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overrides

March 5, 2010 - 10:58am

Town Meeting Monday

by Dave Atkins
Painting: Liberty Leading the People

Just a reminder...Monday night at 7pm, High School auditorium: Special Town Meeting to vote on whether to place an override on the ballot in April to fund the new library. There was a nice writeup in the Hometown Weekly summarizing the issues and there is also plenty of information on the Library website. Check it out and show up Monday night to share your opinion and vote.

The meeting will be videotaped by Westwood Community Access Television and while we do not yet control the signal from Comcast, we'll try to get it broadcast soon afterwards. I'm also working with our Executive Director and the High School to see if we can livestream it on the web. No promises there, but we will see what we can do.

Whatever your position and whatever the outcome of the meeting, this is an opportunity to discuss the issues in advance of the ultimate vote in April--if the measure passes Monday night, then it goes to the Town Election. So I'm sure the arguments for and against will not end Monday night.

The icon/painting next to this post is part of a new feature I'm launching. I'm going to publish certain weekly recurring features. This one is "Civic Agenda" and the idea is to post a short blurb about one government-related meeting each week. You can get the full list of events from the town website and/or many other sources, but I'll find one item to feature and provide a little more detail and context. The logo is from the painting by Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People. Perhaps the painting is a bit more passionate than we can expect (or desire) from a Town Meeting, but the day to day choices we make and the opportunities we have to build and shape our communities are the direct legacy of those who battled to secure these rights and freedoms. Our actions build the future.

March 4, 2010 - 4:18pm

Health Care Costs Tax Town

by Dave Atkins

Westwood is better off than many of the communities profiled in a Boston Globe series this week (Runaway health costs are rocking municipal budgets). Westwood certainly shares the pain of all communities as health care premiums have quadrupled in the past decade and currently represent about 7.6% of the proposed budget for FY11. Currently, the town is budgeting over $5 million to provide health insurance to 714 employees and retirees.

Some key differences between many of the towns profiled in the Globe story:

  • Although Westwood does not purchase through the state's Group Insurance Commission, we do purchase health insurance through the West Suburban Health Group which results in lower group rates than towns "going it alone."
  • Westwood covers only 60% of the HMO premium--unlike some towns that cover 90% or more of employee's health benefits. This 40% share also discourages some who have better alternatives through a working spouse or other eligibility.

Detailed information about the proposed budget may be downloaded from the town web site. Summary Detail

February 28, 2010 - 1:20pm

Signs up for Library

by Dave Atkins

Everyone has probably seen a few "Yes" signs by now...

Questions...where can someone get a sign to show their support for the library...and...will there be "No" signs?

February 3, 2010 - 3:00pm

Library or Lunch?

by Dave Atkins

Are Westwood residents ready to pay the equivalent of one lunch per month to see the Library renovated? My informal, scientifically baseless quick poll shows strong support for the Library, and I'm inclined to agree that the time is right to make an investment in our community infrastructure. But in an economy filled with doubt, are people going to be so quick to cast those "yes" votes?

A resident pointed out to me that my poll is inaccurate--the average cost per household will be be $106. But the schedule of payments--to finance $9.3 million over 20 years, assuming 5% interest and an average home value of $532,000, begins with a cost of $140 in the first year and declines to $73 by year 20.

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January 26, 2010 - 6:00am

I-Cubed Again

by Dave Atkins

Expect a fast track and mad scramble on all fronts as life is breathed back into the Westwood Station project following Governor Patrick's announcement that the state is ready to spend up to $55 million to thaw the snow from the frozen mounds of dirt on University Ave.

Part of the funding now depends on Cabot, Cabot, and Forbes pursuing I-Cubed financing--which will require authorization from Town Meeting. The meeting warrant was closed on January 4, but the Board of Selectmen placed several "placeholder" articles in the warrant to allow for possible future Westwood Station-related issues. These will likely be updated to include whatever is necessary.

Last night's Finance Commission meeting began to consider annual town meeting warrant articles, but tonight, in addition to a Library presentation, the Commission will hear an update on Westwood Station. Future meetings will provide an opportunity to more fully discuss whatever measures come foward. At this point, CC&F must still re-apply for the funding, so discussion remains speculative at best...

January 25, 2010 - 3:03pm

Library Update

by Dave Atkins

Residents will likely be asked to approve a debt exclusion override at the Special Town Meeting to be held on March 8, 2010, for the purposes of funding the construction of a new/replacement Main Library. The latest news and updates can be found on the Library web site and project blog.

The Westwood-Walpole League of Woman Voters will host a town-wide presentation on the new library project at the First Parish Meeting Hall on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 2:00pm.

Public input and discussion begins this week and continues through February...

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January 6, 2010 - 12:24pm

Future of Colburn School

by Dave Atkins

This Thursday night, the Board of Selectmen will hold a public information session to consider the future of the  Colburn School building. The meeting will be at 7:30pm in the Little Theatre of the High School and will be a joint session of the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, and Historical Commission.

The Colburn School building--what to do with it--has repeatedly come up in FinCom meetings and discussion of plans for the new Library. The Colburn School was built in 1874 and is recognized by the state as a contributing building to the Colburn Historic District on High Street. State money that will help build the Library is contingent on preserving the building in some location.

November 19, 2009 - 7:12am

A Busy Winter for Westwood

by Dave Atkins

There are no shortage of potential topics to discuss in this town. Ideally, each one would start as its own post, but I just wanted to list out some of the things I'm wondering about that are not being covered by the press extensively and/or are not in a finalized state where the town would have published anything.

Last night, the Economic Development Advisory Board met after being completely re-organized. Regardless of what is going on or not going on with Westwood Station, what is the purpose of that? What is the town doing to promote business development--both small and large? A few years ago, an economic development director was hired; then she left and went to Needham. Is there any kind of association of Westwood small business owners I could join? Or start?

The Pedestran and Bicycle Safety Committee is meeting tonight. I posted it officially at town hall as required by law and on the town website, but haven't even posted it here on my blog. We have a lot going on and I'm happy to respond to questions.

The Dunkin Donuts on Route 1 was robbed at gunpoint last Tuesday. Yes, there was a story in the Westwood Press but it would be good to learn more.

FinComm met on Tuesday night. Was that about the Library...or the budget in general...or prep for discussing the warrants for the town meetings coming up? There is a lot of specualtion but I would suspect the majority of residents are not paying attention yet--until the override campaigns start. There is a blog about the Library project and plenty of information and meetings going on, but it would be great to hear what people are thinking and start the discussion earlier before it turns into a campaign.

The challenge of municipal finance in general is a complex topic that could stand some reasonable discussion that is not framed in crisis. It sounds like the dire circumstances predicted at the last Board of Selectmen meeting I attended are less dire now, but I don't know.

The meeting warrants are open for two Town meetings. Last year I was criticized for observing that the warrant had closed in January and so no one could get anything on the agenda for the May meeting.  So if you have anything for next year...you have a few weeks now to either convince the Selectmen to include it or gather petition signatures. I'm not looking to re-open a debate on the process of Town Meeting, but now is the time to prepare so if you have something, it can be proposed, discussed, etc.

There is an active Government and Charter Study Task force meeting twice a month to consider improvements to town governance. So, for those who felt their efforts last year went down in flames...it's worth a look to see the work that is actually being done now.

In December, the Town will hold an "ascertainment hearing" to hear from residents what their needs are vis-a-vs the Comcast and Verizon television contracts. The hearing will concern, among other things, the amount of operational budget available for community access tv programming. The nonprofit WestCAT was formed almost two years ago (I'm on the board) and we have now hired a person to build out a station here in Westwood...

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