Oh Dear

I just read the Town Manager’s post and am afraid she has not done much to reduce the controversy. While I am confident that she is doing a tough job as best and as sincerely as she can, I do have a problem with some of her comments here.

Ms. Crosbie writes, “I never committed to a level service budget for FY09.” Well, it may be true that Robin Crosbie, public administrator, made no such personal promise. However, her superiors, you know the actual policymakers known as the Select board, did make such a commitment when they voted to support the Budget Strategies Committee proposal on the override. One wonders who’s really in charge at Town Hall.

Ms. Crosbie also made clear that she was not cutting special education by more than $350,000, but rather was merely cutting the recommended school department budget by that amount. She went on to say that many departments would not get their requested amount for FY09. For this attitude we may have the Charter’s mandated consolidation to blame. Ms. Crosbie seems to think that the School Department is just another department under her charge. This is a very counterproductive perspective. The school budget goes through a transparent and rigorous process and is voted on by the elected policymakers known as the School Committee. The number given to the Town Manager by the School Committee is not simply another request from a town department. It is the recommendation of elected policymakers, which this year was strictly governed by the agreement reached by all three town boards – an agreement now being breached by the Select board’s chief administrator. If the Select board chooses to allow Ms. Crosbie to lead them around by the nose, that is their prerogative. The School Committee, however, is not so inclined.

Ms. Crosbie’s inappropriate intent to meddle with school budgeting and administration was even more egregiously on display later in her post where she had the audacity to question the administration of our Pupil Services department. She says parents and residents have shared their concerns about SPED with her and even recommends that an “outside management study” be considered to evaluate the way we provide special education services. WOW! Our pupil services and schools in general are run extremely well. I assume this ridiculous assertion is an attempt to deflect some of the criticism being leveled at the non-school departments in town.

On the bright side, Ms. Crosbie does demonstrate an appreciation of the big picture when she writes:

“As for the FY09 budget - we need to quit thin-slicing the words "level service budget". Let's face it, the proposed FY09 School and town budgets are not level service budgets. We need to look at the big picture. The Long Range Plan (remember that Plan?) identifies a number of economic development opportunities. As I said at my forum, economic development in Longmeadow must be a deliberate and intentional activity. Economic development is a school issue - the schools will be the primary beneficiaries in terms of new revenues - and school officials need to get behind this.”

This is all true, however, it in no way justifies cutting the school budget one thin dime because it is the School Committee that has routinely taken the lead in Longmeadow when it comes to acknowledging revenue needs and pushing for more responsible tax policy! This is particularly frustrating this year because it was the School Committee that got out on the street and sold the override that has kept us all afloat and made such economic development opportunities possible. As she herself admitted, without that override, we’d be in much deeper trouble. The School Committee unanimously supported that override. The School Committee has produced a wonderful strategic plan. The School Committee and the Superintendent are doing a considerable more professional and effective job than is being done on the non-school side of town. I suggest Ms. Crosbie not bite the hand that feeds, or question the competence of the most well managed department in town. Without the leadership of the School Committee she would be up a creek without a paddle. Remember, the override proposal only passed the Select board by one vote. Imagine where we’d be if Dr. Grady and Mr. Santaniello had succeeded in killing the override proposal.

In conclusion, Ms. Crosbie should not force the School Committee to take back the money she cut on the Town Meeting floor. I think town hall and the Select board have been embarrassed enough recently and should not have to be taken to task once again in front of the whole town. As someone who trains town administrators in Connecticut, I can tell you that town managers are often not particularly well suited to oversee school departments. If the charter has given our town manager too much authority over the schools it may have unintentionally produced a “tail wagging the dog” scenario that is not in the town’s best interests. I think it’s time to take a closer look at the Charter and its results to date. Clearly, unintended consequences have already reared their ugly heads.

Jerold Duquette

Some corrections and comments about the FY09 Budget

All I can say today is, thank goodness the weekend is here. It has been a rough week for all those involved in this budget process. We should be grateful, because of the November override, that we aren't wresting with the terrible shortfalls and decisions facing Greenfield or Northampton. Instead Longmeadow is embroiled in a situation of harsh words.

As a public official, I have become used to being mis-quoted. However, even my harshest critic from the past will tell you, as he has others, that I always told the truth, even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear. So here are two truths that need to be said:

The first truth is that I never committed to a level service budget for FY09, despite written assertions to the contrary by others. In fact, I have been quite open about some unaddressed needs in the town and identified these in writing last summer.

The second truth is that I am not cutting special education. I only make a recommendation on the bottom-line number for the school budget. Any reductions in special education will be a choice made by the School Committee. I want parents of children with special needs to understand that.

Now that I am on the topic of special education, let me say that residents, including parents of special needs students, have expressed concerns to me about the effectiveness and costs of the special education program. No one doubts or disputes the intentions and commitment of the school department to serving these students and families. But it may be time for the town to fund an outside managment study of the organization and effectiveness of pupil services. System assessments, whether of human or capital infrastructure, can be very helpful in seeing the big picture, developing specific remedies and recommending long-term planning and funding. Such an assessment would be extremely helpful, as the recent water and sewer system studies have been.

As for the FY09 budget - we need to quit thin-slicing the words "level service budget". Let's face it, the proposed FY09 school and town budgets are not level service budgets. We need to look at the big picture. The Long Range Plan (remember that Plan?) identifies a number of economic development opportunities. As I said at my forum, economic development in Longmeadow must be a deliberate and intentional activity. Economic development is a school issue - the schools will be the primary beneficiaries in terms of new revenues - and school officials need to get behind this. We need the internal resources to pursure opportunities - I can tell you that there are developers who want to come to Longmeadow, but we lack the resources to undertake process of zoning change and community engagement necessary to accomplish real economic develoment. My budget includes that resource.

On to consolidation - the schools and the town, as a result of the Charter, are now joined at the hip. If one partner falters, the other stumbles. The town now processes payroll and benefits for more than 400 school employees; pays school bills; handles purchasing and procurement of school services, goods, building and capital projects; maintains school grounds and fields; maintains school buildings and parking lots; manages school capital projects from design to completion. Every aspect of the finance operation principally benefits the funding and operation of the school department. It is time to understand that we are part of a system, that we are interconnected.

Here are some other things I really need to get off my chest:

I want to thank the School Committee for adopting the MUNIS format for the school budget. It has been the most intelligible budget I ever received from the schools. Although I thanked her once, I'll do it again - thank you, Jahn, for your work on this.

Also, I am pleased to be serving on the group helping to move the LHS building project forward. This group includes Paul Santaniello, Bobbby Barkett, Chris Swanson, Jahn hart and Larry Berte. I appreciate the collegial dynamic and the fact that we all leave our muddy budget-boots outside the door when we meet.

I am happy we have Tom Mazza on board as the school Business Director. With his help we are sorting through myriad financial issues and making progress.

And I am so excited to see so many capital building projects rolling along! (Thanks, Capital Planning Committee, Mike Wrabel and Adrian Phaneuf!). Am I the only one who gets excited about this? Especially all the work on the school buildings - I am thankful for DPW Director Mike Wrabel's focus on school projects and his personal involvement in improving athletic field maintenance. Mike Deary has been great to have on the team and his support of improving field maintenance has been truly appreciated.

So, you see - even at the end of a rough week - there is a lot of good news to report!

Post Script:

I declare Bryan Long town employee of the week! Bryan has been with the town since forever and still looks like a young guy. Last week, he literally stumbled on the mystery of half the town's unaccounted-for water. His discovery will save the town $100,000 in water charges in FY09. Great detective work, Bryan!

FY09 Budget Forum- Questions/ Comments

Below is series of video clips of questions and comments from the Town Manager's FY09 Budget forum held on March 6 and is provided by LongmeadowBiz, LLC. Video segments used for these clips were provided through the courtesy of Longmeadow Community TV and is gratefully acknowledged.

School budget cuts are not level service

As I read and understand it, the town manager is asking the School Committee to cut their budget for FY2009. This is unfair to the schools and to the children.

This is not what was agreed to by the Finance Committee, the School Committee and the Select Board in September of 2007, when they agreed to put an override vote before the town on 6 November 2007.

The vote of the School Committee was unanimous to support the override. The Finance Committee vote was 5 to 1 in support.
The Select Board vote was 3 - 2. Grady and Santaniello voted "no".

Source: The Longmeadow News, 20 September 2007, page 1.

The voters voted approval of the override. It was close, but the override passed.

Here is the tabulation of that November vote.

Precinct A B C D E Total

Voters 1051 931 869 983 841 4675

Yes Voters 654 480 334 418 453 2339

% 62% 52% 38% 42% 54% 50.03% (Winner)

No Voters 397 451 535 564 388 2335

% 38% 48% 62% 58% 46% 49.95%

If we want to revisit that kind of division, the current proposal invites that level of conflict. People voted in good faith in November for the override because of the belief that it would provide a level service budget for the future.

A cut in the school budget is not a level service budget.

For further information, lets look at the record:
Source:

The Republican

Override passes by 4 votes

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
By ELIZABETH ROMÁN
eroman@repub.com

LONGMEADOW - Town officials clapped and cheered after learning that residents had approved - by just a four-vote margin - a $2.15 million Proposition 2½ override at yesterday's special Town Election.

"This is a great day for Longmeadow," said School Committee Chairman Geoffrey P. Weigand, who waited for the results at the Community House along with members from several boards. This is the third override the town has passed in 16 years.

Town Clerk Katherine Ingram said 40.65 percent of the 11,487 voters in town came out to vote.


In September the Select Board, School Committee and Finance Committee voted in favor of the override, which allows the town to raise property taxes above the annual 2½ percent limit set by state law.

During two public forums members from all of the boards told citizens that severe cuts would be made if the override did not pass.

Resident John J. Fitzgerald was part of the Friends of Longmeadow, a group of citizens gathered under a tent with signs reading "vote yes" and "support the override."

"This override will help maintain our quality of life," Fitzgerald, a retired teacher, said. "We have to pay to keep the level of services provided to the town."

The $2.15 million was an amount created this summer by the Budget Strategies Committee, which was made up of two members of the Finance Committee, two members of the School Committee, and two members of the Select Board.

The override will balance the fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2009 budgets. The money is also expected to fund some of the 2010 budget.

At a Nov. 1 town forum Select Board member William G. Scibelli said the town is $1.4 million in debt and is expected to show a deficit of $2.5 million next year and $3.3 million in 2010. The current budget totals $53.7 million.

Select Board Chairman Hal W. Haberman said he was glad that residents recognized the importance of the vote.

"Longmeadow is a great place to live," Haberman said. " This override will help us pay for the important services the town provides."

The money from the override will be allocated at a Town Meeting to be held at the high school Nov. 27.

FY09 Budget Forum- March 6, 2008

Below is a video clip of the FY09 Budget presentation by Robin Crosbie, Longmeadow Town Manager. This clip is approximately 20 minutes in length. The best method for viewing is to print out the set of slides used by Ms. Crosbie because the details are difficult to read in the video. Due to a technical problem the first 10 minutes of the presentation are missing. Questions and comments will be posted during the followup Q/A will also be posted.



[Make sure that you "double click" on the viewer start button.] If problems are encountered with the above embedded video player, try clicking on the link below...

FY09 Budget Forum

[This web broadcast of the Town Manager's FY 2009 Budget Report is provided by LongmeadowBiz, LLC. Video used for the broadcast was provided through the courtesy of Longmeadow Community TV and is gratefully acknowledged.]

The FY09 Budget Process Has Begun...

On March 6 Town Manager Robin Crosbie conducted a budget review for the upcoming FY2009 at Glenbrook Middle School. Ms. Crosbie as required by the Longmeadow Town Charter prepared a “balanced budget” for an upcoming review by the Select Board.

The full Budget Report is now available online for review. In addition, the slides used for this presentation are also available.

The total FY2009 budget is $51.4 million which is a 6.17% increase vs. FY2008.

A key part of the budget is the impact of Proposition 2½ which limits the amount of increase in property taxes to 2½%. Total revenue from property taxes is ~ $35.8 million which is an increase of $995K over FY08 (see above table). With rising costs across many areas, Ms. Crosbie stated that with the proposed FY09 budget it was not possible to maintain level services. Below are two tables showing the increase of fund allocations for various portions of the town budget.



[click to enlarge]

LongmeadowBuzz is interested in questions from town residents for the Town Manager, School Committee, Finance Committee and others involved in the budgeting process. We help to provide information that will make this year's budget process a success. Add a comment to this posting and we will try to get an answer. See our help section for posting a comment to this blog.

My Water/Sewer Usage

My Water/Sewer Usage: A Tale of Truth

I am not sure why some people in Longmeadow are all that upset about their water bills. If you use a lot of water, then you should pay more than those who use less.

If you own a swimming pool and you irrigate your lawn, you use a lot of water and you should, if you are reasonable, expect to be charged more for it than those who use less.

As a public service, here is my water usage and water costs for the last five (5) years. As a few words of explanation: I am a single occupant of my house; I do not water my lawn; I do not own a swimming pool; I hand water my tomato plants.

Year: Spring:HCF Fall:HCF Total:HCF Cost:

2003 20 22 42 $125.46

2004 22 23 45 $131.85

2005 19 25 44 $128.92

2006 18 52 70 $205.10

2007 14 32 56 $148.95


Average: 18.6 Average: 30.8 Average: 51.4 $148.06



2007 Old Rate = 1.33 per HCF Water 14 = $18.62 ($20.00 is minimum.)
Old Rate = 1.60 per HCF Sewer 14 = $22.40 $42.40 paid

2007 New Rate = 1.50 per 1st 25 HCF Water 32 = 49.75
New Rate = 1.75 per next level 7 HCF
New Rate = 1.40 per 1st 25 HCF Sewer 32 = 46.20
New Rate = 1.60 per next level 7HCF
Add Sewer /Water Meter = 10.60

TOTAL = $106.55

If we reduce the amount that the large users pay, per HCF, we will have to increase the amount the small users pay, per HCF, since we have to come up with the requisite money to pay Springfield for the water we buy from them. It is a question of fairness. We have to pay Springfield a fixed amount, so shouldn’t the largest users pay the largest amount? And not at the same rate, but at a graduated rate? A flat tax rate is unfair and a flat water rate is unfair.

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If you have already have a Google Gmail account, you probably have already signed up for a Google account. Gmail is just one of the services that having a Google account provides. You simply need an existing email account such as user@comcast.net and a couple of minutes to fill out the required form. 

There are no devious intentions with our Google account requirement.  We will not be using any means to identify the real names of forum posters. Requiring a Google account to add comments provides some degree of authenication so that the forum cannot be easily sabotaged. This forum will allow anonymous postings of comments using the Google screen name that you select. In addition, all comments will be moderated... that is, screened for irrelevant or obnoxious content before they are posted. 

Requiring a Google account will also allow us to conduct polls without easy opportunities for sabatoge. For example, once you vote on a poll question, you cannot vote a second time. You can however change your vote. 

If you are interested in becoming a regular contributor of new subjects, send an email with your name/ address/ phone number to LongmeadowBuzz@comcast.net . Contributors of new subjects are not required to post with their real name but we do require that they provide their real name and address.

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Local Government - Town Elections

As we move in the general direction of Spring, and out of the shadows of Winter, it might be worthwhile to give some thought to the upcoming Town Elections.

The Town Election is scheduled for 10 June 2008.

There will be three seats on the School Committee that will be up for election.

Geoffrey Weigand, an incumbent, is considering running for re-election.

Jerold Duquette, an incumbent, is not going to run for re-election.

Janine Idelson, an appointed incumbent, is not going to run for re-election.

For the Select Board, Hal Haberman's seat will be up for election. Hal Haberman has not announced his intentions.
Robert Barkett of the School Committee has taken out papers for the Select Board.

Planning Board has a 5 year seat and a 2 year seat available.

Housing Authority has one 5 year seat available.

50 signatures on a nomination paper are enough to get you access to the ballot. Papers can be picked up at the Town Clerk's office and they are due back by the 21st of March.

In view of the fact that the budget for the schools is the largest part of the town budget, it would seem appropriate for a number of people to step forward to serve on this important committee.

I think the principal qualification for a school committee member is that he or she be willing to stand up for the best interests of the students of the school system. They are, for the most part, not allowed to vote and the quality of the education that they receive is largely determined by adults. A school committee lives up to its obligations to the community by standing up for the best interests of the students. The Select Board is the designated agency for taking care of the general interests of the town.

It would be pleasant to believe that these interests and obligations would not result in confrontation and contention between the two elected boards. However, the recent past indicates that this is not the case. There has been conflict, confrontation and contention.

The November vote on the Proposition 2 1/2 override saw little support being furnished by the Select Board (William Scibelli was the exception.) and most of the "heavy lifting" for passage being furnished by the School Committee and concerned citizens of the Town.

With at least two seats open on the School Committee and one seat available for election on the Select Board, voters of the Town of Longmeadow have an opportunity to significantly shape the future policy direction of the town.

The first step in this process is the recruitment of candidates for public office.

Hopefully, this brief essay will encourage citizens to consider moving from spectators to participants in our political processes.
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Determine Your Water/Sewer Rebate

With all of the Select Board changes in water/ sewer rates for the 1st bill FY08 (July-Dec 2007) most of us are at least a little confused or unsure as to how much relief we will be receiving in the mail in the form of "abatement" or rebate checks.

I have prepared a chart using the best available information to help individuals. Remember this is an unofficial calculation and not approved numbers from SelectBoard office or Longmeadow Finance Dept. As was highlighted in my last posting, water rebates are already approved while the proposed sewer rebates must be approved at the March 4 Special Town Meeting. The chart below assumes that the sewer rebate will be approved by the STM.












The above chart shows that if you used 300 HCF for this last billing cycle and received a bill for $1173, you will receive an abatement check of $472 reducing your July-Dec 2007 water/sewer bill to $701 - a 40.2% reduction.

Results from this analysis shows that low volume users (up to 100 HCF) will not receive a rebate check while high volume water users (> 250 HCF) will receive rebates of 31-52%.

Below is a chart that compares FY07 charges vs. FY08 (adjusted) charges.












It is interesting to note that low volume users (less than 100 HCF) had ~ 15% increase from FY07 to FY08 while high volume users (>250 HCF) had smaller increases (2-11%). Mid-range water users (150-200 HCF) actually had a slight decrease in water/ sewer bills.

If interested there is a copy of the full spreadsheet used for this analysis posted on LongmeadowBiz.com.

Don't forget to vote in our poll about water rebates (--> top right hand corner)!