Methuen East District councilor candidates talk issues

Oct. 29--METHUEN -- After a preliminary election in September, four candidates remain for the two East District seats on the Methuen City Council.

The preliminary was triggered after five candidates returned nomination papers to run for the East District, which includes precincts 3, 7, 9 and 12. Sidney Harris was eliminated in the September vote.

The remaining candidates are Adam Chiocca, a Methuen youth sports coach and board member; Daniel Grayton, a former city councilor who lost his bid for re-election two years ago; Steve Saba, founder and current president of the Methuen Athletic Improvement Committee that pushed for renovations to Nicholson Stadium; and Eunice Zeigler, whose career focuses on government financial management and sustainable development. Saba finished first in the preliminary, followed by Zeigler, Grayton and Chiocca.

Ahead of the municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, The Eagle-Tribune gave each candidate the opportunity to speak about the issues affecting the East District and the city of Methuen, from development to infrastructure needs.

We asked each candidate the following questions:

1) Much of Methuen's infrastructure is in need of repair, from buckling sidewalks to aging sewers and roads. How will you address this as a councilor? What would you prioritize?

2) Methuen's population is projected to continue to grow through 2035, by which time the population over 65 is expected to have doubled. With the housing boom already underway across the city, especially in the East District, how do you propose the city handle this population growth and the increasing need for housing?

3) What is the biggest problem facing Methuen today, and how do you plan to address it if elected?

The following are their responses.

Adam Chiocca

Age: 41

Address: 34 Archibald Ave.

Family: Married for 14 years with two boys in the Methuen Public Schools

Occupation/employment history: Teacher for 14 years in the ELL classroom.

Public service: Member of the board of directors for Methuen Youth Basketball and Methuen Pop Warner Football & Cheerleading; fund raising for the Methuen Scholarship Foundation/Dollars for Scholars. First time running for office.

Education: Bachelor of arts from The Pennsylvania State University; M.A.T. English-secondary education; M.Ed Instruction (Focus: ESL); cert. program, principal/assistant principal in Massachusetts K-12.

1) Infrastructure repair:

It is important for a city to maintain its infrastructure. I think long-term planning is the sensible way to go. To prioritize, we need to use advice from our city department experts. By chipping away at problems in a systematic, deliberate, thought-out and well-planned way over time, and paying slowly for them, we take on less debt in the immediate.

2) Population growth/housing:

First of all, we need to take a break from all the non-stop building and construction. Let's try to preserve that small-town feel as best we can. Let's preserve open green space and our quality of life. Methuen residents must voice their opinion to the mayor's office that the growth is too much, too fast. The City Council can work on preserving our town, through the preservation of open land, and new zoning, often connected to public safety. Regarding a need for housing, I'd like to see rundown of properties renovated, on current, existing lots.

3) Biggest problem:

The non-stop building and construction needs to slow down: it is too much, too fast. My ideas to remedy this can be found in the previous response. On a lighter note, I would like to remind Methuen voters that, if elected, I will work hard to bring a dog park to Methuen, as I mentioned during the last Methuen Community Television debate. Your dog, as a member of the family, might like socialization. Haverhill, Dracut, Derry, Andover and Chelmsford all have dog parks. If elected, I will work hard to get us a dog park!

Daniel Grayton

Age: 27

Address: 31 Varnum Ave.

Family: Single

Occupation/employment history: Communications director, City of Amesbury.

Public service: Former Methuen at-large city councilor.

Education: Bachelor of arts in politics and government, Bryan College.

1) Infrastructure repair:

We must develop a long-term plan that allows us to prioritize and budget for future infrastructure projects. The numerous water main breaks during the abnormally cold winter several years ago exposed the need to repair and replace Methuen's aging water and sewer lines. As for roads and sidewalks, the city has done a good job overall of budgeting the Chapter 90 money we receive from the state each year. As a councilor I would make sure our existing infrastructure is addressed with those funds before looking at new projects.

2) Population growth/housing:

While we should be encouraged that people are moving into and staying in Methuen, we must be cognizant of the effect this growth has on quality of life in town. Lack of a long-term development plan in Methuen leads to situations like the proposed Chapter 40B (affordable housing) development across from the Loop, which the city had very little hope of stopping due to (at the time) being under the 10 percent state-mandated affordable housing threshold. A long-term plan will allow city planners to identify future development needs while planning and budgeting for infrastructure improvements to support this growth.

3) Biggest problem:

We have to work harder to get taxes and spending under control. Rising taxes year after year is a quality of life issue. As councilor I will push for the creation of a capital improvement plan that allows us to plan ahead and budget for major expenses. We must also end the practice of giving out promotions and pay raises to city employees at the expense of the taxpayers. These are actions I advocated for as a city councilor and I look forward to the opportunity to once again be a voice for fiscal responsibility on the council.

Steven J. Saba

Age: 57

Address: 15 Chippy Lane

Family: Wife, Cathy; daughter, Laura and son-in-law Ben Moll; sons Steve Jr. and Christopher.

Occupation/employment history: Independent sales of merchant services and other banking services.

Public service: 25 years as a volunteer; current president and founder of MAIC (Methuen Athletic Improvement Committee); 14-year president of Methuen Basketball Association (ended June 2017).

Education: Bachelor of science in marketing and operations management, University of Lowell.

1) Infrastructure repair:

First, I would challenge the other councilors to invest time to better understand the issues that we will be voting on. I have spent days taking in depth tours of the Department of Public Works (DPW); water and sewer departments; and police, fire and school departments. All councilors should do the same. How can we vote to spend or cut money on critical issues that we don't understand? Next, I will stress the need for a detailed capital spending plan, so we can clearly map out the areas that need to be improved upon. Smart planning will bring about better changes for less cost.

2) Population growth/housing:

We have several 55-and-older high-end developments underway. The majority are being purchased by new residents moving into Methuen. We have a serious shortage of affordable senior housing, especially for lifelong residents. We can't let them be forgotten. I want to work with the Community Development Department and the new mayor to entice future developments to include affordable housing for seniors. This should be included in the new master plan that I will work to bring to reality. Additionally, with the increase in the senior population especially in the east district we will need added ambulance, fire and police coverage.

3) Biggest problem:

Taxes are the number one issue that is brought up by most residents, followed closely by over-development. Residents feel that taxes go up freely with no oversight. In addition to the steps described in the first question, I will stress that the budget be presented well in advance so the council can review and cut waste line-by-line before it starts. We should be looking to combine services and cut redundancy. Before I vote for a tax increase, I want to exhaust all other options and be confident that we are spending every tax dollar responsibly.

Eunice D. Zeigler

Age: 29

Address: 25 North St.

Family: Married to Jake Zeigler

Occupation/employment history: Compliance specialist/grant writer, City of Lowell Housing Authority.

Public service: Former financial compliance manager, City of Haverhill; member of the American Society of Public Administrators and the Association of Government Accountants.

Education: Bachelor of arts in political science, UMass Lowell; master's in economic and social development of regions.

1) Infrastructure repair:

Success in addressing the challenges to Methuen's infrastructure can be accomplished through long-term strategic planning. As a councilor, I would work with fellow councilors to establish clear goals and that will guide our policy making in order to bring value to Methuen residents.

The first step is to collaborate with the DPW to enact a comprehensive preventative maintenance schedule that will identify cost effective upgrades to our sewer system followed by a strategic plan for road repair and sidewalks improvements. It is paramount that we set a well defined direction for the city in order to be a sustainable community.

2) Population growth/housing:

There is a looming fear that the housing boom will impact traffic, overcrowd classrooms, disrupt the ecosystem and weigh heavily on public services. As a Methuen city councilor I would heed these concerns and be proactive.

We have some housing stock across the city that is in need of repair in addition to abandoned properties. There is funding available to address these issues. I would seek to raise awareness about the process of obtaining historic tax credits and HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Rehabilitation grant funding to improve our housing portfolio. This process is crucial to addressing the need for housing moving forward.

3) Biggest problem:

Public safety. I have had the honor of speaking with hundreds of residents across the Methuen and the consensus is that motorists are not respecting the speed limits. This has a severe impact of the quality of life because people are getting hurt. I would work with the Methuen Police Department and get more community members involved. Furthermore, I would collaborate with the city on grants to construct more sidewalks and illuminated crosswalks.

The municipal election will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7. Positions that will be voted on include the nine-member City Council, six-member School Committee, two seats on the Greater Lawrence Technical School Committee, two seats on the Methuen Housing Authority and two Nevins Library trustees. The Eagle-Tribune will be running candidate questions for various races in the run-up to the election.

These responses have been edited.

Follow Lisa Kashinsky on Twitter @lisakash23.

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