Selectmen's Meeting
The first selectmen's meeting after the election was held this Tuesday. It was disheartening. You might expect that the two holdover selectmen would warmly welcome the new one and his participation in discussing town matters. Alas, there was almost no warmth and a great deal of ice at the meeting. I wondered if I was the only attendee who was taken aback by the proceedings, but I spoke to several other attendees immediately afterwards who were equally surprised and upset.
But Bruce Cumsky handled himself well, and it seems clear to me he's not going to back off raising points, whether or not they make the other two electmen uncomfortable. And one almost inevitable result will be more thorough analysis of matters that come before the board.
One example: Bruce Cumsky stated that he had spoken with over 400 registered voters during his campaign and that 99% of them said they didn't support spending money on a library. (I may not have those figures exactly right, but they're close.) I think that came as a surprise to the other two selctmen, but it shouldn't have. Hopefully the selectboard will take the pulse of the public a little more in the future, not just the pulse of the town hall denizens and their friends.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Town Meeting
As usual, it was entertaining. Two of the more outlandish comments:
"Why didn't you come talk to us sooner." Made by a selectman responding to a citizen complaint about road maintenance. I wasn't aware that citizens were required to tell the selectmen about road maintenance. I thought it was their responsibility. Silly me.
"It's not fair to say the budget is up 13%. It's only up 6% without the special articles." Made by a selectman upset by the finance committee's emphasis on the 13%. To the contrary, what is unfair is to take an item like painting the library and town hall out of the operating budget, make it a special article and then claim that it's not part of the increase.
Two items on the agenda were deferred, and will be voted on by ballot the next time there is a town-wide election opportunity: the proposal to allow nonresidents to speak at town meetings; and the proposal to change the quorum requirement for town meetings from 60 to 100. Do you feel strongly about those items? Post a comment.
As usual, it was entertaining. Two of the more outlandish comments:
"Why didn't you come talk to us sooner." Made by a selectman responding to a citizen complaint about road maintenance. I wasn't aware that citizens were required to tell the selectmen about road maintenance. I thought it was their responsibility. Silly me.
"It's not fair to say the budget is up 13%. It's only up 6% without the special articles." Made by a selectman upset by the finance committee's emphasis on the 13%. To the contrary, what is unfair is to take an item like painting the library and town hall out of the operating budget, make it a special article and then claim that it's not part of the increase.
Two items on the agenda were deferred, and will be voted on by ballot the next time there is a town-wide election opportunity: the proposal to allow nonresidents to speak at town meetings; and the proposal to change the quorum requirement for town meetings from 60 to 100. Do you feel strongly about those items? Post a comment.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Election Results
Selectman: Brazie 123; Cumsky 240
Planning Board: Martin 164; Vining 177
Moderator: Gage 207; Lamme 141
Library Trustee: Kane 75; Sheldon 230
In uncontested elections, Muskrat got the highest number of votes, Wood the lowest.
There are a lot of messages here, but as always there'll be lots of rationalizing them away, especially by the losers. Cumsky's win should send a definite message to the other two selectmen, but I suspect they won't get it. Vining's victory is hardly a ringing endorsement of the planning board; a more cogent explanation is that the PB has been lying low for the last two years after being slapped pretty hard by budget votes at town meetings. In my view, the less the PB does, the better off we all are.
Selectman: Brazie 123; Cumsky 240
Planning Board: Martin 164; Vining 177
Moderator: Gage 207; Lamme 141
Library Trustee: Kane 75; Sheldon 230
In uncontested elections, Muskrat got the highest number of votes, Wood the lowest.
There are a lot of messages here, but as always there'll be lots of rationalizing them away, especially by the losers. Cumsky's win should send a definite message to the other two selectmen, but I suspect they won't get it. Vining's victory is hardly a ringing endorsement of the planning board; a more cogent explanation is that the PB has been lying low for the last two years after being slapped pretty hard by budget votes at town meetings. In my view, the less the PB does, the better off we all are.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Planning Board Election
Set forth below are the questions I posed to the candidates for Planning Board, and Sandra Martin's responses. Eileen Vining notified me that an ongoing family emergency prevented her from responding by yesterday's deadline.
1. What changes, if any, do you think should be made in Egremont's zoning bylaw?
Any changes to the Zoning Bylaws should go through a rigorous process of discussions, good ideas and hearings. Changes to the Bylaws often affect people’s property values and as such need a lot of discussion time to allow for all voters to weigh the pros and cons of any changes. Everyone involved in the process should come to the table with an open mind. That being said, my own personal thinking would lead me to consider rezoning the village centers to allow them to be built as they are today – mixed uses on lots with smaller frontages and setbacks.
2. What do you think should be done, if anything, to encourage small businesses in Egremont?
Small, local businesses are basic to rural communities and should be encouraged in ways that do not substantially impact their neighbors.
3. What is your position on shared driveways?
I would support shared driveways as they reduce the number of curb cuts on the road, keeping the rural look and feel. I would prefer a mini-subdivision Bylaw that allowed for a shared, private road that was reasonable and cost effective.
4. What is your position on rear lots (a rear lot being defined as one that is one acre or more in size with road frontage adequate for access to the lot but less than 150 feet)?
With substantially increased acreage requirements, I would support rear lots with reduced frontages. Again I would prefer a mini-subdivision Bylaw that would make dividing large parcels practical and the first choice of people dividing their land instead of the last.
5. What is your position on facilities and equipment for cell phones and high speed Internet access?
We need this technology and I support reasonable accommodation for the needed infrastructure. This technology is changing rapidly and will soon be doable without the mega-towers of the past. I don’t think we should wait, though and should move to allow towers as they are needed and the owners and neighbors agree to them.
Set forth below are the questions I posed to the candidates for Planning Board, and Sandra Martin's responses. Eileen Vining notified me that an ongoing family emergency prevented her from responding by yesterday's deadline.
1. What changes, if any, do you think should be made in Egremont's zoning bylaw?
Any changes to the Zoning Bylaws should go through a rigorous process of discussions, good ideas and hearings. Changes to the Bylaws often affect people’s property values and as such need a lot of discussion time to allow for all voters to weigh the pros and cons of any changes. Everyone involved in the process should come to the table with an open mind. That being said, my own personal thinking would lead me to consider rezoning the village centers to allow them to be built as they are today – mixed uses on lots with smaller frontages and setbacks.
2. What do you think should be done, if anything, to encourage small businesses in Egremont?
Small, local businesses are basic to rural communities and should be encouraged in ways that do not substantially impact their neighbors.
3. What is your position on shared driveways?
I would support shared driveways as they reduce the number of curb cuts on the road, keeping the rural look and feel. I would prefer a mini-subdivision Bylaw that allowed for a shared, private road that was reasonable and cost effective.
4. What is your position on rear lots (a rear lot being defined as one that is one acre or more in size with road frontage adequate for access to the lot but less than 150 feet)?
With substantially increased acreage requirements, I would support rear lots with reduced frontages. Again I would prefer a mini-subdivision Bylaw that would make dividing large parcels practical and the first choice of people dividing their land instead of the last.
5. What is your position on facilities and equipment for cell phones and high speed Internet access?
We need this technology and I support reasonable accommodation for the needed infrastructure. This technology is changing rapidly and will soon be doable without the mega-towers of the past. I don’t think we should wait, though and should move to allow towers as they are needed and the owners and neighbors agree to them.
Egremont Selectman Election
Set forth below are Bruce Cumsky's responses to the questions I posed to the two candidates for selectman. Mary Brazie declined to respond, despite my assurances to her that the responses would be published verbatim.
1. Do you think taxes in Egremont are too high, too low or about right? In what ways could they be reduced?
I strongly believe that taxes can never be too low. We all work hard for every penny we make and our goal should always be to have the lowest tax rate, and subsequently, lowest tax bill possible. I very much disagree with our current Selectmen who have openly stated that our tax rate is “too low.” They believe that we would be more attractive to the state, regarding grants and state funds, if we had a higher tax rate. Yet, experienced professionals completely disagree with this theory. More importantly, I do not believe that anyone (even if we have elected them) has the right to make that decision for those of us who actually own property here and pay property taxes. To artificially raise property taxes is just wrong. If ever there is a decision that should be made by the town as a whole, it is this one.
As for how the taxes can be reduced, quite simply through fiscal restraint, hard work, better research, bidding and negotiation. We must preserve and take better care of the town’s assets, buildings and equipment that we have now so we do not need to burden our taxpayers with the unnecessarily early purchase of new machinery, cars, etc.
2. What, if anything, do you think should be done about the police department? In particular, do you think we need 24-hour coverage?
This is an issue I have personally struggled with. I am a fan of the police department and the good work that they do. I have called on them during the day and night, and always gotten a quick and courteous response. But I have questioned the need for 24-hour police coverage in a town as small as Egremont. However, many people (my wife included) feel that the last thing we should sacrifice is the security of our families and neighbors.
A review of the town’s needs and what emergency services would be available during “off hours” would provide some direction. Many of our citizens are concerned with emergency health issues and I fully trust the Fire Department to provide immediate response and the proper care during a health emergency. I would work closely with our Chief and seek the right balance of coverage, but I would take a conservative approach because I hold our neighbor’s safety above all else.
3. What do you think about the quality of our appointed town boards (including the Board of Health, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission) and what suggestions, if any, do you have for improving the quality?
The majority of the appointed town boards are strictly volunteer, people generously giving up time from their own lives to try and make ours better. For this I have nothing but the utmost respect. But in order for any group to function to the best of their abilities they must be made to feel that their hard work is appreciated. It is a proven fact that if you show people respect they will want to work even harder. Our Selectboard is not only there to appoint, but to support as well. These board members also need to see the face of a Selectman at occasional meetings, to hear in what ways the boards may need assistance.
The Selectboard has to be more active in reaching out to the community to bring in new faces. Appointments to any town position must be made carefully, looking for the best candidate for the position, not just the most popular person in the bunch.
It is also important to consider that not all boards are equal when evaluating results. Salaried employees should be held to a higher standard than volunteer board members.
Lastly, our town meeting is a time to celebrate our community and what we’ve accomplished over the year. A time to thank people for their efforts. A time to hear what our boards have done and what we may expect for the coming year.
This would be a welcome relief from the past years of surprise, anger and contentiousness. It all begins from the top and our leaders need to set the example.
4. Do you think town government over-regulates, under-regulates or regulates just about right, and what suggestions, if any, do you have for changes?
We have the purest form of town government existing (due to our size, with fewer than 6,000 voters) in the Town Meeting, where each voter becomes a “legislator” for the town. That allows us to “self-regulate.” We have discussed and approved bylaws that are appropriate for our community and that protect what we love in Egremont. Yet, I am concerned when I hear the words “overlay district” and “business district.” These often are followed by additional regulations that are not necessary and begin to restrict our property rights. Are we trying to solve non-existent problems or are we creating them?
I do think we can do a better job of guiding our citizens through the process and of making Town Hall more “user-friendly.” Town Hall is meant to help our citizens and we should do everything possible to guide, aide and counsel citizens through any regulatory process.
5. What do you think should be done about the Annex?
In the gloomy and uncertain economic situation this country finds itself in, I cannot understand why we are discussing this at this time. We need to be fiscally responsible and patient. Certainly, the Annex, which even the Selectboard cannot agree on its use, is of no clear need at this present time. I am surprised it is even coming to the table again after such a loud, boisterous negative response from the town at the special meeting last August. It was during that meeting that I strongly stated the request for funds was “two years too early.” It is still two years too early, considering the economy. I also strongly recommend against any expenditure, specifically the requested $15,000 in this year’s warrant for an engineering study. The first question asked by a qualified engineer would be “What is it to be used for?” It would be irresponsible to authorize this expenditure when the Selectboard is in total disagreement about the Annex’s use and when the community is questioning its need. It is time to stop exploratory expenses for items the citizens have not fully been informed about or are clearly not in agreement with regarding use or need. There is no crime in holding on to our tax dollars until the time comes when we are in actual need of something for the good of the town.
6. What do you think should be done about the library?
We have a lovely library. Speak to its users and they will tell you that our librarian, Sally Caldwell, can get whatever they request. If you review the library’s survey regarding use you will see that out of 222 responses, 67 never use the library, 97 rarely use it, 29 use it monthly and 28 use it weekly. Sally’s last report to the Selectboard discussed last summer’s use as sporadic, with some days being very slow. This level of use does not warrant a new library. I certainly respect the time and efforts given by many in pursuit of a new library, but sometimes a Selectman has to say no... not now. And remember, with a new library comes new maintenance, more overhead and more staff.
With half of our citizens over the age of 55 and considering retirement, if they aren’t retired already, it is time to consider the burdens we would be placing on them in the future. When over 40% of our citizens may see no increase, or even a decrease, in income for this and the next few years, it is no time to consider adding to the town’s debt and their tax burden.
But we must maintain our buildings, both inside and out. Structural repairs and painting, electrical and mechanical repairs are priorities. Before we consider any new project we should put our house in order. Of course, in today’s economy I also believe we can do better than expending $105,000 for painting of the library and town hall, and $5,420 to remove trees in front of the town hall. We need to bid tighter and harder. We need to do our homework better. The office of Selectman requires full attention for it to be done properly.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my views. If anyone would like to discuss Egremont's issues and opportunities further, please call me at 644-9934. I would really enjoy hearing your feedback.
Set forth below are Bruce Cumsky's responses to the questions I posed to the two candidates for selectman. Mary Brazie declined to respond, despite my assurances to her that the responses would be published verbatim.
1. Do you think taxes in Egremont are too high, too low or about right? In what ways could they be reduced?
I strongly believe that taxes can never be too low. We all work hard for every penny we make and our goal should always be to have the lowest tax rate, and subsequently, lowest tax bill possible. I very much disagree with our current Selectmen who have openly stated that our tax rate is “too low.” They believe that we would be more attractive to the state, regarding grants and state funds, if we had a higher tax rate. Yet, experienced professionals completely disagree with this theory. More importantly, I do not believe that anyone (even if we have elected them) has the right to make that decision for those of us who actually own property here and pay property taxes. To artificially raise property taxes is just wrong. If ever there is a decision that should be made by the town as a whole, it is this one.
As for how the taxes can be reduced, quite simply through fiscal restraint, hard work, better research, bidding and negotiation. We must preserve and take better care of the town’s assets, buildings and equipment that we have now so we do not need to burden our taxpayers with the unnecessarily early purchase of new machinery, cars, etc.
2. What, if anything, do you think should be done about the police department? In particular, do you think we need 24-hour coverage?
This is an issue I have personally struggled with. I am a fan of the police department and the good work that they do. I have called on them during the day and night, and always gotten a quick and courteous response. But I have questioned the need for 24-hour police coverage in a town as small as Egremont. However, many people (my wife included) feel that the last thing we should sacrifice is the security of our families and neighbors.
A review of the town’s needs and what emergency services would be available during “off hours” would provide some direction. Many of our citizens are concerned with emergency health issues and I fully trust the Fire Department to provide immediate response and the proper care during a health emergency. I would work closely with our Chief and seek the right balance of coverage, but I would take a conservative approach because I hold our neighbor’s safety above all else.
3. What do you think about the quality of our appointed town boards (including the Board of Health, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Conservation Commission) and what suggestions, if any, do you have for improving the quality?
The majority of the appointed town boards are strictly volunteer, people generously giving up time from their own lives to try and make ours better. For this I have nothing but the utmost respect. But in order for any group to function to the best of their abilities they must be made to feel that their hard work is appreciated. It is a proven fact that if you show people respect they will want to work even harder. Our Selectboard is not only there to appoint, but to support as well. These board members also need to see the face of a Selectman at occasional meetings, to hear in what ways the boards may need assistance.
The Selectboard has to be more active in reaching out to the community to bring in new faces. Appointments to any town position must be made carefully, looking for the best candidate for the position, not just the most popular person in the bunch.
It is also important to consider that not all boards are equal when evaluating results. Salaried employees should be held to a higher standard than volunteer board members.
Lastly, our town meeting is a time to celebrate our community and what we’ve accomplished over the year. A time to thank people for their efforts. A time to hear what our boards have done and what we may expect for the coming year.
This would be a welcome relief from the past years of surprise, anger and contentiousness. It all begins from the top and our leaders need to set the example.
4. Do you think town government over-regulates, under-regulates or regulates just about right, and what suggestions, if any, do you have for changes?
We have the purest form of town government existing (due to our size, with fewer than 6,000 voters) in the Town Meeting, where each voter becomes a “legislator” for the town. That allows us to “self-regulate.” We have discussed and approved bylaws that are appropriate for our community and that protect what we love in Egremont. Yet, I am concerned when I hear the words “overlay district” and “business district.” These often are followed by additional regulations that are not necessary and begin to restrict our property rights. Are we trying to solve non-existent problems or are we creating them?
I do think we can do a better job of guiding our citizens through the process and of making Town Hall more “user-friendly.” Town Hall is meant to help our citizens and we should do everything possible to guide, aide and counsel citizens through any regulatory process.
5. What do you think should be done about the Annex?
In the gloomy and uncertain economic situation this country finds itself in, I cannot understand why we are discussing this at this time. We need to be fiscally responsible and patient. Certainly, the Annex, which even the Selectboard cannot agree on its use, is of no clear need at this present time. I am surprised it is even coming to the table again after such a loud, boisterous negative response from the town at the special meeting last August. It was during that meeting that I strongly stated the request for funds was “two years too early.” It is still two years too early, considering the economy. I also strongly recommend against any expenditure, specifically the requested $15,000 in this year’s warrant for an engineering study. The first question asked by a qualified engineer would be “What is it to be used for?” It would be irresponsible to authorize this expenditure when the Selectboard is in total disagreement about the Annex’s use and when the community is questioning its need. It is time to stop exploratory expenses for items the citizens have not fully been informed about or are clearly not in agreement with regarding use or need. There is no crime in holding on to our tax dollars until the time comes when we are in actual need of something for the good of the town.
6. What do you think should be done about the library?
We have a lovely library. Speak to its users and they will tell you that our librarian, Sally Caldwell, can get whatever they request. If you review the library’s survey regarding use you will see that out of 222 responses, 67 never use the library, 97 rarely use it, 29 use it monthly and 28 use it weekly. Sally’s last report to the Selectboard discussed last summer’s use as sporadic, with some days being very slow. This level of use does not warrant a new library. I certainly respect the time and efforts given by many in pursuit of a new library, but sometimes a Selectman has to say no... not now. And remember, with a new library comes new maintenance, more overhead and more staff.
With half of our citizens over the age of 55 and considering retirement, if they aren’t retired already, it is time to consider the burdens we would be placing on them in the future. When over 40% of our citizens may see no increase, or even a decrease, in income for this and the next few years, it is no time to consider adding to the town’s debt and their tax burden.
But we must maintain our buildings, both inside and out. Structural repairs and painting, electrical and mechanical repairs are priorities. Before we consider any new project we should put our house in order. Of course, in today’s economy I also believe we can do better than expending $105,000 for painting of the library and town hall, and $5,420 to remove trees in front of the town hall. We need to bid tighter and harder. We need to do our homework better. The office of Selectman requires full attention for it to be done properly.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my views. If anyone would like to discuss Egremont's issues and opportunities further, please call me at 644-9934. I would really enjoy hearing your feedback.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Town Meeting
If you haven't done so, pick up a copy of the Finance Committee's recommendations. There are copies at town hall, the library, the North Egremont store and the South Egremont post office. There are some significant disagreements between the Finance Committee and the Selectboard, primarily with respect to the special articles. Without the special articles, the budget goes up by about 6% (a bit higher than other nearby town's budgets), but with them the budget goes up by over 13%.
COME TO THE TOWN MEETING! Whether you like the budget or don't, have a say in it.
Tuesday night at the Sheffield school.
If you haven't done so, pick up a copy of the Finance Committee's recommendations. There are copies at town hall, the library, the North Egremont store and the South Egremont post office. There are some significant disagreements between the Finance Committee and the Selectboard, primarily with respect to the special articles. Without the special articles, the budget goes up by about 6% (a bit higher than other nearby town's budgets), but with them the budget goes up by over 13%.
COME TO THE TOWN MEETING! Whether you like the budget or don't, have a say in it.
Tuesday night at the Sheffield school.
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