Conference 7.286::maynard

    I second that opinion. Now it's on to Town Meeting!

re: Note 217.0.......


Yes it is sad to see such closed mindedness in this response and I must say 
that I respect your right to have your opinion.  However, Cindy Parker is not 
the "same School Committee".  I suggest that you do some research on 
accomplishemnts, views, as well as consistency, and persistence.  

It is important to remember that "Rome wasn't built in a day."  However, 
positive changes are in process.  It is not the same School Committee, Fran 
Manzelli is out, Ahearn is leaving, many prior School Committee Members have 
resigned, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, "THE PARENTS ARE GETTING INVOLVED IN THE 
EDUCATION SYSTEM".

If you analyze the results of the election, Probably the most important 
result, is that THE TOWN HAS PLACED EDUCATION AS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.


			LETS GO MAYNARD!!!!!!

Respectfully,

Julian Parker

    .2 
    	You are correct she is the bright star in the group.
    art

    Fine the town has put education at the top. However the town has also
    reduced the police and fire departments. Cut out the Medical insurance 
    for town employees.
    
    Remember that the school still can lose the money. The article on
    the town warrent still can be defeated and the school can loose
    the money.
    
    art

    Again, I agree. Cindy Parker will bring some fresh air. But, I cannot
    accept the unbalance I see swirling around the School Committee and
    it's finances. The School Dept. is not an entity unto itself. It is
    one part of a whole Town. What happens if we all run to the same side
    of the boat?

    Although I haven't seen the numbers, it's good to see (in my opinion)
    the town vote in favor of an override for the education system.  And
    although this is only the first step it's still a very important one.
    
    The education system in this town has gone backward since I graduated 
    15 years ago.  Once again, this is only my opinion.  True, they now 
    teach kids at the high school level how to take a test, which results
    in better SAT scores, but does that really improve their knowledge?
    
    Foreign languages are non-existant in the junior high school.  The
    guidance department may no longer be there next year either.  That's
    just great for kids at that age who may have nowhere else to turn. 
    Let's face it, we all know that parents have to play a bigger part than
    they have in many cases, but not all parents are caring, and many are
    downright ignorant.  
    
    I will not, and have not, even brought up the issues of extra-curricular 
    activities.
     
    Transportation will only be provided to kindergarten aged kids, regardless 
    of where you live.  This is outrageous.  The school nurse will be gone
    from the Green Meadow school if the override doesn't pass.
    
    While I've strongly opposed some of the school committee's behavior in
    the past, I just hope that with the newly elected members, things will
    change for the better in the future.  The school committee should be
    the watchdog over the superintendant, not vice versa.
    
    I'm preparing myself for an onslaught of shell fire, but I'm deeply dug
    into the bunker, so let 'em rip.  :-)
    
    					Steve

    The numbers are extremely complex. This is the scary part. There is
    nothing earmarking the school override for education. The Blue Cross/
    Blue Shield override didn't pass. What do you think the school dept.
    portion of that bill will be? They'll probably come out about even.
    Not a giant step forward for education. 
               Other boards now face cuts to meet those costs. I value the
    safety of our Town employees(I'm thinking fire in particular) more than
    an intramural sports team. And our students should be aware of these
    priorities. I don't think what's happening in Maynard makes sense.

Selectman				School Committee, 3 year
      * DeMars	  - 1578 55%		      * Parker	  - 1453 25%	
	Cullen	  -  467 17%		      * Geldart	  - 1289 23%
	Rabinowitz-  436 15%			Konetzny  - 1222 21%
	Arsenault -  144  5%			blanks	  - 1758 31%
	blanks	  -  225  8%		
 
School Committee, 1 year 		Question 5, school override 
      * Comella	  - 1333 47%		      * Yes	  - 1434 50%
	Ruzich	  - 1170 41%			No	  - 1329 46%
	blanks	  -  358 12%			blanks	  -   98  3%

    I would like to give congratulations to the winners of the election who
    can read this notesfile (or can hear about it though their spouses.)

    Congrats to Selectman Ken DeMars, School Committee members John Comella
    and Cindy Parker, to Planning Board member Simon Bunyard, and Assessor
    Steve Pomfret.

    Simon and Steve ran unopposed for their truly thankless positions. In
    addition, Steve Pomfret was forced to run a sticker campaign. (The way
    I heard it, you can get on the ballot though a party caucus, and when
    the Democratic Party in Maynard failed to have a caucus, Steve was left
    at the dock, and we got a blank on the ballot yesterday.)  As if being
    an assessor isn't enough of a hassle as it is.  
    
    There are some boards where regardless of how important the job is, or
    how well or how much work you do, the public generally doesn't notice
    unless they're angry at you.  Unlike the high-profile, fun jobs like
    Selectman and School Committee, where you get to see your words in the
    newspapers and regret saying them...

    By the way, Pomfret's stickers ended up all over the ballots.  He got
    votes for Selectman, School Committee, and most everything else.  The
    guy could have ended up being a one-man town government. 

    -Steve

    Re: .7 (sorry, I don't know your name)
    
    >I value the
    >safety of our Town employees(I'm thinking fire in particular) more than
    >an intramural sports team. And our students should be aware of these
    
    While I share your concerns regarding town employee safety, it's not at 
    all fair to equate the high costs of town insurance to an intramural 
    sports team.
    
    					Steve

I know it's a bit late, but can anyone tell me:

	1) exactly what coverage a Maynard town employee has through 
	   Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and 

	2) what are the ramifications of that override not passing?

For such a big dollar override, I didn't see much in the papers about this
particular item.

regards,

Pete

               I was thinking of the overide for fire safety respiratory
    equipment, a specific, one time investment. I wonder what not having 
    it will do to our insurance rates? Remember the recent report about 
    respritory infections and cancer rates in fire safety personnel? 
    The Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance is the health plan for all Town
    employees. Let me rephrase:
               It does not make sense for one area of town gov't to receive
    an overide for non-specific operating expenses. All other town boards 
    are faced with reductions in services.
               I prefer seeing overrides for specific items.
                                           Mary
     
                 

    I do not know details of coverage. I'll try to find out. My
    understanding is that the BC/BS costs will now need to be funded
    from individual dept. budgets. I'll verify this tonight. This
    would requires personnell, etc. cuts from all other budgets.

    
    OK, the override for the schools went through. BUT, my
    question is, will this money go directly to the schools?
    Or will the state or other town deptartments try to STEAL
    some of this money? This is where I have a problem, i.e,
    the "money games" that are played. I would hope that ALL
    of my 70 or so dollars per year goes directly to the schools
    and for better education. If not, then it should have never
    passed. I'm not particularily against taxes if they're fair
    and managed honestly. I have to blame the state of Mass. for
    the situation that the towns are in, anyways. 
    
    	just my opinion
    	Bob
                                        

    
    
    	Ken & I would like to thank all who gave your support. We were
    quite surprised he received 55% of the vote.
    
    	Running for selectman was a difficult decision for Ken to make.
    Leaving the Finance Committee was hard to do. Also, Bill Cullen is
    a friend of his. However, he felt his knowledge and experience would
    be needed on the Board of Selectmen.
    
    	Ken hopes he can live up to the expectations of the voters. He
    promised "hard work and common sense decisions", and I feel that is
    what he will give.
    
    						Sincerely,
    						Toni DeMars (Ken's wife)
    
    P.S. I apologize if any of this appears incoherent as exhaustion has
    set in. I never imagined having to wait until 3 a.m. for the election 
    results.	

I'd like to respond to several notes.

.11>I know it's a bit late, but can anyone tell me:
.11>
.11>	1) exactly what coverage a Maynard town employee has through 
.11>	   Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and 

The coverage is Masterhealth Plus: 5$ an office visit, 5$ a prescription, 25%
employee paid, 75% town paid.  This was expected to cost the town $500,000 next
year, but then 5 employees had catastrophic illnesses in December (cancer, 
2 heart attacks, etc.). 

Since the town is partially self-insuring, the bill went up to $950,000 - thus
the $450,000 override request.  The whole town budget is in the range of
$13,000,000, so the $450K is a significant portion. 

.11>	2) what are the ramifications of that override not passing?

The insurance bill is a negotiated benefit and legally has to be paid.
But where will the money come from?  Do you spread it out evenly, say based on
number of employees in a department, or on the size of the departmental budget? 
Do you simply stop performing some town services? (Actually, I bet you could
eliminate *all* small departments are still not get all of the $450K.) Impose
new fees and raise existing ones spectacularly?  Do you ask the unions to
please reopen negotiations and give back the raises and benefits they fought
for? 

I can't see how this can avoid people being laid off, but even there, you only
save salary, not benefits, since if the town boots an employee, we still pay
benefits for a while.  Plus unemployment. 

.11>For such a big dollar override, I didn't see much in the papers about this
.11>particular item.

True, there wasn't much in the paper.  A Blue Cross representative did speak at
the prop 2 1/2 meeting at the Elks. 

.13>
.13>    I do not know details of coverage. I'll try to find out. My
.13>    understanding is that the BC/BS costs will now need to be funded
.13>    from individual dept. budgets. 

No, this is not certain.  Anything which raises the money would suffice:
distribute costs, eliminate services, renegotiate...
 
.14>    OK, the override for the schools went through. BUT, my
.14>    question is, will this money go directly to the schools?
.14>    Or will the state or other town deptartments try to STEAL
.14>    some of this money? 

What method would the State have for taking the money?  Maybe I don't
understand. 

As for the other town departments, I presume that by 'steal' you mean that
someone makes a motion at Town Meeting to amend the school budget and take the
money elsewhere.  Of course, if the school override passes at Town Meeting,
then it has to go for education, but what we're really talking about is
an attempt to grab some of the regular $5.5 million school budget.

Personally, I didn't see any organized effort on the part of anybody but the
schools to push their override.  If no one else was that organized for the
overrides, how will they suddenly be that organized at Town Meeting? This is
just my personal intuition, but with the sort of big turnout we're likely to
have at Town Meeting, I just can't conceive that any group other than the
school supporters would be able to pack the Meeting. Maybe not even them.  You
might get a majority of people who all want to say 'no', but not enough to say
'yes' to one specific budget-raiding scheme, assuming the budget proposals
coming into Town Meeting are not irrational. 

.14>    some of this money? This is where I have a problem, i.e, 
.14>    the "money games" that are played. I would hope that ALL 
.14>    of my 70 or so dollars per year goes directly to the schools 
.14>    and for better education. 

Well, yeah... me too, but what do we do about the $450,000 for health
insurance?  That's bigger than many departmental budgets.  

.14>    If not, then it should have never 
.14>    passed. 

Then we would have a 2% budget cut in the schools plus potentially
some portion of the $450K.  I don't want to think about what that would
have done.  I'm glad the override passed.

The FinCom has the unhappy task of discussing proposals to deal with this
next Tuesday.  It's a public hearing, 8PM in town hall, Tuesday the 15th.

It will be an interesting Town Meeting.

-Steve

    RE: .9  "congrats"
    
>    I would like to give congratulations to the winners of the election who
>    can read this notesfile (or can hear about it though their spouses.)
    
    As on who has run and lost and run and won in Acton, I would like to
    extend my congratulations to anyone who took the time and effort to run
    for public office.  I think it's a sad day for participatory town
    government when anybody runs unopposed for any office.  
    

    
    
    Perhaps someone could help me here...
    
    Having a six year old son, I am very interested in at least maintaining
    the present school system in Maynard.  This is my understanding of what
    the 2 1/2 override question for education was all about.  I am also
    interested eventually increasing the quality of education in Maynard as
    well.
    
    My family has been in Maynard for only 2 1/2 years so I am not up to
    speed on town government as much as I'd like to be.  
    
    This is what I do not understand.  Why in a town election, when
    something passes can it be undone by a town meeting?  It seems if by
    an election, that the majority of people will something, in this case,
    supporting the schools system, that there should be no further doubt
    that any money raised will go for this purpose?
    
    I can see were the specifics of the money appropriated for schools (i.e.
    salaries, additional courses, etc.) might be discussed and voted at the
    town meeting.  But, if I understand correctly, the results of the town
    election can be completely negated at the town meeting.  True?  And if
    so, for what purpose?  Why have town elections then?
    
    I would appreciate any light you can shine on this area of ignorance.
    
    
    					Darlene
    
                                                          

    The town elections only gave the town the authority to excess the 2 1/2
    levey limit.  The town meeting still has to appropiate the money to the
    school. If the people who voted to authorize the override does not go
    to town meeting there is a good chance that the article to approiate
    the additional monies could be defeated.
    
    If you are concerned with the education in Maynard and with also
    the rest of the town go to the Town meeting.
    
    
    The money that you voted to override at the town election for the
    school, the major of it is going for salary raises. Ithink the school
    gave the teaches a 6% raise this is where most of the $300k+ dollars
    are going for.
    
    art filz
    

    >school, the major of it is going for salary raises. Ithink the school
    >gave the teaches a 6% raise this is where most of the $300k+ dollars
    >are going for.
    
    Art, you must be familiar with collective bargaining, having spent so
    many years on the FinCom.  The school [sic] didn't "give" the teaches 
    [sic] anything.  The 6% raise figure was reached through the process 
    of labor negotiations.  And it seems like a pretty fair figure considering 
    what they've received during the recent past.
    
    					Steve

    Agree. But the school knew the finical problems the town was in when
    they where bargining with the unions, they could have try for a lower
    figure. Also the schools have been averaging 5% pay raises.
    
    This 6% will effect the other unions in town also. When should the
    police,fire and dpw ask for a lower percent when the town ok'd a 6%
    for the school.
                                  art

    
    The state gov't of Mass. would love to see all cities and towns
     override prop 2 1/2. Then, they wouldn't have to give any money
     to them. In my opinion, this is what they're hoping for. Towns
    are overriding 2 1/2, the state and feds are trying to raise taxes,
    Geesh, we're getting reamed from all directions. I think we should
    keep 2 1/2 and force the state government not to withhold money
    to the cities and towns. Then we'ed get reamed in one less direction.
    
    In a given town for example, if 2 1/2 gets overridden in all depts.,
    then the state taxes go up, then the federal taxes go up....well,
    your talking alot more money in an already expensive state. 
                              
    I like Mass. and I want to stay here, but.....
    No simple answer, I guess.
      
    Bob
    
                                            

    Does anyone know the results of yesterdays election?

    Cindy Ruzich and Tom Konetzny won seats on the School Committee
    
    Cindy - 1531
    Tom   - 1490
    
    I don't have the numbers for John Comella or Jim DeMott.
    
    The Charter Commission passed (congratulations to Frank and associates)
    
    1683 voted in favor of the charter.
    
    Phil Bohunicky was re-elected to the Library Board.
    
    Both of the override questions did not pass.
    
    I'll be picking up the Middlesex News when it hits the newstand, to
    provide the final numbers, unless someone has already entered them.
    
    					Steve

    So, the override having failed, does this mean that Maynard no longer
    has a Public Library?
    

    As it was explained to me, the override(s) are not a dead issue yet. 
    They remain on the town warrant and will be voted on at Town Meeting. 
    If passed at town meeting, a special election would be held to allow
    towns people a second chance to vote on it.
    
    I believe the library is funded to the end of FY91.  If the override
    fails to pass at Town meeting and a special election the library will
    close in FY92.
    
    Chris

    Chris there is no override question at the Town Meeting. This is what
    could happen. People can vote to put money back into the library,
    however this create a problem.
    	1. If voted in then the town exceeds the level limit.
    	2. We could wait to the fall have a special town election and
           put the override question back on the ballot. (More taxes)
        3. See what our free cash is in September and use that.
    
    	or
     
    	If 1 happens and and 2 and 3 doesn't then cuts will have to be made
    
    art
    

Can someone explain which types of questions are voted on at Town Meeting,
and which are voted at Town Elections?   Is this established by law, or
who decides?

Specifically, why is the Charter an Election vote, and Regionalization a 
TM vote?

    Do Maynard voters understand that, having voted to unfund their
    Library, other public Libraries in the State are no longer required to
    allow Maynard residents to obtain cards and check out materials?
    
    Such non-resident patron access is mandated by the General Laws only
    sofar as a public Library is certified by the Mass. Board of Library
    Commissioners.  When a Town unfunds a public Library, or even reduces
    said funding by more than a certain percent, that Library may be
    decertified and its patrons may be refused service by other public
    Libraries.  I believe the only exception to this is the Boston Public
    Library, which is designated the "Library of last resort" for the
    Commonwealth.
    
    If you are a Maynard resident and you think something should be done at
    Town Meeting to restore funding to the Library, then you better start
    getting organized.  Do you know  who your Library Trustees are?  You
    voted for them, so you better get to know them if you want to keep a
    Library in Town.  Get organized.  Is there a Friends of the Library
    organization?  If not, why not.  Now's your chance to do something
    about it.

    The Charter question had to be on the Town Elections thats the law.
    Where as regionalization can be voted on at a town meeting. I don't
    know the reason but I quess maybe it was a article that created the
    committee to looking to regionaliztion. Believe me 15 yr on the Fincom
    and I still have problem with state laws on what is done at Town
    election and what is done at town meeting. It is like the override
    question you vote at Town Election to override 2 1/2 but to vote at
    Town Meeting to send it.
    
    I'll get a better def onthis.
    
    art

    I know that the Charter was on the ballot by State Law (Chapter 43B
    of the MGL).  I mentioned this many times during the Charter process
    and in three articles in the Beacon, just to be sure that everyone
    got the message.
    
    As for the regionalization vote being at Town Meeting rather than
    on the ballot, I agree with Arthur:  I don't know why.  
    
    As for the Regional School Planning Committee:
    
    Article 25 of last year's Town Meeting voted "to support the 
    recommendations of the Regional School Planning Committee, to
    pursue further discussions and negotiations with the Actom-
    Boxboro School District".  This Committee was established as a at 
    the Special Town Meeting on November 6, 1989 (Article 15).  Committees 
    can be established from time to time by Town Meeting for specific 
    tasks and must report back to the Town at Town Meeting.  The members
    of these Committees are appointed by the Moderator. 
    
    By the way, when the Town votes to "receive" a report from a 
    Committee, the Committee is not discharged.  However, when the Town 
    votes to "accept" the report, the Committee IS discharged.  There
    is an article on this year's warrant to end the Regional School
    Planning Committee, which is not needed if the Committee Report
    is "accepted" rather than "received".  
    (Town By-Laws, Chapter 1, Section 11)
    
                    Frank