stephen quigley – Everett Independent everettindependent.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from everettindependent.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Everett Public Schools (EPS) laid off five houseworkers across the district on Jan. 15 to better address teaching and learning in the district, but one City Councilor believes the layoffs were retribution for a controversial vote.
The EPS said the layoffs had nothing to do with personalities or with the recent vote in December by the Council to make the mayor a voting member of the School Committee. It was an ongoing effort to make sure educators who are providing direct contact to students can be kept, and the houseworkers did not provide that direct contact.
“To best meet the needs of its students, families, and educators, the Everett Public Schools made a modest reduction in staff during the week ending January 15,” read a statement from the schools. “Specifically, the district laid off five houseworkers who support our custodial and maintenance departments. No employee who provides direct services to our students was affected by this decision. Remote and hybrid learni
The City Council voted former Councilor Peter Napolitano as the new assistant city clerk last week in a solid 10-0 vote that one councilor said was just another back room deal.
“I’ve been involved in the City all my life,” said Napolitano. “By being a former councilor, I have the benefit of being able to hit the ground running because of my knowledge of City Hall and its operations. Choosing me is a decision you will not regret.”
The Council met on Wednesday evening, Jan. 13, to take the final vote on the matter after Councilor Anthony DiPierro ran a marathon, nine-hour, executive session (private) meeting on Saturday, Jan. 9, to sift through more than 31 applicants for the job, interviewing 19 on Zoom. In the end, two showed up for the final vote, Everett resident Colleen O’Neill and former Councilor Napolitano. Four applicants had been referred to the Council for the Jan. 13 meeting by the Legislative Affairs Committee, but two withdrew on the day of the vote, Jan. 13
The vast majority of the $1.5 million set aside to help renters and homeowners with emergency assistance to pay rent and mortgages has yet to be tapped into, according to an update at the City Council on Monday night.
The new City-sponsored Rental and Homeowner Assistance Program – like the state RAFT program – has gotten a slow start this month due to issues with documentation and troubles contacting applicants. Needless to say, some have been helped and councilors did praise the organization of the program and the simplified application.
Mayoral Chief of Staff Erin Devaney told the Council they partnered with the ABCD organization to review applications and distribute money. Some $1.5 million in CARES Act funding delivered to the City last fall had been set aside for the new program – announced in December. Of that, $200,000 was paid to ABCD for administration costs and the organization was charged with distributing $1.3 million to Everett residents that qualified.
Assistant City Clerk Attracts lots of Resumes, Decision Starts Saturday – Everett Independent everettindependent.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from everettindependent.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.