Dartmouth hosted a summit of local towns on regional municipal services yesterday. The meeting was well attended with representatives from Dighton to Wareham. Our state reps were there as well. The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) reported on a regional purchasing cooperative effort, mainly by the town DPWs, that seeks to reduce costs by aggregating the purchases of towns for items like sand, salt, asphalt and chemicals. SRPEDD will be circulating a survey to towns in order identify areas where towns are willing to try regional solutions. Areas mentioned for that effort...
...were health and building inspections, landfill monitoring, conservation, animal control, and shellfish warden. There was a discussion on state regulations which burden the towns. Representative Canessa reviewed legislation that he was introduced to fund a study of regional solutions. Representative Quinn spoke on health care and retirement issues and urged local towns to join the state insurance and pension plans as ways to reduce costs.
There was some discussion about regionalizing emergency dispatch services. It was noted that South Shore and North Shore communities are looking at that as well. Western Mass already has a regional dispatch solution. Local town police have expressed reservation about losing command and control capabilities or note that the only person in the police station at night is the dispatcher.
All in all, I am encouraged by the turnout and the positive comments on all sides. Another meeting was scheduled for April 9th.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Regional summit
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4 comments:
Watched the meeting last night and I am very happy with the efforts being made by everyone. However I am concerned with the proposal to advocate for the commuter rail. I think this will do more harm than good for this area and I hope Dartmouth will think long & hard before agreeing to join in pushing for this.
I watched the summit last night. Mr. Friedman is still fixated on library funding regulations. Give it a rest. You should be happy that you've succeeded in bullying the trustees into severing their relationship with a more than capable director. Mr. Friedman seems to believe that the director makes too much money, although she makes less than him. She is responsible for a staff, buildings, and promoting the library department 12 months a year while Mr. Friedman is busy with grades and leading the Finance Committee's well-engineered effort in partnership with this Select Board to bring Dartmouth back to the good old days. No amenities for us. We are not worthy. Raise student fees for colleges, not taxes for towns. It all depends on who gets the benefit, right Mr. Friedman?
You've got to be kidding? The good old days were those where lifetime contracts were given to a few chosen employees. The good old days were overpaying employees and giving them benefits unheard of not only in the private sector but the public as well. The good old days were hiring friends and family. Mr. Friedman along with the current majority Select Board want anything but the good old days. The good old days are not to be remembered fondly and hopefully will never return again.
I mean the good old days when people in New Bedford and Westport aspired to being able to live in Dartmouth because it was perceived as a community that valued quality of life in a way that supported schools and libraries and was kind.
I don't believe in the self-perpetuating contracts either--especially for some of the beneficiaries--and I'm not talking about Michael. But I believe in what the town Dartmouth was before it was divided by all those who know so much better.
Yes . . . give me the good old days anytime.
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