Category Archives: On being a selectman

Yesterday I spent a small amount of time on a number of things.

• I communicated with Marie Nolan and Mike Sullivan to have the town apply for a $10,000 state technical assistance grant to help the town implement a photovoltaic (PV) array.  There are 10-15 grants on a first come first get basis, so we need to act fast.  Same thing with small grants for waste water treatment facilities energy savings.  Mike will see that we will try for both.
• Assisted with the Historic Commission’s invitation to Montrose to come to the Board of Selectmen to discuss its Cushman House on North Street that is empty and more dilapidated every day.
• Exchanged emails with our state reps’ offices over the state budget.
• Tried to assist Bob Maguire in finding one more host family for the next school year to house a visiting Chinese high school student.
• I notified the Massachusetts Municipal Association of the Medfield Foundation’s success over ten years – $1.3 m of private monies raised for Medfield public purposes.  The MMA had written about the MFi in 2002 as a great new idea in its Mass Innovations column in their monthly Bulletin when the MFi was a nascent entity.  Below is that MMA article from 2002.  Note that Kevin framed the MFi mission as “capital” projects, where others saw it doing most anything.

Medfield opens community chest
The town of Medfield has established a new public charity foundation to raise funds for capital projects.
The newly incorporated Medfield Foundation will serve as a repository for donations to fund a variety of capital needs throughout the community.
Founders hope that the foundation will make it possible for the town to complete needed capital improvement projects. such as a new adult community center, without relying solely on property tax increases.
“Any money the foundation can funnel to town projects is one less dollar we have to raise in property taxes.” said Osler Peterson, a selectman and member of the foundation*s steering committee.
The foundation may be used for fund raising to pay for a portion of a specific project and thereby lessen the amount that the town must borrow. This relieves the town of future tax burdens, explained Kevin Hem, chair of the steering committee.
The foundation is a proposed solution to help the town cope with the ongoing need for capital improvements without relying solely on property tax increases for funding.
Rising property taxes in Medfield were becoming burdensome for some residents. The serious impact property tax increases were having on residents became apparent during the contentious approval process for a $50 million school renovation project.
“It was a difficult battle and we leamed a lot about each other,” said Hem of the school renovation approval process. It became apparent that it was necessary to “find vehicles to help deal with some capital improvements in town,” he said.
“A lot of the reason why such an idea is worth a try is that the projected real estate tax increase of 50 percent over the next 10 years facing the town is alarming.” Peterson said.
Donors may designate tax-deductible contributions to areas of town they have an interest in supporting. such as the library, the fire department, the schools or any other town department. Giving donors the opportunity to select the projects they wish to fund shows that the foundation*s focus is community-wide. its founders say.
It is “critical to its success to get broad-based community involvement and convince people it is a way to help the whole town.” Hem said.
Last month the foundation launched the MFI Tax Rebate Challenge. which encourages people to donate their 2001 federal tax rebates to the foundation.
The steering committee envisions having one central repository for funds, which would relieve the burden of fund raising on many local groups in town. Peterson said. Community groups such as sports teams and ~ th groups would then be eligible for funding from the foundation.
Peterson said the foundation will be careful not to do anything that interferes with the work of the Medfield Coalition for Public Education. The coalition concentrates on raising money for school enrichment programs.
The foundation*s funds will be controlled by its board of directors, which is still being assembled. The steering committee uses its Web site (www.medfieldfoundation.org) to share information with the community and encourage people to become involved with the foundation.
For more information, visit

This monthly column highlights some of the innovative approaches and strategies Massachusetts municipalities are using to deliver services and solve problems. If you know of a Mass Innovation that could be featured in this column, contact Katie Carroll at the MMA

Emails with Marie Nolan and Mike Sullivan to try to get the town’s $10,000 grant application in to Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) for the photovoltaic (PV) assistance money.

Emails with a resident over the number of school children in various complexes/developments  in town.

Email with the Superintendent of Schools to try to find a host family for a Chinese student next year.

Scanned and revised the proposed mission statement received at the Board of Selectmen meeting last night for the committee advising on the Medfield State Hospital.  We need a good name for that committee, that has a good acronym ==>  suggestions?  My last such effort was rejected by the Energy Committee, which I had originally called CREAM – Committee to Reduce Energy Around  Medfield.

Emails with a resident to deal with the bylaw review the Board of Selectmen asked to have undertaken to put in place bylaws needed for any development at the Medfield State Hospital.

Posted Massachusetts Municipal Association and other information on this blog.

No meetings tonight – whew.   I missed the Lyme disease committee meeting Monday evening, in response to Kristen’s statement minutes before I was to leave for it that she had not seen me in a long time, and could just the two of us go out to dinner together – we did go out to dinner at Noon Hill Grill, as that was both important and fun to do – – –  but I still felt guilty about missing that Lyme disease meeting.

MCAP meeting this morning postponed.  The Federal grant application was circulated, and I am still working my way through it.  Interesting piece pointed out on Fox two nights ago about need to secure prescription meds, as that may well be where our children start their drug uses.  There is a correlation between heroin use and degree of prescription drug use, as dealers look to areas of heavy prescription drug use to promote heroin, as heroin is cheaper.

Building Committee meeting about moving forward with plans for a tweaked DPW garage, and the master plan for the Dale Street campus, to include a new public safety facility, Medfield Park & Recreation Commission facility, and a school to serve the current Dale Street school children.   Look for the committee’s an informational public meeting at 7:30 PM on June 7.  They are planning on bringing the DPW garage forward at a special town meeting in November.

I mainly missed the Medfield Foundation meeting last night so as to attend the ZBA hearing #2 on the Gatehouse 40B.  MFi is (1) gearing up to take over running the Angel Run, (2) looking for volunteers to assist on various MFi projects, (3) planning a Monday night Patriots game fund raiser come football season, (4) has celebrated its tenth anniversary year successfully raising over $1.3 m . for public purposes in Medfield, and (5) hopes to establish an endowment by means of planned gifts..

The Board of Selectmen met yesterday evening to grant Bob Sylvia a waiver from his technical conflict of interest (his son works for a law firm that has represented Gatehouse), to allow him to continue his participation in the 40B hearings.  We also discussed our letter comments to the ZBA about the 40B – I suggested that we ask to have it be a tobacco free site.

At the ZBA hearing #2 on the Gatehouse 40B, the ZBA lined up their consultants and heard from four town departments.  Small attendance, perhaps due to the fact that Medfield.TV broadcast the hearing live – look for the repeats.  Most concerning to me was the report that the facility is in an area that is subject to flooding.

Good account circulated by Shawn Collins follows –

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The meeting was called to order with ZBA Chair Robert Sylvia, Russ Hallisey and Charles Peck in attendance for the ZBA.

Future meetings on June 18, July 9 and July 23 were announced.  It was pointed out that the “hearing” must be concluded 180 days from the application date, which would be a conclusion by October 9^th.

Intended for tonight was the selection of consultants and the reporting of  Paul Costello (Water and Sewer Commission), Bob Maguire (Superintendent of Med Schools), Fire Chief Kingsbury and Police Chief Meaney.

Mr. Sylvia pointed out that they relied primarily on recommendations of the existing Town consultants, Mark Brobowski (40B Attorney) and Judy Barrett (Planning Consultant) to evaluate consultant candidates.  Mark Cerel would be responsible for facilitating consulting agreements.

The ZBA chose the following:

Traffic Engineer – Douglas Prentiss

Civil Engineer – Mr. Houston (didn’t catch first name)

Financial Advisor – Michael Jacobs

The Water and Sewer Commission reported (Paul Costello) that they have concerns centered on drainage issues.  Test boring showed the parcel is mostly sand/gravel.  There is a “lower pond” on the site that may not be adequately categorized by FEMA Flood Plain mapping.  He contends that it should be categorized differently than what the developer says.  Further the Commission is concerned about the developers plan for an irrigation well.  They are requesting more information on its location and pumping capacity.

Bob Maguire reported that he had reviewed enrollment projections given by the developer that were based on their other community developments.  He felt that the methodology was flawed because the other towns did not have school systems similar to Medfield’s.  These numbers will be verified against an independently verifiable methodology reflective of Medfield specifically.

Chief Bob Meaney addressed three principal concerns.

• A safe spot for children to wait for the bus including a barrier to the street

• An alternative access to the complex that would accommodate police vehicles (and fire trucks)

• The lack of a sidewalk to at least Marsh Drive, along with a pedestrian crossing/light as well as the addressing of the lack of sidewalk on Dale Street near Charlesdale and Grove Street

Chief Kingsbury spoke about the alternative access issue and the height of the buildings along with their setbacks.  The Town’s ladder truck has a 75’ ladder and that would not reach the roof.  Stationary ladders are only 24’, so they wouldn’t be appropriate either.

Gatehouse did not speak at all and there was no other comment.  The next meeting is scheduled for June 18^th at 7:30p.

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My first post by email (thanks Tim).

Long phone call from Bill Massaro. I think we solved both the MSH and the 40B issues.

Boston Globe reporter is looking at doing an article on the clean up at MSH. Mediator may meet with town team next Monday.

I thought that I would try a new line of writing, that would give a flavor of what it is like to be a selectman, by describing the things that I do as a selectman.  Much of being a selectman is just the many meetings, but much of it is also work done away from the public meetings.

Some weeks seem more about surviving, because of the extra time commitments caused by town meeting.  Last week on Tuesday I attended the Energy Committee meeting because I wanted to hear their discussion about municipal photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays, because I have come to think solar offers the town a money making opportunity that we need to investigate.  That caused me to miss the first half of the SHERC meeting that night, but I caught the second half, which got over at 10:15 PM.  Both Wednesday and Thursday evenings I had three hour meetings related to a scholarship because of my being a selectman.  Sunday I marched in the Medfield Youth Baseball and Softball parade – a fun and happy event.

This week looks to be a long one too, starting last night with the Annual Town Meeting (6:30 – 10:00 PM), tonight is a regular Board of Selectmen meeting, and tomorrow night will be the completion of the  scholarship meetings.

This morning I touched base by telephone with (1) the chair of the Dover selectmen to share with her the results of our ATM vote of the Bay Colony Rail Trail (Dover has an ATM warrant article on the Bay Colony Rail Trail next Monday evening), and (2) Mike Sullivan to confirm the status of the individuals being considered for the new committee to study the Medfield State Hospital purchase, related a resident complaint heard last night, and to remind about the need to get the DCAM documents on its sale of state properties to other towns.  Then I reported back to the resident on the complaint.