Posted onFebruary 7, 2022|Comments Off on Moderator seeks members for charter review committee
From the Moderator –
The Board of Selectmen voted to request Scott McDermott, Town Moderator, appoint seven members to a charter review committee to draft charter amendments or bylaws which will govern the appointment of Medfield’s next school building committee. The committee will offer their amendments or bylaws as an Article for consideration at our Annual Town Meeting on May 2. The appointment of the committee was authorized by the passage of an article sponsored by citizen petition at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting. The Moderator expects that the thrust of committee’s work will be from late February to early April. Any Medfield registered voter interested in serving on the committee should send an email to Scott at: medfieldtownmoderator@medfield.net no later than February 15.
Comments Off on Moderator seeks members for charter review committee
Twenty years ago as a newly elected select board member I was uncertain when the schools, under Superintendent Bob Maguire, announced that the town needed to renovate three schools at a cost of $56m. I knew nothing about building schools or any other municipal buildings, so I attended about two dozen meetings over the course of the next year, held by the then School Building Committee under the leadership of its Chair, Tim Bonfatti. That resulted in my learning a lot and ultimately supporting the town renovating the Memorial School, the Medfield High School and the Blake Middle School.
After that year of SBC meetings I learned that schools are expensive and why municipal buildings are about one-third more expensive to build than private construction (required statutory safeguards due to past transgressions). I learned why past decisions limit alternatives (the current Blake Middle School, then the MHS, could not be renovated to house the number of MHS students we had because ten years earlier a renovation had installed 8′ wide hallways and state regulations required 10′ wide hallways for schools with the number of students we had). And I learned that no one wants to have their taxes increased, and that some will opt to not agree to any higher taxes no matter the need.
About two years ago I began to attend the current School Building Committee meetings, because I knew Select Board members would need to vote on the issues. I was often one of only a dozen residents at those meetings. Like everyone in town, I already knew the Dale Street School needed fixing or replacing. Twenty years earlier I had not participated in the MSBA part of the process, but this time I watched that MSBA process occur, and was impressed at the detailed steps the town was mandated to take. I also learned that the current School Building Committee Chair, Mike Quinlan, was in many ways a clone of Tim Bonfatti, as both were knowledgeable building professionals, both calmly ran fact based meeting despite some contention, and both seemed to have a total command of the endless details of the projects.
When the decision on school siting got to the Select Board in September 2020, I had an opinion that favored Wheelock from listening to the consultants to the School Building Committee at their meetings. At our joint Select Board and School Building Committee meeting, that opinion was only reinforced as I heard why the School Building Committee members unanimously favored Wheelock.
This is why I ultimately favor the Wheelock site, in the order of importance to me:
• the building professionals opined that the Dale site is too tight/small, and if we built there they said we would get a “compromised” school
• there are educational synergies from having grades 2 – 5 on one campus
• the cost of building at the two sites are similar enough, compared to the total costs, as to not be dispositive
• building a grade 2-5 campus creates additional future use flexibility
• there is no danger to the town wells from building at Wheelock, and the planned Wheelock pavement improvements actually increase protection of our wells
• there is lots of open space around Wheelock
• neighborhood traffic issues will be addressed
• I see opportunities in a vacated Dale Street building, not just costs
I thought that the Warrant Committee did a remarkable and complete analysis of the details of the decision for our town, and the Warrant Committee endorsed the Wheelock site choice by a near unanimous 8-1 vote.
In sum, the town had the benefit of in depth analysis of the proposed new school and its siting decision by an impressive group of individual residents who serve on both our School Building Committee and on our Warrant Committee, and nearly all endorsed the Wheelock site. Additionally, all of the School Committee and Select Board members endorse the Wheelock site.
At the special town meeting a week ago, I found it disappointing that such a small percentage of our residents attended. However, if the election ballot tomorrow on 11/15 indicates enough support for the override, which I interpret as a surrogate for proceeding with the school at the Wheelock site, and where the statutory structure allows Select Boards to call for an additional special town meetings to consider the question anew, I would favor giving residents another chance to show up at another special town meeting. My gut tells me that more than two-thirds of our residents do want our new school at Wheelock.
However, a 2/3 vote of the special town meeting (STM) is required for passage.
The next step for the town will be to see if more than 50% of residents vote in favor of the new school on 11/15 at the ballot election, which would satisfy one of the two criteria required to move forward with the new school process.
If the 11/15 ballot succeeds, then, those in charge of the new school at Wheelock campus effort will need to decide whether they feel enough town residents want to hold a second special town meeting (STM), as the process allows, to see if at that second STM whether 2/3 of voters will both attend and support the new school. We had less than a 25% turn out of registered voters yesterday.
A large plurality favoring the new school at the 11/15 ballot would certainly send a strong message to the new school at the Wheelock campus leaders that residents want a second chance via a second STM.
Posted onNovember 6, 2021|Comments Off on Moderator’s summary for the STM
From the Moderator, Scott McDermott, courtesy of Colleen Sullivan –
BEFORE Attending STM At Noon On 11/7, Read Info from Moderator
This is a REVIEW of all STM info provided by Scott McDermott,Town Moderator, please READ before attending on Sunday to be INFORMED …..
Here’s What YOU Need to Know Before attending STM (Image by Colleen Sullivan)
Review of all Special Town Meeting Information Provided by Scott McDermott,Town Moderator –
Please Read before attending on Sunday…..
Town Meeting Brief #1, by Town Moderator, Scott McDermott
This is the first in a series of Town Meeting Briefs to communicate key information in advance of our important November 7, 2021 Special Town Meeting. In this initial note, we focus on the who, what, where, and when of our upcoming municipal legislative session:
Who may participate in our legislative process? Our Town Charter declares “The Legislative authority of the town shall be vested in the town meeting open to all registered voters.” The invitation to town meeting is extended to (i) all Medfield’s registered voters and (ii) visitors approved by a vote of the meeting to sit within the session as non-voters. Medfield voters, as friends and neighbors, will come together as a legislative body to vote on an important and highly strategic appropriation. When we do come together, we will be ‘living’ the rare example of direct, democratic and participatory self-government. Medfield has approximately 9,320 registered voters. Our voters are active and engaged citizens with 8,384 voting in the last Presidential election, 528 participating as legislators in the 2021 Annual Town Meeting, and 943 gathering for the 2019 Special Town Meeting to vote on MSH zoning.
WHAT is on the agenda? On October 19, 2021, the Board of Selectmen closed the Warrant. The Warrant is the notice to the voters of the subject matter of the meeting. We have only one ARTICLE on the Warrant and, therefore, the exclusive focus of the meeting will be the elementary school building project. The actual vote at the Special Town Meeting will be on a MOTION tracking the Article. The Motion is offered at the beginning of the meeting by the Warrant Committee or the Article’s sponsor. WHERE is the meeting? The Special Town Meeting will take place at the Amos Clark Kingsbury High School in the gymnasium and in other venues established throughout the high school campus. Registration will be at the front entrance to the high school and more information on parking and logistics will be provided before the meeting.https://d2ae9e3e3a69b3379688683e9d50fe3f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
WHEN is the meeting? The Special Town Meeting will begin at 12:00 noon on SUNDAY, November 7th (or as soon as quorum is present).
Town Meeting Brief from Moderator, Scott McDermott…
This is the second in a series of Town Meeting Briefs to communicate key information in advance of our important STM on Sunday, November 7, 2021
In this note, we focus on the Proceedings, including the actual agenda and sequence of the meeting:
Special Town Meeting Proceedings
11:00am – Check in – Registration Opens
12:00pm – Town Meeting Begins (or when the quorum is confirmed by Town Clerk)
Welcome and National Anthem
Moderator’s Review of Meeting Guidelines
Making of the positive Main Motion
Warrant Committee Reports (Majority and Minority reports as appropriate)
Presentation by Article Sponsors – School Building Committee and School Committee
Statements of Opposition from Keep Dale @ Dale Coalition
Statement in Support from For Our Kids/For Our Town
Brief Statements in Opposition and Support of Motion
Moderator’s Inquiry of Readiness of Legislators
Final Statement in Opposition and Support of Motion
Moderator’s Motion to Call Question (no earlier than 1:30pm)
Registration Closes
Town Meeting Brief from Moderator, Scott McDermott…
This is the third in a series of Town Meeting Briefs to communicate key information in advance of our important STM on Sunday, November 7, 2021
Town Meeting Brief #4 – Medfield’s Special Town Meeting on Sunday, Nov 7, 2021
An exercise in RESPECT and PATIENCE
Medfield is a community with a long heritage of respectful, civil, and thoughtful public dialogue. As the meeting unfolds, I will be leaning onthe watchwords – RESPECT and CIVILITY.
Please stick to the facts,
Agree to disagree,
No personal attacks will be tolerated,
There is NO hate in debate,
And, As Mary J. Blige might say, “leave your ‘situations at the door.”
Please join us and be a CITIZEN LEGISLATOR.
It is time to turn away from the substantive debate still raging on Facebook, and the procedural positioning still being debated, and for all of us to focus on one key factor – Sunday is about the composition of the legislative body convening on the high school campus. Each registered voter sitting within the Special Town Meeting when the question is called (not earlier than 1:30pm) will have the exceptional opportunity, serving as a citizen legislator, to cast a vote on this very important and strategic decision for the Town of Medfield.
Medfield has over 9,300 registered voters invited to join us in a time proven exercise of direct, participatory self-government. Beyond a heavy dose of respect and civility, please bring your PATIENCE.
The meeting begins at 12:00pm and bear in mind we “fall back” Saturday night .
We will hear first from some of the town and community’s most committed citizens – almost all volunteers who have dedicated enormous time and efforts to this issue. Ultimately, we will call the vote, no earlier than 1:30pm. The vote will take time – please be patient. The counting of the vote will take time – please be patient. We have dedicated ourselves to a process that cannot be rushed. The Voting Cards are a new process being tested with very heavy volume. We will be deliberate, but neither the voting nor the count will be quick – PATIENCE. Legislators may leave after voting.
Now is the Time to Be Prepared, just by making a Couple of CLICKS.
CLICK HERE to READ THE MOTION we will be voting on. Please Read it. This is our proposition: One Special Town Meeting Article, one vote – YES or NO.
This is a comprehensive inventory of important meetings, analysis, summaries, videos, and statements that was compiled through the dedicated effort of the Warrant Committee to provide the community with a central location for each Legislator to prepare for the meeting.
I look forward to a Civil and Respectful Special Town Meeting. Scott McDermott, Town Moderator
From the Moderator, Scott McDermott, by courtesy of Colleen Sullivan –
Town Meeting Brief #4, by Town Moderator, Scott McDermott
This is the FOURTH in a series of Town Meeting Briefs – Town Moderator, Scott McDermott suggests everyone bring PATIENCE and RESPECT.
Town Meeting Brief #4 (Image by Colleen Sullivan)
Medfield’s Special Town Meeting on Sunday, Nov 7, 2021
An exercise in RESPECT and PATIENCE
Medfield is a community with a long heritage of respectful, civil, and thoughtful public dialogue. As the meeting unfolds, I will be leaning on the watchwords – RESPECT and CIVILITY.
Please stick to the facts,
Agree to disagree,
No personal attacks will be tolerated,
There is NO hate in debate,
And, As Mary J. Blige might say, “leave your ‘situations at the door.”
Please join us and be a CITIZEN LEGISLATOR.
It is time to turn away from the substantive debate still raging on Facebook, and the procedural positioning still being debated, and for all of us to focus on one key factor – Sunday is about the composition of the legislative body convening on the high school campus. Each registered voter sitting within the Special Town Meeting when the question is called (not earlier than 1:30pm) will have the exceptional opportunity, serving as a citizen legislator, to cast a vote on this very important and strategic decision for the Town of Medfield.https://cd06748cb6ed04686dcf9b2ed4ef5f92.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Medfield has over 9,300 registered voters invited to join us in a time proven exercise of direct, participatory self-government.
Beyond a heavy dose of respect and civility, please bring your PATIENCE. The meeting begins at 12:00pm and bear in mind we “fall back” Saturday night We will hear first from some of the town and community’s most committed citizens – almost all volunteers who have dedicated enormous time and efforts to this issue. Ultimately, we will call the vote, no earlier than 1:30pm. The vote will take time – please be patient. The counting of the vote will take time – please be patient. We have dedicated ourselves to a process that cannot be rushed. The Voting Cards are a new process being tested with very heavy volume. We will be deliberate, but neither the voting nor the count will be quick – PATIENCE. Legislators may leave after voting.
Here is the MOTION we will be voting on. Please Read it. This is our proposition: One Special Town Meeting Article, one vote – YES or NO.
This is a comprehensive inventory of important meetings, analysis, summaries, videos, and statements that was compiled through the dedicated effort of the Warrant Committee to provide the community with a central location for each Legislator to prepare for the meeting.
I look forward to a Civil and Respectful Special Town Meeting.
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
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