I have been a Selectman for 35 days. Like many of you I have been a town meeting member for many years. My most recent experiences however are in the Selectman's campaign which allowed me to speak to hundreds and hundreds of Needham residents.
Each discussion may have centered on an issue specific to that individual or group; the fields, schools, trees or senior center. But the overwhelming theme of these discussions was related to the concern about communication in town government and the questions were about the way citizens of our Town can influence the decisions that impact our lives.
The fundamental question before us is as follows-
Do we want our Town Hall to be a single use municipal building or do we want a multi use public and municipal building?
Four of the Selectmen desire a single use municipal building.
They are not wrong. The Selectmen's plan is consistent with our role as one part of the Executive branch of government -which we share with other elected and appointed boards.
Indeed ,The Board of Selectman and The Finance Committee have all worked very hard up to this point. Their work supports the choice of a single use municipal building. Each of these individuals is caring, committed and dedicated to Needham and deserving of our respect. However other Boards and Committees, some elected and some appointed by the Board of Selectmen-with pertinent expertise and skills have also worked very hard. And they are also deserving of our respect.
Given that the Town Hall is the symbolic home of the town of Needham -we are a house divided .
How do we heal this division?
The motion for the development of the study committee calls to town meeting to exercise their right as the legislative authority. There is precedent, of course, for Town Meeting to establish committees to conduct a study and report back- we may recall committees on electromagnetic waves and XXXXX
No precedent is more poignant that one identified by James Hugh Powers in his research. Article XXX at the Town Meeting of 1963 directly related to the concerns about Town Hall and a charge to the Study Committee not unlike the charge today.
Speaking of James Hugh Powers; who was sworn in as a Town Meeting member from his hospital bed last Thursday- he is quoted as saying the choice for the disposition of Town Hall is so difficult because both sides- single use and multi use are right choices.
The decision about the use of Town Hall is about what our vision of our community is. We may want a utilitarian building that serves the community on a Monday to Friday business schedule and is efficient and secure or we may want a more vibrant center that meets not only our business needs but also acts a catalyst to economic development and not only preserves our history but allows us to live it.
Because the process is complicated we only have the information to support single use- we need to take a deep breath and ask for the answers to the obstacles to a multi -use building including all the items in the motion and cost. We need to know- we deserve to know these answers.
Town meeting members have the responsibility to not only make sound decisions during the meeting but also to be accountable to the residents of their precinents. On one of the most important and historic decisions you will ever make as a Town meeting member you do not have all the answers-
The Town hall Committee Study Group can work parallel to the design process.
I see no harm or threat for a vote in favor of the Town Hall Committee... Your questions will be asked, all issues explored, and furthermore, as representatives of citizens in you precincts, you will have available to you all of the information that is pertinent to whatever final decision is made. The Town Hall Committee, given the option to fully explore the Great Hall, will in no way slow the design process or allocation of funds for construction at May 2009 town meeting .
This decision is not about history- it is about making history.
Let this Town Meeting be remembered as the legislative body that required all the information-not accepting speculation- to make the best decision for every constituency in town- and to ensure that our limited and precious CPA funds which are raised from our property taxes- our money- and matched by the state- also our money - are maximized for the best benefit. And that we sought to protect, preserve and promote the Town Hall as the seat of our government and as the symbol of our civic life.
Each discussion may have centered on an issue specific to that individual or group; the fields, schools, trees or senior center. But the overwhelming theme of these discussions was related to the concern about communication in town government and the questions were about the way citizens of our Town can influence the decisions that impact our lives.
- During the campaign I pledged to strive to promote communication; build coalitions and start a new conversation in our community. To be effective in that process we must:
- involve stakeholders of initiatives from the start of major projects ;
- we must evaluate all input and
- We must be willing to adapt new information brought forward by concerned citizens.
The fundamental question before us is as follows-
Do we want our Town Hall to be a single use municipal building or do we want a multi use public and municipal building?
Four of the Selectmen desire a single use municipal building.
They are not wrong. The Selectmen's plan is consistent with our role as one part of the Executive branch of government -which we share with other elected and appointed boards.
Indeed ,The Board of Selectman and The Finance Committee have all worked very hard up to this point. Their work supports the choice of a single use municipal building. Each of these individuals is caring, committed and dedicated to Needham and deserving of our respect. However other Boards and Committees, some elected and some appointed by the Board of Selectmen-with pertinent expertise and skills have also worked very hard. And they are also deserving of our respect.
- The Planning Board voted unanimously twice -with different board compositions -to oppose the single use option.
- The Needham Historic Commission was not invited to be on the planning committee of the Town Hall. The Town hall is designated as a National Historic landmark and the Commission has voted unanimously to oppose the single use option that renders the historical aspects of the Town Hall visible but non-functional and not accessible to the citizens of Needham.
- The Needham Historical Society has voted unanimously to oppose the single use option.
Given that the Town Hall is the symbolic home of the town of Needham -we are a house divided .
How do we heal this division?
The motion for the development of the study committee calls to town meeting to exercise their right as the legislative authority. There is precedent, of course, for Town Meeting to establish committees to conduct a study and report back- we may recall committees on electromagnetic waves and XXXXX
No precedent is more poignant that one identified by James Hugh Powers in his research. Article XXX at the Town Meeting of 1963 directly related to the concerns about Town Hall and a charge to the Study Committee not unlike the charge today.
Speaking of James Hugh Powers; who was sworn in as a Town Meeting member from his hospital bed last Thursday- he is quoted as saying the choice for the disposition of Town Hall is so difficult because both sides- single use and multi use are right choices.
The decision about the use of Town Hall is about what our vision of our community is. We may want a utilitarian building that serves the community on a Monday to Friday business schedule and is efficient and secure or we may want a more vibrant center that meets not only our business needs but also acts a catalyst to economic development and not only preserves our history but allows us to live it.
Because the process is complicated we only have the information to support single use- we need to take a deep breath and ask for the answers to the obstacles to a multi -use building including all the items in the motion and cost. We need to know- we deserve to know these answers.
Town meeting members have the responsibility to not only make sound decisions during the meeting but also to be accountable to the residents of their precinents. On one of the most important and historic decisions you will ever make as a Town meeting member you do not have all the answers-
- The charge to the Town Hall Committee is clear.
- The time line is less than six months -180 days- when a report is due to you the town meeting members this November, 2008.
- There is no cost for the new committee.
The Town hall Committee Study Group can work parallel to the design process.
I see no harm or threat for a vote in favor of the Town Hall Committee... Your questions will be asked, all issues explored, and furthermore, as representatives of citizens in you precincts, you will have available to you all of the information that is pertinent to whatever final decision is made. The Town Hall Committee, given the option to fully explore the Great Hall, will in no way slow the design process or allocation of funds for construction at May 2009 town meeting .
This decision is not about history- it is about making history.
Let this Town Meeting be remembered as the legislative body that required all the information-not accepting speculation- to make the best decision for every constituency in town- and to ensure that our limited and precious CPA funds which are raised from our property taxes- our money- and matched by the state- also our money - are maximized for the best benefit. And that we sought to protect, preserve and promote the Town Hall as the seat of our government and as the symbol of our civic life.
