Tom Iacobucci - Amesbury Massachusetts

Monday, May 14, 2007

Dear District Five Resident:

As you have probably heard, I was appointed to fill an unexpired term as the District 5 Municipal Councilor. The appointment runs through the end of this year. Because I have taken on this position late in the term, I would like to get a feel for the concerns of the residents of District 5.

In the next few days, you will receive a survey asking for your feedback about the Town services you receive for your tax dollars, as well the issues facing District 5. Your answers will be anonymous.

I also want to make sure you have my contact information, in the event you need to reach me in my capacity as your temporary District Councilor.

U.S. Mail: Town Hall, 62 Friend Street, Amesbury MA 01913
Telephone: (978) 388-8683
E-mail: D5-Councilor @ iacobucci.org

Any resident of District 5 can subscribe to my District 5 email newsletter by sending an email to D5-Newsletter@iacobucci.org . Please include the following information in your email: first and last name, mailing address and telephone number.

Finally, I would like to provide a quick update of what I have been up to as your temporary District Councilor. The morning after I was appointed, I started hearing from residents on matters affecting them and the Town. Some of the issues I have been working on include:

Constituent Requests: e.g. potholes, street drainage
Proposed re-configuration of the
Kimball Rd, Lions Mouth Rd and

Lake Attitash Rd
intersection as approved by the Traffic and Transportation Committee.
40B project known as Amesbury Heights and its impact on surrounding neighborhoods
Supporting police department and fire department funding to ensure no interruption in public safety programs.
Residents' Petition to provide town services to residents paying taxes but not receiving town services like trash pickup, recycling, snow plowing.
Amending the Council Rules so that more items are classified as public hearings so that the public has full opportunity ask questions and speak on matters before the Council. (Members of the public can address the Council only during public hearings or "public comment" periods.)
Senior Tax Abatement program that will allow seniors to serve the Town and receive a credit toward their property taxes in exchange for their service.
Re-codifying the Town's bylaws, so that those local laws that still refer to the old form of government (which we changed more than ten years ago) are re-written to apply to the current form of government.

Since being appointed, I have also met with various department heads, Town Hall staff and the Mayor to ensure that I have up-to-date information. I believe it is very important for each Councilor to have regular contact with the Mayor and department heads - so that when issues arise, they can be addressed quickly.

Unfortunately, the current Council's efforts to work with Mayor Kezer have been unfairly and inaccurately depicted by a few Town residents and one local newspaper. The fact of the matter is that, since the Mayor and Council took office in January of 2006, the Council has disapproved of only two of the more than one hundred requests made by Mayor Kezer.

A few people have voiced opinions regarding my appointment. I am familiar with the Council and District 5. I represented District 5 as a Town Meeting member from 1984 until 1996. I also served as a Selectman from 1994 to 1996; as a member of the Bylaws Committee from 1986 until 1996; and as a Councilor from 1996 through 2001. For the 13 months before I was appointed to the Council, I served on the Council's Ordinance Committee and the Bailey's Pond ad hoc committee.

I am honored that the Council has appointed me to temporarily fill the unexpired term of the District 5 Municipal Councilor.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns about Council matters, or if you need help obtaining Town services.

Pease take the time to fill out the survey and tell me what issues are most important to you.

Tom Iacobucci