In a recent post on V14, Paul Levy asked that when the Globe expands its coverage of Newton, they look into Mayor Warren’s overreach concerning how he carried out the contract with Big Belly and to perform a post audit.
I would extend his request to include that when the Globe, along with Gail Spector and her journalism class, expands its coverage of Newton, one of the first things they cover is how and why Newton Mayors have the audacity to not only preside in an authoritarian manner but have the power to get away with it!!
Mayoral overreach did not stop with Mayor Warren – Mayor Fuller proudly carries the mantel of overreach like a pro. As My comment on Paul’s post said:
It was in her first month that my article in the Tab first broached the subject of her overreach – after she started telling the City Council how to vote on issues and then carried out a no-bid contract for a consultant to conduct the Washington Street zoning study.
The City Council is charged with providing checks and balances to the executive branch. In our strong mayoral system, when the mayor makes decisions without informing the members of the council, it’s hard for them to do their job. Although it was the city council that granted Mayor Fuller’s request for $500,000 to contract the Principle Group to do its study.
In retrospect it now seems that some councilors generally know what our mayors have been up to but either don’t care that the mayor is overstepping the bounds of the power of the executive branch or are afraid to stand up against them.
How are we residents to trust the “system” in place, when we have seen behind the curtain and found out it’s not the all powerful Oz – it’s a just a mayor skilled at attempting to outwit her constituents and a city council that’s not doing its job? That’s exactly what residents are being asked to do now with the Newton Senior Center that has morphed into the Newton Community Center with senior programming being vacuously termed the Newton Center for Active Living.
From the mayor’s 9-4-2019 newsletter:
- Monday, Sept. 9 – Finance Committee – City Hall, Room 222 at 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 11 – Design Review Committee – Library, Trustees Room at 6:00 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 16 – Parks and Recreation Commission – City Hall, Room 211 at 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 18 – Programs and Services Committee – City Hall, Room 211 at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 19 – Community Meeting – Ed Center, Room 111 at 7:00 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 23 – Community Meeting – F.A. Day School, Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 24 – Council on Aging – Senior Center, at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 24 – Community Meeting – Ed Center, Room 111 at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 21 – Community Meeting – Ed Center, Room 111 at 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 12 – Community Meeting – Ed Center, Room 111 at 7:00 p.m.
FAQ’s here
Including paying for the project, the process to date, the program and how it was developed, Albemarle pool and traffic among other things
Flyer here
Bolding and strike-throughs mine
In the FAQ’s, the first thing I want first to illuminate is that the “favorite” site is to “co-exist with the Albemarle pool,” complex, including a renovation of the pool, locker rooms and field house, while also pointing to the statement that “if a pool is included,” a new source of funding will be found.
So which is it and how was the budget for the project determined? According to the mayor, $16+ million will cover the 2.5 acres on city owned-land and the programming, multipurpose, administrative space and a gym provided in the 37+ sq ft building but not a pool., even though the site being studied in depth has a pool included.
Perhaps something like this could be an option for Albemarle. Canadians crowdfunded the purchase of parkland to prevent developers from building on it.
https://www.upworthy.com/canada-crowdfunded-pristine-land
An acre is 43560 sq ft.
Where do they find 2 acres of non green space there?.
87000 sq ft.
Start with that.
If the city is only going to build the new facility on “hard space” now occupied by the pool, associated facilities, and things like basketball courts and parking, how tall is the resulting structure going to be? Where are people going to park, given that Albemarle is far from transit?