Bahou was Right! I have to admit that when Voke School Committeeman Fred Bahou was running for the Lowell School Committee and he was promoting the idea of bringing Chapter 74 (Vocational/Technical) programming to LHS, I slapped the thought around as being a waste of time and nonsense.

Since then, in my full-time job for MassHire, I have seen firsthand the interest of the students and the class spaces at the High School that will be used along with working with college and career staff to organize Advisory Boards. And after participating in six zoom meetings (five this week), I admit Fred was correct and it’s a good idea!

(Just a coincidence I’m taking next week off after writing that!)

Greater Lowell Tech has an annual waitlist of 500+ rising Grade 9 Lowell students who seek to access Chapter 74 programs, but are turned away due to a significant lack of capacity.

There are large gaps in student success indicators for attendance, graduation, and dropout rates when LHS data is compared to GL Tech data.

College degree persistence of at least a two-year associate degree is only 30% six years after graduation from LHS, indicating the need for pathways that lead to employment and careers.

To make these programs available beginning in the next school year, LHS NEEDS some business professionals, Higher Ed and Parent representatives to be part of these Advisory Boards in the following fields; Information Support Services and Networking (ISSN) – Robotics and Automation Engineering Technology – Business Technology – Multimedia – Culinary.

If Lowell can’t fill these boards, when these boards meet with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to get the programs to be authorized, they then have to restart the approval process again next year.

There are “normally” only 2 meetings a year (one in May / one in October), but this year to get approval we have had two. We will have an in person meeting at LHS in May to visit each shop and review the course requirements, then a Zoom with the DESE representative where the advisory board must answer most questions, not the staff or teachers.

If you can help, please email SZielinski@Lowell.k12.ma.us and she will get you all the needed information.  Thank you!

Does Lowell need a Community Benefit Agreement Ordinance? I understand a community requesting a Community Benefit Agreement if they are bringing in a Major Development like a Data Center or Battery Storage Facility. Tewksbury Town Manager John Curran and his team seemed to have hit a home run with their host community agreement with Hillman Energy Center, LLC.

Safety measures in the HCA include a 30,000-gallon dedicated water supply for fires, a requirement of multiple entry points rated for large emergency response vehicles and an emergency notification system with backup power. It also includes a payment in lieu of taxes agreement, where over a 20 year period Hillman energy will pay an annual floor of $2 million plus a 1% Community Preservation Act surcharge, as well as an additional $3.8 million in payments to the town.

The HCA also covers onsite inspections by fire safety experts, fire safety tests before commissioning, restoration of impacted roads and infrastructure after construction is complete and noise mitigation.

I can understand why one would be necessary with a large industrial project, but if we are looking for developers to come into Lowell as part of the Frontrunner City program or the LINC project, is now the time to do this?

I spoke with Councilor Vesna Noun, who made the motion, and he explained that he sees it as a way to assist the neighborhoods and city with some assistance or improvements that may be needed.

For example, the housing project in Centralville at the old Apple Orchard would requiring the builder to provide sidewalks on Llewellyn, Reservoir and Christian Streets, to improve walkability in that neighborhood. A benefit to both the neighborhood and city!

Not many communities have embraced these agreements yet. I’ve seen Somerville’s and Needham’s Ordinance and Salem is considering one, but I don’t see many other communities doing this. After talking with the Councilor, I believe his intentions are good, but my question is, would this dissuade developers?

Miscellaneous…This Council appears to be unhappy with National Grid. On this week’s Council agenda there are four motions related to them.

In the Council Packet there is a letter to the Superintendent of Schools to show that “In the FY2027 Annual Budget for the City of Lowell, the total proposed single line appropriation support to the Lowell Public Schools in will be $287,966,413, which sounds good.

However, in the Governor’s proposed budget, the State REQUIRED NET SCHOOL SPENDING for Lowell is $349,052,321, of which the City of Lowell will RECEIVE $275,966,413 from the STATE in Chapter 70 funding.

Which means that while the City’s REQUIRED NET School is SUPPOSED to be $73,085,908, the City is ONLY “Giving” $12,000,000 in Cash, or just over 16% of their required NET School spending.

I hope the School District / School Committee don’t agree to any Maintenance of Effort agreement that doesn’t guarantee a MINIMUM of 20% of the City’s Required Net School Spending in cash. This year that would amount to an additional $2.6 Million in cash!

The City Administration states “This figure, however, does not take into account the approximately $73 million in costs to support the district funded by the city budget, nor the aggressive capital investment campaign in the schools,” but fails to mention that Capital cost (like the High School or the Roofs, Windows, Doors etc.) are NOT allowed by law to be charged to their NET School Spending Requirements.

WE ARE  ARE WE Family? Apparently new Councilor Liang (or his “advisors”) want to know! His questions are how many who work in the city do so with other family members and how many employees live in Lowell? At least I think that’s what he wants.

C. Liang – Req. City Mgr. have the HR Department provide a summary of a demographic report, including city staff residency (Lowellians vs. non-Lowellians) by leadership level; additionally, include the percentage of respondents who answered “YES” to the question: Pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 268A, please indicate if you have any family members employed by the City of Lowell in the City of Lowell’s Employment application form. Chapter 268A

Under MGL Chap 268A I find – Section 6B: Candidates for employment as state employee; disclosure of relation to state employee.

Section 6B. Each candidate for employment as a state employee shall be required by the hiring authority as part of the application process to disclose, in writing, the names of any state employee who is related to the candidate as: spouse, parent, child or sibling or the spouse of the candidate’s parent, child or sibling.

BUT I See NOTHING THAT STATES: Candidates for employment as Municipal employee; disclosure of relation to Municipal employee

Why is that question even asked if there is nothing stated clearly in the Law that calls for it? Lowell doesn’t have a Residency Requirement, so what exactly is Councilor Liang fishing for? Will any of the other current Councilors request a ruling, or at the very least a clarification by the City Solicitor relating how lawfully MCL 268A applies in this case?