LOWELL — If you blinked, you would have missed the action that took place at the fast-moving City Council meeting on Jan. 10, that touched on LGBTQ equity issues in Lowell, unhoused encampments and other business before the body.
On Tuesday, the council continues its high-octane pace, receiving motion responses from City Manager Tom Golden, including the status of the Rourke Bridge, which was built as a temporary structure in 1983, and carries an estimated 27,000 daily commuters.
In her report to the council, Transportation Engineer Elizabeth Oltman notes that, “The Bridge’s vehicle capacity is deficient and its bicycle and pedestrian features do not meet current multi-modal and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards. It is nearing the end of its useful service life and its supporting substructure is showing signs of deterioration.”
Oltman will update the council that MassDOT is moving forward with the replacement of the structure, expanding it from its current two travel-lane capacity to a four-lane roadway with shoulders and sidewalks.
The $169 million project will be designed and constructed with Transportation Improvement Project funding through the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments. The design/build project is slated to start in 2024, with funding programmed through 2030. It is currently listed on the state website as being in the preliminary design phase.
A Rourke Bridge Replacement Project Working Group Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., with time scheduled for public comment and questions. To register, visit bit.ly/3IPRXmD.
The state’s construction projects page has also been updated with the latest information on the 330 Jackson St. Garage, the Central Street Bridge replacement, the Lord Overpass project, the Concord River Greenway and the Shared Streets implementations.
Another funding area that will be addressed by the council is the American Rescue Plan Act spending plan that the body accepted in October.
Chief Financial Officer Conor Baldwin’s response to motions by Councilors Corey Robinson and Wayne Jenness states that, “The city plans to announce the first release of these funding opportunities in February, with others to become available over the next several months.”
ARPA was signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021. The deadline for obligations, in which contracts are executed for the disbursement of funds, is Dec. 31, 2024. The spending deadline for ARPA funds is Dec. 31, 2026.
Baldwin said preparations are still ongoing to manage the federal money, which is subject to oversight by state and federal agencies, including the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General.
At a previous council meeting, Golden said the first tranche of ARPA funds will go to address the needs of the unhoused, a priority area of “social impact funding” that was approved by the council.
Councilor Rita Mercier’s motion to televise the Board of Health Advisory Committee meetings will also be addressed on Tuesday.
“The meetings are not televised even though they are held in the Mayor’s Reception Room,” Mercier said. “The public have the right to know and be informed. We’re not hiding anything from the public, there are no secrets in this building.”
In her response through Tom Golden, Health & Human Services Director Lisa Golden says that “LTC has been notified of the Dates and Times of the Board of Health Meetings (and) will add the meetings to be recorded and played back for the public.”
The Board of Health meetings usually take place on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. and are open to the public, with the room and setup already configured for public access via microphones and seating arrangements, which Mercier noted.
“Meetings should start on time (and) be conducted in a dignified way,” she said. “Board members should face the audience.”
The Board of Health has a diverse and broad mandate providing health inspections of food, body art and other public establishments. It receives monthly reports on tuberculosis and other communicable diseases, gets regular COVID wastewater tracking figures and opioid overdose reports and oversees the nurses for the Lowell Public Schools.
The City Council meets Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the second floor chambers of City Hall, 375 Merrimack St., at 6:30 p.m.
