(Except on the Saugus River) Lynn Overhauls Trash-Fee Payments
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Spring forward Don’t forget to set clocks ahead one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday. SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2019 Lynn overhauls trash-fee payments By Bella diGrazia ITEM STAFF LYNN — After confusion and an outcry from residents, the city has changed its billing system for trash fees. The city announced the new system on Friday. In December, aggravated residents made calls to their ward council- ors and councilors-at-large about a number of problems with bills for the trash fee, which debuted in June. Four months later, the city imple- Ask and you shall receive mented a new billing and collection system that is user-friendly and pro- vides residents with options, accord- ing to Michael Bertino, the city’s chief (except on the Saugus River) nancial of cer. “The reason we switched is we By Bridget Turcotte vessels, including type of vessel, length, A request by the didn’t have the right software pack- ITEM STAFF draft, beam, and height from the water- Coast Guard to age,” Bertino said. “We tried to use line to the highest xed point and to ap- comment on the a generic system in efforts to save SAUGUS — Mariners were asked purtenant structures like tuna towers, placement of a bridge money and not spend it. It was not by the Coast Guard to comment on the ying bridge, xed antennas, and radar protection system designed to create a whole database, placement of a bridge protection system units. and other naviga- it was designed to do single billings.” and other navigational safety issues asso- “If someone submits a comment after tional safety issues Some residents were confused be- ciated with new infrastructure to replace the comment period, we will certainly associated with new cause they didn’t realize the annual the Belden Bly Bridge. consider it,” said Stieb. “We won’t just ig- infrastructure to $90 trash fee was going to be split into The deadline to provide the feedback nore it.” replace the Belden two $45 bills; some residents were re- was Thursday, but by deadline, no com- The Coast Guard received an applica- Bly Bridge was met ceiving bills in their individual name ments had been received, according to tion for the project from the state Depart- with no responses by as well as a bill in their spouse’s Jeffrey Stieb, bridge management spe- ment of Transportation to replace the Saugus boat owners. name; some were paying their bill in cialist for the First Coast Guard District. existing temporary bridge with a new, full, as told, but still being charged a The Coast Guard requested that boat ITEM PHOTO | OWEN O’ROURKE $30 late fee; and some residents liv- owners provide information about their SAUGUS RIVER, A3 ing in multi-family homes were un- sure what their bill even was. In collaboration with PKS Asso- ciates, Inc., a vendor that collects How do Lynn’s excise taxes, city employees DEP developed a new database at no cost to the city. Bertino said PKS already you spell had the shell of the software, so the halts city’s information technology depart- generous? ment was able to get the new data- base up and running in a timely man- Saugus For The Item’s ner. “We created a database that will be spelling bee, it’s able to build and maintain changes project that we make,” said Bertino. “If some- A-b-r-a-m-s-o-n one gets an abatement and they are 69 years old, we won’t have to go in By Bridget Turcotte By Thor Jourgensen and change that every year. Whereas ITEM STAFF ITEM STAFF the other system, because we were taking it from the assessor’s of ce, SAUGUS — The state SWAMPSCOTT — In needed to be updated all the time.” has issued a cease-and- the more than six years With the new system, residents will desist order to a Saugus they have co-sponsored have the option of paying the $90 construction company The Daily Item Region- solid waste fee in one or two install- building a residential sub- al Spelling Bee, Joel and ments (one at the beginning of April division off of Essex Street Mary Abramson still re- and one in September). Abatement for numerous wetlands call one of the comments options are available for seniors, own- and water quality certi - they received from a ers of unoccupied units and owners cation violations. youthful speller who took who use private companies to manage American Residential part in the competition. their trash collection. Construction, managed “You helped make All abatement forms are available by John Tucci of Wake- learning fun again,” Joel in the Collector’s Room, Assessor’s eld, has four properties Abramson recalled the Room, or DPW of ces and website. on Berthold Street, which student saying. Trash fee payments can be made via is behind York Ford and Longtime owners of mail or in person at the DPW or Col- Burger King on Route 1. Flagship Travel and lector’s of ces, said Bertino. They range from 20,000 Swampscott residents, the Interest on late payments will ac- and 28,000 square feet Abramsons look forward crue from the due date at 8 percent each and are valued be- every year to the late win- each year and any unpaid amounts tween $185,000 and ter and spring spelling may be placed as a lien on the next $188,000, according to Pa- bee regional and national tax bill or subject to all collection pro- triot Properties. All four competitions. cedures permitted by law. were purchased in 2011. Fifty-eight spellers will Bertino said the new system should The company was cited compete in the 34th an- cut down on any confusion going for- by the state Department nual Daily Item Regional ward. The balances from the previous of Environmental Protec- Spelling Bee on Wednes- ITEM PHOTO | SPENSER HASAK year are not re ected in this current tion for repeated viola- day, March 13 at Veterans bill statement and any amounts still tions at the Saugus con- Joel and Mary Abramson have been longtime sponsors of struction site. The Daily Item Regional Spelling Bee. ABRAMSONS, A3 TRASH, A3 But attorney Marc Chapdelaine, who rep- resents the company, said By Bella diGrazia “This forum provides a unique steps were taken to repli- ITEM STAFF opportunity for the business cate and replant wetlands, INSIDE community to impart a uni ed LYNN — Members of the and to make the conserva- message about the need for im- tion area that abuts that business community have an Opinion provements to our local transit area thrive. Business opportunity to voice their opin- Progress on pathways system,” said Codner. “From an environmen- ions on MassDOT’s Lynn Tran- is encouraging. A4 Sen. Brendan Crighton and tal standpoint it’s a better sit Action Plan Study. site than it was when this LOOK! community Lynners want a reliable tran- Mayor Thomas M. McGee work began,” said Chap- Dublin native sit system and they want the will also be present to discuss delaine. named CEO of Peabody Massachusetts Department of transportation issues and their The department says Essex Museum. A8 looks to move Transportation to hear it, ac- impact on Lynn. At the 8 a.m. American Residential cording to Colin Codner, execu- to 10 a.m. forum, Lynn busi- Construction failed to Sports transportation tive director for the Lynn Area ness owners will provide feed- comply with the approved KIPP comeback Chamber of Commerce. The lo- back through a round-table dis- project and wetland rep- falls short in Div. 4 cal chamber is hosting a trans- cussion, according to Codner. lication and restoration North nal. B1 forward portation forum at the Lynn The Lynn Transit Action plans; failed to maintain YMCA on Tuesday, with Joseph Plan Study was announced last site stabilization; worked St. Mary’s ready Aiello, chairman of the MBTA’s November and is part of the for Amesbury. B1 scal and management control SAUGUS, A3 board, as the keynote speaker. TRANSPORTATION, A3 OBITUARIES ..............................A2 ENTERTAINMENT .......................A7 COMICS/DIVERSIONS ........... B4-5 HIGH 40° VOL. 141, ISSUE 78 OPINION ...................................A4 LOOK! .......................................A8 CLASSIFIED ...............................B7 LOW 31° POLICE/FIRE .............................A6 SPORTS ................................ B1-3 REAL ESTATE .............................B8 PAGE A8 ONE DOLLAR A2 THE DAILY ITEM SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2019 OBITUARIES Warren says tech giants have Ernest A. Yanakakis, 91 1927-2019 ‘too much power,’ need breakup ROWLEY — Er- tures of hiking and nest A. Yanakakis, skiing Tuckerman’s By Elana Schor “They’ve bulldozed com- 91, passed away Ravine and other ASSOCIATED PRESS petition, used our private information for profit, and unexpectedly on peaks around the WASHINGTON — Dem- Wednesday, March world were legendary. tilted the playing field ocratic presidential candi- against everyone else.” 6 surrounded by his He had the special date Elizabeth Warren on family. gift to make friends It remains to be seen Friday rolled out a pro- whether Warren will in- He was born to wherever he went posal to break up the big- troduce legislation in the Kleo and Apostolis and will be missed gest U.S. technology com- current Congress aligning Yanakakis on May by all who knew him. panies, saying they have with the first element of 11, 1927 in Lynn. He was Ernest is survived by his too much control over the her plan. A spokeswoman, educated in Lynn, graduating children, Heide Holmes of economy and Americans’ Kristen Orthman, said a from Classical High School. Newburyport, Kristine Smiley lives. Having lost his father early in McKechnie and her husband In her pitch to rein in the bill introduction was not his life and his brothers being Jim McKechnie of Rowley, Wil- influence of tech giants, imminent.