It was suggested by one member that the economy was improving and that we needed to "grow our budget" by proposing an override.
Hmmm. My economy hasn't improved. I don't have a government/union pension. My income has been frozen for 3 years, which is better than some of my friends and colleagues who have had salary reductions or had positions eliminated entirely. There have been multiple foreclosures in my neighborhood in the past two years.
Last summer, I listed some of the things I wanted to see done BEFORE somebody asked me for an override. In my humble opinion (and that of many others) here's a few more random thoughts:
Eliminate SOMETHING!
Anything -- I'm not seeing any loss of service. There is nothing that I WANT local government to do that it is not already doing. Just plow the roads, educate my kids and answer the phone when I call 911 (and then send somebody with a hose/gun/stretcher!). So far, the Town has consistently achieved those objectives. Town employees should receive a lot of credit for continually providing the good service they do on an ever-tightening budget. I am not looking for more services!
Anything -- I'm not seeing any loss of service. There is nothing that I WANT local government to do that it is not already doing. Just plow the roads, educate my kids and answer the phone when I call 911 (and then send somebody with a hose/gun/stretcher!). So far, the Town has consistently achieved those objectives. Town employees should receive a lot of credit for continually providing the good service they do on an ever-tightening budget. I am not looking for more services!
Forget the second Library. We, unfortunately, can barely afford the first one.
Work to reduce or eliminate the CPA tax -- I will readily admit that I worked hard to obtain CPA funds as a member of the Housing Authority. I do believe in the importance of elderly and disabled housing. I don't believe in the importance of Boardwalks to nowhere, fixing privately-owned buildings, or renovating obsolete buildings. I also believe in funding public recreation areas -- but any group that can afford to pay their "volunteers" should be required to pay for the use of the public facilities.
Oakcrest may have seemed like a good idea once upon a time -- but it has become an albatross. Rent out the four bedroom house for residential use and remarket the lodge as commercial office space. We don't need town offices overlooking the beach.
Build a damn police/fire station -- there's been no doubt one has been needed for years. The Town owns the land -- borrow the blueprints from some other Town that recently built such a structure (it's not an addition to the Louvre!) and get going!
And then there's the Wing School.
The proposed Wing School renovation should be giving us 15-40 million reasons to find some qualified professionals to run for School Committee. This is not a job for the folks who sold the most candy bars for Pop Warner, this is also not a position for folks who enjoy self-promotion. Especially now, this Committee will need qualified, experienced, professional (legal, financial, managerial, engineering, etc.) people who are willing to do the RIGHT thing -- no matter who they piss off! Somebody is going to have to propose unpopular, but neccesary, ideas. (Who wants to tell the Wing PTA they may be split betwen Oakridge and Forestdale? Not me!!)
Real strategic study, discussion and action needs to take place -- not the pathetic, lightweight, catfighting viewers are currently treated to on Wednesday night.
The Wing decision will present a major financial challenge to the Town -- as will Police and Fire Headquarters, some sort of Town Hall consolidation, and even short-term repairs to the school roofs.
Don't talk to me about buying a new pool table and matching lamp -- until after we have fixed the furnace!!
Or, in the infamous words of "Point of Order" Kelley, "You don't ask your in-laws for a loan until AFTER you have sold Grandma's piano!"
8 comments:
By the by, I believe I heard Mr. Dunham say at the special town meeting in the fall, he already had plans/drawings for a new police/fire station. If he's got the plans, and the town has the land,lets figure out the cost and find where to get the money!
Here is the dirty little secret about this police/fire complex in Sandwich. IF it were to be built ask the question, "So, now that we have a shiney new building for our FF/EMT's we can now close and sell the other three buildings....right?" The answer is no. Sta 3's land was donated to the town by Camp Good News. Yes the same Camp Good News making the news this week. Sta 2 will need to remain as a satellite Sta. for incoming off duty people and mostly to park 40 year old red trucks resembling fire equipment. The headquarters Sta 1 will need to remain as an operating station because the geological footprint of the town of Sandwich will create response times to parts of town that aren't acceptible (but 14 mintue response times to parts of East Sandwich currently are acceptable?) You know, the Sta with air quality problems, vermon running amuck, asbestos contained within more than floor tiles and lastly structurally falling into a flood plain. So before we can all agree that Sandwich needs to solve this 30 year old problem make sure we get and hear the back story of what the plan is for these existing 3 stations. You are not gonna' like it!
Like Guerin has been saying; the town needs good planning (and planners), coupled with the nerve to execute hard but well reasoned decisions (strong leaders), and a constant focus on budgets (superior managers).
And, like Simmons says: eliminate something, anything as a show of good faith to tax payers worried about the never ending list of things we'd like to have and cant afford that tops the list of things we're keeping (like Clark-Haddad and Oak Crest Cove) but cant afford either.
Anon 11:45 -
Everyone agrees 14 minute response time to E.Sandwich is unacceptable, but remember that the housing stock in the Village is ancient - go take a look at what happened at the Fur Side. I didn't sleep so well that night, worried about sparks landing on the shake and shingle roof of my 250 yr old house. The right set of circumstances, and a five minute response time could have catastrophic consequences in the very dense, historic village.
Before the "what if" angle gets played the 11:45 anon point is this.....AGAIN what seems as a reasonable and logical plan know this, the not yet voted upon plan or idea to build a police fire "complex" has NO plan to shutter the existing police fire buildings. Only adding to the lunicy of more town town buildings. This town has PROVEN over and over again it can't care for what it already owns yet let us add to that inventory with more structures in such a sorry state? Someone is making the decision to move the Rec Dept into a 4,000 sq ft facility with two floors and two fire places overlooking one of the premier locations on Cape Cod and it aint me. If I were a Dept in Sandwich and wanted to double my size without the money to do it ,now is the time to do it. Prove me wrong
Sandwich was spinning twenty years ago about all the same issues!
We had serious leaders with Bob Guerin and Bob Simmons who both took the heat.
The schools were finally making some positive changes under their leadership and what do the voters do? They sit on their arses and don't come out to vote!
People complain for change, but really people don't like change at all.
We are convinced, Sandwich will have the same issues another 20 yrs from now with double the tax rate. Lots of other people are figuring this out as well, just look at all the for sale signs around town!
Wasn't it a lovely idea that Mrs. Grundman had to "grow the budget" by putting her hands into the pockets of our taxpayors. I was at a meeting in town recently when a woman from the local Food Pantry discussed the increasing number of "working" families in our town that need help from the food pantry. Besides our local debt, that seems to be the only thing growing in this town. Most families are struggling to pay their monthly bills and the illustrious Mrs. Grundman would like us to pay more taxes -- REALLY. Have they cut anything from the municipal side of our town. We have a nice house sitting vacant at Oakcrest cove that could and should be sold. Our Rec dept does not need the palatial pond-side office space at oakcrest. Has everyone forgotten about the golden triangle? We are paying a man at the dump to "guard" the metal pile -- seriously. We just paid for a new town hall with less office space, no parking and virtually no septic system. Our police and fire depts are driving around in some pretty big SUV's these days. I agree with "point of order" Kelley -- make some serious changes and then, ask us for more money! Until then, forget it!
and yet this observer hears a rumor that a certain member of the board of selectmen walked out the other night......come on Mrs Grundman you used to be better than that!!!!!!!! Is this truly typical of Sandwich politics now?? Grand standing and storming out....have we really fallen that far???
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