~ Revere City Council Roundup ~

Happy Birthday, Irma!

The City Council helped Irma Accettullo celebrate her 90^th birthday by awarding her a Certificate of Commendation at their meeting this week. Accettullo was honored for reaching that birthday milestone and for her many contributions to the community.

“She is an inspiration to seniors, she’s so involved and so dedicated,” Councillor-at-Large Robert Haas said. Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya highlighted Accettullo’s role as the bocce coordinator who launched the bocce league and her work with Irma’s Boutique, a little shop where she sold donated jewelry to raise money for the senior center.

“For the birthday I didn’t want anyone to know about, I’m overwhelmed,” said Accettullo, who graciously thanked one and all.

 

Water Works

The City Council unanimously approved a $5 million loan order for the lower Broadway water main replacement project.

 

Signs of the Times

The City Council voted to send the issue of posting political signs to the Legislative Affairs Subcommittee for further review. Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro has proposed eliminating the city’s ordinance on political signs, which dictates when and where political signs can be posted, because such limitations were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. However, Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky said the ordinance was not limiting free speech, only trying to control it.

“It has always bothered me we have political signs up 365 days a year,” said Novoselsky. “This ordinance was the right thing to do to keep our city clean, not trashy.” Novoselsky said that for the past 12 years, since the ordinance was passed, it has worked.

But Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley said the Supreme Court has spoken and the city is obligated to take the ordinance off the books. “This ordinance is a victim of its own success,” said Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto. “I think it’s outdated now.”

 

McMackin Field update

The City Council voted to table a $4.2 million loan order to complete the restoration of McMackin Field. Public Works director Chris Ciaramella told the council that the Recreation Department had been working with the DPW and engineering consultants Weston and Sampson on the project. City CFO Richard Viscay explained that $2.3 million from a prior bond authorization had already been spent on McMackin and the $4.2 million will complete the project. Viscay said the loan was a 15-year bond that will cost $372,000 annually.

Ward 1 Councillor JoAnne McKenna gave a shout-out to Link Logistics, which contributed $500,000 to the restoration of McMackin Field and will contribute an additional $500,000 when the project is complete, which is expected to be late next summer.

While the council and residents are eager to return to the field, known previously as “Little Fenway,” several councillors had questions about the design. Ciaramella said the fields will be artificial turf, there will be a press box, lighting, bleachers and an impressive scoreboard.

However, Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio said he would have felt more comfortable seeing the plans and design of the field before voting on the loan. “I would love to see what we are spending the money on,” he said.

Although it may delay the opening of the field for several weeks, other councillors agreed, and they voted to table the loan until their October meeting when they will have a chance to review the plans.

 

Affordable housing on Fenno Street

The City Council referred a proposal to establish a Fenno Street Affordable Housing Overlay District to the Zoning Subcommittee. Creating the overlay district is the first step in a long-term plan to develop affordable housing in the city.

Chief of Planning and Community Development Tom Skwierawski explained that the parcels of land in question are located next to the Chelsea Housing Authority, which is in the process of drafting a new master plan for the area. He said the goal is to work with Chelsea to create a project that is harmonious with that city’s plans and designs. Skwierawski also explained that the land is only accessible through Chelsea. And if the project moves forward, Chelsea would provide city services for which Revere would pay an impact fee.

Councillors who have heard about the proposal in private conversations around town were told that any development would be 100 percent affordable. But Skwierawski’s outline only mentions some affordable units, and the number 25 percent came up several times. While councillors were supportive of the proposal and pleased it would add to the city’s stock of affordable housing and increase the city’s protection from 40B developments, they pushed for a guarantee of 100 percent affordable units.

Skwierawski said that was a guardrail that could be imposed further down the line. The overlay district is a first step, or a foundation.

 

Congratulations to all

The City Council approved the reappointments of Michael Tucker and Peggy Pratt to the Zoning Board of Appeals. They also approved the reappointments of Lori Manzo and Anayo Osueke to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board and the appointments of Kourou Pich, Maria LaVita and James Cullen to the Human Rights Commission. Viviana Catano’s reappointment to the Board of Health was also approved.

 

Keep it down

The council unanimously supported Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro’s motion for special legislation allowing the city to establish penalties and liens for noise ordinance violations. According to the special legislation, the city may issue citations, establish appeal and hearing processes for the citations, file real estate liens to collect unpaid fines, penalties or assessments from the citations and avail itself of any and all relevant enforcement or procedural provisions provided in chapter 40U of the General Laws for violations of the noise ordinance of the city.

Councillors supported a related motion from Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky that Police Chief Maria LaVita purchase decibel meters for all police cruisers for the purpose of enforcing the noise ordinance. LaVita told councillors she did not expect the meters to cost more than $15,000.

 

Bench Trial

The City Council voted 10-1 to approve a $5,000 appropriation from the Community Improvement Trust Fund to replace park benches at Kimmerle Park in Beachmont. Councillor-at-Large Juan Pablo Jaramillo voted against the appropriation because he wanted more information.

According to Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna, who represents Beachmont, the neighborhood is seeing expanding gatherings of homeless people. The benches at the park were removed on the advice pf Police Chief Maria LaVita and Public Works Supt. Chris Ciaramella to prevent people from sleeping on them. McKenna said people gathering at the park are partially dressed, openly drinking alcohol and urinating in bushes. The Beachmont School is about 800 yards from the park, and children often cross through it to get to school. McKenna said that since last June the situation has become a public safety issue.

Ward 6 Councillor Chris Giannino, a retired Revere Police Sergeant, said he is familiar with the area, and he agreed it is a public safety is a concern.

But Beachmont wants its benches back. The new benches will have protruding arm rests in the center to prevent people from sleeping on them.

Jaramillo questioned how many arrests or citations have been made for the problems McKenna listed. Jaramillo said he wants to understand what problems could be solved through the appropriation.

McKenna added that the city has sent counselors, social workers and staff from the city’s Substance Use Disorder and Homelessness Initiatives Office to the park to help people there. “We did our homework,” she said.

 

Community Trust Fund accounts

Ward 1 Councillor JoAnne McKenna and Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro filed a motion to have City CFO Richard Viscay provide the City Council with a comprehensive account of the Community Improvement Trust Fund (CITF) from 2020 to the present, including, but not limited to, all receipts, expenditures and current balances.

Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya explained that the Community Improvement Trust Fund is linked to permitting and development — designed to mitigate the impacts of increased development in the city. Developers who receive variances and special permits are asked to contribute to the fund. The City Council and the Mayor’s Office approve of how the money is spent.

Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley said she had looked into the trust fund recently, and she shared the current balances for each ward. Ward 1 has $232,000, Ward 2 has $538,000, the balance for Ward 3 is $26,000, in Ward 4 it’s 39,000, Ward 5 has $526,000 and Ward 6 has a balance of $151,000. Kelly said the numbers were from July. She suggested asking for quarterly reports on CITF funds.

 

City Constables

The City Council referred Mayor Patrick Keefe’s nominations of Lauren D’Avella and Brittney D’Avella as Constables for the City of Revere to the Appointments Subcommittee.

 

Invitation to MassDOT

Ward 1 Councillor JoAnne McKenna and Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro are calling on MassDOT to appear before the council and explain the scope of work planned on Harris Street and the surrounding neighborhood. The councillors are concerned that the MassDOT road project will funnel traffic through quiet neighborhoods that don’t have sidewalks.

“MassDOT should mind their own business when it comes to Revere streets,” said Cogliandro, adding that the project raises safety concerns about cars taking shortcuts through residential areas filled with families and children.

The councillors are also requesting the City Engineer, DPW Superintendent and City Planner attend the meeting to offer additional context and address related concerns. “I hope they hear us, and I hope they actually come,” said Cogliandro.

 

Increase senior discounts

Councillors supported a motion from Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley to increase the discounts offered through the 2026 Water & Sewer Senior Discount Program by 10 percent. Discounts would increase to 40 percent for consumption of up to 30,000 gallons, 30 percent for consumption from 30,001 up to 70,000 gallons and 20 percent for consumption of 70,001 gallons or more.

“We are just trying to give seniors another little bit,” said Kelly, adding that the city should do what it can to help older residents coping with burgeoning bills. “They can use any and all help they can get.” Kelly added that last year there were about 1,000 applicants for the discounts and City CFO Richard Viscay felt the increases were manageable.

 

Bring back the Lincoln School Poll

Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley and Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro are calling on the Election Department to reinstate the Lincoln School as a polling location beginning with the 2027 elections. Kelly said she had heard from a number of residents who want to vote at Lincoln. “Seniors have a difficult time getting to the high school to vote,” she said.

Cogliandro said Lincoln was eliminated during Covid when the city was trying to condense polling locations. “A lot of seniors don’t want to cross Broadway to vote,” he said, adding that reinstating Lincoln may increase voter turnout.

“I’ve heard from a number of people in Ward 3,” said Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna. “And they say they just don’t vote.”