Ward 6 Councillor Richard Serino had the support of his colleagues for a free snow-shoveling program that would compensate veterans for their work in the program and help Revere seniors, other veterans, and first responders clear their front steps and sidewalks of snow after major snowstorms.
Serino said the snow-shoveling program would likely cost between $20-30,000 and that the ARPA funding could potentially be used for that program.
Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky, who is a veteran and past state commander of the Jewish War Veterans, called Serino’s proposal “a great idea.†He proposed that the program be administered by Mayor Arrigo “and let his department heads determine the best way to manage it.â€
But Ralph DeCicco, chair of the Revere Commission of Disabilities, may cause Mayor Arrigo to reevaluate Serino’s creative proposal, raising valid reasons to oppose the program.
“The only problem with this is, you’re going to get phone calls, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when a storm hits,†DeCicco told the Council. “It’s going to be very hard to control [the program].â€
DeCicco suggested that the City reach out to the City of Somerville, who has a similar snow-shoveling program.
“The other problem that you have if you want to pay people to do this, you’re going to need liability insurance,†said DeCicco. “They’re going on to people’s properties.
DeCicco added that “I’m not trying to put a damper on this, and I would not want to see seniors going around shoveling.â€
While the proposal gained approval, DeCicco’s opposition will likely result in further, in-depth study of Serino’s plan and may postpone its implementation until next winter.
Meanwhile, the ever-diligent Ward 6 councillor is still seeking to change the configuration of the traffic light at the former Showcase Cinemas site. Serino made the initial request in the fall of 2021, but he said MassDOT has not responded to his request.
