Selectmen Raise Cemetery Fees

The increases are in part to prepare for expansion since the cemetery is running out of space.

  Selectmen voted 4-1 Wednesday to raise cemetery fees in order to be prepared for cemetery expansion and to cover Saturday burial costs. Officials said the fees have not gone up in nine years. Weekday burials rose from $600 to $750 and Saturday burials from $850 to $1,000. In addition, perpetual care costs climbed from $350 to $500, and lot sales from $750 to $900. Department of Public Works crews bury the dead, digging a grave, placing the casket within and covering it. Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta said the cemetery is running out of space. To create more room, the town will have to pay a contractor to blast ledge. In addition, the longstanding $850 fee for a Saturday burial was not covering the town's costs, …

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Governor Proposes Cuts: What They'd Mean for Swampscott

Town Administrator Tom Younger weighs in on the reductions.

  In anticipation of the “fiscal cliff” combined with projected tax revenues that are more than half a billion dollars lower than previously expected, Gov. Deval Patrick released a revised budget designed to deal with the gap Tuesday. Among the items being proposed is an across-the-board 1 percent cut to towns and cities in Massachusetts — or $9 million — in the current fiscal year's local aid package. This cut would need legislative approval. Additional lottery proceeds could make the reduction unnecessary. There is no definitive timeframe for action on the local aid reduction legislation. Still, many in the House eye such cuts as a last resort. “I will join my colleagues in reviewing the proposal filed by the Governor yesterday and …

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Swampscott Stories

Mystery of the Missing Olmsted Sign

Anyone know the whereabouts of the Olmsted Historic District sign that was posted in the island at Paradise and Walker Roads. If so, please call or email the town planner at 1-781-596-8829 or pkane@town.swampscott.ma.us

  On Monday, the Olmsted Historic District sign was on the ground in the traffic island at Paradise and Walker Roads. Tuesday it was gone. Where it ended up is a mystery. The town planner checked with the Department of Public Works and Police Department officials but they have not heard what happened to the sign. Somebody might have cleaned it up, seeing it was on the ground. If so, Town Planner Pete Kane would like to where it is now. He asks anyone who has it or knows where it is to call or email him — -781-596-8829 or pkane@town.swampscott.ma.us If the town recovers the sign they can gauge its condition and see about repairing it and returning it to its previous spot. The sign may have been hit by a vehicle. The white sign is one of two…

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David Arsenault

4:58 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012

Someone did clean up the Island grass even looks cut, whoever did the work overlooked the pile of leaves sitting ontop of the Storm drain. Same person probably thew away the sign. Guess they felt the pile was a better decoration.   more ›

Possible Fraud Case Referred to Police and Attorney General's Office

Report states results are inconclusive as to whether fraud occurred, but found internal controls were insufficient.

  This press release came from Swampscott's Acting Town Administrator Dave Castellarin. The Swampscott Board of Selectmen and the Swampscott School Committee have received and reviewed the auditor’s “Fraud Examination Report” and have accepted the report and recommendations of the Town’s Auditor. The Board and the Committee are committed to assuring that all Town and School operations under their purview are conducted according to applicable Massachusetts General Laws and regulations, and appreciates the assistance and recommendations of the auditor in that effort.  Because of the lack of accounting records and documentation, the result of the fraud examination was inconclusive as to whether fraud occurred during the fraud examination …

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Restaurant's Outstanding Bill Spurs Change

From now on the town will not renew liquor, food and entertainment licenses contingent upon them being paid at a later date.

  Selectman David Van Dam said it is unfair for the town to renew Red Rock Bistro's liquor, food and entertainment licenses when it owes the town money and other establishments have paid their bills. He cast the lone dissenting vote on a motion approved 4-1 by the board on Wednesday to grant license renewals to all local establishments contingent upon their bills being paid in full Dec. 21. Van Dam made it clear that his dissent was aimed at the Red Rock and not the other businesses. He said the Red Rock was late last year, as well. Typically the town renews businesses' licenses in December for the upcoming year. The town expects bills to be paid on time but it has provided for an exception — that the bills be paid to the town by the end …

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School Returns Almost $200,000 to Town

The savings accrued from careful budgeting but at least one school official would have prefered that all the money got spent on education.

The return of $195,095 from last year's school budget to the town got mixed reviews at last week's School Committee meeting. Superintendent of School Lynne Celli lauded the diligent budgeting that resulted in the savings. She and Business Manager Ed Cronin said on Wednesday that schools saved money on utilities — in spite of the cold winter — on special education costs tied to clinical services, and on elementary school substitute teachers. School Committee member Jaren Landen said she would rather the district spend all money budgeted for schools. "I would like to spend every dime on our children," Landen said. Celli confessed to not being entirely happy about returning money. But Assistant Superintendent Maureen Bingham pointed out that …

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