Melrose Mayoral Candidates Comment On Brazil Street Situation

Patch asked the five Melrose mayoral candidates what they thought about the latest revelations from the Brazil Street sewage disaster reported by Patch this week. Here are their comments:

Jackie Lavender Bird

Brazil Street is such a challenging situation. I know the affected residents are really struggling. As insurance companies and clean up teams continue to work, I hope the impact on the residents can continue to be minimized.

NOTE: Lavender Bird later expanded on her comments.

Manisha Bewtra

My heart goes out to our affected neighbors. I thank Alderman MacMaster for his advocacy, and like him, I expect prompt and thorough answers on the causes, health concerns, and lessons learned.

Paul Brodeur

The core function of government is to help people. This isn’t about inconvenience, it is a public health and a public safety issue. City Hall needs to do better.

City hall should be focused on ensuring safety, and communicating clearly and effectively to residents. Unfortunately, this hasn't occurred so far. As mayor, the buck stops here. I would make sure that our residents were safe, they knew what was happening as it was happening, and they would know that they could contact me at any time and get results.

I would work with the residents, their private insurance companies, city insurance providers and others to ensure that every possible resource was made available to secure the safety and comfort of these families.

A quick inspection to check off the boxes of basic human habitability is not enough. Families should not be in unsafe homes. I would not have them return until I would be comfortable with my own family living there.

Beyond working with the families, I would proactively work with the DPW in assessing and addressing any other potential issues throughout the city, to stop another episode before it happens.

Monica Medeiros

I share Ward 5 Alderman Shawn MacMaster’s concerns for the wellbeing and safety of the residents of Brazil Street who were affected by this sewage backup. Together, we have co-sponsored an order requesting members of the administration appear before the Board of Aldermen to provide a public reporting.

I join with the whole Melrose community, I think, in sympathizing with these residents. My hope is that this will help address some of the many questions that exist about what happened, about what the costs are associated with this incident, how and when they will be paid, and what steps are being taken to prevent anything like this from happening in the future.

Mike Zwirko

First and foremost, I feel terrible for the families impacted by this unfortunate incident. The focus should be on getting them back into their homes, in safe environment, as quickly as possible.

I need to emphasize that I do not have all the facts, but I have been working with Alderman MacMaster to get as much information as possible since this incident occurred on June 20th. I attended a neighborhood meeting and I have been on Brazil Street several times speaking with residents. I am very concerned about what I have learned in the Patch article [Wednesday] afternoon.

It has been nearly three weeks since this first began and no one wants to be in a hotel that long; people want to be back home. The City should - and I will be demanding that - it take immediate steps to get these residents back in their homes as soon as feasibly possible, in a condition equal to what it was prior to the incident. Right now the City of Melrose needs to do what is necessary to return the residents home in a sanitary condition. The City should cover costs until those conditions are met.

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