McKenna Files Motion to Test City Hall’s Air-Quality

By Sue Ellen Woodcock

Believing the Revere City Hall is a sick building, Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna has filed a motion to have the mayor arrange to have an air-quality test performed throughout the 120 year-old building.

At Monday night’s meeting of the City Council, McKenna said she is concerned for the people who work in the building, and added that they all have coughs.

“I believe this is a sick building. I know its not the mayor’s fault, but this was inherited when he came into office,” she said. “But we do need a fix now.”

McKenna said the air quality of City Hall was tested two and a half years ago after the tornado

“It hasn’t been tested since, and I’m not sure if the air vents have even been cleaned,” she said.

She added that anytime it rains, the roof leaks in the City Hall chambers and auditorium, plaster keeps falling from the City Hall chambers, especially on the Councillor Jessica Giannino’s chair

“We need to have the air quality tested so we know everyone is safe,” McKenna said.

Ward 3 Councillor Arthur Guinasso, whose son works in City Hall has been battling Legionella Disease.

“There’s no question in my mind the there is something airborne in City Hall, especially in the water department area on the lower level,” Guinasso said. “There’s another employee my son works with, and he is always sick. Something has to be done for this young man who is very sick. He’s experienced months and months of going through this.”

Guinasso said whatever it is is airborne.

“The air quality in this building has to be controlled,” Guinasso said. “As watch dogs for the community we have to be watchdogs for City Hall. There is something going on in regards to health issues, and we have to address this.”

“This is long overdue,” said Ward 5 Councillor John Powers. “It’s time for this administration to act and act boldly.”

He favors adding funds dedicated to this problem to the capital improvement budget as soon as possible.

“Let us not subject the citizens and the employees here to ill health,” Powers said.

Councillor Anthony Zambuto said don’t limit the testing just to air quality, but also to the mold and any other areas, like asbestos that should be tested.

“I think there were problems long before the tornado. Its like the rest of the infrastructure in the city, it’s deteriorating. There are some serious problems here. The testing needs to be done right away,” Zambuto said.

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