Middleboro’s Annual Town Meeting and Special Town Meeting are currently scheduled for Monday, June 11, 2012 at 7:00 pm. It is critically important that every registered voter in Middleboro become familiar with what is being proposed on the warrants and get involved. As it stands right now, there are 32 items on the town meeting warrant – full descriptions can be found on the town website.

There are some important things being brought forward to voters, including:

• Article 10: Purchase new cruisers, portable radios and tasers for the Police department.
• Article 11: Purchase a new engine and command vehicle for the Fire department.
• Article 12: Purchase a new loader and dump truck for the Public Works department and a a new utility truck for the Water department.
• Article 13: Expand the Council on Aging parking lot, replace windows and carpeting in the Town Hall Annex and repair the roof at the Annex and Public Library.
• Article 14: Repair and update the HVAC system at the Elementary School Complex; conduct a study looking at converting from steam heat to hot water heat.
• Article 15: Replace floor tiles, stage lights and control box in the Middleboro High School auditorium.
• Article 16: Purchase computers, projectors, networks and other technology for the school system and town departments.
• Article 17: Conduct a a feasibility study about renovating and expanding the police state in its current location.
• Article 21: Decide whether or not voters will have to show a photo ID at all town elections and town meetings.
• Article 26: Whether or not to institute town bylaw changes and fines, including a $300 fine for smoking marijuana in public; a $50 fine if you shovel snow into the street; a $20 fine for cursing/swearing in public.
• Article 30: Acquire a variety of properties in town to be used for a municipal water system.

This is just a sampling of the items up for debate. The first step however, is the discussion of the warrant at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, April 30, 2012 at 7:00 pm. If you want your voice heard on any of these issues, you need to show up at the Selectmen’s meeting and then Annual Town Meeting. It’s that simple. If you are a registered voter in the town of Middleboro, it is your responsibility to find someone to watch the kids, block the date off in your calendar and get yourself to town meeting on June 11th. Stop letting the same 150 people make decisions for you. Start making your town a better place by making your voice heard.

Get informed. Make a decision. Vote.

Information Sources:

• June 11, 2012 Annual Town Meeting Warrant (Draft)
• June 11, 2012 Special Town Meeting Warrant (Draft)

News/Articles:

• Middleboro Police, Library Workers To Get Pay Raise (Taunton Gazette, May 16, 2012)
• Proposed Anti-Swearing Law Raises Red Flags (Taunton Gazette, May 9, 2012)
• Town Meeting Action Includes Budget And $1.7 Million In Spending (Middleboro Gazette, May 3, 2012)
• Misbehave And You Might Get A Ticket (Middleboro Gazette, May 3, 2012)
• Mass. Town Could Start Issuing Tickets For Cursing (WGGB.com, May 1, 2012)
• No Dispute In Middleboro Over Swear Fines (EnterpriseNews.com, May 1, 2012)
• Middleboro To Vote On $300 Fine For Smoking Pot In Public (EnterpriseNews.com, April 29, 2012)

On Friday, March 16, 2012 starting at 7:30 p.m., Middleboro’s gas and electric department will be holding one of their regular monthly public meetings. Judging by the number of emails, blog posts and general conversations around town, however, this meeting is destined to be anything but ordinary.

If you’re a residential or business customer of Middleboro G&E but haven’t been paying attention then now would be the time to start. According to an email from Allin Frawley, a resident in town as well as a member of the Board of Selectmen:

Under the new business section of this month’s G&E meeting, the commission will release nine years of executive session minutes. Included in these minutes are the negotiation of the G&E General Manager’s contract which was voted on and signed in an executive session. This contract makes the General Manager the highest paid manager of a municipal utility in Massachusetts: $188,850 salary with a productivity bonus of $3,631.73 for a total annual salary of $192,481.71.

What’s the problem here? First the contract being voted on and signed in executive session is a violation of open meeting laws. All of the General Manager’s performance reviews and salary increases have happened in closed executive sessions. In the past three years, thanks to the secrecy of executive sessions, the General Manager’s salary has increased by $32,481.71. I’ll say it again, in case the statement took your breath away: In three years, his salary increased by $32,481.71. Along with the issues surrounding the General Manager’s salary and contract, the G&E Commission also has to address four open meeting law violation charges.

Due to other issues that have come up in Middleboro in the past few years, the Gas and Electric department has been able to operate without any public review or inspection. It’s now time to stop this behavior. They are required to operate under the same open meeting laws that our other town departments and officials have to operate under. Show up on Friday, March 16th and let the G&E department know that this abuse of public trust needs to stop. Now.

Middleborough Gas and Electric Commission Meeting Details

Friday, March 16, 2012

7:30 p.m.

Middleboro Town Hall, Selectmen Meeting Room

10 Nickerson Avenue, Middleboro

Meeting Minutes

• Nine years of G&E Executive Session Minutes
• Regular Session Minutes

Further Reading

• Middleboro Utility Board Takes Action On General Manager (EnterpriseNews.com, May 10, 2012)
• G&E Hold Off Action Until After Election (Middleboro Gazette, March 22, 2012)
• Middleboro Utility Delays Action On Manager’s Pay Raise (The Enterprise, March 20, 2012)
• G&E Board To Hold Friday Night Session, Address Concerns (Middleboro Gazette, March 15, 2012)
• Live From Town Hall, It’s Friday Night (Middleboro Gazette, March 15, 2012)
• The Gas And Electric Commissioners Have Violated Our Trust (Nemasket.net, March 14, 2012)
• Middleboro Gas & Electric Faces Deadline On Open Meeting Law Complaints (The Enterprise, March 4, 2012)
• G&E Approved Manager’s Contract In Closed Session (Middleboro Gazette, March 1, 2012)
• G&E Candidates Quiz Board On Executive Sessions (Middleboro Gazette, February 23, 2012)
• Middleboro Gas & Electric General Manager Highest Paid Public Utility Manager In Massachusetts (Taunton Gazette, May 15, 2011)
• Middleboro Gas & Electric Chairman: Records Should Be Public (The Enterprise, April 12, 2011)
• Middleboro Gas and Electric Pays Out $140,000 For Unused Sick Time (The Enterprise, April 11, 2011)

Earth’s Elements Hidden Treasures in Lakeville has provided the Soule Homestead Legacy Collection – a lamb to represent the Homestead’s most popular resident critters and a “green grass” bead featuring the Homestead’s logo colors of green and yellow. All sterling silver, the beads are $40 and $20, respectively and fit with most popular brands of beads. Funds raised through the sale of beads will help the Homestead in its mission to provide farm based education, traditional craft workshops and family cultural events for the community.

To order beads, contact Laurie Amberman at educator@soulehomestead.org (phone number: 508-947-6744) or Kim Mulgrew at kim.eejewelry@yahoo.com (phone number: 508-372-0524). You can also get more information or place your order by visiting my favorite jewelry store:

Earth’s Elements 

Lakeport Industrial Park

Route 44 in Lakeville, across from Muckey’s Liquors

Effective now through September 30, 2012, Middleboro’s Summer Water Management Program restricts all nonessential outdoor water use for all water users. The Program allows for odd-numbered properties to water outside on odd days and even-numbered properties to water outside on even days. Any person violating these water restrictions shall be liable to a fine of $50 for a first offense and $100 for each subsequent offense. Get more information about the water restrictions at SouthCoastToday.com or on the town website: www.middleborough.com.

On Tuesday, November 3rd, Middleboro voters passed adopted the Community Preservation Act. The 4,371 to 3,795 win for proponents of the adoption of the 2000 state law came as a surprise, given the fact that local voters turned down the program in 2002 when times were considerably better financially.

The plan calls for a 1 percent surcharge that will cost the average homeowner about $23 a year. The surcharge will raise about $200,000 annually, according to the local CPA group, and would be matched by about $50,000 from the state. The state, which established a CPA fund with fees from real estate transactions, initially offered a 100 percent match, but the match is currently about 30 percent. There is pending legislation in Boston that, if passed, would set the match at 75 percent.

The first $100,000 of the value of the home will be exempt, and seniors who meet income guidelines will also be exempt.

A committee made up of local officials and residents will be formed before the CPA goes into effect for the fiscal year that begins next July 1. The committee will make recommendations to town meeting on how the money will be spent. Town meeting will make the final decisions each year.

The tax takes effect for fiscal 2010, which began July 1 – and this year’s tax bills already are in the mail. Postage to send out the surcharge by itself could cost nearly $4,000.

Middleboro Assessor Barbara Erickson said she has discussed the matter with the Department of Revenue and was told the town could delay implementing the tax until next year; town manager Charles Cristello cautioned, however, that he has known the agency to change its mind on such matters. Erickson, quoting the revenue department, said that if the town holds off on the surcharge for a year, supporters could sue to have it raised.

Stuart Saginor of the Community Preservation Coalition said his group would not sue the town to implement the surcharge immediately. Mark Belanger, one of the town’s proponents for the CPA has also stated publicly that he is not in favor of suing the town, should the CPA deployment be delayed. (Sources: SouthCoastToday.com, November 4, 2010 and EnterpriseNews.com, November 9, 2010)

Updated November 12, 2010: The town will have to wait until the next fiscal year to implement the Community Preservation Act tax. The tax had been set to take effect this past July 1, the start of fiscal year 2011. But the town had already mailed this year’s tax bills, and officials said it would have cost them $4,000 in postage alone to send out separate bills specifically for the Community Preservation Act tax. The town’s formal decision to wait until next year comes upon word from the state Department of Revenue. Supporters of the tax say they are disappointed about the delay but said they will not challenge the town’s decision in court. (Source: EnterpriseNews.com, November 12, 2010)

Updated November 20, 2010: Selectmen have voted to establish a five-member committee to write the rules for local oversight of the town’s Community Preservation Act, a tax that raises money for the purchase of open space and the preservation of historic landmarks. The bylaw committee would eventually present its work to town meeting, after which the town would establish a Community Preservation Committee of five to nine members. That group would be responsible for evaluating Middleboro’s community-preservation needs. Selectmen voted to establish a five-member community preservation bylaw drafting committee consisting of one representative from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Historical Commission, Park Commission and Housing Authority. (Enterprise News, November 20, 2010)

Updated April 9, 2012: Middleboro’s Community Preservation Committee estimates the town will have $241,000 to spend from the fund in fiscal 2013, which begins July 1, 2012. The annual town meeting on June 11, 2012 will be asked to approve article 18, which dispenses the money in five accounts including $13,000 for committee administrative expenses; $26,000 in historic resources; $26,000 in community housing reserve; $26,000 in open space reserve, and $150,000 for budgeted reserve. (Enterprise News, April 9, 2012)

Saturday’s town election included contested races for one seat on the Board of Selectmen and two seats on the School Committee. For a total list of election results go to http://www.middleborough.com/clerk/elections.html. Approximately 10% of eligible voters in town showed up to vote in this election. Another anemic and apathetic turnout from Middleboro voters but congratulations to all the winners; now go do great things for our town!

Board of Selectmen (1 seat open)

• Stephen J. McKinnon (incumbent) – Winner with 979 votes
• Muriel C. Duphily
• Thomas F. Stevens

School Committee (2 open seats)

• Gregory D. Thomas (incumbent) – Winner with  877 votes
• Tobey L. Eugenio - Winner with 1,041 votes
• Robert F. Dragunas

Others running unopposed include:

• John F. Healey and Glenn F. Montapert for Gas & Electric Commission
• Incumbent Paula M. Burdick, 43, for assessor
• Incumbents David K. Thomas, 65, and Garrett D. Perry, 42, for Park Commission
• Incumbent Wayne C. Perkins, 68, for town moderator
• Incumbent Michael Labonte, 45, for Planning Board
• Incumbents Anastas J. Velantzas, 41, and Donald L. Baldwin III, 40, for Finance Committee.

A third seat on the Finance Committee is up for grabs; no one returned papers for the spot.

The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Polling places are:

• Precinct 1 – Oak Point club house, 202 Oak Point Drive
• Precincts 2, 4, 6 – Middleboro High School gymnasium, 71 East Grove St., Route 28
• Precinct 3 – South Middleboro fire station, 566 Wareham St., Route 28
• Precinct 5 – Council On Aging, 558 Plymouth St.

Get informed. Make a decision. Go vote!

A group of researchers at Stanford University partnered with a large travel agency in China that was founded by a former Stanford Ph.D. student. The company’s chairman was curious about whether instituting a telecommuting policy would work for his employees and what kind of effect it would have. The results are interesting and can be found on SmithsonianMag.com.

From the Telework Research Network: If the 41 million Americans who work in a office chose to spend one data a week working at home…

• Commuter cost savings off $494 million
• Save 2.3 million barrels of oil, totaling $185 million
• Traffic accidents reduced by 775, for a savings of $93 million
• Companies save over $6,500 per employee

From The Telework Coalition‘s Wired Working As A Lifestyle:

• Businesses ave an average of $20,000 a year for each full-time employee who works remotely
• Employee productivity increased by an average of 22% when remote working was allowed
• Remote working reduced employee turnover by 50%

Some Interesting Infographics…

• Managing the Virtual Workforce (Mashable.com, September 17, 2011)
• The True Cost of Commuting (StreamlineFinance.net, October 2011)

Further Reading…

• How Not To Get Distracted When You Don’t Have Office Space (BusinessInsider.com, April 7, 2012)
• UK Telecommuting Study Bolsters Case For Remote Work (GigaOM.com, April 4, 2012)
• Virtual Managers Less Effective, Study Finds (GigaOM.com, March 28, 2012)
• Another Reason To Work Remotely: Commuting Is Killing You (Gigaom.com, November 22, 2011)
• Is Telecommuting Feeling The Economic Squeeze? (Gigaom.com, November 21, 2011)
• 12 Remote Work Trends To Achieve (Not Just Predict) (FatCat.com, November 15, 2011)
• Is The Office Really Necessary? 3 Out Of 5 Workers Say No! (Cisco, October 19, 2010)

Southeast Regional Network plans to renovate – not tear down – the vacant St. Luke’s Hospital in the downtown Middleboro area for behavioral health treatment services.

Southeast Regional Network, the nonprofit parent company of High Point Treatment Center, provides a variety of programs ranging from emergency homeless shelters and domestic violence services to treatment for mental health and drug addiction.

According to Kathy Norris, spokesperson for Southeast Regional Network (SRN) there are no plans to tear down the building, but it has not been decided how it will be used. ”The particulars still have to be ironed out,” she said, adding SRN is not looking to open a homeless shelter in Middleboro.

Updated Information: On Monday, April 2, 2012, Daniel Mumbauer – president and chief executive officer at High Point Treatment Center, Southeast Regional Network and Southeast Massachusetts Council on Addictions – said that plans are under way for a $6 million renovation to turn the former downtown hospital into a corporate headquarters, training center and 96-bed inpatient and mental health and substance abuse facility. The plan is in the preliminary stages, Mumbauer said. Once financing is secured, he will move to the design stages and said a 2014 opening is possible.

Sources: The Enterprise, February 6, 2012 and The Enterprise, April 3, 2012

Image Source: Mass.gov

Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez announced the $4 million Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) grant program recipients at the State House on March 16, 2012. The CIC grant program is focused on supporting innovative regionalization and other cost saving initiatives that will help local governments increase cost-efficiency.

The town of Middleboro received $28,210.60 for consolidation of IT and maintenance services. The region also received $199,690 for a technology network with Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) that will help facilitate e-permitting.

Source: Middleboro Gazette, March 29, 2012

Image Source: MiddleboroughPolice.com

This week, Middleboro’s Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to support plans for a feasibility study that will provide cost estimates and details of a proposed addition to the police station. Voters at the annual town meeting on June 11 will be asked to appropriate about $50,000 for the study, which will determine the feasibility of constructing a two-story addition to the 19th-century Peirce Store and renovating the historic building.

Speaking for the police station feasibility study, Police Chief Bruce Gates said the police station building committee, which he chairs, has recently reviewed plans for an addition to the building that would meet the modern needs of the department while preserving an historic structure that is the only Middleboro building listed individually on the National Register.

Town Manager Charles Cristello arranged for Roth and Seelen, Inc., an architectural firm from Hingham, to work with the building committee and determine whether it would be possible to provide the police department with the facility it needs by building an addition to the existing station.

Source: Middleboro Gazette, March 29, 2012