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!

Health Care Reform is here to stay

David at Blue Mass Group references a column by David Frum which posits that the health care reform act which passed on Sunday will not be repealed regardless of the results of the November elections. Frum says;

No illusions please: This bill will not be repealed. Even if Republicans scored a 1994 style landslide in November, how many votes could we muster to re-open the "doughnut hole" and charge seniors more for prescription drugs? How many votes to re-allow insurers to rescind policies when they discover a pre-existing condition? How many votes to banish 25 year olds from their parents' insurance coverage?

I think that is correct. Despite the overheated rhetoric, this reform is long overdue and desperately needed.
The Republicans painted themselves into a corner on this with talk of killing grandma and babies. They have effectively removed themselves from the debate and cannot take any credit for any reform at all. Millions with pre-existing conditions will be able to get health insurance, tens of thousands ...

... with insurance will not go bankrupt when they reach caps, millions more will get help to buy health insurance for themselves and their families. Everyone I know has some story about a family member, friend, or neighbor who has struggled with health care costs against insurance companies. This reform will go a long way toward reducing that situation.
Click here to read on!

DCTV Channel 18 Candidates Forum rebroadcast schedule

Dartmouth Rotary Club 'Meet The Candidates Night' 2010

ShowID 559
Event Date: 3/18/2010
Length: 01:55:45
Category:Town Events
Producer:Joshua Moulding

Schedule Information:
3/20/2010 at 1:59 PM
3/21/2010 at 12:59 PM
3/22/2010 at 10:29 AM
3/23/2010 at 7:29 PM
3/24/2010 at 12:29 PM
3/24/2010 at 11:00 PM

(continued after the jump)

Schedule Information:

3/25/2010 at 10:29 PM
3/26/2010 at 11:29 PM
3/27/2010 at 10:29 AM
3/27/2010 at 10:35 PM
3/28/2010 at 12:59 PM
3/29/2010 at 10:29 AM
3/30/2010 at 7:29 PM
3/31/2010 at 12:29 PM
4/1/2010 at 10:29 PM
4/2/2010 at 11:29 PM
4/3/2010 at 10:29 AM.

Click here to read on!

Police regalia on full display for new Chief on Monday

The swearing in ceremony for our new Police Chief, Timothy Lee, will begin at 5:30PM on Monday at the Town Hall. The department is planning to have their color guard, an honor guard, and a bag piper on hand to escort the Chief. I have to admit ...

... I love bagpipes. There is a sound that comes from the pipes when they are warming up, a sort of hum, that connects to something in my Celtic ancestry. My mother's family was from Cork and my father's from Donegal. The new Chief is a piper himself.
The swearing in will be at 6:30 by Town Clerk, Lynn Medeiros, Captain Soares will be in hand to present the Chief his badge, and the Select Board members and Chief will have an opportunity to speak.
If you would like to come out to welcome our new Chief to the community, you are invited to attend. The ceremony should conclude by 7PM.
Click here to read on!

Commonwealth may have to make cuts before July

The Boston Globe reported in this article that the state may have to make additional cuts in the current year budget. The shortfall of somewhere between $195 to $295 million is said to be due to increased demand at homeless shelters, for MassHealth, and lower than expected revenue and federal aid. The Commonwealth is not allowed by our Constitution to have deficit spending in a fiscal year. The Governor made cuts in October ...

... and the deficit may require added cuts before the end of June. Coming this late in the fiscal year, the cuts have to be done soon and be fairly steep in order to reach the target in the remaining few months on the fiscal year. The article did not give an indication as to where the reductions might fall.
Click here to read on!

Dartmouth Rotary Candidates night

I was not able to attend or view the candidates night forum at the Town Hall last night. I'll try to catch it on DCTV later.

Did any of you see it or attend?

What did you think of the candidates?
On what issues did you agree or disagree with them and why?

Tell us in comments.
Click here to read on!

Mr. Gracie speaks about his candidacy

Dartmouth voters, my name is Frank Gracie and I am a candidate for the Select Board seat that will be vacated by Natalie Dias.

I believe that leaders in government should never lose sight of the fact that the taxpayer is the one to be served. Leaders should always keep their finger on the pulse of what the taxpayer desires for their town, and what services they deem important. The task is then to help figure out what is the best way to fund those services. The best community that the taxpayer wants and can afford should always be the goal.

Our town has made great strides in recent years to overcome many of the financial obstacles that were before us. However, we need to stay vigilant and determined to continue the process of saving the taxpayer money while preserving services. The challenge to the Select Board is to address the needs of the entire town. Proper balance must be maintained across town functions.

Changing amounts of State aid has been the biggest obstacle before us, and we have learned that even if money is promised it may not show up. Even now as we prepare the budget for FY11 we find that projections can go from having a slightly positive bottom-line to being hundreds of thousands in the red, all in just a few days because of ever-changing information.

We cannot again put ourselves in a position where we are facing overrides or large cuts to the number of good employees we have, and the services they provide for us. We must do our best to always be proactive and not reactive.

I am a fiscal conservative who believes that debt is always the enemy. We must live within our means, just as any household must do. We cannot spend more than we take in, and that includes signing up for expenses down the road when we are not sure what revenue will be available to fund them. We cannot get complacent on those occasions when ...

... we find ourselves with a surplus and just spend it. We never can be sure of what is around every corner, so planning and saving for the worst-case scenario is prudent.

I am an early-retired engineer and love to do research and fact-finding. I have volunteered my time to try and help our community by serving on committees. I have worked on the “Tax Classification Committee”, the “Budget and Revenue Task Force”, and the “Privatization Study Group”, serving as Chairperson.

One thing I have learned is that nothing is simple with regard to seeking change. Structures, policies, and practices have been put into place for reasons that were good ideas at the time, and for the most part people have done a good job maximizing resources to keep the town running. Anything we want to do that is different than the past is difficult to accomplish, but we must be persistent and diligent in pursuing a better Dartmouth.

It is a new day and a new time, and the economy is uncertain, but we must continue to forge ahead, being creative and thoughtful about what we do. Just because the task is difficult doesn’t mean that we should not embrace the work. We must choose leaders that are willing to do the hard work and capable of being thorough, thinking things out to their natural conclusion. Making a wrong decision could be costly.

We have a great community, and have had our share of difficulties, but have moved forward in addressing them. I pride myself on my logic and common sense, and believe that my knowledge and ability to be thorough is a great fit for maintaining momentum. I am willing to do the work and put the time in that is necessary to help make our town the best that the taxpayer can afford.

I ask you to consider voting for me on April 6th so I can represent your interests and work for you.

Frank Gracie

Mr. Gracie has a website here.
Click here to read on!

Town and Budget candidate unable to reach an agreement.

The town and Mr. Sulmonte, who was the Select Board's first choice to be the next Director of Budget and Finance, have reached an impasse in contract negotiations. The Select Board has decided not to pursue the matter further with Mr. Sulmonte.
The Select Board has also decided to offer the position to the second place candidate, Mr. Greg Barnes, who is currently the town administrator in Townsend. Mr. Barnes grew up in Westport, ...

... so he is familiar with our town. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. Discussions with Mr. Barnes are now underway and I hope can reach a conclusion soon.
Click here to read on!

What exactly is the Health Care Reform bill?

Professor Roscoe of UMass Dartmouth sent me a very concise sheet detailing exactly what is in the health care reform bill. I thought I would share it with all of you as well. Here is the list of provisions

Health Care Proposal, March 2010
• Insurers cannot deny coverage or set rates based on:
o pre‐existing conditions
o health status
o gender
o family history or genetic information
• Insurers cannot rescind coverage (drop someone from the plan)
• Cap on annual out‐of‐pocket expenses (co‐pays, deductibles)
• Prohibits co‐pays or deductibles for preventive care
• Prohibits caps on lifetime payouts from insurance
• Extends dependent coverage to age 26
• Expands Medicaid eligibility
• Provides tax credits to poorer people for insurance premiums; credits are based on sliding scale
• Sets up state‐based Insurance Exchanges
o small businesses and individuals who don’t get insurance through an employer or who
don’t qualify for Medicaid/Medicare can shop on the exchange
o would be web‐based with standardized information for each provider
• Changes Medicare billing to focus on quality of outcomes rather than fee‐for‐service
• Tax on high‐cost insurance plans
• Annual fees assessed on health industry (pharmaceutical, medical device, insurance)
• Fines on large companies that don’t offer a health care plan (or offer inadequate plans)
• Fines on individuals who do not have any type of health insurance but can afford to purchase it

Looking over the list, what is it that most people would oppose? Especially if you live in Massachusetts which has already adopted most of the provisions.
Senator Brown must know this bill is very much like the system ...

... we have here in the Commonwealth which his campaign website says he supports;

In Massachusetts, I support the 2006 healthcare law that was successful in expanding coverage, but I also recognize that the state must now turn its attention to controlling costs.

Governor Patrick's administration is already proposed a bill to control costs which I posted about here.
Why won't Senator Brown support a bill that does what he said he supported in Massachusetts.
Call or Fax and ask him. His office phone number is 202-224-4543. If you call outside of office hours, you can leave a message. You can fax his office at 202-228-2646.
Click here to read on!

Hawk and the coop-Sun Chronicle column

Sun Chronicle editor Mike Kirby has penned this column about pension abuses at the Bristol County Sheriff's office. Kirby notes that while technically within the pension rules, the sheriff has been able to avoid scrutiny. He thinks the county system is a main reason for the lack of accountability.
He writes,

"And that's why a guy like Hodgson can claim to be a hawk while allowing the chicken coop to get robbed."

It is the taxpayers who are paying ...

... for these pensions. No small wonder that the pension fund has a huge unfunded liability. The most egregious example from Kirby's column,

"... Robert Tweedie, who served as a part-time, on-call pharmacist for the New Bedford Board of Health for 22 years, making $2,200 a year. In 2001, Hodgson hired Tweedie for a $77,000-a-year pharmacist job. After working exactly three years - public retirees' pensions are based on their top three years' salary - Tweedie retired, boosting his pension from $1,171 a year to $46,781."

That means after paying Mr. Tweedy $48,400 over 22 years, the taxpayers will be paying him over $46K for the rest of his life based on his three years on Faunce Corner Road.

Sheriff Hodgson defends his practices.

Time for a new Sheriff in town.
Click here to read on!

Governor Patrick live blogging these days

I got a kick out of Governor Patrick's live blogging session as reported here at Blue Mass Group.
The Governor was criticized for his good grammar and punctuation. His defense? Hey, I'm am English major!
I also try to use good grammar and punctuation. While I was an engineering major, my father was a newspaper columnist, editor and publisher. There were quite a few rewrites on the homework if you couldn't properly use the English language.
I find the language in blogs quite good most of the time. I have to admit I can't ...

...even figure out the language used in text messages. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, I guess.And here is the rest.
Click here to read on!

Never ending contracts

There have been some claims in comments to other posts that the lifetime contracts which Mr. Miller signed with town employees were not lifetime contracts but merely had "just cause" language as many contracts do. That statement is patently wrong. The contracts had language which said the term renewed automatically. Here is what was in the contract.

10. RENEWAL:
This agreement shall be renewed under the current terms, except for “good cause” as defined in the Dartmouth Town Charter, Section 6-9. The EMPLOYER is under no obligation to renegotiate over changing the terms of the agreement. However, in the event that this agreement is re-negotiated to completion prior to, but not executed by, the expiration date of this agreement, the EMPLOYEE shall continue employment under the full terms and conditions of then-expired contract until such time as the new agreement is executed. EMPLOYEE shall be entitled to retroactive payment of any salary and/or benefit increases which occurred due to the late execution of the agreement. It is understood, however, that if the parties do not settle on the changed terms of the successor agreement prior to the expiration of the most recent contract, retroactivity will only be applicable if the parties agree to it as part of their negotiations, and shall only go back as far as the parties agree.

In legal terms, the word "shall" means "must be". The contract is endless under this wording. But there is more. the contract also stated the town must budget for the job ...

... and if the Town Meeting didn't fund it, the town must offer the person another job at the same pay. Here is the wording.

For purposes of this agreement, the phrase “subject to the availability of Town appropriations” shall be understood to mean that the TOWN will make every reasonable effort to secure the necessary appropriation to fully fund this position. The Select Board will have an affirmative duty to budget for the position and to speak in favor of funding this position in total. It is also understood that if layoffs or staff cutbacks are needed in the Town, this EMPLOYEE’S position will only be decreased or eliminated after the Town has already undertaken to decrease or eliminate other positions which add up to the amount of the annual salary of this position first. In the event that the funding for the position of EMPLOYEE is not appropriated or is otherwise decreased or eliminated during the life of this agreement, it is further understood between the parties to this Agreement that EMPLOYEE will be offered another management position in Town, if any exists, as determined by the Executive Administrator, for the same pay and benefits which inure to him/her under this Agreement, for the remaining duration/term of this written agreement.

As I pointed out, the term is forever. This clause makes the pay and position guaranteed. Attorney Bartulis, who drafted the contract said,

"Assuming this same language was in a number of different contracts in the Town, the Town could have a staff of potentially over-paid individuals doing less important management jobs, conceivably, just because the Town agreed not to let them go without just cause. Virtually every contract, even the union contracts which afford just cause protections, have management escape clauses which afford the employer the ability to terminate an employee at-will for lack of work, etc., as determined by the employer. This one does not."
When Attorney Bartulis met with Select Board members, his notes show that Bob Miller was one of two members who attended the conference about the contract language.

Bev Days also wrote a letter in today's Standard Times on this subject. Link to that letter here (subscription required).
My view is that these never ending, guaranteed contracts were a breach of the public trust. The Select Board should protect the interests of the taxpayer, not town employees, when negotiating contracts.
I have posted extensively about what went on with the lifetime contracts and if you want all the details click on "contracts" under the LABELS menu on the left side of the page.
What do you think?
Click here to read on!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Have a Guinness and a nip of Tullamore Dew!

Poteen if you have it.
Some music to sip it by after the jump


A republican song commemorating the uprising of 1798 by the Clancy Brothers.


McIllhaton by Christy Moore

The Foggy Dew by the Chieftains with Sinead O'Connor commemorating the 1916 Easter uprising.

The Wolftones sing The Men Behind the Wire about the 1970's internments.
That's just over two hundred years of the Irish struggle for independence. The history is much longer still. No surprise that Ted Kennedy said, the dream shall never die, his ancestors have centuries of tradition of just that.
Click here to read on!

Does the Boston Herald have it in for Mr. Baker?

As David at Blue Mass Group notes in this post, the Boston Herald has been ripping Republican Charlie Baker over the last couple days.
One article notes,

Baker's salary as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim surged from $548,351 in 1999 to a high of $1.7 million in 2008. He earned $1.3 million in seven months in 2009 before he resigned to run for governor last summer, filings with the state Attorney General show.
Over the same period, premiums at Harvard Pilgrim went up by 100 to 200 percent.

What's going on at the Herald? Did they lose the script?

What do you think?
Click here to read on!

Our Senator spins health care reform

It is a bit puzzling why our Senator Brown doesn't know more about the sort of health care reform that is in the bill being considered by the Congress. After all, it is very similar to the health care reform that is the law in Massachusetts today.
SmallTownGuy over at Blue Mass Group has this post about Senator Brown's address this weekend in which ...

... he dutifully repeats the standard Republican and insurance company talking points against the bill.
Senator Brown knows these talking points are not true, knows that the provisions he pans have been implemented in his home state, so where is his much touted independence? Seems to me, he has fallen into lockstep with his party to deadlock progress. He could have made an honest appraisal and still opposed the bill but chose the low road instead. Not an encouraging start.
Give him a call or FAX and ask him to support health care reform. Details here.
Click here to read on!

Mass Municipal Association urges action on municipal health insurance

The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) is calling on municipal boards and citizens to help change the way that public employee health insurance plans are administered by municipalities. The legislation they are backing would allow municipalities to negotiate and design insurance plans in the same way that the state can with state employees. The MMA estimates that the plan would save taxpayers $100 million a year.
You can read the bill here, http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht02pdf/ht02509.pdf .
The MMA has prepared a fact sheet about the proposed legislation which can be found at this link, http://pokanoketlax.webs.com/PDF%20Docs/plan_design_fact_sheet_mar10.pdf
Mr. Beckwith, the MMA's Executive Director, has sent this letter to legislators urging them to act ...

... and pass this important reform. His letter concludes,

This is a very focused and moderate proposal. Under the bill,
municipalities would still negotiate any changes in the employee-employer premium share, giving municipal unions more bargaining authority than state unions. Municipalities would be able to modernize the health plan design outside of collective bargaining, with a guarantee that all municipal and school employees would still have health plans that are the same or better than what state employees receive, meaning no municipal plan could have higher co-pays or deductibles than the state.

Add your voice by contacting your local Representative or Senator, you can find their contact information here, http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm
Click here to read on!

Police Brotherhood enters political ring

Tonight at Town Hall I was given a letter from the Dartmouth Police Brotherhood which states that they have taken a vote of no confidence in Select Board Chair Joe Michaud.
Some reasons advanced in the letter are comments made at meetings which were not directed solely to the police department, if to the police department at all. Another reason given is that Mr. Michaud was on the radio and expressed concern over accidents involving police cruisers. I would point out to the Police Brotherhood that the Select Board serves as the Police Commissioners in the town. It is entirely within the scope of Mr. Michaud's duties to inquire about police procedure as a commissioner. There have been a number of accidents in the past few years which involved extensive enough damage to patrol cars that the cars were declared total losses. I too am concerned about the accidents. If such accidents are occurring regularly, it is just a matter of time before one of them results in a serious or fatal injury to a police officer or member of the public. I think it is legitimate to inquire ...

... if there is a deficiency of policy or procedure which could be corrected and thereby reduce the incidence of crashes. That is exactly what has been done and not by Mr Michaud alone, but the entire Select Board. The response from the police command was thorough and concise and laid to rest any concerns. However as I wrote in this post there may be technology which can be deployed to help reduce the hazards faced by emergency responders when navigating signaled intersections. The Select Board has asked the police department to look into that. I am not sure that the possibility of using the technology would have been raised if no questions had been advanced. End of story until this vote by the Police Brotherhood.
Mr. Michaud and the rest of the Select Board have been very supportive of the Police Department as evidenced by our funding priorities. To suggest otherwise is unfair and untrue.
Like the Dartmouth Police Department, Mr Michaud has always been a part of his community. He has served as a VOLUNTEER on the Finance Committee and serves as a VOLUNTEER on the Select Board. He spends many hours in community service in other capacities throughout the region. He is a Lt. Col. in the Army National Guard.
I feel that the Police Brotherhood and the town administration have had a positive relationship. I was happy to advocate for an override to maintain more officers, I was gratified that the Brotherhood made some concessions on contract length and other issues in the last contract and that we could agree to a wage package. While the majority of the Select Board and the Brotherhood disagree about hiring the new Chief from outside the department, I think that anyone can see Chief Lee is an exemplary police administrator. I hope and expect that everyone will work to help Chief Lee make the department even better than it is.
Make no mistake, this vote is about town politics, not attacks on the Police Brotherhood because there have not been any attacks. I think it is a shame that the Brotherhood has decided to inject themselves into a political campaign. I hope the voters will see it for what it is, a transparent attempt to influence the campaign rather than a legitimate criticism.
Obviously, I am not making any friends with the Police Brotherhood with this post and I know that. But ask yourself this question, With an election a few weeks away, what was the rush to have the vote and publish it? I believe the answer is apparent.
Click here to read on!

Governor Patrick had a good week this last week

The Patrick administration announced deals with several public employee unions that included givebacks, wage increase deferments and furloughs that will save the state millions and help public employees avoid layoffs. Despite reducing the state's payroll by a couple thousand workers, the Commonwealth's budget is still seriously in the red. These concessions allow services to continue ...

... and workers to keep their jobs.
On another front, several business and industry groups endorsed Governor Patrick's plan to contain the costs of medical insurance. The cost controls will be implemented on insurer and provider increases if the legislature, the General Court, enacts the plan set out by the Patrick administration.
Click here to read on!

Recreation spring programs are open for registration

The offerings for spring recreation classes are on the Town website at this link: http://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/Pages/DartmouthMA_Recreation/spring

General Information

No refunds will be given unless class is cancelled.
All classes are subject to sufficient enrollment.
Programs will be held at the Dartmouth Recreation Center (former smith neck school), 487 Smith Neck Road, Dartmouth, unless otherwise stated.
If Dartmouth Public Schools close due to inclement weather,

...

...

no classes will be held on that day. If the class must be cancelled during the weekend, you will receive a call from the instructor.
All Dartmouth Recreation Instructors undergo a CORI background check by the State Criminal History Systems Board prior to teaching any class.
If you have any questions you may call the Recreation Office at 508-910-1812.

Click here to read on!

Kindergarten registration begins today, others next week

Registration for the 2010-2011 kindergarten school year has begun today. Registration will be conducted at the school district administration office. Registrants must be 5 years old on September 1 , 2010 and residents of Dartmouth. Packets have been mailed to those households that have been identified as having children eligible to attend next year. Contact Andrea Smith at the Superintendent's office between 9AM and 3PM at (508) 997-3391, Ext. 1109 if you did not receive a packet.
The School website has additional information here. There are downloadable forms and other information about registering at the website.
The schools will be holding registrations for new students entering Grades 1-5 (only) for the 2010-2011 school year ...

... during the week of March 22nd from 9 am to 2:30 pm at the individual schools. Students/Parents must be a Dartmouth resident. Please note that the entrance age in Grade 1 is six years old prior to September 1st to be eligible to enroll.
http://dartmouthps.schoolfusion.us/ for more information.
Go to the website to download forms and get information on what to bring to registration.
Click here to read on!

Gracie for Select Board signs

If anyone wants to put a Gracie sign in their yard, please email me at pokanoketlax@hotmail.com Click here to read on!

Dartmouth Candidate Night Thursday at 6:30PM

The Rotary Club will have their annual candidate forum on Thursday at 6:30PM in the Select Board meeting room at Town Hall. The forum will be broadcast on DCTV Channel 18 live.

Got any questions that you would like to see answered by the candidates?
Tell us in comments.
Click here to read on!

Bristol Sheriff department pensions questioned

The Boston Globe had an article here about Bristol County Sheriff Department employees who managed to boost their pensions or retire early by gaming the system. That's my take at least. In the article, Sheriff Hodgson argues that he doesn't make the rules but it sure seems like he could try to help out the taxpayer by not allowing these kinds of things to go on.

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, ...

... IT'S A DUCK!!!
The Bristol County taxpayers are on the hook for millions in retirement benefits that could have been avoided. That is wrong, but not outside the rules. Time for a new sheriff in town.
Click here to read on!

Governor Patrick pushes for jobs bill. health care cost control

Yesterday I noted in this post that it is difficult to implement cost controls in a small state such as our own. David at Blue Mass Group has two posts (here and here) about Governor Patrick's proposal yesterday to try to implement some controls, particularly for small businesses. Read the first link to BMG above to get the details of the plan which would have regulators review health insurance rate increases and provider rate increases. The second link to BMG talks about the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) endorsement of the governor's plan. It has always been a puzzle to me why businesses, large or small, do not advocate for health insurance reform since that is a large part of the benefit expense. AIM is on the right track here.
These controls are the step that has been missing from health care reform in the Commonwealth. We now have universal coverage, mandates, and subsidies, the three conditions necessary to implement reform. Now the Commonwealth must make insurance companies and providers justify the soaring costs before allowing increases.
I hope that the legislature will pass the bill.

And here is the rest.
Click here to read on!

Dr. DiPippo will step down as Alternative Energy Chair

Dr. Ron DiPippo has notified the Select Board that he will step down as chair of the Alternative Energy Committee and resign his seat on that committee. Dr. DiPippo has done yeoman's work in analyzing the energy needs of the town and possible alternative sources for that energy. The wind turbines that are to be constructed in the Paskamansett Valley are a testament to his leadership and vision. I am not sure we would have the project were it not for his diligence, patience, and knowledge. The town owes a debt of gratitude. I personally want to thank Dr. DiPippo as well.

Best wishes for your retirement
Click here to read on!

Potential Town Charter changes, a clean sweep?

The Select Board has been discussing the appointment of a Charter Committee to review potential changes to the charter. While we have been debating whether the commission should have power to change the form of government from Select Board-Town Meeting to some other form, I think there is plenty of opportunity for making real reforms within the current Town Meeting form. I would like to see drastic and sweeping changes made to the structure and operation of our town departments in order to reduce the number of departments and to provide greater accountability for those departments.

In all my spare time :^), I have been reading MGL chapter 43C which provides for consolidated municipal departments. Of particular interest are sections 11, 12 and 13 of that chapter.

We already have a structure in the finance side similar to that set out in 43C, section 11. I am satisfied with the current arrangement there.
(more after the jump)

Section 12 is a Community Development department which could include "the redevelopment authority, the planning board, the industrial development commission, industrial development financing authority or any other municipal office or agency exercising or authorized to exercise any community or economic development activities." I would add the ZBA, Agriculture Commission, Agricultural Trust Council, Community Preservation Committee, and probably some others.

Section 13 is Inspections which could include "the inspections currently being made by the building inspector, wire inspector, plumbing inspector, gas fitting inspector, health agent and others as the ordinance or by-law may specify.” It provides for a single application for "all inspections which might be necessary, including, but need not be limited to, any inspections under the zoning and other local ordinance or by-law, building code, wire code, plumbing and gas code, state sanitary code, board of health rules and regulations, fire code, conservation commission, historic districts commission and any other local inspections as may be otherwise authorized." I would include Animal Control and Natural Resources here as well.

I would add, to the three departments listed above, a Department of Public Infrastructure that would be responsible for all public works, all public buildings, parks, waterways, vehicles and equipment, and any other real asset of the town. I mean to include all public buildings (libraries, Town Hall, police station, COA, all buildings) along with anything that has wheels and moves.

I would also add a Public Services department which would include the Library, Council on Aging, Veteran's Agent, Town Clerk, and Youth Commission.

That would leave the town with the Office of the Select Board and seven departments; Budget and Finance, School, Police, Economic Development, Inspections, Public Infrastructure, and Public Services. All current town employees would be allocated to one of these seven departments. Like I said, sweeping change!

I am not sure what to do with the Alternative Energy committee, Refuse District Committee, DCTV, computer services, and some other committees and commissions. Perhaps they would fall under the Office of the Select Board or fit into one of the other departments. I have not really come up with a good idea there.

Mr. Cressman has also been tasked with developing a plan for restructuring the town departments. I do not start this thread in order to steal any thunder from his effort. I am interested in what others may think of this plan of mine or what plan others might have that is entirely different. I find that writing a post helps to solidify and clarify my thoughts and some of the comments are quite perspicacious and helpful as well.

There are plenty of oxen gored in this post, so "Lay on, McDuff!" as the Bard of Avon once wrote.
What do you think? Tell us in comments.
Click here to read on!

Town sells Souza-Lagasse farm

The Select Board voted to sell the Souza-Lagasse farm to William and Julie Viveiros at our Monday meeting. Curt Brown reported on the sale in this blog post. The farm was sold with a agricultural restriction and a house lot that must remain as affordable housing if built.
Congratulations to the Viveiros'. At the meeting, William Viveiros said ...

... they intend to keep the orchard of Asian pears which the town had planted. It needs some attention in order to fully produce and the plan is to spray and tend the trees to get good fruit. The plan for the rest of the farm is to grow crops and support a beef cattle operation as I understood it.
Click here to read on!

Free showing of movie, Food, Inc

The Tiverton Meeting House will have a free showing of the movie, Food, Inc. this evening, Wednesday, March 10 at 7PM. The NetFlix description can be found here
Go and see it. You'll then want to go to this website for SEMAP and buy locally produced food.

The directions are after the jump.

Tiverton Four Corners Meeting House
3850 Main Road, Tiverton Four Corners

Take Rte. I-195 to Rte. 24 South. Exit onto Rte. 77 South six miles to Tiverton Four Corners.

Click here to read on!

What's wrong with health care reform?

Jill Lawrence has this article at Politics Daily on 10 wrong reasons to oppose health care reform.

Read it and tell me where she is incorrect if you think so.

As I see it, there are three conditions ...

... that have to go hand in hand to reform our health care system. The fact that the three are intertwined is one reason that an incremental approach cannot work. It is these three, or the whole reform is unworkable.

First, everyone has to be able to purchase coverage. That means everybody gets it, even those with pre-existing conditions and no kicking sick people off. Universal coverage will cause the insurance companies to have to cover sick people which will increase their costs. That leads us to the second condition.

Mandates requiring that all citizens have health insurance is the second condition. If everyone must have health insurance, not just when you get sick, then we all bear the costs of the health insurance system and it is there for us when we get sick or hurt. We all pay in, even while we are healthy, so the insurance companies can afford to cover the sick or injured. Otherwise, given my first point, only those who are or get sick would be in the system.

Which brings me to the third condition. Those people who cannot afford health insurance will have to be subsidized by the rest of us. The reform will have to have some sort of means testing so that people who cannot afford the mandated coverage are still able to get insurance and participate in the system.

These three conditions are all necessary for the whole thing to work at all. The system I described above will look familiar to many of you. It is the system that has been adopted and is in force in Massachusetts today. It was proposed and enacted under the wild eyed socialist governor, Willard Romney. Is it perfect? No, but it is covering almost every Bay State citizen and the costs, while high, have not bankrupted the treasury. I think the missing link is that our Commonwealth is not and probably cannot do enough to control costs to make a big difference in rates. Our state is small in population and size, and cost control within our borders would result in providers shifting out of the area. A national program would solve that.

The current health care reform package would go a long way toward getting the country to the three conditions I mention.
Click here to read on!

Emergency vehicle traffic automation to be investigated

The Select Board has asked that the Police Department investigate a system to automatically force traffic lights to change to a red signal in all directions except the one from which an emergency vehicle is approaching. This system is called a Emergency-Vehicle Preemption and Transit-Signal Priority system. Mr. Cressman has some knowledge of such a system from his time in Tewksbury and acting Chief Soares will look into the costs. The system would probably be employed on the traffic signals in the Route 6 corridor. Police cruisers, fire trucks, and ambulances would have a device that activates the traffic signals and would allow a faster and safer passage for emergency response vehicles and reduce the likelihood of crashes.
This sounds like an excellent idea to me ...

...and I will push for the installation.
You can read more about this kind of system at this link to roadtrffic-technology.com. The page is for a system by GTT but there are other manufacturer aswell.
Click here to read on!

State employee unions approve concessions

David at Blue Mass Group has this post about public employee union concessions negotiated with Governor Patrick that will save the Commonwealth tens of millions over the next few years.
I have to give credit where it is due, the Patrick administration and public employees have shown that they are working hard to be fair to taxpayers at a time of fiscal constraint. It takes co-operation and trust ...

... to get this kind of agreement which will help retain workers and services while helping the Commonwealth get through the current economic downturn.
There is more to do especially in the area of pensions but I see this as a credit to both sides.
What do you think? Tell us in comments.
Click here to read on!

Community supported agriculture flourishing in town

Judging from this article in the Standard Times, Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a growth industry in Dartmouth (pun intended). Local food is healthy food and there are several Dartmouth farms mentioned. Think about buying a share, you'll be surprised at the wonderful taste of fresh local products. UMass Dartmouth hosts the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership which lists local CSA farms, farms stands, and other local food resources at this web site.
I was also interested in read that community supported fisheries are gaining favor. Sounds like a great way ...

... to help support our local fishermen and get the freshest seafood. If the catch is not dragged up in indiscriminate quantities and species in seines and nets, it will be much more sustainable and friendlier to the ecosystem. Does anyone know if there is a local outlet for community supported fishing?
Click here to read on!

Senate support still growing!

From TPM media, this report on still more Senate support for passing the public option.

Still no word from our Senator Brown. Give him a call.


As the late Senator Kennedy said, Never give up the dream.
Click here to read on!

Three more Senators back public option

TPM blog reports that three more Senators have signed up to support inclusion of a public option health insurance program in any eventual reform bill. That brings the total to 31 Senators in support. The three are Casey of PA, Wyden of OR, and Udall of CO. Our own Senator Kerry has indicated his support but newly elected Scott Brown has not. Call or FAX his office and ...

... ask him to support this effort. His Senate phone number is 202-224-4543. If you call outside of office hours, you can leave a message. You can fax his office at 202-228-2646.
The effort to include the public option is slowly gaining support with 8 more Senators signing on in the past week.
The House also has a way to go as TPM pointed out in this post.
Click here to read on!

Form of government question to be put to voters

There was a lengthy discussion at the Select Board last evening about placing a non binding question on the town election ballot to ask if voters would like to see the form of our town government changed. Dartmouth has the standard form of town government (MGL chapter 43A) in the Commonwealth which is a Town Meeting as the legislature and the Select Board as an executive body. There are six other forms of government detailed in the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL Chapter 43) and the town may also invent another form as we see fit under the home rule provisions of the state Constitution.

Article II. Section 1. Right of Local Self-Government. - It is the intention of this article to reaffirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of their local government, and to grant and confirm to the people of every city and town the right of self-government in local matters, subject to the provisions of this article and to such standards and requirements as the general court may establish by law in accordance with the provisions of this article.

Section 2. Local Power to adopt, revise or amend Charters. - Any city or town shall have the power to adopt or revise a charter or to amend its existing charter through the procedures set forth in sections three and four. The provisions of any adopted or revised charter or any charter amendment shall not be inconsistent with the constitution or any laws enacted by the general court in conformity with the powers reserved to the general court by section eight.

No town of fewer than twelve thousand inhabitants shall adopt a city form of government, and no town of fewer than six thousand inhabitants shall adopt a form of government providing for a town meeting limited to such inhabitants of the town as may be elected to meet, deliberate, act and vote in the exercise of the corporate powers of the town.

As I said last evening, I like the current form, ...

... especially Town Meeting which allows everyone to speak. One drawback of this form is that the legislature, the Town Meeting, meets so infrequently that budgets tend to be overestimated so that the departmental funding does not run out before the end of the fiscal year. I would support changing to a different form if the affairs of the town required multiple Town Meetings in a single year. I don't think the town is there yet.
What do you think about changing the form of town government?
Click here to read on!

Police Chief hired, Budget Director selected

At last night's Select Board meeting, the Board signed a contract with Captain Timothy Lee to become the new Police Chief in Dartmouth. Captain Lee will begin his service on March 22nd. There will be a reception at the Town Hall at 5:30PM on that day to welcome Chief Lee to the community and department. I feel that Chief Lee will be a tremendous asset to the town and an outstanding Police Chief for many years to come.
The Select Board also voted to appoint Mr. Anthony Sulmonte as Director of Budget and Finance, subject to successful contract negotiations. Mr. Sulmonte was not interviewed at the same time as the other candidates due to a scheduling conflict. It is unfortunate the he could not have been interviewed on DCTV so that the community could have watched ...

... but there was another meeting televised that evening and the room was not available. I found Mr. Sulmonte to be knowledgeable, very personable, open, and sincere. He was the unanimous choice of the selection committee and the Select Board. Mr. Sulmonte is currently the Treasurer in Abington.
Finally, the Select Board asked to have a discussion of full day kindergarten put on the agenda for next week's meeting.
Click here to read on!

Police respond to threat

I received this notice via NIXLE

DARTMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT--
THREATS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST DARTMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

On Monday, March 1, 2010 at approximately 07:30 AM, Dartmouth Police School Resource Officer, Paul Arruda received a tip from a student regarding a threat of violence being made towards the student body at Dartmouth High School.

Officer Arruda was advised by this student, that a 17 year old New Bedford male, identified as Sean DeAlmeida from 397 Rivet Street, sent a threatening Instant Message via computer to a friend of his ex-girlfriend.

The threatening message allegedly sent by DeAlmeida stated that he was going to go to Dartmouth High School and shoot several people then commit suicide. It was stated that DeAlmeida was upset over a recent breakup with a girlfriend.

The student that provided the information stated that she is very familiar with DeAlmeida and believed that he would follow through with the threat. The student informed Officer Arruda that DeAlmeida has acted violently in the past and had access to a gun. School officials were immediately notified of this potential threat.

Immediately after Officer Arruda received this information, members from the Dartmouth Police Department’s Patrol and Detective Divisions promptly responded to the school and took proper security measures.

A brief time later, DeAlmeida was located at his Rivet Street home. DeAlmeida agreed to speak with the police ...

... and voluntarily came to the Dartmouth Police Department for questioning.

Detectives questioned DeAlmeida about the allegation being made against him. DeAlmeida stated to detectives that he was upset and did in fact write and send the Instant Message to his ex-girlfriend’s friend.

DeAlmeida was charged with threats causing evacuation or disruption of a school. DeAlmeida will be arraigned at Third District Court in the near future.

For full details, go to http://local.nixle.com/alert/1345577/
Click here to read on!