Selectmen Chairman identifies leadership goals for board
Published on July 3rd, 2001
STONEHAM, MA - Selectmen Chairman Tony Kennedy wants citizens to know that Stoneham is heading in the right direction.
“Yes town government is in flux, but we are not stagnating or falling apart,” Kennedy said. “There are a number of positive things going on.”
Kennedy has presented three areas of focus to his fellow Selectmen: Chapter 70 funding, Woodland Road development and town planning.
A Chapter 70 Committee has been formed to lobby for legislation that will shift the formula for funding state mandated education reform and, thus, bring more money to Stoneham.
The committee includes five citizens — Laurel Scippa of 8 Woodbriar Road, Shelly MacNeil of 1159 Franklin St., Stephen MacLeod of 39 Westwood Road, Charles Smith, III of 132 Park St. and Joe Viselli of 14 Constitution Road — along with Kennedy, School Committee member Dave Sheils and Finance Board member John Warren as voting members and, ex officio, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Connelly, School Business Manager Michael Musto and a Town Administrator to be named later.
After the June 26 Selectmen’s meeting, State Senator Richard Tisei (R-3rd Middlesex) said that Stoneham is the only community in the Commonwealth to form such a committee.
“We are trying to be proactive,” Kennedy said.
Tisei and Representatives Paul Casey (D-34th Middlesex) and Michael Festa (D-35th Middlesex) spoke at the June 26 meeting on several issues, including Chapter 70.
Tisei gave Selectmen a report on the status of current bills and proposed changes in the funding formula.
No changes were made in Chapter 70 in the 2002 budget, but with an educated and organized effort from Stoneham something positive may come in 2003.
“An optimistic estimate of how much more Stoneham could get, if the formula was changed like Tisei mentioned, would be $1.8 million,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy’s second leadership goal is to resolve disagreements about the Gutierrez development on Woodland Road so that Stoneham can realize tax revenue. Oddly enough, the high end figure for annual property taxes estimated by town officials is $1.8 million.
Selectmen Cosmo Ciccarello and Kennedy went to the State House on June 27 in an attempt to convince Casey to fight against House Bill 4180 introduced by the Democratic Rep from Medford, Paul Donato. Limiting roadwork on Woodland Road, the bill would kill the proposed office park.
The Planning Boards of Melrose and Medford have also sued to stop the project. And a group of residents from Stoneham and surrounding communities has formed Communities for Fells Preservation (CFFP) to protest the development.
Selectmen listened to Melrose Alderman John Dunne and Stoneham CFFP member Miriam Regan-Fiore at the June 26 meeting. Dunne said that Melrose residents are worried about traffic and drainage problems. Regan-Fiore said that her group does not want the public reservation lands to be ruined by encroaching development.
“We all must be a part of any discussions about the development,” Kennedy said.
The third thing Selectmen can do as town leaders, Kennedy said, is hire a new town planner.
The former planner, Steve Sadwick, left last week to become the Tewksbury Town Planner. Sadwick’s title in Stoneham was Community Development Director. He split his time between planning and monitoring the Building Department, Planning Board and Conservation Commission.
Former Town Administrator Jeff Nutting had charged Sadwick with organizing the departments mentioned above. His office was adjacent to the Building Department. Sadwick spent a great deal of time trouble shooting and streamlining existing town procedures, planning in the hours leftover.
Kennedy hopes that if the Board votes to hire a new planner, the post can stand apart from inspectional services and focus on planning.
“I want the planner to focus on writing grants to bring money to Stoneham,” Kennedy said. State money coming to Stoneham for an adult day care program at the senior center is an example of what planning can do.
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