Interesting article in today's CCT about Sandwich's response to the most recent storm. Here's the highlights:
- The High School generator failed requiring shelter occupants to be re-evacuated to Falmouth
- The Police/Fire generator failed requiring Police HQ to be evacuated to Human Services Bldg (HSB)
- HSB generator failed requiring 911 calls to be re-routed to Bourne
- Oakridge generator failed and did $500,000+ worth of damage when a sprinkler line burst.
The Broadsider reported that the masonry repairs to the High School will be considerably more than expected -- $300,000 - $500,000 not the $50,000 originally estimated. (This is on the A Wing -- which is maybe 15 years old?)
The Emptyprize reported that the School Committee was planning to bail out the Community School and make some operational changes to ensure its survival. (In case you are curious -- those changes are exactly what was recommended and partially implemented in 2008-2010 but then mostly reversed in 2010 - 2011!).
And, while it hasn't been reported in the local press lately, the expense meter continues to run at breath-taking speed on the Johnson case. Despite the fact that the State Supreme Judicial Court agrees that there is a valid contract, Town Counsel continues to run up the legal bill by spending many hours deposing former school committee members over such irrelevant items as the evaluation of Johnson's predecessor. The depositions have taken on a definite air of retaliation, rather than fact-gathering. It's way past time for somebody to step up and end this circus
These are all serious problems which will not be solved with a $30 million dollar police/fire station (or a $15 million dollar library!)
Most of these issues could have been prevented if people had done their jobs correctly. Some preventative maintenance on the generators or realistically evaluating potential lawsuits on the basis of potential outcomes -- not just on the opportunity to wreak vengeance by delaying the likely outcome -- would save taxpayers a substantial amount of money.
We do have some elected officials who are up to the job. But, we also have a lot of folks with little real-world experience, who are far more interested in settling scores, hearing their own voices, and taking care of their own special interest groups.
Hopefully, the next election brings us more of the former, and less of the latter!
(Note: This post has been revised as more facts become known about recent events)
(Note: This post has been revised as more facts become known about recent events)
9 comments:
It's worse .... the CCT is reporting that the High School will also be closed to students all week because of a dead generator.
Doesn't anybody test these things, ever? How can almost every generator in Town have a problem?
Somebody should be fired!
The Truth Maker would comment that when one does patch work to what ever has been the long term plans in our town, that is what the end results will be.
Now that we all have a little experience as to what can occur during a little blizzard, imagine what the end results will be when we in fact get a storm front that takes out the whole down town area.
No heat, no way to communicate,no shelters to place displaced citizens, no back up plans in place to offset the unknowns that happen every time we get another storm hitting our fair town.
Mother nature is a tough lady to deal with from all fronts and the time to prepare for her is before she hits, not afterwards.
Many that expound that we have no worries, only need to see and observe what has now transpired in the past two storms and all these are just warnings to what is in
store, when the big one hits us.
Then these same folks will be saying what happened? This is only the tip of the iceberg and our long range goals need to be addressing these needs from a common sense aproach and not from political bantering.
Hopefully the federal governement will except Massachusetts state of emergency and our town can get some reimbursment to offset the millions of dollars worth of damage we will need to find money for, to proceed into the future
It just keeps piling up. I have been thinking that the generator issues at the FD and PD is going to ensure the approval of the Safety Building. You'll end up getting your glorious and shiny new mega project now that the people have actually been affected by the lack of maintenance and utter ineptness from our current and former town leaders. I close my eyes and shake my head at the thought of adding yet another $200 to my bloated tax bill for the next 30 years or so. I can't even say if it's worth the fight anymore. It's almost as though everything failed on purpose. Shame on all of those who run this town. You are just like our federal government in the way you just expect that the money is going to be there if you just turn the screws a little tighter. Shame on those holding office from 20 years ago until this very day. What is it in the water around here that makes you think that money is just going to magically appear out of thin air??? You've managed to run any chance of business tax revenue right out of town at every opportunity. The level of frustration with this town is immeasurable. It could have all been prevented with simple maintenance in ALL instances listed. Maintenance is essential for proper building function, in case you didn't know this already.
Disaster Recovery Planning or Business Continuity Planning is something almost every business and government agency does regularly. It involves planning and testing.
How so many Sandwich disaster recovery processes failed at once is a wonder. Who is responsible for our town office’s plans and testing? When the plan was last reviewed and updated? How often are the back up systems tested and evaluated?
Chief Wack was wrong when he suggested that this is an argument for a new building; it isn’t. What this story is is a condemnation of the town’s disaster planning and testing and execution processes. Sure, systems failed but so did at least one someone and quite likely it was a few someones.
When virtually all your Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity plans fails simultaneously its time to rethink who you’ve got running the business.
Well said Mr. Welch, I hope the voting public has awoken up during this nightmare to realize where their tax dollars are not going. I am sad to report that I personally have lost all hope in this strange odyssey called the town of Sandwich. I am begging my husband to step away from the madness of this island of misfit toys and seek the new world far far away from here as I do have faith that there may be capable progressive minded towns that function somewhere in our country
The Truth Maker would add that apparently some citizens of Sandwich are taking out papers to run for Selectman. As of today we have four that will be competing for two positions. This race should prove to be very interesting in determining the future of Sandwich.
For those taking out papers to run for selectman know this.....the show must go on.
We need a new Town Manager, period. Our Town has been proven to be running a series of charades. Have a look at the Office of Inspector General's disapproval of the Town's mismanaged 40B funds, MassDEP's overruling of the fake Town of Sandwich Conservation Commission in November, State Judicial Ruling against the Town of Sandwich Police Department, the mystery of the Russian maffia tapping the Town coffers in 2006-7, inability to attract commerce, high taxes that buy us dilapidated buildings, a fake emergency plan,and many other fine features. If you live in Sandwich, Ma...you live in what could be a highly sought after destination for commerce and residents alike. Sandwich should be afloat in affluence...instead the town is afloat in some kind of grimy steadfast goo. I for one say it's time to CAN THE BUD! Save our Town now!
oK, but its the selectmen who supervise the town manager. If the same people keep getting elected the same thing will keep happenng.
The problem is that so many people are just fed-up with the nonsense that they arent paying attention, Over the years we have had selectmen (and school committee people) unqualified to run a PTA bakesale who were elected based on the fact few other people wanted to run.
And it shows in the quality of their decisions and "planning".
3/8/13, 1:00 AM
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