Mayor Asks Councilors for City Hall Facelift, Rail Trail Money

Staging at Haverhill City Hall this summer.

A second round of city capital improvement funding requests and neighborhood traffic issues are among items on Tuesday’s Haverhill city council meeting agenda.

Councilors are being asked by Mayor James J. Fiorentini to approve another $250,000 in transfers from the current fiscal year’s capital projects account, half of which would pay for physical improvements at city hall. They include $10,000 for flooring, $55,000 to repair and paint building eaves and $60,000 for engineering design work to the retaining wall between the building and main parking lot. The remaining $125,000 would be used “for the purchase of the new section of the rail trail on the other side of the Basiliere Bridge.” Purchase of the former railroad bed would extend the Merrimack River rail trail on the Bradford side to the Crescent Yacht Club.

The rail trail item was removed from last week’s initial $434,800 capital improvement transfer request, as Chief of Staff David S. Van Dam told WHAV “because we may have other funding source options.” Councilors at last week’s meeting approved a revised $326,300 fund transfer for snow removal equipment and easement payments associated with a downtown boardwalk extension. If the latest transfer request is approved, the total capital expenditure to date in Fiscal 2016 would be $576,300.

Barrett Seeks Bradford Traffic Solution

City Councilor Melinda E. Barrett.

City Councilor Melinda E. Barrett.

In other council matters, Councilor Melinda E. Barrett is requesting discussion on “the influx of cut-through and speeding traffic on Front Street,” situated off Laurel Avenue in the Bradford section.

Traffic loops around South New and Verndale Streets as well as Germain Avenue and is potentially a traffic light bypass to South Main Street, ending one block away from the Bradford fire station.

The Haverhill City Council meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, in council chambers at Haverhill City Hall.

3 thoughts on “Mayor Asks Councilors for City Hall Facelift, Rail Trail Money

  1. So where is all that money the Mayor claims he has for these repairs. He has consistently claimed to have a reserve for replacement of outdated equipment and to pay for the repairs to City owned buildings. Time to acknowledge that — either there is no account, or to draw on said monies.

    • Hahahaha. You actually believed that nonsense ? I know you are saying that tongue in cheek…haha. The mayor is the master of deception. Now you hear it, now you don;t. If it “feels good” , then it is good ! Read the Matrix report on the fire dept and how old and outdated the equipment is. He should be embarrassed.