By David
Liscio -- The Daily Item
Thursday, May 8, 2003
More than 50 municipally
owned buildings and vacant lots will be sold by soliciting
proposals from would-be buyers.
After that, the City Council Public Property
Committee has decided, any properties that remain unsold will be
offered at a live auction in the City Hall auditorium once an
auctioneer is hired, according to Ward 4 Councilor Richard Colucci,
the committee chairman. "We finally did it. As soon as we advertise, which
takes a couple of weeks, we'll be accepting bids on these
properties," Colucci said. The impetus to sell unwanted public property stemmed
from Mayor Edward Clancy Jr.'s effort to find sources of revenue to
help balance the current fiscal budget. The Lynn Area Chamber of
Commerce spearheaded the move by bringing a consultant to the city
who had had success selling off public property in Salem. The
consultant, a Salem attorney, advocated the live auction. The Public Property Committee's decision on which
properties to include on the list brought to an end months of
discussion over how best to proceed. According to Colucci, the list includes commercial
and residential property. Abutters will be given first option to purchase any
public land measuring less than 1,000 square feet, he said, noting
that some properties were removed from the list because they are
wetlands, mudflats or otherwise not suitable for building. In a few instances, city councilors and municipal
agency representatives requested properties be taken off the list
because they might prove essential to resolving neighborhood
problems. For example, the Lynn Housing Authority asked that
certain lots on Baldwin and Essex streets used for community
gardens be reserved for its in-fill program, which builds
single-family homes that are later offered at below market-rate
prices. A 2,800-square-foot parcel on River Street was held
to allow for widening of a canal. Six parcels on the Lynnway, known
as the Beacon Chevrolet site, were also held pending state action
on environmental permits in an area where developers want to build
high-rise condominiums. And at least three lots along Shiela's Way
were not added to the list because of ongoing drainage
problems. Colucci noted that some neighborhoods might benefit
from additional parking or space for a park or playground. "Other than those properties, we'll be putting them
all out to bid," the chairman said. "Any that aren't sold that way
will go to auction. We're waiting for the Law Department to draft a
request for proposals so that we can hire an auctioneer." Councilor-at-large Timothy Phelan, a committee
member, said the vote to sell the public properties by both methods
actually expedites the process. "It's kind of like the best of both worlds," he
said. "While the auctioneer (request for proposals) is being
formulated by the Law Department, we can still go forward with the
job of selling off these properties." Phelan, who made the original motion to hire an
auctioneer, said the Law Department draft outlining how to go about
it must be reviewed by the Public Property Committee before it is
presented for approval to the whole council. Prospective candidates would then be interviewed and
an auction scheduled at City Hall auditorium, according to
Colucci. Buyers would pay the auctioneer a percentage of the
purchase price as a fee. The committee plans to meet May 20 to discuss
questions about public land in Lynn's watershed and will attempt to
decipher ownership of the School Department administration building
on Central Street. "When all these properties are sold, the city will have some
serious money," said Colucci, adding that there could be other
public properties not on the approved list. "If we find there are
more parcels laying around, we'll sell those, too." Some of the properties on the list have been off the tax rolls
since 1986. Any restrictions on the public lands for sale would
remain attached to the deed upon transfer of ownership, according
to City Clerk Mary Audley. Colucci attributed the committee's accord to the presence of
several city department heads at the most recent meeting. "Bringing everybody together really helped," he said. "This way,
everybody got to say their peace and tell us why certain properties
should nor shouldn't be on the list."
____________________________________________________________________________
By Thor Jourgensen -- The Daily Item
Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran warned Wednesday that
there would be no "sacred cows" as the Legislature tries to pull
the state out of a $3 billion deficit.
Finneran, a Boston legislator and one of the most politically
powerful men in the state, told Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce
members that Massachusetts faces financial challenges of historic
proportions and sharply criticized Gov. Mitt Romney's approach to
meeting those challenges.
In a bid to erase the state shortfall, Romney last month unveiled a
budget that combines and eliminates state offices, and restructures
how state money is allocated to communities.
"Moving a few boxes on an organizational chart to save $2 billion
is pure campaign baloney. You can't claim $2 billion in savings
when smart business people say there is only $100 million. If the
savings don't materialize, I'm under an obligation to say they are
phony," Finneran said.
Asked about the speaker's comments following Finneran's speech at
the Porthole Pub, Romney spokeswoman Shawn Feddeman said the state
budget deficit stands at $3 billion and noted the governor plans to
erase it through his proposed savings, program cuts and added
revenue - but with no tax increases.
"If the speaker has better ideas for closing a $3 billion gap
without taxes, we'd like to hear them," Feddeman said, adding, "Any
time sweeping change is proposed, people will protect the status
quo."
Finneran acknowledged that the Legislature in recent years has
bickered and delayed the budget making process. He said the House
and Senate will release similar-sized budget proposals in three
weeks and begin dividing state programs into "essential,"
"desirable" and "nice, but" categories with an eye toward reducing
spending.
"We won't engage in gratuitous political bickering. We will indulge
those parts of the governor's budget that make sense. Our budget
will be a truthful budget," Finneran said.
Swampscott Republican Town Committee member Edward Palleschi
questioned Finneran's criticisms after hearing his speech.
"He's a little bit aggressive in his criticisms of the governor.
Romney is trying for broad, sweeping reform like no one has ever
done."
Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. said Finneran's comments prove "that
everything's on the table" when it comes to cutting state spending
and further reducing state aid to cities like Lynn.
Clancy and other municipal leaders have looked longingly at the
state income tax as a possible source of increased revenue, but
Finneran and Romney will not be placing tax hikes on the table this
year.
Finneran said there is an "increased likelihood" that legislators
will follow Romney's lead and begin giving careful consideration to
introducing slot machines in Massachusetts.
The House on April 15 will debate proposals, including one backed
by Revere Reps. Robert DeLeo and Kathi-Anne Reinstein, to introduce
slots at Wonderland and Suffolk Downs racetracks.
"Most legislators I've talked to are concerned about the Lottery.
It provides over $800 million. We're hesitant about toying with
that success," Finneran said, echoing concerns that slot machines
would draw people away from state Lottery games and reduce revenue
flowing into local coffers.
He called the governor's failed bid to have Connecticut and Rhode
Island casinos pay the state $75 million in return for not facing
competition from future Massachusetts casinos extortion.
"He was told by (state Attorney General) Tom Reilly, 'You can't do
it.' It's blatantly illegal."
__________________________________________________ House Speaker Thomas Finneran,
second from right, jokes with, from left, State Senator Thomas
McGee, State Rep. Steve Walsh and State Rep. Robert Fennel right at
The Chamber of Commerce meeting today where he was the guest
speaker. (Owen O'Rourke Photo) In a public address laced with sports analogies,
Mayor Edward Clancy Jr. Wednesday lashed out at Gov. Mitt Romney's
cuts to local aid and warned Lynn residents to brace for tough
times in fiscal 2004. Although the mayor's speech occasionally
veered toward being upbeat, most of his 40-minute message to the
Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce focused on the difficult and
unpopular decisions he has made since taking office. Clancy last
year ordered an 8 percent budget cut across all departments and
closed the city's two public nursing homes. More recently, he has
threatened additional layoffs, increased municipal fees and
overhauled the management of the Larry Gannon Golf Course to
control a looming $19 million deficit.
__________________________________________________________________________
Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce
House Speaker warns
that there are no 'sacred cows' when it comes to deficit
Thursday, April 3, 2003
Clancy: We're
facing a fiscal tsunami
By David
Liscio -- The Daily Item
Thursday, January 30, 2003
May 8 2003
(edited 3 years, 4 months ago)
100 Oxford Street
Lynn, MA 01901
(P) 781.592.2900
(F) 781.592.2903
info@LynnAreaChamber.com
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