Voter approval on Article 5
Published on July 30th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - Ignoring appeals by the Finance and Advisory Board to wait until October to pass Warrant Article 5, citizens voted in favor of the measure at last night's Special Town Meeting.
The passage of the proposal will restore $15,500 to the traffic directors' personnel account, reinstituting 2.6 positions to the department, and will also allot $9,500 to the library personnel budget, restoring Sunday hours previously cut from the establishment.
Speaking in favor of the article, Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Mary Pecoraro argued that without the traffic directors, Stoneham would face an unnecessary public safety issue.
"With two new schools opening, this is a public safety issue...Kids and parents will be adjusting to walking to new schools and along new roots and we have to be mindful of the fact that there is less bussing than in the past. The library issue is a quality of life issue in Town. It would provide funds for Sunday Hours," explained Pecoraro.
Mirroring the Board of Selectmen's stance on the article, School Committee Chairman Mark Grimaldi also urged passage of the measure.
"During the past several years, the Stoneham School children have been covered to and from school by 25 traffic directors. In September of 2004, only 20 traffic directors will be funded," Grimaldi commented, adding that Stoneham Police Chief Gregory O'Keefe and Safety Officer Larry Rotondi will staff 22 traffic directors at designated sites.
"With the opening of Robin Hood and Colonial, this leaves at least three locations uncovered which the School Committee believes would result in significant and inexcusable safety hazards for many children...These three locations experience a very large volume of traffic at arrival and dismissal times," warned Grimaldi.
Although the Finance and Advisory Board agreed with the intent of the warrant article, Finance Board member Jim Grayson expressed the group's concerns with potential budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2004.
"The Finance Board has voted to oppose the passage of this article...Basically, we support the content of the article. Our concern is with the timing. We're going to be facing a very difficult 05 and we're still looking at expense problems for 04...Depending on who you speak to, it could be anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 (for fiscal year 2004)," explained Grayson.
Despite the Finance Board pleas to wait until October to implement any monetary additions to the budget, both O'Keefe and Stoneham resident Alice DelRossi spoke in favor of the article.
"I can't imagine anyone telling you tonight that you could put this off until October. You have first graders crossing county roads and Main Street and Montvale during the morning. We have children out on those streets when traffic in this Town is at its peak. Vote for your children's safety and get them to school," commented DelRossi.
"I understand the Finance Board's concerns about the shortage of money. However, we're talking about children here. Even with this money, you're eliminating two positions," said O'Keefe.
Accusing Town officials of deceiving the public about the dire need for traffic directors, Finance Board member John Bowen again appealed to the crowd to vote against the article.
"I want to let you know what a bunch of hard cases you have on your Finance Board to vote against this," joked Bowen.
"Discussions were made not to take away the most vital (traffic director) positions in Town and if they're telling you they're the most vital now, they deceived you during the budget crisis," charged Bowen.
Responding immediately to the accusation, O'Keefe shot to the microphone and defended himself.
"I hope that comment was made in joke because I have never tried to deceive anybody. The last three posts are on school property and I told the School Committee that to put a civilian out there to direct traffic isn't going to work," responded O'Keefe, before the crowd voted to pass the measure.
According to Pecoraro, funding for the $25,000 proposition will come from nearly $60,000 in insurance savings recently identified by Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello. Although the Town had originally planned on using $25,000 from a legal settlement with Melrose over the Pembroke Development near Oak Grove station, no agreement had been made at the time the article was voted on by Town officials.
According to Ciccarello, he was contacted by a representative of Insurance agency Berry Associates, who claimed she could save the Town thousands of dollars on its liability insurance.
"She felt we were paying too much for insurance and she wanted to know how to put a bid in. So she called with the information and said, 'I'm $70,000 less than MIAA (the Town's current insurer)'. To make a long story short, Dave called MIAA and they matched the price," explained Ciccarello, who said Berry ultimately decided to stay with MIAA.
"I think in the future we should go out for bids whether its for rubbish pickup or whatever. As long as they have credibility and they're bonded we should go with the lowest bidder," added Ciccarello, who downplayed his role in ensuring the savings.
The Town's citizens also approved Warrant Article 2, which will grant the School Committee the authority to lease out a vacant metal shop in the high school. Although the Stoneham Community Access Corporation has expressed interest in the site, no plans have been finalized.
Although several citizens questioned whether or not leasing the property would interfere with the High School's operation, Grimaldi ensured the audience that the Massachusetts Commissioner of Education would have to approve any such lease.
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