Parker, Elected Officials and Candidates Write to Mayor Cohen, Request Implemention of Critical Capital Improvements, Draw Globe Coverage

Alderman Ken Parker was joined by more than a dozen elected officials and candidates for the Board and School Committee this week in calling on Mayor David Cohen to implement critical capital improvements outlined in the FY10 Capital Impovement Plan and recommended by the Citizen Advisory Group. 

Alderman Parker wrote in the letter:

We are writing as current Newton elected officials and candidates for elected office in Newton to ask that you reconsider your recent decision not to allow additional School Department bonding during Fiscal Year 2010. While we understand your desire to limit total borrowing, we counsel against pitting the need for classroom space against the need to replace aging boilers, windows, and roofs. We believe that the return on investment in energy savings alone more than justifies the replacement work and that deferring it because of pressing space needs is short-sighted. We respectfully request that you reconsider your decision and allow bonding for both the modular classrooms and the capital items on the original school Fiscal Year 2010 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) list.

The Boston Globe covered the request and the Cohen Administration's response:

Parker said the additional borrowing could be funded through the energy savings that will result from improvements like new doors and windows.

“From the energy savings, we can pay back the bonds without negatively impacting the operating budget one iota,” Parker said.

But Solomon said an energy savings firm is studying the energy efficiency of school and city buildings and that the city should base its decisions on the results of that study.

“In time they’ll be able to provide invaluable information and guidelines for how we ought to improve the efficiencies of our public buildings,” Solomon said. “It’s far from a back-of-the-envelope analysis.”

Parker said school officials have already concluded that the improvements would save money and that it would be a mistake to wait on them. He also pointed to the April report of the influential Citizen Advisory Group, which recommended spending more money to maintain the city’s infrastructure.

“Basically what we’re saying is that we’re going to waste energy and let our buildings continue to deteriorate,” Parker said.

In a Parker Administration, preventive maintenance will be a priority, saving Newton taxpayers money and keeping our infrastructure in good working condition.  To learn more about Ken Parker's plans for maintenance and capital improvements, please click here, and let Ken know if you have any questions.