MAYOR’S UPDATE
December 14th, 2020
Mayor Donna D. Holaday
COVID-19 Update: As of last night, there have been a total of 570 COVID-19 cases in Newburyport and we continue to see the number of cases increasing since October. Last month for November, there were 185 new COVID-19 cases, which nearly matched the entire count of cases from March through the end of October (216). We’ve already seen 169 new cases in the first 2 weeks of December. In addition, our positivity rate has been climbing towards the 5% that would elevate Newburyport to a high risk community. The state tracks community’s positivity rate on a weekly basis, and as of December 10th it was at 4.87%. In the past few weeks City employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and we have been working with the Health Department on contact tracing as well as quarantining and isolating close contacts. City offices remain closed to the public which has helped limit spread.
Currently our in water distribution division one employee is in quarantine after testing positive, resulting in 5 additional employees in quarantine. DPS has arranged a water contractor to be on call in case there’s an emergency water repair. Furthermore, if plowing is needed for the pending storm Wednesday night I’m asking residents to be patient since we will be down plow drivers due to the quarantine.
I held our bi-weekly call with CEO mark Goldstein of Anna Jaques Hospital today. There are currently 18 in-patients with COVID-19 and reported good capacity at this juncture. 28 employees have tested positive recently as compared to only 14 during the first surge. There is concern should there be an outbreak at AJH but the good news is the first dose of the vaccine arrived at AJH today with 350 staff eligible for Phase I inoculation which will occur this Wednesday through Saturday and directed at those providing direct COVID-19 care. AJH received a donation of a deep freezer for vaccine storage from a company in Beverly. AJH will work with the city on a roll out plan for Phase III for vaccinating the general public expected in May.
In the interim, we are surrounded by this virus that is climbing steadily in our country, state and city. Please adhere to all the safety precautions- wearing a mask, handwashing and social distancing and really think about your holiday plans.
57 Low Street Acquisition: Based on the discussion on Thursday night at the City Council joint committee meeting, I contacted DCAMM and they have agreed to extend the closing of 57 Low Street for 60 days. This will give us all more time to work through the details of the transaction and provide the City Council the information necessary to make a decision. This includes more time to review the environmental assessment, as well as more details on the operational costs and any improvements for the near term use of the facility, which will be a continuation of Parks Department usage. I look forward to taking advantage of this additional time to continue working with the Council on coming to a resolution. The acquisition would provide the City much needed land, facility, space and flexibility for future operations at a centralized location. I ask the Council to please consider the importance of acquiring this property for City operations at such a discounted price.
FY2021 Capital Expenditure Estimate and upcoming bonding: As we head into the FY2022 budgeting season and officially kick it off at the January 12 Joint Meeting of the City Council and School Committee, I am submitting to the Council today a memo that outlines where we currently stand as far as near term capital needs – Memo re. Capital Needs Update 12.14.2020. While we have been able to defer the majority of capital spending as a result of the financial uncertainties caused by the pandemic, there are capital needs identified in the memo that must be addressed. The memo also lays out our potential near term borrowing needs and I encourage the Council to review them for discussion purposes at this juncture as we decide together how to move forward on these important projects. At this point there are critical missing pieces of information that would be necessary in order to make financial decisions. We anticipate receiving this information over the next month, including the Governor’s House 1 budget proposal and clarity on future Federal Coronavirus relief funds.
Memo re. Capital Needs Update 12.14.2020
Shared Streets Grant – I am pleased to report that we were awarded a $286,000 grant through the MassDOT Shared Streets program to expand this year’s successful parklet program, as well as additional pedestrian accessibility improvements. For next spring, we will construct parklets more complementary to the look and feel of our historic downtown with more suitable materials than the Jersey Barriers, including a modular hardwood decking system that can be stored and reused, as well as planters, and barricades. The parklets would allow the ability to expand outdoor dining options that can be sustained for future years at multiple locations. We will be working with the restaurants that utilized parklets this year and additional restaurants and businesses interested in taking part in the program’s expansion as well as the City Council.
The funds will also be used to reconstruct brick sidewalks and ramps and replace the crossing signals at the intersection of State Street and Pleasant St to improve general pedestrian accessibility as well as accessibility to those with mobility, hearing, and visual impairments.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year: This is the final City Council meeting of 2020, so I wish all the Councilors and their families and all in our city a safe, healthy and happy holiday. I also wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope with the release of the Covoid-19 vaccine that 2021 will bring relief and a much needed sense of normalcy.