Fox News viewers will not know this

No news is ...well, Fox News
and ...
Link 2

$12 billion


Try #3, Have tax cuts helped the economy grow?
Click here to read on!

Too far?

At what point do Democrats say enough is enough? I say, let the government run out of funds, let tax rates return to Clinton era levels. Go home and let Boehner and McConnell figure it out next year.
And yes, the unemployment insurance will run out for millions. Our military will continue to kick out highly qualified personnel for no good reason. Young Americans with undocumented parents will continue to live in the shadows. Emergency workers will not be provided with health care.
Merry Christmas from the GOP!

Our corporate media will tell us it is all the fault of poor people and liberals.
Click here to read on!

Mass Budget has new fact sheets

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center has a new video on the Chapter 70 funding formula at this link.
Another new fact sheet examines the Massachusetts state income tax The Income Tax
Finally, their paper on why taxes and spending are often compared based on their percentage to overall earned income is found at this link.
The Massachusett state budget is likely to be ...

... $1.5 billion dollars in the red for the next fiscal year. The shortfall will undoubtedly result in lower aid to municipalities and school districts. Mass Budget has a tool, the Budget Browser, which can be used to explore the effects of the cuts as the budget proceeds from the Governor through the legislature. The tool has information on the years 2000 until today. The fiscal year 2012 budget which begins on July 1, 2011 has not yet been submitted by the Governor Click here to read on!

Massachusetts health care coverage leads the nation

Blue Mass group has a post on the high rate of medical insurance coverage in our Commonwealth. As Charley on the MTA notes this is a success story on a human level. Our state's health reform includes a personal mandate which may now be called into question with a recent ruling by a Virginia federal judge.
Individual mandates are needed in a system, such as the one enacted nationally and in our state, for a very simple reason. If individuals choose not to participate ...
...and then are sick or injured and cannot pay for their care, someone is going to foot the bill. That someone is everyone else who uses the health care system. If the argument is for freedom to not buy health insurance, then you must also assume the responsibility to pay for your own care. Given the enormous cost of even relatively routine procedures like a heart bypass, all but the wealthiest people are going to be unable to pay unless insured. Does your freedom from having to buy insurance, also carry the consequence that you will not receive care if you are sick or injured? I do not think many would support that position.
What are your thoughts? Tell us in comments. Click here to read on!

Senator Brown votes against repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Senator Brown voted against cloture on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy today in the Senate. The measure needed 60 votes to close debate and bring it to the floor. The tally was 57-40. TPM blog has the story here
This vote raises a serious question ...

... I think must be addressed soon. Why does it take a super majority of the Senate to get anything done. I understand the filibuster rule but shouldn't a majority be enough. This bill passed the House and had 57 Senators vote for it.
The tax bill passed the House last week and 53 Senators voted for it. That bill extended tax cuts on all income up to $250,000. Despite having a majority of both houses of Congress vote for them, neither of these two bills are law. That is not the way it should work.
What do you think? Tell us in comments.. Click here to read on!

Sec of State looks to increase foreclosure protection

The Taunton Daily Gazette reports here that Secretary of State William Galvin will file legislation to require banks to go before a judge in order to foreclose. Massachusetts does not require court review on a foreclosure proceeding.
There have been a lot of questionable practices on the foreclosure process around the country. Yves Smith over at Naked Capitalism blog has some great posts about the abuses and why they are important. This post is a good start. Select "real estate" in topics on her blog and read a few posts. Don't think that fraud and sloppiness in foreclosures is a problem. Someone did not pay their mortgage, right?
It gets a lot messier than that. Like the securities sold by the banks ...
...which were not properly constituted and the banks have to buy them back or a foreclosed home is sold twice.
Yep, two different buyers both paid for the same place. How does that happen? Could it happen to you? Maybe, and that is a big problem for our economy. Click here to read on!

Probation Department civil service bill in the works

Charlie on the MTA over at Blue Mass Group says State House Speaker DeLeo will file a bill to place the Probation Department ...

.. under civil service. Sounds like the right move to me.
What do you think? Click here to read on!

Unemployment insurance, tax cuts and recovery

This post at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities talks about the effects that unemployment insurance and tax cuts have on the recovery and the long term deficit. The finding was that extending unemployment insurance ...
... and tax cuts targeted at low income taxpayers cost less and create more stimulus than extending tax cuts to the wealthiest 2% of taxpayers.
What do you think? Click here to read on!

Dr. Russell and School Committee at loggerheads

The Standard Times reports that the School Committee and Superintendent are unable to come to terms on a new contract in this article. The sticking point, according to the second hand information of which I am aware, is compensation.
Mr. Lenz is quoted in the article saying the school department is funded at the minimum required level. That is not correct. Dartmouth schools are funded above the minimum required. Also, Town Meeting has provided hundreds of thousands for texts and technology above the budget. The Select Board has included $91K and $47K in the budget in addition to get the School Committee not to charge fees for high school transportation and activities. There is no question that the schools are funded at above the minimum required.
This leadership change also may be an opportunity to make some changes in the way that the school and town interact. The school business administrator is retiring this year as well. I would like to see the school business functions integrated into the town and the town's personnel functions integrated with the schools. The schools and town run separate and redundant purchasing and accounting functions. The town's personnel functions are not good and the schools, who have many more employees, do a better job. Combining these functions could save expense and give better services. The Town of Barnstable has successfully gone to this arrangement.
Another area that might be ripe for integration is custodial services. The school department has a much larger and more capable staff than the town does. The school department has licensed plumbers and electricians on their staff while the town does not. Town departments frequently have one or two employees which provide these services but are paid out of each departments budget. There may be opportunities for savings and efficiency there,
Finally, this might be a good time to look at regionalizing our schools. The obvious candidate for a regional partner is Westport. Combining our districts would save administration and transportation costs.
What do you think? Are any of these worth pursuing?

Click here to read on!

We Are In DEEP Trouble

The Labor Department reports that the labor market remained weak last month. Nationwide 39,000 jobs were created and the unemployment rate was 9.8%. There are 15 million unemployed in the nation.
Meanwhile the GOP is preventing extension of unemployment benefits and have no plan on how to increase demand for goods and services. Increased demand must occur before we will see a decline in unemployment. Unemployment compensation is the most effective means to counter cyclical recessionary declines. But the Republicans will not continue the benefit unless tycoons get a tax cut. In fact, the House Republicans (all but three) just yesterday voted against extending tax cuts on the first $250,000 of earnings by the nation's taxpayers.
Some comments here have placed the blame on the unemployed for needing the benefit. I don't believe that 15 million workers are kicked back on their couches waiting until their $300 a week benefit runs out. Think about that. The average unemployment benefit is $300 a week. Think about how your household would get by on $300 a week.
There are no jobs out there ... .
... and won't be until there is increased demand for goods and services. There will not be increased demand without someone spending some money. That is where the federal government must step up. People have no money to spend, states have no money to spend, businesses don't hire people unless they need the additional labor to produce for the market. Even now states are facing budget shortfalls that will throw even more people out of work. Something needs to be done and I don't see a plan from anyone in Washington on what to do. The Center for American Progress lays out the case for more stimulus at this link. All the talk is about deficits and I maintain that most Republicans (those not in the Congress) and most Americans don't give a flip about the deficit. Remember just a decade ago, the federal government had a surplus and was projecting surpluses in the future. That was before the ill-advised Bush tax cuts (trickle down does not work, never has), two expensive and ridiculous wars and a $500 billion unpaid for prescription drug benefit. We need to get our economy working again, get revenues up, and health care costs down. If Congressional Republicans won't allow more stimulus or even continue anti recessionary policies like unemployment, and want to repeal the only legislation that can curb health care costs, then please tell me what should be done. Please just skip the part where Barney Frank made all the banks give mortgages to poor people. It is not true and it doesn't matter now.
The country is in real trouble and our leaders fiddle while Rome burns.
DEEP Trouble Click here to read on!

Senator Brown blocks unemployment

Our Senator Scott Brown took to the floor of the Senate to block extension of unemployment benefits. Blue Mass Group has the details here. The unemployment benefits of an estimated 2 million Americans will expire before Christmas unless Congress acts to extend them. While our Commonwealth did not reach the depths of unemployment that other areas are experiencing and is recovering jobs more quickly than the nation, there are still thousands of Bay Staters out of work with no prospect for employment because there are no jobs to be filled. Merry Christmas from the GOP!
To compound matters, unemployment payments are anti-recessionary. Unemployed workers spend their benefits and stimulate the economy. Which helps to reduce unemployment and spur demand. Demand creates jobs, ...

... not small business and certainly not tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of our population. It is simple. A well run business has exactly the number of workers needed to fill the demand for their product. Giving them a tax break adds to their profit, not their payroll. Click here to read on!

Select Board passes on Zoning Board appointment

The Select Board voted 2 for to 3 against on the reappointment of Mr. Ray Souza to the Zoning Board of Appeals(ZBA). Mr. McDonald and I were for reappointment. Mr. Souza had served on the ZBA for the past 46 years. Members voting against the reappointment cited the desire to have new people involved and several cases where the courts have ruled the ZBA board decisions were badly in error and/or were against the recommendation of the Town Counsel.
The Zoning Board of Appeals has a difficult and very technical job. There are in and outs of the law and court decisions which affect their rulings and it takes a while to get familiar with legal constraints. That is the reason I supported Mr. Souza's reappointment. He has the experience.
In an unexpaectecd turn of events, Ms. Figuereido, who had expressed interest in being appointed to the ZBA as a full member, withdrew herself from consideration at last night's meeting. She is currently an alternate member and attends most hearings but cannot vote unless there is an absence of a full member. When Mr. Souza was then nominated for reappointment, the vote went against him. An alternate member will have to fill that spot on the ZBA until the Select Board finds a new member.
Curt Brown's Standard Times article about the reappointment can be found at this link.
I feel there was quite a lot of rather uncivil behavior ...

... at the meeting and I hope that I did not contribute to it. I tried to keep the discussion on the topic at hand but it frequently strayed from the issue of the appointment.
Finally I want to thank Mr. Souza for his many years of service to the town. He has spent many hours as a volunteer on the ZBA and has my gratitude for that.
Click here to read on!

Lakevile votes for increased regionalization

The Standard Times reports at this link that the Lakeville Town Meeting voted to fully regionalize their district with Freetown I think it is a good move. As I wrote here, a regional school with Westport would be a good idea for our town. Click here to read on!

Lakeville tries again

The Standard Times reports here that Lakeville voters will take up full regionalization of their schools again. Their high school is already regional with Freetown. Combining the two districts will reduce transportation and administration costs. I think it shokld be done.
I also believe that Dartmouth should form a regional district with Westport. The resulting school district would have about 6000 students, 7-8 elementary schools, ...

... two middle schools, and two high schools. The new district would save millions in transportation and administration costs. Hard to see a down side from my point of view.
Why do that now you ask? Well, while our finances are not in dire shape at the moment, the long term outlook is that the required school spending is outstripping revenue. This is not a criticism of the school department but a fact of life due to the school funding formulas in place. Regional schools get state help with transportation costs. This is one way of getting the state to kick in more funding of their unfunded mandate to the town..
What do you feel about a regional district and why do you think it would be good or bad? Click here to read on!

Tax classification time

The Select Board will have a public hearing tomorrow and set the tax rate for 2011.Several years ago, I posted an explanation of how the tax levy and the tax rate are related and that explanation can be found at this link. Currently Dartmouth employs a split tax rate where commercial, industrial and personal (CIP) property is taxed at a higher rate than residential properties. For the past few years that "split tax" rate has been 40% higher on CIP property. In addition a small commercial exemption has been adopted which reduces the tax on small businesses by 10%, resulting in a split tax on those establishments of 130%.
Back in March 2008, I posted an explanation form Mr. Gracie on why the ability to split tax rates exists and why it is applicable to Dartmouth. That post can be found at this link.
Thanks to the banksters and Wall Street's riverboat gamblers, residential real estate values have declined for the past few years. The result is that the percentage of the total tax levy paid by the CIP properties has increased somewhat over the past few years. I believe that this compensates for a decade or more shifting the burden to the residential portion of the levy. In any case, ...

... the shift is not large, CIP real property taxes would grow to 22.2% of the levy from a low of 13.8% in 2006. My initial thought is to leave the tax shift unchanged for the next year. That position is not staunchly held and I will be interested to hear what the arguments are to change it, if any, at the hearing tomorrow. What are your thoughts on this? Click here to read on!

Wind turbine opponents soldier on

Curt Brown has this blog post at the Standard Times website about the possible consequences of the Attorney General's approval of the wind turbine bylaw. He quotes Attorney Beauregard as saying the opponents will continue to sue the town over the project. The Select Baord has not discussed future steps yet ...
... but will on Monday. See my earlier post as to what that may be. Click here to read on!

Any thoughts on our state representative race?

Democrat Chris Markey and Republican Joe Michaud will vie for voter approval in the Ninth Bristol District in November. So far, beyond yard signs, the race is pretty quiet. Who do you favor, and more importantly, WHY do you favor one over the other? Let us know in comments.
I have great respect of Joe Michaud and he has served the town and community well on many fronts. But I don't see any point in sending a Republican up to Beacon Hill given ...
... the enormous numerical advantage that the Democrats have. They can pretty much ignore the Republicans and still pass whatever they want. Or should I say whatever the Speaker and Senate President want. Actually, they pretty much ignore the governor as well.
While I am not averse to voting to send a message, I also would like to have a rep that at least can sit at the table when the pie is divided. Click here to read on!

Candidates debate at UMass soon

The gubernatorial candidates will be at UMass Dartmouth to debate Thursday September 30th at 2 PM. See this post. A debate was held last night and I watched it on WGBH. Anyone else tune in? What did you think?
Tell us in comments! Click here to read on!

Our Commonwealth leads the nation in health care coverage

Mass Budget has this report on the health care coverage in our state. We lead the nation in covering our citizens. This recent paper from Mass Budget shows that the Bay State is recovering from the recession more rapidly than most of the country.
Despite a terrible economic situation, our state has remained true to its values as a commonwealth and provided care ...
... for our citizens while promoting an atmosphere where business can prosper.
I think that nation could learn a lesson from our state. What do you think?
Click here to read on!

Wind turbine bylaw approved by Attorney General

The town has been informed by the Commonwealth's Attorney General that the municipal wind turbine bylaw passed at the June 2010 Town Meeting has been approved. The town had been waiting for this approval before proceeding and spending funds on the project. The Select Board will discuss next steps at our September 27th meeting.
Those steps may include contracting with a design firm to design the installation.
The discussion may take place in executive sessions until the terms of the contract are worked out or may take place in open session. That has not been resolved at this date.
Something that must be considered as the wind turbine project goes forward is how the entire project will be structured. I favor establishing an enterprise that would provide services to town departments (i.e. electrical energy). This enterprise would be responsible for the notes on the project and would have retained earnings to be used for routine maintenance and any unscheduled maintenance that might occur. Just to put some numbers to the idea, the following may be more or less but are in the ball park. For instance, let us say that the wind turbines are erected and the notes require a $900K payment on the borrowing used to pay for the installation. The routine maintenance yearly cost might be $150K. The turbines output could be worth $1.7 million. The Select Board has indicated that $500,000 be set aside from the net proceeds for the wind turbines to pay ...

... for any unscheduled maintenance and their eventual removal. At least 10% of the yearly net proceeds must be set aside for this purpose. In this example, that would be about $65,000 for the year. That leaves around $585K. That amount would be distributed among the town departments to reduce their electric bills.
That is how I would like to see the project financed and run. What do you think?
Click here to read on!

Crime Reports

The Dartmouth Police department has begun using computerized tracking of crime to enable them to better allocate resources. The public can view a part of the data on a website called Crime Reports. That site can be accessed by clicking on the preceding link or go to the Dartmouth Police website, click on Forms & Reports on the menu at the top and click on Crime Reports in the pull down list.
The department has also partnered with the Plymouth County Sheriff and some 40 other cities and towns to implement an emergency notification system called The Communicator. The system allows the police and fire districts to call every phone in an area with emergency information. Cell phone users can sign up for the service as well. Land phones are automatically included. Cell users must sign up.

What do you think about that? Click here to read on!

Primary election today. Vote!

Today's primary boasts many more contested nominations than most. Most important for Bristol 9th district Democratic voters is the three way contest for John Quinn's state representative seat. John is seeking the Bristol County Sheriff job. Democrats have three choices to replace him, Chris Markey, Ray Medeiros, and Bob Tavares. The winner of today's vote will take on Republican Joe Michaud in Novemeber.

Vote today Click here to read on!

Fall Town Meeting Warrant draft copy

The Fall Town Meeting Warrant is taking shape and articles are being formulated. A draft of the warrant can be found at this link. This is not the official warrant and is provided here for information only. The warrant will not be official until voted by the Select Board and published by the Town Clerk.What are your thoughts? Click here to read on!

Gubernatorial candidates debate at UMass Dartmouth

The Fall River Herald News reports that Governor Deval Patrick, Charlie Baker, Tim Cahill, and Jill Stein will debate at UMass Dartmouth on September 30th at 2PM in the Main Auditorium.
This is a link to the Herald News story
Dartmouth Finance Committee chair and UMass Dartmouth professor Shannon Jenkins will host the event.

Should be interesting and informative. Attend if you can. Click here to read on!

Hurricane Earl

The Town is making preparations for the possible land fall of Hurricane Earl along our coast.
From Executive Adminstrator Cressman:

Please be advised that we just concluded our second Hurricane Earl preparation meeting.
As of now, Chief Lee will be the Incident Commander and I will handle Public Information
Information for residents has been posted on the Town's website and the DCTV Message Channel
Today, we set a phone number, 508-910-1735, so that residents with additional questions can call.
I informed the Standard Times and WSBM of this information plus some additional information to the Standard Times on plans and prep for any evacuation and emergency shelter which I hope will not be necessary.

The link for hurricane preparedness at the Town website is here..

A link to a map showing inundation areas for various surges can be found here.

The Town website is here.
The link is on the top right ...
...under News and Announcements. Check there for updates.
Tropical weather storm tracking is available at the NOAA website here.
Be a good scout and BE PREPARED. No need to panic but a few common sense preparations can go a long way to ensuring the safety for your family.
One item not often mentioned in these preparedness lists is prescription medicines. Make sure you have enough to get through a week or so.

UPDATE FROM DARTMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT VIA NIXLE

To: Dartmouth Residents
Subject: Evacuation information

Please be advised that if your residence/location is in a low-lying area especially along the coastal waters within the Town of Dartmouth you should consider the following information. If it is determined that your residence/location falls within an area as described above it is extremely important that you monitor the weather predicted for this area over the next 24-48 hours and take the necessary steps to prepare for extreme weather conditions. We also urge that you mentally and physically prepare to evacuate your residence to a safer location as soon as or if an official “Evacuation” notice is given out. Plans for shelters have been initiated and will be available to the general public once an official evacuation notice has been issued. This information will be available via DCTV as well as local radio stations.

We are closely monitoring the storm activity and are preparing with all Departments within the Town for contingency plans. However the success we can anticipate will rely on the cooperation of the residents to act early, in preparation for the worst case scenario. This may include leaving your residence prior to the severe weather. Please be advised that once the evacuation notice is officially given we may not be able to respond to your location to assist you in an emergency. This may be due to the manpower or physical barriers placed in the way by the weather.

If you watch your local cable television station DCTV a map has been posted identifying the low lying areas within the town that we feel will most likely be affected by any storm surge. The storm surge potential areas have been highlighted so you can get a visual idea of the potential danger you may be in if you should choose to ignore an “Evacuation Notice”. Please understand that even if your residence/location does not fall within the highlighted areas you may experience some or all of the storms intensity so if you feel you’re in an unsafe location please feel free to take advantage of the shelters as they become available. A short term inconvenience due to an evacuation until the severe weather has past is far better than dealing with a long term avoidable tragedy caused by refusing to heed this or any future notifications.
Chief Timothy Lee
Dartmouth Police Department

Peace.
Click here to read on!

Building Inspector let go, seeks a public hearing

The town's Executive Administrator has notified the Building Inspector, Mr. Joel Reed, that he is being terminated from employment with the town. The reasons for that action are laid out in a letter. The Executive Administrator is the appointing authority for the Building Inspector and his action is pursuant and in accordance with Section 6-9 of the Town Charter. The Building Inspector has requested a public hearing on his termination ...

... and that hearing will be held this week. Mr. Cressman will serve as the hearing officer. Contact the Office of the Select Board for the date, time and place of the hearing. If members of the public have information which they would like to have presented at the hearing, please provide it in writing to the Office of the Select Board before the hearing date. Click here to read on!

Changes on the Finance Committee

The Town Meeting Moderator has appointed Mark Eisenberg and Frank Gracie to the Finance Committee to replace Jason Wentworth and Greg Lynam who have stepped down from that body. Thanks to Mr. Lynam and Mr. Wenworth for their service and thnaks to Mr. Eisenberg and Mr. Gracie for stepping forward to serve. Of all the town's volunteer bodies, the Finance Committee may require the highest commitment of time and energy.
A special thank you to Mr. Lynam, who has done yeoman's work on the Finance Committee during his tenure. Mr. Lynam basically took it upon himself to create a spreadsheet, which he called the MOB file, that could be used to analyze the town's finances. Mr. Lynam and the committee did not feel ...
... that the information they were getting was being presented in a consistent, understandable way. It was a herculean effort to create the file and to maintain it. Mr. Lynam did so and did it extremely well.
On a personal note, I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Lynam for the time and effort that he spent in teaching me the ins and outs of the budget, state aid and many other issues. Mr. Lynam and I do not always agree on policy but I have tremendous respect for his insight and opinion. Thank you, Greg. Click here to read on!

Bay State employment surging

Johnk at Blue Mass Group notes that Massachusetts employment numbers have been very strong. The state and country are coming from such a deep hole this year...

...it is hard to see out but the numbers look good. What do you think about the state of employment in Massachusetts? Click here to read on!

Mr Lynam thinks we're nuts

Finance Committee member Greg Lynam had this letter in the Standard Times. At the root of the letter is a vote by the Select Board to set a target for the Stabilization Fund at 7.5% of the annual town budget. Mr. Lynam would prefer 10%. The Stabilization Fund has a current balance of about $5 million or 7.3% of the FY2011 budget. The town also has reserves of about $2.4 million in retained Undesignated General Fund balance which is another 3.5% of the budget. The Select Board feels the reserves are adequate, Mr. Lynam does not.
I have disagreed with the goal of 10% of the budget as a goal for the Stabilization Fund for some time now. I believe that 10% of the tax levy or a little more than $4 million would be adequate. Of course, one can easily concoct a myriad of scenarios where any amount that one chooses is not adequate. As I see it, the goal is to have enough money to satisfy bond rating agencies that we can weather an unexpected expense or temporary reductions in revenue. I think that 10% of the levy is enough. Opinions vary.
I was somewhat disappointed in the tenor of Mr. Lynam's opinion. We have a genuine difference of opinion on what constitutes adequate reserves. That does not make us, the Select Board, foolhardy, spendthrifts, or crazy. Despite Mr. Lynam's assertions, I am not aware that any Select Board member wants to go on a wild spending spree or even disagrees that one time revenue, such has been used to bolster the Stabilization Fund, should be used to supplement departmental operating budgets. My particular disagreements with Mr. Lynam extend beyond the amount of the Stabilzation Fund balance. Mr. Lynam correctly states that we have managed to build our reserves by shaving down the operating reserves that had been normally budgeted to departments. Which means that the amount of free cash available to fund the Stab Fund or capital needs has been shrinking. I think that we have gotten in the habit of funding operational needs from the capital budget. I also believe this is poor public policy. If the police department needs 3-4 cars every year to continue their mission (I believe that they do, ...

... they run these cars hundreds of thousands of miles in a year) or the school department needs textbooks and technology to stay current, then those items should be accounted for in the operating budgets. Cars definitely meet the criteria to be capital items in most circumstances, but patrol cars are a special case in my opinion. I would like to see 3-4 cars included in the police budget every year. Textbooks and technology are a bit harder to make the case for capital spending, but the Finance Committee and administration have gone along with the designation in recent years. Here is the problem with that scenario. Let us say that for period of a few years, the town does not have the one time cash to fund these items, police cars and textbooks. That means the police department and schools will have to do without the cars and books. Even if town revenues recover, the town is now faced with buying even more cars or books than would normally be the case since we had to forgo that spending in prior years. Not a good situation. Yet Mr. Lynam is an enthusiastic proponent of capital spending for textbooks. I do not think that makes him foolhardy, irresponsible or ill informed. We just differ on the policy.
I will address a couple more of Mr. Lynam's points. Mr. Lynam has not been an advocate of the wind turbine project. Regardless of his concerns, wind turbines have been shown to be reliable sources of energy and hence, revenue. While it is possible that a wind turbine would cost the town, the evidence would suggest that they will be trouble free and generate revenue for many years. That has been the experience in Hull and Portsmouth and many other places.
Lastly, Mr. Lynam hopes that Town Meeting will rein in the "foolhardy" and "irresponsible" Select Board. Well, good luck with that. Having just seen that body spend a million dollars for barn restorations in town despite recommendations from the Finance Committee not to fund them, I do not have a lot of confidence in the fiscal restraint of Town Meeting.
Finally, let me say that Greg Lynam is a fabulous asset to the Finance Committee and the town. His diligence and insight have been invaluable over the years. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for the countless hours he has devoted to understanding and quantifying the town fiscal situation. Mr. Lynam has shared his insights with me and allowed me to have a better understanding of the how and why of town finances. I could not have done it myself without devoting a tremendous amount of time to the effort. Mr. Lynam had done that work for me and was willing to share his knowledge. I thank him for that. On this issue, we have a disagreement. C'est la vie, n'est pas? Click here to read on!

New proposal for Lincoln Park development

The developers for Lincoln Park have asked to meet with the Permit Authorizing Authority (PAA) of the Lincoln Park Smart Growth Overlay District(LPSGOD) to discuss a plan for development of the site. The meeting will occur tomorrow night at 7PM in Room 305 of the Town Hall. It is open to the public but is not a public hearing. A PDF document showing of the proposed configuration can be found at this link.
The proposal calls for 57 single family homes and 150 apartments. None of the single family homes would be offered as "Affordable Housing".
Affordable Housing is defined as-

housing that is affordable to and occupied by Eligible Households. Affordable Housing units created within the LPSGOD meeting the standards set out in 760 CMR. 45.03 (my note; this section, 45.03, has been superceded by 760 CMR 56) shall count on the Subsidized Housing Inventory, subject to the approval of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).

The developer intends to ask the DHCD to allow additional apartments to be designated as Affordable Housing in order to maintain 20% of the total housing units as Affordable Housing.
In addition to these changes, the developer has proposed the apartment buildings ...

... be 4 stories. The LPSGOD bylaw says the maximum building height is 45 feet or 3 stories.
The members of the PAA for the LPSGOD are myself from the Select Board, John Haran of the Planning Board and Roger Tougas of the Zoning Board of Appeals. An attorney from the office of Mark Bobrowski will also be in attendance. This firm has been representing the town for this development.
Click here to read on!

Good news and bad news

First, the good news. The Select Board was advised last night that the town's ambulance contractor, STAT Ambulance, was willing to renegotiate the final year of the contract and reduce the payment due by some $60,000. In addition, they offered to continue service to the town at no cost to the town. The company will also contribute $40,000 toward dispatch services. All together the savings and payment mean a cost reduction in excess of $360,000 over the next five years.
Now the bad news. Local receipts from motor vehicle excise and meals taxes are going to fall well short of the estimates used to determine our FY2010 budget which is drawing ...

... to a close at the end of the month. Budget Director Greg Barnes pegs the shortfall in the vicinity of $250,000. This link is a memo to the Finance Committee from the Budget Director detailing the deficit and how he believes it will impact the town's finances.
Click here to read on!

How do we get people back to work?

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (Mass Budget) has a report on steps state and local governments can take to stimulate job growth. Follow this link to the report. The paper covers the economic theory behind stimulus, ...

... what the federal and state government can do to create jobs, constraints on state measures, and specific proposals for Massachusetts.
Unemployment is not abating and is affecting many families. What would you like to see done to get people back to work? Click here to read on!

California reforms primaries. Is this a good idea for Massachusetts?

Bob Neer at Blue Mass Group has a post here about California's move to change the primary election system for state elections.
Could this be good for our Commonwealth? It might add some competitive races.
I have not made up my mind ...

... if the change would be good or bad. What do you think?
Click here to read on!

Bylaw change yields results

Changing the parking requirements for businesses in the Padanaram Village business district seems to have had immediate results. The Select Board will hold a public hearing on June 7th on an application for a restaurant/alcohol license for the Boatyard Pub and Grille to be established at 250 Elm Street.
Residents who wish to comment on the application ...

... should attend the Select Board meeting. Parking requirements are often an impediment to reopening businesses in older, more densely built areas. Relaxing the requirements seems to have worked. What do you think?
Click here to read on!

Faunce Corner-Rooute 6 congestion hearing Monday

The Select Board will have a public hearing this Monday to get input on the suggestion from the Southeastern Planning and Economic Development District. I wrote about the proposal in this post previously.

If you would like to give input, please attend on Monday. Click here to read on!

Termpest in a teapot or category 5?

The Chief of Police has decided to add police patrols on the harbor. He has written a couple letters to the Select Board explaining the rationale and the effect on the police budget and manning. You can find them here and here.
For some reason, the Waterways Management Commission is concerned about the Chief's plan. Their letter to the Select Board is here. My reply to their letter can be found here.
My take is that the police are tasked with patrolling and preventing crime in the entire town. The Chief has said ...
What do you think?

... that there are crimes occurring in and around the waterfront. He believes he can accommodate these patrols within his available budget and manpower. I am reluctant to have the Select Board or anyone else, except the police department, make decisions on how to effectively police the town. While the Select Board are the police commissioners, it is the Chief of Police and his staff that should be making operational choices. It is my belief that injecting politics into police operations is not a wise course. Click here to read on!

Representative Frank in New Bedford on June 12

Campaign to Fund Our Communities
Reduce Military Spending by 25%

Featured Speaker: Congressman Barney Frank

12 noon, Saturday, June 12th

Carney Academy, 247 Elm St., N.B. (corner Elm & Cottage)

"Join the 25% Solution"

Sponsored by Coalition for Social Justice & Coalition Against Poverty
Congressman Frank has introduced a bill to cut our nation's defense spending by 25%
A cut of this size would free up ...

... over $190 BILLION dollars every year.
Follow this link to a dated but eye opening presentation by Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry ice cream

Click here to read on!

Annual Town Meeting report

These are unofficial results. The Town Clerk will have the official results.
The warrant for the Town Meeting can be found at this link.
http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/Pages/DartmouthMA_Clerk/TMDocs/ATMwarrant060110.pdf
There was a quorum of 204 Town Meeting members to open the meeting. This number is a shame. There are over 360 elected representatives to the Town Meeting.

Article 1 was withdrawn
Article 2 CPC budget passed unanimously.
Article 3 CPC article $688K for Audobon Stone Barn project passed with 6 opposed.
Article 4 CPC article $75K to preserve town records passed unanimously.
Article 5 CPC article $46K to by land at Russel's Mill's Road northwest of the Paskamansett bridge passed with 5 opposed.

The regular Town Meeting was suspended and a Special Town Meeting commenced

The warrant for the Special Town Meeting can be found here.
http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/Pages/DartmouthMA_Clerk/TMDocs/STMwarrant060110.pdf
The first four articles were financial housekeeping and passed unanimously.
Article 5 transfered and designated the land between Southworth Libraray and Cushman school as a public park. It passed with 12 opposed.
Article 6 removed term limits for Waterways Commissioners and passed with two against.
Article 7 was amended to increase the printed amount and number of police radios to include 3 for the Emergency Response department. The total number of radios increased to 67 and the cost to $127K. It was accepted with 1 against.
Article 8 established a full day kindergarten stabilization fund and appropriated $50K to it from the school budget. It passed with 2 opposed.
The Special Town Meeting dissolved having completed all business and the annual Town Meeting resumed

Article 6 of the Annual Town Meeting CPC article $143K for Dartmouth Community Park created by article 5 of the Specila Town Meeting passed with 5 opposed
Atricle 7 CPC article for $30K agricultural restriction on the Dominican Sisters farm was withdrawn
Article 8 CPC article $300K for restoration work at the Dartmouth YMCA passed 180-24.
Article 9 funding the Town Clerk's salary passed with 3 opposed
Article 10 the FY2011 budget was passed over for the moment
Article 11 funding the Water Enterprise passed without opposition
Article 12 funding the Sewer Enterprise paseed unanimously
Article 13 funding the Waterways Enterprise passed unanimously
Article 14 Senoir Social Dat program funding passed with none opposed
Article 15 Solid Waste Enterprise passed. One in opposition
Article 10 approving the town FY2011 operating budget passed without opposition.
The Town meeting then adjourned for lunch
more after the jump

Article 16 transferred $272K to the school department for full day kindergarten startup costs.Two opposed
Article 17 provided $260K for an elevator and handicapped access to Cushman School passed, 4 opposed.
Article 18 allows parking lot resurfacing without Planning Board action. Passed with 1 against
Article 19 changing the parking requirements in the Waterways Overlay District passed without opposition
Article 20 allwoing 3 story buildings on Faunce Corner Road north 195 passed 141-36.
Article 21 creating a Municipal Wind turbine bylaw was passed over for the moment
Article 22 creating the position of Director of Development passed unanimously
Article 23 authorizing expenditure of funds previously appropriated for water supply exploration passed unaopposed
Article 24 on funding the Disabilities Commission was withdrawn.
Article 21 Municipal Wind Turbine bylaw passed 134-42 with the amendment that the turbines must be on town owned land, not leased land.
Article 25 petitioning the General Court for a Special Act creating the Lincoln Park Improvement district passed.
The Town Meeting having no other business adjourned and dissolved.

What do you think about the results?
There seemed to be little disgreement among the Town Meetin members in attendance. Do you have an complaints with the results.
Click here to read on!

Duke wins NCAA Div 1 lacrosse championship

5 Seconds! That is how long the sudden death overtime lasted after Duke and Notre Dame ended the regulation game in a tie. Duke's CJ Costabile won the face off to start the overtime and headed straight for the goal. 30 yards later, the ball was in the net. 5 seconds off the clock.
Yesterday, the Tufts Jumbos became the NCAA Division 3 champ beating Salisbury State 9-6. Yes, that Tufts, ...
... the one in Medford, MASSACHUSETTS. This is Tufts first lacrosse championship and the school's first NCAA championship. Click here to read on!

Can you spell IRONY?

While currently suing the town, claiming that the process for granting Special Permits for municipal wind turbines is flawed, Ms. Nesto now wants the process retained. This is a link to her letter to the editor in the Standard Times. Isn't it ironic,...
...don't you think?
Her assertion that there are many possible sites for wind turbines is just not correct.
The municipal wind turbine bylaw being proposed requires the installations to meet all the conditions of the commercial wind turbine bylaw. The residential and commercial wind turbine bylaws will remain unchanged.
No, really, what do you think? Tell us in comments. Click here to read on!

Senator Brown on his financial reform votre

Senator Scott Brown explains his financial reform bill vote in this post over at Red Mass Group.
I think he did the right thing for his constituents. Read the comments on his post. Even most of the Red Mass readers seem OK with it Click here to read on!

Faunce Corner - Route 6 congestion

At last night's Select Board meeting, we heard from representatives of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) on a study which they conducted to relieve congestion in the Faunce Corner Road and Route 6 corridors.
Specifically, SRPEDD recommended realignment of Tucker Road across from the terminus of Hathaway Road on Route 6. You can link to the report here.
The plan calls for a traffic light to be installed at the newly created intersection and removal of the light at Tucker Road. This alignment will allow travelers from Hathaway Road to turn onto Route 6 at a light and will help relieve traffic which backs up on Route 6 from the Tucker Road light into the intersection with Faunce Corner Road, blocking travelers from Old Westport Road and those traveling along Route 6. It will also reduce the number of accidents at Tucker Road and Hathaway Road which are dangerous intersections with frequent collisions.
The Select Board decided to hold a public hearing ...
... on the plan at our June 7th meeting. The proposal will be expensive and will require taking of some lands and buildings. One possibility to reduce the expense would be to route the realignment of Tucker Road through the North Dartmouth Library property. This would require that the library be demolished to make way for the roadway.
I support this proposal and would like to see it done. The traffic snarls at Route 6 and Faunce Corner Road and the accidents are going to get worse and soon. Traffic is already to the point where the backups occur almost daily with normal traffic and are horrendous from Thanksgiving to Christmas. The net result is that it makes the area less attractive to business because travelers are going to avoid having to deal with it and go elsewhere.
It is not that I do not want a library in North Dartmouth, I do. But given the choice between gridlock and the present library, I would choose the new road. There was a proposal a few years ago to build a new library building on Cross Road on land adjacent to Potter School. The town owns the land. I would like to see that done along with the road realignment. I see the building as a multi-use facility with a library, senior center, and perhaps a police substation. There is plenty of room on the site. Why not have a playground there as well?
If you would like to put your two cents worth in at the public hearing, please attend the Select Board meeting on June 7th.
See you there.
Click here to read on!

Dartmouth Community Park

I have decided to support Article 6 in the Annual Town Meeting warrant, which is Community Preservation (CPC) funding for the Dartmouth Community Park between Cushman school and Southworth Library, and Article 5 of the Special Warrant which designates the area as a public park . Initially, I had concerns about the safety of school children if the park was open to the public. I am satisfied that access can be restricted sufficiently to provide security.
The park will also provide a bus circle that will allow the children to board buses more safely.
The use of CPC funds is restricted. See this link for details. However, I am not sure why the land is being designated to the park department since it seems from the CPC website that a school playground would be an allowed use of the fund. See this link (Fourth question under the heading of Recreation).
What I found was that public access to public lands is a complicated issue. The government can and does regulate the use of public land, such as parks. Generally, the courts have held that the public has a restricted right to use of those lands. It may be important, if there is a future challenge about the use, to clearly state how the town intends the land to be used. I am not sure that intention has been addressed to date. As I see it, unrestricted public access can occur during periods that the park is not in use for school purposes. I think in this case, a fair accommodation can be reached.
Update - Curt Brown's Standard Times article about the park can be found at this link
What are your thoughts? Click here to read on!

Senate Ways and Means budget mirrors House 4% cuts

From the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, this link is a preliminary analysis of the state Senate version of the Commonwealth's budget.
This budget closely folows the House's version and contains 4% cuts in local aid and Chapter 70 school aid. Not great news ... ...but there is no good news given the status of the state's revenues. The Senate may not propose new revenue or spending in accordance with our constitution. Click here to read on!

Will the Tea Party turn out for Senator Brown again?

Here's what David at BMG has about our junior US Senator http://www.bluemassgroup.com/diary/19841/from-41-to-60-the-curious-adventures-of-senator-scott-brownHow do you seee our newest Senator? Click here to read on!

Massachusetts job numbers looking better

David has this post at Blue Mass Group about employment gains in the Bay State.

Largest job growth in 17 years.

We are leading the nation to recovery Click here to read on!

State Executives visit the area

Governor Patrick was in the area on Saturday and again Monday. Lieutenant Governor candidate TIm Murray will be here tomorrow.
I can't remember a time when this area received as much attention.
The commuter rail on the agenda, the UMass Dartmouth law school, the state ocean management plan.
I think the South Coast has a friend in Boston, ......one who visits from time to time. Click here to read on!

Bait and Switch?

RyePower12 has this post over at Blue Mass Group about the Fall River biotech park/casino.

Hey!, Dartmouth and New Bedford have land available ...
... in an industrial park. Sounds like an opportunity!
Which would you prefer a casino and service jobs or a biotech park with engineers, scientists and technicians.? Click here to read on!

Police seize suspected marijuana farm

Advisory Message has been issued by the Dartmouth Police Department.
Wednesday May 19, 2010 2:25 PM EDT
MAN CHARGED WITH CULTIVATION OF MARAIJUANA

On Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at approximately 1:10 P.M., Dartmouth Police received a phone tip of a suspicious male parked in the area of the Hope Evangelical Church, located at 88 Hathaway Rd. The tipster reported that this male was observed walking back and forth into the wooded area behind the church. The tipster stated that the male was holding something in his hand.
Plainclothes Dartmouth Police Officers, David Oikarinen and Derek Kenney were first to respond on scene. Officers Oikarinen and Kenney found this male, later identified as 26 year old Kenneth Dacamara from 30 Beech St. in Acushnet, walking from the rear of the vehicle (carrying a black bag with both arms) into the wood line. After the officers identified themselves to Dacamara, he fled into the wooded area ignoring police commands to stop. Additional units were called to assist including a K9 unit. Dacamara was apprehended a brief time later on Oakum St. without any struggle.
During the initial search, officers found a clearing in the wooded area approximately 400 yards back from the church parking lot. A small field was located with ten holes dug in the ground.
In the parking lot, officers found bags containing plants believed to be marijuana inside of Dacamara’s 2001 Volkswagen Jetta.
Dacamara faces charges of possession of marijuana and unlawful manufacturing, distribution, cultivation and dispensing of marijuana.
Dacamara will be arraigned in Third District Court on Wednesday.

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/2233965/.

If you subcribe to Nixle, you can get these advisories automatically Click here to read on!

Police seek help with recent house breaks

From the Dartmouth Police via Nixle advisory service

Advisory Message has been issued by the Dartmouth Police Department.

Monday May 17, 2010 9:27 AM EDT

Rash of House Breaks in Dartmouth, Police Seek Help and Offer Valuable Safety/Preventative Tips

The Dartmouth Police Department is asking for the public’s help with a recent rash of house breaks. Several breaks have been reported since the end of April and police are asking town residents to be aware of any suspicious activity or strangers in their neighborhoods. Residents are encouraged to contact us with any license plate numbers, vehicle and person descriptions of anything they deem to be out of place. These pieces of information can be quite important to any police investigation.
Residents are encouraged to document serial and model numbers on high priced items. We also suggest that residents should photograph valuable items such as jewelry and keep these pictures in a hidden place or in a safe deposit box. This information could later assist law enforcement in the identification of these items if they are recovered.
Residents are reminded to call the tip line at 508-997-9900 or the Dartmouth Police Department’s Detective Division at 508-910-1775 with any information. This is part of an ongoing effort to devise innovative ways to further reduce criminal activity and nurture a partnership with the community. All tips (anonymous or not) are taken seriously and will be reviewed and followed up by the Dartmouth Police Dept.

Please call Det. Robert Levinson with any questions you may have – 508-910-1755

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/2207037/.

Sign up for a Nixle account and you can receive this and other notices in your email Click here to read on!

Annual Town Meeting info

The annual Town Meeting will take place at the Middle School on June 1, 2010 at 9AM.
The town budget summarized in Schedule A of the warrant can be found on the Town Clerk's webpage here. The Schedule A budget posted here is not official. Only the Town Clerk can issue official Town Meeting documents.
A draft copy of the warrant for the Town Meeting can be found here. Again this is not an official copy, only the Town Clerk can issue an official warrant.
I will vote against Articles 3,8 and 20 on this warrant and in favor of all the other articles.
I may also vote against Article 6 ...

... but I have some more research to do on that.
June 1 will also have a Special Town Meeting.
The draft warrant for that meeting is here. Again, unofficial, only the Clerk has the official warrant.
I will probably vote against Articles 5 and 8 on this warrant and in favor of the other articles. I have some more to find out about Articles 5 and 8 before making a final decision. Click here to read on!

Dueling law school amendments in the State House

The Fall River Times Herald had an article about amendments offered to the budget that would deny state money to the new public law school at UMass Dartmouth and that would deny state scholarships to private law schools.
Here's that link.
http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x932358984/UMass-Law-state-funding-targeted-by-Massachusetts-representative

Please let's all take a deep breath. Click here to read on!

Padanaram Bridge Construction 4/26 to 5/7

From our police department via Nixle

Community Message has been issued by the Dartmouth Police Department.
Wednesday April 21, 2010 12:42 PM EDT

Padanaram Bridge under Construction from 4/26/10 - 5/7/10

Dartmouth Police remind you that the Padanaram Bridge will be under EMERGENCY CONSTRUCTION (Bridge will be operational for Vehicle/Maritime Use) from Monday, April 26th - Friday, May 7th, 2010 from 630am-400pm.

Expect delays and consider planning an alternative route.

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/1920547/.

Contact Information:
DARTMOUTH POLICE
508-910-1735

This is not the Apponagansett Bridge on Gulf Road.
Click here to read on!

WooHoo! House Budget and amendments on line

For those political junkies or policy wonks among us, the House Ways and Means budget and all the amendments that have been offered are on line. Judy Meredith at Blue Mass Group has the link to the budget from this link She also has some good insight into the process that will occur. The House and Senate leadership have stated that local aid and school aid are likely to be cut by 4%. More may be needed, we will see.
I posted the Massachusetts Budget and Policy analysis of the House Ways and Means Budget here.
It is going to be an ugly year for the state budget which ...

... makes for an ugly year in municipal budgets too.
Dartmouth has set aside significant amounts in the Stabilization Fund to help alleviate the pain but even so it will be a lean budget year.
Click here to read on!

Apponagansett Bridge maintenance closure

From the Department of Public Works via Mr. Cressman

This is related to a bridge inspection that took place several months ago. Due to the inspection weight limits had to be posted and the use of the bridge by District 1 fire apparatus had to be negotiated. This closure is to correct those deficiencies.

David Cressman, Executive Administrator

TOWN OF DARTMOUTH

PUBLIC NOTICE


PROJECT SUBJECT TO WEATHER PERMITTING
BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

APPONAGANSETT BRIDGE AT GULF ROAD WILL BE CLOSED

Wednesday, April 21 - Friday, April 23, 2010
7:00 AM-5:00 PM

Local Detours Will Be Posted
WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE

PER ORDER OF: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

You heard it here first. HA!
Click here to read on!

Bullard Wellness Center at COA nearing completion, needs contributions

From a concerned citizen,

Bill,
I would like to let people know that the Bullard Wellness Center is nearing the finish line for completion. The Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly has done an outstanding job raising funds to get this project to this point. They are now in need of some $30+k to get the job done. If anyone out there is in the position to contribute to the effort, now would be a good time. They will be going before the Fincom tomorrow night to ask the town to help. I know one member personally who will be sympathetic to their request but they will still need a little more help than what they are asking for.

Remember when we were in total fiscal crisis mode and the Council On Aging/Friends went before the Select Board and said "we'll get by with our budget"? I certainly do. It's time for people to step up and help if they can. I will be making my anonymous donation tomorrow. Will anyone else be joining me?

I will make a contribution as well. This project has been a long time coming and will be a gem when completed.
As this person noted, the Council on Aging has been very good about getting by without asking for added funding. Here is our chance ...

... to say thanks for helping out.
The new facility will house the community nurses and provide services to many in the community. There has been a lot of private contribution and a little bit more will get us to the finish. Do what you can. Thanks
Click here to read on!

Mass Budget analysis of House Ways and Means budget

The General Court House Ways and Means committee released their budget today. As previously warned, local aid is cut 4% and Chapter 70 school aid is reduced. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (Mass Budget) has their analysis at this link.
I am disappointed that the bottle bill was not included and that the tax break for ...

... the movie industry is not trimmed. The Governor's budget took on both issues but the House has dropped them.
Click here to read on!

Credit where it is due

Our junior Senator was one of 4 Republican Senators who voted for cloture on a bill extending unemployment benefits to about 400,00 American workers. The vote will allow the measure to come to the floor for a vote. Thanks to Senator Brown for putting people over politics.

You have to give credit where it is due and Senator Brown has lived up to his pledge to be independent in this case.
Click here to read on!

New Library Director, Director of Develpoment hired.

At tonight's Select Board meeting, The Library Board of Trustees announced that they have hired a new Director of the Dartmouth Public Library, Jennifer Inglis. Ms. Inglis will assume her duties on April 22nd.
Also at tonight's meeting, Executive Administrator David Cressman announced the hiring of a Director Of Development, Deborah Melino-Wender. Ms. Melino-Wender will assist other departments in writing grants and was also appointed as Select Board representative to SRPEDD, the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District.
In other business, the Select Board endorsed a request by Town Clerk Lynn Medeiros for purchase of new document management software. Ms.Medeiros also addressed the need for additional staffing in the Clerk's office, While expressing sympathy for the dearth of staff, the Select Board stopped short of endorsing adding staff citing the need to look at the budget overall to ensure the affordability of added staff.
The Select Board voted to place an article on the Town Meeting warrant removing term limits for members of the Waterways Commission and to place an article adding a municipal wind turbine bylaw to the zoning bylaws. The Waterways Commission bylaw limits members to two consecutive terms. The new wind turbine bylaw would allow wind turbines, which meet all the criteria set out in the commercial wind turbine bylaw, on municipal lands as an as of right use (i.e the installation would not require a Special Permit). I will post the language of the proposed bylaw in the near future. The Planning Board will be asked to weigh in with their evaluation of the new bylaw before Town Meeting.
The Select Board appointed Selectman Mike Watson and Executive Administrator David Cressman to the Charter Review Commission ...

... and will ask the Finance Committee, School Committee, Planning Board and Town Meeting Moderator for appointments to the nine member body. Selectman Joe Michaud and Mr. Cressman were appointed to the Bylaw Review Committee. The Town Meeting Moderator will appoint two Town Meeting members and Town Clerk Lynn Medeiros will serve on that committee. The Town Charter section on the Charter and Bylaw Review can be found at this link. Contact Moderator Steve Sharek if you would like to serve on either of these two reviews. His contact information can be found in this post.
This evening was newly elected Board member Shawn McDonald's first meeting on the Board. Thank you for nominating me to be chair. Thank you to the other board members for electing me as chair. I am honored and will do my best to live up to your confidence.
Click here to read on!

Dartmouth Moderator Seeks Volunteers for Charter Review Committee

Town Moderator Steven C. Sharek is looking for town residents interested in serving on a special nine-member committee that will review the town’s charter and potentially recommend changes in it. A review of the town’s charter is required once every ten years.
Under Dartmouth’s charter, the Town Moderator makes two appointments to the special charter review committee. The Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee make two each. The Planning Board makes one.
The special committee will be charged with reviewing the charter and making a report, with recommendations, to Town Meeting.
“I’m looking for bright, energetic people willing to work,” said Mr. Sharek... ... “This isn’t a long-term commitment, but it’s probably going to be a pretty intensive short-term one.”
On a non-binding referendum this month, Dartmouth voters were asked whether they prefer the existing Town Meeting/Select Board form of government or wanted to change to a Council/Mayor or Council/Manager form. Voters were in favor of retaining the current system by a margin of 57-43%. Voters in all ten of the town’s precincts supported the status quo.
Dartmouth residents interested in being considered for appointment should send a cover letter and resume to Mr. Sharek by e-mail at stevesharek@comcast.net or by U.S. mail to 25 Ricketson Street, Dartmouth, MA 02747.
Deadline for applications is Friday, April 30, 2010
Click here to read on!

Commonwelth has low business taxes and poor business environment

While the title of this post may seem contradictory, low business tax and a poor environment is what two recent studies found when looking at the tax structure in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (Mass Budget) has this report on business taxes in the Commonwealth. The finding was that our state, with a rate at 4%, ranked 43rd among all states in business tax.
(more after the jump)

However, the myriad of tax breaks and exemptions in our code lead another study to conclude that the business environment is not that good, ranking 35th among all states. The Mass Budget report says,

"While business taxes in Massachusetts are low, the state’s tax system does not meet these criteria for a good tax system. The Massachusetts corporate tax system includes numerous special tax breaks for specific industries, such as mutual funds, manufacturing, and the motion picture industry."

The tax breaks given to industries is called the tax expenditure budget and amounts to some $6 billion. While many of the tax breaks would be readily accepted by residents as a good way to attract and business investment in the state, there are those that are questionable. One of those that I find a bit troubling is the movie industry subsidy. I think that most of the jobs created by that subsidy are temporary and the amount being provided is excessive.
For that reason, I support the Governor's proposal to cap the total subsidy at $50 milion. It appears that the legislature not go along with that.
This link is an opinion in support of that
And this one is in opposition to the cap.
I find Representative Steve D'Amico's arguments at this link to be sound and compelling.
Click here to read on!

Dartmouth Community Cleanup

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is sponsoring a community clean up weekend, Saturday, April 24 & Sunday, April 25. Groups can contact the DPW to get free trash bags and safety vests. The information is on the town website here.
Take an hour or two to clean up around your neighborhood and help to keep our town looking good.
Contact infromation for the program is (508) 999-0740 extension 208 or Email: mdefranco@town.dartmouth.ma.us

On an unrelated note, I have to acknowledge our town website. A short while ago, I was quite critical of the old site which had outdated information and was generally non-functional. The new website has a wealth of timely information. Great job by our IT department and Mike Courville.
Click here to read on!

Unofficial results at town website

The following is a link to the unofficial results for yesterday's election including all the Town Meeting representative races. The link is to the town website.
http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/Pages/DartmouthMA_News/0155B7B6-000F8513

Some Town Meeting representatives not on the ballot may have been elected by write in ...


... and those are not known yet. Any write in candidates that resulted in a tie (e.g. 1 vote) will be decided by a poll of all the elected members in that precinct.
Click here to read on!

Michaud, McDonald, Monteiro and Nunes elected!

The results of today's election are;

Select Board
Joe Michaud retains his Select Board seat, turning back Bob Miller

Shawn McDonald outpolled Frank Gracie

School Committee
Meagan Monteiro and John Nunes were top vote getters in a three way race which included Doug Roscoe.

Board of Health
In the closest race of the day, Lynn Brodeur received 12 more votes than Thomas Hardman, out of nearly 5000 votes cast.

The other races were uncontested. Scott Lake was elected as Cemetery Commissioner, ...
...John Haran was re-elected to the Planning Board, Rachael Charrier and Andrew Couto were re-elected as Library Trustees, Kevin Santos was re-elected as Assessor, Lisa Tavares was re-elected to the Park Board and Elaine Lancaster was re-elected to the Housing Authority.
The ballot question asking, if Town Meeting or some other form of town government was preferred, saw voters come down firmly on the side of retaining Town Meeting.

Congratulations to the winners and kudos to all the candidates. I can attest that it is a somewhat daunting exercise to run for elected office. We owe appreciation to everyone who has the temerity to place their name in the public realm for consideration.
Now it is time to put aside the campaign and find areas to work together to advance the interests of the taxpayers and residents of the town. We have been making steady progress for a while now and I am sure that we will continue to do so.
Click here to read on!

Three police sargeants and Deputy Chief appointed

The Select Board promoted three patrolmen to sargeant at last night's meeting. The officers who were promoted were Frank Condez, Scott Lake and Paul Medeiros. The appointments are conditional upon successful completion of sargeants school. Congratulations to these fine officers.
Chief Lee also noted that the patrol force is in need of additional reinforcement in the supervisory ranks of sargeant. The Chief will be asking for additional promotions in the near future to bolster that contingent and for an administrative sargeant to assist with developing training, writing grants and gaining state and national certification for the department.
The Select Board also appointed Captain Gary Soares to the post of Deputy Chief on the recommendation of Chief Tim Lee. The appointment is subject to successful contract negotiations. Captain Soares served as interim Police Chief while a search was underway for our current chief, Chief Lee, and filled the role admirably.
As was explained last night, the funding for three more sargeants will come from funds asked for in FY 2011 ...

... to fill the captains position and from funds for a patrolman position or two that is vacant. An override provided funds for 7 new patrolmen but I think one failed to get through the academy or dropped out after.
In any case, the funds needed are the difference between a patrolman and sargeants pay, not an additional employee. The Police Chief has identified enough money in the budget to make these promotions without needing added funding in FY 2011. Some of the funds are freed up by not needing to fill supervisor positions using overtime.
The department and Select Board will have a formal ceremony on April 26th to present the newly promoted officers with their new ranks.
Click here to read on!

Community Preservation project hearing on April 7th

From Mr. Baker Smith, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC),

I am writing to remind you that the Community Preservation Committee will be holding a public hearing April 7 at 6:30 PM to hear presentations and comments on the seven proposals that are currently under review for recommendation to Town Meeting in June.
This is an excellent opportunity to hear about these projects and ask questions of the sponsors. Please extend the CPC's invitation to attend to the Select Board and members of FinCom respectively.

Yours,
Buddy Baker-Smith
Dartmouth CPC

There are 7 projects under consideration for funding this year. The CPC receives funding through a surcharge ...

... on our property tax levy and state matching funds. They may use the funds for projects which provide community preservation, affordable housing, or recreation facilities. The CPC has an application process by which they vet the priojects and will make recommendations to the Town Meeting for project funding. The Town Meeting must appropriate the money.
The CPC webpage, here on the Town's website, has more information.
Click here to read on!

Keep track of state budget items with this tool

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (Mass Budget) has an interactive tool, their Budget Browser, which allows you to keep track of the various proposals and revisions of the state budget as it goes through the legislative process.
The application is described as,

The Budget Browser allows you to search for state budget information from Fiscal Year 2001 through the current fiscal year. It is also updated to include budget proposals for the next fiscal year as they are released by the Governor and the Legislature.

We are currently in Fiscal Year 2010. The Commonwealth's fiscal year, ...

... as well as those of municipalities and school districts, runs from July 1 to June 30. FY 2011 starts in July 2010.
The link includes a step-by-step guide on how to use the Budget Browser, a Resources & Glossary page, and an expanded Tax Revenue Information section.
This is a great tool to keep track of budget items that you are interested in. Try it out.
Click here to read on!

Town elections today! Vote Michaud and Gracie!

The town elections are today and I am supporting Joe Michaud over Bob Miller and Frank Gracie over Shawn McDonald. Regardless of the candidate you support, please go and vote today! This is your chance to have a voice in our town government.
The School Committee races have three candidates, Megan Monteiro, John Nunes and Doug Roscoe. The two top voter getters will be elected to the School Committee.
Be sure to vote the back side of the ballot as well.
Sample ballots by precinct are at this link on the town website
On the back of the ballot, there are town Meeting candidates and a non binding referendum question about our form of government.
If there are not thirteen town meeting representatives on your ballot, I encourage you ...

... to write in a candidate. You could elect yourself or a friend or a neighbor by writing in their name. Only a few votes are needed and if you get family and friends to vote for you, it is likely that you have enough to be elected as a town meeting representative. This is a great way to be informed and have a chance to vote on issues before the town.
Click here to read on!

Peninsula Compost and our bylaws.

Mr. Lynam of the Finance Committee has pointed out that Dartmouth has adopted a bylaw which prohibits development of solid waste facilities in town. The Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District(District) also has an agreement with the town.
Mr. Lynam has found;

Below is an excerpt from that Zoning By-Law :
SECTION 30 -- COMMERCIAL DUMPS OR LANDFILLS
The operation of private or commercial dumps or sanitary landfills, refuse transfer stations, refuse incinerators with a grate area in excess of ten square feet, refuse composting plants, dumping grounds for refuse or any other works for treating or disposing of refuse is prohibited within the Town of Dartmouth except where operated as an Agricultural Composting Facility licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, a Dartmouth municipal use or as a use operated under a Regional Refuse District. For definition of the terminology in this Bylaw, reference is made to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 111, Section 150A, as amended.

Mr. Lynam is a member of the Board of the refuse District and he continued:

Note:
There is also a prohibition in the District Agreement that prohibits a member town from; " ... engaging in independent solid waste disposal without prior approval of the ( District ) committee. "
Sec VIII - Withdrawal
A. Limitations

While the project seems to be desirable and advantageous, it is not going to be a slam dunk. At minimum, the town would have to enact a change to that bylaw and get District approval. I am sure that the Peninsula operation would have some effect on the District, I am just not sure what it would be.
Mr. Lynam points out while the landfill's life ...

... would be extended by diverting organic waste, the diversion may also reduce the revenues that the District collects from private haulers. Lower revenue might increase the assessment to the town. The whole interaction between Peninsula's operation and the District is likely to be very complicated and the outcome of that interaction uncertain.
This aspect of the Peninsula proposal should be fully investigated.
Click here to read on!

Bristol DA finds police shooting was justified

The Bristol County District Attorney's office has issued their report on the fatal shooting by Dartmouth Police on August 11, 2009. The DA found the shooting "was justified and lawful, and did not violate any General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts".
You can read the full report at this link.
This was a traumatic, tragic and unfortunate event for all involved and I hope this is another step toward closure. Thanks to DA Sutter's office for their thorough investigation and report.
I am turning off the comments for this post and ...

... would appreciate if you would refrain from commenting at other posts. I have posted the above report so that the public can have access to the full details.
A federal lawsuit has been filed in this case and is still pending.
Click here to read on!

Back to the Future

Several comments have stated that the 2007 Department of Revenue (DOR) report found that Dartmouth was among the best run towns in the Commonwealth. That statement is a bit of a stretch of the findings. The full report can be read at this link,
http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/Pages/DartmouthMA_BComm/Finance/DartmouthJuly07.pdf

What the 2007 DOR report showed was a failure of leadership in the town. Without a doubt, the people who were running the day to day operations were doing what they were tasked to do, that was not the problem. The problem was that the town leadership, Select Board and Executive Administrator, had not planned for the continuing budget shortfalls that were occurring and had no plan to correct the problem beyond a massive override request.
True: the report did not find that the town was badly run. it states, "

Conclusion – Our review found that routine financial practices reflect department heads’ careful attention to legal requirements and internal controls. We believe that sufficient checks and balances are in place to ensure that town assets are protected from both human and process errors. Of acute concern for Dartmouth, as is the case in most Massachusetts towns, is the lack of structural balance and sustainability in revenue and expenditure trends. To further complicate matters, the use of the fall town meeting to supplement the budget places an expectation on the select board, executive administrator and director of budget and finance that budget fixes will be found to accommodate departmental spending.

At the time, Dartmouth voters were being asked for an $8.5 million override. The DOR report details how we got there,

Exhausting Certified Free Cash – At a 2006 fall town meeting, Dartmouth appropriated all of its available free cash ($1.7 million) to balance the FY2007 budget which had been approved in the prior spring. It had also created more revenue for operations by dramatically increasing its FY2007 local receipts estimate. In the past, when actual local receipts exceeded intentionally low estimates, the surplus flowed to free cash. Now, with no unexpended free cash to carry forward and lower expectations that local receipts will exceed high estimates in FY2007, the town should not anticipate the availability of certified free cash to supplement the FY2008 budget at a 2007 fall town meeting. It is our understanding that actual local receipts collected during FY2007 are projected to meet the aggressive target that had been set. However, surplus revenue, and consequently free cash, will be less than in the past and may require downward adjustment to revenue estimates for FY2008.

Essentially, the town had burned through its reserves in order to keep things running. When the reserves were gone, the whole process came to a screeching halt.
I believe this was done on the mistaken belief that ...

... the situation was temporary and if the town could get through a few lean years, everything would return to normal.
The DOR pointed out in their report this was not the case. The shortfalls were permanent and increasing. The DOR said this to the town's leadership,

While each of our recommendations will improve operations, there are several related topics that deserve special attention from policy-makers and management alike. Specifically, they are Recommendations 1-4 (Present Multi-Year Financial Forecast, Avoid Use of One-Time Revenue for Current Year Operations, Develop New Reserve Policy and Conduct Quarterly Budget Projections, respectively). Implicit in these individual recommendations is the larger concept of financial planning. A town-wide financial plan is the integration of multi-year revenue projections, adopted polices (such as reserve policies), and analyses of organizational goals and their long-term impact on expenditures. The purpose of this plan is to call attention to the community’s fiscal condition and the alternatives available to manage it. Whatever form such a plan takes, it should contain the following core elements:
1. Multi-year outlook (3-5 fiscal years)
2. Inventory of revenue sources and projected increases/decreases
3. Expenditure projections that reflect labor, expenses and planned service levels
4. Impact of financial goals/policies are assigned a specific dollar value
5. Integration of infrastructure investment based on approved capital plan
6. Current-year revenue and expenditure monitoring
7. Presentation format that facilitates meaningful communication to the public

The DOR recommendation was to get a fiscal plan, monitor how you are doing with the plan, and communicate that to the public. All things that were NOT being done by the Select Board and administration up to that point. Notice the DOR did not find fault with the planning because there was NO PLANNING. That was the fatal flaw, the failure to use forecasting to respond to the fiscal conditions that the town was facing. It was not a failure to execute a plan, it was a failure to have one. The town's leadership was to blame for that. Click here to read on!

Si, se puede!

"The hope still lives and the dream will never die" – Ted Kennedy



Still more in that vein after the jump




TPM media article here on why and how the Republicans are able to scuttle the work of the Senate
Click here to read on!

Sometimes a picture ...

Representative Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind, accompanied by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash, at a news conference today to discuss health care legislation.



Compromise is the lifeblood of the democratic process. By engaging the opposition in give and take and deal making, the majority gets a certain degree of co-operation ...

... and the minority can get some facets of their agenda enacted. The picture above is the logical consequence of the no compromise position taken by the Republican leadership. If the majority cannot be engaged and must pass all legislation without the aid of the minority, the minority position can and will be ignored. Our late Senator Kennedy was a master at compromise and, while his party was in the minority, was still able to enact some important legislation. As a result, he is remembered as a great legislator.
Either the Republicans can choose to engage and participate with the Democrats by making deals and compromises, or they can stand solidly in opposition to any and all compromise and be completely ignored.
Click here to read on!

What's wrong with our media?

One thing that struck me now that the health care reform bill has been passed is the news reports that lay out in fairly simple detail exactly what the passage of the bill means. Nowhere are reports of death panels pulling the plug on grandam, or abortion clinics opening up in mini-malls, or brown shirts smashing their way into insurance company headquarters. Suddenly, the media know exactly what the passage of this bill means to our citizens and our economy. We are getting the objective truth about the bill and its effects.
Which makes me wonder why, for the past year, news outlets have been publishing, without correction, the wildest sort of fear mongering, misinformation, and often outright lies. The bill passes and the very next day, they can tell us what the bill REALLY does and does not do.
Why were they not saying so before? This is a big problem and one that goes to credibility. If today, Wolf Blitzer can tell you what the bill does, ...

... why has he not challenged the rhetoric up until Sunday. Either he has learned an awful lot in the last few hours or he did not have the integrity to give us the objective truth. Either way, we are either getting our news from the ignorant or by amoral promulgation of misinformation. I am not singling out Blitzer here. Nearly every media outlet from cable channels, newspapers, and radio have done the same thing. Shameful and sad are what come to my mind.
Have you noticed the same thing? Tell us in comments.
Click here to read on!