Are We There Yet?

Welcome back!

Sudbury’s Town Election is on Monday. In theory the election-related bickering will soon come to an end, and the community will get back to bickering about dog droppings on trails, No Mow May, and potholes.

Here’s what we have for you this week:

1. L-S Committee Updates Six Policies, Including Non-Discrimination and Pregnancy Policies

2. Sudbury Housing Authority Makes Its Case to Select Board, FinCom

3. FinCom, Select Board Take Positions on Town Meeting Articles

4. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

5. Vote Monday in Town Election

6. 250 years ago March 29, 1775

7. Town of Sudbury Launches Sudbrief Information Service

Let’s get into it!

L-S Committee Updates Six Policies, Including Non-Discrimination and Pregnancy Policies

By Kevin LaHaise

At a meeting of the Lincoln-Sudbury (L-S) School Committee on March 5, the committee voted to adopt six policy updates ranging from their non-discrimination policy, to their pregnancy policy and donations policy.

The policies were voted in one combined motion, which passed 5-0-1. Member Kevin Matthews abstained on the vote. The committee members didn’t discuss the policies, though they were discussed at a prior meeting. Matthews did not share a reason for abstaining.

The six policies included:

AC - Nondiscrimination
AC-R - Declaration of Compliance
BDA - School Committee Organizational Meeting
JIE - Pregnancy Policy/Procedure
KCD - Donations and Fundraising
DI - Disposition of Funds

The policy edits can be accessed through the meeting agenda here. You can view the exchange at 1:31:00. The committee is expected to review addition non-discrimination and sexual harassment policies at an upcoming meeting. The specific policies that were adopted were discussed in greater detail at the March 11 meeting of the L-S School Committee. (1:53:00)

Sudbury Housing Authority Makes Its Case to Select Board, FinCom

By Kevin LaHaise

The Sudbury Select Board and Finance Committee met jointly on Tuesday, March 25 to cover two matters: the Town Meeting article to provide Community Preservation Act funds to the Sudbury Housing Authority’s (SHA) duplex project, and Finance Committee recommendations on Town Meeting articles. The SHA’s Executive Director, Sheila Cusolito presented on behalf of the SHA.

Before they got to that portion of the meeting, the board entertained nearly 45 minutes of public comments both in favor of, and in opposition to, the SHA’s duplex project. A majority of commenters were residents of the Pine Lakes neighborhood who opposed the project. (Three of the four proposed duplexes are in the Pine Lakes neighborhood) Supporters of the project also commented, including Sudbury’s State Representative, Carmine Gentile. Gentile also serves on the Sudbury Housing Trust, which is a separate housing-related entity from the Sudbury Housing Authority. (13:30)

The Basics

The SHA project would replace four existing single family homes with duplexes. The approximate cost is estimated at nearly $4.2 million, or $523K per unit. (Page 13)

Cusolito provided a similar presentation to what she had given in an earlier Community Preservation Committee hearing. However, the discussion went into even greater depth and detail this time. Much of the focus was centered on maintenance, financials and if alternative projects were considered.

Maintenance 

Maintenance of the existing single-family units has been raised as a concern in recent months. Cusolito explained that the duplex project was part of a new program that came with subsidies from the State. (1:29:50)This was also explained in an FAQ document on the SHA website:

Cusolito also pushed back against the notion that the estimated costs to get one of the single-family units ready for new renters was a valid comparison to new construction costs. She argued that a full capital improvement project for the four single-family homes would be significantly more expensive, noting that 3 of the 4 units will need all new siding in the coming years. She also made this point in a memo uploaded to the SHA site. She explained that the $137K estimate was for selective improvements, not a comprehensive project.

Financials

One recurring point that Cusolito made was that new construction would have very low maintenance costs for 10 to 15 years. She felt that would allow the SHA to build up a reserve via the voucher program and rent. She also felt that would exceed the amount of State funding they were previously receiving for the existing units, though concerns were raised that Federal funding for the new program could disappear at any time.

When asked what the SHA would do if the article fails at Town Meeting, she said they would pursue other funding sources, assuming the project clears the design and permitting hurdles to become viable. “I think we would find another funding source to make up for it.” (2:27:50)

Alternatives 

Concerns have also been raised that the SHA could achieve its goals by building more duplexes on Fairbank Circle, where it already has several duplexes, and rehabbing the 4 single-family units. That would leave the single-family units as single family units in the Pine Lakes neighborhood, but Cusolito pointed out that this approach wouldn’t address the maintenance needs of the houses.

FinCom co-chair Mike Joachim asked how this project stacked up financially to other alternatives.

Cusolito answered that this project was prioritized because it it solves for the maintenance needs of the existing single-family units while also creating more units. She then walked through a series of project considerations dating back to the last duplex project the SHA completed in 2012. (2:10:15)

Cusolito was clear that the SHA didn’t do a cost comparison with other specific projects, and didn’t feel it was necessary given the other factors the SHA had weighed. She reiterated throughout the discussion that the SHA sees the most demand on their waitlist for smaller units with fewer bedrooms.

Next Steps

The Select Board and the Finance Committee did not vote their positions on the SHA article on Tuesday. They’ll likely do that at their next meetings. After that, it goes to Town Meeting to decide.

FinCom, Select Board Take Positions on Town Meeting Articles

By Kevin LaHaise

The Sudbury Select Board and the Finance Committee are in the middle of their processes of voting their positions of support or opposition to Town Meeting articles. They’ve taken votes on most of the articles, but several highly anticipated votes will have to wait for their next meeting or longer.

Here’s the status on the noteworthy votes so far:

Select Board

• All of their votes so far have been in support of the articles.

• They voted to support all of the Community Preservation Committee articles except one that has yet to get a vote: the CPC article providing $450K to the Sudbury Housing Authority for their duplex project. The votes were unanimous except for the Hosmer House Envelope and HVAC article, which garnered a ‘no’ vote from Vice Chair Dan Carty.

• They have not taken a position on the three citizen petitions on the warrant. That includes one that would cut the Community Preservation Act surcharge in half. According to Town Manager Andy Sheehan, the petitioner has not agreed to present the petition to the Select Board.

• They have not voted on the additional funds for the Atkinson Pool renovation, as the Town is still developing more information.

• They have not voted on the opt-in stretch energy code article.

• Watch their votes and discussion at 3:42:00

Finance Committee

• They have taken almost all of their votes. However, the Finance Committee doesn’t vote on every article, and may opt not to take a position on certain articles they have discussed.

• They’re waiting for more information on the Atkinson Pool article, the opt-in stretch energy code article, and the pool enterprise fund adjustment article.

• They opposed the pension stabilization fund and the accrued leave fund.

• They opposed the Capital Planning article that would raised the threshold for Capital Improvement Advisory Committee review of capital projects to $500,000.

• They opposed the Community Preservation Committee article to fund the second sport court, pavilion and landscape study at the Fairbank Community Center/Haskell Field. (The Select Board supported that article unanimously)

• While they ultimately supported the SPS article for ELA curriculum implementation, it was a 6-3 vote.

• They have not taken a position on the citizen petitions.

• Watch their votes and deliberations in their last two meetings. (March 24, March 17)

SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

[Editor’s Note: last week the long list of articles in the news and opinion sections caused email deliverability issues, and the newsletter was truncated by some email providers. We’re omitting the images in this week’s roundup to avoid those issues.]

Vote Monday in Town Election

By The League of Women Voters of Sudbury

This Monday, March 31, is Election Day in Sudbury for the Annual Town Election. Return your mail ballot to the drop box behind Town Hall or vote in person by 8 p.m. Monday.

In-person voting for all six Sudbury precincts is at Fairbank Community Center, 40 Fairbank Rd.  Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Voters who have not yet returned a mail ballot should deposit their ballot in the secure ballot drop box at the rear of Town Hall, 322 Concord Rd. The drop box is available 24 hours, seven days a week. It is too late to send your mail ballot by U.S. Postal Service to be sure it has been received the town clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots not received by 8 p.m. on Monday, March 31, will not be counted. Postmarks do not count. Mail ballots cannot be returned to the polls at Fairbank Community Center.

Voters using a mail ballot must sign the yellow envelope after inserting their ballot or the ballot will not be counted. The signed yellow envelope is then put in the white return envelope.

Voters should check the status of their mail ballot on Election Day. If your mail ballot is not received by Election Day, or if it is rejected for an error such as forgetting to sign the envelope, you may still vote in person before the polls close. Track the status of a mail ballot here. 

If you requested a mail ballot but did not receive it, or if you have not yet returned your mail ballot, you may choose to vote in person on Election Day instead of voting by mail.

There are three contested races on the Annual Town Election ballot.

For the two Select Board seats, candidates are Lisa Kouchakdjian, Radha Gargeya, and Kevin Matthews.

Running for the single two-year seat on the Sudbury School Committee are Elizabeth Sues and Allison Vanderels.

For the two seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional District School Committee, candidates are Charles Morton, IV, Eric Poch, and John Ryan, Jr.

Information on the candidates and links to the Candidates’ Forums for the three contested races plus a program on uncontested candidates are available in the LWV Voters’ Guide. 

Information about voting can be found in the League’s Election FAQs and on the Town Clerk’s website.

250 years ago March 29, 1775

By Jan Hardenbergh

250 Years ago, on March 29th, 10 hogsheads of rum and other supplies were shipped to Sudbury to reduce the concentration of stores in Concord. Here is the story from Shattuck's History of Concord*

"On the 29th of March a report was circulated that the British troops were coming to Concord, which produced considerable alarm. The Provincial Committee of Safety met here on the 1st, 5th, 14th, and 17th of April. At the last date they directed Colonel Barrett to mount two cannon, and raise an artillery company, and to send four cannon to Groton and two to Acton. They met at Mr. Wetherbee's in West Cambridge the next day, and gave orders for the removal of some of the stores from Concord. These were ordered to be deposited in 9 different towns ; 50 barrels of beef, 100 of flour, 20 casks of rice, 15 hogsheads of molasses, 10 hogsheads of rum, and 500 pounds of candles were ordered to Sudbury; 15,000 canteens, 1500 iron pots, the spades, pickaxes, bill-hooks, axes, hatchets, crows, wheelbarrows, and several other articles, were to be divided, —one third to remain in Concord, one-third to be sent to Sudbury, and one third to Stow; 1000 iron pots to be sent to Worcester.“

*Full title: A history of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to 1832; and of the adjoining towns, Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle; containing various notices of county and state history not before published.
by Shattuck, Lemuel, 1793-1859
Publication date 1835

https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofc00shat_0

Town of Sudbury Launches Sudbrief Information Service

By Kevin LaHaise

The Town of Sudbury launched a new information service called “Sudbrief.” Distributed via email for the first time on Friday, March 28, it includes updates on events, programs and information from Town of Sudbury.

Town Manager Andy Sheehan told Sudbury Weekly:

Residents can subscribe to Sudbrief here.

The first edition included updates on the Town Election, Hazardous Waste Collection Day, the upcoming Health Fair, a community read that’s part of the Locally Grown Sudbury program, and a variety of volunteer opportunities.

The information is concise, beautifully laid out for email, and timely.

Sheehan added “We know people get their news from many different sources and in many different ways. What worked yesterday may not work as well today. People are also pressed for time and may not have the time to scroll through a newsletter for items that are important to them. So it’s just another tool to get out information.”

Parting Thoughts

It looks like rain on election day this coming Monday. Don’t let that stop you from heading over to the Fairbank Community Center to vote. Democracy is waterproof, right? Surely we can all figure out how to navigate the rain on election day, especially if they have rain garments like this for cats…

Next week we will have the results of the Town Election posted on the website as soon as we can, and we’ll be tuning in for several important meetings as the march to Town Meeting commences. Keep an eye on the site throughout the week…

Onward!