GLOBE NORTH 2
Most city councilors agree with Mayor John Hanlon that Everettneeds more workers to help enforce laws on litter, illegalapartments, and other quality-of-life issues, but some arequestioning the need for nine new positions.
Hanlon's request for $223,642 to fund the nine new CodeEnforcement Division positions was recently approved, 6-1, by theBoard of Aldermen and, 10-4, by the Common Council.
If those positions are filled, it would bring the total number ofCode Enforcement employees to 11. Common Councilor Lorraine Bruno ofWard 5 called that 'overkill.'
'Eleven people is just too many,' said Bruno, who voted againstthe mayor's request. 'I do not want to abolish code enforcement; it'sa very necessary part of keeping the city clean, but it's too manypeople being added to the payroll to accomplish what three otherpeople did before.' Bruno pointed out that the funding request is noteven for the full year, but goes only through June 30, the end of thefiscal year.
Common Councilor Rosa DiFlorio of Ward 5 said she voted for therequest because she wants to expand the scope of code enforcement,although she opposed the number of proposed hires. She said shefeared that by voting against the request, she would be perceived asbeing against code enforcement.
'We already have three building inspectors,' DiFlorio said. 'It'snot fair to hire 11; it's easy to hire, but hard to fire. ... I hadto say yes to vote on it because I was trapped.'
But Hanlon told councilors that budgeting for nine new people didnot mean that all those positions would be filled.
Hanlon did not return calls for comment, but budget directorJanice Vetrano said that any money that isn't used will revert to thegeneral fund.
This is the first year Code Enforcement, headed by Frank ChiampiJr., is an independent department within the city budget, with$118,381 for 2 1/2 positions already in place, according to fiscal2007 budget figures.
Chiampi is currently the only person in the department, since theother code enforcement officer left last spring, Vetrano said.
While Code Enforcement positions have already been advertised,Vetrano said it is likely that not all of the 11 will be filled.
She said that Hanlon picked that number, taking into considerationtalks he had with councilors, aldermen, and Chiampi, and that it'wasn't written in stone.'
'With any plan, you have to start with a canvas, and that's whathappened,' Vetrano said. 'We're going to follow Mr. Chiampi's lead.No monies will be expended without approval of the Common Council andthe Board of Aldermen.'
Positions will be filled in three components: one clerical, some'flex-hour' (for nights and weekends), and some that would specializein the enforcement of the city's new ordinance that requireslandlords to submit to the inspection of rental units before newtenants move in, Vetrano said.
Ward 4 Common Councilor Joseph F. Hickey, who voted for therequest, said he is confident the total number of hires won't go to11.
He said he can't see the city putting '11 people in there all atonce. I think it gives them the leeway to run that department as theysee fit. The Common Council and the aldermen have been screaming fora while to get code enforcement back because of the conditions of thestreets, trash, conditions of apartments, and implementing theinhabitability law.'
Ward 6 Alderman Joseph W. McGonagle said the city has seriousproblems with litter, illegal apartments, and the infrastructure ofstreets, but added: 'There is nothing that we couldn't have takencare of with what we have. We have three building inspectors, membersof the Board of Health, fire, the Police Department, all for 3 squaremiles.'
McGonagle, the lone dissenting vote among the aldermen, said hewould like to see Chiampi get more assistance, but not nine newhires.
