City Councillors continue debate on proposed Kraft Soccer Stadium

Sen. DiDomenico: Private funding not usually subject to ballot questions

By Neil Zolot

The Everett City Council will study whether having a 25,000-seat soccer stadium at a 43.1-acre parcel on Alford Street – across Lower Broadway from Encore Boston Harbor and across the Mystic River from Charlestown – should be subject to a public vote, through their Legislative Affairs and Elections Subcommittee. “We should at least talk about this,” Subcommittee Chair/Ward 5 Councillor Robert Van Campen said at the Council meeting on Monday, April 14. “This is an issue on everyone’s mind and people ask me, “Why don’t we have a say in this?” I’m not against the project, but there’s a public component to this [project] different from others. The legislature had to pass laws to allow this.”

State Senator Sal DiDomenico disagreed. Having been invited to the meeting and allowed to speak on the project, he said, “My feeling is it would chill development,” echoing his statements at the April 3 public forum on the matter that projects funded by private dollars are not usually a subject for ballot questions. He also noted that approval of other projects, such as planned development by The Davis Companies or development of Assembly Row, were not ballot questions.

“There are many chances for the public to be engaged,” he added, referring to the state Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process and local site plan review on the actual construction of the stadium, which he also mentioned on April 3.

Councillor-at-Large John Hanlon remained unconvinced. “I can’t see the benefit,” he said. “I’d like to see something else there.”

DiDomenico answered that The Kraft Group is spending their own money on the environmental cleanup necessary for development and financing the construction, which will benefit the community economically, as will enhancements to public transportation. He also said a private developer will not fund a public park, which would not yield any economic benefits anyway and cleanup costs would drive the price of condominiums or rents on the site beyond the affordability of most people.

Earlier in the meeting, Hanlon was honored for his recent birthday (April 11) and years of service to the City as a Mayor and City Councillor for 50 years. “You are a person we look up to,” Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky told Hanlon.

Hanlon noted he was originally from Cambridge, but after moving to Everett “I melted into the City like I was from here. That’s how I feel.”

In an agenda item related to the stadium proposal, the Council is asking that a representative from The Kraft Group appear at the first meeting in May to provide a presentation on the renderings and site plans. An event at the Connolly Center (90 Chelsea St.) to show the plans and renderings Wednesday, April 30 may make such an appearance unnecessary if it is available to watch on local cable TV. Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers said efforts should be made to make it available to watch remotely.

In another matter, the councillors expressed disappointment that they are often excluded from pictures released from City Hall following public events and are asking the head of the Communications Department and the Administration to appear at a meeting to discuss the Department’s resources being used exclusively for the Mayor, possibly Monday, April 28. “City resources should serve the public, not personal image management,” Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins said. “The Communications Department is publicly funded. Councillors don’t make six figure salaries. Councillors who take the time to go to events are excluded from pictures. If we’re at an event, our constituents should know we were there.”

She also said employees of the Communications Department seem to be “working in fear there’s another elected official in a picture.”

“We’re taken out of pictures,” Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith noted. “It’s happened to me three times.”

Martins also announced the Council’s response to the State lnspector General at the end of the 30-day period, and the Inspector General’s subsequent letter is available on pages 98-108 in the April 14 City Council agenda and packet.

Councillor-at-Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin announced that the areas to be investigated in an audit of city departments by the State Auditor will be employee nondisclosure agreements and complaints and procurement for any contracts that were awarded and the companies putting in change orders to increase the amounts. These areas were designated to respond to directives from the State Auditor to define the parameters of an audit.

Rogers introduced a proposal to promote transparent marketing practices in rental housing advertisements by prohibiting the use of the word “luxury” because it is exclusionary. She reported that Assistant City Solicitor Keith Slattery told her such a measure is unenforceable. “We need to come up with an alternative,” she feels.