Springfield Community Band, Springfield Art and Historical Society... Hawks Mountain Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club was awarded a road request... Springfield’s Housing Authority has purchased a house.
www.vermontjournal.com
Select Board discusses amending funding petitions
BY TRINA MENARD, The Shopper
January 2, 2018
clubs
The Select Board discussed changing the requirement that the concert band receive petitions for funding every year. Photo provided.
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – At the Wednesday, Dec. 27, Springfield Select Board meeting, the Hawks Mountain Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club was awarded their annual request to use the roads of route 106 & Maple St. Ext. for the purposes for reaching the gas station. Barry Messer, a representative of the Hawks Mountain Ridge Riders Snowmobile Club stated, “I was 99 percent sure we would be off the road, we have an alternate route and maybe off the road this year; but by next year we will definitely be off the road.” This was passed by unanimous vote.
The Springfield Community Band is a 70-year institution and has enjoyed being publicly funded since 1947. Part of obtaining this public funding requires the entity to obtain signatures totaling a minimum of 5 percent of the registered Springfield voters. The charter not only requires the signatures for its yearly petition, but also when that entity changes the amount of funding requested. Last year, the Springfield Community Band requested $2,000 and provided eight concerts. This year, the band has requested $2,500. Barbara Rodgers, vice president of the Springfield Community Band, expressed that it has been “burdensome” to get these signatures on a yearly basis, requesting instead that the band be exempt from yearly petitioning if they keep the budget consistent and only must re-petition on years they ask to expand their budget.
Rosanne “Bunni” Putnam, president of the Springfield Art and Historical Society said, “This is a biased policy! Some groups are not required to even be present for questioning at the town budget meeting on voting night and are automatically entered onto the ballot.” Putnam requested extending the term for re-petitioning from every year to “two or three years.” The selectmen voted to move to reform the current policy, ultimately voting to unanimously to not change the policy as of that meeting. Selectman Walter Martone recused himself from this agenda item in consideration of his position on the board of the Springfield Art and Historical Society.
Springfield’s Housing Authority has purchased the 33 Union St. location, adjacent to Union Street School for $2,000. The purpose of this project is to donate the refurbished building to the Springfield VT school system.
The Springfield promotional videos are now available on YouTube. These are considered “tightly targeted ads” to be run in the areas of upstate New York down through Albany, western Massachusetts, and parts of New Hampshire.
why don't they do fund raisers to get the money they need ? then the people that actually listen's to them can foot the bill,instead of all the taxpayers
ReplyDeleteThe article fails to clarify that the petitions don't ask for the money, they're asking to be put on the ballot so the voters can then say yes or no to the money. The petitions are "asking to ask" for the money.
ReplyDeleteThe rules allow two ways to get a request on the ballot: either petitions by 5% of registered voters, or the select board can just decide. Apparently requests for "social services" get ok'd for the ballot, but those not for "social services" have to petition.
At the meeting the board was asked, why make a group whose tiny budget has been ok'd by voters for 70 straight years spend a hundred hours collecting signatures to get the request on the ballot again, instead of the board just letting it appear on the ballot. Board chair person Kristi Morris replied to the effect that it was necessary in case some similar group came forward in the future and wanted to be on the ballot, and perhaps a majority of the board happened to like that group, and so the board would put it on the ballot just because a majority of the board liked the group - and you couldn't have **that**. Meaning, apparently, that you couldn't let voters say yes or no to a hypothetical future non-social-sevice request on the ballot without 5% of registered voters saying they want to be asked, that would be wrong.
The board members present, except Mr. Martone who was recused from the discussion, all voiced their sincere and fervent support for the groups in question, but being afraid to open the door to the armageddon and chaos described, they voted to continue having those groups petition every year to be on the ballot. They said they'd think about it.
Hello Select Board Members and the voting public: why can't longstanding groups like the Springfield Community Band be "grandfathered"; this way the Selectmen don't need to worry about future "special interest" groups and how the majority of Board members may vote in the future.
DeleteNice summary Phil. I watched much of the meeting which you attended on SAPA. I'd love to see the band raise money without tax payers footing the bill. Pass the hat at those 8 concerts. Maybe play a few more to raise a little more. Or at least pass the petition at the concert. Those attending should be willing to support the cause.
DeleteExcellent summary, Philip!
ReplyDeleteSelect board members are elected presumably because the voters trust them to represent them. If they do a bad job, we should expect they will be voted out. All of us know people in town whom we would fear to have on the selectboard-- those people will never be in a position to represent us. And while each of us might disagree with any particular vote by any member, we do trust in the fact that those for whom others (but not oneself) voted are representing the collective judgment and opinions of the rest of the town. It's what I like about democracy-- I might be unhappy with the results, but I can trust on others to damp my own tendencies to error.
Chuck, there is no denying few candidates vie for open seats on the selectboard, and even fewer with proven judgement. Compound that with an majority electorate of low income residents that vote thru every candidate and article that remotely benefits them indifferent to those of us that fuel the budget. There is no "collect judgement," only special interest. Springfield didn't get where it is without poor leadership.
DeleteWell, given the conservatives' contempt for the low income residents in town, I'd say their indifference is well justified. Many of these people actually work, they just don't get paid well for doing it. Even those on welfare DO actually bring money into the community, lining the pockets of slumlords with taxpayer dollars that often come from other states. Could this town be run better? Sure; I have a few ideas how, too. With a few exceptions, I believe this town IS improving, even if it's moving slower than I'd like it to. Why is it that the only solution you local conservatives can come up with is the same, tired, "throw the bums off welfare" line? It's that kind of knee-jerk simple-mindedness that is the cause of most of the problems around here. Where's the creativity, the entrepreneurial spirit? Where's the determination and the guts you say you all have (and the rest of us don't.) Are you all such delicate little flowers that you can't grow outside of a greenhouse? Rise to the challenge, like our pioneer forefathers did! Shoulder to the wheel, nose to the grindstone, take that whip and love it, conservatives! Make Springfield Great Again! (How's that medicine tasting, any good?)
DeleteWell done!
Delete4:04, I think a lot of the attitude you describe is a holdover from the Precision Valley days, when the entire town depended on the wisdom of the shop owners (who must have been smarter than everybody else, because they were rich). Because they never had to think for themselves, residents when faced with Springfield's problems would simply say, "Throw the bums out," and let the shop owners do what they would.
ReplyDeleteThe town is improving now, and you might have noticed that a lot of the people doing the improving never grew up in Precision Valley.
3:01, I have a graph that shows the income distribution of Springfield residents. I'll post it at the downtown bus stop shelter next week. You'll probably realize just how many of them are living below livable wage levels, even though they have jobs.