June 2 - CPPC: Crisis management

 A great part of the meeting dealt with crisis management or what Stanton referred to as the "political stage".

1. Problem: Selectman Epstein.  

 Epstein has changed his position regarding the CPA appropriation.  At the 5/25/21 BOS meeting, Epstein stated that he did not know that more land would be taken from French-Mahoney ,in addition to the DCR easement.  The BOS voted again on the CPA appropriation and, this time, Epstein voted against it while Dash and Paolillo voted for it.
 
Leino said that it was “disingenuous" for Epstein to say he did not know. Lawrence agreed and that it was ”not representative of a SB member”. Stanton: "SB member Epstein puts himself in the shoes of other parties rather than representing interests of the town."


2.  Problem: French’s Amendment.

The amendment calls for the $200K for appraisals to be removed from the CPA appropriations.  Leino said that the amendment was a “blunt force instrument” by French. He did clarify that French is not “pushing back against the DCR easement but against the expanded ROW” (Roberts and others have been falsely stating that).  Stanton talked about “trade offs”, finding a “middle ground” and [most worryingly in terms of safety] to ask Michalak to “push back on the MBTA” about their requirements for the path as it goes by F-M. 

Laughing at first as he spoke, Stanton made a puzzling statement: 

If the ties are replaced once every thirty years or something and there is equipment, I know there is equipment on the Fitchburg line that is almost 100 years old . If it is 30, 40 years I think we should not build something that is easy to take down because that machine might come any day, we should be willing to take down a more permanent, to do something that's more costly and in 35 years when that needs to be done again.

[Although it is true that ties last several decades, Keolis seems to replace them in a rotating basis so every few years, a track section is revisited.   In addition, if Stanton foresees a problem removing the 8' long ties, how close to the tracks does he want the path?! Is he even considering the width of the train?!]

Leino raised the possibility of just using the DCR easement and not take additional land in the back.  Hence “sticking closer to the RR”.  [However, there was no discussion of the additional driveway strip they plan to take that would force F-M into having a one-way driveway with no easy way to loop out.  UPDATE:  Leino also did not mention that a week and a half earlier - triggered by the amendament and unbeknownst to some other CPPC members - Clancy had asked Nitsch to produce a plan in which the BCP would do exactly that: stay within the DCR easement.  The plan is dated June 4 and it was presented to French in June 7, a few hours before the TM.  This came to light at the June 9th CPPC meeting.]
 
Friedman said “it was a jump [for French] to say that it would put him out of business”.  What came across from this discussion is that the CPPC feels that they know better than the business owner whether the business will be affected.
 
Lawrence soothingly referred to the appropriation as being for  a "study".
 
“a very important point here is that this appropriation is for the study of the appropriate negotiations to be had with landowners about rights of way and so this money actually benefits the folks who we'll be interacting with because we will do so in a form(ed) way where alternatives are considered, where we have done a due diligence around

 and do we really really really really need any of these rights of way acquisitions?  and of course anything that happens is going to be negotiated with the landowners.  I want to make the point this appropriation is to help make things better for the landowners who will be entering negotiations with the town and the town is going to be doing the right thing by these landowners."

 [As I heard this, I groaned internally.    Hearing steaming piles of words such a these is what makes these meetings painful.]
 
 Even Stanton could not take so much dissembling and he proceeded to restate the true nature of the appropriation.
 
 [Next day, I attended the Capital Budget Committee's meeting.  It was interesting that the CBC members also talked of the CPA funds as being for a "study". etc.  I assume that the CPPC - perhaps Lawrence - has been running a PR campaign.]


 

Crisis management actions.

Friedman wants to put out the message that “we are not out to put anyone out of business”; talk to TMMs.  Leino explained how he can not talk during TM unless he is asked to do so by a TMM. It turns out that the CPPC members are all (?) TMMs so we can assume that they will have Leino recognized so that he may speak.

Stanton went over an email that he had prepared to send to TMMs presenting the CPPC’s [misinformed] viewpoint.  Example: although Leino stated in the CPA application that ~40 homes would be impacted now they say that “not that  many homeowners will be impacted".

Miscellaneous.

Leino was seemingly chagrined that he made more changes to a document to be sent by the CPPC than expected.  The document is the letter asking the BOS to give them the charge for Phase 2.  Not clear to me how they will handled the heavily edited document.

TMM Pargoli (member of the public) brought out the south side issue and the CPPC answered with the old ditty that it was rejected due to safety issues.  She asked about budget issues and was basically shut down.  I raised my hand and pointed out that Jody Ray was also concerned about the safety of crossing from the north side and that the budget had escalated to $20M. (
Actually, the $20M figure does not include the $4M that  - Michalak said - would cost to light the entire path's length).  Stanton declared that the projected cost of $20M was “a made up figure”. 
 
I sent Stanton and Friedman the reminder shown below. It is so gratifying to hoist them by their own petards!



 And to settle the issue of lighting along the length of the path, this comes from Nitsch's Conceptual Design report (red markings are mine):


 


 

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