Archive for Cat Dam
07.27.12
Posted in Cat Dam, Karen Quigley at 12:59 PM by Tanna K
The saga of Cat Dam continues as DEP in a letter dated July 12, 2012 asks Cohasset to “…advise the Department, in writing, as to your intentions to file the required ENF with the MEPA Office…”.
At the July 19 Conservation Commission meeting, Acting Town Manager, Michael Milanoski, presented an “update” which in reality was a request for ConCom to support his recommendation to the Board of Selectmen. That recommendation being that due to the potential cost of threatened litigation from members of the E-20 group and abutters sympathetic to their position, and the monies already expended by the Town on this issue, that the Town take no further action in the matter of Cat Dam.
During the discussion, newly elected Conservation Chair, Jack Creighton, asked the members of the appellate group if they would “compromise by withdrawing their appeal to DEP for a Superceding Order of Conditions.”
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07.25.12
Posted in Cat Dam, Cohasset Selectmen, Tom Wolf at 10:34 AM by Tom Wolf
Once upon a time in our picture perfect little town there were two adjacent salt water ponds, connected at one small point but sharing the tidal nourishment and replenishment of Cape Cod Bay.
A long, long time ago, perhaps a hundred years, some undoubtedly good intentioned residents took it upon themselves to improve on what nature had created by altering the natural tidal cycle of the innermost of the two ponds.
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07.15.12
Posted in Cat Dam, Tom Wolf at 2:47 PM by Tom Wolf
Cohasset selectmen, excepting new member Gjesteby, face a dilemma of their own making. The former jewel of our town common, the Meeting House Pond, is rapidly turning into an eyesore and potential health hazard of major proportions as its stagnant waters close over with green pond scum and other unattractive growth. While our resident gurus ponder a cure, they have shut off the fountain, the last remaining chance for circulation, allegedly due to the high cost of water needed to continually refill the restored, repaired but still leaking attraction.
Their quandary? The pond is a small but much more visible reflection of their past actions regarding that much larger body of similarly stagnant water , Inner Little Harbor . Surrounded by the homes of some of our rich and famous and almost out of public view, most Cohasset residents have heard of the environmental challenges facing Inner Little Harbor but this whole issue has kept a low profile recently… out of sight, etc. However, there’s no hiding the pond and there’s no escaping the parallel between the two; stagnant water yields undesirable results.
But what can the selectmen do? Four of them are totally invested in the notion espoused by the E 20 that minimal water circulation can produce acceptable results; and now here’s Mother Nature demonstrating conclusively where such thinking leads us. They can’t very well turn their backs on their friends and neighbors and possibly only remaining voting block – picture the raised platform behind the selectmen during the televised inquisition of Town Manager Mike Coughlin – but they also can’t ignore the eyesore which confronts us all as we move around our tiny town. Will they fix the pond and continue to argue that stagnant water is OK, if its the right people’s stagnant water? Will they have to ignore our new man made mini-swamp, blaming and throwing under the bus their buddies at the water department, in order to protect themselves from a long string of increasingly embarrassing decisions?
A new crossroads has emerged, and, no its not the potential loss of another major motion picture and the revenue and eclat attendant. Now the DEP has asked the town to declare its intentions regarding Cat Dam and, by extension, Inner Little Harbor and given it two weeks to do so. The E 20, and the selectmen by extension, had thought they had maneuvered the situation into a perpetual stalemate; and they just might have … if the Selectmen didn’t have to deal with this new, pressing parallel issue which could have a major impact on their increasingly unlikely reelection efforts next spring and if the E 20 et al hoped to retain a majority voice on the board through other surrogates. Clearly the townspeople have put up with just about enough from this group; embarrassing them to their summer visitors, friends, family, all those who have told them how smart they were to buy, at a steep premium, in this picture perfect little town, should be the last straw as the Selectmen’s high stakes game is drawing to a close.
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03.12.12
Posted in Cat Dam, Tom Wolf at 12:56 PM by Tanna K
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.
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02.23.12
Posted in Cat Dam at 10:36 AM by Tanna K
To Elizabeth Kouloheras
Regional DEP Director, Massachusetts
from Mike Cloughlin
Cohasset Town Manager
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Dear Ms. Kouloheras,
As the Town Manager for the Town of Cohasset, I am writing about the Cat Dam project which is currently under consideration by your department.
Shortly, after I was appointed but before I took office on August 1st, the Board of Selectmen took what I believed was illegal action concerning the reappointments/appointments to the Conservation Commission. These actions by a 3 to 2 vote of the Board of Selectman with Chairman Edwin Carr and Dianne Kennedy in opposition dramatically changed the direction of the town’s position.
Since then, I have been extremely concerned that officials from the town of Cohasset have been trying to influence the outcome of the process through various calls and back channel appeals to your agency as well as the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs.
I am also concerned about the ethical integrity of the Town’s legal position. As you know, the attorney for the group that call itself “E-20” has had a heavy influence on the strategy by the town. To that end, the attorney for that group, drafted a request that the project was exempt from further review. The Town Attorney did not believe in that approach but in the end was instructed to merely print the letter on the town’s stationery and submit it.
I regret to inform you that there is a now coordinated and orchestrated effort by officials to attempt to influence your agency and other agency’s involved to render a decision favorable to the “E-20” group. As you may be aware, state environmental officials has agreed to meet with Cohasset officials in an effort to discuss the way forward. I am believe that this effort – led by Attorney Rick Huckstrom from Deutche Williams—the town’s attorney is being compromised. I believe that external influences will prejudice the outcome and a resolution of the issue. There are also ethical considerations concerning those officials trying to influence the process.
I regret bringing these matters to your attention but a cloud has been cast over this issue. Decisions should be made according to applicable environmental laws and the standards of conduct that public officials—including those in Cohasset are expected to follow. If you or your agency need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Very truly yours,
Michael J. Coughlin
Town Manager
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12.09.11
Posted in Cat Dam, Tanna Kasperowicz at 2:31 PM by Tanna K
(Petitioners’ Cat Dam Appeal goes forward)
By Tanna Kasperowicz
Karen Quigley and Steve Brown received notification today that MEPA (Mass. Dept. of Environmental Policy Act) will uphold the decision of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Cohasset’s Cat Dam at Little Inner Harbor. (Petitioners’ Cat Dam Appeal goes forward) Quigley and Brown spearheaded a citizen’s group that appealed the local Conservation Commission’s order of conditions on the matter. The appeal necessitated the issuance of a Superceding Order of Conditions by the DEP., which can not be issued until the project complies with MEPA.
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10.18.11
Posted in Cat Dam, Tanna Kasperowicz at 11:11 AM by Tanna K
by Tanna Kasperowicz
We were unable to speak with any elected town officials about this before press time; alas, we always run into our best stories at deadline. (See related articles on Cat Dam by going to Categories to right) (Cohasset Selectmen).
But according to un-officials, the Attorney General’s (AG) Office had the same question Selectman Diane Kennedy had about three of her fellow board members appointing three new members to the conservation commission at their July 12 meeting.
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09.27.11
Posted in Cat Dam, Tanna Kasperowicz at 11:35 PM by Tanna K
Susan Kent and Cohasset ConCom petitioners went fishing at the Cohasset Selectmen’s Sept. 27th meeting and returned with many interesting things.
They (the selectmen) will allow the three, fired ConCom members to come before
them and hear their side of the story. That’s big – if Sara Charron, Debbie Cook and Dick Karoff will do it. It appears SelectChair Ted Carr is going to call them. And they, in turn, can request an audience with the Selectpeople if they should not be called after-all. How completely appropriate. I think it would be even more appropriate for the selectmen to read aloud one the ConCom’s Cat Dam hearing transcripts with all the shout-outs from members of the E20.
Carr said he’s going to talk with the Troika about appointing an investigatory committee. I think. It got a little swishy there. When there are no votes it’s hard to tell what is really intended or what will actually happen. He’s going to broach it with the Troika, but petitioners say they are prepared to take it to Special Town Meeting this December if the Selectmen don’t go forward. (Cohasset ConCom)
Carr is also going to draft a letter to the AG asking that the Board of Selectmen be investigated with regard to Cat Dam matters. That’s rich. All the Selectmen seemed to like that idea a little too much. Sounds like they’re begging to be investigated.
Selectmen are going to form a governance committee to review the handling of appointed boards and commissions.
Below is essentially what Susan Kent read as representative of petitioners’ thoughts on the matter.
(1) We request that the Selectmen re-open the Con Com reappointment process and give the three commissioners who were fired the opportunity to respond to the allegations made by Carlson, Jenkins and Koed. We continue to call on the new commissioners to step down and become associate members for the sake of town harmony. The three deposed commissioners should then be re-appointed. In light of Mrs. Roebuck’s comments at the meeting this week, it is very clear that Cohasset will suffer if we do not have highly experienced and knowledgeable individuals representing the town on this very important commission. While we believe the Selectmen’s action was taken in the context of the Cat Dam issue, it nonetheless has wider and more far-reaching consequences. The actions taken by the Selectmen will affect the operation of this important regulatory group for years to come.
(2) We should endorse Chairman Carr’s suggestion that the Selectmen appoint a Governance Committee to investigate procedures and process in general for the future. This is in addition to the committee we propose.
(3) We intend to bring forward an article for special town meeting and intend to call for a special town meeting if one is not scheduled for 2011. The article is as follows:
That an investigative committee be appointed within 30 days for the purpose of reviewing the town’s process relative to the Cat Dam matter, including, but not limited to the disbursement and disposition of the funds approved at Town Meeting; the Selectmen’s actions, including their decision making; any potential conflicts of interest, as well as the appropriate jurisdiction of the Selectmen, the Town Manager and the Conservation Commission as it relates to this matter.
The committee shall be appointed by the troika and be comprised of 7 citizens who are not currently serving on an appointed board. Further that Town Meeting appropriate the sum of $5,000 in order that the committee may hire a part-time clerk and have all proceedings tape recorded. The committee shall have access to all public records of both the Board of Selectmen and the Conservation Commission, including audio tapes and broadcasts, emails, internal memorandums and any and all other materials necessary to complete its job. The work of the committee should be to review the decision making process regarding this very important issue, to report to Town Meeting in the spring, 2012 and to make recommendations.
The purpose of this work shall include educating the public, identifying any abuses of authority and/or discretion, as well as recommending corrective actions. (Cohasset ConCom)
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09.24.11
Posted in Cat Dam, Tanna Kasperowicz at 11:45 PM by Tanna K
Cohasset Selectmen afforded petitioners upset over their replacement of Conservation Commission members over one hour of face time at their 9/20 meeting. Over the past week, petitioners have been discussing what kind of an investigation of selectmen they wish to pursue. They will be meeting with Selectmen at Tuesday’s meeting (Sept. 27) to continue the discussion.
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09.21.11
Posted in Cat Dam, Tom Wolf at 10:34 PM by Tanna K
This was a seminal event; all of the players appeared, stayed on character and reinforced public perceptions of events leading up to, during and following the infamous Tuesday Night Massacre (Tom Wolf’s Blog). Lets put this all in the perspective of the poser; you come to a fork in the road, meet two tribes, one of which always tells the truth, one of which always lies; what question should be asked to determine the route you should take to arrive safely at your destination? There are indeed two clear sides here and choices to be made. A quick review of the action last night helps solve the riddle.
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