Revere City Council Roundup

By The Advocate

Local Heros

The City Council opened their meeting this week doing one of the things they do best: recognizing and celebrating Revere residents and their accomplishments. The council awarded three Commendations on Monday night. The first was to a team of first responders who saved the life of a nine-year-old child in cardiac arrest on Oct. 10, 2025. Ward 6 Councillor Chris Giannino, who with Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya filed the motion to award the commendation, explained how police, firefighters and members of Cataldo EMS arrived at the child’s home and how each group performed life-saving care. Due to their rapid actions and teamwork, the child regained cardiac function and has reportedly made a positive neurological recovery. The Council commended Lieutenant Michael Forte, Firefighters George Levasseur and Garret McMahon of Revere Engine 5 for their professionalism, leadership and exemplary performance under pressure, actions which are a true credit to the Revere Fire Department and the City of Revere. The Council also recognized Revere Police Officers Daniel Redding and Jagger DiCenso and Cataldo EMS Paramedics Kathan Ramnath and Josef Holmes and EMTs Rose Morgan and Nolan Stimpson for their outstanding interagency collaboration and shared commitment to public safety.

Congrats, Mr. Barry

Councillors Giannino and Guarino-Sawaya also filed a motion to award a Certificate of Commendation to Firefighter Frank Barry in recognition of his retirement after 29 years of service to Revere. “This is long overdue,” said Giannino, who explained that Frank Barry has served as both a firefighter and a mechanic for the city.

“There is not a piece of equipment in the city that [Frank Barry] hasn’t touched, fixed or handled,” said Giannino. “If there’s a medical emergency, he’s there. If there’s a car on fire, he’s there. If the lights were broken, he fixed them. You didn’t see him all the time, but he was there.”

Guarino-Sawaya also praised Barry for his service to the community. “For 29 years, Frank Barry showed up for the people of Revere. We are grateful for your sacrifice, your leadership, and the example you set for those who follow you,” she said.

A Certificate of Merit was also awarded to Asani Anderson, a second grader at the Whelan School, in recognition of his quick, life-saving actions on January 13 to save a classmate who was choking during lunch. Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro, who filed the motion to recognize Anderson, said Revere is grateful to him. Cogliandro praised Anderson for quick thinking, courage, awareness and compassion beyond his years.

“His actions reflect outstanding character,” said Cogliandro, who turned to Anderson and said, “Young man, you are hero.”

Wolfer reappointed

Councillors referred Mayor Patrick Keefe’s reappointment of Matthew Wolfer to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board to the Appointments & Personnel Administration Subcommittee for review.

Special Permit for Capri

On a favorable recommendation from the Zoning Subcommittee, the council voted 10-1 to grant a special permit to Capri Restaurant (1559 North Shore Rd.) to reconstruct and alter a preexisting single-story structure by constructing a two-story addition consisting of eight one-bedroom units. The building, which is 800 feet from the Revere Beach T stop, will be 28 feet high.

Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky said he lives about 30 seconds away from the proposed project and he feels it would be a good fit for the neighborhood. “I’m for this, I want to see it happen,” he said.

Ward 1 Councillor James Mercurio agreed the proposed building will fit in well with the neighborhood.

Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley was the only vote against the special permit. She said the problem wasn’t the project or the eight units, which Kelley described as modest. “The biggest concern I hear from residents is no more apartments,” said Kelley, who added that over the past few months 260 new units have been approved. Kelley said it’s the cumulative effect. “For me, we are at a point where enough is enough.”

A second request for a special permit was from Ardit Kraja to extend a nonconforming commercial garage by constructing a two-and-a-half-story, two-family dwelling on Lot A Elmwood Street. Zoning Subcommittee members felt the lot size was too small for the project, and Kraja was advised to revise his building plan and reapply for a special permit.

New rule for councillors

Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley filed a motion to amend the City Council Rules of Order with a new rule regarding community meetings. The rule would require internal notification among councillors regarding community meetings held by private applicants or other non-City of Revere entities, to ensure transparency among all Councillors, promote equal access to information for both Ward and At-Large Councillors and avoid Open Meeting Law concerns. Any Councillor who schedules, hosts or becomes aware of a community meeting held by a private applicant or other non-City entity concerning matters that may come before the City Council shall provide notice to all City Councillors via email through the City Clerk at least 72 hours in advance of such meeting, when practicable.

In introducing the motion, Kelley said it was proposed from a standpoint of a professional courtesy. “It’s just to avoid any imbalances of information and to give everyone an opportunity to know about community meetings,” she said.

In a rare moment of heated debate for the council, Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya, who took offense to the motion, picked apart the proposal. “I have some serious concerns about this motion,” said Guarino-Sawaya. She pointed out there is no enforcement mechanism. She stressed that the council has no authority to dictate when community meetings occur.

But Guarino-Sawaya went on to suggest the motion undermines ward councillors, by implying they need monitoring or policing. “It’s inappropriate and diminishes the responsibility voters entrust in them,” she said. “No one on this body has the authority to dictate how a ward councillor serves their constituents.”

Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro agreed with Guarino-Sawaya that the motion did not address enforcement, but he told Kelley he understood the idea behind the motion. Cogliandro said he would let Kelley know if any community meetings are scheduled in Ward 3.

Kelley said the proposal has nothing to do with policing ward councillors, calling Guarino-Sawaya’s suggestion absurd. “It was just a professional courtesy. I thought it would be better for business in terms of transparency,” she said.

The motion was tabled (or set aside).

Body cams for parking enforcement

The council supported a motion from Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya that Mayor Patrick Keefe include a dedicated line item in the Parking Enforcement budget to purchase 12 body cams for parking enforcement officers and six dashboard cameras for parking enforcement vehicles. Guarino-Sawaya said the cameras would enhance transparency, accountability and trust between parking enforcement and residents. She said that over the past few weeks there has been an increase in confrontations with parking enforcement officers and individuals who have threatened and followed the officers. Guarino-Sawaya said the body cams would act as a deterrent and de-escalate volatile situations. As part of the motion, Guarino-Sawaya requested Chief Financial Officer Richard Viscay to provide information on potential funding sources, including revenue from parking meters. The council recently approved a five-year contract for body cams for the Police Department, which hopes to pay for the equipment with a $250,000 grant.

“These are tools to protect residents and parking clerks, and to provide a clear and unbiased explanation of a conflict,” said Guarino-Sawaya. “This is for a study to see how much it would cost.”

Problems on Pomona Street

Councillors supported a motion from Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya to request Revere Police, the Traffic Commission, Parking Enforcement and the Traffic Advisory Committee to work to increase traffic enforcement on Pomona Street and the surrounding area during peak hours. According to Guarino-Sawaya, enforcement should focus on vehicles using Pomona Street as a cut-through to bypass highway traffic controls and traffic signals; vehicles speeding on Pomona Street to reach Revere Street; and vehicles exiting Blanchard’s parking lot and making illegal left turns in violation of a posted “No Left Turn” sign, which is routinely ignored. The motion also requests that the Traffic Advisory Committee review and report on the feasibility of installing a speed table or other traffic-calming measures on Pomona Street.

Guarino-Sawaya described the Pomona Street neighborhood as buried in gridlock. She said residents often have trouble pulling out of driveways. “Something needs to be done, and it needs to be done today,” she said.

City Council President Anthony Zambuto amended the motion to include a requirement that Blanchard’s post  “No Left Turn” on their property and possibly install pavement markings. Zambuto said the traffic congestion at Pomona Street is so bad he once considered calling for a detail officer to oversee the roads.

MassDOT needs to shovel

Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri proposed that the council request Mayor Patrick Keefe to inform MassDOT that state-maintained roadways and sidewalks have not been cleared of snow; additionally, that the communication should request MassDOT to clear sidewalks within 24 hours of a snowstorm.