[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5985566,"mediaKeyId","5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30","parentId",5767322,"title","City to consider DPH funds for winter sheltering; councilors press planning and renters‑insurance pilot","audioSeconds",874,"startMs",5437000,"endMs",6311000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30&start=5437&end=6311","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30/thumbnail_5437000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5985566/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/City-to-consider-DPH-funds-for-winter-sheltering-councilors-press-planning-and-rentersinsurance-pilot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985566-9c96352c8162f2e083dfd2ff44ec0705/orig.mp4?Expires=1774871199&Signature=hIMqHjmNt3USBHG2EiWA3J2tYLKjgTU8kBEw5KgSw0E3ZBSdI64GIcdRd6S9XRwYF1A9SVzQlANnQSAwDz0r3mVFJ7Jmubf4xER9-3p3Fzv~WFRIl42XIUvc1EFc3A1C3F7FO3uhxVMPKs19Wilk8fktK6NwuMdBSd8Y~LQq0IPVCWth2F8PLspCKRYTYUEKQEFlsYG5~GwUIduLs~tFZpCvCkYkngIWjG31tdl6o57F9~-rULSWzbTsSKvV-cUiYKMHIXThUtC7DqK2qSdA~9TLS-2jUhNFNP2NgE4RgH7i6u~98YjAwQDzmMVnSfcx60WdCLCengKcqWeI4nNyHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lawrence City, MA","date","2025-09-13T01:50:26Z","article","The Budget & Finance Committee on Sept. 10 considered Department of Public Health grant funds for two public‑health initiatives: $122,938.71 for winter protocols and temporary placements for fire victims and $139,805 for Mass in Motion active‑transportation work.

Alicia Miller, coordinator for the mayor’s health task force, said the DPH funds are discretionary awards to the city for homelessness‑related or housing‑related costs and will support winter protocols and temporary placements for families displaced by fire. \"That money … will be used by the Office of Planning and Development for the winter protocol and to stabilize a few families that are victims of fire in the community for this fiscal year,\" Miller said.

Councilors raised operational questions and urged stronger outreach. The council president and other members pressed staff for a clearer plan for cold‑weather response and asked why the city’s homelessness coordinator was not present; committee members then moved to table the winter‑protocol item so that the homelessness coordinator could attend and provide detail on implementation, eligibility and the expected number of clients served. The motion to table carried.

Several councilors proposed using part of the DPH funding or partner resources to promote or subsidize renters insurance for residents. One councilor said a one‑year renters‑insurance pilot — possibly funded in part from the grant and implemented through a nonprofit partner such as Lazarus House — could be less costly than repeated emergency sheltering after fires and other displacements. Miller said that the grant’s program budget and DPH parameters would have to be reviewed and that she would raise the idea with director Pimentel for potential inclusion in outreach and wraparound services.

Separately, the committee unanimously voted to forward a $139,805 Mass in Motion grant proposal to the full council with a favorable recommendation. Miller described work to improve active transportation corridors, safe routes to school and park access, including community outreach, walks along Shawshin Road and River Trail and planned pedestrian signage near schools and parks.

What happens next: the winter‑protocol grant item was tabled to allow the homelessness coordinator to appear with implementation details; the Mass in Motion grant will go to the full council with a favorable recommendation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lawrence City Council | Public Safety & Budget and Finance Committee | September 10 , 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Budget & Finance Committee considered two DPH grants Sept. 10 — about $122,938 for winter protocols and temporary placements for fire victims and $139,805 for Mass in Motion active‑transportation programs — and asked staff for clearer implementation plans.","taxTitle","Lawrence City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",5815,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5985574,"Lawrence councilors press for independent audit of police department; item tabled pending scope and funding details",1649,454000,2103000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30&start=454&end=2103","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30/thumbnail_454000.jpg","/articles/5985574/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Lawrence-councilors-press-for-independent-audit-of-police-department-item-tabled-pending-scope-and-funding-details","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985574-9b584ed3fdb00e0306a39b2bfa66e81e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774871199&Signature=OnCPU9zLrlJzo98bAIRd14rrP8XTVEmWG05xh8TTCuqC5zwA7vOtTniqjQvyzXtG6LlxWP87SSDLGNkeKu67CjKccomEFEQQQAcYu53AFrqZ6jsz3hpd~3H~WI1XAW5-RSYn4RP3yxU23HSb~GKny2W6BsAv9zMxISukSOhOE-T4X3h3LLto-igCO9ezVpwzhx2TgXo~Lj1eXjvlI~u4JxHRxowo6yhYtMyGDPqMHCOMnPs3Lh1nc7sZnoK~Da8Ggm0ZFq6n4i6jBLwbUYjTQo-~pBuV4RcdavOXyIw6feYXPbybT7Kor3bPmHXieUtowtEMPviijiQtZSy8py7iog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilor Wendy Luzon asked the Public Safety Committee on Sept. 10 to forward a request for an independent audit of the Lawrence Police Department to the full City Council, citing leadership turnover and community concerns. \"An audit will allow us to ensure financial accountability by reviewing the use of taxpayer dollars over overtime expenditures and grant management,\" Luzon wrote in an emailed statement she read into the record.

The committee’s chair, City Councilor Anna Levy, said the chief was present and the city attorney had been invited but was not in attendance. Police Chief Aguilar told the panel he welcomes an independent audit and described it as \"consistent with best practices\" after a period of leadership transition. \"I want to be completely accountable and completely transparent, with you, with the community,\" Aguilar said.

The committee focused on two practical hurdles: who would pay for the audit and what the scope would include. Councilor Del Rosario and others asked whether the mayor had committed funding in writing; Luzon said the mayor had promised to pay but that the committee had no written confirmation. Ramona Savalos, the acting chief administrative and financial officer, said the cost \"is hard to tell without knowing the exact scope of work\" and that auditors would need a precisely defined scope to provide a quote.

Committee members also discussed procurement. Del Rosario noted that if the audit cost exceeded procurement thresholds the city would need to solicit bids; Savalos told the committee that accounting services of this type generally do not require a formal bid and that the city’s current external auditors could provide a proposal if the committee chose to use them.

Rather than send the matter directly to the full council, the committee voted to table the item and asked staff to convene the mayor, the city attorney, Councilor Luzon and the police chief to agree on a scope, funding source and whether the work should be staged in parts. Councilor Levy moved to table; Councilor Del Rosario seconded. The motion passed in a roll call vote.

The committee also asked that any written commitment from the mayor about funding be provided before the item returns for action.

What happens next: committee staff were tasked to schedule a meeting with the mayor’s office, the city attorney, Chief Aguilar and Councilor Luzon to define audit scope and funding and report back to the committee. No formal audit contract or procurement action was authorized at the Sept. 10 meeting.

Council-level context: Luzon told the committee the request followed what she described as five chiefs in under four years. She said the community deserves transparency on finances, overtime and grant management; the committee did not adopt a scope or authorize spending.","Councilor Wendy Luzon asked the Public Safety Committee on Sept. 10 to forward a request for an independent audit of the Lawrence Police Department to the full City Council, citing leadership turnover and community concerns.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5985570,"City of Lawrence receives clean FY24 audit; auditors flag long‑term debt and free‑cash use in committee discussion",6098,2735000,8833000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30&start=2735&end=8833","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5767322-fbc6b7dff56f937c2f79a9e890bd6b30/thumbnail_2735000.jpg","/articles/5985570/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/City-of-Lawrence-receives-clean-FY24-audit-auditors-flag-longterm-debt-and-freecash-use-in-committee-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5985570-bcc5b38ddcc100b7338a87f0f27f8b55/orig.mp4?Expires=1774871199&Signature=EZvNnoA~j8gVNfQRTSVbruAB8YTbtsgiUOBsTRPHBQ204loQp4taFnYoHNbWCpbe6hDq8Wk0YUNV0mt-aLPTlesWBFdSEjZGsfOJWsCsPnmJUSdlJUPs28GZUbfs4D2WELvGRCjkXjWQ0dcLD6Sl-8L5nGeq94ZnbOfWS7~~tALspqBEwZbSAuWyW3c2Y~ANobY5s6zuHzzPIBWjJQz4hQu045-coZmTZhlaxe1FzKnGN83Uew8B95wHRLeVf8RqDlEN5iaGAPl3QESt-6YYLvvES13dlgs-1Zk01Oq0zpLH19f5sga8QC1ZpVTxum-xaPHtXJ-Y~xiReRrIAzksLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Auditors from CBIZ told the Lawrence Budget and Finance Committee on Sept. 10 that the city’s fiscal 2024 financial statements and the schedule of federal awards each received an unmodified (clean) opinion. Craig Peacock, managing director for the audit team, told councilors the audit found no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies.

\"We did not note any major discrepancies whatsoever going through the audit,\" Peacock said. The auditors also reported timely and well‑supported documentation for bank reconciliations and federal grants; the single‑audit filing was submitted on time.

Committee members used the presentation to probe the city’s fiscal position. The auditors reported a general fund budget deficit of about $38 million in FY24; available funds and strong collections reduced the cash impact. Acting CAFO Ramona Savalos explained how free cash and one‑time federal receipts affected those figures: the city used roughly $38 million of free cash this year, including $20 million transferred to debt service to cover two recently completed school projects and a new police station, $10 million to a stabilization reserve, and about $5 million for site improvements.

Savalos and the auditors said much of the prior year’s unusually large free‑cash balance reflected the timing of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. \"Those numbers significantly increased the amount of free cash that we had,\" Savalos told the committee, and that temporary boost explains a large year‑to‑year decline.

The auditors summarized other balance‑sheet items: the city’s unassigned general‑fund balance was reported at about $62.9 million; net OPEB liability was about $315 million (down roughly $34 million from FY23); the retirement system’s net pension liability was $190.7 million and the system was approximately 61.4% funded. Total long‑term debt stood at about $250 million, split roughly $174 million in governmental long‑term debt and $76 million in water and sewer debt.

Councilors expressed concern about long‑term capacity to finance capital projects. One councilor noted that when school‑related debt is excluded the city’s debt service ratio is materially higher and said that could limit the city’s ability to authorize new borrowing in the near term. The audit team offered to prepare a targeted discussion letter on debt trends and suggested the council consider prioritizing capital projects and monitoring market conditions for possible refinancing opportunities.

The committee voted to send the audit as a committee report to the full City Council. Auditors said they would provide a condensed presentation for the council’s meeting so members could review highlights without repeating the committee‑level detail.

Federal awards: the auditors reported approximately $70 million of federal expenditures in FY24 (including ARPA and other grant programs) and issued a clean single‑audit opinion with no questioned costs.

What this means: The FY24 audit reflects no audit findings that require formal corrective action under auditing standards, but committee discussion emphasized fiscal trade‑offs — notably one‑time uses of free cash to fund debt service and reserves and a sustained, multi‑year debt service burden that the council may need to manage through capital planning and budgeting choices.","External auditors gave Lawrence an unmodified opinion on its FY24 financial statements and single-audit reports. Committee discussion highlighted a $38 million use of free cash this year (largely for debt service and reserves), long-term debt levels, and large OPEB and pension liabilities; auditors suggested continued fiscal planning.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City to consider DPH funds for winter sheltering; councilors press planning and renters‑insurance pilot

Lawrence councilors press for independent audit of police department; item tabled pending scope and funding details

City of Lawrence receives clean FY24 audit; auditors flag long‑term debt and free‑cash use in committee discussion