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Press Release
Recovery Plan Considerations
02-01-09
Our community needs to address
the latest economic downturn by taking both of the following
actions: 1. make cuts according to priority of city services
and specific performance goals such as emergency response time;
and 2. initiate low/no cost performance improvements to take
Haverhill to the next level, even under these conditions. The
urgency of our restructuring has been hidden for eight years
by our singular reliance on one-time revenues, such as the sale
of city property. The long term benefits should be a top consideration.
A key to success and progress
is to break through longstanding excuses and bottlenecks. Two-way
contract negotiations and state legislation to relieve outdated
bureaucracy imposed on municipalities are keys to success. City-School
turf wars must end.
Here are some additional recommendations
for consideration pending release of budgetary details from city
and state officials:
- Combine Police and Fire Departments
into a single Public Safety Department, to consolidate administration.
Fast track contractual negotiations for civilian dispatchers.
We can't wait any longer.
- Resolve the controversy over
cost savings to city of joining state's Group Insurance Commission
(GIC) for health insurance. How much will savings be? Due diligence
is needed now. If significant savings to city, then fast track
contractual negotiations.
- Move forward on pilot single-stream
curbside re-cycling and leverage low/no start-up cost option
available to city by leveraging Recyclebank (for marketing) and
other offers to city. If we don't start now, it will just take
longer to realize a recurring positive cash flow that we desperately
need, not to mention the environmental impact.
- Hold emergency summit with neighboring
cities and towns to share services, equipment and associated
costs to greater extent. Start with sharing appropriate administrative
services. This could be a series of "trades" where
we have a need and our neighbors have an excess, and vice versa.
- Revise Mayor's proposal to consolidate
city and school administration (e.g. HR and finance) to make
it an immediate and substantial cost savings.
- Determine the Police and Fire
cuts with the least performance impact before making decisions,
especially impact on emergency response time, which is a top
priority for everyone.
The proposed closing of the Bradford Fire Station should have
emergency response time impact analysis before any action is
taken. At the very least, we should maintain a Rescue truck at
that location, since a large percentage of responses are for
medical emergencies. Further, re-allocation of the remaining
firefighters would help to decrease the overburdened overtime
budget.
- A city-wide tutoring/mentoring
network is being initiated to help raise classroom performance
and provide enrichment activities at no cost to schools. Participating
organizations, including Team Haverhill, youth agencies, all
schools in the city and past directors of Danny's mentoring program
are now seeking volunteers that can help take Haverhill to the
next level.
- I have a detailed plan at no
cost to the city that will attract leading edge industries such
as renewable energy, bio-tech, robotics and medical devices.
They will provide knowledge and trades jobs as well as tax base
expansion, all are currently receiving venture capital funding
despite the economic slowdown. Our neighbors have been successful
in this endeavor for 5 years; it's time for Haverhill to cash
in.
This is a Community. Everyone
must be an active member. As a first step, please consider these
ideas. Haverhill's future, both near and far, will depend on
it
John Michitson
119 Kenoza Street
Haverhill, MA
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