LYNNFIELD
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR READERS! ECRWSSEDDM
PERMIT # 167 WOBURN, MA
Vol. 4, No. 49
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www.advocatenews.net
Lynnfield@advocatenews.net
978-777-6397
Friday, December 7, 2018
Holiday Concert brings cheer LCWD criticized by selectmen for lack of transparency to Summer Street Elementary T By Christopher Roberson
Ethan and Sarah Blanchette enjoy the holiday tunes and the ample Christmas spirit in the air with their six-month-old son, Callan, during the town’s Annual Holiday Concert at the Summer Street Elementary. See more photo highlights on page 6. (Advocate photo by Christopher Roberson)
he Board of Selectmen voted unanimously, during its Dec. 3, meeting to authorize Town Counsel Thomas Mullen to prepare legislation that would alter the “enabling legislation” pertaining to the organizational structure of the Lynnfield Center Water District (LCWD). The selectmen also instructed Town Administrator Robert Dolan to inform Lynnfield’s state delegation of the board’s decision. Robert Almy, former manager of the Santa Barbara County Water Agency in California, said he has been monitoring the LCWD for quite some time. “I’ve had a number of concerns that I’ve expressed to the district,” he said. In addition to the transparency problem, Almy took issue with how Water Commission meetings are conducted. He
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Member FDIC Member SIF NMLS# 443050
said that during the last meeting on Nov. 26, the commissioners deviated from what was listed on the agenda. The Open Meeting Law states: “although a public body may consider a topic that was not listed in the meeting notice if unanticipated, the Attorney General strongly encourages public bodies to postpone discussion and action on topics that are controversial or may be of particular interest to the public if those topics were not listed in the meeting notice.” Almy also called attention to the LCWD’s Special District Meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Lynnfield Middle School. During the meeting, customers will be asked to vote on the construction of a $5.2 million greensand filter at the Glen Drive pumping station. If approved, representatives from the LCWD’s engineering firm, CDM Smith, said, the filter will resolve the ongoing problem of discolored water. However, Almy said there is still a need for additional information about the project. He also said there has been no feasibility study or preliminary en-
gineering, yet the LCWD is acting like those steps have already been taken. “I personally am not satisfied that they’ve supplied the public with sufficient information,” he said. Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman Phillip Crawford agreed that a full study should be done before customers are asked to vote on the greensand filter. “It seems very premature to spend $5.2 million on a filter system,” he said. Crawford also suggested filing a restraining order or an injunction against the LCWD and its commissioners, should they continue to act in a defiant manner. Customers will also be asked to vote on a $250,000 study to draw water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to keep up with the heightened demand for water during the summer months. “The local supplies are constrained, there’s no doubt of that,” said Almy. Although tying in with the MWRA is still an expensive proposition, Dolan said, the
WATER AGENCY | SEE PAGE 3
Proposed FCC regulations could cut funding for Lynnfield Media Studios By Christopher Roberson
L
ynnfield Media Studios is anxiously awaiting a decision from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding new regulations that, if passed, would greatly reduce the funding for local public access channels nationwide. By the middle of the month, the FCC is expected to vote on the Declaratory Ruling and Third Report as well as the Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Camille Bartlett, executive director of Peabody Access Telecommunications, said the Declaratory Ruling and Third Report would “impose caps on permits fees, right of way use fees, municipal attachment fees [and] set arbitrary ‘shot clocks’ for approving small
wireless deployments and restrict local control over the aesthetics of these deployments.” She said the Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would “allow cable operators to deduct from their franchise fee payments almost any cable-related franchise requirement, including PEG (public, educational and government) channel capacity and limit local authority over cable operators’ non-cable services.” Eric Hamlin, executive director of Lynnfield Media Studios, said that over the years, the town’s television station has “allowed many people the opportunity to get more involved in local government while continuing to provide the transparency and accountability that
MEDIA | SEE PAGE 4