Governor Patrick proposes 2012 budget

Governor Patrick has issued his 2012 budget proposal. It has been submitted to the House and will be referenced as the House 1 budget. The House will review and modify the budget and send it to the Senate for review and modifications. The two bills will be reconciled,...

... passed by both houses and then sent to the Governor. Massachusetts governors have line item veto power, so the Governor can veto some items and return the bill to the House. The House and Senate can vote to override the veto. At that point, the budget is finished.
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center has a preliminary review of the House 1 budget at this link. Click here to read on!

School spending and achievement

Matt Yglesias has an interesting chart in this post. The chart shows that student achievement does not closely correlate with spending per student.
Obviously, there are other factors which are important. Spending is a part of the solution but is not the solution in itself.
For instance, this article in the Boston Globe caught my eye.

The sprawling Wake County School District has long been a rarity. Some of its best, most diverse schools are in the poorest sections of this capital city. And its suburban schools, rather than being exclusive enclaves, include children whose parents cannot afford a house in the neighborhood.

Not in the article but from other sources, ...

... polls show over 96% of parents in the Wake County system were happy with the education their child was receiving.
Go figure what is going on here. Click here to read on!

Finance Committee to meet with CPC tonight

The Finance Committee will be meeting with the Community Preservation Committee to hear a report this evening in Room 315 at teh Town Hall. The FinComm will also hear from Executive Director Cressman about the cost to raze a partially collapsed barn on the Dutch Belt Farm. A reserve fund transfer may be needed to pay for its demolition.
I am unable to attend the meeting as I had a previous commitment ... .
... to attend a budget review given by One Massachusetts at Bristol Community College, Building G at 6PM.
You can view a presentation from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) called, "The State Budget -Difficult Choices and our Future" by clicking the preceding hyperlink.
MassBudgetr has previews of the Commonwealth's budget shortfalls and Chapter 70 local school aid at this link. Click here to read on!

Elderly housing at the COA

Last year, Deb Raymond, the COA Director, mentioned to me that it would be an ideal situation if the town could build elderly housing on town owned land to the east of the COA and DeMello school. The siting would place the residents within easy access to the COA and its activities and to the Bullard health clinic. Additionally, some or all the housing may count toward the town's affordable housing stock. Perhaps we could encourage an inter-generational partnership between the school and the residents (reading buddies, tutors, etc.) It seems like a great idea.
What is missing is a plan. Together with the Dartmouth Housing Authority ...

... and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), the town needs to develop a plan to implement this idea and to identify funding and grants for the project.
I hope to work with interested partners to get this started. The cost will not be something the town can do in one year, but if we have a plan, we can take it to the various funding sources and see if they will support it.
One of the areas where the CPC has spent the least funds is affordable housing which is part of their mission. I would like to see funds from the CPC tax surcharge held in reserve every year and earmarked for this project.
What are your thoughts about this project? Click here to read on!

Looking back at Senator Brown's record

SmallTownGuy over a Blue Mass Group has a review of Senator Brown's accomplishments (?) in the last Congress at this link.
What do you think of our junior Senator's record?
I find it mixed, I'm pleased that he voted to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell and irked that he raised a filibuster against extending unemployment benefits during the worst economic downturn in my lifetime. Click here to read on!

I am seeking re-election

I stopped by the Town Clerk and picked up nomination papers for Select Board.
I have been weighing whether or not to do so. It is often a stressful task just for me to get to a Select Board meeting on time. I work at a seafood processing plant and must rush home and get cleaned up before rushing out the door. I often don't have time for dinner. I tend to find the exercise stressful, others might not. I do.
I decided to take out the papers because there are things I would like to see the Town accomplish.
Here is a list of a few:
1. Traffic light priority systems to allow emergency vehicles to get a green light in their approach direction on traffic signals along the Route 6 corridor
2. Continued sound fiscal policy
3. Wind turbine installation
...

4. Create a fund to implement the SRPEDD recommendation to fix the Route 6/ Tucker Road/ Hathaway Road intersection
5. Create a plan and start to set aside CPC funds to build senior housing near the COA and Bullard Clinic.
6. Continue to investigate and implement consolidation of town departments, privatizing services if warranted, regionalizing services with our neighboring towns.
There are a few others as well.
I may expand on some of above items on this blog over the next few weeks
What would you like to see done in town?
Click here to read on!

Reversal of Town Meeting votes

Several comments to this post have discussed the mechanism for reversal of a representative Town Meeting action. The basis for a reversal is Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 43A section 10 which says, in part,

"If, within said seven days, a petition, signed by not less than three per cent of the registered voters of the town, containing their names and addresses as they appear on the list of registered voters, is filed with the selectmen asking that the question or questions involved in such a vote be submitted to the registered voters of the town at large, then the selectmen, after the expiration of five days, shall forthwith call a special meeting for the sole purpose of presenting to the registered voters at large the question or questions so involved."

This section of MGL differs from the Town Charter section 2-15(b) which contains this requirement.

"If, within said eight days a petition, signed by not less than six per cent of the registered voters of the town, containing their names and addresses as they appear on the list of registered voters, is filed with the select board asking that the question or questions involved in such a vote be submitted to the registered voters of the town at large"

The General Laws and the Town Charter differ on several points as shown here...

... and throughout the applicable sections of the MGL and Town Charter. Which would prevail if an Town Meeting action was challenged and the differences brought to court is not clear.
A comment asked if a permanent list of voters could be filed with the Town Clerk in opposition to every appropriation by Town Meeting.

"I ask you to check with town counsel for a legal opinion, to see if a permanent number of town voters, willing to sign a permanent override petition with the required number of registered voters and to be kept at the town clerks officer allowing any tax payer, to obtain and file for an override on expenditure that exceed 200,000 thousand dollars and presented to the B.O.S.
If this can be done, than it should be done."

I have not consulted with Town Counsel (his advice is not free, there would be a cost associated with the request) and I am not an attorney, but it seems clear the language of both the MGL and Town Charter are talking about a petition which is intiated following a Town Meeting action and pertaining specifically to that action

"Each question so submitted shall be in the form of the following question, which shall be placed upon the official ballot:—“Shall the town vote to approve the action of the representative town meeting whereby it was voted (brief description of the substance of the vote and by what vote thereon if such vote was tabulated)?” If such petition is not filed within said period of seven days, the vote of the representative town meeting shall become operative and effective upon the expiration of said period."

What do you think? Tell us in comments Click here to read on!

Commonwealth budget preview

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (Mass Budget) has a preview of the Commonwealth's 2012 budget shortfall at this link.
Mass budget also has a preview of the effect of the Commonwealth's budget shortfall on Chapter 70 school aid at this link

There are going to be significant cuts to local aid and school aid this year.
There are likely to be consequences for our town's budget as a result.
What do you think are areas where the town can reduce costs? Tell us in comments.
Click here to read on!

Lincoln Park development update

The Town has been notified by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that adequate progress has not been made on the Lincoln Park 40R development and the Town will forfeit the $300,000 grant that was provided. The Executive Administrator is seeking an extension of the three year time frame for progress on the plan so the town will not have to repay the DCHD grant.
The developers of the Lincoln Park project recently submitted revised plans for review by town departments. These plans call for 57 single family homes ...
...on the southern part of the site, none of which would be affordable as defined by the DHCD. The developers are seeking to have the DHCD approve a phased plan where affordable housing apartments would be constructed by the developers at a later date. That DHCD approval of that plan has not occurred as far as I am aware.
Read more on the history of the Lincoln Park development at these links

http://dartmouthhitcingpost.blogspot.com/2009/12/lincoln-park-district-and-eminent.html

http://dartmouthhitcingpost.blogspot.com/2008/10/lincoln-park-development-in-news.html

http://dartmouthhitcingpost.blogspot.com/2008/07/lincoln-park-project-redux.html

http://dartmouthhitcingpost.blogspot.com/2008/07/lincoln-park-project.html

As I have noted before, the Town does have some recourse in the eventuality that the grant must be refunded.

"Since the town is under obligation under Chapter 40R to produce affordable housing by April 2010, the following schedule is required of the developer by the permitting authority.

By May 1, 2009. the developer must submit application for Phase 2 development to contain at least 16 dwelling units.
By Sept 1, 2009, the developer must obtain approval from the permitting authority for Phase 2,
By January 15, 2010, the developer must obtain a building permit for the dwellings.

Failure to meet this time line allows the town to seek relief under Mass General Law Chapter 40A or Chapter 40R or the permitting authority may elect to require the developer to convey one acre of the property to the Dartmouth Housing Authority or other designee to allow them to obtain a permit for Building H on that acre."

However these remedies are not a particularly desirable outcome. Rather I would like to see the developers continue with the development. Click here to read on!

Barn near collapse at town owned property

A barn roof on the Dutch Belt farm has partially collapsed and the remainder of the building has been declared derelict (Notice of Unsafe Structure by the Building Commissioner) and must be razed. This farm was purchased by the town with Community Preservation (CPC) funds. The Executive Administrator is currently working to determine whether the barn contains any hazardous materials (asbetos shingles), solicit proposals for demolition, ...
... and identify a source of funding to carry out the work.
The outbuildings at the farm on Old Fall River Road and Faunce Corner are also showing signs of distress. That farm was purchased by Town Meeting with CPC funds as well. Click here to read on!

Dartmouth proposes library MAR change

Dartmouth has suggested changes to the Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR) funding formula used by the state Board of Libraries when considering library certification. This letter from Mr. Cressman to the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) lays out the changes that are proposed.
The MMA sent the email, and will follow up with a letter, to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance asking that the proposal to change the Library Municipal Appropriation Requirement (MAR) be included ...


... in House 1 (the Governor's budget) or any municipal relief bill that the governor might file this month.
With many municipalities struggling with their budgets, a substantial number of cities and towns are in a similar circumstance. The funding problem is actually sort of a "down in the weeds" issue, but in a nutshell, the yearly MAR is the average of the prior three years appropriations or the MAR whichever is higher raised by 2.5%. The result is that once a town does not achieve the MAR, that town must play catch up which is difficult or impossible in the current environment. Click here to read on!