Town meeting Nov 1st

Town meeting is tommorrow and there's quite a slate on the warrant - a full 20 items.

Some of the highlights - major additions/changes proposed (corrected not by the new planner, by the PB) in article 15 for landscaping, trees and signage. The changes are intended to make a visual difference for passing motorists - essentially to beautify and improve the look mostly of Rt 12 businesses. There are a lot of good ideas in there, although this is a major change proposal. I'm interested to hear from business owners and residents.

Also the proposal for a new library (Article 5 I think it is). I'm inclined to vote for it simply because the voters need to approve any override anyway and this just authorizes it. $13M is a lot although some will be state money, which is why they are proposing this now. Finance suggests approving this also so they must think it's not extravagant. $13M seems like a lot, but if you look at it over time ... I dunno, I'm leaning to support it but having trouble with the amount I guess.

Another major issue - Recreation developing the Packachoag Meadows area. I think it's about time the town decided what to do with it. Right now you could consider it passive recreation, although it's not even designated to the Rec department - that's part of the warrant. They want to appropriate money to develop it of $1.5M also in there in article 11. I think we need some new fields so I will vote for it. On the other side, I continue to be concerned there are no passive recreation plans in the works or conservation of public land. This land is now by default, although it once was farm land and gifted (correction the town bought it??) to the town 20 years ago or so, so not really conservation.

I'm voting for the kennel (article 9).

I'm interested in the Aquifer and watershed protection overlay district (Article 14) because I want to see if it includes US Res. If not why not? I support its creation in principle.

Article 17 worries me a little because they're essentially saying if the amount of money is under $100K they don't have to account for it fully so long as the BOS allow it. Less accountability is bad in my book. A no vote.

Article 18 approves funds for Eddy Pond Dam. Yes on that from me.

Article 19 and 20 - establishing or accepting new roads. don't we have enough to cover now? I'll have to hear from someone on this or I'm voting against more new roads for the town.

Congratulations Red Sox!

Twice in 4 years proves they're no fluke - what a great season this was!

Wind power study

I'm really impressed and happy the town is looking into this along with the Mass Technology Collaborative. I think it could make a difference in the utility bills and also really show the town is progressive in this area. The key questions are whether or not we have enough wind at a certain height to make operation feasible.

I'd encourage the town to follow up and hopefully they'll find some renewable alternatives for energy going forward! Not only is it environmentally more responsible, it could be a big savings (even make money some months). Considering the price of electricity has been trending upward the past several years this could be significant.

More accountability in town government - DPW and TM

One particular incident comes to mind as to what's wrong with our town government. Last year the highway department was on the ballot to request an override for some funds. I happened to be at the meeting for other reasons. But anyway a speech was given to the BOS about it.

One member of the BOS raised a simple question - how will the money be used? Do you have a plan, and how do you know you don't need more (or can live with less)? The answer was that "I am an elected official in this town and I don't have to answer to you". He repeated the question politely but each time that line of reasoning that "well the people elected me and it's my business, I don't have a song and dance up here and a fancy paving plan". Anyway, the override request was denied, thanks in part to this performance.

In the business world, if you ask for money some reasons to justify its expenditure are always required. In fact, they want to know what the return on the investment will be in a particular time frame. Only in a place like government could someone actually think they are above explaining where the dollars are going.

I'm sorry but that reasoning is not good enough. I think the townspeople and BOS deserve better. The charter review committee should remember this - this is exactly the attitude that works against progress and getting things done, and potentially that a reorg of town government could fix. A DPW could potentially do this as well as appointing a town manager with budgetary authority.

I think the people of Auburn deserve better visibility into the workings of the Highway and all departments, since it is their money being spent. Whether we need to form a DPW and town manager to do this, maybe we don't but it's clear we need to be more accountable.

Another potential for improving this accountability is to publish timely information on the web. Most information is out of date. Budget numbers could be published regularly - where are we with the snow removal budget for the year, what is the priority list for paving etc. Right now this information is treated like a privileged guarded secret. At best it's available if you dig through records in the town hall. Other towns are earning awards for their web presence, we should strive for that and I think it would improve the trust among residents.

Some examples of towns in Massachusetts who won this award from the above link:

Communities receiving the 2007 E-Government Award were: Amherst, Andover, Arlington, Ashburnham, Ashland, Barnstable, Becket, Bedford, Bolton, Boston, Boxborough, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Chelmsford, Concord, Dedham, Douglas, Dudley, Dunstable, Duxbury, Falmouth, Framingham, Franklin, Gloucester, Groton, Harvard, Hingham, Holden, Holliston, Hopkinton, Kingston, Lenox, Lexington, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Maynard, Melrose, Methuen, Nantucket, Newton, Northampton, North Reading, Palmer, Paxton, Peabody, Pelham, Plympton, Provincetown, Salem, Saugus, Scituate, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Somerville, Southampton, Southwick, Spencer, Springfield, Stow, Sudbury, Swampscott, Tewksbury, Uxbridge, Westfield, Westford, Weston, Westport, West Springfield, Weymouth, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn, and Worcester.

“We are pleased to be able to honor so many towns this year,” said Common Cause executive director Pam Wilmot. “Many communities rose to the challenge and significantly improved their Web sites over the past year.”

Town planner and new bylaw proposals

I was watching the Planning Board last night and was generally impressed with the way our new town planner comports himself. I think the ideas about landscaping, buffering and even signs are just the kind of discussions we need to be having to make some "visual oases" among the Rt 12 clutter.

I haven't studied all the changes to this point but having some direction for the town going forward on these issues is a welcome change.

Sox in October

I've been a fan since '67, Yaz, Impossible Dream (yeah I know - getting old) and ever since. I also played baseball in school, and do so currently for fun in the Boston Baseball league.

It's great that they won the AL East over the hapless Yanks (who are the new baseball playoff losers) and now the pennant. Imagine two WS in the space of 4 seasons? Unbelievable - GO SOX!

A few more sleepless nights I guess, but playoff baseball is the best!

Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize

All I can say is wow. What a year for him - first an Oscar, now this. I've followed his environmentalism since the late 80s and Earth in the Balance days. Most or all of what he's claimed from those days has turned out to be true.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/12/nobel.gore/index.html

Will there be a Gore/Clinton ticket in 08? The Gore hardcore supporters would say he won once already ;). Time will tell - congratulations to Al Gore on this honor!