Category Archives: Information

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending May 13, 2011

Posted on May 16, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending May 13, 2011

Week Ending May 13, 2011

Senate President Murray calls FY2012 toughest year for budget

Following last week’s announcement of the budget timeline, Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said this week that the FY2012 budget will be the “toughest budget” since the recession began.  The Senate budget bill is expected to be released next week on Wednesday, May 18th and amendments will be due by noon on Friday, May 20th. Floor debate will then begin on Wednesday, May 25th. During her remarks, Senate President Murray stated that despite tax collection figures in April that were $587 million above benchmarks, 2011 tax collections cannot be spent in FY2012. Murray said that the Senate version of the budget to be released next week will attempt to close a $1.8 billion gap between revenues and expected spending. Last month the House approved their own version of the $30.51 billion budget bill, which contained cuts across almost all line items.

 

Newton Mayor announces his candidacy for US Senate

Setti Warren, the current Mayor of Newton and a former aide to John Kerry announced his candidacy to run against Sen. Scott Brown in the 2012 election for US Senate. Warren was the first African American Mayor elected in Massachusetts, when he was elected Mayor in 2009. He is the third Democrat to announce his intention to run against Brown; he joins City Year co-founder Alan Khazei (who lost in the Democratic primary for the United States Senate to Attorney General Martha Coakley last year), and 1994 Lt. Governor candidate Robert Massie. Most recent polls have shown Brown with a significant lead over potential Democratic opponents for the 2012 election. In a Suffolk/7NEWS poll from April, 55% of voters believe Brown deserves to be re-elected. Brown presently has $8.3 million in his campaign account. The Democratic primary is scheduled for September 18, 2012.

House and Senate pass $85 million in Emergency Supplemental Budget

Both the House and Senate this week passed an $85 million supplemental budget bill to fund end-of-year spending deficits. The bill includes $42.2 million for Public Counsel Services, $3.3 million for snow and ice removal and $15 million for case-load driven account such as transitional assistance. The Senate version also includes $25 million to fund an underground storage tank removal program in the state. Senate Ways and Means Chair Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) said that he did not expect any additional deficit spending during FY2011.

Court Management Bill Passes Unanimously in the House

HB 3395 would reorganize the Massachusetts Trial Court and aims to reform the Probation Department following a Boston Globe series on alleged corruption. HB 3395 passed the House by a vote 152-0 on Wednesday.  The bill, which had an expedited hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary last week, did not include the Governor’s proposal to merge the probation department into an agency within the executive branch. The Senate President has generally been supportive of the reorganization of the Trial Court; the Senate is expected to take up the bill next week.

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

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Posted in Information, Weekly Mass Political Summaries

Right Building? – Is the Proposed New DPW Garage Properly Conceived, Sized, and Priced for Medfield’s Needs?

Posted on May 10, 2011 | 3 comments

Right Building? –
Is the Proposed New DPW Garage Properly Conceived, Sized, and Priced for Medfield’s Needs?
By Osler L. Peterson

There is no question the current DPW Garage is not adequate and that an answer is needed.  The issue is instead whether the building as proposed is the proper building, at the proper cost, at the proper size, with the proper fittings to fill the town’s need.  Too date too many questions remain.

At town meeting, the Warrant Committee clearly stated that they were not making a call about whether the proposed building was the correct answer, rather they said they were relying on  others for that determination of appropriateness.

To my mind the proposed DPW Garage was neither fully vetted, nor completely explained to the town, with the result that there still remain too many unanswered questions about its size, scope, and propriety.  I cannot tell, nor have I felt sufficiently reassured, from what I have seen and heard, whether what has been proposed is the strictly utilitarian garage storage structure with connected offices for the employees needs that the town should construct.  So to date I still do not know whether we are getting the right building or not.

I am happy to be convinced that we need a building that is this big and this expensive, but I have yet to see those answers – and it is not for want of asking.  I started asking over a month before town meeting, the day Town Administrator,  Mike Sullivan, called to tell me that the night before the Warrant Committee decided to turn a place holder article into a funded article.  As a selectman, I usually get information I need when I ask for it, but not this time.  By town meeting I had not gotten enough explanation, and what explanation I got only raised more questions than it answered for me.

To assist others determine whether this is the proper structure to build, I have listed my current unanswered questions about the DPW Garage as proposed:

●    I will start with a quibble about the actual cost.  The DPW garage is presented as a $10 m. building, but since the DPW will be doing the site work (which would otherwise cost almost $1 m.) and since the town has already spent over $500,000 on the construction drawings, the garage is really a $11.5 m. building, without assigning any value to the land on which it will sit.  If the DPW were not doing the site work at the garage they would be doing other projects to improve/benefit the town, so their doing the site work for the garage is still a cost to the town, a lost opportunity cost – imagine how many sidewalks or parks could get built with $1 m.
●    The cost of the building is mainly determined by its size.  So one big question is whether the size of the building is justified?  The building is a central office core with two opposing garage wings.
○    The offices portion of the building is larger than two floors of the town house combined.  Does the DPW need that much office space?
○    The plan shows forty vehicles being garaged.  Are there really 40 vehicles that need to be stored out of the weather?  If so, can the town see the list of vehicles proposed to be garaged, so the town can decide if it wants to pay to garage them all?
○    On the plan there are two rooms labeled “spare room” – are those rooms necessary?  Or only being build for future needs?  Or can they be deleted?
○    The superintendent has an office in the building, to use during emergencies (snow storms), yet the superintendent will keep and primarily workout of his current office at the Town House.
–    Does the superintendent need two offices?  Or is there a way to provide a  smaller space for the superintendent in the garage to use during the 10-15 days we have snow storms a year without dedicating a room to this use year round?
–    Or have the superintendent cede his town house office for use by others?
○    Do we need three repair bays?  Do we not employ just two mechanics?
○    Do we need to build two bays just for “Plow Storage”?
–    Do the snow plows need to be inside year round?
–    What is the anticipated cost savings from storing the plows indoors versus the cost to build and heat the extra two bays on the building?
○    One room is labeled “Tire St.” and one “Storage Gen.” – what will these be used for and are they really necessary?
○    Are the rooms necessary that are labeled:
–    School Dept.
–    Cem. Dept.
–    Water Dept.
–    Hwy Dept.
–    Are these intended as offices for workers?
○    One room is labeled for “Reception” – will there be a receptionist there?
○    For what purpose do we need a “Conference/Operations” room?
–    Could the larger “Crew Room,” which is shown with eight tables and thirty-two chairs, double as the conference room?
○    Do we really need men’s and women’s locker rooms?
–    Would it make sense to let the workers return home at the end of their work days to shower and change at home?
–    There are no women employees, and yet we are building a room for seven “Women Lockers” – is there a better way to create equal facilities for possible future women employees than to build a facility with no current use?
●    Different configuration
○    Should the building’s twin garage wings be wider so that each bay can park three to four or more vehicles end to end instead of the propose two to three, to save on the cost of the thirty-nine garage doors?  What are the cost trade offs from saving on garage doors versus increased structural cost of a wider building?
●    Should the garage bays be heated?  Most residents’ garages are not heated.
○    What is the increase in the efficient use of the heated equipment versus the increase in cost to heat the bays, both the cost to construct the heaters and the ongoing cost to operate the heaters?
○    Could plug in electrical engine block heaters get one the increased efficiencies of faster starting of the diesel engines in the winter at a much lower cost to build and run?
○    Vehicles corrode faster if kept in heater garages
●    Should the building be constructed entirely of masonry block, as proposed, or to save money, should it be masonry block on the bottom with a metal building sitting on top of those masonry blocks or all metal?
○    What are the trade offs and what are the costs of each?
○    I am told that the cost difference is small (2%), thus militating against use of a metal building, but I would like to see a greater discussion of the details.
○    Masonry building last longer, but will things change so much in the 40 years that we might get from a metal building that whatever we build will no longer be serviceable.  Note that the town is currently looking at replacing 40 year old masonry block public safety buildings because they no longer meet the current needs of police and fire.
●    Would it be cheaper for the town to enter into a design, build, and operate agreement with a private developer to build the garage, or a sale and lease back of a completed garage on a long term basis?
○    Could such arrangements avoid the added construction costs the town faces when it does construction on its own – those costs are said to increase municipal construction costs by upwards of 25% (i.e. – could we save $2.5 m.)?
●    Can we repair the existing garage and build additions onto that structure?  What would be the costs, the savings, and the compromises?

The size and many choices make this building as expensive as it is, so the town must be certain that it needs all the things that are in the building.  To paraphrase Senator Everett Dirkson, “a million here, a million there, pretty soon you are talking real money.”  Let’s together make sure we are buying the right size, right building.

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Posted in Budgets, Information

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending April 29, 2011

Posted on May 4, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending April 29, 2011

Week Ending April 29, 2011

House Passes $30.51 Billion Budget

This week the House voted 157-1 to approve its $30.51 billion FY2012 budget bill after a week of debate on the 758 amendments filed. While the budget included no new taxes or fees, it contained cuts across almost all line items.  The budget now moves to the Senate, which will release its version of the budget in mid-May with floor debate to follow.

Municipal Health Reform included in House budget

In one of the most closely watched votes of the budget debate, on Tuesday night the House voted 111-42 in favor of an amendment that would give municipalities more autonomy to design health insurance plans, including the setting of co-payments and deductibles –exclusive from collective bargaining. The House passed proposal establishes that if an agreement between labor and management cannot be met on health care issues, then a committee is set up to continue negotiations.  If after thirty days there is still no agreement, then the management proposal is automatically adopted but 20% of the avoided health care costs are used to reduce insurance costs for employees.

Public employee unions were enraged at the House passed plan, arguing that it restricted collective bargaining of public employees. The unions vowed that there would be political consequences to Democratic members who voted for the plan. Passage of the amendment was praised by business and statewide groups such the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The fact that the House took action on municipal health insurance reform, a topic that remains controversial, received praise from the Governor and Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth).  However the Senate President said she has not yet decided whether the Senate will address municipal health care reform in a stand-alone bill or as part of the Senate budget process.

Senate Releases Government Reform Bill

The Senate President filed government reform legislation (SB1900) this Thursday. The wide ranging bill would create a commission to find efficiencies in government operations, expand electronic reporting by state agencies and make more stringent financial reporting requirements. Under SB1900, the state’s debt limit would be increased to $1.7 billion at the start of the next fiscal year and local aid to cities and towns would be paid in monthly allotments, as opposed to the quarterly payments currently in place. A hearing on Senate President Murray’s bill has been scheduled before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight for Tuesday, May 3rd at 11am.

Hearing Set for Court Management Bill

Speaker DeLeo filed a court management and government hiring reform bill last week in response to the probation scandals over the last years. The bill, which aims to reduce patronage in the Probation Department and create additional accountability in the Trial Courts, would reorganize the Massachusetts Trial Court, creating a new Office of Court Management. The bill would also put the Probation Department under the Judiciary and establish an objective entrance exam for probation officer applicants. Speaker DeLeo has said that probation reform is one of his top priorities and had requested an expedited hearing schedule. The Joint Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing for HB 3395 for Tuesday, May 3rd at 1pm.

 

Governor’s Comments on Gambling

With the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies set to hear expanded gaming bills next week, the Governor said that the issue of gambling was much higher on Speaker DeLeo’s agenda than on his own. Although the House and Senate and Governor were generally in agreement about authorizing casinos in the state before the end of last session, the issue of whether slot machines should be allowed at the state racetracks ultimately derailed the bill’s final passage.

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

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Posted in Information, Weekly Mass Political Summaries

My To Do List for the Board of Selectmen

Posted on April 28, 2011 | Comments Off on My To Do List for the Board of Selectmen

Today I created my To Do List of some items for the Board of Selectmen to work on as we start out on what is really our new town government year now that town meeting is over.  Let me know if you have things you think I should add.

1.    Town should show debt budgets out 10 years, as suggested by Jack Wolfe at the annual town meeting (ATM)
2.    Start succession planning for town departments
3.    Create more information for residents ahead of the ATM, perhaps lengthier descriptions of the articles and issues in the Warrant booklet
4.    We should start planning right now for the town and school budget for the next ATM in 2012.  The Board of Selectmen should reach out to the school committee to see if we can work cooperatively on a town wide budget, instead of the historic approach of separate town and school budgets.
5.    We need a fuller discussion/education process on the DPW garage, and perhaps the Board of Selectmen can facilitate that process at our meetings before the 5/23/11 election.
6.    Board of Selectmen should pull the trigger now to start the education process about the Medfield State Hospital project, regardless of when DCAM is ready to proceed.
7.    Routinize the process by which warrant articles are drafted – see more in the proposed annual town calendar below.  The Lyme disease and Energy Committees warrant articles did not work this year.
8.    Create and publish a calendar for conducting town business, working backwards from the ATM
a.    ATM
b.    Warrant Hearing
c.    When warrant articles must be finalized
d.    When warrant articles must be reviewed by town counsel
e.    When warrant articles must be reviewed by town administrator
f.    When warrant articles must be submitted
g.    Budget hearing
h.    The Board of Selectmen and Warrant Committee to meet to discuss and set the budget assumptions for the upcoming year
i.    Evaluation of town administrator
j.    Board of Selectmen sets goals for year
9.    Ken Feeney needs to deliver cost of installed street reflectors for bad corners
10.    Department Heads should annually submit written goals
11.    Determine whether the current town car use policy is the proper one – should any employees take town vehicles home
12.    Create a mechanism to thank and celebrate long term employees.
13.    Review use of overtime by town departments
14.    Lease from the MBTA of the land to create the Bay Colony Rail Trail

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Posted in Budgets, Information, Medfield State Hospital, Select Board matters

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending April 22, 2011

Posted on April 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending April 22, 2011

Week Ending April 22, 2011

Competing Proposal for Municipal Health Reform Released

In the FY2012 budget proposal released by the House Ways and Means Committee last week, municipalities were given more control to design health insurance plans, including setting co-payments and deductibles, outside of collective bargaining. Public employee unions made clear their opposition to this change and suggested a competing proposal in a budget amendment filed late Friday. The amendment, backed by 50 legislators, including 6 committee chairs, was sponsored by Rep. Marty Walsh (D-Dorchester), a union member and current President of the Boston Building Trades. His proposal would restore various collective bargaining powers to municipal unions and grant them a 45 day period to negotiate over health benefits and the use of arbitration if they fail to come to an agreement. This issue has dominated the political landscape this week and is expected to dominate the House budget debate when it begins next week.

Poll Shows Anxiety over Jobs

A poll released this week showed that more than 85% of Massachusetts residents are worried about jobs, with 33% worried that they or someone in their family would lose a job within three months. The poll was conducted by UMass-Dartmouth’s Department of Public Policy of 1,207 Massachusetts residents in February and March and has a margin of error of 2.8 points. The poll also showed that 80% of residents are concerned or very concerned about the cost of health care and the cost of higher education.  Less than half of the poll’s respondents said they were focused on taxes in the state.

 

Speaker DeLeo Sets Out Timeline for Newly Released Court Management Bill

Speaker DeLeo released a plan this week that would reorganize the Massachusetts Trial Court, creating a new Office of Court Management. The bill would put the Probation Department under the Judiciary and establish an objective entrance exam for probation officer applicants. A report released late last year detailed systemic abuse and corruption within the Massachusetts Probation Department and included allegations that patronage influenced the hiring of probation officers. DeLeo’s proposal is in conflict with Governor Patrick, who has repeatedly pressed for merging the probation department into an agency within the executive branch, arguing that housing the probation and parole boards under one roof would provide prisoners re-entering society with a smoother transition. Speaker DeLeo said that probation reform is one of his top priorities and the court management bill would be sent to the Senate by mid-May.

Smaller Number of Budget Amendments Filed

Following the release by the House Ways and Means Committee last week of its $30.45 billion FY2012 budget, legislators filed a total of 758 amendments to the budget by the 5pm deadline last Friday. The number of amendments is down significantly over the past three years. According to leadership in the House, the total number of amendment filed are down because many lawmakers recognize that because of the tight fiscal restraints, there is less money in the budget, and also 25% of House members are freshman and new to the budget process. In 2009 and 2010, House members filed 869 and 978 amendments respectively. The highest number of budget amendments (1,512) was filed in 2008, prior to the nationwide recession. The House is set to begin debate of the budget and amendments next week.

Tax Collection Figures Released

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue released the tax collection figures for the first half of April.  The state collected an additional $107 million during the period compared to one year earlier. According to Navjeet Bal, the state revenue commissioner, total state tax collections through the first nine months of the year have exceeded budget expectations by $850 million.  Although tax receipts continue to beat projections, supplemental budget spending has already surpassed $850 million, mainly to pay for spiking costs in the state Medicaid program.

Legislative Action Light this week

With few members on hand because of school vacation, legislative action remained light. The House is set to begin debate on the budget bill and the 758 amendments filed to it next week.

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

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Posted in Information, Weekly Mass Political Summaries

Municipal health insurance vote yesterday, per Massachusetts Municipal Association alert today – Rep. Winslow favored & Rep Garlick opposed

Posted on April 27, 2011 | 2 comments

HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY ADOPTS MUNICIPAL HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN DESIGN REFORM
113-42 Vote Embraces Key Municipal Priority Advanced by Speaker DeLeo and Chairman Dempsey Cities and Towns Would Have Ability to Make Plan Design Changes or Join GIC

April 27, 2011

At 11:03 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, the members of the House of Representatives, by an overwhelming vote of 113-42, adopted a strong municipal health insurance reform plan advanced by the Speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee. The MMA applauds the extraordinary leadership of Speaker DeLeo, Ways and Means Chairman Dempsey, Ways and Means Vice Chairs Kulik and Walz, Public Service Committee Chair Scibak, and all House members who voted to add the reform amendment to the fiscal 2012 state budget. The reform package includes the following provisions:

  • Adds a new Section 19A to Chapter 32B, which, if adopted by the Board of Selectmen in a town, the Mayor or City Manager and Council in a city, or by the school committee in a regional school district, allows the community or district to increase its co-pays, deductibles and other plan design features up to the level included in the most subscribed plan offered by the Group Insurance Commission, or to transfer its subscribers into the GIC if the community would save more through that option;
  • Requires the appropriate public authority (generally the municipal executive) to convene a meeting of a special committee comprised of a representative of each collective bargaining unit and a retiree representative, and submit the proposal to that “public employee committee” regarding the plan design changes or transfer to the GIC, and conduct a 30-day discussion period to discuss the details of the proposal and negotiate how to allocate 10 percent of one year’s estimated cost savings, provided that the allocation of the savings shall only be used for health related programs (such as an HRA or other related items) for active employees and retirees;
  • If the 30-day discussion results in an agreement with the committee, the community shall implement the changes and the 10 percent savings shall be allocated as agreed;
  • If the 30-day discussion does not result in an agreement with the committee, the community may implement the plan design changes or transfer as originally proposed, however the community shall set aside 20 percent of one year’s estimated savings for an HRA to offset costs for high utilizers and retirees (this provides an incentive to municipalities to reach an agreement with the committee, and is the House’s preferred alternative to binding arbitration, which is not in the amendment); and
  • The amendment makes it clear that the decision to implement plan design changes or enroll in the GIC is not subject to collective bargaining — the employee/employer contribution percentage is still subject to collective bargaining, as is any change in co-pays or deductibles that would exceed those in the GIC’s most subscribed plan.
    The MMA will be analyzing the final language adopted by the House, and will provide further information as more becomes available. In the meantime,please contact your Representatives today to thank them for their vote in support of reform (please see the list of “yes” votes below).

    This is one major step on the road to reform. Action will now turn to the Senate, which has passed labor-favored language on this issue for the past two years. This will be a major challenge, so please contact your Senators today as well to ask them to follow suit and support real and meaningful relief for cities and towns.

    Thank you for your tireless advocacy — you have made the difference in this effort!

    Representatives Voting Yes on Chairman Dempsey’s Amendment (roll call 51), listed in order of appearance on the roll call machine: DeLeo, Mariano, Haddad, C. Murphy, Aguiar, Arciero, Ashe, Atkins, Atsalis, Balser, Basile, Benson, Binienda, Bradley, Brownsberger, Cabral, Campbell, Canessa, Cariddi, Coakley-Rivera, Conroy, Costello, Curran, Dempsey, DiNatale, Donato, Dykema, Fernandes, Ferrante, Finn, Forry, Fox, Galvin, Garballey, Gobi, Hecht, Henriquez, Hogan, Holmes, Honan, Kafka, Kane, Kaufman, Keenan, Khan, Kocot, Koczera, Kulik, Lewis, Linsky, Madden, Malia, Markey, McMurtry, Michlewitz, Moran, J. Murphy, Nangle, Naughton, O’Flaherty, Peake, Pedone, Peisch, Pignatelli, Puppolo, Rogers, Rosa, Rushing, Sanchez, Sannicandro, Scaccia, Schmid, Scibak, Smith, Speliotis, H. Stanley, Story, Swan, Torrisi, Vallee, Wagner, C. Walsh, Walz, Jones, Peterson, Poirier, Adams, Barrows, Bastien, Beaton, Boldyga, deMacedo, D’Emilia, Diehl, Fattman, Ferguson, Frost, Gifford, Harrington, Howitt, Humason, Hunt, Kuros, Levy, Lombardo, Lyons, O’Connell, Ross, Smola, Vieira, Webster, and Wong.

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Posted in Budgets, Information

emails re details of proposed new DPW garage

Posted on April 22, 2011 | Comments Off on emails re details of proposed new DPW garage

4/21/2011  5:35PM
RE: FW: Cost of building, Block vs. Metal
To “Ken Feeney” Michael Sullivan  Kristine Trierweiler
===========================================================
Ken,

Thanks for the info

Questions still outstanding –
1 – can I get a set of the plans?  Are the plans on-line for the residents to see?
2 – I thought I counted 34 parking places on the plan that was projected on the wall at the last meeting.  Are there two vehicles parked per bay?
3 – will DPW be giving up its offices in the Town House after the garage is built?
4 – can I get a list of the vehicles that the town is looking to garage?

Thanks

Best,
Pete
Osler L. Peterson, Attorney at Law
PETERSON | Law
580 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458
66 North St, PO Box 358, Medfield, MA 02052
T 617.969.1500
T 617.969.1501 (direct)
M 508-359-9190
F 617.663.6008
osler.peterson@verizon.net
http://mysite.verizon.net/osler.peterson/
Medfield Information at: FB, https://medfield02052.wordpress.com/ & http://twitter.com/Medfield

—– Original Message —–
From: “Ken Feeney”
To: “‘Osler L. Peterson'”
Sent: 4/21/2011 4:55PM
Subject: RE: FW: Cost of building, Block vs. Metal

Hi Pete,
The garage has 18 parking bays, 1 truck wash bay and 3 mechanics bays with 2 truck lifts. That makes a total of 22 bays.
The Superintendent and three Foremen take vehicles home.
We have forty major pieces of equipment.
Block heaters are huge consumers of electricity and I would worry that they may cause a fire and their longevity would not be good.
Block heaters would not help the hydraulic systems or air brakes on the trucks.
The new truck wash will help to take care of any corrosion problems that we might encounter.
The building committee took a long hard look at the size and decided to go with the design that you see.
They took into consideration future needs and that the school maintenance department will be moving in.
In the office area, we are allowing space for plan storage from the Town Hall freeing up some of the clutter in their storage area.
The town server will be moved to the new facility helping Town Hall free up a meeting room.
The new office space will have a conference room to accommodate various committee meetings.
A space is set aside for the backup radio system for police and fire.

Ken

—–Original Message—–
From: Osler L. Peterson [mailto:osler.peterson@verizon.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 4:46 PM
To: Michael Sullivan; Ken Feeney
Subject: RE: FW: Cost of building, Block vs. Metal

Ken,

Thanks for that cost comparison data.

Some more of the questions I still need answered include the following:
1 – Do we really need 34 bays?  How many vehicles are we looking to house?  Can we have fewer bays where employees drive many vehicles home at night?
2 – Should we be heating the bays or would plug in block heaters work equally well (I understand one gets less vehicle corrosion in garages that are not heated)?
3 – Has the size of the building been pared down as much as possible?

Can you email me a set of plans to review?

Thanks.

Best,
Pete
Osler L. Peterson, Attorney at Law
PETERSON | Law
580 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458
66 North St, PO Box 358, Medfield, MA 02052
T 617.969.1500
T 617.969.1501 (direct)
M 508-359-9190
F 617.663.6008
osler.peterson@verizon.net
http://mysite.verizon.net/osler.peterson/
Medfield Information at: FB, https://medfield02052.wordpress.com/ & http://twitter.com/Medfield

—– Original Message —–
From: “Michael Sullivan”
To: “‘Osler L. Peterson'” , , “‘Mark Fisher'” , “‘Tim Bonfatti'”
Sent: 4/20/2011 4:29PM
Subject: FW: Cost of building, Block vs. Metal

FYI. Below are the comparative costs for the masonry block vs. metal panel siding. Mike Sullivan

From: Vaughan Totovian [mailto:vtotovian@HNTB.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 1:50 PM
To: ‘Ken Feeney’; ‘Mike Sullivan’
Cc: Mohammad Saleemuddin
Subject: Cost of building, Block vs. Metal

Ken,

As per our phone conversation, Mohammad provided me with the cost estimates you requested.

Steel frame, metal panel siding:                           $5,872,000.00
Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Block Siding:     $6,137,000.00

Results in a savings of $265,000.00 for construction cost. However, metal siding will require more maintenance and is less durable and may end up costing more over the life of the building.

These are in late 2008/early 2009 dollars.

Regards,
Vaughan Totovian, PE
Project Manager
HNTB Corporation
31 St. James Avenue, Suite 300
Boston, MA 02116
Direct: 617-532-2294

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Posted in Budgets, Information

Mike Sullivan email to Patch explains cost of two overrides

Posted on April 22, 2011 | Comments Off on Mike Sullivan email to Patch explains cost of two overrides

The average cost of a house in Medfield, according to the Assessor’s office is $564,400. The first full year of the debt service on a $10 million bond issue for the town garage is estimated at $900,000 ($500,000 principal and $400,000 interest) This would result in a $0.40 increase in the tax rate which would amount to an increase of $225.76 on the average home. Anyone who want to figure it on their own home can just divide their property valuation by 1,000. and multiply that amount by $0.40. For example, for a house assessed for $500,000 the tax impact would be $500,000/1,000 or 500 X $0.40 = $200. This would decrease by a small amount each successive year, because the interest payment would be decreasing and after the bonds were paid off (twenty years) it would disappear from the tax levy.

The budget operating override is estimated at $500,000. This would result in $0.22 increase in the fy12 tax rate which would amount to an increase of $124.17 on the average home($564,400). Anyone who wants to figure it on their own home can just divide their property valuation by 1,000. and multiply that amount by $0.22. For example, for a house assessed for $500,000 the tax impact would be $500,000/1,000 or 500 x $0.22 = $110. The last operating override was approved by the voters in 2008 for use in fy2009. The amount of that operating override was $850,000. There were no operating overrides voted in 2009 or 2010.  Unlike a debt exclusion override, which disappears when the bonds are paid off, an operating override becomes part of the tax levy base.

The debt service payments on existing town debt have been going down for several years and will continue to go down. At peak in fy2005 the Town’s debt annual debt service payments were $7,399,265. For next year, fy12, the Town’s annual debt service payments will be $5,685,266. This is a decrease of $1,713,999 or 23.2%.  In five more years the this figure will go down to $4,095,788, a further decrease of $1,589,478 or 21.5%, as the bonds on the library, town hall, 92 high school renovation and other capital projects are paid off. In addition, the Town has more than $20 million in School Building Assistance reimbursements and sewer betterment assessment revenues, with which to pay off this debt. As of June 30, 2011 the outstanding principal on Town debt will be $40,308,906 and the outstanding interest will be $9,718,089 for a total outstanding principal and interest of $50,026,995. Principal is being paid off at a rate of just over $4,000,000/year.   As a result, the Town is in a good position address its future capital needs.

Time to go home. Mike Sullivan

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Posted in Budgets, Information

Medfield Town Meeting to decide on Green Communities Act

Posted on April 6, 2011 | Comments Off on Medfield Town Meeting to decide on Green Communities Act

The Medfield Energy Committee (MEC) has been leading the effort to get the Town of Medfield to become a green community under the provisions of the recently enacted Green Communities Act.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eoeeasubtopic&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Energy%2c+Utilities+%26+Clean+Technologies&L2=Green+Communities&sid=Eoeea

The GCA is a Massachusetts statute that allows towns to opt in to becoming green communities by meeting the five criteria set forth in the statute, which then qualifies the town to share in the $10 m. of state wide grant monies that will be available each year.  DOER gives preferences to new adoptees, so if Medfield adopts the GCA we are assured of receiving a grant of at least $125,000 the first year to do with as we see fit.

The five criteria are all things that appear to make eminent sense, especially to anyone interested in slowing global warming (yes the Town of Medfield can do a part):

1 – town policy to purchase fuel efficient vehicles (this only effects eight town vehicles and only when they are to be replaced, as DPW and public safety vehicles are mostly exempt)
2 – town commitment to reducing energy usage by 20% (the MEC has almost done this already – thank you MEC)
3 – adopt the stretch building code (Massachusetts will adopt this in 2012 anyway, and while it does result in an average house costing about $3,000 more, the pay back in energy savings is only around three years)
4 – expedited permitting (already done, as Medfield already acts on permits within the one year required)
5 – as-of-right siting for renewal or alternative energy facilities (this would be met by clearly allowing for the R&D and manufacturing of renewal or alternate energy items in the land primarily along West Street and Route 27 in the areas that are already zoned for Industrial Extensive manufacturing uses)

For the GCA to be adopted by the Town of Medfield, there are bylaw changes that need to get adopted at the town meeting on 4/25, to adopt the stretch building code and to revise the zoning as per #5 above.

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Posted in Energy Committee, Information, Select Board matters

Weekly Political Report – Week Ending February 25, 2011

Posted on February 25, 2011 | Comments Off on Weekly Political Report – Week Ending February 25, 2011

Week Ending February 25, 2011

 

This week the Legislature took its first action on Governor Patrick’s legislation to reduce health care costs and reform payment systems in Massachusetts. The bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, which is chaired by Rep. Steven Walsh (D-Lynn) and Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge). During a procedural hearing held this week by the committee to establish rules for the committee, Sen. Moore said he anticipates the committee will spend the majority of its time this year working on this single piece of legislation. Currently, the committee is drafting a section-by-section summary of the bill to send to House and Senate members.

 

House Speaker DeLeo (D – Winthrop) and Senate President Murray (D – Plymouth) advocated for a sit-down between legislative leaders and Governor Patrick to discuss the potential for passing expanded gaming bill that would allow resort casinos in Massachusetts. Although both sides were in agreement about authorizing casinos in the state before the end of last session, the issue of slot machines ultimately derailed the bill’s prospects. Speaker DeLeo has been a forceful advocate for racetrack slots while the Governor has insisted that any slot licenses in the state be competitively bid and not restricted to only the state’s handful of racetracks. The Governor on Wednesday remained lukewarm to the idea of meeting with the House Speaker and Senate President to discuss gambling, saying that the gambling bill should not overshadow other legislative priorities and that he speaks with the two legislative leaders every week.

 

During a joint Ways and Means budget hearing held earlier this week in Amherst, municipal officials advocated for the adoption of a resolution in which the Legislature would commit to at least match local aid levels included in the Governor’s budget filed last month. Legislative leaders issued a similar statement last year, agreeing to a minimum commitment for FY2011 local aid levels. According to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, such a commitment would help municipal governments anticipate state aid levels as they craft their own FY2012 budgets. House and Senate debate surrounding the state’s FY2012 budget will take place in April and May respectively.

 

 

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)

MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org

 

 

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Posted in Information, Weekly Mass Political Summaries