I think being named the first Frontrunner City in the United States is solid enough reason for all Lowell City Councilors, the City Manager and Assistant Manager to attend the formal meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.
I’m hearing 9 of the 11 are planning to go and I hope any negativity from the Sun and radio about going is ignored. It’s a once in a lifetime achievement by these councilors and administration, and should be celebrated.
Councilor Wayne Jenness had a solid turnout at his re-election party from what I’m hearing.
Nice to hear former School Committee member and current SC candidate Bob Hoey is recovering well from his recent heart attack and moving to rehab. He sends THANKS to all for the kind wishes and prayers, according to our friend John McDonough.
Former Manager NOT endorsing anyone: There was a buzz that former Manager Eileen Donoghue donated “MORE” to Belinda Juran than she did to Erin Gendron. In fact, the former Manager and her husband John attended both events and gave the same donation to each. In Gendron’s filing, John and Eileen’s donation is split (see OCPF) and both are listed. I hear she is going to sit out endorsing anyone in the preliminary.
Dracut and Tewksbury receive 2nd Warning from AG: Our neighboring communities who refuse to pass MBTA Zoning, this week received a 2nd notice from the State Attorney General about compliance. Included in the 2-page letter was the following: “The courts have repeatedly explained that compliance with the Act is mandatory.” (bold Mine)
“Throughout the summer and the fall town meeting season, the Office will continue its work with the Healey-Driscoll Administration to support both noncompliant communities and “adjacent small towns” with a December 31, 2025, deadline in their efforts to adopt compliant zoning. By contrast, where a community has demonstrated that it will achieve compliance only when ordered to do so by a court, and the pertinent deadline has passed, the AGO may bring a civil enforcement action at any time. By January 2026, however, five years will have passed since the Act was signed into law. By that point, every MBTA Community will have had ample time—and considerable state support—to establish the legally mandated zoning”
“Therefore, in January 2026, the Attorney General is prepared to bring an enforcement suit against any MBTA Community that has failed to both adopt the required zoning and apply for a determination of district compliance from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.”
File this under be careful what you wish for: When the Lowell City Council approved another $2,000,000 for the School Committee, a couple of Councilors took exception to comments by the School Superintendent, Liam Sinner, about the charges to Maintenance of Effort or the chargebacks the city uses to meet their net school spending requirements, telling the Superintendent you and your department sign off on them!
My feeling this year is this School Committee and School Administration will be a little slower in signing off and I believe a School Committee member or challenger will call for a finance sub-committee meeting to air live and review these charges publicly.
The Maintenance of Effort Agreement to my knowledge has never been updated since 2007, yet the city has charged items not in the original agreement and past school administration have just signed off on them. Since 2018 when I served, again in 2019 and in 2022, the School Committee or administration has tried to work with the city to update the MOE, and every time the city has refused. The MOE needs to be updated and agreed upon or DESE needs to be called in to mediate, which is an option, though not a preferred one.
In this week’s column, I have included records that show what the city’s cash contribution has been, along with the chargebacks from FY11 – FY15 (link also included at bottom of column), broken down by then Assistant Superintendent Jay Lang.
These items are from the original MOE, agreed upon and signed by Lang, former CFO Tom Moses from the City and both the Council and School Committee in 2007. I have also included a report from Billie Jo Turner from 2022 that shows what percentage the City gave in cash of their required NET school spending from FY17-FY23. See the decrease for yourself;
Ed Reform has set an us against them mentality of City vs. School. The school department is the ONLY municipal department guaranteed a fixed amount of money by the state. The city has a STATE MANDATED amount they must pay in the form of cash or these chargebacks.
In the coming 2025/2026 fiscal year, the City and School side have to meet and adopt an agreed upon Maintenance of Effort Agreement before the divide, which was healing over the last two years, gets wider and more fractured, especially as budgets get tighter.
Goodbye to a Landmark or sadly to a whole Organization?
The demolition of the long-standing East End Club on West 4th Street has begun. While a new, smaller version of the club was supposed to open in June, nothing has happened, and many longtime club members haven’t been given an update or explanation for the delay. One long-time member wonders if it will ever reopen. The club did a lot of great charitable/civic work, from scholarships to election eve rallies. If this is the end and the April gathering was the final goodbye, it is a sad time for many of us who grew up here in Centralville and spent many great days and nights at the club.
City of Lowell Cash and Maintenance of Effort Contributions to School, Fiscal Years 2011-2015
