About $1 million in state money available to the city for road repaving projects remains unspent after some city councilors questioned how streets were chosen for improvements.
Mayor Jeannette McCarthy proposed using the city's apportionment of the state aid, known as Chapter 90 funding, this year to repave 11 streets - including the entire lengths of Prospect, Felton and Stow streets.
The council's Long Term Debt Committee Monday night voted 3-2 to table the request.
Councilor at large Thomas Stanley, chairman of the committee, said its members want more documentation showing how the streets were selected for repaving.
He said it's further proof the city also needs a pavement management system in place.
"We want to know why the streets are chosen," Stanley said.
McCarthy said she gave visual evidence of the road conditions to the committee along with the request to approve the Chapter 90 money.
"In my request photographs of the conditions of the streets were attached," McCarthy said. "So a picture was worth a thousand words."
Ward 2 Councilor Ed Tarallo, who also voted to table the matter, said the list of streets the mayor presented differed greatly from a list of streets that councilors had been asked to compile last year.
Ward 8 Councilor Stephen Rourke said he was comfortable with the streets chosen by the mayor and said there "was no doubt" in his mind those roadways needed to be fixed. He voted to approve the spending request.
However, since other councilors had questions about McCarthy's list, Rourke considered making a motion to use a portion of the Chapter 90 money to repave Prospect Street, a road he said he's received the most complaints about.
Rourke said because there is no bond issue attached to the mayor's Chapter 90 request, he said the request could have been instead been sent to the Finance Committee.
"I think that point could be made," Rourke said.
Other streets on the mayor's list include the entire length of Tomlin, Prentice, Carter, and Central streets as well as all of Columbus Avenue. Also included were Weston Street, from Banks Square to Eddy Street, Elm Street, from Main Street to River Street, and Prospect Hill Road, from Prentice to Main Street.
Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
