Leave the brown street bridge to the towns that own it and focus our money on keeping the south firehouse open, which is closed yet again. Too bad there isn't more outcry for the 21 year old kid that died in s. Tewksbury while waiting for first responders to arrive from pleasant street. Not saying that it's a guarantee, but chances are improved exponentially when defib and advanced care are in the first two minutes.

All a utters of the high school Wilson will be bringing this to town meeting! Scott can you sing I'm a back door man!

utters haha

tee hee hee give me an-utter

Ditto....I think you'll do a good job Kathleen...I liked what you had to say on Candidate's night.

Thanks to you Melissa , and you Karyn. I appreciate your support. To say that I am thrilled is an understatement.

Mark:
This can be brought back up at the Town Meeting again and voted on there. If it passes by a 2/3 majority then the BOS will decide what is to happen at that point. You can BET that it will be in the Town Meeting as an article and FOTCAC will stack that meeting, the same way they tried unsuccessfully through the unsuccessful use of the PAC e mail list!!! THIS IS NOT A DEAD ISSUE!!! GO TO TOWN MEETING!!!!

I'll make sure i attend that meeting to a RESOUNDING NO !

Keith:

I respectfully disagree with the statement that there wasn't some unscrupioulus campaigning on the part of the Pro-Super Stadium side. Using private e-mails that parents gave to a town committee of the use of their childs education and official school business is unethical and borders on illegal, with the privacy laws that are now in place in this country. End of Story!!

Just like the abutters meetings there will be an attempt to over power the folks that are against this proposal. The e-mail's were an indication of just how far some people will go to get their way and try to gain any sort of advantage!!! We will be there just as we have been since the begining of the project, since we are the ones most effected!

FOF, I don't see where I said anything about the scrupulousness of anyone's campaigning for or against this proposal. I have no comment on anything having to do with the e-mail controversy of the last two days, other than to say that my wife is the co-chair of the High School PAC and that PAC didn't send anything out. If a voter shows up for Town Meeting, I can't ask them "What made you come here?" and disqualify them if someone doesn't like their answer. Some people voted for John McCain because other people said Barack Hussein Obama was a Muslim rather a member of the Church of Christ. Some people voted for John Kerry because other people said George Bush orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. Whatever the motivation for their votes, their votes count the same as everyone else's. I look forward to seeing you at Town Meeting, and I can assure you that I will not allow anyone to overpower someone else on that floor.

Keith, Good Morning. With all due respect.

The Town Meeting involving the Mall vote was truly "stacked" and "gamed" against the Taxpayers with false statements and promises in the form of legalized bribes (AKA the Senior Center)
So yes Town Meeting can be stacked and can be gamed, it already has been.
The Town Meeting involving involving the Mall Vote will forever live on as one of the greatest violations of public trust and made a mockery of what Democracy stands for. Truly one of the most vile abuses I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.
Just my 2 cents (for what's it worth)

Are you going to come to my house and care for my 3 young children so I can attend a town meeting? And arrange for paid leave so my husband can take time from work to attend? Town meetings are not an easy choice for everyone as you seem to believe.

You have illustrated two of the six reasons I know of why people don’t or can’t come to Town Meeting: difficulty with childcare & scheduling issues with work. As Moderator, I am working to address those I can address.

Difficulty with child care: this week, I will be contacting the administration at both TMHS and Shawsheen Tech to see if we can get a group of students who aren’t registered voters to be available at Town Meeting to provide free child care for voters. This gives the students some community involvement for their college applications and gives parents piece of mind. If that service becomes available I will make people aware of it. Also, please understand that you can bring your children to Town Meeting. That may not be practical for people with infants, and parents need to make sure their children aren’t disruptive to the meeting, but you can bring them if you have to, or if you want to.

Scheduling issues with work: unfortunately, I can’t do anything about that and this is a problem with the Open Town Meeting form of government. The town has tried different schedules but in accommodating one group it inevitably inconveniences another. I have thought about other solutions, but the only remotely viable one, the establishment of proxy or absentee balloting, would require a major change to the Town Meeting process, namely the elimination of allowing amendments on the floor.

Next post, addressing the other issues.

Keith Rauseo
Town Moderator

The other issues: not understanding how the process works; not understanding what is being voted on; scheduling issues with other activities, and not caring.

Understanding the process: I am putting out as much information as I can in different forums about how Town Meeting works. There are other forums that I can use and I plan to use them.

Understanding what is being voted on: last year, I created short synopses of the Town Meeting warrants in both the spring and fall, explaining what each article was about, the required vote for approval, and the recommendations from town officials.

Scheduling issues with other activities: simply put, no organization in town should schedule events on the nights of Town Meeting. The school committee should close all school facilities, youth sports leagues should not schedule practices or games, other organizations should not schedule meetings or events.

Not caring: I can’t make people care.

Keith:

If you don't understand what anyone else is trying to say here, just give me a call and I will explain it to you. OK?

Your older, smarter, and less patient brother.

Bill, I understand that. That’s why I’m telling people it can happen. I am doing my job. Informing the proponent of the options available to them also informs the opposition about those options. One group can try to load the meeting with Yes votes, and another group can try to load it with No votes. That’s what an election is about. My job is to inform people about the process, so that people on both sides have an equal understanding of what can happen at Town Meeting.

Mr. Russell - Keith has not stated his position on the issue. He is providing everyone with information on how things can happen. Just because something gets defeated once, does it mean that it should never be voted on again? (actually, with an indefinite postponement vote at TM....yes) Now, the proponents of an issue that was so soundly defeated may want to consider withdrawing the article just because it will leave even more people wanting to defeat it again at the polls.....but they are allowed to leave it in if they wish. That's the beauty of Town Meeting..... I hope they withdraw it, but they certainly don't have to.

Keith:

Can you play centerfield for the Red Sox?

Your much older, much smarter, and much less patient brother.

Mr. Russell, thank you for validating my efforts to be completely neutral on this issue. I have people such as yourself thinking that I want this to pass and am orchestrating a Town Meeting end-around to make that happen. I likely also have some people thinking that I don’t want this to pass, and that I am providing information about how the proponent can still bring it to Town Meeting in the hope of making the opposition aware that the issue isn’t dead and that they still need to come to Town Meeting if they really want to kill it. Both groups may be mad at me this morning. I consider that to be a natural by-product of my doing my job.

I have no public position on this issue. I am informing the public as to what could happen at Town Meeting, and that’s it. I didn’t know this could still come to Town Meeting until I did some research within the last couple of weeks. I don’t know how many people on either side of the issue knew it. But, if I know this can still come to Town Meeting, and I don’t provide this information, and the proponent does not withdraw it, gets a lot of people to show up, and gets 2/3 approval, wouldn’t you think even less of me and the Town Meeting process than you do right now, when all I’m doing is informing everyone, on both sides, what could happen? My duty is to the voters, on all sides, and to the process itself. I didn’t make the rules, I just try to explain and interpret them for the benefit of the voters I serve.

Mr Rauseo yea u cam bring the kids to the meeting, just more distraction. Yes u can have baby sitters for them, willyou cori them firstlike they do with anyone else around kids.What about liability. Look you can say what you want. If you were a person who believed in the system u would just let the vote on satuday stand,. To now have a meeting for what was defeated by a large margin, is backdooring it. Want a stadium have a cake sale, car wash or donate, not mandate.

Mr rauseo how many hoops do we have to jump through. We had a democratic vote where a lot of people voted. It turned down now you want to let people know that there is a way to back door the loss to a victory. When one knows how the system works then you can manipulate the system. That is what is being done here and you are lading the charge. You know how to work the system using a back door way and selling it as democratic.

Mr. Russell, I am explaining the system, I am not using it. I believe deeply in the system and I think I know a lot about how it works. You, unfortunately, know nothing about the system and you are refusing to learn more about it. You prefer to be angry at me, for reasons known only to you, and to make foolish accusations about my motivation for doing what I'm doing when I've been very clear about what my motivation is. I can't give you an education, I can only give you the opportunity to be educated. It's up to you to take advantage of the opportunity. Your concern is with the wrong person. Please enjoy this beautiful day,

Keith:

Much better. I am starting to see Marge Rauseo coming through.
We both know what our mother can't stand.

Thank you bob ...where has Keith been. I worry that the people who voted no thought that this is the end of this but some of us have seen how this can change at town meeting. They had this article all ready to bring to town meeting hoping that most voters that voted against will not show up at town meeting! He knows better!

Agreed!

The 100-200 attendees are not random. They are self-selected based on whether they have children, have to work, etc. It is not a random sampling, and therefore not representative of the town as a whole.

Generally one would assume so, but if you are the head coach on a baseball or soccer team in town and are given a schedule that includes that day you're out of luck. For me, I have an annual professional meeting that time of year every year that I need to go to, so I'm out of luck. While I agree that the majority that don't show do not show because of apathy (just like 23% or so yesterday), but there are those of us that are very involved in the town who simply can't make it most times. My vote has already been taken away from me in the town meeting system, so I'd rather have a council that is answerable to my vote on election day, and who I can contact and discuss the issues with. It just makes more sense given the lives we all lead.

Melissa,

I am curious what analysis you conducted to determine that voters don't come to TM because of apathy? I just spent the last 12 months researching this stuff, talking to residents and other communties and that is not the answer I got.

More people talked about work, working night shifts, sports for their kids, MCAS testing going on that week and wanting to be home with their kids and not out with a babysitter....

You can give me all the time needed to know the date of town meeting but if my job requires me to be out of town, I don't have an option to absentee or make other arrangements. If your kid has a game, I don't think you tell them that they can't play so you can go to town meeting.

I believe many voters care but don't have a way to make the time to attend.

I was disappointed in the voter turnout this weekend but I know a lot of people who took the time to absenteee before they want on vacation.

I believe that the issue would then go to the Board of Selectmen to decide what to do with it. Town meeting is held at the Tewksbury Memorial High School gymnasium, so space really isn't a big issue. Not sure of the starting times. The warrant is sent out prior to the meeting. I'm sure Keith Rauseo (the moderator) has put up something online with all of the articles anyway, either that or you could ask someone at Town Hall. Hope that helps!

Hi Mark,

Here is what could happen at Town Meeting, based on how I think the Town Meeting article will read. FTCAC could simply withdraw it and that would be the end of it for the time being. If FTCAC wishes to debate it, they would, from a practical standpoint, have to amend it to make the debt authorization dependent on a future ballot vote. They could also amend it to remove items from it if they wished to scale it down, but they could not amend it to add items to it. If the amendments are accepted, and the article receives 2/3 support, then it would become the Selectmen's decision as to whether or not to put the question on another ballot. If the Selectmen approve that, they could call for a special election, put it on the state election ballot in November, or put it on the 2013 annual town election ballot. If the Selectmen do not approve putting the question on a ballot, then the debt authorization from Town Meeting is null and void.

The Annual Town Meeting is on Monday, May 7, at 8 PM. The meeting is held in the TMHS gymnasium. The warrant for the meeting, which includes all the articles up for discussion, should be released to the public this week - it is currently in draft form and being edited for final release. It is available on the Town website, www.tewksbury-ma.gov, under the Town Warrants link, and is available in print form at the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall, the Town Hall Annex, the Library, and the Senior Center. You can also request that a printed copy be mailed to you by calling the Selectmen's office at 978-640-4300.

Any registered voter who attends Town Meeting is allowed to participate. If the attendees exceed the occupancy limit of the gymnasium, we can set up additional seating in the cafeteria and auditorium.

The authorization of debt for this purpose can be brought to any number of Town Meetings. If that authorization is contingent upon a Proposition 2 1/2 debt exclusion, that will always require approval of the Selectmen to put it on a ballot. If the authorization were to fail at a Town Meeting, and was brought to a later Special Town Meeting, by Town By-Law it would require a 3/4 vote rather than a 2/3 vote to pass. However, if it were brought to a later Annual Town Meeting, it would only require the usual 2/3 vote.

Great questions. I hope the answers are what you were looking for.

Keith Rauseo
Town Moderator

I should add that May 7 is the first night of the Annual Town Meeting, which deals with the budget and other budget-related, financial, and personnel articles. The second night of the Annual Town Meeting is Wednesday, May 9, at 8 PM, and that deals with zoning by-law changes, town by-law changes, and other business. The regular spring Special Town Meeting is also on Wednesday, May 9, starting at 7 PM, and this deals with miscellaneous business or articles that require action by the end of the fiscal year. In between those two nights, the Selectmen have called for another Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 8, starting at 7 PM, with a single article, the Special Act Charter Committee’s proposal to change the town’s form of government from an Open Town Meeting to a Town Council. All of these meetings are held at the TMHS gymnasium.

I agree with you mike. Plus the lousey streets and run down playgrounds/parks and fields. I am on a limited fixed income, taxes over $5,000 and mr wilson ants more. I would sell and move but I know I will not find anyone dumb enough to buy, unles they are not paying attention.

Agreed. I am shocked and disappointed with Mr. Wilson's comments. I supported and voted for him despite his support of Q1. To hear his comments afterward makes me wish I'd voted differently.

Michael,

Thanks for your feedback. Though I am not 100% sure you understand the question that was asked and the answer I gave.

Putting in tennis courts, turf and lights to me is not about athletics...it is about the economic development in this community. I think having the right facilities in this community which brings new people in and makes us a more attractive community to live in, is more important than any one person sitting on the BOS.

I love when people attack me because of something I said. I would hope that you chose to vote for me based on the sound decisions that I have made over the last three years and not a comment I made while answering a reporters question.

If we continue to do what we've always done...the results will stay the same. People want to criticize the current BOS who handled a $120 Water & Sewer debt and suggest that we are responsible for high rates. The votes over the last 15 years voted to spend that money. This small investment in our HS does not compare to that debt. I have not heard of a lot of people looking to move to communities based on their sewer system...but I have heard them look at the school system.

If you feel strongly about the fire station being open 365 then you could certainly sponsor an article to either have prop 2.5 override to add more funds to the fire department. While revenues have declined and state aid has dropped, we have managed to cut back on services while also keeping the town safe. With the station closed the run times to S.Tewksbury have not increased and we have also managed to do more with less. I welcome anyone to take a look at the budget and offer suggestions on where the extra money can come from for streets, playgrounds, fire stations, etc.

I personally think a $20 investment per year for 10 years is worth the potential growth and economic development that can be created.

Others disagree, that is their right. As a taxpayer and voter, I also have that right.

Scott,
You are right about the sewer system and I have always thought the same thing.
People dont ask about sewer when looking to buy but they will ask about schools.
with that said, the sewer project is done, for good or for worse and we all are paying for it and I think people (some) are just not in a spending mood now with high water bills and tax increases. even for a mere $20 per year. sure the new complex would be great but the vote tells me that people have seen enough increases right now

Let's see what he does at town meeting .....charter change? This will end open town meeting am I right Keith ?

Hey mikey, I love your show on sports talk radio, you crack me up! Just wanted to let you know that the south fire house is still closed. Can't believe they won't even staff an ambulance down there!

Thanks for your efforts. I wish there was more yonger voter participaton.
I hope reducing the expense for the athletic complex ( redced seating, lighting etc)
might make it more attractive.
--BK

Well, I know many young families (including mine) that voted against this. Come back and ask when the town is in better fiscal shape.

Yes, I am having a lot of post-election regret after seeing Mr. Wilson's comments.

I agree that we should discuss this at town meeting, but I would be in favor of the turf, and against the lights. The turf as I understand it has lower maintenance costs and higher usage capacity than grass, so assuming that is true it is a better long term investment. The lights are a luxury that could be funded with private funding, and give time to work with the abutters to find the best system to minimize impact on their homes.
Tennis courts should be voted on and added at TM for sure.

I agree. We need Tennis courts. I think the lights and expanded seating is killing this HS Tennis courts ( 1.9 mil v/s 375K)?

Jan,

For those who know me well, they know that I speak my mind and I shared my honest thoughts to the questions asked. I can't take it back.

I still feel that seeing us make this town great, is what I am hoping for and I believe this was an intergral part of moving this town forward. I believe it makes us more attractive and will draw in new people and new revenue. Unfortunately it didn't pass and I was disappointed.

Now its time to go back to work and keep this town moving in the right direction.

Scott

I'd like to see the tennis courts and possibly the expanded seating. I'd be happy to support those measures.

I agree, Keith does a wonderful job in his role as moderator and is going above and beyond in an effort to educate the public. We are lucky to have him.

Agreed, 100%

Ah, that makes more sense now. Happened to drive by yesterday morning and didn't know why there was concrete in the middle of the field. Thanks!

actually it does not make sense, As someone who coached youth baseball and saw our kids play games on horrible fields such as St Hosp, North st and Trayhan schools.
I can not figure out who saw fit to cater to this group and give them a spot to play cricket

Bill, I never meant that it was a good idea. To put a concrete slab in the middle of what is supposed to be a field complex is idiotic, to say the least. It should have been put in the corner where there is less activity, as putting it in the middle of the field is a nuisance and possibly a danger for all those involved. I just meant that at least I now know why someone put the concrete there in the first place.

Sorry Running Green
I knew what you meant and should have worded my response differently. I just cant understand how this was allowed to happen and who gave the ok. I used to see these guys down there playing in that spot. What happens if they decide not to play their game there anymore?

Who approved and paid for this cement in the middle of a ball field? I hope it was not town dollars?

Can someone explain what the "block schedule" is? What is it and how is it different than other schools?

True...end it...i have a bad feeling about this "going to a town meeting" bologna...FYI...i didnt vote for wilson, because of his stand on the "Super Complex"...