03.12.12
Cat damn, a jewel in the crown, slipped into the public domain
by Tom Wolf
For decades the special interests of a select Cohasset group have been covertly served by a succession of elected and appointed officials. These interests include Sandy Cove, Treats Pond and Cat Dam to name a few. It seemed like a good deal for everyone; most citizens either didn’t know what was going on or accepted the trade off.
One-day, control of a jewel in the crown, Cat Dam, slipped inadvertently into the public domain and the cat was out of the bag. The E20 formed, squelched its neighborhood opposition and launched an assault on our highest elected officials, the Board of Selectmen. Just how easily they corrupted and took total control of the selectmen is appalling.
The important thing to understand is that this was a shift from tacit support and to overt, aggressive, take no prisoners warfare. In the process it has become clear this select group never regarded their special care as a consideration, a benefit, or a service. It was always and remains today an entitlement.
Ponying up a substantial war chest, the E20 took the fight to the town and state officials charged with upholding the laws of Cohasset, the Commonwealth and the USA. They hired their own environmental experts and lawyered up. All opposition was crushed; the fight was very public and very ugly.
Others with special interests appeared, sensing both weakness and opportunity. The Water Commission, members of Capital Budget, Advisory, and the Senior Center Committee were now free to act with impunity- and they did. Process, procedure, laws were all trampled upon. The Town Manager Act crumbled under the assault.
Those with personal agenda, vendettas, and pet projects found their path to success wide open. Town Hall became a hostile work environment. Citizens and town employees have real cause to fear retribution for speaking out.
A rising awareness became focused on just how irresponsibly the BoS was conducting the business of all of the citizens in favor of only the interests of a select few. This was a total abdication of its responsibility. The Board is now fully vested in this direction; there is no turning back from their individual and collective failure to represent all of the citizens of Cohasset.
Make no mistake. The sin is not simply the actions of the E20 or others; it is the collapse of any sense of public duty by the selectmen who were elected to represent the interests of all residents and, instead, sold their souls to a few.
It will take time, but the truth will out and justice will prevail. In the meantime the carnage goes on as more and more jackals continue to prowl at the periphery and the appeasement of the voracious appetite for power continues to be not the town’s top priority, but the town’s only priority.
Linda Snowdale Said:
March 12, 2012 at 2:28 PM
Should we consider breaking up the town into sections and have a selectman from each section?
Andrew Willard Said:
March 12, 2012 at 5:29 PM
As a member of the Advisory Committee that you have tossed into the mix, I have to ask: Have I met you? I have been on the committee one year and do not recall being introduced. I ask this because I am not sure how or why we are getting mentioned.
In my year on the committee we have been pushing back on many things. We pushed back and said no on the K-9 unit asking it be better vetted. We were worried about the impact on OT with an officer being gone for 16+ weeks of training. We were right, as was Capital on this issue. We pushed back on the “free” Humvee’s as we are worried about long term cost for “free” trucks that are not integrated into our fleet management program. We pushed with the Senior Center who wanted all sorts of land swaps to make this building happen without a 5/10 year plan on real costs to operate it. This was after pushing back on the inability to our town to afford a multi-million dollar new building.
We have had issue with Town Manager(s) adding head count outside of the budget process (I spoke of this at Special Town Meeting last fall). We have raised issues with several Town Managers now about getting real budget numbers, stop the “add 2.5% and call it a day” budget process. We let Town Manager know our worry about his plan to stop the new accounting software integration in the fall; that it would leave us vulnerable to continued financial issues.
Advisory has raised concerns over the long term debt load we are carrying. We are worried we have no plan to maintain the buildings we own; let alone add more. We have asked that the town manager(s) build a 5, 10, 15 year plan for capital, debt, organization, services, etc.
We have raised concern when items get to town meeting without following the agreed path of Advisory, Capital, BoS. If we do not fully vet spending, we are doomed to fail.
We ask the question: What does the town need vs. what do we want? If we say yes to all of our wants, how high must we raise our taxes to pay for it all?
I will speak only in my role on Advisory. We do not hold meetings outside of the Open Meeting Laws. We do not conduct our business by email or phone. Our meetings are posted and open to the public. Feel free to come and listen.
There are many people hammering the volunteers in the town right now, but let’s not forget, with the Water Commission, one current member won on a write in. Nobody ran for the open position! Why is that?
I look forward to working with all that will be stepping forward to run for office or to serve on a committee in 2012/13. I hope that you are willing to sit, listen, raise questions, offer ideas and help make decisions you feel are best for the town.
Decisions we can afford on the long term.
Tanna K Said:
March 12, 2012 at 6:24 PM
What head count outside the budget process?
Your board of selectmen and your chairman knew all about all of this in November. We all sat at a meeting and listened to it. Your board of selectmen approved it through their vote of silence – the way they usually vote.
Mike Coughlin attempted to put a hold on the new software system for two weeks because the borrowed financial team was trying to crunch the numbers for DOR and his new accountant hadn’t yet arrived. I spoke to Coughlin about that. Did you? Or did you get your news from Peter DeCaprio and the Cap Budget guys?
How much money are we talking about with these10 contracts, the free Humvee, the dog who has enough money to go to college and get his PhD?
How did the town manager get fired one week and the acting town manager discover that we were $350,000 in debt the next? Should we fire the new town accountant and the 2 CPA’s who produced these numbers?
When Selectmen Diane K recently asked Mary Gallagher how we got here she said: “water and sewer.”
Peter DeCaprio spilled all the beans when he told us on our blog that “the new finance department” saw it his way after-all, and he had water debt thrown back on the town so his water RFP could look as good as possible. Are you aware of this?
Is your committee at all worried about the water concession RFP? Does it make your toes curl?
I sure hope so.
I’m upset about the way the chairman of the advisory committee and his friends on capital budget railroaded Mike Coughlin out of town. Two guys who wanted his job, Mike Milanoski and Peter Pescatore were in the front seat of every meeting asking Coughlin, in the midst of a financial crisis, to do “five year plans, 10 year plans and then stand on your head and do a cartwheel” – and they had both applied for his job. I don’t think I will ever forget those meetings, most of which I watched on Selectmen TV with my heart stuck in my throat.
You know what happened here, Andrew Willard, and you watched it happen. If these had been children doing this to other children you would have called the police. Or maybe you would have called the police only if had been your children being punched in the nose week after week.
teepeecreaper Said:
March 12, 2012 at 6:49 PM
Facts. Please. Just the facts!
Is it true that several hundred $$$’s were transferred from the town to the water department and that is the source of our newly uncovered $350,000 +/- deficit? If so, then the problem couldn’t be the employment contracts (for example) could it? Mucking with these contracts will probably cost the town more in legal fees than the contracts themselves when they end up in litigation. Let alone the legal fees and severance that we will soon occur because of our soon to be ex town manager. If somebody was really concerned about the cost to the taxpayers of Cohasset they would probably think twice about what this mess is going to cost.
I for one have no idea what is going on. I know there are some very immature individuals who have degenerated into name calling, insutls and innuendo. When you cannot argue your case based on facts, launch personal attacks your adversaries. Until there are some real facts on the table, I for one will be voting “No!” to every person running for re-election and “No!” to every article at Town Meeting asking me to approve expenditures. It’s time for all of the town simply say, “Enough!”
r..m. campbell Said:
March 12, 2012 at 9:01 PM
I often wonder just how many Cohasset voters pay attention to the fantasies displayed here. They can’t be enhancing the influence of the TTG, even though a few people reveal themselves as in sync. I suspect you are being increasingly marginalized (or ignored) by most voters.
No matter what you imagine, this is not a town populated only by dunces, crooks, self serving idiots etc and you do yourselves no favors by statements that so imply. (Quigley’s letter in the Mariner of March 9 implied that our elected and appointed officials were subverting the public interest, and most citizens contemplating seeking office are likely to be no better. Such emanations may please a few thickheads, but it isn’t how to win friends, influence events, or win office)
If you want to have influence, you need to earn it by responsible journalism, not toss it away by pejorative nonsense. Crusading journalism works best when it is judged as responsible, respectful of the facts, responsible in your criticisms etc
You can’t judge the effectiveness of your journal by listening only to your sycophants, and brushing off criticism
Tanna K Said:
March 12, 2012 at 11:49 PM
You’re fooled if you think I care what you think about anything.
Adele Janssens Said:
March 13, 2012 at 8:06 AM
I agree with you, Murray. Reading this is like reading the National Enquirer. Its manipulates the facts at best (and that’s being polite!). Tom Wolf is an alias for someone whose chief obsession is Cat Dam, with the Water Dept a close second. The blog and the letter to the Mariner are gastly, devisive, incorrect and attention seeking, as most of the these blogs are. If you notice, these bloggers are a small group. Mostly they comment on their own blogs and they are happy in their factually incorrect altered reality.
Mike Coughlin Said:
March 13, 2012 at 8:08 AM
Linda Snowdale makes a good suggestion. As Cohasset studies governance– the precinct system should be studied. In my first town- we had both at large and precinct representation. It ensured all areas of the town were properly represented. In a few weeked, the DOR will hopefully start their Financial Management Review– hopefullly the team will take this idea up.
As to Andrew Willard’s comments, let me correct the record. As to the K-9 unit, I did take into consideration the comments of the Advisory Committee but from my previous communities and as former prosecutor I saw the value. Chairman Ted Carr was notified. I instructed the Chief to prepare a fire year plan and fundraising campaign haas worked better than expected.
During the tour which was part of the interview process, I also went into my intent to acquire at no cost to the town surplus military equipment. This to was done in my other communities. The need for these vehicles in Cohasset was demonstrated during the Christmas storm of 2010. There was also shortage of vehicles during Hurricne Irene. Chief Silvia also told me that some areas of town need such vehicles. This too was briefed to the Chairman.
As to overtime, the issue is not the K-( unit– but the longstanding practice in passing budgets which do not reflect adequate staffing in the police and fire departments. At my direction, both Chiefs prepared detailed overtime plans but only by adding additional personnel will the need to rely on overtime shrink.
As to headcount, all must remember that the current FY 12 budget is not mine but was put together by interim manager Steve Lombard and was vetted by the Advisory Committee then headed by Sam Wakeman. Upon my appointment, Steve admitted that he punted many issues until a permanent manager was selected and the budget did not contain sufficient resources to solve the problems.
Perhaps most important, officials did not truly see the gravity of the financial implosion. This was caused in part by inadequate staffing in our administrative departments. This caused the need to retain expensive consultants to right the financial ship.
And just one comment about Building and Planning– its was one of the most short staffed besides the fact it more than pays for itself in fees. The lack of proper staff impedes appropriate development– key to producing new revenue for the town in the form of new growth. The lack of staffing was penny wise-ound foolish and I am happy town meeting agreed
As to financial softwear– the implementation plan which I inherited — headed up by a member of Capital Budget was doomed to failure. It was trying to force the acceptance of SoftRight without getting buy in from the people using it. I formed an employee committee headed by the Assistant to the Town Manager and the results have been impressive.
We need focus most attention on submitting the balance sheet and setting the tax rate. Most thought this would be impossible but the team at town hall did the impossible improving our standing with DOR. Last year– we did not set the tax rate in time forcing the town to short term borrow. Doing the impossible also cemented the finance team into a cohessive group with the pride and confidence that they did the impossible. In December– I was able to “steal” Mary Gallagher from Scituate to be our finance director– so I am proud of my record.
With respect to the Advisory Committee, I respect their work and have advocated to the Governance Committee that they should grow into a true finance committee where they propose the budget to Town Meeting. Much needs to be done, I hope that I will be allowed to continue my work.
Mike Coughlin
Town Manager
Tanna K Said:
March 13, 2012 at 9:12 AM
My dear Adele,
If you want to have a personal conversation with Murray, give him a call or walk down Cat Damn Lane and have coffee with him. You do not need to use my blog to say hello.
Tom Wolf is hardly an alias. We ran his photo with his blog. You and Tom were both elected to the Republican Town Committee slate on March 6.
r..m. campbell Said:
March 20, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Tanna
Your advice to Adele Janssens seems to invite those who don’t agree with you to get off your blog and air their views elsewhere. What happened to the concept that the modulation of interaction benefits society? Discouragement of dissent is the nasty little brother of suppression of dissent, as the Germans found out between 1928 and 1945.
Of course, its your paper and you can flavor it as you wish. But better it be an undisciplined mosh pit than controlled.
To suggest that one correspondent should not comment on another’s views (apparently unless both adhere to your views) is like favoring inbreeding.
Tanna K Said:
March 28, 2012 at 9:12 AM
It appeared to be a private conversation.
That’s why.
I have private conversations all the time – I don’t blog them.