Opinion

By Phil Orlandella

NEWNC Annual Election Needs a Boost

Not enough residents filed nomination papers over the past two years to become candidates in the annual North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) election, resulting in the cancellation of the mandatory public election.

No contest for the six Council seats that open each year meant all candidates that filed nomination papers were automatically placed on the Council, legally.

While NEWNC has tried, to make an election occur, it simply appears that residents do not have any interest in serving the community.

Currently, no one has an answer on how to attract more candidates for the neighborhood election to create a challenge, and it appears nobody is trying.

Revamping the current NEWNC election bylaws may be the answer, making it easier to become a candidate. Or could it be there is no real interest to serve on the Council that meets once a month?

NEWNC is a viable and needed community organization that cares about the neighborhoods where they reside in.

What’s the old saying, “Maybe Next Year”?

More Community Impact next Time Around

Outdoor dining in the North End has apparently accomplished its goal of helping restaurants improve business during dire times, especially with all the pandemic restrictions that have occurred.

Now that most, if not all, of the restaurant’s restrictions lifted by the City and State, restaurant businesses have returned to the neighborhood in groves.

However, will outdoor dining continue next spring? Will there be changes made to lessen the impacts on the community?

Rumor has it that the city may not be able to pick up the cost of providing off-street parking for residents impacted by outdoor dining. Restaurant owners may have to pick up the expense. Also, parking is not the only issue at stake with outdoor dining.

Residents have raised complaints to City Hall relating to noise, block sidewalks, traffic flow, and emergency response.

Next time around, residents should have much more input into what they feel could change and identify what they think could make things somewhat better and less intrusive.