Parking Meters in Grovers Ave. Lot are Off the Table

 WINTHROP – The town manager has taken off the table an idea to have paid parking at a lot on Grovers Avenue.

Not finding the support he would need, Town Manager James McKenna told the Town Council he was taking back his idea to put a daytime parking meter in a 21-car lot on Grovers Avenue. He, as well as, others in town are trying to come up with ways to increase parking in town, especially for beach use and for businesses.

Last week McKenna shared his idea with the Economic Development Committee. The small plot of land was purchased by the town when the old school next door was turned into apartments.

 “Every corner of the town has a parking challenge,” McKenna said. “The meter (which costs between $6,000-$12,000) is not used to make money, but for management.”

Time to Look

at the Charter

 In other council business Tuesday night, the council appointed a new Ordinance Review Committee to be headed by Joseph Boncore. The committee will meet and hold at least six public hearings to discuss the town’s charter and review how it is working with the management of the town. The last time this committee convened was five years ago. At that time the committee submitted a 95-page document of recommendations. Boncore said this is the most democratic process the town charter allows.

“Any ordinance is open to challenge or change,” Boncore said.

Money Matters

Tuesday night the Town Council approved $45,000 to be transferred from the town manager’s salary reserve line to the fire department personnel line to settle fiscal year 2015 contracts.

Town Manager James McKenna said the town’s snow expenditures as of Tuesday before another dusting hit the North Shore is $630,000. The town had budgeted $90,000 for snow removal for this year. Like many cities and towns do the snow budget is minimally funded in hopes it won’t be used. But since over 100 inches of snow has fallen, and there has been a need for sanding and salting in between storms, the budget hasn’t seen the end yet. DPW Director said there will also be repairs of between $15,000-$20,000. He explained that his department uses 90 tons of salt for just one sweep of all the town’s streets. McKenna said the town is hoping for some reimbursement from the state.

The town’s chief financial officer Tim Gordon reported some good financial news. He has taken out another bond for the construction of the new high school. The $12 million bond was borrowed from First Southwest at an interest rate of 3.17 percent. The rate is lower than the 3.35 percent rate received last summer when the town borrowed $24 million. To date, the town has borrowed $36 million.

 The original estimate on the interest rate was 5 percent when borrowing was in the planning stages. Gordon said there is now an $8.6 million actual saving over the life of the bond. That works out to about $1,600 per taxpayer for the life of the bond, which is 25 years.

Let There Be Light

 The Town Council gave the nod to allow Siemens to conduct a street light audit of the town. The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, which is made up of seven communities including Winthrop, has contracted with Siemens for this project. There is no cost at this stage. Siemens will come in to town and access the street lighting situation. The second phase will include switching the street lights to brighter LED lights.

Get Your

Parking Stickers

The Town Council has approved changes in the town’s parking sticker program. Stickers will now be good from January 1 to December 31. Anyone who currently has a sticker that was good until June will now be able to have that sticker be good until Dec. 31. Residents can go online between October and December of this year to get their next sticker. Information will be posted on the town’s website. A notice will also be included when the excise tax bills go out. There is no fee for the sticker if you go online. There will be a $5 fee for those mailed to the town.

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