Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Matewsky lowered the boom on a representative from National Grid about the conditions inside Glendale Towers during the City Council meeting Monday night.
Matewsky said he became aware of the extremely hot and humid temperatures inside the Glendale Towers during a recent campaign visit.
“I would’ve never went up there [by elevator to a resident’s apartment] had I know what I was walking into,” said Matewsky. “It was a nightmare. The hallway had to be 80 degrees. The man’s apartment was 90. It’s just unfair that National Grid – and it’s my understanding through the director of the Housing Authority, that it’s you people, who were supposed to be such good neighbors, – these are senior citizens, and the [conditions] were disgusting.”
Matewsky said “for some reason, the building has become a hot building.”
Matewsky then asked Zachary Traini of National Grid whether the issue involved “voltage or ampage” in providing residents with the right amount of electrical current to have air-conditioning in the apartments.
“This is the first time that it’s been brought to my attention – I am new to the department,” said Traini. “We did meet with the engineering company that with the building at 381 Ferry St. What’s going on here was there were multiple conductors going into that building, and about half of them burnt up, so they’re not getting the proper loading that was originally planned for this building.”
Matewsky continued his remarks criticizing the situation.
“This has been kicked around enough. These people are elderly. I hate to say it, but I don’t think a dog could live in some of those apartments that are so hot,” Matewski told the National Grid representative. “Some people can afford their own air conditioning, but it’s become a hot building. It was a state-of-art building, but now the only safe place in that building is the lobby.”
Matewsky offered a firm and final command to Traini, who was totally professional in his manner in handling the councilor’s comments.
“We need you to send a message to National Grid and get this fixed,” said Matewsky.