Councilor explores ways to alleviate impact of Downtown Broadway construction; approves regional dispatch agreement
By Adam Swift
The Downtown Broadway construction project promises to have a long-lasting impact on the heart of the city’s business district, but in the midst of construction, the work has had a negative short-term impact on a number of local businesses.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, District 7 Councilor Manuel Teshe introduced eight motions aimed at easing some of the obstacles businesses are facing when it comes to parking, traffic, and the loss of sales.
“The downtown construction project is effectively killing businesses downtown,” said Teshe.
Earlier this year, Teshe said he stood up and spoke about how he had spoken to business owners on Broadway and they told they were down to making 40 percent of the profits they were making before construction.
“Now it is down to 15 percent,” he said. “I am being told by business owners that they are making $144 per day when they used to make $30,000 per month,” said Teshe. “This is not because of Covid, this is not because of Donald Trump, this is not (because) of anything but the poor management of the way there is an impact on businesses (during) construction.”
Some of the motions put forward by Teshe request that the Traffic and Parking Commission remove the Broadway dedicated bus lane during construction, and that the city manager direct different departments to look at traffic and parking measures including working with other organizations to provide more parking for the Broadway businesses during the nights and weekends.
One motion requests that the city manager look into ways the city can help fund several positions within the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce that can help businesses deal with the construction. Teshe also requested that the city manager explore different ways for the city to provide financial support to businesses in the area.
Teshe said the chamber of commerce has been doing a tremendous job assisting the local businesses during the construction and that they could use the assistance to deal with the consequences of the work the city is doing in the area.
“I think it is very important, especially coming out of Covid and when there are no more ARPA fund to be had and we are looking down the barrel of a lot of funding drying up in the near future, I think it is very important that we try to do what we can to support our businesses,” said District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor. “I personally do not believe it is the role of government to come in and bail out businesses, however, in this case, the construction that is being done by the city, I think the city does have some obligation to offer some mitigation for this and do everything we can afford to do to help these businesses.”
In a letter to the city council, City Manager Fidel Maltez said the administration is committed to working with local businesses to proactively communicate and when possible, minimize the impact of construction downtown.
“We continue to search for solutions that will alleviate some of the stresses that businesses are currently facing,” Maltez said. “Our small business liaison will continue to research and apply for grants that could benefit our small businesses. Our Director of Constituent Services is in communication with municipalities to see how similar issues are addressed and resolved.”
Maltez added that the Director of Constituent Services is also looking to search for broader solutions to the limited parking in the downtown corridor and that the administration will continue meeting with business owners and the Chamber of Commerce to address any issues so that they may be swiftly resolved.
In other business, the council unanimously voted to enter into a regional dispatch agreement with Revere and Winthrop that will eventually see the construction of a new regional dispatch center at the former McKinley School in Revere.
Members of the unions representing the Chelsea E911 employees have voiced their concerns about moving to regionalization and the impact it will have on their jobs and safety in the city.
Maltez has stated that all current employees will be able to keep their jobs at their current positions and seniority, and that regionalization would create greater safety for residents and cost savings for the city.
Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson asked that the motion be tabled so that the two sides could continue negotiations on the regionalization efforts but failed to get a second.
Teshe asked Maltez about the urgency on taking a vote on the regionalization agreement.
“I think there is some logistical urgency, there is also some operational urgency,” said Maltez. “I think what has been happening in the last few weeks has been very emotional for the council, with everyone who has been reaching out. I also wanted to say that the city will continue to sit in good faith, and our city solicitor has been with the city for a very long time, she keeps us honest and makes sure we offer the best thing for all parties.
“However, you know that there are tense bargaining tables out there … that is just part of this work, it’s part of being a leader in this municipality,” he continued. “But on behalf of myself and on behalf of the city solicitor, I want to assure everyone on this council and I want to assure everyone in this room that we, the city, will continue to bargain in good faith and ensure that we get the best deal for everyone.”
Councilor-at-Large Roberto Jimenez Rivera said that he has had frustrations that the impact bargaining with the E911 employees could not proceed until the council voted on the issue.
“I’ve talked to union representatives, I’ve talked to city administration, I’ve talked to residents for and against this, I’ve analyzed the data, and here’s where I land,” he said. “This move is going to save the city multiple millions of dollars over the next five years, we are in a time where we have a lot of uncertainties with federal funding, state funding … and where our school department budget has a gap of over $2 million, is it not our duty as a city council, as the fiscal stewards of our city to provide high quality service and high quality 911 at the lowest cost to our residents?”
District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor said he agreed with Jimenez Rivera.