Asleep at the Switch
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “asleep at the switch,” it means not having one’s eye on the ball, or letting things slip through the cracks, usually due to inattention. The term came from 19th century railroading, when a trainman was responsible for manually operating levers that switched trains from one track to another. Failure to pay attention can result in a train wreck.
There is a short list of important town issues or projects that don’t seem to have the level of attention – and active management – that they deserve:
Water Management Issues – It has now been three years since consultants pointed out that Weston’s entire water system requires significant reinvestment, probably on the order of $80 million over the next several years. Before the May 2022 Town Meeting, we highlighted these water management issues, following up with answers to some key questions. The voters rejected the Select Board’s proposal to replace one water tank at Paine’s Hill, the debate emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive plan that addresses immediate vulnerabilities as part of a sound long-term solution. While we suggested the formation of a citizen’s committee to address these challenges, and the Select Board initially agreed, they have since backed off, saying they don’t have time for that.
Five Member Select Board – Also at the May 2022 Town Meeting, the voters overwhelming approved – by a vote of 72% – a citizen’s petition to increase the Select Board from three to five members, for several good reasons. The Select Board has done nothing to implement this vote. Indeed, at a recent meeting, they decided to put off the discussion on implementation. Perhaps it is obvious, but adding another couple of Select Board members would provide some additional resources to work on issues like a water management plan and other priorities.
Josiah Smith Tavern – After some 15 years of discussion, debate and planning, the Town finally voted in 2019 to spend $13 million to renovate the Josiah Smith Tavern, the centerpiece of which would be a new restaurant and space for important town non-profit groups. The restoration was effectively completed a year ago. The Friends of the Josiah Smith Tavern started interviewing restaurateurs and have been eager to move forward, but progress has been held up because the Select Board has not finalized a lease that would allow the JST to move ahead.
Route 30 and Roadway Maintenance – At the 2018 Annual Town Meeting, Weston voters approved expenditure of nearly $1 million for the design engineering expense for roadway reconstruction of Route 30 (South Avenue) including the addition of a 5-foot sidewalk. If the project were to be approved at a regional level, the State would then cover the construction cost, which was estimated to be $8 million in 2018. Since then, while no one was paying attention, this project has morphed from a reconstruction of Route 30 to a proposal to remove hundreds of trees to build a 10-12 foot bi-directional shared use path along the entire south side of Route 30 and add 2 new traffic signals, at Winter Street and Oak Street. Recent project construction cost estimates now range between $14-$17 million because of the expanded project scope. Somehow, the Town has lost control of this process. Weston residents may not get another opportunity to vote on this significant change to our Town's semi-rural character unless the expanded project scope entails significant additional design engineering funding, which would require approval at a Town Meeting.
Long-Term Financial Planning – After three years and tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, the Town still does not have a working long-term financial model, as was promised several times by the Town Manager and the Select Board. The Finance Committee has seen this as an important tool for the Town and Schools to address structural issues and more disciplined approaches to spending.
We could add to this list Weston town budgeting and financial management generally. Weston property taxes are far higher than neighboring comparable towns — whether measured by the average or median household, or per capita — as are Weston’s levels of debt and unfunded liabilities. Our per-pupil expenditures are now about 30% higher than in socio-economically similar districts, despite school performance that is roughly in line. These tax and financial burdens must certainly contribute to our underperforming real estate value appreciation compared to those same towns.
Over the coming weeks Focus on Weston will publish a series of articles on the important town priorities listed above. Then, in the new year, we will return with a series of articles on the fundamental strategic and financial issues still facing the Town of Weston and the Weston Public Schools as we approach the Annual Town Meeting in May of 2023.