10/28 Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Assn. Meeting
6:55 Kathleen is resigning after 10 years to focus more heavily on work.
City Mgr. Bernie Lynch – State of the City
Finances – we are in very good shape; face challenges.
• Unfunded liabilities – retirement, etc.
• Negative cash-on-hand 2006. $14M in reserves today
• We are $12M below our legal Prop 2 ½ levy ceiling.
• Bond rating has been upgraded.
• We have invested $180M in infrastructure in the past 7 years.
o Met-Life’s $60M tax credit investment in Appleton Mills was credited
to our bond rating.
o $14M this year
o Target the same next year.
• Parks & Rec is the largest it has been in 13-14 years.
• Public Safety: We are largely on a downward trend but are experiencing a
spike.
o O.T. Spending is up.
Economic Development
• More people are working in the City of Lowell than were seven years ago
(fairly exceptional in this state)
• Number of businesses in the city is up.
• CrossPoint is 90% full as is Wannalancit.
• Talking about Hotel/Commercial by the Arena
• 400,000 Sq Ft of commercial space on the NPS lots under discussion
• Cottonhouse Lofts 75 units this year/next
• Boott Mills West opens after quarter century Dec 1st
Commercial.
• Mass Mills III – Ready to move forward on last two phases.
• Bernie is planning to move to Lowell within the month.
“We need to stay the course. Make smart decisions regarding financial policies.
…Don’t spend reserves…Government must remain effective, efficient, and
accountable…no culture of who you know…”
Questions
“Public Safety?”
11 new recruits. Largest class since 2008. Four more likely to be transferred from
other departments. 17 officers were funded by the feds and that money dried up.
We are still up seven officers in the past few years.
Panhandling ordinance is being worked on. Worcester passed one and the courts
just upheld it.
“Why aren’t we just using more cameras instead of cops in cruisers?”
1) There are cameras, we are considering more and we have some that are
mobile.
“What can we do about our ‘Dismal’ downtown?“
“Can we have the streets and the city garages be cleaner?”
Bernie: The downtown belongs to everyone. We need more businesses down here,
etc.
Kathleen: We need better enforcement.