Friday, May 10, 2013
Town Meeting members on Tuesday defeated a proposed leaf blower by-law after it was introduced for reconsideration.
Town Meeting reversed itself Tuesday on restricting leaf blowers, defeating the by-law members had approved 24 hours earlier. On Monday, meeting members narrowly approved the article, 124-121, prohibiting gas-powered blower use at residences from May 16 to Sept. 14. But Tuesday, after the item, Article 7, was approved for reconsideration — and after discussion — a clear majority of meeting members voted down the measure. Unlike Monday, several speakers opposed the prohibition on Tuesday. Tom Driscoll said the by-law would create problems, taking police and Department of Public Works away from their regular duties. He said the by-law was unenforceable, and questioned the logic of a prohibition on gas-powered leaf blowers while residents …
In his letter to the editor, union President Steven Tolman said Swampscott's decision to vote down the home rule proposal should reverberate around the commonwealth and beyond.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, May 10
By Steven A. Tolman, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Former U.S. Speaker of the House and Massachusetts titan, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill famously said that, “All politics is local.” Perhaps no greater demonstration of that slogan of democracy exists than the Town Meetings that occur in municipalities across our commonwealth. On Tuesday May 7ththe town of Swampscott demonstrated the power of grassroots democracy and the political outcomes that can be achieved when the facts get directly to the people without the clutter, noise, distraction, and dissembling of modern politics. Swampscott’s Board of Selectmen sought to have the Town Meeting adopt a Home Rule Article to seek approval by the state legislature to change the town employees’ …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
A wrap-up of several Town Meeting articles.
On the second and final night of Town Meeting, Tuesday, members gave a thumbs up to Capital Improvement Committee sponsored items in Article 13 including odor mitigation for the new police station. The odor funds, $160,000, are intended to filter unpleasant smells from the sewer pumping station located across the parking lot from the new police station on Humphrey Street. The police station's construction is nearing completion, with final, punch list items slated to be finished in early June. The $160,000 will be raised from $80,000 in taxes and from applying $60,000 in unused, previously appropriated money for police station improvements. William DiMento questioned the Finance Committee's openness with the funding. He told them he …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Reports on Town Meeting: Votes in on Home Rule petition, purchase of Phillips Beach and leaf blower use.
Town Meeting, Day 2 7:50 p.m. Town Meeting members voted against the seasonal restriction on residential leaf blower use in town. The moderator called for a show of hands. The proposal was clearly defeated and did not need to go to a counted vote. Dr. Lawrence Block advocated for the restriction, citing health risks associated with gas-powered blowers. Tom Driscoll said the restriction was unenforceable and going to cause hassles for police and DPW. Monday 9:45 p.m. The article proposing restrictions on leaf blower use during the summer passed 124-121. Residents will not be allowed to use gas-powered leaf blowers from May 16 to Sept. 14. 9:30 p.m. The article proposing the purchase of Phillips Beach, for $140,000, was postponed with…
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Town Meeting members also voted to buy the train depot, but to postpone buying a beach.
On their first night of Town Meeting, members dispensed with several controversial items including Article 5, a home rule petition. The meeting continues tonight at the high school in the auditorium. On Monday, the home rule article proposed authorizing selectmen to request legislation giving Swampscott the option to offer alternative retirement and health insurance benefits for new town employees in collective bargaining with unions. Home rule supporter Selectman Barry Greenfield charted the steady growth of the town's unfunded liability on pensions, climbing from $14 million in 2000 to $27 million in 2006 to $36 million in 2011. He said the current system is unaffordable and unsustainable. And he and resident Jack Beermann said …
Monday, May 6, 2013
A Special Town Meeting article asks members to approve $140,000 to buy Phillips Beach.
An article on the Special Town Meeting warrant will ask meeting members to approve $140,000 to buy Phillips Beach from those who claim ownership. The regular Town Meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. in the Swampscott High auditorium, with the Phillips Beach article a part of the Special Town Meeting, scheduled to start at 8:30 tonight. ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase, eminent domain or otherwise, for general municipal purposes, all or any portion or any interest in the property identified on Swampscott Assessor’s Map 33, Lots 53, 10 and 10D abutting Ocean Avenue of 3.7 + acres of undeveloped land and to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds the sum of $…
Two other warrant articles concern the property as well.
Three articles on tonight's Town Meeting warrant apply to the Swampscott Train Depot. The town wants authority to buy and lease the historical property. Selectmen sponsored all three articles. Articles 8 and 10 need a two-thirds majority approval from meeting members; article 9 needs a simple majority. Article 8 would authorize selectmen to buy the depot building, the land beneath it and four parking spaces for $50,000. Article 9 would authorize the town to lease the building to a third party for up to 50 years. Article 10 would zone the property, 10 Railroad Ave., B-1. The same article would also zone 100 Pine Street B-1 and would zone Columbia Street B-2. These three locations are as of now unzoned. The Finance Committee recommends …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The Board of Health hosted a public hearing on the proposed by-law in April. The proposal goes to Town Meeting Monday.
Residents in the room said leaf blowers are noisy and unhealthy. Landscapers in the room said using hand tools will increase the time and cost of lawn care. The two sides aired their thoughts at a public hearing before the Board of Health, in April. Proposed restrictions on leaf blowers go to Town Meeting on Monday. The by-law would prohibit leaf blower use at residences in Swampscott from May 16 to Sept. 14. The law would not apply to spring and fall clean-ups — typically done prior to May 16 and after Sept. 14. The prohibition would not apply to the town and its contractors at any time. At the April 16, public hearing upstairs at the library residents sat toward the front and landscapers lined the back row. Residents said the blowers…
Friday, May 3, 2013
The article, #5, asks to authorization for selectmen to petition the Legislature, asking for an exception to retirement and health benefits mandated by the state.
Article 5 seeks authorization for selectmen to ask lawmakers to pass legislation giving Swampscott the option to offer alternative retirement and health insurance benefits for new town employees in collective bargaining with unions. The article needs majority support from town meeting members. In February selectmen voted to recommend the article, though they did so by a 3-2 vote at a meeting that drew lots of audience members and generated debate. Selectman Barry Greenfield introduced the idea, saying the town is having problems funding the mandated pension program. Supporters said alternatives are a financial necessity. Opponents disagree. Opponents said the proposal is a black eye for the town, marking it as a municipality …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A Patch reader asked why the Jackson Park project isn't finished and is the town liable if someone gets hurt in it incomplete state?
We posed two Jackson Park questions to the head of Public Works and the town administrator. The questions, sent to us by a Patch reader, asked why the project taken so long to complete and is the town liable if someone gets hurt there — considering the park's incomplete state? The answer to why it isn't finished? Money, said the DPW director and town administrator. The park for all seasons has been under the wing of a team of volunteers spreaheaded by Kevin Donaher. The group has volunteered time and labor, organized work parties, sought private contributions and continues to recycle metal. But the park is still shy of funding needed for completion so the town will bring a $60,000 capital improvement request to Town Meeting next week, …
michael mcclung
6:53 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
Yes, Sharon; that's the right section. I believe that at least by common practice, the motion to reconsider is submitted in writing prior to the beginning of the next day's session. Section 11 addresses this, in a roundabout way. And if I could make a version of Robert's that would fit in this comment box, it would make me a wealthy man, indeed... :) more ›