"If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven't lost. Others might remember winning or losing; I remember the journey." -- Apollo Anton Ohno
Apollo Ohno's performance in the 2006 Olympics was inspirational, to say the least. In the semifinals of the 1500m event he tripped, preventing him from defending his title (he'd received the gold in this event in 2002). However, he pulled himself together to win the gold in the 500m event.
In my case, I may not have won the election, but I do seem to have made an impact. As the campaign heated up and came to a conclusion, there were a variety of 40B-related developments in town.
Several weeks prior to the election, it was reported in the Falmouth Enterprise that the selectmen had finished the Local Initiative Plan (sorry, I don't have the edition handy), something that I had mentioned several times here in my blog including here and here, in my answers to the League of Women Voters questionnaire, and during my FCTV appearence on "Falmouth First".
And then, immediately after the election, it was reported (page 5, of the May 22 edition of the Enterprise) that the town was now going to take a "team approach" to address the 40B issue.
The icing on the cake will be Monday, June 11, when the selectmen will "Discuss 'unfriendly' 40B projects" - according to their agenda.
The signifigance of this cannot be understated, since I was the first candidate to openly discuss the issues, the biggest of which was 40B. While the other candidates' advertisements in the paper were simply asking for your vote, my April 20 ad in the Falmouth Enterprise featured the question "Tired of 40B?" as the first line.
Moreover, my insistence on discussing the issues put the other candidates on the spot. One voter noted that he had tossed another candidate's flyer into the trash because that person refused to answer his questions about the issues. This voter was very grateful that I was willing to speak openly and honestly.
So, while I may not have won the election, I didn't lose. My campaign has had an effect on the way the town does at least some of its business. So far.
Showing posts with label Campaign News 2007. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Campaign News 2007. Show all posts
Friday, June 8, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become."
The clerk's office put the precinct breakdowns online today. I was satisfied with my showing on Tuesday, but it occurred to me yesterday that there may have been something more there.
You see, Carey Murphy was at town hall on Tuesday night. Most of the other candidates sent someone, but he was there personally. In its report of the election, the Cape Cod Times noted that, "Putnam...got a little too close for comfort for Murphy." Why was Murphy so nervous?
The answer is in the precinct breakdowns.
As you can see in the chart above (click on the chart to see a bigger version), I came in first in Precinct 9, second in Precincts 3 and 4, tied with Murphy for second in Precinct 8 and came within nine votes of Murphy (and five of Flynn) in Precinct 7.
What does all this mean?
Someone once told me that you have to "win" a certain number of precincts in order to win the election. If we give each candidate a number according to how they placed in each precinct, and then total those numbers, the impact of the election can be seen in the chart below.
Like golf, the lowest score wins. And it's immediately obvious why Murphy may have been nervous.
Of course, none of this changes the fact that I lost, but it does explain why so many people have been so positive about how I did. It was pretty close.
By the way, the quote, "Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become," came from a fortune cookie. I'm not a big fan of fortune cookies (I'd rather have oatmeal raisin), but the fortunes can be inspirational.
As can the outcome of an election, even if I didn't win.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Day After
Back during the last days of the Cold War, there was a made-for-TV-movie called "The Day After." It detailed the struggles various people faced after a full-scale nuclear war. It came to mind after last night's election results.
No, I'm not comparing the election to nuclear war, but there are some struggles ahead for Falmouth.
For those of you who don't know, I came in third out of the six candidates. Pat Flynn was first; Carey Murphy second. Believe it or not, my loss wasn't a surprise to me - I had expected to place in the top three. Not bad for a first time - and without a campaign manager!
The "official" results aren't on the town website yet; I'll add a link here when they are.
But I digress...back to the struggles...
Perhaps the most surprising thing in this election was the fact that through much of the campaign, most of the other candidates didn't seem to be listening to the people. While most of them focused on the issue of sewering, the people were complaining about development - and 40B in particular. Fortunately, that has started to change. According to the Cape Cod Times, Pat Flynn mentioned engaging "the public in the ongoing debates about affordable housing, wastewater treatment and economic development."
She got it right on the first issue - affordable housing is the root cause of the 40B problem. However, wastewater is a symptom, not a cause, and wastewater isn't even the real problem - nitrogen is. Development is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, and until we get development (and 40B is unrestrained development) under control, the nitrogen problem will only get worse.
Pat Flynn is starting to listen; let's hope the other selectmen also hear the message.
No, I'm not comparing the election to nuclear war, but there are some struggles ahead for Falmouth.
For those of you who don't know, I came in third out of the six candidates. Pat Flynn was first; Carey Murphy second. Believe it or not, my loss wasn't a surprise to me - I had expected to place in the top three. Not bad for a first time - and without a campaign manager!
The "official" results aren't on the town website yet; I'll add a link here when they are.
But I digress...back to the struggles...
Perhaps the most surprising thing in this election was the fact that through much of the campaign, most of the other candidates didn't seem to be listening to the people. While most of them focused on the issue of sewering, the people were complaining about development - and 40B in particular. Fortunately, that has started to change. According to the Cape Cod Times, Pat Flynn mentioned engaging "the public in the ongoing debates about affordable housing, wastewater treatment and economic development."
She got it right on the first issue - affordable housing is the root cause of the 40B problem. However, wastewater is a symptom, not a cause, and wastewater isn't even the real problem - nitrogen is. Development is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, and until we get development (and 40B is unrestrained development) under control, the nitrogen problem will only get worse.
Pat Flynn is starting to listen; let's hope the other selectmen also hear the message.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Theory, practice and being in touch
The first question asked of the candidates at the League of Woman Voters forum was, "Falmouth’s Action Plan is a comprehensive guide designed to enable the town to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately save money by reducing overall energy consumption. What steps do you think the Board of Selectmen should take toward implementing Falmouth’s Climate Action Plan over the next three years?"
A part of the Climate Action Plan suggests replacing some town cars, like sedans, with hybrids. One of the other candidates endorsed this idea in his answer. I don't.
Not long ago, I'd heard something about hybrids and changing mileage ratings. The chart here details this. Apparently, few hybrids were getting the advertised mileage because what was advertised was not based on real world conditions, so the EPA has revised those figures - down.
My Saturn SL2, a compact car like a Honda Civic, gets about 30mpg around town and 36mpg on the highway. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that - given the additional expense of $1500 to $4500 - hybrids are not a good value for the taxpayer.
The idea of having the town buying hybrids is, in my mind, another case of theory versus practice, i.e., what sounds good in theory doesn't always work in practice.
For the record, my answer was that this - the Climate Action Plan - isn't one of the issues the people of Falmouth are concerned about. In fact, until the LWV asked this question, no one had mentioned this, which just goes to show that someone is out of touch with the people.
We CAN do better.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
After-election party!
ALL of my supporters are invited to an after-election party at the Conference Table (205 Worcester Court) on Election night (Tuesday, May 15) from 8pm-11pm.
Campaign Events
If you're looking to learn more about me (or the other candidates), there's not much time left!
The Cape Cod Times interviewed and taped 2-minute video clips of each of the six candidates. You can find my VERY brief interview here and my video here (scroll down past everyone else's videos). I must admit that I'm not crazy about my picture. My wife didn't like my campaign picture (the red hat), but the fish-eye effect of the Cape Cod Times' picture is just...ugh. That said; I like the way my video came out.
The League of Women Voters will be sponsoring a candidate's forum on May 10 from 7-9:30pm that will also be televised on FCTV cable channel 13. The physical event starts at 7pm, but the televised portion doesn't begin until 7:30pm. According to the FCTV schedule, this event is going to be rerun at 12:30pm on Monday, May 14.
Don't forget - you can comment on my posts here, call me, or email me.
Is anyone else so accessible?
The Cape Cod Times interviewed and taped 2-minute video clips of each of the six candidates. You can find my VERY brief interview here and my video here (scroll down past everyone else's videos). I must admit that I'm not crazy about my picture. My wife didn't like my campaign picture (the red hat), but the fish-eye effect of the Cape Cod Times' picture is just...ugh. That said; I like the way my video came out.
The League of Women Voters will be sponsoring a candidate's forum on May 10 from 7-9:30pm that will also be televised on FCTV cable channel 13. The physical event starts at 7pm, but the televised portion doesn't begin until 7:30pm. According to the FCTV schedule, this event is going to be rerun at 12:30pm on Monday, May 14.
Don't forget - you can comment on my posts here, call me, or email me.
Is anyone else so accessible?
"Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one."
James Madison, one of the Founding Fathers, said that.
If the government fails to listen to the people, the people will replace the government. In some places, that may mean a bloody rebellion, but here in the United States, we have peaceful rebellions on a regular basis.
We call them elections.
Last fall, the people opted to "revolt" against the incumbents in a big way and the Democrats gained control of Congress for the first time since 1994. My door to door campaigning has revealed a similar trend here in Falmouth with respect to our incumbent board of selectmen.
Some folks have suggested that I'm simply stirring up trouble with my "We CAN do better" slogan and my willingness to point out the flaws in town government. In reality, I'm stirring up nothing; I'm simply listening to and addressing the people's concerns.
If someone believes that I'm just causing trouble, then they have no idea what democracy is all about.
And they're obviously out of touch with the people whom they were elected to serve.
We CAN do better.
If the government fails to listen to the people, the people will replace the government. In some places, that may mean a bloody rebellion, but here in the United States, we have peaceful rebellions on a regular basis.
We call them elections.
Last fall, the people opted to "revolt" against the incumbents in a big way and the Democrats gained control of Congress for the first time since 1994. My door to door campaigning has revealed a similar trend here in Falmouth with respect to our incumbent board of selectmen.
Some folks have suggested that I'm simply stirring up trouble with my "We CAN do better" slogan and my willingness to point out the flaws in town government. In reality, I'm stirring up nothing; I'm simply listening to and addressing the people's concerns.
If someone believes that I'm just causing trouble, then they have no idea what democracy is all about.
And they're obviously out of touch with the people whom they were elected to serve.
We CAN do better.
League of Woman Voters Candidates' Forum review
The LWV hosted the six candidates on Thursday, May 10, at the Morse Pond school. Although several folks said I looked confident, I was nervous. It's hard not to be with a TV camera staring at you.
Most of the questions were pretty similar to what we've heard before, but some were new. For example, there was one about the charter change (Question 9 on the ballot) that would require the selectmen to define the duties of the boards and committees they appoint.
I noted in my answer that it wasn't enough to write job descriptions. There has to be feedback. For example (and I used this as my answer), as a member of the conservation commission, I've not seen any member of the board of selectmen attend one of our meetings unless they wanted to offer some input into an issue. They don't come to listen, see how we're doing and offer constructive criticism. Very simply, there is little, if any, oversight.
Another question asked about what we as candidates were looking for in a police chief. Personally, I don't yet what I'm looking for, but I'm gathering a list of issues that will help me decide. There are concerns about how handgun permits are issued and rudeness amongst some of the officers; the officers themselves are concerned about their pay, which is amongst the lowest on Cape Cod (ironic, given that we're the second-largest town on the Cape).
The most startling answer I heard from another candidate was to a question about moving much of the island freight traffic from Woods Hole to New Bedford. I noted that we have a transportation committee that has recommended this, but that the selectmen haven't acted upon those recommendations.
Another candidate answered that Falmouth has but one vote, worth 10-percent, on the Steamship Authority Board of Governors, so we couldn't do this.
That candidate was right about the 10-percent vote, but frankly, I'm tired of hearing about what we can't do. We've heard similar excuses for years about the 40B issue.
Everyone in town hall says that Falmouth is a "can do" town, but it seems like it's only a "can do" town when it fits someone's agenda. If not, there seem to be plenty of excuses why we "can't do."
An obviously planted question about how we could build consensus was asked.
"Listen," I said.
If you want people to work together toward a common goal, you need to listen to all sides and address all concerns. If you don't, well, New Silver Beach is an excellent example of what happens when you leave someone out of the process.
In my closing, I focused on my door to door efforts. I learned so much - and had a lot of fun - by going door to door. Some folks told me that in 20-30 years of living in Falmouth, they've never had anyone knock on their door and introduce themselves. I also heard from people who thought I was a Jehovah's Witness when I knocked, so they didn't answer the door. When they later learned who it was, they called me back - pleased and surprised that I took the time to call on them.
It was during that door to door that I learned what democracy is really about. When you get to talk with the people one on one, you really learn what it is that the people are concerned about. Ironically, every other candidate seems to be talking about sewers and nitrogen, but that's not what's important to the people. They're concerned about 40B, development, taxes and town spending. They're concerned about the police department and the town administration. Sewers and nitrogen are there, but further down on the list.
Indeed, one of the questions posed to the candidates was, "How will you stay in touch with the people after the election?"
Well, I'm going to continue to go door to door.
We CAN do better.
Most of the questions were pretty similar to what we've heard before, but some were new. For example, there was one about the charter change (Question 9 on the ballot) that would require the selectmen to define the duties of the boards and committees they appoint.
I noted in my answer that it wasn't enough to write job descriptions. There has to be feedback. For example (and I used this as my answer), as a member of the conservation commission, I've not seen any member of the board of selectmen attend one of our meetings unless they wanted to offer some input into an issue. They don't come to listen, see how we're doing and offer constructive criticism. Very simply, there is little, if any, oversight.
Another question asked about what we as candidates were looking for in a police chief. Personally, I don't yet what I'm looking for, but I'm gathering a list of issues that will help me decide. There are concerns about how handgun permits are issued and rudeness amongst some of the officers; the officers themselves are concerned about their pay, which is amongst the lowest on Cape Cod (ironic, given that we're the second-largest town on the Cape).
The most startling answer I heard from another candidate was to a question about moving much of the island freight traffic from Woods Hole to New Bedford. I noted that we have a transportation committee that has recommended this, but that the selectmen haven't acted upon those recommendations.
Another candidate answered that Falmouth has but one vote, worth 10-percent, on the Steamship Authority Board of Governors, so we couldn't do this.
That candidate was right about the 10-percent vote, but frankly, I'm tired of hearing about what we can't do. We've heard similar excuses for years about the 40B issue.
Everyone in town hall says that Falmouth is a "can do" town, but it seems like it's only a "can do" town when it fits someone's agenda. If not, there seem to be plenty of excuses why we "can't do."
An obviously planted question about how we could build consensus was asked.
"Listen," I said.
If you want people to work together toward a common goal, you need to listen to all sides and address all concerns. If you don't, well, New Silver Beach is an excellent example of what happens when you leave someone out of the process.
In my closing, I focused on my door to door efforts. I learned so much - and had a lot of fun - by going door to door. Some folks told me that in 20-30 years of living in Falmouth, they've never had anyone knock on their door and introduce themselves. I also heard from people who thought I was a Jehovah's Witness when I knocked, so they didn't answer the door. When they later learned who it was, they called me back - pleased and surprised that I took the time to call on them.
It was during that door to door that I learned what democracy is really about. When you get to talk with the people one on one, you really learn what it is that the people are concerned about. Ironically, every other candidate seems to be talking about sewers and nitrogen, but that's not what's important to the people. They're concerned about 40B, development, taxes and town spending. They're concerned about the police department and the town administration. Sewers and nitrogen are there, but further down on the list.
Indeed, one of the questions posed to the candidates was, "How will you stay in touch with the people after the election?"
Well, I'm going to continue to go door to door.
We CAN do better.
LWV questionnaire
Normally I try to keep my postings short - they're easier to read that way - but in this case I'm reprinting the questions posed to me (and other candidates) by the League of Woman Voters.
The answers are mine. You'll have to ask the other candidates (or read the Falmouth Enterprise) for theirs.
League of Women Voters of Falmouth
QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR FALMOUTH SELECTMAN
2007
NAME: Brent Putnam. The last time I voluntarily used my middle initials (V.W.) was on a paper in high school. My teacher thought it was a joke that referred to my car (a Volkswagen Beetle) and knocked a few points off my grade for being smart.
ADDRESS: 97 John Parker Rd.
OCCUPATION: Network engineer. Specifically, I'm a Primary Support Engineer for Novell, a Waltham, MA-based company known for its network software. I usually telecommute, although I occasionally travel to visit my clients.
Prior to my work at Novell, I was a network manager for Ernst & Young, LLP in Boston, and the Sandwich Cooperative Bank in Sandwich. In each case, my responsibilities included budgets, project management and supervising other network staff.
Mine is not a purely technical position. In my job, interpersonal skills are almost as vital as technical skills and half of my training is dedicated to working with people. Not only must I find solutions to complex and evasive problems, I must be able to work with irate clients in stressful situations.
Your participation in Falmouth civic activities, including but not limited to participation in town government and town cultural, social, educational, political, business, religious and philanthropic organizations:
--Member, Falmouth Conservation Commission
--Town Meeting member, Precinct 9
--President, Old Barnstable/John Parker Neighborhood Association
--Former Spokesman, Falmouth Bog Preservation Group
--Board Member, East Falmouth Village Association
--Volunteer, Falmouth Cranberry Harvest & Farm Festival
--Webmaster, Friends of Falmouth Farms
--Member, The 300 Committee
--Member, Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (callsign W1NCH)
--Member, St. Anthony's Parish, East Falmouth
--Falmouth High School, class of 1989 (Member, National Honor Society)
Other facts that you think the voters should know about you:
--Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, 1986
--Case Western Reserve University, attended 1989-1992
--Cape Cod Community College, Associate in Science, Computer Information Systems, 1996 (Cum Laude)
(While in college, I got married and started a family - events that slowed my higher education a bit. Hence the gap between my high school and college graduations.)
--Former Office Manager, O'Connor Home Improvement
--Founding Member & former member of the Board of Directors, Clean Power Now
--Member, Catboat Association
--Member, International Dark-Sky Association
--When I can, I like to spend time aboard my 22-foot Marshall catboat, making pickles, or stargazing.
Although it is me who is running for office, I think it is also useful to know how my family participates in the community:
--Married 17 years to Becky Druley. Rebecca is a third-generation Falmouth resident, broker/owner of Rebecca Putnam Real Estate, Junior Varsity Coach for Mashpee High School Girl's Field Hockey, Varsity Coach for Sturgis Charter Public School Girl's Lacrosse, and plays defense with the Cape Cod Women's Ice Hockey League.
--Three children: Andrew is a sophomore at the Sturgis Charter Public School and works part-time at McDonald's; Kaytlen is in the 8th grade at Lawrence Junior High School and a member of the chorus; Victoria is in the 2nd grade at Teaticket Elementary and plays defense with Falmouth Youth Hockey and the Falmouth Pride Girls Hockey Club.
QUESTION #1:
What distinguishes you as the best-qualified candidate for this important position?
The most common comment I've heard on the campaign trail is that we need new blood in town hall. More so than any of the other candidates, I am that person. At 36, I am the youngest candidate and would be the youngest sitting selectman. As a relative newcomer to local government, a vote for me is a vote for an independent voice who will serve the people.
My career as a network engineer brings with it a different point of view - a different way of looking at things. As one person observed, I will bring logic to town government.
Much of my work centers around solving problems, but it is not just about fixing what doesn't work. It is about finding the root cause of an issue, so we can avoid similar problems in the future. It is about looking ahead to prevent problems before they happen - to be proactive.
Consider also some things that people have said about me...
--"You're one of the most honest people I know." - Darcy
--"He's a very intelligent guy." - Henry
--"You've got integrity, Brent." - Linda
--"Brent would make a good selectman; he's a good listener." - Dan
--“You're a breath of fresh air.” - Alice
An independent voice with a fresh point of view. A proactive problem solver. Honesty, intelligence, integrity, a good listener, a breath of fresh air. Some very good qualifications.
QUESTION #2:
The Falmouth Town Charter is the constitution of the town. Under the Charter, the Selectmen are responsible for “recommending major courses of action to the Town Meeting.”
What major course of action do you think the Selectmen should recommend to the Town Meeting in 2008?
Why do you think this should be a priority matter?
Although there are several things that could be done, the selectmen should make it a priority to craft a serious plan that will actually do something about the affordable housing issue.
Ten years ago, someone making $40,000 could afford to live here. Today, it takes $100,000, an income that is difficult even for some married couples to obtain. The difference is due to the cost of housing, which has soared in the past decade. My wife and I built our first home - a 3-bedroom Cape in Seacoast Shores - for $80,000. Ten years later, the town values our current house - a typical 4-bedroom colonial - at $500,000.
This increase is largely due to the overall demand for housing. Unlike places like Bridgewater or Brighton, people usually more here because they want to live here - to be near the water - not because they have to live here.
The lack of affordable housing in Falmouth is a root cause for many other issues. The youth of Falmouth - the future of our town - are leaving in droves. It's a Cape-wide problem. Even as the Cape's population grew by nearly 20-percent between 1990 and 2000, it lost 5-percent of its 25-44 year-old population.
It is this age group where people establish careers, get married, start families and buy homes. For the most part, this is our middle class and we're losing them. Town meeting just approved two new firefighters and police officers. These jobs start at $40,000/year. Where will these individuals find housing?
Another side effect of the affordable housing issue is the proliferation of 40B developments. Because Falmouth's inventory of housing has less than 10-percent affordable units, there are limits to our control over 40B development.
Although well-intentioned, 40B has significant drawbacks. It bypasses local zoning, which puts the character of the town at the mercy of developers; a neighborhood of 2-acre plots could have a development with 1/4-acre plots in its midst. It also adds more market-rate housing to Falmouth's inventory, adding to the density of our town and making it impossible to get to that magic 10-percent level.
The density creates other issues, most notably environmental. A few years back some folks tried to blame the nitrogen levels in our coastal ponds and embayments on cranberry bogs. However, even if we closed every cranberry bog in Falmouth, there would be no measurable effect on the nitrogen levels. It is development - septic nitrogen, lawn fertilizers and road runoff - which contributes virtually all of the nitrogen. Development must be addressed if we are to get control over this; everything else is a side show.
How do we address the affordable housing problem and get a handle on these other issues?
1) Stop reacting. When we buy land to protect it from impending development - 40B or otherwise - we're simply reacting and addressing the symptom, not the root cause. We are, in effect, giving a cancer patient aspirin and feeling good about it. In reality, we're only delaying the inevitable, because we cannot hope to buy every vacant parcel before it is developed.
We need to act. One candidate for selectman suggested buying homes in all parts of town and reselling them at affordable rates, but how do we fund this? Another suggested that we hire a 40B expert as a consultant. That might help us deny a project or two, but again, it only treats the symptom. It doesn't address the root cause - a lack of affordable housing.
2) Implement a Local Initiative Plan (LIP). The LIP is a set of local guidelines for building affordable housing; think of it as a local 40B. A developer can build under 40B, or the LIP. However, if they chose 40B, the town, by virtue of having a LIP, has more leverage to alter or even deny the project.
The LIP is perhaps the easiest thing we can do to begin reigning-in 40B development, yet the selectmen have not made it a priority and it is still not completed.
3) Many a homeowner has an unpermitted in-law apartment, and the town could offer an occupancy permit - and a reduced tax bill - if the owner rents the unit at an affordable rate. The permit is the stick - without it, the owner cannot use the unit legally. The reduced tax bill is the carrot. There has to be a deed restriction for the state to count the unit as affordable, but that won't happen without some incentive for a homeowner to accept the restriction.
A reduced tax bill could also be used to encourage the owners of existing, legal apartments to accept a deed restriction and rent at affordable rates instead of market rates.
The potential downside is reduced income from property taxes. However, unpermitted apartments are probably not on the tax rolls now, so there would be no loss there. The potential loss of tax revenue from existing, legal apartments will need to be explored.
4) For decades, Falmouth has placed a priority on land acquisition for open space, and the Land Bank provided a means to accomplish this. Similarly, we can now use Community Preservation Act funds (80 percent of them) to build our affordable housing inventory and get to the 10 percent mark. There is no better funding mechanism available to us to buy existing units to add to the affordable housing inventory, or to build new affordable housing. Without funds, we will accomplish nothing.
There may be objections to this on the grounds that we need the CPA funds for other projects, but we need to set priorities. We need to get grip on this issue and that may require sacrifice in other areas. Furthermore, before the CPA, we found other ways to pay for things like historic preservation. And, once we can deny 40B projects, the need to buy land to protect it from development will be less urgent.
By addressing the affordable housing issue, we tackle a wide range of issues that affect Falmouth. We help slow the emigration of our young, middle class families, we eliminate the threat of unrestrained 40B development, and we help control the increase in nitrogen which has negatively impacted our coastal ponds and embayments.
The major course of action the selectmen should recommend in 2008 is a plan to address the affordable housing issue. If we can get control over that, we will have more control over our quality of life in Falmouth. Anything less is just an aspirin.
The answers are mine. You'll have to ask the other candidates (or read the Falmouth Enterprise) for theirs.
League of Women Voters of Falmouth
QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR FALMOUTH SELECTMAN
2007
NAME: Brent Putnam. The last time I voluntarily used my middle initials (V.W.) was on a paper in high school. My teacher thought it was a joke that referred to my car (a Volkswagen Beetle) and knocked a few points off my grade for being smart.
ADDRESS: 97 John Parker Rd.
OCCUPATION: Network engineer. Specifically, I'm a Primary Support Engineer for Novell, a Waltham, MA-based company known for its network software. I usually telecommute, although I occasionally travel to visit my clients.
Prior to my work at Novell, I was a network manager for Ernst & Young, LLP in Boston, and the Sandwich Cooperative Bank in Sandwich. In each case, my responsibilities included budgets, project management and supervising other network staff.
Mine is not a purely technical position. In my job, interpersonal skills are almost as vital as technical skills and half of my training is dedicated to working with people. Not only must I find solutions to complex and evasive problems, I must be able to work with irate clients in stressful situations.
Your participation in Falmouth civic activities, including but not limited to participation in town government and town cultural, social, educational, political, business, religious and philanthropic organizations:
--Member, Falmouth Conservation Commission
--Town Meeting member, Precinct 9
--President, Old Barnstable/John Parker Neighborhood Association
--Former Spokesman, Falmouth Bog Preservation Group
--Board Member, East Falmouth Village Association
--Volunteer, Falmouth Cranberry Harvest & Farm Festival
--Webmaster, Friends of Falmouth Farms
--Member, The 300 Committee
--Member, Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (callsign W1NCH)
--Member, St. Anthony's Parish, East Falmouth
--Falmouth High School, class of 1989 (Member, National Honor Society)
Other facts that you think the voters should know about you:
--Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, 1986
--Case Western Reserve University, attended 1989-1992
--Cape Cod Community College, Associate in Science, Computer Information Systems, 1996 (Cum Laude)
(While in college, I got married and started a family - events that slowed my higher education a bit. Hence the gap between my high school and college graduations.)
--Former Office Manager, O'Connor Home Improvement
--Founding Member & former member of the Board of Directors, Clean Power Now
--Member, Catboat Association
--Member, International Dark-Sky Association
--When I can, I like to spend time aboard my 22-foot Marshall catboat, making pickles, or stargazing.
Although it is me who is running for office, I think it is also useful to know how my family participates in the community:
--Married 17 years to Becky Druley. Rebecca is a third-generation Falmouth resident, broker/owner of Rebecca Putnam Real Estate, Junior Varsity Coach for Mashpee High School Girl's Field Hockey, Varsity Coach for Sturgis Charter Public School Girl's Lacrosse, and plays defense with the Cape Cod Women's Ice Hockey League.
--Three children: Andrew is a sophomore at the Sturgis Charter Public School and works part-time at McDonald's; Kaytlen is in the 8th grade at Lawrence Junior High School and a member of the chorus; Victoria is in the 2nd grade at Teaticket Elementary and plays defense with Falmouth Youth Hockey and the Falmouth Pride Girls Hockey Club.
QUESTION #1:
What distinguishes you as the best-qualified candidate for this important position?
The most common comment I've heard on the campaign trail is that we need new blood in town hall. More so than any of the other candidates, I am that person. At 36, I am the youngest candidate and would be the youngest sitting selectman. As a relative newcomer to local government, a vote for me is a vote for an independent voice who will serve the people.
My career as a network engineer brings with it a different point of view - a different way of looking at things. As one person observed, I will bring logic to town government.
Much of my work centers around solving problems, but it is not just about fixing what doesn't work. It is about finding the root cause of an issue, so we can avoid similar problems in the future. It is about looking ahead to prevent problems before they happen - to be proactive.
Consider also some things that people have said about me...
--"You're one of the most honest people I know." - Darcy
--"He's a very intelligent guy." - Henry
--"You've got integrity, Brent." - Linda
--"Brent would make a good selectman; he's a good listener." - Dan
--“You're a breath of fresh air.” - Alice
An independent voice with a fresh point of view. A proactive problem solver. Honesty, intelligence, integrity, a good listener, a breath of fresh air. Some very good qualifications.
QUESTION #2:
The Falmouth Town Charter is the constitution of the town. Under the Charter, the Selectmen are responsible for “recommending major courses of action to the Town Meeting.”
What major course of action do you think the Selectmen should recommend to the Town Meeting in 2008?
Why do you think this should be a priority matter?
Although there are several things that could be done, the selectmen should make it a priority to craft a serious plan that will actually do something about the affordable housing issue.
Ten years ago, someone making $40,000 could afford to live here. Today, it takes $100,000, an income that is difficult even for some married couples to obtain. The difference is due to the cost of housing, which has soared in the past decade. My wife and I built our first home - a 3-bedroom Cape in Seacoast Shores - for $80,000. Ten years later, the town values our current house - a typical 4-bedroom colonial - at $500,000.
This increase is largely due to the overall demand for housing. Unlike places like Bridgewater or Brighton, people usually more here because they want to live here - to be near the water - not because they have to live here.
The lack of affordable housing in Falmouth is a root cause for many other issues. The youth of Falmouth - the future of our town - are leaving in droves. It's a Cape-wide problem. Even as the Cape's population grew by nearly 20-percent between 1990 and 2000, it lost 5-percent of its 25-44 year-old population.
It is this age group where people establish careers, get married, start families and buy homes. For the most part, this is our middle class and we're losing them. Town meeting just approved two new firefighters and police officers. These jobs start at $40,000/year. Where will these individuals find housing?
Another side effect of the affordable housing issue is the proliferation of 40B developments. Because Falmouth's inventory of housing has less than 10-percent affordable units, there are limits to our control over 40B development.
Although well-intentioned, 40B has significant drawbacks. It bypasses local zoning, which puts the character of the town at the mercy of developers; a neighborhood of 2-acre plots could have a development with 1/4-acre plots in its midst. It also adds more market-rate housing to Falmouth's inventory, adding to the density of our town and making it impossible to get to that magic 10-percent level.
The density creates other issues, most notably environmental. A few years back some folks tried to blame the nitrogen levels in our coastal ponds and embayments on cranberry bogs. However, even if we closed every cranberry bog in Falmouth, there would be no measurable effect on the nitrogen levels. It is development - septic nitrogen, lawn fertilizers and road runoff - which contributes virtually all of the nitrogen. Development must be addressed if we are to get control over this; everything else is a side show.
How do we address the affordable housing problem and get a handle on these other issues?
1) Stop reacting. When we buy land to protect it from impending development - 40B or otherwise - we're simply reacting and addressing the symptom, not the root cause. We are, in effect, giving a cancer patient aspirin and feeling good about it. In reality, we're only delaying the inevitable, because we cannot hope to buy every vacant parcel before it is developed.
We need to act. One candidate for selectman suggested buying homes in all parts of town and reselling them at affordable rates, but how do we fund this? Another suggested that we hire a 40B expert as a consultant. That might help us deny a project or two, but again, it only treats the symptom. It doesn't address the root cause - a lack of affordable housing.
2) Implement a Local Initiative Plan (LIP). The LIP is a set of local guidelines for building affordable housing; think of it as a local 40B. A developer can build under 40B, or the LIP. However, if they chose 40B, the town, by virtue of having a LIP, has more leverage to alter or even deny the project.
The LIP is perhaps the easiest thing we can do to begin reigning-in 40B development, yet the selectmen have not made it a priority and it is still not completed.
3) Many a homeowner has an unpermitted in-law apartment, and the town could offer an occupancy permit - and a reduced tax bill - if the owner rents the unit at an affordable rate. The permit is the stick - without it, the owner cannot use the unit legally. The reduced tax bill is the carrot. There has to be a deed restriction for the state to count the unit as affordable, but that won't happen without some incentive for a homeowner to accept the restriction.
A reduced tax bill could also be used to encourage the owners of existing, legal apartments to accept a deed restriction and rent at affordable rates instead of market rates.
The potential downside is reduced income from property taxes. However, unpermitted apartments are probably not on the tax rolls now, so there would be no loss there. The potential loss of tax revenue from existing, legal apartments will need to be explored.
4) For decades, Falmouth has placed a priority on land acquisition for open space, and the Land Bank provided a means to accomplish this. Similarly, we can now use Community Preservation Act funds (80 percent of them) to build our affordable housing inventory and get to the 10 percent mark. There is no better funding mechanism available to us to buy existing units to add to the affordable housing inventory, or to build new affordable housing. Without funds, we will accomplish nothing.
There may be objections to this on the grounds that we need the CPA funds for other projects, but we need to set priorities. We need to get grip on this issue and that may require sacrifice in other areas. Furthermore, before the CPA, we found other ways to pay for things like historic preservation. And, once we can deny 40B projects, the need to buy land to protect it from development will be less urgent.
By addressing the affordable housing issue, we tackle a wide range of issues that affect Falmouth. We help slow the emigration of our young, middle class families, we eliminate the threat of unrestrained 40B development, and we help control the increase in nitrogen which has negatively impacted our coastal ponds and embayments.
The major course of action the selectmen should recommend in 2008 is a plan to address the affordable housing issue. If we can get control over that, we will have more control over our quality of life in Falmouth. Anything less is just an aspirin.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
A crock of #$%@
I'm sorry folks, but I'm tiring of this %&$# fast.
Pun intended.
In the Friday, May 11, issue of the Falmouth Enterprise, some residents of New Silver Beach upped the ante by paying for a full page ad.
Full page! The 24 column inch ad (six columns, 4" high) that I paid for in the same issue cost me nearly $400. If they can afford multiple half-page ads AND a full page ad, why can't they afford to pay for their own sewer system?
We CAN do better.
Pun intended.
In the Friday, May 11, issue of the Falmouth Enterprise, some residents of New Silver Beach upped the ante by paying for a full page ad.
Full page! The 24 column inch ad (six columns, 4" high) that I paid for in the same issue cost me nearly $400. If they can afford multiple half-page ads AND a full page ad, why can't they afford to pay for their own sewer system?
We CAN do better.
Great Harbors meeting review
On Tuesday, May 8, the Great Harbors Neighborhood Association held a forum for the six candidates.
Questions about docks dominated the first part of the forum - Great Harbors had applied for a larger dock system which was rejected by the conservation commission. Because this is an ongoing issue (still unresolved) I can't go into detail, but I was part of the minority which voted in favor of the project.
The question of the cranberry bogs came up when one woman asked every candidate to state their positions.
I'd be remiss if I didn't note that Carey Murphy said, "I'm pro-bog." I'm not sure how he reconciles this statement with his famous quote, "It would be political suicide to ignore town meeting" and repeated votes to close the cranberry bogs, but I'm not convinced.
From my perspective, the highlight of the evening was when one person took me aside and suggested that I run for higher office.
"You're Reagan-esque" he said.
I admire Ronald Reagan, so it was quite a compliment.
Questions about docks dominated the first part of the forum - Great Harbors had applied for a larger dock system which was rejected by the conservation commission. Because this is an ongoing issue (still unresolved) I can't go into detail, but I was part of the minority which voted in favor of the project.
The question of the cranberry bogs came up when one woman asked every candidate to state their positions.
I'd be remiss if I didn't note that Carey Murphy said, "I'm pro-bog." I'm not sure how he reconciles this statement with his famous quote, "It would be political suicide to ignore town meeting" and repeated votes to close the cranberry bogs, but I'm not convinced.
From my perspective, the highlight of the evening was when one person took me aside and suggested that I run for higher office.
"You're Reagan-esque" he said.
I admire Ronald Reagan, so it was quite a compliment.
Friday, May 11, 2007
"You have no power until they attack you in the press."
I forget who said this, but it's sort of ironic that I heard this statement at a convention for conservation commissioners. In the past two weeks I (and another candidate) have been attacked no less than five times by four different people who would probably describe themselves as environmentalists.
Why the attacks?
Cranberry bogs.
It's actually odd, given that the only mention I've made of cranberry bogs was this paragraph...
"The density creates other issues, most notably environmental. A few years back some folks tried to blame the nitrogen levels in our coastal ponds and embayments on cranberry bogs. However, even if we closed every cranberry bog in Falmouth, there would be no measurable effect on the nitrogen levels. It is development - septic nitrogen, lawn fertilizers and road runoff - which contributes virtually all of the nitrogen. Development must be addressed if we are to get control over this; everything else is a side show."
...which was part of my answer to the League of Women Voters questionnaire.
Basically the LWV asked each candidate some questions and this was a - VERY brief - part of my response. In case you missed it, I will publishing the full answer in it's entirety in another blog entry.
I've not discussed cranberry bogs all that much because it's not as big an issue as things like 40B or taxes. In any campaign for public office - if you really intend on serving the public - you will listen to the people and address their concerns. I've been listening, which is why I've been talking about 40B, New Silver Beach, taxes, etc.
In any case, I've got a pretty thick skin, so the attacks don't bother me. Indeed, letters like these that show up in the weeks before an election are little different from the "October surprise" that one expects in presidential elections. Clearly these folks don't like the position I took on the cranberry bogs, so they've resorted to mud slinging, hoping something will stick and make me unattractive to the electorate.
So, let me reassure the residents of Falmouth that when I'm selectman, I promise - yes, I PROMISE - that every decision I make will be made upon the facts of the situation, without bias or favoritism. I will listen to all opinions with an open mind before taking a position, and then explain myself fully when I cast a vote.
So there. The only reason you have to fear a "Selectman Putnam" is if you are afraid of fair, open and accountable town government.
And, yes, we CAN do better.
Why the attacks?
Cranberry bogs.
It's actually odd, given that the only mention I've made of cranberry bogs was this paragraph...
"The density creates other issues, most notably environmental. A few years back some folks tried to blame the nitrogen levels in our coastal ponds and embayments on cranberry bogs. However, even if we closed every cranberry bog in Falmouth, there would be no measurable effect on the nitrogen levels. It is development - septic nitrogen, lawn fertilizers and road runoff - which contributes virtually all of the nitrogen. Development must be addressed if we are to get control over this; everything else is a side show."
...which was part of my answer to the League of Women Voters questionnaire.
Basically the LWV asked each candidate some questions and this was a - VERY brief - part of my response. In case you missed it, I will publishing the full answer in it's entirety in another blog entry.
I've not discussed cranberry bogs all that much because it's not as big an issue as things like 40B or taxes. In any campaign for public office - if you really intend on serving the public - you will listen to the people and address their concerns. I've been listening, which is why I've been talking about 40B, New Silver Beach, taxes, etc.
In any case, I've got a pretty thick skin, so the attacks don't bother me. Indeed, letters like these that show up in the weeks before an election are little different from the "October surprise" that one expects in presidential elections. Clearly these folks don't like the position I took on the cranberry bogs, so they've resorted to mud slinging, hoping something will stick and make me unattractive to the electorate.
So, let me reassure the residents of Falmouth that when I'm selectman, I promise - yes, I PROMISE - that every decision I make will be made upon the facts of the situation, without bias or favoritism. I will listen to all opinions with an open mind before taking a position, and then explain myself fully when I cast a vote.
So there. The only reason you have to fear a "Selectman Putnam" is if you are afraid of fair, open and accountable town government.
And, yes, we CAN do better.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Falmouth Democratic Committee meeting review
I was writing my review for the Great Harbors meeting when I realized that I had failed to publish this entry...
On Wednesday, April 25, I attended the Falmouth Democratic Committee meeting at the Gus Canty Community Center for their candidates' forum. It was well attended, and I think it's safe to say that everyone was a bit more relaxed than during the Falmouth First FCTV show.
Candidates had five minutes to answer the question, "What is the greatest challenge facing Falmouth and what would you do about it?"
The following comes from the Falmouth Democratic Committee newsletter...
"Brent Putnam is a member of the Conservation Commission, a Town Meeting member, and he president of the Old Barnstable/John Parker Neighborhood Association. He sees affordable housing as the greatest challenge for Falmouth for a number of reasons. The lack of affordable housing has contributed to the loss of our young adult population (ages 25-44). Over a time span when the population of Cape Cod increased by 20 percent, the Cape lost 5 percent of this age group. The lack of affordable housing is at the root of the proliferation of 40B housing projects, which in turn adds more nitrogen to our already stressed salt ponds and contributes to other issues such as traffic. To address this issue, Brent noted that we need funding, and suggested using both the 10 percent of the Community Preservation Act that must be set aside for affordable housing plus most or all of the 70 percent that is unrestricted. Until Falmouth can show that 10 percent of our housing units are affordable, we will not be able to get a grip on the 40B issue, the loss of our young adults and the environmental issues (nitrogen, traffic, etc.) that accompany uncontrolled growth.
During the question and answer session, the candidates were asked about affordable housing, the role of the Cape Cod Commission, town financing, the need for a town open space manager, public transportation, and the proposed ice rink and pool. The candidates had clearly done their homework. Everyone had thoughtful responses about all of the issues raised, and many interesting ideas were raised. At the end of the hour-long Q and A session, the audience expressed their appreciation of the candidates with a well-deserved round of applause."
On Wednesday, April 25, I attended the Falmouth Democratic Committee meeting at the Gus Canty Community Center for their candidates' forum. It was well attended, and I think it's safe to say that everyone was a bit more relaxed than during the Falmouth First FCTV show.
Candidates had five minutes to answer the question, "What is the greatest challenge facing Falmouth and what would you do about it?"
The following comes from the Falmouth Democratic Committee newsletter...
"Brent Putnam is a member of the Conservation Commission, a Town Meeting member, and he president of the Old Barnstable/John Parker Neighborhood Association. He sees affordable housing as the greatest challenge for Falmouth for a number of reasons. The lack of affordable housing has contributed to the loss of our young adult population (ages 25-44). Over a time span when the population of Cape Cod increased by 20 percent, the Cape lost 5 percent of this age group. The lack of affordable housing is at the root of the proliferation of 40B housing projects, which in turn adds more nitrogen to our already stressed salt ponds and contributes to other issues such as traffic. To address this issue, Brent noted that we need funding, and suggested using both the 10 percent of the Community Preservation Act that must be set aside for affordable housing plus most or all of the 70 percent that is unrestricted. Until Falmouth can show that 10 percent of our housing units are affordable, we will not be able to get a grip on the 40B issue, the loss of our young adults and the environmental issues (nitrogen, traffic, etc.) that accompany uncontrolled growth.
During the question and answer session, the candidates were asked about affordable housing, the role of the Cape Cod Commission, town financing, the need for a town open space manager, public transportation, and the proposed ice rink and pool. The candidates had clearly done their homework. Everyone had thoughtful responses about all of the issues raised, and many interesting ideas were raised. At the end of the hour-long Q and A session, the audience expressed their appreciation of the candidates with a well-deserved round of applause."
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Exaggerations, car salesmen and tax overrides
If it's one thing that annoys me, it's the person who resorts to gross exaggerations to make a point. A letter in the Tuesday, May 8, Falmouth Enterprise suggested that raw sewage is going to flow into our harbors and beaches and there will be thousands of health related issues if Question 2 (the New Silver Beach debt exclusion) fails to pass.
Hogwash.
As noted in my other post Nitrogen vs. Sewage (also a letter in the Enterprise), there are no public beaches or businesses open to the public in New Silver Beach. Moreover, the project is going to move forward with or without the override, so these dire predictions will NEVER come to pass.
This reminds me of the cranberry bog issue. In case you don't remember, we were told that pesticides were being "dumped into the river" (no one ever found any evidence that any pesticides were getting into the river), and that such a "significant" amount of nitrogen was being contributed to our estuaries that we needed to close the bogs (there would be no measurable difference in the nitrogen even if every cranberry bog were closed).
Needless to say, such exaggerated claims helped contribute to the current fiasco.
Fortunately, New Silver Beach is, for all intents and purposes, definitively resolved. The question about funding is a side show - albeit a serious one for those on both sides of the issue who cannot afford it.
On the one hand, the homeowners in New Silver Beach have some serious costs involved with this. However, they did buy those homes in the first place.
On the other, every tax increase - no matter how small - is a serious thing to those folks (seniors especially) who are already living paycheck to paycheck. Indeed, whenever our selectmen tell us that an override will "only" cost so many dollars a year, I'm reminded of car salesmen. You know...the ones who say that we can drive the car off the lot for "only" so much a month. Only later do we find out that we're paying more in interest than for the actual car.
Am I exaggerating?
We CAN do better!
Hogwash.
As noted in my other post Nitrogen vs. Sewage (also a letter in the Enterprise), there are no public beaches or businesses open to the public in New Silver Beach. Moreover, the project is going to move forward with or without the override, so these dire predictions will NEVER come to pass.
This reminds me of the cranberry bog issue. In case you don't remember, we were told that pesticides were being "dumped into the river" (no one ever found any evidence that any pesticides were getting into the river), and that such a "significant" amount of nitrogen was being contributed to our estuaries that we needed to close the bogs (there would be no measurable difference in the nitrogen even if every cranberry bog were closed).
Needless to say, such exaggerated claims helped contribute to the current fiasco.
Fortunately, New Silver Beach is, for all intents and purposes, definitively resolved. The question about funding is a side show - albeit a serious one for those on both sides of the issue who cannot afford it.
On the one hand, the homeowners in New Silver Beach have some serious costs involved with this. However, they did buy those homes in the first place.
On the other, every tax increase - no matter how small - is a serious thing to those folks (seniors especially) who are already living paycheck to paycheck. Indeed, whenever our selectmen tell us that an override will "only" cost so many dollars a year, I'm reminded of car salesmen. You know...the ones who say that we can drive the car off the lot for "only" so much a month. Only later do we find out that we're paying more in interest than for the actual car.
Am I exaggerating?
We CAN do better!
Nitrogen vs. Sewage
The sewer system that has been discussed for East Falmouth is not about sewage. It’s about nitrogen. However, it’s not just East Falmouth. Nitrogen is a problem that affects West Falmouth Harbor, Oyster Pond, and other estuaries in Falmouth, which do not have enough tidal flushing to deal with the excess nitrogen. Because most of the nitrogen comes from septic systems, a sewer system has been suggested to address this issue, but it is not the only potential solution.
New Silver Beach is about sewage. It’s about failed septic systems. It is not about nitrogen. The only reason New Silver Beach is getting a sewer system is because there is no practical way to put a functioning Title V septic system on the lots in that neighborhood. If there was no sewage problem in New Silver Beach, it would not get a sewer because Wild Harbor has enough tidal flushing to deal with the nitrogen.
The nitrogen in our estuaries and the sewage in New Silver Beach are like apples and oranges; they are two separate, unrelated issues.
The problem in New Silver Beach is the same problem that any homeowner in Falmouth faces if their septic system fails. The difference is that in New Silver Beach, the taxpayers are being asked to help foot the bill.
There is no doubt that New Silver Beach needs — and has waited too long for — a sewer system. However, we need to put our feelings aside and look at this issue objectively. If we are going to increase our taxes to pay for this project, then we — the public — should benefit. If not, then the public shouldn’t be paying for it. It’s that simple.
I really tried to find a public benefit to justify this expense of taxpayer money. I spoke with the board of health, the DPW, and the selectmen. Although they tried, none could offer a public benefit for New Silver Beach.
New Silver Beach is a private neighborhood. There are no public beaches or businesses open to the public. Only about 200 homes will be tied into this system. It will never be expanded and it will never be used by sewage haulers. One public building, the North Falmouth Elementary school, is being tied into New Silver Beach, but it doesn’t need a new septic system.
Several years ago, Town Meeting was told that the elementary school is being tied-in to help balance the sewage flow, which means that it’s being done to benefit New Silver Beach, not the general public.
When you go to the polls on May 15, remember that New Silver Beach is about sewage, not nitrogen, and then ask yourself: If — like New Silver Beach — my septic system failed, who would pay to replace it?
(This entry also appeared as a letter in the Tuesday, May 8 Falmouth Enterprise)
New Silver Beach is about sewage. It’s about failed septic systems. It is not about nitrogen. The only reason New Silver Beach is getting a sewer system is because there is no practical way to put a functioning Title V septic system on the lots in that neighborhood. If there was no sewage problem in New Silver Beach, it would not get a sewer because Wild Harbor has enough tidal flushing to deal with the nitrogen.
The nitrogen in our estuaries and the sewage in New Silver Beach are like apples and oranges; they are two separate, unrelated issues.
The problem in New Silver Beach is the same problem that any homeowner in Falmouth faces if their septic system fails. The difference is that in New Silver Beach, the taxpayers are being asked to help foot the bill.
There is no doubt that New Silver Beach needs — and has waited too long for — a sewer system. However, we need to put our feelings aside and look at this issue objectively. If we are going to increase our taxes to pay for this project, then we — the public — should benefit. If not, then the public shouldn’t be paying for it. It’s that simple.
I really tried to find a public benefit to justify this expense of taxpayer money. I spoke with the board of health, the DPW, and the selectmen. Although they tried, none could offer a public benefit for New Silver Beach.
New Silver Beach is a private neighborhood. There are no public beaches or businesses open to the public. Only about 200 homes will be tied into this system. It will never be expanded and it will never be used by sewage haulers. One public building, the North Falmouth Elementary school, is being tied into New Silver Beach, but it doesn’t need a new septic system.
Several years ago, Town Meeting was told that the elementary school is being tied-in to help balance the sewage flow, which means that it’s being done to benefit New Silver Beach, not the general public.
When you go to the polls on May 15, remember that New Silver Beach is about sewage, not nitrogen, and then ask yourself: If — like New Silver Beach — my septic system failed, who would pay to replace it?
(This entry also appeared as a letter in the Tuesday, May 8 Falmouth Enterprise)
Sunday, May 6, 2007
"Discontent is the first necessity of progress."
This morning I had breakfast at the Society of the Holy Ghost. Nice place; they have a public breakfast on the first Sunday of every month, and a few Portuguese festivals during the summer. One of my supporters suggested that I join him today to meet a few folks.
My wife is away at a hockey tournament, my son had to work, and my eldest daughter wanted to sleep. So it was just me and my youngest girl, who is probably my biggest supporter. She's done everything from making buttons and labeling letters to standing on street corners and going door to door with me. Not once have I had to ask - she always volunteers - but being 8-years old, she'll often tire of whatever it is after an hour or so.
Anyway, breakfast was good. Good food; good company.
What I heard this morning was no different from what I've heard on any other day - discontent, and lots of it.
Thomas Edison once said, "Discontent is the first necessity of progress."
Change happens because people are unhappy with their current circumstances, and it's safe to say that Falmouth's voters are VERY unhappy with the current town administration. The most common comment I've heard is that we need new blood in town hall. That is usually followed by specific complaints about how the selectmen have failed to do anything about 40B development, the performance of the town administrator, or some other hot topic.
Nor is it complaining for the sake of complaining - the complaints are valid. The high school is another common topic. Unfortunately, I'm not running for the school board. Perhaps I should.
My wife is away at a hockey tournament, my son had to work, and my eldest daughter wanted to sleep. So it was just me and my youngest girl, who is probably my biggest supporter. She's done everything from making buttons and labeling letters to standing on street corners and going door to door with me. Not once have I had to ask - she always volunteers - but being 8-years old, she'll often tire of whatever it is after an hour or so.
Anyway, breakfast was good. Good food; good company.
What I heard this morning was no different from what I've heard on any other day - discontent, and lots of it.
Thomas Edison once said, "Discontent is the first necessity of progress."
Change happens because people are unhappy with their current circumstances, and it's safe to say that Falmouth's voters are VERY unhappy with the current town administration. The most common comment I've heard is that we need new blood in town hall. That is usually followed by specific complaints about how the selectmen have failed to do anything about 40B development, the performance of the town administrator, or some other hot topic.
Nor is it complaining for the sake of complaining - the complaints are valid. The high school is another common topic. Unfortunately, I'm not running for the school board. Perhaps I should.
Monday, April 30, 2007
CPA funds and root cause analysis
The CPA requires that 10-percent of the funds go to open space, 10-percent to historic preservation and 10-percent to affordable housing. The other 70 percent is up for grabs. I've suggested - several times - that we use the bulk of the Communnity Preservation Act funds to get a grip on the affordable housing issue so we can control 40B development.
Except that I erred...I forgot that we're using the bulk of the CPA funds (I think about 50-percent) to service our Land Bank debt. You see, Falmouth used bonds to agressively buy open space under the Land Bank such that over the course of just 6 years, we managed to spend 20 years worth of Land Bank funds. Now we're paying for it.
So there's not as much money available for affordable housing as I originally suggested, but there's probably still about 30-percent - I'm digging around for the exact figures. It's a start.
As I've previously stated, my job is about solving problems. I look to fix the root cause of an issue - not treat the symptoms. Every issue we face comes down to development and 40B is development over which we have little control. Want to preserve open space? Concerned about traffic? Is the nitrogen pollution of our salt ponds your issue? If we can get a grip on the 40B issue, these will be easier to address. Until we do that, these other issues will just get worse.
We CAN do better!
Except that I erred...I forgot that we're using the bulk of the CPA funds (I think about 50-percent) to service our Land Bank debt. You see, Falmouth used bonds to agressively buy open space under the Land Bank such that over the course of just 6 years, we managed to spend 20 years worth of Land Bank funds. Now we're paying for it.
So there's not as much money available for affordable housing as I originally suggested, but there's probably still about 30-percent - I'm digging around for the exact figures. It's a start.
As I've previously stated, my job is about solving problems. I look to fix the root cause of an issue - not treat the symptoms. Every issue we face comes down to development and 40B is development over which we have little control. Want to preserve open space? Concerned about traffic? Is the nitrogen pollution of our salt ponds your issue? If we can get a grip on the 40B issue, these will be easier to address. Until we do that, these other issues will just get worse.
We CAN do better!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
40B and election blunders
I like the "Dummies" books. They're well written and are a good introduction to whatever the subject may be. Sometimes I wish there was a "Dummies" book - like this spoof to the right - on how to run for selectman. I've never run for office before, and my willingness to be up front and open about the issues that concern the people of Falmouth has apparently raised a few eyebrows.
Take, for example, my recent Falmouth Enterprise ad which asked, "Tired of 40B?" I posed that question because this is one of the big issues that the people of Falmouth are concerned about. Moreover, it's not necessarily opposition to 40B; it's opposition to development that bypasses local control and alters the character of our community. As one woman mentioned to me, we're turning Falmouth into a city.
Some of the candidates have already had opportunities to take meaningful steps to fix this, but haven't. Even now, I seem to be among the few - if not the only one - making concrete suggestions that will help us get control of 40B and its root cause, the lack of affordable housing. I've previously detailed those ideas here.
Still, some folks think I'm either entirely opposed to 40B or insincere about getting control of it. It is, as I've come to learn, a side-effect of running for office. Sometimes people take something out of context or blow it all out of proportion.
I've had a few people tell me that if I want to be elected, I need to "play the game" and say as little as possible. The idea is to avoid having things taken out of context, upsetting people, and losing votes. It's a typical political strategy, but it's not mine. If I were writing the "Selectmen for Dummies" book, you can bet that there would not be a chapter about keeping silent.
Some folks would consider this an election blunder, but if the people don't know where you stand, how can you expect them to vote for you?
By the way, the Cape Cod Times had an excellent editorial recently about affordable housing entitled, "Under one roof."
We CAN do better!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Spiral Cone Review
On Sunday I shared the spotlight with the other candidates for selectman. Both the Cape Cod Times and the Falmouth Enterprise came to take pictures and notes for articles. The Times' article was in today's (Monday, April 23) CCTimes.
The full article can be found here, but I thought the last few paragraphs were worth repeating...
"Volosevich was hesitant to name a best scooper. And as for the election, he already knows who will get his votes.
But he said he liked Putnam's style. When Putnam didn't know how to work the soft serve machine, he knew how to delegate."
The full article can be found here, but I thought the last few paragraphs were worth repeating...
"Volosevich was hesitant to name a best scooper. And as for the election, he already knows who will get his votes.
But he said he liked Putnam's style. When Putnam didn't know how to work the soft serve machine, he knew how to delegate."
Friday, April 20, 2007
Dark Skies
While going door to door the other day, one woman asked me to address the issue of light trespass. The picture here to the right illustrates the problem. Intended to illuminate a parking lot, you can see that this light fixture is also lighting the trees and sky. Not only is this a waste of the energy, it creates glare that annoys the neighbors and sky glow that masks the stars. A fully shielded light that shines down would be far more effective and efficient.
Consider this article in the Hilton Head Island Packet, "Streets too dark for you? Be glad", which states, "it turns out that darkness might actually be making you healthier. And it's almost certainly helping the ecosystem thrive in ways it can't under the glare of big city lights. Oddly enough, it might even be making you safer."
Like it or not, the biggest industry on Cape Cod these days is tourism. Why? People come here for the beaches and boating, but also for a way of life - a quality of life - that doesn't exist where they currently live. A part of that is a rural feel that is slowly succumbing to the pressures of urbanization - including an excess of outdoor lighting.
Light pollution - defined as "Any adverse effect of artificial light including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste" - is evident in most cities, where only the moon and a few of the brightest stars and planets can be seen at night. Even in Falmouth you can see the sky glow at night - it's even worse when there's moisture in the air.
As light pollution overcomes Falmouth, our quaint seaside town starts to lose some of its charm. And that will affect tourism.
Go outside tonight and look up. How many stars can you see? Believe it or not, there could be more.
I'm an amateur astronomer myself (I took this picture of Comet Hale-Bopp), and this is one issue that crosses all sorts of lines. Aside from preserving dark - rural - skies, good lighting helps reduce glare - a side effect of urbanization. Like fences, it makes for good neighbors. And good lighting is good for the environment; aside from reducing energy use, some animal species get disoriented by artificial lights.
If you want to learn more, visit the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) at http://www.darksky.org/.
For my part, whether or not I win this election, I'll be talking about this issue in the months and years to come.
We CAN do better!
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