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The city is looking to finally dispose of some “rusted, broken-down” cars that sit behind the transportation center, Mayor Ed Johnson said at the July 11 council meeting. And after the cars are removed, the city will remodel that parking lot.

A resident complained about the cars’ appearance and Johnson agreed, saying, “Welcome to my nightmare. I hear about this every night at my dinner table.”

Johnson called the out-of-commission police, fire and code enforcement vehicles located behind the transportation center a “pile of junk” which “takes spaces away from people commuting.”

City manager Terence Reidy and city engineer Joe Cunha have been formulating a plan to dispose of the cars in recent weeks, Reidy said today. Now, members of Cunha’s staff are collecting information about the cars so the city can either sell the cars’ parts or hold an auction, depending on which is more beneficial economically.

“We’re making sure all the vehicles are properly identified and making sure there’s a value on the cars that is no less than if we were to junk them,” Reidy said. “Then, we’ll put them up for auction.”

After removing the vehicles, the city will re-stripe the municipal and transportation center parking lots, and meter some of the spaces.

“The purpose of this is to add additional spaces and also maximize revenue,” Reidy said.

Officials should have a plan in place for the new lot this year, Reidy said, although he is unsure when it will be implemented.

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