Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Finance Control Board conducts public forum

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD From appeals to find a permanent home for the Renaissance School to moving forward a river walk project in Indian Orchard, the members of the Finance Control Board (FCB) listened and responded to city residents on Thursday night.

For the first time in its history, the FCB conducted a public forum in which they could have a conversation with citizens. The speak-out sections of the FCB meetings only allow board members to listen to concerns people express.

The forum at Springfield Technical Community College ran longer than its 90-minute scheduled time in an effort to allow all who wanted to speak a chance to talk with the board.

Although this was the first time for this kind of interaction for the board, only about 50 people attended the forum at the Scibelli Theater. School Committee member Antonette Pepe and City Councilor Bruce Stebbins were the only elected officials to attend the event, besides City Council President Kateri Walsh and Mayor Charles Ryan who are members of the board.

Candidates for city office who were there included Karen Powell, Morris Jones, Orlando Santiago and Gloria DeFilipo.

The FCB's chair, Christopher Gabrieli, said the evening was "a bit of an experiment for us and for you and hopefully it will be a worthy one."

The charge for the new FCB has been to work on economic development and the improvement of the city's schools. Several residents including two students voiced their concerns about the fate of The Renaissance School, an Expeditionary Learning School. They urged the board not to split the school's grades up currently it houses grades six through 12.

Susan Mackie also spoke about the importance of the school and in response FCB member James Morton said he would volunteer as the board member to look into the status of the school. Morton noted there have been other academic programs, including the International Baccalaureate Program, that have been allowed to dissipate.

Tim Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association, reminded the FCB that Springfield lost many experienced teachers due to the four years during the teachers worked without a contract and asked them to begin considering what a new contract should include.

Collins suggested the board work with the City Council on Home Rule legislation that would allow the city to tax property owners who live east of Interstate 495 a higher rate and use that money for code enforcement and education. He also asked the board to support a local options meals tax.

Board Member Robert Nunes noted the Legislature has not supported the bill filed by Gov. Deval Patrick that would allow municipalities to impose their own meal tax.

Retired Police Officer Robert Brown asked the board to increase the pension for retired police and fire personnel.

Leon Moultrie presented an idea that eighth-graders in the city be evaluated so school officials can develop an educational profile. Moultrie was the first person during the evening to call for the hiring of a new school superintendent.

Although there was at least a city department head Patrick Sullivan at the forum, School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Burke was not there.

Lois Smith also called for Burke's replacement and said there should be an independent selection committee rather than the present School Committee to seek a new superintendent.

School Committee member Antonette Pepe quickly identified herself as a member of the board who is not a Burke supporter.

"The superintendent doesn't own me," she said.

She praised the FCB for its contributions to the city's schools so far, which have included renovations to the White Street School, $3 million for new textbooks and $12 million in other physical improvements to school.

Pepe asked the board to re-consider the city's contract with Edu-Clean, a private firm hired to replace city janitors to clean the school.

"Edu-Clean isn't getting it done," she said.

Pepe also asked for more teachers and better technology to decrease class size.

Donna Seymour called for the school cafeterias to cook their own food and she questioned the cell phone bill for city employees. She was told the board would be examining the number of cell phones city employees have and how they are used.

Indian Orchard Neighborhood Council President Sue Craven asked the board to consider funding a proposed walkway along the Chicopee River. She said the city already owns the land and the walkway would contribute to the progress made in the neighborhood.

She also invited the board members to meet with neighborhood leaders across the city.