Town Report, 2010

For those of you who haven't seen it, what follows is the report of the Board of Selectmen from the 2010 town report. In prior years, I've not posted this on my blog. However, in prior years, I didn't write the report.

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Early in fiscal year 2010 the town was faced with the need to hold a special town meeting to balance a $3 million deficit, the result of an unanticipated drop in both state aid and local receipts. Although technically the end of the national recession, it was the beginning of a challenging financial year for Falmouth, which would include still more cuts at the spring town meeting.

As the town moved through the process of developing the FY2011 budget, we received a wake-up call from our outside auditor. Just five years ago, Falmouth had more free cash than almost every other Massachusetts municipality, but now we had next to nothing. One of the town's bond ratings slipped a bit, a reflection of those dwindling financial reserves.

There are controversial issues every year, and this year was no exception. The paving of the Falmouth Heights beach parking lot divided residents in the neighborhood and across town as finances, hours of operation, erosion and other issues were debated.

Plans were approved to build a new sidewalk in front of the Mullen Hall School on Katherine Lee Bates Road. With the renovation of the library and the school, the already heavy pedestrian traffic between the two became an evengreater concern. However, as FY2010 drew to a close, the issue was revisited because of an outcry over the loss of trees and playground space at the school, and the project's future was placed in doubt.

As in other towns, street light reduction was contemplated as a means of helping to close the budget gap. A series of meetings between selectmen, town engineers, police and others outlined a plan to “red cap”, or temporarily turn-off, many lights. The plan was ultimately shelved due to strong public opposition, and the availability of funds generated by the new wind turbine.

The riprap encroachment on the sliver of beach at the end of Maravista Avenue was given a license by the Board, putting to bed one of the town's long unresolved issues. Although many were unhappy with the decision, the alternative – to require the removal of the riprap – had the potential of pitting the town against itself, as the conservation commission had originally permitted the project.

Water pressure – or the lack thereof – in the Ballymeade neighborhood again came to a boil as residents sought elief for the decade-old problem. Unfortunately, progress continued to be slow, and the issue remained unresolved as FY2011 began.

FY2010 also brought significant accomplishments. Due to the diligent efforts of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, the Planning Department and the Historical Commission, the town earned the Preserve America designation – the only one thus far on Cape Cod.

The Housing Production Plan – Falmouth's blueprint for achieving the state-mandated 10 percent inventory of affordable housing stock – was approved. The first steps taken under this plan included the identification of town-owned land on Glenwood Avenue and Teaticket Highway for new affordable housing.

After many years of delays and court cases, the New Silver Beach sewer plant was finally completed – on time and on budget. This brought to a close one of Falmouth's longer, more controversial issues.

Falmouth's tradition of preserving land was continued as the 300 Committee helped the town acquire the Bartolomei parcel in the Coonamessett River watershed, and the Pacheco property on Little Pond in Teaticket with a combination of donations, state grants and Community Preservation Act funds. Better known to many as the Little Pond Landing 40B project, the latter acquisition brought a favorable end to yet another of the town's long-standing controversies.

Seeds of transformation began to sprout. The Board began working on policy more frequently, and discussions about delegating routine agenda items began.

The annual town election in May brought more change as 3-term selectman Carey Murphy lost his re-election bid to a challenger, life-long resident and Falmouth police officer David Braga, in an election year dominated by change at all levels of government.

Efforts were made to resolve conflicts within the Board itself. Chairman Mary Pat Flynn recommended that the entire Board attend the Massachusetts Selectmen's Association Leadership Conference, a suggestion that was wholeheartedly embraced by all five selectmen.

Fiscal year 2010 proved to be challenging in many ways. There are still issues to resolve, but there always will be. Progress was made because of the hard work of many individuals who worked together toward the common purpose of serving our community. The Board thanks the many town employees and volunteers – and I thank the past and present members of the Board of Selectmen – for their efforts, and more importantly, the results achieved by those efforts.

Respectfully submitted,
Brent Putnam
Vice-Chairman, FY2010
Chairman, FY2011
Falmouth Board of Selectmen