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Fitchburg Supertintendent's Discussion on the State's Foundation Budget

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I joined in to Fitchburg State University tonight with fellow councilor Walsh and many other elected officials tonight for the Fitchburg Public SchoolsDiscussion on the State's Foundation Budget in the Community of Fitchburg.
I live tweeted the responses @samsquailia & I will copy the tweet/photos here and post stats below:
**349:490 Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents a gap of 141 teachers needed in Fitchburg Public Schools not able to be afforded due to high Special Ed and Health Insurance spending unaccounted for in the Foundation Budget
**384:504 Leominster has a 120 teacher gap in needed teachers per fndn budget unable to be funded due to high spending needs in health insurance and special education spending Leominster Public Schools
** Gardner Mass Superintendent "Arts & Music & Guidance Counselors often first to be cut from school programming due to limited resources req'd to be spent on Health Insurance and Special Education" "The budget should be driven by the education, but too often the education is driven by the budget" "Students that come from poverty need additional services" "Our largest issue is poverty"
** Lunenburg, MA Public Schools have a $2.3M gap in Special Ed Budget, and a $2.3M gap in Health Insurance budget, requiring cuts in teacher funding, books and other funds
** Winchendon, Massachusetts actual staffing needs for Special Education far exceeds the allotment by the Foundation Budget. Top right graphs.
**"When I see the resources wealthy communities can provide their students, I am disheartened...it's discriminatory what the State is doing" -Mother of 4 in Public Schools
**Call to action: "What emerges...is that the Commonwealth has a duty to provide an education for all its children, rich and poor, in every city and town...at the public school level, and this duty is designed...to serve the interest of the children..."
** Increase in Chapter 70 funding to our local school budgets with full funding of the FBRC: Heslth Insurance, Special Ed, ELL and Low Income subsidy. @FitchburgPS @FitchburgMass would receive $12.8M additional to our school budget

I highly recommend watching the Superintendent Forum on Education Spending ---and the discussion on the need in increases in the budget for equal education for students in Massachusetts.
School spending and need for additional resources were discussed and represented by Leominster, Fitchburg, Gardner, Lunenburg, Worcteser, Framingham, Winchendon, Clinton, Ayer-Shirley and more.

FATV recorded the event, you can watch it here:

Public Education Funding Information Update. January 8. 2019 Fitchburg State University

 
 

I discussed the Bill and the end of the session with Senator Tran a couple months ago for more background info, starts around 31:30 minutes:

 
 

BYOB Discussion Continued

February 20th 2019
BYOB Update: On this week's agenda of the License Commission, once again, is a continued discussion of the proposed BYOB regulations.
Wednesday February 20th, 6pm at Fitchburg Fire Station Downstairs Community Room, 33 North St.

2019-02-20 License Commission Agenda_001.jpg
2019-02-20 License Commission Agenda_002.jpg

Live Streaming of the 1.7.2019 License Commission Meeting

 
 

Some businesses that could be affected by proposed regulations that allow patrons to bring their own alcoholic beverages to drink on site are looking for answers at the Board of License Commissioner's next meeting, (Monday January the at 6pm at the Fitchburg Fire Dept downstairs mtg room, 33 North St. Open to the Public.)

"We would like information," said Stacey Sparrow, owner of Art on the Rocks studio at Parkhill Plaza. "We really have not been informed on the subject."
She said the proposed rules could close the business or cause it to relocate outside of Fitchburg.

Sparrow plans to come to a Monday meeting with questions for the commission, like what its members think about concerns from businesses and when regulations could go into effect.

The commission drafted an ordinance that would require businesses to obtain a $100 license for BYOB and set limits, including what type of establishments are eligible for a permit, when the practice would be allowed, type of alcohol, and size of drinks people can bring.

Only businesses with on-premise dining with table service and a wait staff that don't have an alcohol license would be eligible for a BYOB license under the regulations.

They would also require licensees to have liquor liability insurance and all employees of the licensed establishment to receive safe alcohol service training.

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_32367978/thinking-drinks

Live streaming video of October 15th,2018 License Commission Meeting BYOB regulation discussion

Proposed Fitchburg BYOB Regulations compared to Boston’s current BYOB Regulations.

Oct 11, 2018: Police Related BYOB incidents in Fitchburg:
I submitted to the Fitchburg Police Dept a Public Records Request for the amount of incidents related to Alcohol in the past 10 years for BYOB establishments....and then all Alcohol related incidents for Bar/Restaurants with a pouring license. Here are the results for BYOB.
10 years...the amount of incidents related to BYOB establishments...2.
The amount of incidents at Pouring Establishments....445.

byob incidents.PNG

Update from November 7th, 2018 Continued License Commission BYOB Discussion

I attended this evening's 11/7/18 License Commission meeting to be able to report the discussion on BYOB regulations after the public hearing was held a few weeks ago. I'll report random views and statements from Commissioners here.
📒Daniel Sarefield: "We've received some comments from the public, I wouldn't call them statistically significant, since only 20 people came...but they were a representative sample of certain individuals..."
"Many of the people that spoke were concerned about BYOB businesses that had a common victaullers license, that's an issue that is certainly up for discussion. In addition to that, the timeframe we had specified (5-11pm) and the amount of alcohol (64oz) and the types of alcohol (wine & beer only) were issues that were indicated to us in various communications" "The fee also is something we needs to pare down" 
They are also waiting on the City Solicitor for the suggestion on the required liquor liability.
📒 Donna Pawlak: She started by noting that she thinks most people thought the license fee was a fundraising measure...and she believes is not the case. She noted that while most people were supportive of the BYOB--that 2 people, that owned licensed pouring establishments, that refused to speak publicly because they were planning to speak against---but were 'overwhelmed with everything that was taking place", and wished to remain anonymous with Pawlak., spoke about how unfair it was that they had to pay for liability "it's a huge cost to them, and a huge cost to make sure their staff is TIPS certified...and they thought it was unfair that BYOB establishments didn't have to do any of that." She then notes that the police report showing 2 incidents in 10 years at 6 locations did not include 'the motorcycle place on Ashby state rd' or 'Saima park', "so i would agree with the chief that we need to have a list of places that are doing it, because we aren't even tracking those places...so if someone leaves Saima park...so those places should be added to the city of fitchburg statistics.." she then notes a former city employee telling her they do BYOB at Cleghorn House of Pizza....but she's not certain of that. So if someone leaves there...no one is thinking to stop them..."
📒Daniel Sarefield: "At face value, the info the Capt was able to gather indicated that there had been TWO instances (in 10 years for 6 establishments) at a BYOB business...you can't say nothings ever happened anywhere--that's simply false. The fact that we are not collecting info, and we are not regulating this in some way, I think there is a cause for us to be concerned about it, it's our obligation to address this and i think there are things that were conveyed at the meeting that were totally legitimate, we can make accommodations based on what we heard that make it possible for some of those business to continue to practice BYOB as long as it is done so in a legal manner--I think if we do nothing we continute to have the same problem that we have--that we don't know where this is happening, the police don't know where this is happening, and so if there are problems its going to take us that much longer to figure out where and what they are and that is a danger...it is our obligation and we cannot ignore it." 
🥂Daniel Sarefield: "I know that many of the folks who talked about the TIPS certification and how much it was going to cost them---frankly I'm not convinced by that-- the rest of these businesses that have to have certification, they pass that expense onto their employees---businesses don't pay for that, employees pay for that themselves, that's not a burden on them, if they need to be TIPS certified, they'll make their employees pay for that...and so the ONLY cost that is going to be involved here would be whatever amount would be necessary to process the info at the city clerks office and liability insurance which would protect them and the city if something went wrong"
--BYOB discussion to be continued to 1st meeting in January 2019.


10.15.18- Businesses to license board: Put a lid on BYOB proposal in Fitchburg

Residents and business owners packed a public hearing of the License Commission Monday to decry a draft policy to regulate "bring your own bottle" service in the city.

"BYOB is our bread and butter, it's how I pay my mortgage, and it's how I feed my children," said Stacey Sparrow, owner of Art on the Rocks, a business where patrons can bring their own alcohol beverages while taking art classes in groups.

Sparrow was one of over 20 people who said they oppose a draft policy released by the License Commission pertaining to BYOB.

Under the terms of the draft regulations, only restaurants that offer table service would be permitted to allow BYOB.

Currently, the city is home to at least six BYOB businesses, including some that do not serve meals like Putnam Street Lanes bowling alley and Sparrow's Art on the Rocks.

Sparrow told commissioners the proposed requirement to limit the practice of BYOB to restaurants with table service would put them out of business, as Art on the Rock's location in Parkhill Plaza doesn't have a commercial kitchen.


Read more:http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/breakingnews/ci_32209372/businesses-license-board-put-lid-byob-proposal-fitchburg#ixzz5brAkqIYa

Tobacco 21 is here in Fitchburg

Tobacco 21 is here in Fitchburg

Effective January 1, 2019 ,you must be 21 to purchase Tobacco and Nicotine Delivery Products in Fitchburg as per unanimous vote of the Fitchburg Board of Health.

Although the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regulation contains a Grandfather Clause, which allows anyone 18 years of age by January 1, 2019 to purchase these products, the Fitchburg Board of Health recognized the confusion that may be created by this legislation and voted to impose no Grandfathering. 

Under 21 No Tobacco-simple2.jpg
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Coggshall Park Crosswalk Engineering Study Results - Petition 195-18

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🌲🌳🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️🚕 The results from the Engineering Study for our petition 195-18 for the Coggshall Park crosswalk across Electric Ave to Drake Road is complete and deemed to be safely accommodated. 
📃 Summary of Results: "It is TEC's (The Engineering Corp) assessment that a pedestrian crossing is safely accommodated at this location based on the maximum speeds allowable to maintain sufficient stopping sight distance along the Electric Avenue approaches. It is recommended that the crossing is reconstructed to include ADA/AAB compliant ramps and advanced warning signage, as necessary." 
🎨 Rendering depicts approx location 😉

Electric Ave Crosswalk Coggshall.jpg

License Commission meeting BYOB Updates

I attended this evening's 11/7/18 License Commission meeting to be able to report the discussion on BYOB regulations after the public hearing was held a few weeks ago. I'll report random views and statements from Commissioners here.
📒Daniel Sarefield: "We've received some comments from the public, I wouldn't call them statistically significant, since only 20 people came...but they were a representative sample of certain individuals..."
"Many of the people that spoke were concerned about BYOB businesses that had a common victaullers license, that's an issue that is certainly up for discussion. In addition to that, the timeframe we had specified (5-11pm) and the amount of alcohol (64oz) and the types of alcohol (wine & beer only) were issues that were indicated to us in various communications" "The fee also is something we needs to pare down" 
They are also waiting on the City Solicitor for the suggestion on the required liquor liability.
📒 Donna Pawlak: She started by noting that she thinks most people thought the license fee was a fundraising measure...and she believes is not the case. She noted that while most people were supportive of the BYOB--that 2 people, that owned licensed pouring establishments, that refused to speak publicly because they were planning to speak against---but were 'overwhelmed with everything that was taking place", and wished to remain anonymous with Pawlak., spoke about how unfair it was that they had to pay for liability "it's a huge cost to them, and a huge cost to make sure their staff is TIPS certified...and they thought it was unfair that BYOB establishments didn't have to do any of that." She then notes that the police report showing 2 incidents in 10 years at 6 locations did not include 'the motorcycle place on Ashby state rd' or 'Saima park', "so i would agree with the chief that we need to have a list of places that are doing it, because we aren't even tracking those places...so if someone leaves Saima park...so those places should be added to the city of fitchburg statistics.." she then notes a former city employee telling her they do BYOB at Cleghorn House of Pizza....but she's not certain of that. So if someone leaves there...no one is thinking to stop them..."
📒Daniel Sarefield: "At face value, the info the Capt was able to gather indicated that there had been TWO instances (in 10 years for 6 establishments) at a BYOB business...you can't say nothings ever happened anywhere--that's simply false. The fact that we are not collecting info, and we are not regulating this in some way, I think there is a cause for us to be concerned about it, it's our obligation to address this and i think there are things that were conveyed at the meeting that were totally legitimate, we can make accommodations based on what we heard that make it possible for some of those business to continue to practice BYOB as long as it is done so in a legal manner--I think if we do nothing we continute to have the same problem that we have--that we don't know where this is happening, the police don't know where this is happening, and so if there are problems its going to take us that much longer to figure out where and what they are and that is a danger...it is our obligation and we cannot ignore it." 
🥂Daniel Sarefield: "I know that many of the folks who talked about the TIPS certification and how much it was going to cost them---frankly I'm not convinced by that-- the rest of these businesses that have to have certification, they pass that expense onto their employees---businesses don't pay for that, employees pay for that themselves, that's not a burden on them, if they need to be TIPS certified, they'll make their employees pay for that...and so the ONLY cost that is going to be involved here would be whatever amount would be necessary to process the info at the city clerks office and liability insurance which would protect them and the city if something went wrong"
--BYOB discussion to be continued to 1st meeting in January 2019.

45660928_2313279322016982_5668926904493670400_n.png

Live video of the Monday October 15, 2018 License Commission Meeting discussing the BYOB regulation proposal

April 3rd 2018 City Council Agenda

April 3rd 2018 City Council Agenda. 
A lot of action this meeting...among them:
-(4) Firefighter promotions
-Adoption of Dog Park Grant ($201k grant + $23k donation)
-Marijuana/Cannabis Zoning Proposals from the Planning Board
-Contract agreement adjustment for DPW; increase pay rates, adjust details of contract
-Amendment to sale of BF Brown with NewVue Communities from 2015, including transferring the $1.6M insurance settlement 
-Additional $65k to Senior Center for Air Quality ($65k allocated in May 2017)
-Allow Seasonal Outdoor dining in Industrial/Light industrial Districts

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$2M loan order for 'repairs to school buildings'

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At tonight's City Council Meeting, we will be voting on a $2M loan order for 'repairs to school buildings'. With the conditions of Longsjo coming to the forefront of discussions in November 2017, a study was just completed a few weeks ago in January that outlines an estimate for the Longsjo roof repair & replacement.
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In the details, it notes in a separate letter from FPS that the plan is for the Longsjo Roof replacement and repairs, where they plan to Replace the Original Slate Roof with Asphalt Shingles, Replace the gutters and Repair the cupola. Total estimated cost per report is $1.3M. 
It's also recommended in the roof report they replace the EPDM (Rubber) roofs (not noted in School Department Letter) adding that to the total cost is $1.67M 🏫