained in this press release, please contact Greg Page at (978) 674-1551 or e-mail gpage@lowellma.gov.

SENATOR EILEEN M. DONOGHUE
First Middlesex District
CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, ARTS & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
State House, Room 112
TEL. (617) 722-1630

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

SENATOR DONOGHUE & CITY MANAGER LYNCH PROUD TO ANNOUNCE DONATION TO MERRIMACK VALLEY FOOD BANK

(BOSTON, MA) – Senator Eileen M. Donoghue & City Manager Bernie Lynch are proud to announce that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day breakfast raised close to $5,000 for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. On Friday, April 27th at 10:30 a.m., Senator Donoghue and City Manager Lynch will hold a press conference in the Mayor’s Reception Room to present the donation to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.

The Senator and City Manager co-hosted this year’s breakfast and worked together to reinvigorate the event. The breakfast received a great deal of attention with the news that both Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren were attending. Other elected officials in attendance included Congresswoman Tsongas, Mayor Murphy, Middlesex Sheriff Koutoujian, Representative Golden, Representative Nangle, and Representative Murphy.

“The breakfast was definitely a success,” said Senator Donoghue. “We had a lot of great entertainment and everyone seemed to have a good time. The great turnout ultimately means more money that will be donated to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.”

“It’s wonderful that the high spirits of the breakfast carry beyond the event through the excellent work of the Merrimack Valley Food Bank,” said City Manager Lynch. “All of us agree that the momentary pain of being skewered at the breakfast is all worthwhile to contribute in this way to the community.”

The breakfast was full of great music by Boston Blackthorne, wonderful Irish Step Dancing by the DNE Celtic Company Dancers, and lots of laughs from Comedian Artie Januairo.

The co-hosts would like extend a special thank you to both John Chemaly and Mike Kuenzler. Their generosity helped to make the event a huge success.

The $5,000 for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank was a result of the event’s ticket proceeds.