West End Neighbors upset

Seems the city has started and stopped several times on flooding issues on Philips Drive, Ryan's and Drew Street that a petition has been started to get some tax dollars to address these 30 year old issues before the Mayor spends anymore on un-needed services and employees. Past Director, Brendan O'Regan found grant money to widen and replace a culvert in this area, but now that his management style is not wanted, these residents in this area are fighting mad that no more action to handle run off is on the books anywhere in the future. The same neighbours do not want even higher sewer bills to fix what our taxes were supposed to repair in the years past. A single house is the culprit in these matters and has been given cart blanch' to divert run off into surrounding yards. Calls to the Mayors office are going unaddressed and who knows if the Ward 6 Councillor is aware of anything past City Hall these days. 50 taxpayers equal about enough income to the city to deserve at least curbing and drainage to protect their property, don't they? Or are social programs and stipends for interim employees more important? Frost heaves causing road damage due to the lack of proper drainage and building foundation issues need to be recognize by educated engineers that we have demanded and paid for, but don't get past route 95! It only took 35 years for the city to address a farm road that was allowed to develop into a transit point for several hundred homes and a back entrance to the industrial park ( past the most prime open land we have left in the city.

Will we need to lose the lives of more children before sidewalks are installed on Story Ave, from the firehouse to the city line, where traffic flows at a posted 50 miles per hour? Priorities on parking and other downtown social issues superseded the West-Newburyport Taxpayers. I saw a resident of Drew Street sweeping the street with a hand broom today. I told him we have several street sweepers in the city. He said he has never seen one on this side of route 95. He is mostly right on that issue. Our taxes purchase services for anybody but us!