There is a Select Board meeting tonight at 6:30 PM in Room 304 of the Town Hall. Link to the agenda here. The Personnel Board will be presenting an update. The DPW will present information on recycling and the Pay As You Throw program. The Privatization Task Force will .....
.....have a update on their preliminary findings. Our Grant Program Manager will present regarding the use of CPC funding for Administration of Housing Rehabilitation Program.
Other items are appointment of Mr. Whalley to the Housing Authority following the resignation of Ms Tetrault, consideration of various licenses, and approval of road blockages for utility work.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Select Board meeting tonight, April 28
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28 comments:
Bill:
Please, please, please, help put a stop to this idea of floating a bond to pay for books and technology for the schools. This is just another end run around the taxpayers, and will only serve to ensure that nothing is cut and salaries continue to increase.
These folks obviously think that residents are hoarding piles of money, but they are wrong! Just because school department salaries are increasing, it does not mean that the average joe has seen an increase or is likely to get a raise any time soon.
Help!
It's time to get rid of the town meeting style government. This town is doomed if we allow the ignorant people to affect every decision. Allow the town managers and elected officials to run the town. If you don't like how they perform you will have your say at the voting booth. All I can say is thank god for the mandated school spending. Thank you Mr. Bush for the no child left behind program. If we left it up to the town people, they would cut the schools to nothing.
You're right anonymous 8:46. Without MNSS this town would not fund education - period. The 'no' folks said over and over put the text books as a stand alone item, and 'we will support text books for the kids - that's the priority-not salaries and benefits' Well now the time has come to practice what they preached and guess what - 'oh no, its an end run around the taxpayers' 'won't support it'. What a cheap, miserable town. This speaks volumes about the residents within Dartmouth I'm sorry to say but I saw it coming.
The schools missed the boat with their override questions. Period. They chose to include Cushman in their question and it failed. That was the gamble they took. Now, after the fact they want money for books. It's unfortunate that we have such incompetent people running our schools!
School costs-golden handshakes=books!
You can't possibly know any school admin. or you would not consider them incompetent. You begged for the split tax, got it , and still cast the schools and other needs aside. You criticize the salaries of individuals who have dedicated years and sometimes decades to our town and schools. You make not even one suggestion as to how to make Dartmouth a good place to live as a family. The problem I have is that you don't care about anything but your wallet. You claim the incompetence of our leaders but have no facts to back up your claim. Just because they care more about the town services and schools than your pocket change does not make them incompetent. The net increase in our taxes after the split tax would be about $150. Less than 50 cents a day. Pocket Change!!!!
I hear you anonymous 8:16 - the 'no' folks have a list of excuses they drag out to use just to dave themselves a buck. I did not want to believe it before but am convinced of it now. What to take away from this lesson for me? It's every man/woman for themselves in Dartmouth. My kids will get what they need because we think education is important enough to scrimp elsewhere to get them more than the very basics so that's what we will do. As far as voting for any more overrides that benefit the remainder of the town? Forget about it. Seniors, libraries, police, DPW sorry but I can't help you.
Dartmouth pride?
Just a slogan.
Dartmouth's cheap? Yep. And I don't mean its taxes.
I'm sorry that you decided to misinterpret my words. I find that happens a lot when one does not agree. I do in fact believe that Dartmouth has very dedicated teachers. I respect them and their union contracts. 15 year old books!! How can you defend school leadership that puts books on the back burner for so many years? That's a disgrace!Books and teachers should come first! Before the thousands that are given every time an administrator walks out the door! 15 year old textbooks! Shame!
As I'm sure you know ndmom not all the books are 15 years old. Many will be before long as they dont just replace themselves. The old saw gets dusted off once again about golden parachutes upon retirement no matter how many times the case is made that these people have earned their small payoff which costs the town far less than if they would have taken their sick time and had subsitutes sit in - yawn..........it gets old after a while and proves the point about excuses. Even now when you talk about 15 year old books not getting replaced in a timely fashion and a proposal gets floated to begin a replacement process you object because of red herrings like the golden handshake nonsense and the fact that they were not replaced earlier. Well now those 15 year old books will be 16 year old books and you'll blame everyone but the face in the mirror when a new proposal gets put out there next year. I stand by my comments, Dartmouth is content to spend as little as legally possible on educating its children and to sit back and throw stones and fabricate excuses.
ndmom - your math is wrong. Golden handshakes as you call them come no where near the cost of textbooks. In one breath you claim to respect unions and contracts and in the next say golden handshakes written into contracts cost the children their textbooks. Assuming your premise is correct - which I don't - the total payout for the 3 retired administrators is roughly $90,000 over 2 years. The untaken sick time that taht benefit represents is worth much more than that. Anyway - $90 over the 2 years represents an average of $45k/year (and we don't have these types of retirees every year by the way)- to begin to replace and update textbooks/technology in the failed override cost over $650k. Where were you planning to come up with the balance ndmom? Maybe we should fire 11 teachers to come up with the money. I know our teacher/student ratio is already high but hey we'll be able to get some new books right? Gotta make tough choices. Any choice is fine so long as it does'nt cost me one red cent more right?
Bill, caught the meeting last night. Some good presentations! I thought the school meetings were going to be held on a night other than the Monday (same night as the SB meeting) from now on. I can't attend both.
Is it time for the SB to address the contracts which have expired? We waited so long for the 'energized personnel board'!!
To anonymous, golden handshakes have been going on for a lot longer than 2 years! Lotsa money, lotsa textbooks....
Right! That's what this is all about. Not paying one more cent to the schools. Why is it the band and football team always get what they need? No money for textbooks but the schools always find it for these activities. Did you happen to watch the SB meeting last night? The PB presented a report pointing out that we have to do away with the buyouts and some of the benefits we have so generously given in the past along with several other areas that need attention. The excuses you claim are used are in fact existing problems that have to be dealt with. The constant insults make you part of the problem, not the solution. Almost everything in the PB's report were recommendations that the "no" people have been proposing for the past year. I don't hear whining and complaining from these people. I only hear ideas, thoughts, suggestions and a desire to find solutions to move forward.
Anyone watching the SB meeting last night was lucky enough to see some real entertainment from the DPW. Frank Gracie presented a privatization report. When discussing privatizing trash pick up, he sited Allied who just happened to be the lowest bidder. Unfortunately Allied submitted its bid 15 min. too late, that's right folks 15 min., so the bid was not accepted. However, Frank still obtained the bid for study and discussion. Allied would have saved the town money.
It should also be noted that the DPW did an analysis of the companies that did submit bids on time and you are not going to believe it. The DPW claims they can do the job cheaper. Hickock used a 5% increase for yearly costs because the lowest bidder used 5%. When pressed about it, it was unclear what the actual increase for the DPW would be. He and Richie Medeiros said they knew what the number was but were unwilling to share that figure. There was some real squirming going on.
Also, the subject of allowing the public to comment was brought up once again by Ms. Gilbert and again Natalie Dias said no because the SB had voted not to. Mr. Carney said it wasn't a good idea because they had been blindsided in the past. Huh??? It is not only scary but discouraging when town officials are blindsided by a citizen asking a question or making a comment
To ignorant Michael, you really have no clue. Come to one of the DSMA meetings and you would start to realize the actual story. I can't speak for the football team, but I can speak for the DSMA. The music program is significantly subsidized by the DSMA through the tireless hours put in by numerous parents volunteering their time. The DSMA is a not for profit organization that generates their income from charitable activities and fundraising. It is because of people like you the general public get a wrong perception of what is really going on behind the scene. Thanks for misrepresenting once again.
Thank you trumpetdad- you beat me to it. The DSMA has for years worked tirelessly to support the music program and continue to be responsible for the tremendous results they produce. So that leaves the sports program which now are partially being supported by fees. Golden handshakes on the school side are another red herring. Why not address the fact that these are in fact far and few between and do not come close to the cost had those employees taken the time off and required subsitutes. And once again the golden handshakes do not cmoe remotely close to the yearly costs of text and technology upgrades. The town does not support anything beyond the very minimum no matter haow you look at it and will invent any excuse to get around admitting that fact.
Michael you look at the success of the music program and see tax money instead of the hardwork and dedication of the teachers, students and volunteers, not to mention the money raised, which for the DSMA is typically well over $200,000 per year. The Drama club must also raise monies to support the fantastic events they put together. Yes the schools provide the salaries, but can you honestly say you begrudge them having a program at all?
Insults again. Can you make one comment that does not include insulting someone who does not agree with you?
One question. How much does it cost the taxpayers for the activities in the schools? I don't want to know how much money has been raised from outside sources. Just the actual cost to the taxpayers.
Tell me what part of my statement was insulting?
Michael, why don't you want to know how much is raised independent of taxpayers? Because it does not support your claims? Because many people are willing to work hard, volunteer and help kids do things that further their education beyond the 3 R's? Do these activities have no value to you? Do you have any idea how many kids are positively impacted by these activities. The recent article on the importance of music in the curriculum discussed how the discipline instilled in some of these kids by the rigid structure requried to participate in music and excel in academics improves their overall learning. This all adds up to something very worthwhile not to mention keeps young minds and bodies active after school. But none of that seems to enter the equation when all you think about is saving a couple bucks. Not even the tremenddous amount of support by the DSMA matters. So I would suspect the salaries paid to music teachers, the equipment they use and the uniforms they wear is paid for by the taxpayers. DSMA by and large does the rest of the fund raising including travel, costumes and props for the percussion team - natinal champions by the way. Think about the money they raise and the time the parents volunteer to make sure their children's experience in HS is a positive one then read any newspaper about kids that do not have such support and tell me again these programs should be cut so we don't have to ask the tax payers for one red cent beyond the absolute minimum required by state law.
I suspect I know your answer and that's too bad for our community but not surprising anymore.
Still didn't answer the question. The point is, with limited funds, should these activities really be funded or should there be textbooks? What are the priorities?
Dear Michael,
First of all you asked three questions in your last post. Should these activities be funded? Yes. Should there be Text books? Yes. What are the priorities? Both.
Hence the bonding proposal. This is what started the whole thread. There should not be a choice when it comes to these two issues. I fully support the bonding issue. If that is what it takes to get something done in this town then it should be done. By the way, when you make a false statement about an issue, expect to be challenged. This was not a disagreement about two opinions. You were dead wrong and it needed to be clarified.
I agree with Michael. the priority has to be keeping the curriculum, textbooks and instructional materials, up to date. If our MCAS scores were excellent, I would have no problem funding EXTRA-curricular activities. That is not the case. We do have to make choices and it is legitimate to criticize the choices made by the school administration. Up to date materials benefit every child, not so with the EXTRA-curricular activities. Money is tight and we have an either/or situation. Funding ongoing needs with one time revenue (bond) is poor policy. What will be done in the future to provide the proper materials?
While boatloads of money may be raised by band parents or sports parents, neither of these activities are required. Parents pay for their children to participate in sports at DYAA, DYSA, and others. Why must this be on the taxpayer in high school? Would the EXTRA-curricular activities be less valuable to the participants if they finished last or in the middle? I think not.
What was the false statement and what am I dead wrong about? The question was how much does it cost the taxpayers to fund these activities? I still haven't received an answer.
Having children is not performing a public service that requires a community to give those children whatever the parents deem necessary. Having children is a personal choice and an obligation. Taxpayers have the obligation to fund minimum net school spending. We have no say on how that money is spent. If you feel that it is not sufficient, then it is your obligation as a parent to provide for your children. The schools need to get their house in order. The taxpayers have fulfilled their obligation.
You stated that the band always get what they need and the schools always find a way to fund them. That is the false statement. They get what they need due to the hard work performed by volunteer parents. That is what I was referring to. When you make statements like that it misrepresents and insults the people who go above and beyond trying to give their children a heads up. So I think the parents who are also taxpayers have fullfilled there obligation and more.
The problem as I see it is the majority in this town are living paycheck to paycheck due to limited educational opportunities afforded them. They do not see the value in providing anything beyond the absolute minimum funding to the children now coming up so they refuse to part with a few more bucks a year. BEcause they live hand to mouth they are bitter and will look for any excuse to limit opportunties that do not directly benefit themselves. Sad really. Thats the bottom line and all the excuses in the world will not change that. This town is cheap and they have no other power other than to stick it to the kids in the school system.
So,now that you have stated the problem as you see it, what are the solutions? Name calling is not a solution. Any solid ideas?
Passing the override was presented twice as a solid solution for the schools. We cannot continue to cut personnel because they provide the programs. We clearly don't have an adequate textbook/tech budget so there is nothing to cut there. Parents are paying sizable fees at DHS, receive a list of "recommended" supplies for the year and participate in multiple fundraisers. Almost 80 percent of the budget is mandated. Thankfully we have a school committee that supports the music, sports and extracurricular programs despite the criticisms they endure. This would all be so much easier if there really were rampant incompetence, then we could just vote for new management.
Here's another idea. We could look forward to a school committee candidate who is responsive to the wishes of the community, and not just to his friends. Maybe extracurricular activities could be just that - extra - and the school committee could freeze salaries, take a hard look at benefits, and spend money in a responsible manner instead of just ASSUMING that residents will cut their own throats to pay School Committee's ever rising bills.
I am one of those folks living hand to mouth. I am educated, make a decent salary, and yet the rising costs are hurting my family and our quality of life. Guess what? Just like school proponents, the needs of my children will come first! However, for me, that does not mean more school spending!
trumpetdad, you rock. all those wishing for a little Friday night release of frivolity and fun visit momof3npt.blogspot.com
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