Several key items affecting the taxpayers of Everett sailed quickly through the Board of Aldermen on Monday night.
With little discussion, the Aldermen voted unanimously to approve requests by Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Community Development Director Marzie Galazka to seek a state grant to hire personnel to help review and re-write the zoning regulations in certain developable areas of the city.
Galazka told the Aldermen that all zoning changes will be discussed in a public forum seeking community feedback.
Alderman Joseph McGonagle commended Galazka for her work looking for the grant. (See Item 1)
In other votes the Aldermen unanimously approved the appropriation of $500,000 from the Mass. Water Resources Authority grant to purchase new commercial water meters. William O’Rourke, an outside consultant who had been hired by the city, told the Aldermen that he expects the city to receive almost $400,000-$500,000 annually in water revenues that are presently being lost due to faulty meters that do not accurately measure low usage at commercial businesses. The Common Council approved the request last week at their meeting. (See Item 3)
While on the topic of water, the Aldermen approved in a 4-3 vote the establishment of a Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund. The Aldermen who voted in favor of this measure, Robert Van Campen, Sal Sachetta, Mike Mangan and Millie Cardillo cited that the fund would provide greater transparency for the taxpayers in understanding their water bills. This measure was earlier approved at the Common Council. (See Item 4)
A measure to repeal the special provision that allows an Everett City employee to receive his full city salary as well as the salary from the armed forces if this employee is called up was sent to Rules and Regulations Committee. “This bill allows for double dipping,” Alderman Sal Sachetta told his colleagues.
Last year, an Everett Police officer received not only his full city salary of more than $130,000 but also his full salary as a Colonel in the National Guard that was about the same amount, when he was called up to active duty last year.
Sachetta said that he wanted the city to cover the difference in salary if any exists between the city salary and the armed forces salary. (See Item 20)
Other measures before the Aldermen were as follows: