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Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council
City of Salem
Draft Meeting Minutes
Thursday, November 5, 2009
7:00 pm
Members in attendance: Jim Moskovis (Chair), RoseMary O’Connor, Stan Franzeen, Ana Gordan, Jim Rose, Jeff Cox, Lucy Corchado
Members not in attendance: Michael Coleman (V. Chair), Patricia Zaido, Leslie Limon, Meg Twohey
City staff in attendance: Jason Silva, Chief Administrative Aide to the Mayor; Don Famico, Animal Control Officer
Public in attendance: Pat Libertie, Scott Weisberg
Introduction
NIAC members introduced themselves and which neighborhood group they represent.
Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes (October 2009)
The board reviewed draft minutes from the October 8 meeting and discussed corrections. October minutes were approved with corrections. Ana will correct the minutes and email them to Jason for public posting, and to NIAC members for distribution to their neighborhood email lists.
Public Comment Period
Scott reported that he received an email naming a Salem student who had apparently contracted the H1N1 virus & asked if Salem schools have a policy for notifying students and parents if they suspect that a student or staff has contracted the H1N1 flu. He said the email was not from the school. He called both the school and the Health Department asking about this email but did not receive an answer. Jim M. asked if H1N1 issues are being handled by the Board of Health. Jason said he would get that information, and that the City has been providing seasonal flu vaccines. Lucy said that schools distributed information to students and parents regarding the H1N1 flu on the first day of school.
Jeff said that his neighborhood is very concerned about the presence of registered Level 3 sex offenders in Salem. He mentioned that there are 23 in Salem, 5 of whom live in properties operated by the Salem Mission in the Endicott Street neighborhood. He expressed concern that if the Mission builds more housing in the neighborhood, that this could possibly add 5 to 7 more Level 3 sex offenders to the neighborhood. He mentioned that a school uses a park/playground adjacent to his neighborhood. Jim M. suggested that discussion regarding sex offenders should wait until we have more information regarding all levels of sex offenders. He added while it is a valid concern, we should respect residents’ privacy unless their status is public information, and that everyone needs a place to live. He said that Lynn has an
ordinance that addresses minimum distance from parks and playgrounds for registered sex offenders, and suggested that we start a conversation with appropriate authorities and parties present. Jim R. agreed that while it is an emotional topic, that we would benefit from having the appropriate other parties at the table, such as the Police and a representative from the DA’s office.
Jeff mentioned that for the latest local elections, that he had tried to set up a Ward forum for candidates to speak and answer questions from the public. He asked if there could be a city-wide forum for local elections. Jim M. said that his ward (Ward 4) has organized candidate forums in the past. He said that the Salem News does a great job organizing forums, but that individual wards may want to have their own ward-specific forums for primaries. He added that Jim R. put together a great forum for Ward 5 candidates in South Salem. Jeff mentioned that he did contact Tom Dalton at the Salem News and Salem’s SATV – SATV was supportive of having a forum, but that the candidates were not interested. Jim M. suggested that the topic of candidate forums be an agenda item for a future discussion when the next
election approaches. Jason said that local, ward-specific forums have historically been organized by neighborhood associations. RoseMary added that the need for a forum depends on circumstances of the specific elections. Jeff said that even if an election is not controversial, he would still like to provide the public with candidates’ forums. Jason said that there are resources in this room, as well as within the Alliance of Salem Neighborhood Associations (ASNA), to organize future candidates’ forums. Stan pointed out that discussing the organization of candidates’ forums at the NIAC table could potentially pose a conflict of interest, since NIAC members are appointed by the Mayor and that Jason staffs the board, and that ASNA would be more appropriate venue. Jason agreed.
Stan announced that the traffic study proposing the signalization of the Congress St./Derby St./Hawthorne Blvd intersection is now posted on Salem.com. He asked Jason why the information he had gathered and given him on roundabouts/traffic circles was not in the report. Jason said that he had submitted Stan’s information to the Beta Group, who had done the traffic study, and that the Beta Group would be prepared with a response on a potential roundabout at that intersection and report on it. Stan asked when that report would be finished – it would need to be available before the public meeting scheduled for 11/17. Jason said that he had asked the Beta Group to have the report on a roundabout done and available before the 11/17 meeting. Jim R. asked what the benefits are of having a roundabout instead of a
4-way signalized intersection. Stan said that data shows that traffic flow remains continuous but traffic speed is slowed. Stan said that he thought that at first, the Beta Group had rejected the option, but that he understood it was still under consideration. Ana asked if the meeting on 11/17 was a public hearing by the state, or a public meeting by the City. Jason said it is not a public hearing, but an opportunity for the City and traffic consultant to present its proposal, and for members of the public to ask questions and comment. He said that while Route 1A passes through the intersection, that at that location it is a “numbered route” instead of a state highway and is city owned, so Mass Highway is not involved in the decision for improving the intersection. Jason encouraged anyone who has comments about the proposed improvements to attend the meeting and/or submit comments to himself or Ward 1 Councilor Bob McCarthy.
RoseMary regretted to announce that her neighbor, Mr. Verrette, a war veteran, had been killed recently by a car while raking leaves in his yard. She added that a car had been totaled at the intersection of Flint and Mason Streets. While she said speed and careless drivers are a problem in her neighborhood, it is a city-wide problem and everyone seems to always be in a hurry, drivers do not stop at stop signs, and traffic is out of control in the city. She proposed that we start a campaign to get drivers to slow down. She recently witnessed a woman behind a stopped school bus with its lights flashing, blowing her horn out of impatience. Jim M. agreed that the section of Mason St. where Mr. Verrette was killed has always been a problem. He said that adding lights to intersections encourages people to take side roads to
avoid those intersections, and drive too fast down the side roads. Stan said that he used to work in traffic safety, and that he had worked on a state-wide campaign, “Saving Lives”, to target drunk drivers and speeders. He mentioned that several years ago, a Marblehead woman had launched a successful one-person campaign against reckless drivers. He asked Jason if Salem’s new Police Chief will try to get grant money for traffic enforcement and safety awareness.
Jason said that from his and the Mayor’s visits to neighborhood meetings, traffic has been one of the top issues in every neighborhood. They have talked about getting more patrol cars out on the roads for enforcement with the Police Chief but it is an issue of having officers available. The police are planning to purchase more radar signs indicating approaching cars’ speed for problem areas. RoseMary suggested “SLOW” signs painted on the roads as a less expensive deterrent to speeding. Jason said that the City has purchased a machine that can make signs, but is concerned that too much signage creates sign pollution and may make the message less effective. Stan agreed that too much signage can create visual “wallpaper”. Jason said that the City Council recently appropriated $25,000 for
low-cost traffic-calming measures in strategic areas, including repainting lines at crosswalks. He mentioned that they are aware of other creative, low-cost traffic-calming measures, such as fake potholes painted on the road, and quirky sayings on stop signs that grab a driver’s attention. Jason said that RoseMary’s idea of a campaign against speeding and reckless driving is a great idea and that he thinks input from the Police would help create a successful campaign. He will talk to the Police about it and report back with more information.
Animal Control Officer
Don Famico, the Salem Police Animal Control Officer (ACO), described his role and clarified protocol on reporting animal incidents. Don is a part-time ACO who works Monday, Wednesday and Friday; the decision to make is position part-time was made by the City’s previous administration. Don answers phone calls and all messages every other day, but he or another officer do respond to emergencies. In case of emergencies while he is not on duty, he advised calling the Salem Police front desk (or 911). If another officer responds to the emergency, Don receives a report for follow-up, including issuing citations if the situation calls for it. He also works with the Postal Service to educate mail carriers how to avoid being bitten by dogs.
If a resident witnesses an infraction, such as a dog off-leash, an unlicensed dog, or an owner not picking up after their dog, he advises reporting a license plate number or other identifying information. He will follow up by issuing a citation to the owner. He explained that the citations are actionable if ignored and could result in the issuing of a warrant, which typically expedites payment of fines.
Jason asked Don to clarify what is in his scope as ACO, specifically in regards to public vs. private property. Don said that wild animals, such as foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, etc. are protected animals and, according to state law, they cannot be trapped and relocated; however, homeowners have a right to trap wild animals or to pay a wildlife animal control company to trap and destroy the animals if the ACO is not available. He and the police can only kill these animals if they are injured or obviously sick. Don said he has received 4-5 calls a day reporting foxes or coyotes, and said that these animals can be deterred by eliminating outdoor bird & pet feeders, and keeping trash secured in closed containers.
Jeff asked if off-leash dogs in cemeteries, specifically the Broad St. Cemetery, have posed a problem since dogs’ urine could erode the old gravestones. Don said that off-leash dogs have been a problem in all cemeteries in Salem, and that loose-running dogs used to be more of an issue in the past. While he has discussed the possibility of banning dogs from Salem cemeteries, he has noticed that most owners pick up after their dogs there. Other dog owners who are walking their dogs in the cemeteries often report infractions that they observe, so the cemeteries are now, in a way, policing themselves. He added that in recent years, there is rarely a problem with free-running dog packs, since most dogs are now spayed and neutered.
Lucy asked about how he responds to cases of suspected animal cruelty. Don said that animal cruelty, including the lack of providing food, water and shelter to a domestic animal, is now a felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment and/or up to a $2,500 fine. He takes care of almost all reports of cruelty, but he brings police back-up if he is going into a dangerous situation.
RoseMary asked how he responds to reports of barking dogs. Don said that nuisance barking should be reported to him, and that the owner is often cited in violation of the City’s noise control ordinance - $50 per dog for the first offense, and $200 per dog for subsequent offenses.
Jason commended Don for his work, saying that he is a great value to the City and often works hours beyond his part-time schedule to deal with animal-related incidents and enforce the ordinance. Jason said that Don is very responsive. Jim R. added that his neighborhood is very impressed with his work. Don mentioned that he and neighboring communities’ ACOs frequently assist each other in animal-related incidents.
Halloween Wrap-up
Jason reported that this year’s Halloween was the smoothest in his experience; crowds departed by themselves without excessive pressure from police. He strongly believes that the PR campaign preceding Halloween contributed to the order that evening, and that the more substantial entertainment was effective in pulling crowds toward the departing trains. Coincidentally, he added, on Halloween night it started raining at the end of closing ceremonies. He noted that the crowds seemed more family friendly this year, and that many revelers had had the day off and arrived earlier in the day. Jim M. asked if the City made money, and Jason replied yes, that the City makes money during Haunted Happenings every year. While he doesn’t have the final total, Jason mentioned that the city made approx. $40,000 just on
parking during Halloween weekend. The City used proceeds from the Carnival to pay for the closing ceremony. Jason said that no gang activity was noted this year. He said that there had been gang activity last year, but it had been stopped early on because the Police had had intelligence beforehand. Lucy asked if trick-or-treating hours could be moved earlier, for example 2:00 to 4:00, so that in downtown and near-downtown neighborhoods, trick-or-treaters could avoid the heavy crowds. Jason replied that he has found that residents don’t want to change current trick-or-treat hours, and that when Halloween falls on a weekday, many residents are still at work in the afternoon. He said he could look into earlier hours just for when Halloween falls on a weekend.
General Updates
Jason reported that there are new renderings for the Senior Center available, and that they are starting with the permitting process. He also reported that Lowes is still adding new stores this year, and plans on adding one in Salem (off Highland Ave?). Lowes is rapidly proceeding with the permitting process, and hopes to start construction a year from now. The City is renovating the High Street Playground; bids will be in and a contractor selected very soon. For the issue of noxious odors on Franklin Ct., said that he is still working on setting up a meeting with all involved parties. Lucy asked about progress on the new Peabody St. park. Jason said that it will be finished by the end of this month, and that there will be ceremony with Lt. Governor Murray tomorrow. Ana reported that police have responded to reports of
trespassing and theft at the vacant Universal Steel building on Bridge St. near F.W. Webb. The owner has secured the perimeter with fencing and plans to demolish the abandoned building.
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm
Meeting minutes by Ana Gordan
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