Candidate Q&A: The Uncontested Races in Bedford’s 2017 Town Election

Compiled  by The Bedford Citizen

The Bedford Citizen has posed questions to each of the candidates on the 2017 Town Election Ballot, and we are pleased to share their replies with our readers. This segment focuses on the candidates running in uncontested races. A separate Q&A for the three candidates running for two seats on the Library Trustees will appear on Friday, March 3. Final statements from all of the candidates will appear on Monday, March 6.

Selectmen – Two candidates will be elected

Question 1: What major challenges do you expect to face during the next three years?

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Michael A. Rosenberg

There’s one challenge that town government confronts every day, a framework for every discussion: How can town government provide basic services and maintain, even improve, quality of life while keeping within realistic financial limitations?

That being said, and with deference to the second question, here are a few more specific challenges:

There has to be some resolution of the situation with Springs Brook Park. The current financial model is not sustainable, but the consensus is that the park is a town asset that should be retained. The facility and the services it provides need to be evaluated from all angles, and any appraisal has to include an answer to the question of whether a public swimming facility should be an essential town service. I think this process should begin soon after town meeting. I want to add that the Recreation Commission and Director Amy Hamilton have been investing heart and soul in this issue for years now, and they deserve our respect and gratitude.

How will the unpredictability of the current administration in Washington impact local revenue sources? Bedford might feel insulated from the vagaries of recent federal prioritizing, but our blue state is vulnerable to sudden reductions in federal funding, and the impact will trickle down to every city and town. I am talking about basic needs like aid for road repairs, state aid to education and community preservation, as well as transportation and the arts. And what about the impact of federal decisions on some of the drivers of the regional economy? If a proposed military buildup means more ships and tanks, what happens to the research and development that are the core of many employment centers here and throughout the 128 corridor? What about federal support of colleges and universities? Many assumptions now must be re-examined.

Can we inspire and motivate a new generation of volunteers to serve on appointed and elected boards and committees? There are scores of opportunities that span a range of interests and talents. Not surprisingly, older residents predominate – many of them have extra time with children grown; many are retired. As someone who joined the Publications Committee at age 26, I want to help the Volunteer Coordinating Committee spread the word that community service is not only gratifying but essential to sustaining the Bedford we know and love.

Edward Pierce

I would assume that the challenges we will face are continuing to balances the needs with our financial resources, affordability, building projects, traffic, Springs Brook Park, services for a growing aging population, increasing school enrollments, maintaining our roads, parks and fields, continuing to attract businesses to locate in Bedford, providing outstanding patrolling and safety programs  One thing I have learned is that it’s not the challenges that we expect to face but the challenges that we do not expect that are the most trying. For instance, a situation we didn’t expect in the Schools was the challenge that was presented as a result of a swastika being drawn in the High School bathroom. The resultant hand-wringing over how we should handle this within the Schools, in the Community and beyond was an unanticipated challenge. Meeting this challenge head on as a Community has resulted in some great discussions over the type of community we are and what we value.

Question 2: How would you sequence the town’s potential construction projects – police or fire station, schools, a town museum?

Mike Rosenberg

First of all, let’s add a possible swimming facility to the list, just to make it more interesting.  Now, it is premature to speculate on a sequence. Public safety and public education are obviously more imperative than culture and recreation, but all of these projects are necessary, whether to the entire population or individual but significant constituencies.

I am confident that the new fire station and the expanded police and school facilities will be achieved through the careful planning that is part of the bedrock of the town’s finances. Indeed, they are all on the extended capital projects plan for fiscal years 2019 through 2023. They are most likely to be proposed as projects exempt from the limitations of Proposition 2 ½, since that will sustain additional borrowing capacity for smaller but needed projects. The level of bonded indebtedness is managed carefully; as debt is retired, the door is open to add new projects without a significant impact on the taxpayer.

Bedford’s financial policies stipulate that payment of bonded indebtedness can be as high as 10  percent of the annual budget. The financial planning team is vigilant about staying within the guideline. Keep in mind that the bond rating houses consider a certain level of debt as a sign of a healthy community that recognizes the importance of maintaining and upgrading its facilities.

The public safety and education projects we are anticipating are daunting, but the combined projected total of $24 million is about half of what the town approved for the high school expansion and rehabilitation. At that time there was no guarantee that state aid would be forthcoming.,

I am committed to the concept of a town museum, and look forward to the selectmen’s consultant report. I also look forward to learning more about the options for swimming and how they can be accommodated.

Edward Pierce

On the sequencing of these three projects, I would offer that over the last few years the Town has refined its capital planning process with the use of its capital management software. Projects, including the police/fire station, school building projects and the museum, are placed on a schedule for the current year and over the five years after that. The compiled list of projects is then forwarded to the Capital Expenditures Committee for review. The Capital Expenditures committee, which is a nine member committee and includes a Selectman, then hosts meeting with the sponsoring department and/or committee to evaluate the merits of each of the projects and through its deliberative process determines where each project should be on the list. Capital Expenditures presents and reviews the list with the Finance Committee for their approval. Finally the Capital list is submitted to the Selectmen for a vote and inclusion on the annual warrant for the Town to approve.

School Committee – Two candidates will be elected

  • Ann E. Guay, Incumbent and Caucus Candidate for a 3-year term as a member of the School Committee
  • Sarah A. Scoville, Caucus Candidate for a 3-year term as a member of the School Committee

Question 1: What major challenges do you expect to face during the next three years?

Ann E. Guay

Looking out at the next three years, there are a number of issues that will require the attention of the Bedford School Committee:

  • At the local level: teacher contracts, annual school budgets, a growing student population and its impact on class sizes, the building addition underway at the Lane School and planning for the anticipated addition at the Davis School, how to recognize religious holidays and expansion of the in-house special needs programs.
  • At the state level:  standardized testing, Chapter 70 funds, military mitigation aid, METCO funding and circuit breaker reimbursement.
  • At the federal level:  potential changes to federal education laws and regulations, charter schools and sources of funding.

Sarah A. Scoville

One of the major challenges I see that the School Committee will face over the next year is the continued growth of the population in Bedford. Over the last several years we have seen the population at Davis School grow with each incoming kindergarten class. This past year the middle school also saw an unexpected bump in their population. I have been impressed by the quick planning and execution of the Lane School expansion to accommodate the growing class sizes as they leave Davis School and enter Lane. I am glad to see that the music, art, library, foreign language, and physical education spaces have not been compromised as the classroom space gets tight. I am looking forward to working through the challenges and opportunities of this growth in numbers.  Areas of focus will include a potential expansion of Davis School and the needs for the other school buildings in town, as well as the needs inside the buildings such as staffing, programming, technology, and equipment needs.  Bedford has a proud tradition of investing in its schools.  We’ll need the resources, discipline, and commitment to continue to do that.

While this does not appear to be a major challenge for Bedford, it is also worth paying attention to our children’s mental health to minimize the issues of overscheduling, over-testing and the pressure to achieve which are facing many other school districts.

Question 2: As Massachusetts’ standardized testing moves beyond PARCC to MCAS 2.0, what metrics will indicate success for Bedford schools

Ann Guay

It is very tempting to simply look at our standardized test scores to measure how we are doing as a district.  As you may know, 2016 was the last year of PARCC testing in Massachusetts.  This year, students will take MCAS 2.0, a hybrid test that utilizes MCAS and PARCC to create the new test format.  For the most part, Bedford students do well on the state standardized tests, however, some students continue to struggle including students with special needs, students who participate in ELL and students from low-income families.  The district is taking steps to try and help students improve.

As is set forth in the Bedford Public Schools: District-Wide Strategy for Achieving Our Mission: 2016-2017:  The Bedford Public Schools develop skillful, reflective, lifelong learners who think critically and creatively and who are informed, responsible, and productive global citizens.  It is my view that how the district educates the whole child will indicate how successful we are as a district.  Test scores are just one of many indicators of how a student is doing in school.

Sarah A. Scoville

Standardized tests scores are meant to help the state make sure that students are getting equal educational opportunities across communities. Ideally, they are designed to help teachers assess their students and help close achievement gaps. However, it is often hard for the teachers to help particular students if they receive the data 6 months following the tests. The school district can look more broadly at the scores to understand which demographics are succeeding and which are struggling to help close any achievement gaps. Bedford’s good standardized tests scores were certainly one of the things that my husband and I looked at before we moved here since they are one indication of a good school system.

However, I believe standardized tests are not a complete assessment of how smart, innovative, compassionate, and creative a child is or the teaching effectiveness in the school that they are attending.  I am glad that Bedford makes a point to not teach to the test. Bedford’s priority is to teach the whole student. They certainly memorize math facts and have spelling tests, as well as learning in depth concepts through hands-on learning.

Apart from standardized tests, there are many other ways to assess a school’s effectiveness.  Examples include: pre-established learning expectations with associated criteria (which Bedford has) for each grade and subject matter in the Bedford District. Performance against these criteria needs to be clear and communicated by teachers to students and parents. The data could also be compiled and examined at a district level to track trends and identify opportunities for improvement. Teachers and parent satisfaction scores are another way to evaluate success. Graduation rates and 2- and 4-year college matriculation rates are also metrics for the district to monitor to indicate success.

Planning Board – Two candidates will be elected

Question 1: What major challenges do you expect to face during the next three years?

Jacinda M. ‘Cindy’ Barbehenn

Maintaining and/or improving the quality of life for all residents and businesses is of fundamental importance to me, and I believe, most of the people that live and work in our town.  There will be many challenges along these lines, including traffic congestion, transportation options, housing stock variety and affordability, as well as business development and retention to mention just a few.  I will strive to work on all of these issues and any others that come up, through that quality of life lens.

Timothy K. Gray, Jr.

The biggest challenge the Planning Board will face over the next three years is its reexamination of the zoning along the Great Road business corridor. As I suspect most readers of “The Bedford Citizen” know, the town has already begun a process of examining, with citizen input, how re-zoning might contribute to keeping the businesses along the Great Road vital and providing the new amenities townsfolk want (while preserving Bedford’s small-town feel). Part of that process, I hope, will entail considering how zoning and the business mix contribute to the traffic on Great Road that many of us in town find bedeviling. Traffic, of course, is a mixed blessing. Part of the reason drivers come to Great Road is to patronize the businesses there. So the traffic is also a sign that the town’s doing something right.

Question 2: In what ways can the planning board make a positive impact on the Great Road business corridor?

Jacinda M. ‘Cindy’ Barbehenn

Input from town citizens and businesses both in and out of events like the scheduled March 4 forum on the topic, is a great way to start.  Synthesizing that input with other information, like the results from last Fall’s Great Road business survey, into zoning that will be good for all will be the challenge.  I think that a good understanding of the problems and limitations of the project, as well as cooperation and a willingness to experiment and compromise for the greater good of the corridor and the town, will be key.

Timothy K. Gray, Jr.

I don’t know the answer to your second question, though it’s certainly something I hope to learn as a member of the Planning Board. I agree with the unstated premise of the question that zoning must play a role in the mix of businesses (and thus also patterns of consumer usage) we see on the Great Road. I, for one, would like to see more vehicle and pedestrian interconnection among the commercial properties along the Great Road. I suspect that might relieve some of the traffic burden on the road and also facilitate greater walker and biker access to our commercial district. But I know the Planning Board has tried to achieve that in the past and felt some pushback from commercial property owners. One of the things I hope to learn on Planning is how we might use zoning, if this is possible, to create incentives for property owners to agree to provide those sorts of interconnections.

Board of Assessors – One candidate will be elected

  • Zoe Current Pierce, Incumbent and Caucus Candidate for a 3-year term on the Board of Assessors

Question 1: What major challenges do you expect to face during the next three years?

Zoe Current Pierce

On a national level, the impact of the Trump presidency, good or bad, and its effect on State and Local Aid is a major challenge.  Bedford is striving to remain an affordable, inclusive community and these funds play a major role in keeping our tax rates down.  A negative impact could mean higher property tax rates.  Another challenge facing the Board is to understand the current trends that are happening in Bedford’s housing market. The Board of Assessors, as well as other Boards in town, is continuing to look hard at the trends of tear- downs and the impact that these rebuilds have on the “face” and tax base of Bedford. As mentioned earlier, keeping Bedford affordable is of utmost importance.

Question 2: How will you assure that Bedford’s residential and industrial property values truly reflect the value of the parcel and the property?

Zoe Current Pierce

Property valuation is a pretty straight forward science.  Values and tax rates are reviewed annually by the Department of Local Services to ensure accuracy.  There is an acceptable deviation range of valuation versus sales price which is monitored by the State.  Bedford has historically done very well in these measurements.  Inspections, schematic drawings, etc. all have room for human error.  The remedy for such errors is the abatement process.    In the past, Bedford has had relatively few abatement requests compared to our neighboring towns, which would indicate that the properties are being fairly assessed.  With a very seasoned Board and staff, I would expect the same performance going forward.

 

 

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