UPDATED, May 2: The pace of Town Meeting slowed on Monday, April 30, as a variety of budgets, from town and school, drew a variety of questions and a series of responses at session 3 — none of them rising to serious controversy.
With four budgets remaining and a Special Town Meeting for Wednesday, May 2, Moderator John Leone held out the possibility that the 2018 meeting might end that night.
Here is a summary of the discussion and actions taken at the third session of the 2018 Town Meeting. The number in parentheses is the precinct the meeting member represents.
This night was an example of Town Meeting in explanatory mode. Whether all questions and responses were needed is up to the viewer. As Selectmen Chair Dan Dunn wrote in his blog, “The questions could have been asked beforehand, and could have been delivered with more precision.” Others may disagree.
Potential controversy arose from two questions during discussion of the information-technology budget.
Town vulnerable to hacking?
John Deyst (13), an MIT professor, wanted to know how vulnerable the town is to hacking. He referred to U.S. cities and town that have faced the issue. He did not cite it, but one was the City of Atlanta, whose computer network was held ransom in March.
David Good, town IT director, said a security assessment of the town network was conducted last year. The findings, he said, turned up issues he called “basic” and “minimal.” The suggested solutions: install all security updates, run virus-protection software and change passwords.
Ted Peluso (6) said that, with all the news Facebook is attracting, he wondered whether the town should consider ending participation with the social-media giant. No official responded. Facebook, developed in 2003 next door at Harvard, has been criticized for lax protection of users’ privacy. Read this April 30 report in the N.Y. Times >>
In another query about security, raised under the school budget, a Precinct 14 member asked whether the schools’ administrative offices might be established separately for safety reasons when Arlington High School is rebuilt.
Parmenter eyed
Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine said officials were “actively looking” at doing this — at the former Parmenter School or having a separate entrance for administration.
Chapdelaine wrote May 1 that “we are starting a dialogue about possibly using space at the Parmenter School for District Offices, and that thus far, design concepts for a new High School have contemplated a distinct entrance for District Offices should they need to remain as part of the High School facility.”
Apart from these potential news nuggets, the flow of the discussion overall decelerated.
Moderator John Leone began with a slight slap on the wrist. He asked that members resist clapping for individual speakers, calling it “a form of intimidation.”
Minuteman discussion
Following announcements, Steve DeCourcey (2), also a Finance Committee member, introduced Article 34 (Minuteman budget).
Arlington’s share of the $21.1 million total fiscal 2019 budget is $4,936,724, for Minuteman’s operating and maintenance costs, including capital costs. Behind the 11-percent increase is a capital assessment tied to the new high school, which was topped off in April and is on schedule to open in August 2019.
Kevin Mahoney, Minuteman assistant superintendent for finance explained responded to a question about health-care costs from Gordon Jamieson (12). Minuteman now uses a self-funded health trust after paying for more via Blue Cross and is seeing more favorable results.
Michael Ruderman (9) asked about the potential uses of current high school, adding that it was the first time he has heard it suggested there may be revenue-producing opportunities.
Mahoney said the plan is demolish the old school and develop the athletic fields in ways yet to be determined. He said Minuteman seeks partners in wellness-related areas and higher education that might use its space, including athletics fields. Discussion has included what to do about a pool on the site. The current high school has a pool.
“Passage of legislation will help,” Mahoney said.
The vote to approve the town’s share of the budget was 212-1-0.
Town/school budgets
The lion’s share of the discussion turned to Article 29 (town budgets).
Before explaining at least 12 minutes of changes in the Finance Committee report, Chair Allan Tosti (17) said: “Excel have a life of its own,” adding that the number clarification made no changes to the budgets involved. He apologized, and discussion finally began at 9:04 p.m. Questions for each follows in order of presentation (no vote occurs until all budgets are discussed):
Select Board
Timur Yontar (7) asked about a requested $99,000 increase for expenses. Tosti attributed it mainly to election costs and that the numbers of election differ each year.
John Leonard (17) asked whether getting state reimbursement for early voting has been a common practice for a long time. Chapdelaine said it is the second time the town has had early voting (the first was in 2016) and that reimbursement is not assured in the future.
Annie LaCourt (15) asked about making turning a half-time position to full time. Dunn said no event cause it, simply the press of elections and paperwork.
Leonard Diggins (3) said he thought the clerk’s offices would be affected by election, not the Select Board’s office. Tosti said elections mainly paid for out of the Select Board.
Information technology
Apart from items noted above, John Ellis (3) noted efficiencies in the town’s online question/answer center and asked for improvements. He said the record of issues tracks only the address of the requester, not the specific request.
Chapdelaine said he hopes to better integrate the town’s GIS system to approve matters, adding that a new mobile app is an attempt to do that.
Treasurer/collector
Jamieson thanked officials for the Symmes report, which provides information about bonds used to buy property where Symmes Hospital used to be, property that was developed for housing. He wanted to know when the bonds will be paid off. Chapdelaine said the payoff date is 2022.
Beth Ann Freedman (15) asked whether the town can ask that rentals at Symmes be converted to condos. Chapdelaine said the original agreement included incentives to convert, but they were not used. He said he is happy to discuss this with the planning director in the future.
Board of Assessors
Frank Ciano (15) ask whether officials could reconsider changing how town commercial properties are taxes, For years, they have been taxed at the same rate as residential, which account for 95 percent of the town’s valuation.
Dunn said the Select Board sets the rates, following discussion with financial officials, in an annual tax hearing. In the past, he said, all have decided that raising the commercial rate “scares business off, so we choose not to do it.”
Jamieson, who for many years has called for a higher commercial rate, called the hearing the first week in December the “most important in all year.”
Paul Schlichtman (9) asked to terminate debate, and by voice vote, it was.
The meeting took a 10-minute break at 9:37.
Planning
John Maher (14), the former longtime town counsel, said he is “astonished that salary of director of planning is so low,” adding she “does a wonderful job” and asked the manager to take a hard look at her pay.
Steve Revilak (1) asked what the town gets for its $2.9 million MBTA assessment. Chapdelaine said the number is related to how the town uses bus service. He noted a long-standing grievance with the MBTA that the town is assessed at a much higher rate than Belmont, for example. He said pleas to the state have fallen “on deaf ears.”
John Worden (8), who commutes by bus to his downtown law offices said that of the 15 worst bus routes, two are in Arlington.
Public works
Yontar asked about three substantial increases, and DPR Director Mike Rademacher explained each.
Moving the tree warden from part time to full accounts for the $21,000 increase in 2019, up 51 percent. Paying more for motor-vehicle repairs balances past overspending and the need to outsource. A $45,000 increase for traffic-signal upkeep, an increase of 150 percent, comes down to improved preventive maintenance.
Later, Greg Christiana (15) asked whether this latter cost was expected to go down in future. Rademacher said, with more than 60 signals, he expects the level to remain for some time in future budgets.
Ed Trembley (19), as he does annually, asked how much salt was used last winter and its cost.
Rademacher was ready: 9,488 tons to the tune of $671,000. He noted a success: improvements to tracking of data with equipment monitoring salt use. In fiscal 2012 and ’13, the town used 170 tons per inch of snow. The last two years: 130 tons per inch.
Trembley praised Rademacher for speedily responding to an email about salting. “Sorry to give you a bad time,” he told the director.
Fountain discussion flows
Daniel Jalkut (6) asked about maintaining drinking fountains and the reason for the lack of them. “Some places are deserts,” he said.
Rademacher said maintaining current fountains is an issue, partly in the light of changes in the plumbing code.
Jalkut asked about year-round fountains. Rademacher said the easiest way is to keep them running, but that is a significant waste.
Janice Weber (21) warned about using any of the town fountains, calling them “unhealthy.” Later, Zarina Memon (21) wondered about that, and Rademacher said, “I drink out of the fountains.”
Roderick Holland (7) said the DPW did a “bang-up job” this winter keeping the Minuteman Bikeway clear — better, he said to applause, than Lexington and Bedford.
Beth Ann Friedman (15) noted the expense for a crane operator and asked whether the town owns a crane. It does, the DPW chief said — one that dredges “incredibly disgusting stuff from storm drains.”
Police services
William Moyer (10) asked whether citations had increased after the speed limit in certain areas to 25 mph. Police Chief Fred Ryan explained that the department tries to be complaint-based and data-driven by focusing on high-incident, -injury locations.
“Crashes have gone done, so have citations,” he said.
Susan Stamps (3) asked for gender-neutral reports, requesting that “patrolmen” expressed as “patrol officers.”
Town Counsel Doug Heim said the wording was not part of the article, but it could addressed elsewhere.
Leonard said he did not see bulletproof vests in this year’s budget, and Ryan said the protective devices were adequately funded.
Inspections
Ruderman asked whether the department would have sufficient funding in fiscal 2019 given a skyrocketing real estate market. Michael Byrne, head of inspectional services, said he believed so, that the department has another position.
Education
Yontar eyed yet another increase, $283,000 in management services. John Danizio, the schools’ chief financial officer, said the line item embraces many accounts, but the bulk are salaries, including the Gibbs principal, as well as opening costs for that school.
Maher, a longtime member of the Permanent Town Building Committee, said the town should be proud that it kept its promise to rebuild seven elementary school. He also noted teacher pay here and asked how it was being addressed.
Superintendent Kathleen Bodie admitted, “We do lag behind on teacher salary.” The matter is the focus of current negotiations. In addition, she said, pay for administrators here is considered low among those municipalities called the “Town Manager 12,” or those with demographics parallel to Arlington.
Kate Berry (4) asked the schools to include in a future budget report this issue: how to reflect what teachers pay from their own pockets to supplement their classroom needs.
Ellis praised the schools for saving parents much time via online registration.
Memon asked about budget amount for out-of-district placements and appeared connect that with Metco students.
Bodie clarified. The former are special-education students who must be educated beyond Arlington. For the former, the district must pay tuition ($500,000 and higher) plus $14,000 for transportation; a residential placement can cost $300,000 annually. The latter are minority students brought here.
Deborah Sirotkin Butler (19) asked whether the schools’ antibullying policy is sufficient to keep students safe? Bodie said: “We do take bullying very seriously.” Referrals for discipline have declined a lot, she said.
Before adjourning, Leone said four budgets remain and the meeting could end Wednesday.
Dan Dunn session 3 notes >>
Session 3 votes (town website)
April 23, 2018: Session 1 speeds from private ways to dogs to vacant storefronts to arts
April 25, 2018: Session 2 votes to support name change to Select Board
Reports to Town Meeting include: Board of Selectmen, Selectmen’s Supplemental, Finance Committee, Community Preservation Committee, Vision 2020, Redevelopment Board, Town Meeting Procedures, CDBG, Master Plan Implementation and Permanent Town Building Committee.
STM reference for Article 7
For all 2018 Town Meeting information, including members, visit arlingtonma.gov/townmeeting.
This news summary was published Wednesday, April 25, 2018, and updated May 2.
