Reliable Sources

The Recorder’s Friday columnist and I do agree on one thing: if you are truly interested in Town Council goings-on, watching meeting coverage on www.gctv.org is the best way to get accurate information. Additionally, councilors are happy to engage with their constituents directly, by email, phone, blogs, or in-person at meetings, including committee meetings and public forums.

Given the many state and local issues to choose from, it's surprising that a fellow councilor's laugh became a top priority for news commentary.

11/16/11 Town Council Meeting, Part I: Tax Rate Reduction

After the November 16 Town Council meeting, I feel it is important to clarify my positions regarding tax rate reduction and the possibility of a split tax. It is also important to note that The Recorder's reporting of that meeting has been inaccurate. Councilors Rasku and Renaud were misquoted/misattributed -- hopefully, their Letters to the Editor will be published to correct and clarify some of that coverage.

First, the tax rate reduction. Of the $1.2 million in surplus, or "free cash," Mayor Martin submitted the following for Council vote:

1. Increase the FY12 Operating Budget by $562,050 (including $228,000 to Greenfield Public Schools; $105,000 to Veterans Services; Police Department, $50,000, and others)
2. Decrease the FY12 Operating Budget by $54,550 (mostly transferring costs under one department/line item to another as outlined in #1 breakout)
3. Appropriate $330,000 from Free Cash to reduce the tax rate.
4. Appropriate $250,000 from Free Cash to the Stabilization Fund; $250,000 to the Capital Project Stabilization Fund; $250,000 to the Contractual Agreement Stabilization Fund.
5. Appropriate $50,000 from Free Cash for remediation of hazardous materials at Town Hall Annex prior to demolition.

Per the Town Charter, the Town Council cannot increase the budget. We can vote "aye" or "no" on these motions and we can amend motions to decrease amounts. I voted "aye" on #1, #2, the various motions in #4 (which are important to build up our town's reserves and to maintain good credit rating), and #5. I voted "no" on #3, for the following reasons:

• While $330,000 is a large sum in total, it becomes less significant when disbursed to all property tax-payers. Based on what we were told by the Mayor and Director Kelly, if your property has been assessed at $188,000 -- about the average for Greenfield -- you will receive a check for about $42. An average of $42 for property holders -- less if your property is worth less, and someone holding property assessed at $1.8 million, 10x more than the average, would get $420 back. Based on these proportions, a relatively small refund to individuals does not seem, to me, to have more merit than using the lump sum for a larger-scale project or series of projects that have been deferred due to cost.
• Times are tough. We have faced year-over-year service cuts. Could that $330,000 have been used to restore town services that could be valuable for all Greenfield residents -- property owners, renters, business owners, workers -- and Greenfield visitors? Councilor Wisnewski mentioned a list of examples of quality of life issues and concerns that some residents and business owners have articulated. Greenfield Schools asked for more budget dollars than they received. The town is about to begin a master planning process. Greenfield endured several unusual and expensive weather events in 2011 -- will there be more?
• After the initial Recorder article ran about the proposed reduction, I did not hear from a single constituent, neighbor, or friend urging me to vote for the reduction. However, I did receive feedback from several downtown business owners who requested that those funds be used to expand downtown foot and bicycle patrols to address what they have perceived as an increase in petty crimes and drug activity. I have heard people from all political perspectives address concern about this activity. Subsequently, I discussed this with President Singer and other councilors and emailed Mayor Martin with this feedback before the meeting. Given this feedback, I felt it was important to bring this perspective to the table in the form of both discussion at the meeting and my "no" vote.

If you disagree with my perspective and my vote, I encourage you to contact me -- our precinct's Greenfield Community Forum meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 29 at 6:30pm at the GCC Downtown Center on Main & Davis St. I will also attend January's meeting, and of course, you can always reach me via email, Facebook, or by commenting on this blog.

Next up: my second "no" vote and what a "split tax" means.

Muni Health Update

Yes, it's been too long, and I apologize. Re Muni Health -- since the Council tabled the motion to adopt the Muni Health guidelines, Director Lane Kelly has been meeting weekly with representatives from all 13 town unions to discuss options for reform. The plan is to meet until mid-December, when Director Kelly will present a proposal for the unions to vote on, within 30 days. I look forward to hearing next month's update and hope that all parties have been having constructive and ongoing dialogue about this issue.

Informational Meeting 9/14/11 -- Muni Health Care

An informational Town Council meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, 9/14, at 6:30 pm, GHS cafeteria. Core topic is the Municipal Health Reform Act. If you or someone you know has concerns, feedback, perspective -- please attend and share. I am interested in hearing more local voices about this issue as we continue to gather information. The Town Council will be voting on this issue in next week's meeting, 9/21 at 7pm, GCTV studios.

If you can't attend, please feel free to email me any feedback in advance of the meeting.

Also on the agenda for tomorrow night is emergency financing due to hurricane damage. A substantial portion may be eligible for reimbursement from federal and state disaster relief funds. The Recorder has coverage of this issue in today's paper.

Storm Flooding

We could use more attention from the media re the flooding in Greenfield and the rest of Franklin County than we've received, so far. We're under a flash flood warning and a flood warning. Keep a close eye on road closures (as of this writing, 91N and S between 27 and 24; Main Street at the Green River (D&D), parts of Mill Street, and I'm sure there are more. We've been asked not to travel before 6am unless it's absolutely necessary.

Mass DOT, FIREGROUND 360 on Facebook and Twitter have been useful sources of information on breaking stories. CBS 3 Springfield, WWLP Channel 22, and MassLive have also had coverage.

The CT River won't crest until tomorrow or Tuesday. More flooding will come. Stay safe.

Thoughts also go out to our neighbors in Shelburne Falls, Brattleboro, and all the many other localities affected by the storm. Much appreciation for the hard work from all emergency service personnel who, I'm sure, have had a very long day.

Storm Safety

The Greenfield Middle School, 195 Federal Street, will open as a Red Cross emergency shelter at 7pm this evening and will remain open as needed. The shelter, a joint effort of Greenfield, Montague, Gill, and Erving, is open to anyone in the county.

Basic storm prep: remove anything that can blow around from the yard and porches; stock up on water (tap is fine), a gallon per person per day; batteries and flashlights. I've been tracking the storm via www.wwlp.com. Be prepared for lots of rain and wind, anticipate power outages, take the storm seriously, and stay safe.

Main & High Street Milling

From the Town of Greenfield News email (which is worth subscribing to if you haven't already):

The milling of Main Street is scheduled to be completed today between the hours of 6:00pm and 8:30pm. No on-street parking will be allowed on Main Street from Federal Street to High Street between those hours.

The milling of High Street is scheduled to begin immediately following the completion of Main Street. High Street will be closed (local traffic only) from Main Street to Sanderson Street between the hours of 7:30pm to 5:00am. Motorists are requested to seek alternate routes.

And -- long meeting last night! I'll get a post up ASAP.