Monthly Archives: January 2013

MMA on Gov’s transportation plan

Posted on January 14, 2013 | Comments Off on MMA on Gov’s transportation plan

Alert from the Massachusetts Municipal Association just now –

===============

-January 14, 2013

Gov. Patrick Proposes $13B Transportation Investment Plan

Chapter 90 Would Grow to $300M a Year, a 50% Increase

Other Major Investments Would Benefit Cities and Towns

Governor Deval Patrick and Transportation Secretary Richard Davey today provided the details of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s long-awaited comprehensive transportation investment plan for Massachusetts.  Speaking before a large crowd at a special event at UMass Boston, the Governor called for $13 billion in transportation investments over the next 10 years as an essential strategy to spur economic growth and create a “21st Century Transportation Plan” for the Commonwealth.

Click here to download a summary of the Governor’s plan

Click here to download the Governor’s plan

Click here to view the Governor’s press release

A key element of the Governor’s transportation investment plan is adoption of the MMA’s call to increase Chapter 90 funding for cities and towns by $100 million a year for the next 10 years, adding $1 billion for local roads over the coming decade.  The current $200 million allotted to Chapter 90 would increase to $300 million beginning in fiscal year 2014, with the Administration suggesting that a portion of the first-year increase be targeted for a new asset management system at the local level.  The MMA is gathering information on the asset management aspect of the proposal, and will report on that when details are available.

In addition to the annual $100 million increase for Chapter 90, the Governor’s plan also calls for impressive increases for other transportation programs and projects for cities and towns over the next 10 years, including: $1.1 billion more for regional transit authorities; $1.175 billion for a new bridge repair program modeled after the nearly complete $3 billion accelerated bridge program initiated several years ago; $1.25 billion for a “multi-modal highway program” targeted for hundreds of local and regional projects to decrease congestion; $430 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects; and hundreds of millions for system and facility improvements.

Today’s announcement was designed to establish the Governor’s transportation vision for Massachusetts.  The comprehensive “21st Century Transportation Plan” unveiled by the Governor articulates the current funding shortfall to meet today’s programs, and the additional investment that is necessary to modernize and enhance our highway, transit and multi-model transportation system over the next 10 years.  The plan did not embrace any revenue options or propose any specific tax initiatives.  The Governor said that he would outline his tax proposals in his State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday, January 16, and in his fiscal 2014 budget plan when he submits it to the Legislature on Wednesday, January 23.

The Governor’s transportation plan would require new tax revenues of $1.02 billion a year to fund the investments he is calling for.

Governor Patrick will be at the opening session of the MMA’s Annual Meeting and Trade Show on Friday, Jan. 25th, and he is expected to discuss his transportation and budget plans at that time.  Secretary Davey will appear at the Annual Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 26 at a special forum on transportation investment and funding.  If you have not yet registered for the MMA Annual Meeting, you can do so by visiting the MMA website at www.mma.org.

Increasing Chapter 90 to $300 million a year is a top MMA priority, and would represent a 50% increase for cities and towns across the state.  Please contact your legislators today and tell them that the Chapter 90 increase is essential, and please let them know that you recognize that a revenue increase will be necessary in order to adequately maintain and enhance the local and state transportation system.

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Posted in Budgets, Transportation

MHS Jazz Band at Lord’s

Posted on January 11, 2013 | Comments Off on MHS Jazz Band at Lord’s

From Chirs McCue Potts –

For years, Lord’s has generously sold tickets to high school music performances, plays, Trolley Tours and other community events.

As a thank you to Lord’s, and as a way to provide some musical therapy to its owners and loyal customers, members of the MHS Jazz Band will be performing at the store from Noon to 1 p.m., tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 12.

Tickets will also be on sale for the Jazz Band’s Feb. 2 “Jazzin’ for China” fundraising event at The Center at Medfield. This is the last community event that Lord’s is selling tickets to before it closes. Individual tickets are $50; $5 discount available per ticket when purchased as a table. For more information: http://www.medfield.net/wheel/images/epacket/JAZZIN_For_China_02022013.pdf

Please stop into Lord’s tomorrow, and express your own appreciation for the support the Kelly family and Lord’s staff has provided to our local community groups over the years.

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Posted in Downtown, Music

Commonwealth Magazine article

Posted on January 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Commonwealth Magazine article

Commonwealth Magazine article –

Report says Mass. towns have stabilized finances

Moody’s warns that problems are looming

January 07, 2013

MASSACHUSETTS CITIES AND TOWNS have managed to stabilize their finances in the wake of the Great Recession, but they are facing challenges ahead as state aid continues to fall and debt and pension obligations continue to rise, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service.

The report was generally positive, suggesting that the 228 cities and towns that Moody’s tracks have generally weathered the financial storm. Moody’s downgraded the financial status of a relatively high proportion of Massachusetts cities and towns at the start of the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, but since then Bay State downgrades have been less than half the national average. In 2012, only two local entities, Saugus and the Seekonk Water District, were downgraded by Moody’s and five were upgraded.

While Moody’s said Massachusetts communities tend to be more stable financially than their counterparts around the country, the ratings service said problems loom on the horizon. The report said unemployment in Massachusetts is likely to show no dramatic improvement over the next few years but will still remain below the national average until at least 2016. The report also said cuts in federal spending on the military and health care could slow the state’s economic growth.  In 2010, according to the report, federal spending in Massachusetts was $84 billion, representing a quarter of the state’s Gross State Product.

The report said Massachusetts has a diverse employment base, led by education and health services, but the cost of doing business in the state is the second-highest in the nation.

Two other major concerns for Massachusetts cities and towns are declining state aid and rising costs for debt service and pension obligations. The report said Massachusetts municipalities received less state aid in fiscal 2012 in unadjusted dollars than in fiscal 2002. The Patrick administration has already announced plans to cut $9 million from local aid this year to deal with lower-than-expected tax revenues.  Moody’s said debt service and pension obligations accounted for a fifth of all municipal expenditures in 2011 and should gobble up a third of spending by 2020.

Moody’s financial rankings fall in three ranges: the high level is Aaa through Aaa3, the midrange is A1 through A3, and the lowest range is Baa1 through Baa3. Most of the state’s Gateway Cities fall in the midrange. The outliers are Brockton and Worcester at Aa3 and Lawrence at Baa1. Lawrence, which has its finances under state oversight, is the Massachusetts community with the lowest Moody’s ranking. Boston enjoys the highest Moody’s ranking at Aaa.

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Posted in Budgets

BoS agenda for 1/15/13

Posted on January 11, 2013 | Comments Off on BoS agenda for 1/15/13

AGENDA (click to see all attachments)

7:00 PM FY2014 Budget review, Inspection Department

ACTION

The Grist Mill Study Committee requests the Selectmen vote to appoint a new member, George Dealy

Norfolk County Mosquito Control District requests Medfield’s support for their proposed FY2014 budget

Request from Paul Kenney attorney representing Robert Borrelli regarding potential lease of parcel three, Ice House Road

Town Moderator Scott McDermott announces the appointment of new members to the Warrant Committee; Nikolaos Athanasiadis, Martha Festa, Michael Marcucci and Thomas Marie

LICENSES & PERMITS

St. Edward Parish requests a one-day liquor license for event to be held Saturday January 26,2013 at The Parish Hall, 7-11 PM

Council on Aging requests two one-day wine and malt beverage permits;  Saturday February 16, Valentine’s Dance and 5th Birthday Celebration of their building and Saturday March 16, annual corned beef and cabbage dinner

The Memorial and Wheelock School CSA requests permission to post signs advertising the annual Winter Carnival on Saturday March 16, lOAM – 3PM at the Memorial School

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Posted in Select Board matters

Puns

Posted on January 11, 2013 | Comments Off on Puns

Got an email with some good puns –

NEW PUNS FOR THE NEW YEAR 2013

I changed my i Pod name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.

When chemists die, they barium.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

A soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is a seasoned veteran.

I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid. He says he can stop any time.

How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.

I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.

A guy got arrested for playing the guitar. ….For fingering A minor.

I’m reading a book about anti-gravity and I can’t put it down.

I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.

They told me I had type A blood, but it was a Type-O.

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

PMS jokes aren’t funny,…. period.

Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.

Class trip to the Coca-Cola factory. I hope there’s a pop quiz .

Energizer battery arrested. Charged with battery.

I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.

How do you make holy water? Boil the hell out of it.

Did you hear about the cross eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?

When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.

What does a clock do when it’s hungry? It goes back four seconds.

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Broken pencils are pointless.

I tried to catch some fog. I mist.

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary?  A thesaurus.

England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.

All the toilets in New York’s police stations have been stolen. Police have nothing to go on.

I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.

French pancakes give me the crepes.

Velcro – what a rip off.

Cartoonist found dead in home. Details are sketchy.

Venison for dinner ? Oh deer.

Earthquake in Washington obviously government’s fault.

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.

I do not enjoy computer jokes…. Not one bit.

Be kind to your dentist. He has fillings, too. 

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Posted in Uncategorized

MMA reacts to Gov’s housing authority proposal

Posted on January 10, 2013 | Comments Off on MMA reacts to Gov’s housing authority proposal

This in an alert from the Massachusetts Municipal Association this afternoon (earlier call today from Mike Sullivan with respect to the same issue – Mike concerned over town’s loss of local control over Medfield Housing Authority, where the Medfield State Hospital site is available land, especially where Gov. also has a goal of building 10,000 housing units a year until 2020) –

January 10, 2013

GOV. PROPOSES SWEEPING CONSOLIDATION

OF LOCAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES

Municipal Officials Should Assess Local Impact and Contact Legislators

Gov. Deval Patrick announced today that he would file legislation to regionalize the operation and financial management of local housing authorities.

In a major shift in how public housing property and programs are managed in Massachusetts, the Governor’s bill would consolidate the current roster of 240 local housing authorities into six regional authorities that would, in the words of the Administration, “take over ownership and fiscal and operational management of all public housing in the Commonwealth.”

The text of the legislation has not yet been released.  However, according to the Administration’s description of the plan unveiled by the Governor at a State House press conference at noon on Thursday, January 10th, each of the six new regional housing authorities would be governed and administered by a single executive director with a new governing board consisting of 9 appointees by the Governor, and be supported by central and regional management staff and local site managers.

The Governor’s official announcement said that the legislation will allow communities to “retain control over land use and significant redevelopment decisions, including change of use, ownership or the financial structure of an existing building or vacant land,” and the new regional housing authorities “will also be required to seek local input into an annual plan that outlines projected capital and operating expenditures and tenant activities.”

The Governor’s bill, when filed, will be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing for a public hearing later this year, providing more time for full analysis of the details.  The proposal is expected to be highly controversial with most housing authority executive directors and commissioners opposing it. The MMA encourages you to contact your legislators as soon as possible if you have concerns about having your housing authority and its assets consolidated into the Governor’s new plan.

Click here to view a copy of the Governor’s press statement announcing his legislation

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Posted in Affordable housing / 40B

Discolored water

Posted on January 10, 2013 | Comments Off on Discolored water

More information on the water main break and its repair in this email –

1/10/2013 4:31PM
reverse 911 issued for discolored water
Trierweiler, Kristine
“Kristine Trierweiler”
===========================================================
Hi Everyone,

A reverse 911 was issued this afternoon as it became evident that the water break on high street was causing discoloration issues throughout the entire town. We have asked residents, if they have discolored water, to slowly turn on the cold water tap until it runs clear. We have also suggested that residents refrain from clothes laundering for 24 hours until the discoloration issue has been resolved.

Kristine Trierweiler, AICP
Assistant Town Administrator
Town of Medfield
459 Main Street
Medfield, MA 02052
(P) (508) 906-3011
(F) (508) 359-6182

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Posted in Town Services, Water & Sewer

Notice from town on water

Posted on January 10, 2013 | Comments Off on Notice from town on water

Emailed town notice about water issue –

1/10/2013 9:59AM
URGENT NOTICE FOR YOUR SITE–Water Break
===========================================================
There is a water break in the area of High Street, Granite Street, Garry Drive, Rocky Lane, Plantation Road, and Bridlefield Lane. There is currently no water service in these areas. DPW Crews are on the scene and we predict it will be a few hours before water service can be restored. We thank you for your patience while we work quickly to fix the problem.

Kristine Trierweiler, AICP
Assistant Town Administrator
Town of Medfield
459 Main Street
Medfield, MA 02052
(P) (508) 906-3011
(F) (508) 359-6182

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Posted in Town Services, Water & Sewer

Water

Posted on January 10, 2013 | Comments Off on Water

I am told that work on a hydrant caused a break in a major water main and that the southern half of the town is without water.   Repairs are under way and are expected to be completed today, with water service restored.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Water out to half of town

Posted on January 10, 2013 | Comments Off on Water out to half of town

More to follow as soon as known.   At MCAP meeting now and will go to town house when done here.

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Posted in Uncategorized