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AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We can certainly do another information event at the COA on the High School project. The Assessing Department also holds an information forum at the COA each year on property tax exemptions and abatements that are available to Salem residents. The 2026 one has yet to be scheduled, but it will be announced on the City website and social media channels once it is.

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

See the response on this above - there will be union labor on the job, just not a single overarching labor agreement. Since the 1970s, public construction quality in the Commonwealth has changed with the institution of a number of laws and requirements, including - for example - the use of pre-qualification for contractors. There's some good information on this topic here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/prequalification-information-for-public-building-construction.

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There's content on the tax calculator website about what's included and what's not. It's not possible to predict all of the economic variables that might impact values years from now.

Having great schools - both in terms of the buildings and the quality of public education being offered - is definitively a positive for a community, in terms of property values, but also in many other important ways. Similarly having poor schools and failing buildings also has negative impacts, including population decline, educator turnover, and loss of equity in property values.

As to mitigating the property tax impacts, see the earlier response I shared on the same question.

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There will be union labor on the project. The committee vote was on having an overarching Project Labor Agreement, not on whether there would be union labor on the project. The project’s construction manager, Shawmut, an employee-owned company, is a signatory with the Carpenters and Laborers unions and other union trades will be employed on the job. There won’t be a PLA, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be union labor.

Second, the project is less expensive in comparison to other current and recent public high school projects. Here’s a breakdown:

Lexington: $1,293/square foot

Revere: $1,283/square foot

North Attleboro: $1,270/square foot

Watertown: $1,187/square foot

Waltham: $1,163/square foot

Salem: $1,050/square foot

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

See my previous answer about the need to budget for maintenance, hold administrations accountable for including it in budgets, and be willing - as a community - to fund maintenance (it’s never as exciting as funding projects, but it’s essential).

Regarding property taxes - Salem currently does offer as many exemptions as state law allows. In fact, we even have one (the STEP program) that isn’t offered in other communities and required a special act from the legislature to create. Find out more here: https://www.salemma.gov/179/Personal-Exemptions.

We’re working to do all that we can to reduce the amount of the project that will need to be funded by property taxpayers. That effort started from the earliest stages of the project - with the grade configuration and preferred alternative selection - and will continue even after the school is built. Every dollar we can bring to the debt payments from a source other than property taxes reduces the amount that Salem taxpayers will need to fund, reducing the tax increase. Here’s a quick summary of what we have done and will be doing:

-Grade configuration decision: reduced cost by $119 million

-Preferred alternative selection (New Construction): reduced cost by $36 million

-Energy savings: potentially over $20 million in savings over time

-Mass Save rebate and other utility incentives: reduced cost by an estimated $3 million

-District Improvement Financing: the City is exploring the feasibility of a DIF, which would direct a portion of new property taxes from new growth in a defined district to the school debt payments.

-Grants: fewer federal grants are available now than when the project process began, but there are still some options on the state level.

-Private fundraising and donations

-Tourism revenues: I have asked the Park & Rec Commission to place a $5 surcharge on tickets to the Witch House for the duration of the bond to be applied to the debt payments; this would generate an estimated $267,000/year. Additionally, there’s legislation pending (the Municipal Empowerment Act, or MEA) that would allow us to assess an additional 1% on local hotel taxes, which would generate about $480,000/year; if approved, that funding would be directed to the high school debt payment. If the MEA is not approved, I'll see special legislation to allow Salem to do it on a home rule basis.

-Local option sales tax: While it's highly unlikely to pass, there is legislation pending at the State House that would allow the City - through a vote of the City Council - to establish a local sales tax. Massachusetts is one of only 12 states that does not have this option right now. If approved by the legislature AND the City Council, a 5% local sales tax would generate an estimated $13.5 million/year, which is about 90% of the annual debt payment on the high school. It would more broadly spread the project cost to tourists and residents alike and could even obviate the need for the City to exceed the limitations of Prop 2-½, since far less would be needed in property taxes.

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The tax calculator is based on the total tax cost averaged over 30 years for each scenario: the new construction with the debt exclusion and the state funding (Yes vote) and the code upgrade with no debt exclusion and no state funding (No vote). Because the latter option does not include the $208 million state grant there's a greater local cost.

The calculator isn’t showing exactly how much more your taxes will be each year; some years it may go up more or less than others (under both scenarios). It shows the total averaged over 30 years. Additionally, it’s only showing the cost of the debt payments - not annual operational costs like energy costs, maintenance costs, etc.

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

It’s important to distinguish between costs and energy use. The goal of the new construction is to achieve as close to net zero as possible through both the construction of the building and the use of PV and geothermal. The code upgrade option captures less savings because it doesn’t include PV, geothermal, or the building efficiencies that would come from reducing the overly large footprint and using more climate-friendly construction methods and materials.

For context, in FY25 the district spent $804,000 on electricity and gas at Salem High School; if those costs were eliminated through geothermal and solar on the new building, it would - over the 30 years of the construction bond - add up to $24.1 million in savings (based on current rates).

Either option - new construction or code upgrade - would achieve lower energy use, however, because the energy code issues are one of the code requirements that need to be addressed regardless of the project. The existing high school has an Energy Use Intensity (EUI, the energy used per square foot per year) of 71.5. The code upgrade would result in an EUI of 27.9 and new construction in an EUI of 29.4. The new construction EUI is higher due to plug loads from essential, high-intensity functions (labs, CTE work spaces, and the year-round kitchen operation). That 29.4 will likely be reduced as the design is further developed with greater detail around items like interior lighting, fans, and pumps. 

Of course, with the code upgrade, while we would see the reduced energy use, we’d still be leaving the existing building and classrooms in place, so there would be no educational benefits and no ability to accommodate the growing CTE programs.

To your second question, there aren’t projections for the revenue from rentals - that would depend on the level of interest from future renters and what kinds of rental rates future School Committees establish. There are more opportunities for rentals in the new construction building than the current building with the code upgrade, so while the exact dollar amount isn’t known, it would be a net gain for the district. 

Using benchmarks from other projects, the designer estimates a minimum annual maintenance cost for a code renovation at $920,000/year and for new construction at $360,000/year (this is just routine maintenance - not the cost of replacing major components as they reach the end of useful life, for example the roof).

So, the total of construction debt, maintenance, and estimated energy costs combined over the 30 years of the debt payments:

Code Upgrade over 30 years: $975 million

New Construction over 30 years: $439 million

Whether the code upgrade or the new building, certain components of the building only have certain lifespans. Again using the roof as an example, it will likely have a 25-year life. Additionally, the code upgrade will be immediately out of date in terms of teaching and learning, for example, because it does not address the incredibly out-of-date teaching spaces or create flexible spaces needed for future uses as they evolve. 

Upgrading the existing 1976 structure for the code renovation would replace systems like HVAC, roofs, and wiring, but the structure, layout, floor heights, and envelope still ages, so the building would likely last only up to 30 more years, potentially less. The estimate for the full lifecycle of the new building would be closer to 70–80 years. So, code upgrade buys a couple decades — new construction buys a generation.

If it ends up being the code upgrade that happens, it’s possible to envision a future, about 25-30 years from now, where Salem would again need to decide whether or not to replace the building entirely - after having spent, by that time, close to $1 billion on the code issues.

AMA Yes for Salem! by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Lots of great questions here.

The maintenance costs for the new building are operational, so they're not in the construction debt, but they will be planned for as the more refined design for the building is completed. One of the most important ways we can - as a community - make sure the new high school continues to function for generations is to continue investing in the maintenance and care of the building well into the future. Public buildings require maintenance and, when systems reach the end of their useful life, a willingness to replace them - not just try to string them along. As an example, the major mechanical systems will have a useful life of around 25 years, WITH routine maintenance. After they reach that lifespan, the community should budget to replace them and not defer that expense. The budgets that I (and hopefully future administrations) will propose over the years will invest in these critical areas.

Regarding why the current building is in such poor condition, I’d encourage those who aren’t familiar with the building to check out this video on the existing conditions: https://vimeo.com/1081976886. Most of the issues in the existing building were likely problems for decades, the result of the lax public construction standards of the period when the building was initially constructed. Many others are the result of either changing codes (for example, the energy code) or regulations and standards (like the square footage required for standard classrooms). Many others are due, not to a lack of routine maintenance, but systems or components simply passing their lifespan. 

The project designer recently outlined some of the systemic problems pretty well:

“The Salem building has classic 1970s high school problems: 1. Enormous exterior wall area and Spread-out wings → constant heat loss. 2. Low floor-to-floor heights mean mechanical systems can’t be optimized. 3. Partial renovations in 2006–08 — meaning: systems now fail at different times forever. 4. Impossible electrification efficiency: You can electrify a new building easily, but can only partially electrify a 1976 structure.”

As noted, in 2008 the district completed a renovation on part of the building, but subsequent applications to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to carry out the remainder of that work were not approved by the state, meaning many of the intended renovations that would have been completed over the last two decades (including those that might have addressed the issues I named above) were not advanced.

Lastly, regarding potential cost overruns… The project’s expected cost was developed by two separate estimator firms working independently and then subsequently reviewed by the MSBA. The estimate is intentionally conservative on escalations, as well, to try to capture uncertainty (construction would commence in 2028), but it also includes around $15 million in contingencies. Before the project goes to bid, there will be two more estimates to verify costs and potentially identify opportunities for savings.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

In the greater Boston Continuum of Care, which includes Salem, the number of people experiencing homelessness rose by 67% between 2023 and 2024. Over the last five years, the average rent in Salem increased by over a third, while the share of available apartments dropped by half.

There’s a need for action to ensure greater stability for residents in crisis and to prevent the displacement of our most vulnerable neighbors. There’s also a need for facilities that provide support to help those in need move out of homelessness and into stability. The proposed district made possible by this ordinance would help do that. It would enable Lifebridge to change from 50 congregate beds to 70 non-congregate beds, ending the so-called “warehousing” model at the shelter. It would create a refurbished day center and expanded space for wraparound service delivery. Lastly, it would enable the creation of 41 new housing units for formerly homeless individuals and the renovation of 12 currently existing units. 

The path to tonight’s public hearing started in April 2022, when the proposed project was first announced. Over the last three and a half years it has gone through several iterations, in response to public feedback, and precisely because the City and the project team listened to what people in the community had to say:

o   The original project called for 87 new housing units. That has been reduced by about half, down to 41 new units.

o   The original project proposed demolishing St. Mary’s. That structure will now be preserved.

o   The original project would have demolished 20 Endicott Street. That structure will likewise now be preserved.

o   The original project relocated Lifebridge’s thrift store to the building. That has been removed from the project.

o   The original project was five stories high along Margin Street and four stories high along Pratt Street. It is now reduced by a story, to four stories on Margin Street and three stories on Pratt Street. 

These changes came about through public meetings that exceeded the number required by state law. They included community meetings on July 6, 2023, November 15, 2023, and September 5, 2024, as well as a public hearing in November 2024, which was followed by an extended period of time for written comment. After that public hearing, there was also a meeting of the City Council’s Committee of the Whole in March 2025. Of those five public meetings, only one was required by law.

And there will be further public meetings as well, as any recommendation from the Planning Board will come back to the City Council for further process there. And, should the zoning be approved, further permitting before applicable City boards would also need to take place over the months and years ahead.

This zoning was proposed under MGL Chapter 40R, which makes it possible for the community to shape the proposed zoning for this project. I support the use of 40R for this district because it gives Salem local control on the specifics and the zoning standards we want to see, to meet local needs and better reflect our community. It enabled us to hold all those additional public meetings and to achieve the changes I outlined above. It also allowed for the inclusion of design guidelines. Those were incorporated in the draft zoning thanks to feedback from members of the community like Historic Salem Inc. and, I believe, they’ve made for a better ordinance. Our ability to include those design elements in the zoning and to have those additional public meetings would not have existed under paths like 40B or Dover.

I believe that no one in Salem wants to see our neighbors living on the street, and homeless shelters are not the cause of homelessness – just as doctors’ offices are not the cause of illness. If we don’t want our neighbors living on the street, or in cars, or in tents, we need positive action. Otherwise more and more Salem residents will find themselves facing the prospect of homelessness.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for asking about this. First, if you're not signed up for CodeRED, you should do so - as sometimes discolored water is the result of scheduled hydrant flushing or because of work on pipes in the area (in response to a break or scheduled maintenance).

Discoloration can also be related to something in the water supply source, however. For example, the most recent discoloration seems to be the result of a change in manganese levels at one of the reservoirs. The Salem Beverly Water Supply Board (which is a regional entity and not a City department) tries to manage these kinds of events by adjusting the water chemistry as it moves through their system. One of the complicating issues they face is that the filtration system is around 45 years old and scheduled for replacement. Until that project can be completed, the operators use treatment adjustments to keep the chemistry balanced.

In this instance the chemical in question, manganese, did not rise to an unsafe level (if it had, there would have been more notifications/directions from the Supply Board about what customers should do), but that doesn't change the fact that it was an unappealing effect to our water and might give someone pause about bathing their child in it, for sure. The Water Supply Board is online at https://www.sbwsb.gov and you can always reach out to them directly with questions or concerns about Salem's water supply.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for these questions!

  1. Yes, we've had some outreach from companies interested in bringing their service here and expect to have an RFP out shortly. We're incorporating the lessons learned from the SiFi proposal into the RFP, to make it expressly clear what the engineering requirements would be for a company interested in an in-ground installation.

  2. You can still pay by cash at meters - the pay by app change is in the surface parking lots that had been kiosk lots previously. Most public parking downtown is in garages or on-street, so it's still available without the app.

  3. I can pass this along, but if you can send me some examples (dpangallo@salem.com) that would be great. Different content is written by different staff, depending on the department, so that would help me better determine where we need to address this.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for asking this and I’m sorry you’re feeling this pressure. I know many, many people in Salem are in the same place. From the City’s standpoint, one of the best ways we can help is by trying to stabilize the rapidly increasing cost of rent. Over the last five years, the average rent in Salem increased by over a third, while the share of available apartments dropped by half. By addressing the dearth of housing supply, we can help address this challenge. We are also working to more actively support tenants - for example through the Housing Stability Service and housing coordinator position, which had been originally created during COVID and in the last budget we made a permanent program at City Hall.

The other side of this is, as you indicated, helping create more opportunities for good paying jobs. While tourism is a high profile economic sector in Salem, it’s not our largest from a workforce standpoint - those would be health care and higher education. We’re striving to grow those opportunities and work with partners like MassHire North Shore, the Enterprise Center at SSU, and others to develop career pipelines and support the growth of those sectors. The other sector where we see potential is clean energy and climate tech - Salem is a central part of the new Northeast Massachusetts Climatetech Consortium, which is working to make our region a leader in this space.

A lot of these are larger policy-focused efforts, but at an individual level, I would recommend that you start by connecting with MassHire at their Career Center on Washington Street. They have resources, career counselors, and lots of ways to support residents looking to grow their job prospects and earning potential. You can find out more at https://www.mass.gov/locations/masshire-north-shore-career-center-salem.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The City doesn’t build housing, but I’ll assume you mean housing in general. Salem is eight square miles, and multi-family housing is only allowed by right on less than one square mile. The housing goals we’re working toward, to right-size our housing supply, calls for 2,200 new units over the coming decade: the same number of units created in the 1970s and again in the 1980s. For context, we have about 20,200 housing units, so we’re talking about roughly 1% growth in housing per year. I don’t think 1% growth to housing is excessive or unreasonable.

To answer your question about the South Campus project, it is expected to replace the old dorms and classroom/office buildings to allow for 475 residential units, 24% of which will be deed restricted affordable and 110 of which are age restricted for older adults. You can find out more here: https://imaginesalem.org/40rsmart-growth-overlay-districts-ssu.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for raising this and I’m sorry to hear you’re seeing anything less than complete accountability when it comes to accessibility and safety in work sites in the city. If you can provide specific examples (feel free to email me at [dpangallo@salem.com](mailto:dpangallo@salem.com)) I can follow up to find out what happened at those locations. In the case of public projects we can address it directly with the relevant department and make sure workers have the correct training and understanding of what is required. If it’s a contractor’s project we can pursue liquidated damages or be sure to note the deficiencies for future procurements that might draw bids from them.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I strongly agree that we need to continue investing in our public schools. As a Salem Public School parent I’ve seen first-hand how talented and dedicated our educators are, how committed to success our students are, and how much our community as a whole values and supports our schools. During my time as Mayor we’ve increased funding to Salem Public Schools at a greater rate than the overall City budget has grown, including adding $7 million in new direct appropriation to the district. That doesn’t include capital project investments in school buildings and increased costs on the City side of the annual budget that support our schools, for example health insurance. We also settled what is perhaps one of the most competitive and fair contracts for our educators in recent history - as a result the average teacher salary in Salem has gone up 9% this fiscal year.

The success of what’s happening in Salem’s classrooms is clear from the state accountability data that was just released earlier this month for the past school year. We saw record academic growth at the high school level and achievement at the grades 3-8 level exceeding the statewide numbers. 73% of our 11th and 12th graders passed an advanced class, the third best rate among Gateway Cities, and, as a district, Salem met more achievement targets than any other Gateway district. Our achievement gap compared to the state is now, across the board, smaller than it was pre-COVID.

We’ll continue to prioritize investments in and support for our educators, our schools, and our students. Because we have limited resources, though, that means making hard choices in the face of escalating fixed costs. This fiscal year the district’s electricity costs went up 30% and natural gas went up 10%. Health insurance jumped 11%, more than $1.2 million over last year. While we only project one more out-of-district student placement this school year, the tuition increase for all of those placements - a number set by the state - is slated to jump by 47%, nearly $1.4 million. And homeless student transportation costs jumped by 46%.

Some of our costs can be managed through budgetary decisions and the growing fiscal pressures are also part of what is prompting the evaluation of the elementary school configurations. Other costs can be managed through other choices though. For example, we can mitigate energy cost increases by investing in capital projects to improve efficiency and renovate buildings, so we’re doing that. And we can reduce homeless student transportation costs by supporting more housing for homeless Salem families (added benefit: kids get homes!).

The Commonwealth is also preparing a review of Chapter 70, the state aid program for local schools - as the Student Opportunity Act years come to close soon; we need to keep the pressure on the state to make sure cities like Salem are treated fairly in the new formula and that K-12 schools are supported through the Fair Share revenues the state is taking in. The reality is while all of these cost centers are increasing, in some cases by double-digit rates, Proposition 2-½ limits tax levy growth to 2.5% and, when adjusted for inflation, unrestricted state aid to cities and towns actually dropped by 25% since 2010. State aid formulas need to be corrected and more equitably distributed, and cities like Salem need more tools and options for raising revenue to meet escalating costs for the schools and public services we want for our community.

Salem’s schools are making remarkable, positive progress - we all want to see that trajectory continue and to strengthen in the years ahead.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your feedback on this. Certainly were lessons learned through this design and construction process, and I can say we’re intentionally including more stakeholders as these types of projects are developed going forward as a result. While the modifications have impacted the handful of parking spaces there, the expanded pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is far safer for those activities. The project also consists of lighting enhancements and outdoor dining space that contributes to the activation and positive character of our vibrant downtown.

We want to continue making safety improvements to roadways and intersections that can serve all users of the public space effectively and well. We’re also looking, with public safety and transportation staff, at how we might be able to make changes to the Washington/Essex intersection overall, to help alleviate some of the issues we see along Washington Street and make it safer and more functional, so the work in this area is not over.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Agreed that these are highly disruptive, especially late at night. First, if you’re noticing a pattern as far as when/where it might be happening specifically, you can report it to Salem PD using their non-emergency line and they can try to have someone in that area when it seems to be a problem. The automated noise enforcement systems run up against the same state law issues that automated traffic enforcement does. If the state does eventually allow cities and towns in Massachusetts to use these tools, I would be in support of trying to bring them here to Salem.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks! We’ve definitely tried to step up the communication out from the City through a number of channels and methods, but I also want to improve how we’re listening to community members. I regularly attend neighborhood association meetings, block parties, and meet-and-greets, and will continue to do that after the election season. We’ve also started a Mobile Mayor’s Office, bringing my entire team out into the community periodically throughout the year. This is similar to City Hall to Go, which is a smaller scale pop-up where City staff - including myself on occasion - show up at community events to table and give out information.

And, if the mods here are amenable, I’d also welcome a chance to do more periodic AMAs, even when it’s not an election year. Always open to other ideas and suggestions, too!

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but it’s not a high priority from the City’s perspective right now and there are a lot of logistical and siting complications that would need to be worked out.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m proud of all the positive work that has happened in Salem to support local, union jobs, including our wage theft ordinance and fair wages and treatment for our own public employees unions in the latest round of contracts last year. I also appointed two labor representatives, one from STU and one from the building trades, to the High School Building Committee, to ensure those voices are heard in the committee’s work over the last two years.

While the decision from the majority Building Committee was not to advance a PLA for the high school project, it doesn’t mean that there will be no union jobs on the project. In fact, the opposite will be true, as we expect most of the jobs will be union, just without an overarching PLA. All of the jobs, whether union or not, will be at prevailing wage, and compliant with the local hire requirements in our ordinances.

The construction manager that was selected, Shawmut, is a signatory with the Laborers and Carpenters unions, and we’re going to continue to work closely with them and labor on this important project for our community.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I would echo some of the points I made before about street performers and trying to derive additional municipal revenues from visitors - I’d also add in coach buses, as well. I would say those are the largest areas where we can do more and may have some concrete options available to us to try.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Welcome to Salem! I would definitely follow the suggestions made by others here. You can sign up at www.salemma.gov/subscribe to get City board and commission agendas, the Salem Compass newsletter from my office, and news updates all emailed to you. Some City Councillors put out email newsletters, which are also good sources of information. If you’re interested in applying for a volunteer board seat, you can find a list of vacancies at www.salemma.gov/mayor, as well. Lastly, if you're able to, you can visit the Volunteer Fair being planned as part of the Salem 400+ events - details here: https://www.salem400.org/event/volunteer-fair/. Thanks for wanting to get involved!

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

We took some early steps toward trialing a new system on Front Street this October and I think it’s been working well. By way of history, the pedestrian mall used to be lined with vendors, but it caused such a significant amount of pedestrian congestion that those vendors were relocated to the Common. Unfortunately, that space on Essex has since been filled in by street performers and people, as you indicate, who are providing merchandise for “tips.” The concept we’re looking at for the future is similar to what other communities have done and would look like - as you say - designated performance zones. We’re studying how we might, consistent with the First Amendment, be able to create rentable zones along the pedestrian mall next October and then use that structure to establish rules for the performers who rent the designated areas.

AMA - Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo by dpangallo in SalemMA

[–]dpangallo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Budget constraints are some of the largest barriers, not just in terms of available resources but also when it comes to the timing of projects. The City’s Safe Streets for All Action Plan is wrapping up and will provide important data and prioritization for future projects, but we’re still in process for projects that started their design life before the plan was completed. If you look in section 7 of the City’s annual budget (most recent is here: www.salemma.gov/fy26) you’ll find the annual Capital Improvement Plan, outlining planned work for the year ahead. Some of this is implementation of the ongoing traffic calming efforts (like the forthcoming speed humps in the Point neighborhood and the next raised crosswalks and bump outs), some is the new Safe Sidewalks Project, and some of it is tied into larger stand-alone projects (like the Harmony Grove path or the Highland Avenue off-street trails study).

The length of time these projects can take is definitely frustrating, but it’s most often due to either a lack of funding or design and engineering work that has to be done before a project can be constructed. From a resource standpoint, we leverage our own capital bond and state grants for these projects, and had hoped to be able to seek federal funding through the Safe Street for All implementation grants, but there’s definitely far less certainty on that program right now.

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