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Haverhill
on the Move
Jim
Fiorentini
Haverhill
Unemployment Rate Plunges to lowest since May-01.
Mayor James J. Fiorentini announced that Haverhill’s
unemployment fell in October to 4.0%, the lowest such
recorded rate in Haverhill in six and a half
years. The  last
time the City’s unemployment rate was lower was in
May of 2001, according to official labor market figures
from the Massachusetts Division of Career Services.
“I’m pleased to report that our employment
figures reveal that we’re finally recovering from
the disastrous events of the early part of this decade—including
the Recession, 9/11, and the decline of Lucent
Technologies,” stated the Mayor. “These
figures reveal that Haverhill truly is coming back.
We’re on the move in the right direction.”
“There’s a lot of reasons for this drop in
unemployment, but it’s not a coincidence that the
recent sharp drops in unemployment claims in Haverhill
correspond with new job growth— including the
opening of BJ’s, Target and the pre-hiring underway
by Lowes,” noted the Mayor.
“We’re committed to doing even more to make
Haverhill a great place to live and work,” added the
Mayor.
Winter Parking Ban
The winter parking ban is in effect. From November 15 to
December 1, you park your car on the even side of the
street. From December 1 until April 1, on odd months park
on the odd side, on even months park on the even side.
There is a $25 penalty for noncompliance.
Haverhill Board Openings
We have openings on a number of boards in the city
including the following:
* Planning Board
* Bradford College Historic District Commission
* Community Action Commission
* Cultural Council
If you are interested in serving. Send an email to mayor@cityofhaverhill.com.
Tax Rate Set
Last month, the city council set the tax rate. Taxes for
the average single-family homeowner will go up by $100.
(To see if your home is “average” check your
home value, http://haverhill.patriotproperties.com/default.asp?br=exp&vr=6
.) Businesses saw an increase in their property
values, resulting in higher real estate taxes.
Here are a few things you should know:
Revaluation does not raise more money for the city: Think
of all the property taxes the city raises, around $72
million, as a big pie. Revaluation just shifts things
around inside the pie. It does not increase the pie.
Property values are based upon calendar year 2006
Assessments
The city is required by State law to assess property
values with a one-year lag. If you believe that your
property is overvalued, you can file for an abatement.
You must file in January; not before and not after. You
can download the form from the city website.
Mayor’s Third Term Team Starts to Take
Place
Mayor Fiorentini today announced several new members of
his third term team.
* Linda Koutoulos of Haverhill as Administrative
Assistant. Linda has worked for several years at the
State house as an aid to State Representative John
Binienda from Worcester.
* Robert Driscoll of Haverhill as new permitting
ombudsman. Mr. Driscoll is a former executive with Wang
Laboratories. The position, paid for with a State grant,
allows the city to expedite permits for new business.
* Heidi (Murphy) Griffin of Bradford to the Planning
Board. Heidi is the town planner in Reading.
Three new councilors
This past election saw the election of three new members
of the city council: Michael McGonagle, James Donahue Jr.
and Kenneth Quimby, Jr.
I have sent all three of them a congratulatory note and
invited them in for a get acquainted meeting.
Haverhill, Other Communities Face Big Deficits
As I repeatedly warned during the campaign, Haverhill
faces severe budget problems in the upcoming years. The
reason is simple: municipal costs, particularly health
care and pension costs, are growing faster than our
revenues.
For several years, we have grown our tax base, engaged in
long term planning, decreased health care costs, cut the
costs of government, and taken long term steps to reduce
the size of the deficit. It’s worked, but the
deficit, although reduced, remains.
Our preliminary estimates are that we face a deficit of
$5.8 million next year.
Sadly, we are not unique. A recent article in
Commonwealth Magazine entitled “Municipal Meltdown”
says it all:
“The view is nearly unanimous: Cities and towns are
in big trouble.”
We are meeting on a weekly basis at city hall to
formulate a plan to present in April or earlier.
DPW Update
Haverhill has made several changes to the highway
department. These changes include:
* Instituting GPS on selected highway vehicles;
* Instituting time clocks
* Improving management of overtime;
I recommended to the city council that the city conduct a
full management study of the highway department and the
Department of Public Works.
I reached this conclusion after meeting with some of the
top public works directors in the State, and studying
management studies done in cities such as Gloucester,
Massachusetts, Sunnyvale California and Springfield,
Massachusetts.
DPW Directors I have consulted with have told that me
that modern cities have a combined Department of Public
Works which combines the Water, Waste Water, Highway and
Engineering Departments.
A full management study will tell us best practices
throughout the country, give us a metric on how to
measure performance, and a roadmap to a more efficient
department.
Zion Bible College
Last month I was proud to announce that the former
Bradford College campus was officially sold to Hob-Lob
Ltd., an affiliated company of the Hobby Lobby Stores of
Oklahoma City, OK.
After various renovations are undertaken, the campus will
be occupied by Zion Bible College, presently located in
Barrington, RI. In about one year, Hob-Lob Ltd. will
donate the college property to Zion. The closing ends
more than a year of negotiations and attempts by Zion to
acquire the former Bradford College campus, which has
been vacant for more than six years.
“This long-awaited moment in Haverhill’s
continuing renaissance has finally occurred, and I’m
thrilled to have an educational institution back on this
historic campus,” stated Mayor James J. Fiorentini.
“We look forward to working with Hobby-Lobby
officials to get the campus back to life with students,
educators and families.”
Bradford R. Martin, an attorney with Morrison Mahoney,
LLP who served as local counsel for Hobby Lobby and has
been working with Zion for the past 15 months, stated:
“The acquisition of the campus provides a bright
future for Zion and is another part of the significant
progress that Haverhill has made over the past few years.
“The remarkable generosity of the Green family has
made all of this possible for Zion,” Attorney Martin
added. “We are appreciative of the support of Mayor
Fiorentini who consistently held out for an educational
use of the property, and in particular the proposed use
by Zion. Had he relented to the pressure to re-zone the
campus, none this would have been possible,” he
noted.
Mayor Fiorentini pointed out that: “our hard work
and persistence has paid off. I want to congratulate the
members of the Bradford College Neighborhood Association
for their diligence in this matter as well.”
Zion will be a great addition to the City,”
predicted the Mayor. “In its beginning 200 years
ago, Bradford College was a training ground for notable
Christian missionaries such as Ann Haseltine Judson and
other historic Bradford figures. With Zion, the campus
returns to this proud tradition,” added the Mayor.
Work on renovations will commence on a
building-by-building basis almost immediately, in
accordance with several historic preservation
restrictions. Representatives from Hobby Lobby will be on
site. It is anticipated that Zion will move in next
summer and commence classes in Bradford in the fall of
2008.
Jim Fiorentini is the mayor of
Haverhill and was just elected to his third term on
November 6th. You can email him at Jimfior@aol.com
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The December 2007
Edition of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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