Sandbagged
Here's a report from the front lines. On Monday, March 8, Westwood town residents met in the high school's main theater to discuss the Finance Commission's warrant to fund a new library, and to vote on the proposal. The Commission's warrant needed a two-thirds vote in favor to appear on the ballot for the town's April 27 election. “When it came time to vote,” writes Ed Burns in Westwood's Wicked Local, “the chorus of 'Ayes' crushed the sprinkling of 'Nays'.”
That language describes the atmosphere in the theater pretty well. Rather than permit the town to discuss the proposed library at length, library backers presented their case for almost an hour and a half. The presentation included details about how the town intends to finance the project. Since those details bear on the question of whether to issue a $9.3 million bond to build a new library, that information belonged in the meeting.
When the architect smoothly presents images of mothers reading books as they cuddle their cute daughters, however, you know you're being sandbagged. That kind of marketing does not belong in a meeting intended to decide whether to approve a substantial, twenty-year bond to fund the project. At that point, the time for suave salesmanship is over.
After the ninety-minute pitch, moderator Tony Antonellis tried his best to give everyone a chance to talk. Several times, however, he reminded residents to economize on time, as if the meeting organizers had not squandered much of the discussion time with presentations clearly intended to close the case. That's democratic decision making? It didn't feel democratic and it didn't feel like a discussion. The unspoken message: we've discussed this question long enough. It's time to act.
In case that impolitic message didn't come through strongly enough, selectman Nancy Hyde took the floor at the end of the meeting. Her purpose wasn't to thank people for coming or to urge them to vote on April 27. Instead she pressed on the town the need to unite behind this proposal. Her manner of speaking carried a not so subtle subtext to opponents: you've had your town meeting, now keep quiet.
Credit goes to library director Tom Viti, the library board of trustees and the Finance Commission for their openness about the project's financing. They have done their homework and have not fudged any figures. They know the town does not want another fiasco like the Westwood high school.
On the other side, the town's plans for the Colburn school are inexplicably weak. The plans are a sad case of trying to please all parties with a mixture of wasted money, procrastination and senseless effort. People who addressed this issue at the meeting largely dismissed the school's importance. One person even said that the Colburn school is irrelevant to plans for a new library, even though the old building sits squarely on the library's proposed site!
Kevin McManus, one of three Finance Commission members who voted against the proposal, summarized his arguments against. He highlighted the burden on homeowners who cannot afford another property tax increase, and unsettled plans for the Colburn school. Kevin McManus's arguments deserved more attention than they received. Instead the town meeting avoided a debate where library backers actually responded to viewpoints in opposition to theirs. You know the discussion is pro forma when the moderator repeatedly reminds you that time is short.
Instead, sensing that it had a majority, backers crowded the town meeting's agenda with one sales pitch after another, permitted somewhat perfunctory discussion, and rolled on to their vote of approval. Then the meeting ended on an ungracious note, where Nancy Hyde actually seemed to express impatience with people who have opposed the new library. This issue is not settled until we take a vote on election day. Voting yes because these plans have been ten years in the making is not a good reason to approve them. That's a sandbagger's reason for approval. Vote no on April 27.
