FRAMINGHAM — When Mayor Charlie Sisitsky was asked during a sit-down interview Wednesday with the Daily News why he’s running for another four-year term, his answer was direct: He enjoys what he’s doing and he wants to complete what he has started.
“I like the job, I like what I’m doing and we’ve accomplished a lot in the first four years,” he said during the interview, held in his Memorial Building office. “There’s a lot more to do and I am committed to seeing these projects through. So many people have asked me if I was running and they’re happy to hear that I am running.”
Sisitsky talks new projects to start if reelected
Among the projects Sisitsky wants to tackle during a prospective second term include getting a new pool; upgrading Loring Arena; and reorganizing certain departments to make operations more efficient. Others include finishing the community center; improving the city’s parks; opening a splash pad at Cushing Memorial Park; and construction of a revitalized Mary Dennison Park and the new regional justice center.
As for housing, Sisitsky hopes to continue addressing Framingham’s cost of living. He said one component was the January 2023 move to raise the city’s minimum percentage of affordable housing units on future multi-unit housing proposals from 10% to 13%. He added that Framingham’s MBTA Communities Act plan, which was conditionally approved hours after Wednesday’s interview, will help.
“What we’re pointing out is that all their (the state’s) guidelines for making sites available for housing are being met by existing zoning downtown, which means developers can come in and do housing by right without requiring a special permit from the city,” Sisitsky explained. “That by itself should be an incentive to developers to build more housing, and some have already done it downtown.”
Framingham mayor talks infrastructure, education, himself
In August, Department of Public Works Director Robert Lewis called the city’s water and sewer infrastructure a “ticking time bomb” during a City Council public hearing. The comment raised concerns over whether the city’s infrastructure can handle new development.
“‘Ticking time bomb’ is probably not the appropriate way to describe it, but we’re addressing it, we’re not ignoring the situation,” Sisitsky said. He said the city is addressing the issue by putting money into the capital budget for upgrades, as well as proposing a complete study of the system.
Besides supporting the water and sewer infrastructure, Sisitsky said he’s dedicated to supporting the schools in order to help them return to pre-pandemic standards. According to state MCAS data, the number of Framingham students meeting or exceeding expectations in English and math has declined from last year and fallen by an even greater margin from pre-pandemic levels.
“Even as a Town Meeting member and a city councilor and a member of the Select Board, I’ve always supported financial support for the schools,” the mayor said. “We can’t give them everything they want because we don’t have that level of resources. But I’m a big supporter of the school and of improving the educational quality of the schools and supporting the administration in different programs that they have.”
Sisitsky added that his administration is seeking to replace the Hemenway School and is continuing to work with Superintendent of Schools Robert Tremblay and the School Committee to improve education in the city.
Finally, Sisitsky turns 80 in August. He said he does not believe his age is in any way a disadvantage.
“I feel terrific, I get complimented all the time when people see me and say you don’t look a day over 50,” he said. “You know, (I) come to work every day, look forward to it. I love this job, age has nothing to do with it, just a number.”
Sisitsky formally announced his reelection campaign to the Daily News earlier this month. He currently has one challenger, former School Committee member Geoffrey Epstein, who announced his run last week.
Nomination papers become available in May.