Better Late Than Never: Council Waits a Week for Requested Updates

Haverhill City Councilor Michael S. McGonagle.

Last week, city councilors expected updates on a range of issues, from repairs at the police station to a softball field for Haverhill High girls. But the absence of Mayor James J. Fiorentini and energy consultant Orlando Pacheco forced the council to postpone several items.

Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.

They will try again to address some of the topics at Tuesday’s meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Theodore A. Pelosi Jr. City Council Chambers on the second floor of Haverhill City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

Among the scheduled discussions are an update replacing windows at the Police Station, buying $300,000 worth of streetlights from National Grid, and the benefits of the Green Communities Program.

Councilors expressed consternation last week when there was no one available to speak to several topics on which they had asked for updates.

For example, councilors had been asking since the spring about the streetlight plans.

Councilor Michael S. McGonagle pointed out that the council acted on several requests from the mayor’s office, yet none of their requests were addressed.

“I wish we could say ‘No more of your items until you deal with some of ours,’” McGonagle said, though he quickly clarified that isn’t something the council could do.

Councilor Colin F. LePage said the board has been waiting at least a year for the mayor to answer some of their questions.

“This isn’t right,” Councilor Mary Ellen Daly O’Brien said. “(The mayor) expects so much cooperation from us. It’s disappointing.”

Councilors—as well as the HHS softball team and its supporters—will continue to wait for news about the proposed location for the field.

Mayoral aide David Van Dam said a consultant continues to work on a feasibility study, but that Fiorentini considers the project a priority.

“I feel bad for people who’ve been waiting for this. There are a lot of high school and grammar school parents who want their daughters to have facilities that they’re proud to play on. It’s long overdue,” McGonagle said. “It’s embarrassing in my opinion, for the mayor. He’s better than this.”
Van Dam reminded councilors that “the mayor has daughters, too.”

One thought on “Better Late Than Never: Council Waits a Week for Requested Updates

  1. (link error)
    Andy Vargas put lives at risk!!

    Andy committed the crime of Obstruction of Justice when he warned criminal trespassing illegals in the city that the Federal Government was in Haverhill doing it’s job. If he was so confident that he wasn’t doing anything wrong, then why did he take the warning down from his Facebook page when law enforcement officials found out what he was doing? In the real world outside of liberal Massachusetts Andy would have been arrested for aiding and abetting criminals. It’s absolutely amazing that he interfered with the Federal Government as an elected official of the city.

    Can any of you Vargas supporters explain after reading this article how you can even think of voting for this fraud?