Comments for Somerville Voices

Comment on Committee on Legislative Matters – Home-Rule Petition to Amend the City Charter by Jeff Levine

Jeff Levine — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:55:07 +0000

Just so you know, the proposal that I am aware of (as a past member of the Charter Advisory Committee)is far less broad than the ideas that were talked about a couple of years ago. There was talk of a 4 year term and/or appointed school committee (which the CAC did not support) back then. The current proposal that I have seen includes only some of the more straightforward pieces of the CAC’s recommendations – such as creating an administrative code rather than relying on the City Charter for every detail of how City government is structured.

It would be helpful if the City posted the current proposal on-line in order to avoid panic among those opposed to broader changes.

Comment on Petition to Oppose the Senior Housing Zoning Amendment by Barry Rafkind

Barry Rafkind — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:50:43 +0000

Knut, you have some misunderstandings about this issue.

First of all, taxes will still be funding schools and municipal buildings. Secondly, the City hasn’t and won’t be in the business of building housing projects.

Secondly, private developers can and do already build housing projects within the current zoning laws. The question here is whether the City ought to be relaxing the zoning code to allow for low-quality senior housing that just happens to accommodate the developers at 44 Park St.

Comment on Petition to Oppose the Senior Housing Zoning Amendment by Knut Dorker

Knut Dorker — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:39:45 +0000

I like the fact that the city is planning to unburden the taxpayers from the funding all their building projects and allow private developers to do it. I fully support the zoning board in approving the changes to the code to make it happen.

Comment on Petition to Oppose the Senior Housing Zoning Amendment by eila

eila — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:56:45 +0000

In a recent article in the Somerville News, “Grass roots zoning rebellion, Part 1,” journalist William Shelton says, “Developers operating as Park Street Housing Associates, LLC (PSHA) intend to build 89 senior-citizen housing units on less than one acre of land. Doing so would require twice the density, half the parking spaces, and more stories than the zoning code allows.

The developers and some of their city-government allies portray Some Sense[one local group opposed to the Ordinance] members as elitists who are indifferent to elders’ housing needs. The neighbors reply that they very much support decent housing for our city’s seniors, and that putting elders into rabbit warrens situated less than twenty feet from an active railroad grade crossing that separates them from the nearest grocery store and drug store does not qualify as decent housing.”

To read the rest of Mr. Shelton’s outstanding article, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/ybb9jmw

Comment on Residents’ group aims for zoning changes by Jeff Levine

Jeff Levine — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:04 +0000

I remember that proposal. If I remember correctly it was only done as a way of making the Mayor pay attention – he didn’t really want to have to be responsible for zoning review.

Comment on Residents’ group aims for zoning changes by Courtney O'Keefe of Ward5Online.Com

Courtney O'Keefe of Ward5Online.Com — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:40:46 +0000

I think SomeSense is trying to link the responsibility of making proper zoning decisions with the reliability of being re-elected year after year. It’s not a bad strategy, but if you take the opposite approach, I don’t think someone should be campaigned for because a developer needs their vote. Nor, because someone is trying to stop a development from happening. Basically, I don’t want zoning issues/questions to be someone’s sole campaigning platform.

Funny thing is, Alderman Bill White proposed 10 years ago that the BOA take on the zoning responsibility of Assembly Square. I’ve always thought him to be one of the most level-headed members of the BOA.

Comment on City census privacy by Courtney O'Keefe of Ward5Online.Com

Courtney O'Keefe of Ward5Online.Com — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:27:13 +0000

I too agree that the city should be more cautious when it comes to releasing information.

I remember a leader of a group I was a member of being told by Joe Curtatone that he did not want details of a meeting (that would be publicized anyway) being “blogged” about all over the internet. I wish the biggest thing I had to worry about when filling out the census form was someone being able to spell my name right on a blog.

I must point out, however, that if you do not want to fill it out, please do not get offended when a candidate running for office doesn’t know your name and addresses things to your home as ‘current resident.’ As the campaign manager for a mayoral candidate, we received many hateful phone messages from people who were offended that we did not know their names, or that they did not receive a piece of literature because of our lack of updated records.

Comment on City census privacy by Xumi

Xumi — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:15:33 +0000

Again… MA 201 CMR 17 – which comes into effect March 1st, 2010 (this year) classifies Personal Information as any two (2) of the following: Full Name, DOB, Address, SS#, and Credit card information. If a business has any 2 of the above it must have safegaurds in place.

The city or state? Nah…. rules don’t apply. They can mail out our PI (name, address, DOB, occupation)to “current resident” without any consequences. Amazing. Not.

Comment on City census privacy by Janine D.

Janine D. — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:49:38 +0000

The woman also told me no information regarding children is ever released to anyone. I also told her I did not feel that the city needed an exact birth date an the year should be enough. I am guessing I am the only person who owns a cellphone and did not receive any phone calls regarding the latest election.

Comment on City census privacy by linda

linda — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:34:02 +0000

Many years ago, I did a brief stint as a recruiter for a headhunting firm. My boss would obtain the census lists, and we’d cold call anyone whose profession we thought might be serviceable by us. For some, that was a service to them, for others it was a real annoyance. Information is power, and you don’t always know how someone might use it. When someone who doesn’t know you contacts you and casually drops some nuggets of personal info into the conversation, you can start feeling like you can divulge things that you shouldn’t. It’s a safety concern especially for youngsters and old folks.

On the other hand, I tried to make a change to my family cell phone account the other day. It’s under my husband’s name so I couldn’t make any changes till I got him on the phone so that she could tell him our password so that I could repeat the password to her so that I could get the changes made. My phone company protects me more than my government! And in this case it was very unhelpful!