Issues

Due to the number of questions and length of Tom's answers we have organized them by category.

Select a category to view the questions that have been asked so far and Tom’s answers.

So… you want a list of what Tom has done for Amesbury, in the past 20 years. The trouble is, Tom has done so much that even he can’t remember it all. We are still going through files; but here is what we have found so far (as of October 31, 2005).

2001-138 Tom submitted legislation for a first-ever Code of Ethics in 2000, then re-filed it in 2001 (it was not adopted; a much less stringent Code of Ethics was eventually passed in November 2002).

2001-85 submitted legislation to schedule rare Proposition 2 _ “UNDERride” vote, to reduce Town’s tax levy by $1.5 million (legislation passed; underride lost at ballot box by only 13 votes).

2001-51 submitted legislation to require Mayor to issue bid invitations to start process of building athletic fields at Margaret Rice Park.

2001-35 authored legislation changing the membership of the Traffic and Transportation Commission (passed unanimously).

2001-29 authored legislation that would have allowed voters a referendum on the high school project, by making the Council’s approval of the project funding contingent on voters’ approval of a Proposition 2 _ debt exclusion the bill failed; the Council approved funding for the High School project; then, two-years later, the Town asked voters for a Proposition 2_ debt exclusion; the debt exclusion was approved; and then the Town increased the project cost by $5 million.

2000-176A lead sponsor of An Act to Limit Development Pending Adoption of a new Master Plan, which became Smart Growth Bylaw restricting the number of building permits issued until the Town updated its Master Plan (Bylaw passed, Master Plan has been updated, and the Bylaw was later amended so restrictions on building permits remain in effect)

2000-168 co-sponsored legislation requesting Mayor to fund $5,000 of the cost of a thermal-imaging camera for the Fire Department (bill passed unanimously).

2000-160 cosponsored legislation to require competitive bidding of legal services contract (bill passed, and was vetoed by Mayor Costello; the Council overrode the veto but Mayor Costello never put the contract out to bid; the Mayor’s failure to implement this bid requirement was included as one of the charges in the Library lawsuit filed last year; Mayor Hildt finally issued a “request for proposals” this summer, but it was so narrowly written that only Kopelman and Paige could meet all the “minimum qualifications”).

2000-145 amended water and sewer financing ordinance to require public hearing before rates can be changed and to require the water and sewer departments to annually report their revenues, expenditures, debts and justification of the rate structures (ordinance became law)

2000-130 authored legislation to declare position of Town Attorney vacant, and request Mayor to appoint Town Attorney subject to Council approval (ordinance passed, but Mayor did not appoint new Town Attorney).

2000-114 cosponsored legislation designating third Saturday in June as “Volunteer Appreciation Day” (ordinance passed unanimously; reception honoring Town’s volunteers was held in 2000)

2000-180 amended Article 6 of the Town Bylaws to make it consistent with the form of government established by the 1996 Charter. Article 6 governs the process by which the Council considers the annual Town budget. (ordinance passed unanimously)

2000-79 amended Article 7 of the Town of Amesbury General Bylaws, to make the deadlines for submission of various financial planning documents consistent with the 1996 Amesbury Home Rule Charter (ordinance became law, but deadlines were ignored by both Mayor Costello and Hildt)

2000-60 authored legislation to amend the Zoning Bylaw to further regulate Adult Entertainment businesses.

2000-52 sponsored legislation prohibiting Mayor from borrowing any authorized-but-unissued debt until the Mayor filed a Financial Forecast and Capital Improvements Program (legislation passed; Mayor then filed CIP and financial forecast)

2000-51 sponsored legislation for Amesbury to participate in the “No Place for Hate” program

2000-36 authored a resolution requesting an independent audit of the Town’s finances (passed unanimously, but the audit was never done).

2000-27 amended bill increasing appropriation for Lake Gardner Dam to include a requirement that the Town’s annual operating budget include a specific line item showing how much money would be spent to maintain the Dam (bill passed unanimously; but subsequent budgets have failed to include “Lake Gardner Dam Maintenance” line item).

99-153 authored bill to expand the membership of the Parks and recreation Commission (bill passed unanimously and became law)

99-147 authored legislation to implement the Massachusetts Scenic Roads Act and protect specified scenic roads (bill was sponsored by all members of the Council and became law)

99-136 revised Town’s Traffic Regulations (bill passed unanimously).

99-104 authored amendment requiring conservation restriction on the south side of Woodsom Farm (amendment and original bill passed unanimously, but neither Mayor Costello nor Mayor Hildt ever implemented the conservation restriction).

99-89 authored amendment to place Margaret Rice Park under the care and control of the Town’s Parks and Recreation Commission (amendment and original bill passed unanimously, but athletic fields have never been built there).

98-202 authored legislation requiring the Mayor to put thelegal services contract out to bid - not passed.

In 1996, Tom was Vice-Chairman of Amesbury’s second Charter Commission. In that position, he served as the liaison to the Commission’s consultant, and to various state officials who advised the Commission as they drafted the new Charter.

In 1993, As Chairman of the Bylaws Committee, Tom sponsored the Non-criminal Disposition bylaw to allow enforcement of the Town’s Bylaws.

In 1991, As Chairman of the Bylaws Committee, Tom – by himself – performed the most-recent recodification of the Town’s Bylaws.

Even after deciding to not run for re-election in 2001, Tom has remained active in local government.

In 2004,

• Tom drafted the language requiring department heads to submit budget proposals that included information as to the impact of 2%, 5% and 10% reductions, which was filed by Councilor Jim Chandler and passed (but was not followed by department heads).
  
  
• Tom drafted the ordinance to expand the Board of Assessors, which was filed by Councilors Roger Benson and Chris Lawrence (the legislation was withdrawn after Board personnel changed).
  
  
• Tom helped draft an ordinance to establish a Tourism Promotion Fund, which was filed by Councilor Chris Lawrence (and is still pending).

And, in 2005,

• Tom drafted the ordinance to review and rescind Terrasphere/Bailey’s pond contracts, which was submitted by Councilor Jim Chandler and passed.
  
  
• Tom drafted the Access to Public Documents ordinance which was passed by the Salem City Council, and which served as a model for the Access to Public Documents legislation filed by Councilor Chris Lawrence (still being debated).

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