HAVERHILL — A spring-cleaning operation planned last week to sweep all public streets never happened because City Council refused to approve hiring a private company to do the work, Mayor James Fiorentini said.
Councilors rejected Fiorentini's request to spend $7,500 to hire the company. The 5-4 vote came last week.
Councilors who opposed the transfer said they prefer to see city-owned street-sweepers and highway workers do the job. They also raised concerns over the rate the private street-sweeping company would charge the city — $225 per curb mile.
"I'm for privatization, but not at that rate," Councilor Robert Scatamacchia said. "It's too expensive."
Joining Scatamacchia in opposition to the transfer were councilors William Ryan, James Donahue, David Hall and Kenneth Quimby. Voting for the transfer were Council President Michael Hart and Councilors Mary Ellen Daly O'Brien, William Macek and Michael McGonagle.
The city planned to use a company contracted by the Merrimack Valley Planning Consortium to clean streets in a number of nearby communities, including Lawrence, Methuen, Newburyport, Amesbury and North Andover, Haverhill Public Works Director Michael Stankovich said. The regional consortium purchases goods and services for its member communities in bulk quantities to get better prices.
Fiorentini said he will resubmit his request for the $7,500 at the council's meeting tomorrow at 7 p.m. at City Hall. If the transfer is approved, the cleaning operation will begin this week, he said.
"We could do it ourselves (sweep city streets) using highway overtime money, but it would cost about $2,000 more and take us until sometime in August, as long as neither of our old street-sweepers break down," Fiorentini said. "The intention was to do one big sweep and get the whole city done by June 1."
"But we'll find a way to get it done," he said. "Clean streets are one of the reasons people pay taxes. We owe it to them."
The Highway Department provides regular street sweeping through its regular budget, but it would have to pay workers overtime wages for the large cleaning operation planned this spring, Fiorentini said. It would cost the city $247 per curb mile at the overtime rate, the mayor said. At regular highway wages, it costs the city $222 per curb mile, he said.
"Increased fuel prices are driving the rates up for everyone," Fiorentini said.
There are about 212 miles of public roadway in the city, or 424 curb miles, Stankovich said. The 424 curb miles is equal to the distance from Haverhill to Buffalo, N.Y.
The consortium's private company had intended to send at least four modern street sweepers to Haverhill for the large street-sweeping operation, Stankovich said. The city owns two old and undependable street sweepers — a 1994 and 1998 model, Stankovich said.
"Privatization is the heart of our highway reforms, to keep costs down," Fiorentini said.
Operation clean-sweep
What: Haverhill wants to use a private company to help clean city streets.
Miles: 212 (424 curb miles)
Rate: $225 per curb mile
When: This spring
Status: City Council rejected mayor's request for money to pay company.
What's next: Mayor will ask for $7,500 again tomorrow night.
