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Article 18 on the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting proposes that the town authorize the Board of Selectmen to donate a piece of town-owned property located on Arch Street, Lindendale Avenue and Gaskell Street to Mark Ecker. (For more information please watch the video of a public forum held on the matter on May 4 at www.eastlongmeadowma.gov/departments/moderator/fy10_atm.htm. This would require approval by the State Legislature. If approved by Town Meeting and the Legislature the property would be used to provide a home to Mr. Ecker through the efforts of Homes For Our Troops and many local volunteers. Mr. Ecker is a veteran who suffered the loss of both feet while in service to our country. This project is a significant opportunity for our community to honor his sacrifice.
While there is an undeniable groundswell of support for this project, there are also several misconceptions about it that I am compelled to address. The first is that the town did not review other town-owned properties that might also be suitable. The town, in fact, did conduct a thorough review. There are several other properties the town owns but, due to many disqualifying factors including parcel size, conservation status, topography and standards mandated by the Federal Government, they were deemed unsuitable. This review was conducted by the Board of Selectmen, Building Commissioner and the Planning Director.
Another misconception is that this proposal is somehow politically motivated. As an elected official, I am charged by the voters to present ideas that I believe will benefit the town. This is leadership. Last fall the Board of Selectmen presented an article to Town Meeting to consider selling this property to the highest bidder in an effort to gain funds that, in turn, would have helped the town purchase a larger piece of property for open space and recreation. Town Meeting voted against this proposal. When Homes For Our Troops notified the Board of Selectmen of its intention to provide a home for Mr. Ecker it was leadership that again drove the decision to place this before the voters. This proposal, I believe, will not only have the practical result of giving Mr. Ecker a place to live, but will stand as a powerful statement about the grateful and generous nature of our citizens.
Finally, while I may agree with certain criticisms of our town's form of government, I can state irrefutably that the Board of Selectmen has been a champion for our citizenry to submit ideas for change. Recall that voters rejected proposed changes at the ballot in 2005. In response to new requests, the board appointed a Charter Review Advisory Committee in 2008 to study the matter again. In the committee's 14 months of public meetings, interviews with town officials and conducting a survey, the response by the public was, in summary, unexpectedly lethargic.
This is why I and my fellow board members strongly urge all voters to attend the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Whether you support Article 18 as presented, your voices and your votes are the ultimate factors in shaping our community. I look forward to the process.
James D. Driscoll
Board of Selectmen
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