Take My Council, Please: Pushing Paper...

Every now and then the Springfield City Council assembles and does little more than ministerial duties dressed up as discretionary acts.  For example, the city cannot accept a grant or money outside of its own tax base or consistent with a general state law unless the council approves it along with the purpose of the money.  Technically, the city can reject the money or disapprove of its purpose, but seldom does the city turn away money.  Monday was one of those meetings heavy on process and light on policy or politics.  Nothing that needed a recorded vote recorded any opposition.  However, rumblings of future trouble may lie in the background.

The rules of the city council dictate the order in which items may be brought before the council for debate, but that may be set aside if no councilor objects.  Last night featured this en masses as councilors bounced from items on economic development funding to grant acceptances to ordinance revisions.

On the agenda were transfers within departments to purchase a new event tent at the Barney Estate Carriage House in Forest Park, fund an economic development position and pay for additional office supplies in the audit department.  Bracket that last one for now.

Elsewhere the council approved a block of reports on utility work for Verizon and Western Massachusetts Electric.  Grants for the Dispatch department to maintain the facility, Fire Department training, at-risk youths (seemingly not the same as the one in the AWAKE controversy), health and human services, the library and for the construction of a parking garage at Union Station.

Pat Burns, the city Comptroller and a report from the Finance Committee both offered grim pictures for the next fiscal year, but the full details will not be known for a few more weeks.  The City Council also passed the first step of an ordinance to exempt livery vehicles who operate under contract from the state.  This would not apply to "for-hire" livery vehicles like taxis and limousines.  Rather it would apply to buses and vans used by private groups to shuttle people to and from events, for example.  The bill moved to the committee on ordinances where further discussion is expected.

Councilor John Lysak (WMassP&I)

Ward 8 Councilor John Lysak also offered a resolves calling on the Massachusetts to establish a provision in the state's property tax laws to enable to the city to collect a different (read higher) rate on dwellings with four or more units.  Lysak's reasons for the measure would be to relieve some of the upward pressure on business property tax rates.  Lysak also notes that it seems ridiculous that multiple family dwellings are taxed lower residential rates while businesses, also investments pay a higher rate.  He justified the higher rate on the thinking that multiple family dwellings also consume more city services than single family residences.  

The resolution drew opposition from some councilors and the Sears family, notable political Illuminati and owners of Sears Real Estate.  The measure was referred to committee, which is itself a somewhat absurd notion since resolves carry little if any weight.  However, Lysak was resigned to the resolve's fate and stated that he was merely looking to start a conversation.  Among the more bizarre aspects of this situation is that Lysak, allegedly the Council's only known Republican, is pushing for higher taxes, sorta.  However, it has also been stated by council insiders that Lysak is, despite his party identification, is to the left of other councilors confirmed to be Democrats.

The earlier matter to transfer funding in the Audit Department came about after the acting head of that department explained that money for salaries in her department were being used to office supplies.  The transfer was quite simple, but the money came from salary positions that went unfilled.  Indeed, the acting director described herself as the only employee in the Audit Department.  While much of the council seemed nonplussed by this fact, others expressed some concern that the part of the city charged with ensuring the city is spending its money responsible has less than a skeleton crew.

The other detail that raised some flags occurred during a discussion started after Ward 7 Councilor Tim Allen suggested that the Council listen a to a report of the finance committee before taking financial measures out of order in the agenda.  By taking these measures out of order, the council often spent a great deal of time asking questions of officials that would be answered in the report.  At-large Councilor Kateri Walsh correctly noted that Allen could always object and force the agenda be maintained (unanimous consent is needed to go out of order).  At-large Councilor Tim Rooke, the chair of the Finance Committee then offered his report on finances.

(WMassP&I)

What was notable about that report was its suggestion to Allen or any interested party that one attend the budget hearings held before Mayor Domenic Sarno will present his budget.  Allen and others were more interested in budget hearings with department heads rather than just finance officials.  Except, those hearings have not yet happened.  The mayors office confirmed with WMassP&I that none had happened and that none were scheduled.  Thomas Walsh, the mayor's communication director, did intimate that they would happen, but not when.  However, it has been noted that at this time last year the budget meetings had already begun and the mayor will need to present his budget by mid-May at the latest.

There is a rising concern among councilors, or at least ones given to deep contemplation of city business, that the mayor's office may limit these budget hearings.  It is at these meetings that some of the most meaningful budget changes occur in contrast to the often blunter and less surgical cuts the council makes while approving the budget.  Combined with the administration's dire warnings about the FY2013 budget, this may suggest an effort on the part of the mayor to rush the budget and force the council to either unwillingly or blithely accept a budget that may endanger the city's solvency and rainy day funds.

Take My Council, Please: Financial Cobwebs...

(WMassP&I)

Under normal circumstances, Monday's meeting of the Springfield City Council would have been a quick one.  There were few controversial items and councilors seemed in agreement about the diciest issues before them.  Rather, since the council had not met since January, a huge amount of dust piled up that needed sweeping.  There were questions about why some expenses magically appeared, but for the most they, and of course a cascade of grants, passed with little complaint.  If there was any passionate moments, it came as the Council passed a home rule petition to change MCAS testing dates in Springfield.

The city financial team told the council that the city's budget is in flux and will require some repair throughout the rest of the year.  Among the measures were additional funds transferred from the last budget's surplus to fund turnover in the city's vehicle fleet, the fire department, the assessors department, veterans affairs, and the election commission.  While the capital budget transfers faced some questions from Ward 2 Councilor Mike Fenton, the others were accepted with minimal complaint.  

Councilor Fenton
(Facebook)

The fire department deficit came from an overestimation of retirements and exhaustion of the overtime budget after the October snowstorm.  Leann Pasquini, the city's budget director, said she did expect some amount of that to be recouped from FEMA, however.  The Fire Department's staffing has been a concern for some time, however it has continued to perform, by any measure, very well including a recent year with no fire-related deaths.  Staffing is down to 220 sworn firefighters from 390 in the 1990's.

Other funding transfers included an upfront payment to step-up assessments for next year's tax rate setting and an increase in demands for veteran's benefits.  Veterans Services Commission Thomas Beltan explained that since the city turns away no veterans that request assistance, the added transfer was simply a function of increased need.  The city will received 75% reimbursement from the state in the next fiscal year.  Finally, Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola requested additional funding from the council to pay for the March 6th Presidential Primary.  She said it was an oversight on her part that led to that primary's exclusion from her budget in June.

The council also accepted grants for the Library and Fire Departments.  Helen Caulton-Harris secured another haul for Health and Human Services of over $75,000.  Community Development accepted a grant from the state to design a parking garage for the Court Square Hotel.  The council sent to committee grants from Comcast received as part of a settlement with the city.

Not for Entertainment Purposes...

Mayor Domenic Sarno (WMassP&I)

Under any circumstances it cannot be said often enough that we do not believe that Domenic Sarno has anything but the best of intentions for the City of Springfield.  We have often disagreed with his policies, but when we endorsed his opponent last November, our position was not a personal one.  Nor did we think that Sarno lacked the dedication, conviction or affection necessary to govern our city.  We simply felt it was time for a change.  The voters disagreed and, frankly we were always far more disgusted with their lethargy and absence at the polls than the decisions they made there.  Our faith in Sarno's dedication to Springfield remains intact.

However, the mayor's decision this week to impose new rules on the cessation of entertainment as food and beverage establishments in the city is misguided, hurried, counterproductive and doomed to achieve none of its goals while inviting further problems for the city.

Under his authority under the General Laws of Massachusetts, Sarno has promulgated new rules requiring a separate application to maintain entertainment until 2 a.m. in restaurants and bars.  Once these rules take effect, entertainment must cease at 1 a.m. unless the permit for the additional hour is approved.  Assistant City Solicitor Alesia Days recommended the proposal over the fierce objection of bar owners in the interests of public safety.  The theory is that earlier cessation of entertainment will effectively close the bars earlier, even though they may continue to serve liquor until the statutory closing time of 2 a.m. unless otherwise prohibited by their liquor license.

However, it is our view that this process was flawed from the beginning and represents a desperate attempt to contain a very real problem, but via a means that will in fact not correct that problem.  Instead it will inflict economic harm to the city's entertainment district and to its property and meals tax base while providing no more safety and security to bar patrons and Springfield Police Officers.

The risks to the city fall into two broad categories.  The first is the risk of legal action.  While bar owners are not prepared to file suit, yet (there has to be an injury, that is denial of a permit first), the city's case for promulgating these rules may not stand up to scrutiny.  The mayor's cited his authority to protect public safety and order and limit nuisances under M.G.L. 181 & 183A to create this new rule.  However, the connection between this proposal and the reasons stated, that violence is happening at closing time is defeated by the logical conclusion that violence will merely happen an hour earlier.  It is circular reasoning that we will reduce violence by pushing back the effective closing time or limiting the time people will be imbibing because it assumes that people will not start drinking any earlier or will not "pre-game" a bit more before going out.

New Government, Old Faces...

The Mayor's Procession Line (WMassP&I)

In a tasteful, but crowded ceremony at City Hall, Springfield swore in its City Council and its Mayor Domenic Sarno for another term.  Sarno will be serving the city's first four year term following enactment of a ballot question in 2009 that extended the mayor's term.  The School Committee is on a different election calendar and therefore members of that body neither faced the voters last November nor needed to be sworn in.

Typically, the city's inaugurations are held in Symphony Hall, however the city still put on a show which included typical guests like Cong. Richard Neal and speakers on behalf of the Massachusetts Senate and House.  State Senator James Welch and Representative Angelo Puppolo spoke on behalf of their respective bodies.

Also in attendance were Sheriff Michael Ashe and District Attorney Mark Mastroianni.

The invocation was provided by Our Lady of Mount Carmel's pastor, Robert White while City Clerk Wayman Lee administered the oath of office to the council.

Cong. Neal in December, 2011 (WMassP&I)

Congressman Richard Neal offered words of support on behalf of the United States House of Representatives.  He waxed somewhat nostalgic about his own service as mayor of the city and as a councilor remarking that he had taken office in that same chamber some thirty-four years ago.  Neal also emphasized the continuity between the council and the public service careers that began as members of that body.

Welch, in his first speech before Springfield's organizational meeting as one of the city's state senators, offered an anecdote about how his mother told him to say "hi" to mayor Sarno as evidence of the mayor's personable demeanor and its benefit to the city.  He also insisted the area have no more storms.  The legendary weather events that plagued the Springfield area played a prominent role throughout the ceremony.

Puppolo, by contrast, offered more direct praise to Sarno, a former colleague of his.  When Puppolo resigned from the council in 2007, Sarno was still a councilor.  Puppolo conveyed his sense that Sarno had the respect and confidence of both governor Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo following the June tornado and October blizzard.

Sarno w/ Judge Mary Hurley (WMassP&I)

Former Mayor and current Chicopee District Court judge Mary Hurley administered the oath of office to Mayor Domenic Sarno along with City Clerk Lee.

In his remarks before the audience, Sarno struck a notably humble tone, noting that the decision by residents to enact a four year term for the mayor was made for a reason.  Specifically, he said that residents were likely looking for more vision and a capacity to limit the short-term impact of politics upon the mayor's office.  

The Year in Springfield, 2011...

(WMassP&I)

With another year under Springfield’s belt comes another edition of the Year in Springfield.  In its 375th year of existence the City of Homes suffered through one of the most erratic year of weather on record which brought a range of immense destruction and gross inconvenience.  Politically, it was also a tumultuous time from Springfield City Hall to Beacon Hill to the steps of Harvard University.

The year 2011 opened in Springfield with an eye, as in other places, to Washington, where a cadre of increasingly nihilistic “citizens” took their place in Congress and in state capitals across the nation.  While the boat rocked in Massachusetts with a shrunken, but still massive Democratic edge in the State House, Governor Deval Patrick took the oath of office once more. 

However, America was rocked only eight days into January when Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, by quite literally a madman.  Early accusations pointed to tea party extremism, but ultimately mental disease and not right-wing anarchy drove the young man to shoot Giffords and twelve others while murdering six.  Gifford suffered a traumatic shot to the head, be saved by the quick thinking of her intern of five days.

Cong. Gifford w/ her Mother weeks

after the shooting (PK Weis via Facebook)

President Barack Obama, given his first significant opportunity to play the healer-in-chief gave a stirring speech at a memorial service attended by Arizona’s Senators, its governor with Obama has frequently clashed, Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who oversees the Ninth Circuit within which the slain judge, John Roll, served.

The event took on somewhat of a local relevance when Congressman Richard Neal held a press conference after the shooting noting that he had known Giffords and had raised money for her ahead of what had been a difficult reelection in 2010.  However, he also urged that parties take down a notch the vitriol and anger that had become pervasive in politics whether Loughner was driven by politics or not.

Also in January Amaad Rivera took office as the Ward 6 Councilor following the resignation of Keith Wright.  He took office because the city’s succession law is only written with only at-large councilors in mind and fills vacancies with runners-up.  Technically, Rivera was a runner-up even though he lost the 2009 election.  The chorus of dissent included this blog and came to a head on a vote for eminent domain as part of Forest Park Middle School renovations.  Rivera invoked Rule 20, the council’s parliamentary motion to delay the project to the shock of other councilors.  While we would settle our differences with Rivera, many remained incensed over the use of Rule 20, ironically including some who would encounter similar anger over its usage.

Councilor Amaad Rivera (WMassP&I)

However, the focus on Rivera would lessen as he became one of a super-majority of councilors that opposed a wood-burning biomass plant.  The special permit had been granted in 2008 by the last council on a 7-2 vote.  All ward councilors and two at-large councilors, including Jose Tosado who voted for the permit in 2008.  The Callahan Family, owners of Palmer Renewable Energy and like-named paving company poured money into experts who dismissed, often condescendingly, the health concerns raised by opponents.  Against the din of protests and threats of legal action the council revoked PRE’s permit on a 10-2 vote.

WANTED: Economic Development...Director, too...

From Left, Kevin Kennedy, Mayor Sarno, Cong. Neal
(WMassP&I)

Today was a busy day for Springfield political news.  The Springfield City Council held its last meeting of 2011 and with that the last meeting of the 2010-2011 council.  However in the morning Mayor Domenic Sarno and Congressman Richard Neal held a press conference to make an economic development announcement.

Since the departure of John Judge earlier this year, the city had been without a director for Economic Development.  Chris Moskal had been serving in that role on an interim basis.  However, today a permanent replacement was named.

Longtime Neal staffer, Kevin Kennedy, was selected to head Springfield’s Economic Development team.  Sarno, in making the appointment, also announced that Moskal would be named the executive director of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority.  He praised  Kennedy as somebody who will “get the deal done” in terms of economic development in the city whether the project is large or small.

Cong. Neal w/ Mayor Sarno (WMassP&I)

Neal spoke very highly of Kennedy noting that the Springfield resident had been a staffer of his for 26 years.  Kennedy has worked with Neal since the congressman had been the city’s mayor and played roles in development projects of the 1980’s like Monarch Place.  Neal mentioned a letter from Springfield-based US District Court Judge Michael Ponsor praising Kennedy for his efforts in making the new courthouse on State Street a reality.  Kennedy has in recent years been Neal’s Scheduler and a key district aide.

Kennedy’s own remarks reflected a desire to pursue economic development in the city on all levels.  His top two large scale priorities were the implementation of Rebuild Springfield, the city’s post-tornado redevelopment effort and Union Station, a project that has eluded city planners for decades.  However, Kennedy also expressed an interest in smaller projects like CVS’s redevelopment of its Forest Park store and the UniFirst land swap enacted last week.

Speaking to reporters after the formal announcement, Kennedy spoke about the need to building “capacity” at the economic development office.  By capacity, Kennedy explained, the city needs to develop a team that can handle the myriad economic development opportunities across the city.  He is somewhat optimistic about the city’s outlook given the pent-up demand and unique opportunity rebuilding after the tornado offers.  More  bluntly, he described the city as having only one direction to go, impliedly up.

Kevin Kennedy at center (WMassP&I)

Asked about the prospect of a casino in Springfield, Kennedy offered perhaps the most cautious words of any city official so far.  While he said the city should pursue a casino project, he warned that it should not become a citadel.  If it became that, “it won’t be a long-term benefit.”  He offered Towersquare as a parallel, which, when built in 1973 as Bay State West, “sucked all the businesses” out of downtown, only to collapse as a retail venue itself.  The proposed casino on Page Boulevard could become such a “citadel.”  He suggested downtown as a better location for a casino where it could be integrated with the MassMutual Center and other downtown amenities.

Because Union Station has been an elusive goal of Neal’s both as mayor and a member of the House of Representatives, Kennedy was also asked about that project.  Construction is set to begin within the year, but it has been a torturous path.  Kennedy emphasized that projects like Union Station have to be practical.  The current plan calls for office space principally for the transit agencies set to serve it along with traveler oriented retail.  Prior plans were far more ambitious, perhaps unrealistic.

However, many of the projects Kennedy has worked on and will work on were public endeavors.  For Springfield to succeed, Kennedy explained, private business will need to step up to the plate.

Election Detritus 2011: PAST DUE...

Mayor Sarno (VoteSarno.com)

Anybody watching the elections play out in Springfield and the neighboring towns should not really be surprised what transpired.  Mayor eating that may end the latter's political career and won the city's first four-year mayoral term.  On the other hand, Bud Williams, who was only slightly less bludgeoned by Sarno in 2009 rose from the political dead, Albano ghosts and all, to return the Springfield City Council.  Elsewhere, Holyoke put its future in the hands of an ambitious, recent college graduate.  Ohio spiked the conservative agenda into the face of their conservative governor and Mississippi decided it liked birth control more than it hated abortion.

Locally the results of the Springfield election were really not all that surprising.  All of the incumbents running for the same office won, a feat made easier for the six ward councilors who faced no tangible opposition.  John Lysak dispatched Orland Ramos once again, in a campaign littered with complaints over Lysak's campaign expenditures and rumors Ramos was behind personal attacks on Lysak based on the breakup of the latter's marriage.  In the at-large races all four incumbents running for reelection won.  Bud Williams, whose tenure on the council is distinguished by the very fact that it happened, regained a seat among the at-large seats.

Ward 6 Councilor Amaad Rivera who opted to run at-large failed to crack into the top five falling behind Justin Hurst a scion of the city's arguably most notable black political family.  Meanwhile Kenneth Shea cruised into Rivera's seat facing no opposition.

Mayor Domenic Sarno trounced City Council President Jose Tosado winning nearly all of the city's precincts, including several predominantly minority ones.  While arguably the result seemed inevitable after the June tornado and low turnout in minority wards, the fact is that Tosado ended up being an unlikely standard bearer for reform in the city.  A longtime city official with poor campaigning skills, he lacked the charisma that sells in Springfield politics made famous by Cong. Richard Neal and notorious by former Mayor Michael Albano.  Whatever effort to prop up the minority vote failed as Hispanics voted in abysmal numbers in the city (In an anecdotal side note, Puerto Ricans, who make up the overwhelming majority of the city's Hispanic population are thought to be more prone to voter apathy than Hispanics at large).  Meanwhile, the city's blacks and Asians seemed to have little to get excited about in a Tosado candidacy.

Meanwhile Mayor Sarno took the challenge seriously and fully used the power of incumbency to bolster his position even among minority groups.  The result was one where several other candidates for office further down the ballot, like Amaad Rivera, sought to distance themselves from the Tosado campaign.  Ultimately, Tosado's defeat seems somewhat preordained in retrospect.  From the moment Tosado suspended his campaign after the June tornado to the moment Sarno suspended his after the October snowstorm (which was more effective as the mayor had an emergency he could address, unlike Tosado, who as a city councilor could not address the tornado as directly), it now seems like Tosado's effort was futile.

Mr. President? Eek!
(Urban Compass)

The down ballot effect was palpable, too, as the turnout of Sarno's machine was full-bore, even as Tosado's challenge seemed less lethal week by week.  Indeed, that can be only explanation for Councilor Tom Ashe's top of the ticket performance.  Voters may have mistaken him for Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe, who is practically a demigod in Valley politics.  Before the September Primary, Tim Rooke seemed destined for the top spot, but he grabbed the silver with Kateri Walsh getting the bronze.  Ferrera, who seems set to take over the Council Presidency, got fourth beating out his friend Bud Williams, who got fifth.

If there was one outright tragedy of this election, it was the total lack of any meaningful campaign for City Council.  Without passing judgment on the results themselves, there was little if any effort on the part of candidates to actually say what they had to offer the city and why they were running.  Other than vapid statements from candidates assuring they loved the city, a declaration that in itself is as meaningful as declaring one's love for a Kit-Kat Bar, there was nothing that illuminated why anybody was running for the council.  Some candidates tried to offer a more substantive explanation, but they overwhelmingly ended up in the losers pile and even their efforts failed to sharpen the meaning of their races at times.

Mayor-elect Alex Morse

(© RD Photography 2011)

Elsewhere in the Valley, the most notable race was the mayor election in Holyoke where Alex Morse, a 22 year-old Brown graduate beat freshman mayor Elaine Pluta.  Although it seems impossible to diagnose Morse's victory as anything less than the terrific ground game organized by Morse's campaign, in addition to the candidate's fluency in Spanish, there were other factors in play.  Morse had the backing of the Victory Fund, a fund raising group that supports gay candidates, which Morse was.  Additionally, David Cicilline, a Rhode Island congressman for whom Morse intenered when Cicilline was Providence's mayor, held at least one fund raiser for Morse.  That financial backbone, coupled with a campaign that observers say was a campaign better run than Pluta's, led to Morse victory.

Councilor Ayanna
Pressley (Facebook)

In Boston, Ayanna Pressley, who squeaked onto the Boston City Council in 2009 as one of its at-large members topped the at-large field this year as voters returned all incumbents running at-large.  Michael Flaherty, who ran against Mayor Tom Menino in 2009 attempted to get back on the council to set up for a 2013 mayoral run, but was denied.  Pressley's victory is attributed not only to support from political luminaries from John Kerry, for whom she once worked, and a fear that the Boston City Council could go without a female member, but her own tenacity and political savvy.  She forged an alliance with another at-large Councilor John Connolly and the two barnstormed across the city together.  It also gave her invaluable support in West Roxbury, where Connolly lives and which is treasure drove of reliable voters among the immigrant and student-heavy population.  After her victory, prognosticators began talking about her future prospects, but absent a Menino decision to not run in 2013 (his machine backed her toward the end of the campaign) mayor of Boston is unlikely to be one for now.

Across the country, Ohio voters shot down a bill designed to strip collective bargaining rights for virtually all public employees in the state.  The measure was defeated with 61% to 39% voting in favor of repeal.  Gov. John Kasich, following the vote, conceded defeat in a rambling and visibly humble speech.  The win was seen as a major victory for labor, even it essentially maintained the status quo as opposed to gaining any ground.  A loss would have dealt possibly irreversible damage to labor in the Midwest and possibly nationwide.  Instead, it set the stage to embolden efforts in Wisconsin to recall Scott Walker and strengthen Democrats' position in Ohio next year.

In Maine voters restored a forty year-old law that allowed same day voter registration after an opportunistic Republican majority repealed it.  And in Mississippi, a state as blood-red and conservative as it can possibly be, voters dealt a double-digit rebuke to an attempt to define a person as at the beginning of conception.  The measure had been assumed destined to pass given the strength of the pro-life movement in the state, but voters appeared as troubled by the idea as losing access to birth control and questioning ever miscarriage as the fact of abortion.  Another underlying thought has been that Mississippians, who are the nation's poorest citizens as a whole, were upset at being troubled with an arguably ridiculous measure when jobs are people's number one concern.

Mayoral and Debated Analysis...

Tuesday night's debate at American International College among School Committeewoman Antonette Pepe, Mayor Domenic Sarno and City Council President Jose Tosado would be the last time that three mayoral candidates would appear on the same stage together.  On Tuesday, the voters of Springfield, or at least the ones that show up, will select two candidates that will advance to the general election in November.

Because all of the candidates, but especially the challengers, knew that they may not be up on that stage again, all took the steps necessary to try to make their final case to the voters.  Both Tosado and Pepe, as challengers, hammered the mayor for perceived failures.  Tosado stuck to charges that the mayor left the council out and failed on issues of policing.  Pepe spoke heavily to school issues, but also more pointedly attacked the insider culture at City Hall.  Sarno, meanwhile, parried the attacks (mostly) calmly and by highlighting some city accomplishments.

The debate itself consisted of questions from reporters and the candidates themselves and was moderated by Walter Kroll, the President of the McKnightr Neighborhood Council, which sponsored the event.

Take My Council, Please: Transfer Me the Money...

(WMassP&I)

The jockeying to preserve the city's reserve fund reached a critical vote yesterday leaving the confrontation between the mayor and the council at a standstill.  The items in question that reflected the mayor's policies took up precious little on the council's agenda, which as per usual was loaded largely with the typical minutiae of approving grants and funds for specific projects.  Additionally, there was movement on new revenue measures taken against tax delinquents and other housekeeping.

The Library Department was formally given money from grants for literacy, technology and education programs.  Health and Human Services accepted money for gyms at schools throughout the money to provide free fitness to city children.  Other grants went to the police department, elder affairs, and the fire department.  Moneys were also accepted from donors to repair a playground destroyed by the tornado.

However, the real action that night was in facing the mayor's proposal to transfer $8.9 million from the city's reserve account to the general budget.  Approximately $7.6 million is necessary to cover the city's remaining budget hole, leaving the council wondering why the discrepancy.  They were treated to the reason in the mayor's supplemental budget, which would essentially reverse much of the more than $2 million in cuts the council made in June.  Those cuts were decried by the mayor then.

In a finance subcommittee meeting, some departments hit particularly hard by the cuts appeared to be gaining leverage with the council, but certainly not enough to equal the $1.3 million the mayor wanted restored.  The largest cut was an indiscrimate removal of 5% from the city's Other Than Personnel Services line items.  It could have affected a whole host of city services from terrace cutting to gasoline for city vehicles, but fundamentally how those cuts were expressed was ultimately at the discretion of the mayor and his department heads.

Another Term, Double the Time...

Mayor Sarno greets Supporters in Springfield (WMassP&I)

Last night at St. Anthony's Maronite Church on Island Pond Road, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno kicked off his reelection campaign for a third term as the city's mayor.  While the mayor's incumbency had long been seen as among his strengths going into this election, the June 1st tornado that devastated parts of the city gave the mayor a boost and even sidelined, temporarily, the campaign of his first announced opponent, City Council President Jose Tosado.

It was noted during the speeches that Sarno had announced his campaign for mayor four years ago at the same event hall in the City's East Forest Park section.  The choice of venue took on a more poignant meaning set against the backdrop of the devastation of the tornado that ripped through the neighborhood meters away from the church.  Massive expanses of night sky, once obscured by a near-forest of trees, hung naked and exposed above the church and parking lot.

Inside, however, several speakers extolled Sarno's virtues to a crowd of about 300.  Among those in attendance were city council candidates Bruce Adams and Justin Hurst; former councilor Bill Foley; Ward 5 Councilor Clodo Concepcion; state reps Angelo Puppolo and Cheryle Coakley-Rivera; state senator Gale Candaras,;New England Farm Workers Council head Heriberto Flores; former school committeewoman Marjorie Hurst; Springfield College President Richard Flynn and other Springfield Illuminati.

Intersection of Andrew & Wilmont...

City Council Chamber before meeting (WMassP&I)

Days after at-large Councilor Jimmy Ferrera offered his cynically and politically worded resolve before the Springfield City Council and Ward 3 Council Melvin Edwards slapped him down with a rhetorical stroke that summoned a cheer from the audience, irony struck.  In the period of less than a week, the city clocked in two homicides in as many days bringing a deadly total for the summer and pushing the city perilous close to a recent high in annual homicides.  Troubling still is that both victims, appear, according to press accounts, to be innocent bystanders.

Jonathon Tallaj was killed on Wilmont Street in the city's Forest Park neighborhood, a street that has had a particularly troubled history over the years.  Meanwhile not far away Kevin Gomez was murdered at a party on the one year anniversary of the murder of Cathedral student Conor Reynolds.  Another youth died from a gunshot wound on Washington Street this summer.  The murders frame, to some extent the roughest parts of Forest Park, vaguely defined by Belmont and Dickinson to the West, White Street to the East, Orange Street to the North and either Washington or Fountain Street to the South.

The city's other recent homicide victim, Carmen Melendez, 16, was killed on Andrew and State street seemingly the victim of a stray bullet.  She died near where the all too ironically named Sheldon Innocent was murdered by an escaped convict whose rampage included other victims, including cops, that survived their injuries.  All but three of the fifteen victims this year, have been under 40 and most were under 30.

Councilor Ferrera (Urban Compass)

It would seem that after the most recent barrage of gunfire that Ferrera was right and that more overtime and more money is automatically the answer.  The police need to get tougher and offer a display of force, some may say.  Such decisions can certainly be made after the council returns from its huddle with the mayor and police commissioner, the only tangible demand left credible from Ferrera's resolve after Edwards slapped his colleague down.

If the council, the mayor and Commission William Fitchet divine any insight from such a meeting, if it ever happens, we should hope knee-jerk reactions or the throwing money is not the result.  The answer to the city's crime problem will not, in itself, be more cops on the street or more overtime available to the police department.  It will not be more gunshot detection technology or cameras downtown alone.  The problems are simply to complicated to be solved with such glib answers.

As Edwards somewhat wryly put it last week, he could kill his wife in the privacy of his own home regardless of the number of cops on the street.  Likewise, is there anything that more police would have done to prevent the most recent back to back killings?  It is possible that were more police on the street or riding in a patrol car, their mere presence might have stopped the perpetrators from pulling the trigger.  However, that may have only delayed the bullets by minutes and different victims may or may not have been come to be.  As for the victims with known histories of drugs or violence, if their killers were determined not even the best policing the world could stop them.

The Great Experiment: From the Council's Mouth...to Mayor's Ear...

(WMassP&I)

Today we debut a new series, "The Great Experiment," a look at the transition that has begun at City Hall since the switch to Ward Representation in the City of Springfield.  In the coming weeks and months, it is our goal to investigate the changes that have occurred within the City Council and city government as a result of the somewhat dramatic change in municipal government.  That investigation will look into how councils work in Springfield's peer cities throughout New England as well.

For today, however, we are staying closer to home.  The City Council Finance Committee met today to discuss the remaining items on the budget that needed passage.  Specifically, there were questions about raising the city's hotel tax, increasing the demand fee charged to late and delinquent taxpayers and furloughs.  On top of that were questions about how much money from reserves would be used to cover the remaining gap in the budget.  The council's reasons for cutting $2.7 million from the budget was to limit the use of those reserves.

Councilor Walsh (Facebook)

Some councilors expected to walk into today's hearing, held in a sweltering council conference room, and find an impasse with Mayor Domenic Sarno over reconsideration of the furloughs enacted by his administration.  At-large councilor Kateri Walsh had put forward a proposal not long after the mayor announced furloughs, that would reduce the number of furlough days for lower paid city employees, mitigating the financial impact on their pay.  While the council did not exactly rally behind her proposal, there was concern among councilors that the lowest paid city employees were sharing a disproportionate level of the furlough's impact.

Instead, however, the city Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, Lee Erdmann told the council that the mayor had accepted the premise of the "tiered" furlough.  Erdmann presented a proposal that would reduce the financial benefit of the furloughs to the tune of $250,000.  Still, the furloughs would be redistributed more equitably.  Councilors in attendance, which included at-large Councilor Tim Rooke, Ward 2 Councilor and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Fenton, Ward 6 Councilor Amaad Rivera and Ward 7 Councilor Tim Allen, received the mayor's proposal positively and were grateful for his decision to respond to their concerns.

Elsewhere, the council discussed raising the so-called demand fee charged to late or delinquent tax for the "demand" letter that politely reminds taxpayers they are either late or dirty rotten scoundrels.  This fee would rise to $12.50 from $5.00.  Councilors discussed the possibility of raising the fee more in order to eliminate the processing fee the city now charges taxpayers who pay their taxes with a credit card.  There were legal questions raised by City Solicitor Ed Pikula, but councilors promised to study it further.

Rebuilding from Tornado More Interesting than Sen. Brown...

The Crowd (mostly reporters) in Six Corners (WMassP&I)

Today in Springfield a mob of reporters, a few politicians and aides toured the Six Corners neighborhood of the city.  It was one month ago today that a tornado touched down in Westfield and scarred the Massachusetts landscape from the Whip City to Brimfield, including the largely poor blocks along Central and Hancock Streets in Springfield.

Senator Scott Brown took another tour of the tornado ravaged section of the city.  According to Brown, this particular expedition had been planned for next week, but when Harry Reid canceled the Senate’s Fourth of July recess, it got bumped to today.  However, the walk around Hancock, Spruce, Beech and Central streets was surprisingly unimpressive, or more accurately the fact of the walk-around itself was unimpressive.  A great deal of damage remains, blue and dark green tarps cap many homes and debris still clutters sidewalks and yards.  However, there are signs reconstruction is well underway.

Indeed, although those recovery efforts were somewhat few, they were the highlight of the tour.  The gaggle migrating through the streets, with reporters breaking off to get the same shot—Brown and Mayor Domenic Sarno chatting—seemed more like an intrusion than a help to the quiet, if ravaged neighborhood.

Sarno, Brown and Antonette Pepe on Spruce St (WMassP&I)

While Sarno was undoubtedly and dutifully informing Brown about recovery efforts in the city, their conversation or what could be heard while trying to keep pace, seemed somewhat boilerplate.  The tone and tenor of the discussion could just as easily have taken place with Brown sitting in his office.  Some reporters noted—off camera and out of earshot of the Senator—that Brown acknowledged residents and workers, which Sarno ebulliently greeted, with an unenthused royal wave.  Brown did not even stop to greet the man in a garage off Central Street who praised him.

Elsewhere, work crews patched up houses even as the crumbled remains of others settled further into the earth.  New housing stricken by the tornado was sheathed in green material and being repaired.  Several families sat on their stoops watching their children play.  Cars slowed partly out of curiosity of the mob’s purpose or because the road was obstructed by the tide of human masses as a cop tried to wave the traffic around.

Sen. Brown and Mayor Sarno (WMassP&I)

When the gaggle reconnoitered at the Elias Brookings School, Brown and Sarno gave some remarks.  Just before the mini-Q&A started, one reporter opted to wire Brown, rather than kill their arm’s circulation and hold out a microphone.  Initially, Brown’s mic was about mid shirt, but he fiddled with it, and the mic seemed to snag one of his buttons.  Brown turned around to adjust the mic (and his shirt apparently) as another reporter made a remark about Brown taking his shirt off.  A different reporter (your Editor-in-Chief) blurted out, “This ain’t Cosmo!” which roused a brief roar of laughter.

Take My Council, Please: Fiscal Discilpline, 30 Years Overdue and Still Fresh...

(WMassP&I)

Tonight a somewhat strange thing happened at 36 Court Street.  The City Council fulfilled one of its legal obligations and actually did so by substantial majorities.  Through relatively few votes, the Springfield City Council cut more than $2.8 million dollars from the budget the mayor filed with the city last month.  Among the council's chief concerns, articulated by City Council President Jose Tosado and Ward 2 Councilor and Finance Committee Chair Mike Fenton, were the significant use of stabilization funds to plug the city's yawning budget gap.  That chasm was created through rising personnel costs, weak tax revenue and yet another cut to local aid from Beacon Hill.

Even with the cuts, the city will ultimately rely on roughly $7.5 million in stabilization reserves and another $5 million from an overlay account administered by the Assessors' Department.  Additionally, the city risks losing additional property tax revenue from damaged homes and businesses caught in the June 1st tornado.  Still, with next year's budget looking even more gruesome than this year's (and it will be paired with union negotiations with virtually all city bargaining units), keeping stabilization revenue intact is essential.

Tosado made some comments early on encouraging fiscal discipline only a year after he had refused to lift a finger to support cuts last year.  Still, the council president, perhaps knowing his mayoral aspirations remain dimmed by the tornado no doubt used the opportunity to jab the mayor, yet still doing what was right.

Councilor Tosado (Facebook)

Councilors kicked off the budget session with a vote to eliminate funding for vacant positions within the budget.  Although the mayor protested and even trotted out Police Commissioner Bill Fitchet to support funding for heretofore unfilled dispatch positions, the council rejected the entreaties and eliminated the positions.  Ward 5 Councilor Clodo Concepcion, who would become among the most reliable votes for the mayor's budget as is, attempted to play to councilors' political fear of cutting from public safety.  However, the council eliminated the unfilled positions.  At large councilors Jimmy Ferrera and Tom Ashe joined Concepcion in opposing the cuts.

Next the council proposed a broad cut of 5% to "other than personnel services" across city departments.  These items could be anything from support services to office supplies, basically anything that is not on payroll.  This cut elicited some minor protest for the mayor, but, representing more than a million and a half dollars all by itself, it passed the council easily 11-2. It made up the lion's share of other the budget reductions.  Ferrera and Concepcion dissented.

Ward 6 Councilor Amaad Rivera made an appeal to cut overtime budgets (which would largely come from police, fire and DPW) to save the jobs of eleven or so employees in the budget.  However, the political sensitivities could not be extended that far.  That cut failed 2-11, Rivera and Ward 3 Councilor Melvin Edwards casting the two yes votes.

Councilor Fenton (Facebook)

Whole swaths of the budget were cycled through without so much as a peep from councilors.  Ultimately proposals for cuts of $100,000 were proposed for Information Technology and Finance each, which will likely result in a handful of job losses.  Concepcion, Ashe and Ferrera were the three noes on the finance cuts.  Cuts to IT were much closer on a 7-6 vote.  Tosado, Fenton, and Ashe joined Ward 8 Councilor John Lysak, Ward 7 Councilor Tim Allen, Ward 1 Councilor Zaida Luna and Ward 4 Councilor E. Henry Twiggs to make those cuts.

Later on, Citistat, an office intended to find efficiencies in city government was all, but gutted by the council.  Although Citistat has made considerable progress for the city, it has been accused of hyping minor fiscal victories for the political benefit of city officials.  It died an ignominious death on a 10-3 vote, Rivera, Concepcion and Ferrera casting the votes to spare the office.

Take My Council, Please: REVOKED!...

(WMassP&I)

After all of the drama, all the testimony, all the passion, the Springfield City Council voted this evening to deny a permit for a used car dealership on Newhouse Street in the City’s Outer Belt Neighborhood.  Yes, the tension and the anxiety over what may be among the council’s most important votes this year gave way as councilors accepted the concerns of neighbors about the impact the dealership would have.

No, there really was a vote on a car dealership, but it by far overshadowed by the vote of the city council to revoke the permit for Palmer Renewable Energy’s proposed biomass plant on Cadwell Drive and Page Boulevard just off I-291.  Although the chamber was not as packed as it was for last week’s testimony phase, there was a significant showing of plant opponents and a few supporters, mostly craft union members.

Councilor Fenton (Facebook)

Ward 2 Councilor Mike Fenton read into the record a report from City Solicitor Ed Pikula which said that the council had sufficient evidence upon which it could base its decision to revoke the permit.  The City Solicitor stated the changes from the original project may deviate from the permit, could have a profound impact on the neighborhood, environment and public health and may justify the council’s revocation.


Ward 4 Councilor E. Henry Twiggs announced his support for revocation in remarks which outlined the council’s role as a regulatory body.  In that spirit, Twiggs noted that he resisted efforts to broadcast his position.  “We are here to be neutral,” Twiggs said explaining that he felt the contradictions and changes to the biomass proposal led him to oppose the plan

Councilor Walsh (Facebook)

At-large Councilor Kateri Walsh opened the debate for those in support of sustaining the permit.  Walsh said that her own research and calls to state environmental officials had led her to conclude that the impact of this project would not be different from the original plans (WMassP&I’s twitter feed misidentified Walsh’s position as saying it was different).  Absent that difference, Walsh said the city council should not revoke the permit and that she would vote likewise.


Ward 6 Councilor Amaad Rivera reminded the council that they were sitting in a regulatory setting and that their job was to make a judgment as to the status of the permit based on the evidence before them.  It was the council’s duty, Rivera argued, to determine whether the current project was different from the project originally approved, but to do so without being swayed by the prospect of job creation alone.


At-large Councilor Tim Rooke took a similar, but more forceful stand than Walsh.  He suggested that there was “no just cause” for the city to revoke the permit.  He also implied that the council was on a “dangerously reckless path” by voting to revoke.  Rooke appeared to argue that the city was acting out of turn.  Although it is rare for the council to so revoke a permit, it has with time practically become a reserve power of the council, in part because of misunderstanding or indifference to the council’s functions.  In that way, Rooke may have missed the mark in his broad admonition to the council.

Councilor Lysak (Official Site)

Undaunted, Ward 8 Councilor John Lysak, whose district include the site of the plant, replied “no amount of money was worth the risk” to to the health and safety of his constituents and others throughout the Springfield area.  Council President Jose Tosado also reminded Rooke of the posture of the council with regard to the permit.  The council was not acting as a legislative body, but a regulatory one, however elected.  Walsh attempted a parliamentary maneuver to get Tosado to step down to speak (which would have yielded her the dais), but he resisted.  After some additional comments from councilors, the vote was taken.


As the vote proceeded, it became increasingly clear where the result would come down.  Some of the biomass supporters could be heard during the meeting muttering that it was over.  Revocation required nine votes, consistent with special permit actions.  At-large councilor Jimmy Ferrera was absent due to a family emergency, but it clear that by the time City Clerk Wayman Lee had made his way to councilor Amaad Rivera, jubilation was pulsing through the crowd.  With the ninth vote cast for revocation (it happened to be Fenton), the crowd burst out in cheers nearly drowning out the recording of Tosado’s vote.


Take My Council, Please: Greenwash Backwash...

(WMassP&I)

Monday's City Council Meeting was a snooze.  After months of meetings, finally the council succeeded in being as boring as the grainy Public Access footage suggested.  However there were a few nuggets worth reporting on, some of which emphasize previous screeds against past councilors.

The main event of the night was expected to be the reconsideration on the Police Oversight Commission.  The ordinance, if passed, would have codified Mayor Domenic Sarno's Review board created by executive order.  It would not have changed Police Commissioner William Fitchet's status as the "civil service" authority charged with doling out discipline.  Still, the oversight board encountered increasing opposition from police organizations, arguably because of its neighborhood caucus provision, which would appoint neighborhood residents from all eight wards.  The old police commission, although also composed of citizens was appointed solely at the discretion of the mayor.

Councilor Twiggs (Facebook)

However, facing the possibility of less, not more votes than last time and a Council Chamber packed with police supporters, ward 4 City Councilor E. Henry Twiggs withdrew the reconsideration.  The procedure of the withdrawal and the Republican story linked below implies that Twiggs could bring the measure up again at a later date.  The Republican did a fairly in-depth story on the withdrawal and consequently we have little more to add.

The public speak out consisted of residents concerned about traffic at SABIS Charter School and new parking bans affecting businesses along State Street near Mason Square.

The council's boilerplate consisted of monetary transfers to pay for snow removal, formal receipt of committee reports and acceptance of numerous grants including a new cache of HHS money.  The quarterly finance report was also presented to the council.  Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee Erdmann told the council he still expects the city to end the fiscal year with a $2 million surplus, one of the lowest in years.  Later on in the meeting Ward 2 Councilor Mike Fenton, also chair of the Finance Committee, presaged the upcoming fight on the budget.  He noted how millions more were spent in this budget, particularly from the stabilization funds, than the budget passed last year originally called for.  Among the items he listed were snow removal, veterans affairs, and changes to busing.  Fenton further urged councilors to consider these as budget season approached.

You Must Concede This Much...

Mayor Domenic Sarno (WMassP&I)

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno held a somber press conference today announcing that he and his staff were close to recommending a balanced budget to the City Council save for one pesky $5.4 million gap.  To plug it, the mayor is seeking concessions  from non-school city employees.

The conference caught some in the media as well as other councilors by surprise.  The release was sent to the media shortly before 2 p.m.  The press conference itself occurred immediately after a meeting among Sarno, his department heads and labor leaders.

Flanked by his finance team and labor relations director, Sarno drew a contrast to the mantra often repeated by Congressional Republicans by announcing that the city has a "revenue problem, not a spending problem."  Calling the fiscal year 2012 budget "the most difficult in recent history," the mayor called attention to the city's tenuous reliance on state aid (which will be cut by 7% from last year's levels) and minimal discretionary budget.  The mayor can only cut from the city side of the budget as the school's budget is restricted under the state laws that fund the city's schools.  Additional obligations such as debt service and contracts are similarly inflexible.

Still Sarno said his budget and finance teams were able to shrink a projected deficit of nearly $50 million through a series of measures, which included extra money from the assessor's overlay account, departmental reductions, attrition, an increase in the city's hotel tax and a hefty withdrawal from the city's reserves.

CAFO Lee Erdmann

The $5.4 million in concessions would come primarily in the form of a 12 day furlough over the next year in addition to a wage freeze.  Most of the affected unions are expecting a pay raise of approximately 2.5% percent next year.  As of the June 30, 2012, the current contracts with unionized city employees expire.  Should unions fail to agree to these concessions, the mayor said as many as 120 layoffs may ensue and city services could be endangered.