Westminster Selectmen’s Meeting
by Jen Shenk
December 14, 2009
Depot Road Bridge Delays, meeting with State Rep Lew Evangelidis requested, and communication problems.
The crowd seemed a little smaller than usual, but it turned out that was because the Advisory Board wasn’t present for this Monday night’s meeting. The Selectmen will be meeting every Monday, but with the Advisory Board only every other Monday, as they work through the budgeting process.
The first person on the agenda was Dan Bartkus, Chairman of the Conservation Commission, and he was at the meeting to give the Selectmen an early warning ‘heads up’ that his budget would be in the red by about July 2010, at the current rate, as fees are down dramatically because of the construction slowdown. He also speculated that perhaps people were also trying to hold down costs by not going through the permitting process at all. The Conservation Commission’s fee collections have fallen from about $15K last year to $3K this year. Dan mentioned that part of their job involves clearing land (timber harvesting) to provide a habitat for certain animals like songbirds, which prefer fields for their habitat, and that although they’ve been able to raise revenue by selling timber, that money goes to the general fund rather than to the Conservation Commission.
Selectman John Fairbanks pointed out that it was premature to come before the Board of Selectmen, as they had to see the complete budget picture for all departments in order to decide how to handle specific departments, and advised Dan to follow normal procedures. Dan is new as Chair of the Conservation Commission, replacing Lois Luniewicz, so he hadn’t done a budget yet, which appeared to be the first step. The end result was that nothing will happen regarding the Conservation Commission’s budget for 2010-2011 at this point, and Dan should get in touch with Ken Burstall to meet with the Advisory Board regarding the budgeting process.
A question of “tax classification” was passed over until final numbers are received, which I gathered refers to property valuations for tax purposes. Selectmen Laila Michaud asked what is done with the classification, and the answer was that we certifiy the numbers, set the tax rate, and then send out the tax bills. Property valuations will likely be lower, due to the market, but not greatly lower.
Next came the question most people were there for—would the Selectmen approach our State Representative Lew Evangelidis, to request that he insert himself into the process and request a meeting with all involved, to speed up the construction of the Depot Road Bridge. I had sent an email to all three of the Selectmen requesting this letter, and Lew had indicated he’d have more clout if the Town itself asked for the process to be expedited, rather than the request coming from private citizens. There were numerous representatives of small businesses there, each with a tale of how the lack of progress on the bridge is hurting their business.
The delays at the Depot Road Bridge have been extensively reported in Westminster Vine, and are well known to anyone who has to drive over it (or not drive over it) for the last year to get somewhere, but a brief summary of the problem is that the project was budgeted to take 500 days (with additional time tacked on for inclement weather), and the state seems prepared to use every one of those days. It is not an exaggeration to say that most of the time no one is working on the bridge, despite the road being continually closed since October 2008. The biggest delay was related to moving the utility poles and wires, which took approximately 10 months, and only actually happened when Lew’s office made some phone calls, and then the utility poles and wires were all moved in about 6 weeks. As a side note, utility lines need to be moved in a specified order, and Verizon usually is last, so it’s not fair to blame Verizon exclusively.
The occasion for the second request to Lew Evangelidis, and to the Selectmen, is because work has once again ground to a halt, this time because when installing the pilings, they hit rocks or ledge, and now it’s back to the drawing board (literally, it’s with the designer), and nothing is happening yet again.
This whole situation is particularly frustrating because the time allowed by the state for the project seems padded—the Depot Road Bridge was unknown to virtually everyone, as it crosses a narrow stream. This compares quite unfavorably, as Nick Hay pointed out, to the time it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge. Although the Golden Gate Bridge took longer (4.5 years as opposed to nearly 2 years), it’s also 1.7 miles long, and built across some of the most treacherous ocean imaginable. People said it couldn’t be done, which is how we are starting to feel about the Depot Road Bridge project.
A number of the citizens in the audience spoke up about the effect the delays are having on their businesses. The effects to most of us are that it is an inconvenience to have to take the long way to Oakmont or Ashburnham, but to these businesses the delays are a matter of financial survival.
Chris Bjurling, the owner of Depot Package, spoke at length about how the bridge project has impacted his business. Points he made were that traffic has dropped from about 11,500 cars a day to about 3,000 cars a day past his business, as drivers find other routes. He stated that the contractor (Tasco) told him this bridge should be a 6 month project, and that he’d heard that the delay with the utility companies was because of a dispute over who owned the poles, as those poles are now taxable (a revenue enhancement mechanism enacted by the Patrick administration). He also gave examples of similar bridges that were done much sooner—a bridge in Barre/Petersham that is 4X as big was stared in April of this year, and will be completed this Friday. A bridge in Ashburnham was also completed much more quickly. Most eloquently, he said he didn’t know if he could survive another summer with the bridge still closed. “It’s not fair—I need help.”
Laila Michaud, our new Selectman, noted that there is a bridge on Route 12 that is a state project which required moving utility lines, and people are there every day working on it, and although it was started long after the Depot Road Bridge project, it will probably be done sooner.
Next, Michael Greenwood, Chair of the Business Department at Mount Wachusett Community College and a supporter of small businesses, spoke up. He said he’d come here to complain about the plowing and other road issues, but after hearing what the small businesses are going through, ”he feels humbled.” He said, quite firmly, that there is certainly no harm in talking about it, and asking what can be done. “How can hurting small businesses like this be justified?”
Someone pointed out that all the Selectmen have to do is ask for help and acknowledge there is a problem. Laila Michaud moved that we contact Lew and ask him to help out.
John Fairbanks then said he agreed, but wanted to do so verbally rather than in writing. This is where it got testy, and I’d suggest that anyone interested watch this part of the meeting on AWCA-TV Channel 9
channel 9 on Friday, 12/18 at 3:00pm or Sunday, 12/20 at 7:00 pm., or watch the excerpt here on the Vine.
Someone in the audience asked what the significance of not wanting to write a letter was. John replied that we have the South Street intersection project coming up, and if “we go to the well too many times, no one will listen.”
Town Moderator John Bowen then said, “So, no paper trail?”
Nick Hay then seconded both motions—essentially start with a phone call, and if Representative Evangelidis wants a letter, send him one.
John Fairbanks continued to get questioned by the audience about his reluctance to put anything in writing, and he countered by saying this was the first time he’d heard there was a problem with the bridge, and he wished people would come to him first rather than going to the state level. He said he was sure the DPW would say the same thing. He said, “It’s very important to use the pea shooter first rather that the howitzer, and the Selectmen are the pea shooter, Lew is the howitzer.” John also stated that his phone number is published, as is his email, so people should contact him {or the other Selectmen} first before going to the state level.
I pointed out that I had gone to the Town first {quite a while ago}, but was told by Josh Hall it was a state project. Hearing that, I decided to go the state route.
Michael Greenwood then stated to John Fairbanks, “I just don’t understand the intrigue”.
Laila Michaud, seeming concerned with the plight of the business owners, stated that she’s worked with the state Department of Transportation a lot, and they want to hear about problems. Their job is to build highways and bridges, and they are using our tax dollars.
Someone in the back reiterated that he’s not buying that “go to the well too many times stuff”, and Laila said that they are professionals, and we don’t need to be reticent to contact them.
John Fairbanks said he was afraid if we put something in writing it could be misconstrued.” If Lew wants something in writing, fine, as long as it doesn’t hurt other projects.”
Dan Bartkus, who interestingly had been told earlier in the meeting that he had brought his budget woes up too early, asked “when should someone bring up an issue to the Selectmen? If Jen had brought it up three months ago, wouldn’t that be going to the well too? Do you bring it up right away, or when the project isn’t getting done, or when you just can’t take it anymore? Or do you never bring it up and go out of business?”
Selectman Nick Hay said that he too didn’t know about the problem until it had gone to Lew’s office either, but let’s not beat the horse any longer. First we’ll call Lew, then if needed we’ll send a letter.
I started to say something about John Fairbanks being more concerned with John being the one to make the call…..but was cut off as he said, “if you don’t believe me I’m concerned, see how I vote”, and with that they voted to contact Lew.
As a follow up, Lew’s office is already working to convene a meeting, so that’s good. On a not so good note, if anyone watched the proceedings on TV I’m not sure they will be encouraged to bring concerns to the Selectmen unless they are prepared for a confrontation.
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