~ City Council Roundup ~

By Barbara Taormina

Council approves request for Oak Island Playground rubber surfacing

  The City Council supported Ward 5 Councillor John Powers’ motion to request the mayor to submit an appropriation request to the council from the Community Improvement Trust Fund for an amount to be determined for the purposes of resurfacing the Oak Island Playground with a handicap accessible, rubberized surface.

“The people of Oak Island deserve this,” said Powers, who added that it’s the only playground in the city without a rubberized surface.

Powers explained that it was something that’s poured in, not something you can lift and take out.

“If this saves one child from being injured, it’s money well spent,” Powers told fellow councillors.

Councillor-at-Large Gerry Visconti said he thought this was on the previous administration’s to-do list. “Quite a few kids use that park and it would be a shame if we were not proactive about this,” said Visconti.

Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri asked if he could amend the motion. Silvesti said he had spoken with Ralph DiCicco, chairman of the city’s commission on disabilities, and DiCicco asked if the Paul Revere School playground could also be resurfaced. It currently has a surface of wood chips, which is not ADA compliant.

Powers stressed that the money for the playground improvements is not tax dollars but rather funding from the Community Improvement Trust Fund, which is money developers contribute to the city to offset the effects of building in neighborhoods.

Council, dept. head allay fear of lead in water following MWRA pamphlet distribution

  Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri responded to residents’ concerns about Mass. Water Resources Authority (MWRA) pamphlets sent to homeowners about the problems with lead in drinking water. Silvestri asked that someone from the City’s Water and Sewer Department come and explain the potential for lead contamination in Revere water.

Don Ciaramella, supt. of the department, said the Dept. of Environmental Protection required that the pamphlets be sent out. “I understand they were a little alarming,” said Ciaramella. “Our water is supplied by the MWRA. It’s one of the best tap waters around.”

Ciaramella said there are six lead service lines in the city. Revere must complete a survey of all lead service lines by the end of the year.

“I want everyone to understand our water is 99 percent lead free. There’s no dire risk without water,” he told the council.