By Mayor Brian Arrigo
Good governance requires looking beyond the present day and planning for the long-term future of our city. At this week’s City Council meeting, the council approved requests I submitted that represent a significant investment in Revere’s future.
On behalf the rest of the Revere School Committee, I submitted a Statement of Interest in the construction of a new Revere High School. This is the first required step in the process of securing funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
There is a long way to go before we can make the vision for a new, state-of-the-art high school a reality, including a feasibility study identifying siting options, and the completion of a comprehensive planning process. I will be working closely with the Superintendent and the rest of the School Committee in the coming years to make sure we are able to take the award-winning work performed by educators at Revere High School and move it into a modern building that will meet the needs of our students for decades to come.
I also requested funding from the city’s Educational Telecommunications Program (ETP) Fund for several projects that will enhance technology in city government and help move us toward the 21st century, as I promised in the State of the City Address.
Among the funding requests included money to complete the cutting-edge StreetScan program, which will perform the citywide analysis of streets necessary to develop a comprehensive repair and replacement plan.
I also requested funding to begin rolling out our E-Permitting software, which will help make residents’ and businesses’ interactions with the Building, Health and Licensing departments simpler and more accessible. This funding will allow you to apply for needed licenses or permits from the comfort of your home or office.
Additionally, this request included funding for a new asset management software program to add accountability to the deployment of DPW resources. This software will also ensure we are responding in a timely manner to service requests that come in through our 311 system. Funding was also requested for technology to help bring the 311 system online; we anticipate that 311 will be up and running later this year.
I also submitted a request for funding of smartboards and chromebooks for our middle and high school students, to help ensure Revere Public Schools continues to be a leader among urban school districts in using technology to enhance students’ education.
The ETP Fund is a special fund outside of tax revenues designed to improve technology across city government. This fund provides a useful mechanism to invest in the city without tapping into the general fund. My job as Mayor is to make sure we use these funds wisely and appropriately.
I am confident that these investments will bring tangible improvements to our City government in the coming years. These requests, along with our push for a new High School, represent my administration’s commitment to the future of Revere.