A man walks through the streets of Revere in December, 2020. Photo: Getty Images
REVERE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A tense moment erupted at a Revere City Council meeting this week over a new plan to turn the city's senior center into a nightly warming center.
The plan calls for a warming station to open overnight when the senior center is closed from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Mayor Brian Arrigo says a cleaning crew and security will be provided.
The plan has faced some pushback from local elders — including one resident who heckled City Councilor Marc Silvestri when he praised the mayor's plan in Monday night's meeting.
Silvestri started off on an impassioned speech about respecting the city's homeless residents, and began to get emotional when he was continuously interrupted.
"They want a place to be warm and that's it. They don't want to bother anyone, they don't want to ruin anything," he said. The resident said the city was forgetting about its elderly residents.
At one point, Silvestri shouted, "We're talking about people's lives here! If I have to lose some votes to save some lives, then I will do so!
"People are gonna die in the street...if you're gonna look at them in the face and say you're okay with that, then be so, but I'm not! I'm not okay with burying people because it's 15 degrees out," he continued.
The city council president eventually eventually restored order in the meeting. City officials say the shelter will have space for 15 people and will operate from January 14 to March 31.
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