Your Local News & Sports Online in 6 Languages! Scan & Subscribe Now! Vol. 34, No.9 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Free Every Friday RHS Pats Football Banquet Honors Players, Cheerleaders 781-286-8500 Friday, March 1, 2024 Argenzio requests return of water & sewer rate discount for seniors By Barbara Taormina A t this week’s City’s Council meeting, Chief Financial Offi cer Richard Viscay took on the unThe Revere High School Varsity Football Patriots held their banquet at Prince Pizzeria on Tuesday. Shown above, Walter Rodriguez was the recipient of the Fabiano Memorial Award presented by RHS Head Football Coach Louis Cicatelli. See banquet photo highlights on pages 8-9. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) City Council approves special permit application for new 104-room hotel on Squire Rd. By Barbara Taormina T he City Council enthusiastically welcomed Swampscottbased developer Jewel Saeed’s application for a special permit to reconstruct and expand an existing nonconforming structure at 185 Squire Rd. into a fi vestory boutique hotel with 104 rooms and 32 parking spaces. Development consultant Lou Markakis, of Lynn, presented the project during a public hearing at this week’s council meeting. Markakis told the council the project development team spent six months meeting with the city planner and various department heads to review diff erent aspects of the project. “The plan has been well vetted and scrutinized,” he said. The hotel will replace the existing two-story mixed-use building, which Markakis called “outdated and underutilized.” Councillors immediately began praising the hotel plan primarily because hotels with their room and meals taxes generate the highest amount of revenue for the city while placing the least amount of stress on city services. The plan includes shuttle bus service that will contain traffi c and transport hotel guests to MBTA stops, the beach or other points of interest. At Councillor-at-Large Juan Pablo Jaramillo’s suggestion, Markakis said the developer would add an additional bus to expand shuttle HOTEL | SEE Page 4 enviable task of explaining the city’s decision to cut back the Water & Sewer discount program for seniors. Viscay was responding to Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio’s request that the city reinstate last year’s rates, which were a 30 percent discount for seniors who use 30,000 gallons or less; a 20 percent discount for seniors who use 30,001 to 70,000 gallons of water; and a 10 percent discount for those who use 70,001 gallons or more. Argenzio said he had heard from two constituents who were upset because they no longer qualifi ed for the discount, which is now limited to homes with 60,000 gallons of consumption. Viscay said the program, which is for one-, twoand three-family owner-occupied homes, included around 1,100 to 1,200 people who qualifi ed for the discount and whose median consumption was around 45,000 gallons. Viscay said homes using 70,000 gallons were likely multi-family rental properties rather than senior homes and the discount program is meant to support seniors and allow them to age in place – not to subsidize income-earning rental properties. Viscay said there was also an audit of the residents receiving the discount and some no longer lived at the address listed in the program, and others had passed on. And according to Viscay, the new discount rates align with the Mass. Water Resources Authority’s [MWRA] push for more conservation. “We were just trying to administer a good program for seniors; we were not trying to hurt anyone,” said Viscay. PAUL ARGENZIO Ward 4 Councillor But Argenzio wasn’t having it. He said the senior Water & Sewer discount was a small benefi t that helped Revere seniors stay in their homes. He also pointed to the city’s $34 million Water & Sewer Enterprise Fund and said the senior discount program cost about $200,000 a year. Argenzio also said he had read through the MWRA information on conservation and found explanations of fl ush toilets and how to water lawns during summer droughts, but nothing on cutting discounts for seniors. Councillors backed Argenzio’s proposal to return to last year’s discount rates, but it will be reviewed by the council’s Ways & Means Subcommittee before any action is taken. Revere Seniors Celebrate Valentine’s Day Roses were presented to all the seniors by Mayor Patrick Keefe as he joined the seniors on the dance fl oor with DJ Alan LaBella at the rescheduled St. Valentine’s Day party at St. Anthony’s Church Hall. See photo highlights on page 6. (Advocate photo)
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