State of the City Address

Mayor David B. Cohen

10/21/02

 

President Lipsitt, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board of Aldermen, School Committee Chair Larner, Members of the School Committee, members of the state’s legislative delegation, friends, family, members of the public, my fellow Newtonians, welcome. I also want to welcome and thank my staff for the great job that they do every day of the year for me and for the City: my Chief of Staff, Mike Rourke, the Chief Budget Officer Sandy Pooler, Karen Griffey, Director of Policy and Communication, Maureen Grimaldi, the Citizens Assistance Officer, Mary Morgan, my extraordinary Executive Assistant, and Terry Caminiti the Mayor’s Office Assistant, who does a superb job.

I also want to thank my department heads for the great job they do. Many of the accomplishments that I mention in this speech are really theirs and also they are the accomplishments of the dedicated city work force who are the ones who every day of the year make this the great city that it is.

Newton is a great place to live. It’s a great place to grow up, raise a family and grow old in. It is beautiful, safe clean and welcoming. It is such a great place to live because of the legacy that so many, who went before us labored so hard, with such care to leave us.

We who live here today are much more than just the inheritors and beneficiaries of that legacy. We are its guardians and trustees. Our solemn obligation is to do more than merely enjoy that gift, it is to preserve and enhance it, so that it will be there for those who come after us.

As we catalogue our list of accomplishments this evening, and they are many, we must remember that it is not enough to take satisfaction in past successes, we must commit ourselves to making Newton even better for our children and all generations that will follow us.

We live in a truly extraordinary city, whose remarkable accomplishments we can all take pride in. We number just under 83,000, barely 1% of the population of the State of Massachusetts. Yet in area after area, we set the standard for performance, not only in this state, but throughout the nation.

Our library loans out more items than any other library in the state. And for the second time in two years, it was judged the second best library in the nation. Our Police Department was the first City department to be accredited in this State and we continue to be the second safest community of our size in the nation. Recently, thanks to the work of Chief Cordero and the men and women of our police force we succeeded in turning a 27% increase in crime in the first months of 2002 to an 11% overall reduction in crime for the year to date.

Our recycling rates are among the highest in the state, and we are the community that the state has chosen to blaze the trail for the next generation of recycling programs, source reduction.

And I am pleased to report that our Senior Center, which runs an exemplary program, recently had its efforts recognized by becoming the first City Senior Center in the State to be accredited by the National Council On Aging’s Institute of Senior Centers.

Our schools are one of the centerpieces of our city, attracting new young families, providing top-notch educational services and serving as an anchor in securing a strong community. Although we are one of the largest systems in the state, our test scores, college placement percentages and overall level of academic achievement consistently rank us equal to or better than the smallest, most elite systems in the state.

Our Building Department has done an excellent job working with the School Department, in overseeing the many school building projects that have taken place recently. The re-opening of the Memorial-Spaulding School this past September marks the successful completion of the tier one elementary school renovation program. Three elementary schools, Bowen, Williams and Memorial-Spaulding were renovated on time and within budget.

The Newton South renovation project is proceeding well, and the new wing is scheduled to open in January 2003. The news at Newton North has not been as good. As I recently found out, and many of you already know, our project manager, Turner Construction, has revealed two developments that could affect the course of the project.

First, they estimate the cost of doing everything in the current work plan for North to be five million dollars more than originally anticipated. I am determined, as I believe we all are, to renovate North in a fiscally prudent manner that will give us a high school we can all be proud of. To that end, I have asked the project manager to examine the plan to identify possible efficiencies and changes that we might make. I have also asked Sanford Pooler, the Chief Budget Officer, to re-examine our funding plan to determine whether existing city finances permit us to commit additional resources to this project.

Second, our project manager recommends that for safety reasons the school be vacated during the entire period of the renovations. This is a significant departure from the conceptual plans, which envisioned the building being at least in part occupied during construction. It, of course, raises many questions. As yet we do not have answers to these questions. But I am determined to find them. Working together, with members of the Board of Aldermen, the School Committee, the public and members of the School community, it is my goal to find a way to give our Newton North High School students, during the construction period, the kind of high school experience worthy of the Newton School system. To that end I have directed the Planning Department to assemble an inventory of all available buildings, public and private, in Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Brighton, Brookline, Needham, Wellesley and Weston, which might be considered as sites for our students during the period of construction. I have also asked School Committee Chair, Anne Larner, to select a member of the school community knowledgeable in the field of commercial real estate to assist in this task together with a member of the school administration.

This is an issue that directly affects many in the community. Their input is essential for us to arrive at the best avenue along which to proceed. To that end there will be a meeting at Newton North on October 29th. These issues will be presented in greater detail, and your comments and questions will be appreciated.

These two developments present us with enormous challenges. We will face them as we do every challenge with composure, thoroughness, and a determination to reach a solution that is in keeping with Newton’s commitment to excellence. I know that, working together, this is a challenge we can meet.

Our Building Department has also done an excellent job in preparing the Carr School for this year’s tenant, the Jewish Community Day School, thus enabling us to obtain $196,000 in rent. My thanks to the Real Property Re-Use Committee, and its Chair, Alderman Bryson for their work on this matter.

Our Building Department has also ably managed the many clean-up projects necessitated by recent environmental regulations requiring the removal of underground oil storage tanks. In fact, this year we anticipate a significant reduction in clean up costs over previous years.

Our mosquito control project protects our citizens against West Nile virus and other mosquito borne diseases in an environmentally responsible manner. In fact, The Audubon Society of Massachusetts has recommended our program, which involves the introduction of naturally occurring bacteria, as the model for all communities to follow in dealing with the control of mosquitoes. Several other communities in the Greater Boston area have already adopted our program.

Newton is also a leader in the effort to introduce renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy into our infrastructure. We have been awarded a $630,000 grant from the Mass. Renewable Energy Trust Fund for the installation of a 60 kilowatt solar electric power system at Newton South High School, and a $20,000 grant for the study of the use of renewable energy at Newton North. In addition, the city Health Department has acquired its first hybrid powered automobile.

Because of our ongoing program of planting new trees and maintaining our existing tree line, Newton has been named a “Tree City USA” for the thirteenth consecutive year.

And our Office of Volunteer Services and our Community Service days are truly unique among cities and towns in this state. Last April, over 500 hardy volunteers braved the inclement weather to make improvements to public and private buildings and grounds throughout Newton.

As well as being a leader among municipalities, Newton continues to be a well managed city implementing a broad range of improvements designed to provide more services to our citizens with even greater efficiency.

Over the past year, the Public Works Department consolidated the highway divisions at Crafts and Elliot Streets, putting them under the direction of one person for the first time. The resulting efficiencies have enabled the city to complete the repair of major portions of such main artery streets as Dedham, Beacon, and Chestnut, using only in-house forces for the first time in thirty years. In the past, roadwork of this magnitude had to be contracted out, costing thousands more.

In addition with the approval of the new Design Engineer position, the now full-service Engineering Division has produced, in-house, the engineering documents on over $3.5 million worth of public works and other city design projects. They have produced them faster and more inexpensively than the old method of contracting them out, and have enabled our city workforce to implement more innovative designs, resulting in significant cost and time savings on many city projects.

These successes are also an excellent example of cooperation between the executive and legislative branches. Without the prompt and thoughtful action of the Board of Aldermen in approving these changes in the past budget, the cost savings and productivity improvements could not have been realized within this construction season.

My special thanks to Board President Lipsitt, The Public Facilities Committee and its Chair, Alderman Schnipper, and the Finance Committee and its Chair Alderman Coletti for their assistance and cooperation in these matters.

Thanks to the hard work of the Information Technology Department under the leadership of Dick Walsh, the city has developed a comprehensive web-site that has been accessed more than 270,000 times in the past two years.

Working with Information Technology, the Purchasing Department lists all of its bids and bid results on-line, inviting more competition and saving money on paper and postage.

Working with Information Technology, Our Election Department has succeeded in posting on our web site the results of the September primary by 11pm of election night. The site was accessed over 1200 times on election night alone.

One of the greatest strengths of this community is its fiscal wellbeing. The financial state of the city is very good. We are one of only two cities in Massachusetts to have a triple-A bond rating, allowing Newton to borrow money at the most attractive rates available to any municipality.

We finished the fiscal year ending last June 30th with some $5.6 million in free cash. Our reduced reliance on free cash to fund the operating budget, down to $1.2 million next year, means that we potentially have more money than in any recent year to fund some long deferred and badly needed capital requirements.

Replacement of vehicles in the Parks, Police, Public Works, and Fire Departments, some as much as twenty years old, as well as repairs to our buildings and grounds, is the result of our prudence in not over-committing free cash to the operating budget.

To maintain our strong fiscal position in the next budget year, 2004, will require even greater prudence and restraint. We, just like all the other communities, are faced with increases in health insurance premiums of between 15 and 20 percent. We are also faced, as the sluggish economy continues, with the prospect of state aid that will be at best level funded and at worst down significantly over last year.

I have asked the budget officer to prepare preliminary revenue estimates by November 15th. I have already met with city and school officials to discuss ways to control costs and those discussions will continue. We will have a budget in 2004 that is balanced and within the limits imposed by proposition 2½.

Significant improvements have been made in the Treasurer Collector Department, which had been faced with difficulties in preparing financial statements in a timely manner. Changes in the process of reporting cash receipts to the Comptroller introduced by City Treasurer Edward Spellman with the support and tireless cooperation of Comptroller, David Wilkinson, mean that cash is reported to the Comptroller’s within ten days of receipt. In January of 2001, when the Treasurer took office there was a six month backlog in reporting cash receipts.

The Treasurer Collector and the Comptroller have worked hand-in-hand to streamline, automate, and speed up cash, receivable, and general ledger reconciliation. They have eliminated unproductive, arcane procedures and replaced them with a smooth flow of financial data between their offices. None of this would have been possible without the cooperation, innovation, and professionalism of David Wilkinson, city Comptroller.

The School Department has implemented a comprehensive financial management improvement plan which provides ongoing, systematic oversight of all school spending.

One of Newton’s greatest strengths is that although it is as large as some of our largest cities, it is still very much a strong community, held together by common values, goals and activities. Few departments contribute as much to building that sense of community as the Parks and Recreation Department under the leadership of Fran Towle, and the Office of Cultural Affairs, headed by Linda Plaut.

Parks and Recreation’s turf maintenance and management programs and their cooperation with our local soccer and little leagues have enabled thousands of youngsters to engage in wholesome recreational activity, while enabling thousands more adults to come together, get to know one another and build community based on their common concern for their children.

Carol Schein, our open space coordinator, has worked closely with many community groups fostering community spirit through environmental stewardships. The adopt-a-space program is giving hundreds of people throughout the city the opportunity work to together to beautify the city and build a sense of community at the same time.

The Arts in the Parks program sponsored over 40 cultural events this summer alone, attracting over 30,000 people. And the Newton Pride Committee, ably led by Steve Aronson, continues its beautification program with new volunteers Pat Rand and Margaret Ford. Although officially retired, Leo Levi, the one person beautification brigade, continues to informally encourage Newton residents to plant thousands of flower bulbs and seedling trees.

Our Veterans’ Services Department has done much to build community by fostering a deeper understanding of the contributions our veterans have made to our community and to the wider task of securing freedom for our nation. This Veterans’ Day we will recognize those from Auburndale who served their country, and during Veterans’ week for the third consecutive year, veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam will share their experiences with students from Newton North and South High Schools.

There is much in Newton that we can rightly feel pride in. But taking pride in past accomplishments is not enough. If we are to maintain Newton as a leader among communities, as a place we are proud to call home we must move forward. That is why in area after area, department after department is not content to rest on the past but rather are taking important steps to make the future better.

In an effort to make our city even safer, the Police Department is implementing a computer based data system called “comp stat” to analyze crime and traffic statistics on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Information is entered, tallied, mapped and then analyzed. Police resources are then assigned to target the specific locations and times at which crimes are occurring, and to identify high accident locations and provide appropriate enforcement there.

Thanks to the action of the board in approving funding, the Fire Department is training twenty-four of its personnel in responding to the introduction of hazardous and toxic substances into the environment. This function assumes far greater importance after the events of September 11th 2001. My thanks to the members of the Public Safety Committee and its Chair, Alderman Samuelson, for their support on this matter during the budget.

Maintaining our infrastructure is essential to maintaining our quality of life. In the coming year, we intend to move forward with projects to further refurbish our aged sewer system and propose steps to safeguard our essential water supply system. We will also move ahead with a master plan for flood mitigation, in an effort to improve conditions in those areas of the city that have been prone to flooding in periods of heavy rain.

Newton is a very livable city. In order to keep it that way it is critical that land use management, housing and transportation issues continue to be carried out in a well thought out manner. In order to assist the Board of Aldermen in this very important task, the Mayor’s Planning Advisory Committee, Chaired by retired MIT Professor Phillip Herr, is moving ahead with the development of a Comprehensive Plan, with the assistance of the Planning Department and participation of several members of the Board of Aldermen. They will hold their first public workshop meeting on Tuesday October 29th at the Mason-Rice School.

Diversity is something this city is justifiably proud of, and the planning department has targeted $800,000 for the acquisition of a site for thirty five units of affordable elderly housing in Nonantum, so that people who have spent their whole lives here will be able to stay in the city they call home.

We are taking two important steps to enhance customer service. The business sector forms an essential part of our community. Often, when they approach the city with modest plans for improvements upon their establishments they are faced with a complicated array of rules and regulation. To assist them with the process I am designating Gerald Brown, Chief Building Inspector, in the Inspectional Services Department as the business liaison specialist. His duties will include assisting businesses with their applications pending before city agencies. He may be reached at 617-796-1060.

To assist residents in dealing with the city bureaucracy, I am proposing as part of the CIP a new customer service center at the entrance to City Hall. It will be staffed by the Customer Service Division of the Department of Public Works. I wish to thank the Public Buildings Preservation Task Force and its Chair, Alderman Susan Basham, for their assistance in this matter.

Our Election Department has set as a goal, posting election results on the internet by 9pm, as well as improving upon the efficiency of our election day operation. To that end I have included in the Capital Improvement Plan the purchase of the next generation of voting machines to replace our aging mechanical system.

Newton faces many tests in the coming year, but it has many opportunities to improve itself as well. It is a strong community, up to the challenges. Let us resolve to face those challenges with courage, to act upon our opportunities with vision. And let us resolve to build upon the gifts we have inherited and strengths we have nurtured so that Newton will continue to be a leader among Cities today, tomorrow and in the future.