Citizens organize charter commission petition to change local government
Published on October 18th, 2000
STONEHAM, MA - Some people want to scrap Town Meeting, fire Town Administrator Jeff Nutting and elect a mayor with no power to act without explicit permission from an elected council.
Many Stoneham folks do not want to do any of these things, but several citizens who do gathered at the Public Library Monday night to discuss how.
The first step is to gather at least 2,280 signatures on a petition that asks townspeople if they want to elect a commission to evaluate town government.
"The mayor, council format makes sense," said Pat Jordan, the Selectmen Chairman, speaking Monday as a Keene Street resident. He opened and moderated the meeting.
"Is there any form of government where you have one person and you tell them to do something, and they just do it?" asked Alice Del Rossi of Parker Chase Road.
Jordan said that the Stoneham Town Administrator Act was designed to give the Administrator authority to make daily management decisions. He added that firing the Town Administrator is a lengthy process due to notification and warning requirements under the Act.
"We don't have to fund his (Nutting's) position at Town Meeting," said Stoneham Fire Fighters Union President John Scullin of North Street. In the early 1990s Stonehamites used this strategy to remove the Public Works Director.
The assembled citizens said they were upset with the hiring and promotion of out of town people into most department head jobs. They also referenced the bump out issue, the flag pole height and road work on George Street as issues in which Nutting and "the people" have not seen eye to eye.
Former Selectman Jim Juliano of Ellen Road agreed with those people who disapproved of Nutting's decisions. He wanted a Town Administrator from Stoneham (Nutting is not) with a reduced salary. But Juliano did not want a mayor.
"A mayor is the end all be all; the town meeting is the purest from of democracy," Juliano said.
Bill Sullivan of Charles Street disagreed. He liked the idea of precinct representation in a city council format.
"I'm a blue collar guy, and I think my views will be better reflected by a guy I run into in my neighborhood," Sullivan said.
In an interview after the meeting, Franklin Street resident John DeGeorge said the Monday night group is barking up the right tree, but the wrong branch of government. DeGeorge wants to fine-tune the open town meeting format focusing on the role of selectmen.
"Selectmen have more power under the act then they seem to know," DeGeorge said, calling the finger pointing at Nutting a "cop out."
DeGeorge said that the Board of Selectmen failed to take initiative to keep the Town Common project under control and after losing control blamed Nutting for actions he took to keep the project moving in an efficient manner.
"He's an efficiency expert. That's why we hired him," said a gentleman in the back.
"But he's too good at his job; that's why everyone hates him," added Sullivan.
Selectman Bob Sweeney of Pleasant Street said that Nutting has opposed unanimous votes of the board, citing roadwork on George Street as an example. But he conceded that perhaps the Board wasn't clearly conveying its wishes in all instances.
"I'm not sure if anyone has ever told him, 'we want this or pack your bags,'" Sweeney said.
Nutting did not wish to comment on the meeting.
DeGeorge has scheduled a meeting at the Public Library for Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. to discuss strengthening Stoneham's Open Town Meeting.
Changing town government involves state as well as local officials and takes at least a year and a half. Next week: a run down on the process.
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