Haverhill

Haverhill Councilors Approve ‘Green’ Home Near Water Supply

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A special permit request for a single-family home near Round Pond passed Haverhill City Council last night with flying colors. Using words like “tremendous,” “thoughtful” and “inspirational,” councilors praised the environmentally friendly design, which sends clean runoff into Round Pond, has no carbon footprint and improves drainage in the area. The home, located at 0 Stanley Drive, is less than 500 feet from the source of drinking water, putting it in the Water Supply Protection Overlay District. “It’s a great thing that you are going to be a model for net zero because I think … it’s going to become standard, sooner or later, anyway,” Councilor John A. Michitson said. The lot’s zoning is the reason for the special permit hearing.

Haverhill

Applicants Propose ‘Eco-Friendly’ Home Near Round Pond; Councilors Rejected Earlier Plan For Same Site

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Seven months after a previous proposal for the property failed, new applicants seek a special permit tonight from the Haverhill City Council to build an “eco-friendly” home at 0 Stanley Drive, which belongs to the city’s Water Supply Protection Overlay District. Councilors last December rejected Ronald Judkins’ special permit request because, they said, he proposed a duplex—rather than a single-family—and did not provide sufficient drainage. Dennis R. Suslavich and Susan M. Suslavich bought the land for $80,000 from Peter C. Lane in March. Before judging the merits of the couple’s plan, the council must first determine whether the new proposal sufficiently addresses the problems raised during Judkins’ hearing. The dwelling in question is less than 500 feet from Round Pond, requiring special permission from the council.

Education

School Com Approves Labrecque as Interim Assistant Superintendent for Haverhill Schools

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Haverhill School Committee members this week approved former Groveland Town Manager Greg Labrecque as interim business manager, making his hiring official as the district searches for a permanent replacement for Assistant Superintendent Michael J. Pfifferling. During a special meeting held remotely Tuesday night, Vice Chairman Paul A. Magliocchetti said, despite Superintendent Margaret Marotta’s absence, they should go ahead and vote on the hiring. He said he and the mayor were in the room when Labrecque was interviewed. He has “had a ton of history, had a ton of experience both in the government side and the school side of finance and management,” Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said. Noting what he called his “impressive resume,” Magliocchetti added, “He did make it very clear that he has no intention to make the position permanent…and he just wants to help us navigate until we do find a permanent solution.”

As WHAV previously reported, Labrecque is retired and intends to work up to 25 hours each week.

Haverhill

Haverhill CFO: Prior Mayor Left City Reliant on Inconsistent Surpluses; Taxes to Rise Again Next Year

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At the start of her first term this year, Mayor Melinda E. Barrett was quickly informed her predecessor had left behind a budget overly reliant on “free cash,” a reserve created by each year’s budget surplus—the sum of all revenues coming in higher and costs lower than planned. “It was one of the first things I briefed the new mayor on when she came into office,” CFO and City Auditor Angel A. Perkins said. The city is expected to raise taxes by 8%, or $444 on average per single-family household, for the current fiscal year, which started Monday, to pay for a $262 million spending plan. The Barrett administration argues it made the move in part because former Mayor James J. Fiorentini overly relied on this pot of money, keeping taxes “artificially” low. Beginning, as Perkins put it, to “wean” off free cash—a process projected to continue until 2033—the city budgeted almost $900,000 this year toward items previously paid by the inconsistent source.

Haverhill

Steeper Conservation Fines, Campgrounds on Haverhill’s Horizon; Michitson Plans Summit

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Haverhill may see steeper fines for non-criminal offenses in recreational areas, as well as new fishing spots and campgrounds on public lands. If city councilors ultimately approve a set of updated ordinances, violating any rule set by the Conservation Commission will bring $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and max out at $300 for the third. Conservation Officer Daniel McDonald is in charge of these penalties. After 10 years without a dedicated enforcer, the city brought back the position in 2023. For now, councilors are expected to first place them on file for the required two weeks tomorrow night.

Haverhill

Similar to Haverhill, New Mobile Clinic Will Bring Care Directly to Methuen’s Unhoused Population

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(Additional photograph below.)

A third mobile health clinic—the other two already serving Haverhill’s and Lawrence’s homeless—allows the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s homeless healthcare program to expand its direct-to-patient primary care into Methuen. During yesterday’s ribbon-cutting, Health Center President and CEO Guy L. Fish said, “It’s super, super important that we get under the bridges, to the shelters, to the hotels where new immigrant families are being housed, and bring healthcare to them because healthcare is a human right.” Mobile clinics are necessary for those who can’t navigate the hospital system, or don’t have the means to get there, he added. Roughly the size of a large RV, the brand-new vehicle has three rooms. In the frontmost, the three-to-five-person staff can do simple assessments—take vital signs, do lab work or offer vaccines, said Health Care for the Homeless Medical Director Dr. Ryan Dono. The middle one functions both as a waiting area and space for evaluation. The third room, separated by a door, looks like a scaled down doctor’s office, allowing staff to perform full physical exams.

He said they do mostly the same procedures as at their brick-and-mortar office, including women’s health exams, ultrasounds and treating Hepatitis C. “Being able to treat people for Hepatitis C in the moment is an amazing intervention,” he added.

Haverhill

With Ongoing Sewage Overflow Projects Top Priority, Haverhill Plans for Future Environmental Disasters

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Haverhill’s top environmental challenge is heavy and frequent rainfall, according to a “natural hazard” assessment. If overwhelmed, combined stormwater and sewage pipes can overflow into the Merrimack River. Hanna Mogensen, of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, told Haverhill city councilors Tuesday night the regional assessment allows communities to access federal money for non-emergency measures and offers a “roadmap” to prevent future disasters. Led by Emergency Management Director Robert P. Pistone, also the city’s police chief, city department heads put together Haverhill’s part, identifying 14 ongoing projects key to disaster prevention. Introducing Mogensen, Pistone said the “plan is about 300-odd pages.

Haverhill

Haverhill Mayor Announces Cooling Centers, Options as Temp to Reach 99 Thursday

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With a high of 99 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett designated places around the city residents can go to cool down. The Citizens Center will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the rest of the week, particularly for those “who are struggling—perhaps they don’t want to pay an electric bill in their homes—especially the elderly, who may be struggling with utility payments,” Barrett said at last night’s City Council meeting. For unhoused people seeking shelter, the mayor said the city guarantees cooldown options all day Thursday. Community Action’s Drop-In Center, 16 Ashland St., will be open Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m. to noon. Common Ground Café will be open noon to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Emmaus House from 3 p.m. on.