Category Archives: Uncategorized

Town computers ransomed

computer locked

This press release was issued by Kristine Trierweiler last night –


TOWN OF MEDFIELD
Office of BOARD OF SELECTMEN
TOWN HOUSE, 459 MAIN STREET
MEDFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 02052-0315
(508) 906-3011

For Immediate Release

On Monday, January 25, 2016 the Town of Medfield discovered a virus had infected the
computer network at the Medfield Town Hall. A computer hacker had gained access,
apparently through an infected email, to the Town’s network and launched a Cryptoware ransomware virus which then encrypted most of the Town Hall files. The hacker demanded a ransom from the town in exchange for unlocking the files.
The Town consulted with several other towns, law enforcement agencies, and the Town’s antivirus protection firm, all of whom have experience with similar attacks against other municipalities in the Commonwealth. After numerous attempts were made to unlock the Town’s files, it was determined paying the ransom was the most expedient option for the Town. The Cryptoware virus had infected the backup system as well.

On January 26, 2016 the Town of Medfield paid the ransom of one half a bitcoin,
equivalent to three hundred dollars ($300 USD), as directed by the hackers. Once the
ransom was paid, the hackers provided the Town with a software key to begin the process of unlocking the files.

This was not a data breach and no files were removed from the system. The School
Department information and records are stored on a different server and were not affected by the virus. Payroll and employee information is stored offsite with our payroll vender.

The Town’s computer system was down until Monday, February 1, 2016 and the Town is still in the process rebuilding some areas of the network. In addition to unlocking the files, the Town’s IT department has been working around the clock to ensure future threats to the network have been diminished. The Town is removing all mapped drives, further restricting access to USB drives and taking additional measures.

Candidate interviews coming

election

This from Cheryl Dunlea –


 

Dear Selectmen and Town Administrator,

I wish to inform you that I am not scheduling a Candidates’ Evening for the candidates in the Medfield Election this year.

Instead I have scheduled a series of interviews using Medfield High School students.  This is a joint venture with Carol Mayer, Town Clerk; Kevin Murphy, social studies teacher at Medfield High School; and Aditi Thatte and staff of Medfield TV.

The attached letter is directed to the candidates.  I hope this is a successful program.   I thought it was important for you to know the details.

The letters to those who took out papers were sent today.  I will finalize the list when the papers are submitted to Carol on February 8th.

Thank you for listening,

Cheryl Dunlea


 

52 Orchard Street

Medfield, MA, 02052

January 28, 2016

Dear Candidate,

Congratulations on your decision to run for elected office in Medfield!!

During these next two months I know you will be actively campaigning for your election.

 

As a means to introduce you to the citizens of Medfield, I would like to formally invite you to participate in a new program I have designed for candidates seeking office in Medfield.

 

I have coordinated with Carol Mayer, Town Clerk; Kevin Murphy, Social Studies teacher at Medfield High School; and Aditi Thatte and the staff of Medfield TV. We are scheduling a series of interviews in which High School students interested in civics would interview you about the position you are seeking, your qualifications, and the issues you are facing.

 

This program would be in lieu of Candidates’ Evening which I have been associated with for over forty years here in Medfield.

 

We are trying to schedule the interviews for Wednesday, February 10th and Thursday,

February 11th between 2:00 and 5:00 pm.   The scheduling is due to availability of the studio located at 18 North Meadows Road (Route 27).

 

By taping the interviews in February there will be time to edit and perfect the shows in time for March 1-27 airing on MTV. In addition the shows will be sent to various social media outlets.

 

I do not know if you will return your papers at this time. However, I wanted you to be aware of this program.

 

I hope you will join us. I will send out a schedule of the taping times as soon as I know that all the nomination papers are in.

 

Please be so kind as to e-mail or call me with your e-mail so I may send you the taping

schedule.

 

Thank you for listening!

 

Cheryl Dunlea

Medfield TV Board of Directors

Former third grade teacher at Wheelock School, Medfield

Former LWV President and Voter Service Chair

mrsdunlea@yahoo.com

508-359-2496

Denise Garlick annual r3port

Demise Garlick is holding her annual report to the town this evening at the Town House. She is now the Chair of the Committee on Elder Affairs, so she now has a substantial staff – about six people, several of whom are here this evening. As an attorney I was glad to hear she has legal council, as well as a legislative aid.

DLS maps

DLS

The state’s Division of Local Services (DLS) is part of the state’s Dept. of Revenue.  DLS puts out the above named newsletter, but also publishes lots of data about municipalities.  The link below is to an interactive map that documents where we stand with respect to several metrics – population, taxes, % of residents, and % of commercial uses.

http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/dls/landingmap/

MMA info #5

MMA-2

Last Friday and Saturday I attended the MMA’s annual meeting at the Hynes Convention Center, where I always get good insights and gather great information.  I posted some of them while I was there.

Hynes

This morning as I heard about the Governor releasing his proposed version of the state budget for FY17, I was recalling Governor Baker telling us last Friday morning that last year he saw that municipalities got 75% of the state’s revenue increases in FY16 passed along to them via increased local aid from the state, that this year he is proposing that we get 100% of the state’s revenue increases passed along.  This sounds a lot like the revenue sharing that the MMA has been asking the state to commit to for a long time – now it just needs to be institutionalized and made permanent.

The state’s consensus revenue numbers for FY17 predict a 4.3% increase in state revenue, so our local aid should be going up 4.3% in the Governor’s proposed budget.

 

1 selectman candidate

 

Barbara Gips told me last night that while she pulled nomination papers to run for selectman, that she does not plan on proceeding by turning them in.  She changed her mind when she learned that Mike Marcucci was running.

I want you


Pete, I did pull papers for Selectman as no one else was running. However, when I learned that Mike Marcucci also did, I called Carol to let her know that I would not be filing papers or running as Mike is a terrific candidate. So, it’s just Mike (and anyone else who wants to file) running for Richard’s seat. Not me.

2 selectman candidates

vote.2

Town Clerk, Carol Myer, reported last week that Warrant Committee members Mike Marcucci and Barbara Gips have both pulled nomination papers for selectman.

Still no one running for the empty seat on the Board of Assessor.

BoS agenda for 1/26

cropped-medfield-town-house1.jpg
Tuesday January 26, 2016 @ 7:00 PM

AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

7:00 PM  EPA Stormwater Permit Workshop, conducted by
Ian Cooke, Executive Director, and Sarah Bounty I Neponset River Watershed Association;  Martin  Pillsbury, MAPC

The goal of this workshop is to raise awareness of the new requirements for the MS4 permit, answer questions and concerns Medfield may have about stormwater issues

At the end of this meeting the Board of Selectmen will vote to close the 2016 Annual Town Meeting Warrant


EPA Stormwater Permit Works op for Town of Medfield
AGENDA

Goal: Raise awareness of the new MS4 permit among key board members who will be affected, but who may not deal with MS4 issues on a day to day basis. Encourage inter-board/department discussion on  key issues.

3 min             Ian Cooke: Welcome and introductions, overview of agenda

10 min           Sarah Bounty: Overview of the Stormwater Challenge in Medfield
• Stormwater basics
•  Medfield’s stormwater infrastructure
• Water quality and impaired waters in Medfield

16 min             Ian Cooke: Overview of Requirements in the New Draft MS4 Permit
• Overview
•  Six minimum control measures, TMDLs and reporting requirements
• Potential implementation costs

8 min                Martin Pillsbury: Progress to date
• Overview of work already done by Medfield and regional partners
• Review key tasks completed to date

35 min                Discussion Questions
• What will the biggest impact on your department be?
• How should various departments coordinate their efforts?
• What new resources will be needed?
• Is outside help is needed (i.e training,analysis or implementation)?
• Where could joint efforts by multiple towns help?
•  What is the best way to fund any increased costs?

5 min               Next Steps and
Evaluation/Suggestion Forms

ATM warrant articles

2014 -town meeting

2014 -town meeting

The selectmen will close the warrant for the annual town meeting at our meeting tomorrow night.  Mike’s email below circulated some (but not all) of the current warrant articles for the town meeting on April 25.

After those, at the bottom, you can see my email back to Mike and town counsel about the two articles that I have asked to be included, that would clarify the town zoning relating to siting of assisted living facilities in residential zones, given the way in which the 2012 ATM vote about that issue happened.

 


 

 

The following articles should be voted on at the Board’s January 26, 2016 meeting if you wish to place them on the ATM warrant. If there are additional I left out, please also vote on those. If you do not wish to place any of them on the list don’t vote to do so for those particular articles. Thanks. Mike


 

Article 15.   To see if the Town will vote to fix the salary and compensation of the following elected officers: Moderator, Town Clerk, Selectmen, Assessors, School Committee, Trustees of the Public Library, Park and Recreation Commissioners, Planning Board, Housing Authority and Trust Fund Commissioners, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

  Officer

Present Salary

W.C. Recommends

  Town Clerk $66,000 $       ?
Selectmen, Chairman        900          ?
Selectmen, Clerk        900          ?
Selectmen, Third Member        900          ?
Assessors, Chairman        900          ?
Assessors, Clerk        900          ?
Assessors, Third Member        900          ?
Moderator            0          0
Housing Authority            0          0
School Committee            0          0
Library Trustees            0          0
Planning Board            0          0
Park & Recreation Commissioner            0          0
Trust Fund Commissioner            0          0

 

(Board of Selectmen)

 

Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds sums of money requested by the Selectmen or any other Town Officer, Board, Commission or Committee to defray operating expenses of the Town for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2016, or such other sums as the Town may determine, as required by General Laws, Chapter 41, Section 108, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen)

Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised for the purpose of preparing a Capital Plan for the Town, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen)

Article 21. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised for the purpose of preparing a Town-wide Master Plan, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen)

Article 28. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised for the purpose of purchasing and installing traffic signals and associated traffic markings and signage at the intersection of South Street and Spring Street (route 27) and/or for the purpose of making improvements to the traffic signals, markings and signage at the intersection of West Street and North Meadows Road (Route 27), and to authorize the Chief of Police to apply for and accept grants and to expend funds for such purposes, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen and Chief of Police)

Article 31. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised for the purpose of providing ongoing maintenance and security at the site of the former state hospital, or do or take any action in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen)

Article 32. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised for the purpose of hiring consultants, engineers and/or attorneys to assist the Town with ongoing preparation of a master plan for reuse of the former hospital and surrounding areas and to advise the Town on matters concerning the site’s disposition, reuse and environmental remediation, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, with the understanding that the Board of Selectmen may authorize any other Town board, commission, committee or department to expend a portion of said funds for such purposes, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

                                                                                                           (Board of Selectmen)

Article 34. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised for the purpose of making improvements to the downtown, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen)

Article 39. To see if the Town will vote to accept Sections 3 to 7, inclusive, of Chapter 44B of the General Laws, otherwise known as the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act, by approving a surcharge on real property for the purpose permitted by said Act, including the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, the acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of historic resources, the acquisition, creation, preservation and support of community housing, and the rehabilitation and restoration of such open space and community housing that is acquired or created as provided under said Act; to determine the amount of such surcharge on real property as a percentage of the annual real estate tax levy against real property and the fiscal year in which such surcharge shall commence; to determine whether the Town will accept any of the exemptions from such surcharge permitted under Section 3€ of said Act; or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen and Community Preservation Act Study Committee)

 

Article 40. To see if the Town will vote to accept as public ways all or a portion of the following streets:

Rockwood Road from Station   .00 to Station   .00.

Quarry Road from Station   .00 to Station   .00.

Erik Road from Station   .00 to Station   .00.

 

, or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen)

Article 41. To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of Medfield Regulations, Chapter 150 Historic Preservation, Article II Demolition Delay to establish a procedure for handling appeal of a decision by the Medfield Historic Commission to the Board of Selectmen, by adding a Paragraph   to read as follows:

 

(under discussion with Town Counsel and Historic Commission)

 

,or do or act anything in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen and Historic Commission)

 

 


 

 

Mike and Mark,

Please know that I have removed my fellow selectmen from receiving this email because I am not allowed to communicate with them outside of a posted meeting about matters of substance, under the  terms of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.

I see two things needing to be done.

  1. Since I do not approve of a process at a ATM where one has to make a separate trip to the town clerk’s office to read the item being voted, I feel that needs to be corrected – maybe by re-voting the same item with a proper description; and
  2. If Mark is legally correct that assisted living is now allowed in residential zones based on the 2012 ATM vote, I would also like to also see a second item to give the residents the opportunity to undo that vote, if that is their wish, even knowing that would not affect the pending LCB petition.

Thanks in advance.

 

Best,

Pete

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.9% health insurance rate increase

The MMA runs an insurance company, MIIA, from which Medfield buys insurance for the town – health insurance, workers compensation, and property/casualty.

At the MIIA annual meeting today MIIA announced that is health insurance rate increases will average 8.9%.