C. Elliott – Req. City Solicitor provide an explanation on damage claim refused for 58 Carroll Parkway.

On this week’s Agenda City Councilor Rodney Elliot is asking for the City Solicitor to explain to the Council and public why a property claim of damage against the city was refused?

I’m curious, under the current charter and Plan E form of Government, isn’t this question out of line? Especially since the claim could be appealed? In all my years of watching a City Council meeting I’ve seen hundreds of claims referred to the Law Dept. but never have seen one brought in by a Councilor in the form of a motion to ask why a ruling in favor of the City was ruled to be in the City’s favor?

Why does a City Councilor find it necessary to single out 1 of hundreds of claims filed and in some cases I am sure refused? What makes this claim “Special” or “Unique”?

Anyone have any ideas?

FYI- I do know who lives there since I looked it up and I do not know of this person. Since this person is NOT a public figure though this councilor may be making them one do to this motion, I will not publish the name of the homeowner out of respect to their privacy.

GN: Long time Dunstable Greater Lowell Technical School Committee member Dave Tully used a Point of Personal Privilege at last night’s meeting (after some behind the scene hesitation by Chair Paul Morin) to make a public apology to Superintendent Mary Jo Santoro and to let the graduating students and the Greater Lowell Community know that in his opinion Ms. Santoro was an outstanding Superintendent who didn’t deserve to be treated in the manner some on the board have treated her.

I requested and received a copy of his statement and would like to share that with you all.

Prepared by David E. Tully, SC Representative from Dunstable MA
The following comments relate strictly to my opinion and my opinion alone, although I do know that many people will agree with me, some will not.

Over the last month, the School Committee has begun the process of hiring a new superintendent-director; last month we elected a new chairman. I would like to start with a new beginning, clearing the air and moving forward working together as we have been able to do so many times in the past. With this said, I would appreciate a few minutes to express my thoughts and the feelings of many individuals who have spoken to me over several months

Growing up on a dairy farm in Dunstable, we learned the value of hard work and mutual respect. I go back to a comment my grandfather always said “Treat other people the way you would like to be treated.” I have always tried to follow that advice, although sometimes it is difficult.

My comments, although they may appear critical, are being presented with the hopes of putting the past year behind us and move forward for the benefit of this school, its staff and its students. Many past actions are best “left in the rear view mirror;” so Greater Lowell can move forward and continue its excellent reputation. I am fully aware that I cannot speak for this committee; my comments are my opinion alone.

For the entire length of time that I have been a member of this committee, I have never had as many people speak to me about any other issue. At least from the people that have spoken to me; there is a concern about how the committee has presented itself, in particular; how the current Superintendent-Director has been treated.

I feel that I owe the Superintendent and the residents I represent an apology. I would like the residents, the students and staff of this great school to know that I am also concerned that there may be a feeling that the “school is in disarray; IT IS NOT.”

At a recent School Committee meeting, I personally thought the meeting was less than courteous, respectful or whatever you want to call it. Personally, I found that meeting disgraceful. I was embarrassed for the School Committee and being a part of the Committee that evening; I was especially embarrassed at the way in which Ms. Santoro, a 35 year employee from Special Education Director to Superintendent Director was treated. I fee that I would like to make a public apology, at least for myself.

I have been a member of this Committee for many years; I have participated in some very memorable events, good and bad. The high point was to hand my grandson, a former student of Ms. Santoro, his diploma. The lowest point I ever encountered was the School Committee meeting held in January of 2013, followed in close second being accused of stealing from “these people” by a person who knows better.

I know that the next School Committee meeting will be the last at Greater Lowell for Ms. Santoro as Superintendent-Director and that my comments could probably be said just as well at that meeting. However, I would like my thoughts to be made before the senior class graduation in hopes of making the graduating students aware that, again in my opinion, this school is in very good hands and has been during the entire time of their tenure at Greater-Lowell. After all, during Ms. Santoro’s entire term at this School, it has always been about the students.

I feel honored to have worked with Ms. Santoro for so many years; although not directly until the last possibly ten years. Whether I always agreed with the Superintendent or not; I think she should be proud of her accomplishments and tenure at Greater Lowell.

She has touched and aided the lives of thousands of students passing through this school; their well-being always came first. I know that she is a very tough task-master; but, she doesn’t expect any more than she contributes herself. I have not heard any of the administrative staff complain that she is too strict or unfair.

Ms. Santoro has succeeded very capable Superintendents, each with his/her own qualities, strengths and weaknesses. She has taken what she learned, developed and passed her knowledge on to her successors. I believe that the majority of the current and past School Committee members feel that Ms. Santoro has made major strides forward for the students of this District.

We recently received a report from the DESE in which scores were compared to districts that “DO NOT COMPARE” to Greater Lowell. As I said at that meeting, I felt that some of the comparisons were not true reflections of the education at this school. Ms. Santoro, although she too probably did not agree with the entire report; did not sit down to argue; she sat down to see how the educational process could be improved. After all, it is not about who is right or wrong, it is about helping the students.

I know that I cannot speak for the Committee, but I feel that the School Committee, as a whole, owes the Superintendent-Director an apology for some actions, again in my opinion, over this past year, which has led to her decision not to request a renewal of her contract. We have all said things that maybe we later regret; I believe that is probably the case here.

Personally, and I hope the majority of this committee, feels that Ms. Santoro has done an excellent job at Greater-Lowell and will be a very tough act to follow. I wish her well and I am sure the majority of this Committee does as well as she leaves the District.

I am very appreciative that the citizens of the Town of Dunstable have allowed me the opportunity to represent them; I can assure you that its residents appreciate Ms. Santoro’s efforts and contributions to this school.

Thank you, Ms. Santoro, for dedicating your career to the students of Greater Lowell Technical High School. I consider you to be an extremely capable and qualified administrator and hopefully, a friend.

I thank the Committee for listening to my comments; please let’s put this past year behind us so we can move Greater Lowell forward as it has always done.Ms. Santoro, I wish you nothing but the best in the future.

Thank You
David E. Tully

That is the Headline in this weeks Boston Business Journal that features UMass Lowell and Chancellor Marty Meehan on the cover.

It is a very positive article on the expansion of ULowell and has an opening paragraph that I’m sure will catch the eye of many here in the community.

Here’s an excerpt:

As he drives through downtown Lowell, Marty Meehan points with excitement at the Lowell District courthouse, a building he has his eyes on to house UMass Lowell’s art department. No matter that the state courthouse is still bustling with judicial proceedings.“There’s parking for it, too,” Meehan said. “It would be fabulous.”

This isn’t the first time that the former congressman has had his eyes on a property in his hometown, and it certainly won’t be the last. Since Meehan joined UMass Lowell as its chancellor in mid-2007, he has presided over a massive expansion of the school, with nearly 600 Million in capital projects that have been completed or set in motion.

Dracut resident Mike Sancartier offers some more information on the Dracut Override and reminds people to attend the Informational Meeting Monday May 20th at 7:30 in Harmony Hall.

From Mike:

I was reading the DOE report from 2010 that identified the schools as a Level 3 district. If you somehow think the schools are NOT in trouble, you need to read this report. Three themes run throughout the report:
1. The town funds the schools at the minimum required by statute.
2. Dracut spent the 5th lowest IN THE STATE per pupil in 2010.
3. The district does not provide the support staff to allow the teachers to deliver an effective education to our children.

Here is the report:
Dracut1010

This override is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity. Even with the override, we are still in the bottom percentile of spending on our schools. Without it, we are looking up at the bottom. Invest in our schools, invest in your community, stabilize the value of your homes, and give our children the education & opportunity they all deserve.

We need to rally every supporter to go to Town Meeting so that the override can be placed before the voters. Opponents are working hard to prevent this- we need to be strong & get this done!!!

Fellow Blogger and Register of Deeds Dick Howe Jr. was kind enough to offer his thoughts on my post this morning and I felt Dick deserved a front page post instead of just a comment. So here are his thoughts on the subject of ” Why does City Gov’t attract so many State/Gov’t and Non-Profit People?”

People who are drawn to public service for work (whether public or non-profit) might also be drawn to elective office. If you grow up with politics being a big topic in the household, you tend to get drawn into political activities. My dad’s grandfather, for instance, was once the city’s Purchasing Agent and politics was always a big topic of discussion in the home.

Another factor to consider is age and position in life. Holding office is a huge time commitment so if you have children school-age or younger, you will miss a lot of their important life events because of the time commitments of your public office. Although there are plenty of exceptions, this makes it more likely that people whose children have made it through high school or who have already retired are more likely to serve as would younger people who are just starting out.

Finally, don’t ignore the compensation paid to city councilors. When my dad was elected in 1965 there were 55 candidates for city council. People hear that today and conclude that our population was much more public service oriented back then. That’s not necessarily the case. In 1965, the salary paid to a city councilor was $5000. When my dad was elected, he resigned his job as a teacher at Lowell High and opened his law office. At the time, his annual salary as a Lowell public school teacher was $6500. That means a city councilor’s salary was 75% of a public school teacher’s salary plus benefits. If you paid city councilors today 75% of a school teacher’s salary, you’d have many more people – including a lot more currently employed in the private sector – running for council.

Yesterday Derek Mitchell formally announced his candidacy for the Lowell City Council. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mitchell last week and he seems like a very qualified and bright candidate.

The one thing that stood out to me was his occupation, He runs a non-profit.

Here in Lowell in seems that we have a large amount of City Councilors / School Committee people who are working for Non-Profits or are themselves current or former Municipal/State or Federal Government workers. I’m wondering why? Why don’t we have more people who are in the private sector running for Elective City Government?

Many people who have been in the private sector have served one maybe 2 terms and walked away.Mayor Murphy,Steve Gendron, Franky Descoteaux, Mike Lenzi and Dan Tenzar come to mind.

I know there are exceptions, Dick Howe was in private practice the entire time he served. Bill Martin a lawyer or Jim Leary an Insurance guy have stayed on longer than 2 terms and Ed Kennedy is finishing his 5th. But look at the present boards and those who are running or who are speculated to be running.

Council – Mayor Murphy* – Serving 2nd term, not running again, employed in Private Business.
Joseph Mendonça – Serving his 2nd term and running for Re-Election works in Private Business.
Rodney Elliott – Serving his 8th term and running for re-election works for U.S. Gov;t – EPA
Ed Kennedy – Serving his 5th term (1st in 25 years) running for re-election works in Private Business.
John Leahy – Serving 1st term and running for Re-Election, Business Owner – Leahy Painting
Marty Lorrey* – Serving 1st and running for re-election. Retired US Post Office Worker
Bill Martin – Serving his 7th term and running for re-election. Lawyer in Private Practice
Rita Mercier*- Serving her 9th term and running for re-election.Currently works for Middlesex Sheriff
Vesna Nuon – Serving 1st and running for re-election. Works for the State of MA.

* All serve on the Board of Directors at Non-Profit Community Teamwork

School Committee – David J. Conway serving his 3rd term retired City of Lowell employee, running for re-election
Kristin Ross-Sitcawich – Serving her 1st term, works for Non-Profit CTI, running for re-election
Connie Martin – Serving her 7th term, works for Non-Profit CTI, running for re-election
Robert Gignac – Serving his 1st term, works for City of Lowell, running for re-election
Kim Scott – Serving 1st term, works in Private Business, running for re-election.
Jim Leary – Serving his 4th term, works in Private Business, running for re-election.

Announced and Speculated Candidates for Council – Stacie Hargis, works for CTI
Derek Mitchell, works for International Institute (non-profit)
Bill Samaras, retired Lowell School Dept.
Corey Belanger , Private Business Owner
Matt Viera , Private business
Danny Rourke, State’s Probation Dept,

I understand CTI does some great work but how much money does the City of Lowell School & City side spend in contracts with them and how many Elected Officials need to work there or serve on the board before it looks like a major conflict of interest?

Is it that those who work in the private sector don’t have the time required or does serving hurt those who have businesses in the City or surrounding communities? Why are those time constraints not faced by those who work in other public sector jobs?

It just struck me looking at the make up of the boards and the potential candidates that not many in the private sector run for elected office or serve more than a couple terms and was curious as to what others thought the reason was?

My friend John MacDonald took the time to reply to my morning Post so Here’s Johnny….!

Hi Gerry,

As always you generate interesting discussion. I don’t generally monitor blogs, but as I’ve said I do look at yours on occasion. John McDonough pointed out your comments this morning on City Life and thank you for the phone conversation after the show.

In regard to Jack’s comments… Riverwalk is comprised of approximately 15% of state agencies that settled on Lawrence and Riverwalk. DCAM is the organization that determines where and agencies locate based on really two items. One is cost and the other delivery. DCAM goes where they can find a good landlord who is willing to help save the state money and is able to provide a quality office environment. The other 85% of Riverwalk tenants are comprised of other business and all the credit goes to the businesses and they did indeed built them themselves, not the Government.
Also, almost 30% of the 3500 people working at Riverwalk commute from Lowell. Real jobs, real people and employed in Lawrence, MA. We don’t target businesses in Lowell, we have actually referred businesses to Lowell on many instances. We seek opportunities in Lowell and have visited many locations on numerous occasions.

I have questions for Jack Mitchell. How many jobs have you created in Lowell? How many companies have you recruited to Lowell? How many Lowellians have you helped put to work in or outside of the city? My guess is none, but I don’t want to assume.

That’s all and again thanks Gerry.
John MacDonald