View source for Arlington Candidates Night - Mar 28th, 2018

Notes from Arlington's candidates night, sponsored by the League of
Women Voters.  There are two question and answer panels.  Three
selectmen candidates are on the first panel; two school committee
candidates are on the second panel.

== Selectmen Candidates ==

The selectmen candidates are Mike Ruderman, John Hurd, and Joe Curro.

Opening Remarks.

Ruderman.  We elect the board to solve problems.  I want to make
Arlington friendly for all ages.  I will stand up for your neighbors,
to protect them from ruinous developers.  I'd be a new voice.

Hurd.  I grew up in Arlington.  I went to school here, and run a law
office in Arlington center.  I appreciate the vibrant and diverse
town.  I'd like to see us rebuild the high school and revitalize the
business districts.  I want Arlington to continue to improve.

Curro.  The job of a selectman can be difficult, but it's worth it.
Arlington is rated one of the best places to raise a family.  The high
school and affordable housing are two issues facing the town.  I try
to be accessible to everyone.  Meeting people is the lifeblood of this
job.


Question: Do you support changing the Treasurer from an elected to an
appointed position?

Hurd.  I support the change.  Surrounding municipalities have done
this, and it's time for us to catch up.  During the appointment
process, we should weigh the candidates and their qualifications.

Curro.  I support the change.  85 percent of towns have already done
this.  This opens up a larger pool of candidates.  I agree with the
move towards professionalization.

Ruderman.  The treasurer ran on a platform of modernization, and we
are well-served by the treasurer.


Question: What about the consolidation of the municipal finance
department?

Curro.  I'd like to see all our financial capabilities within one
house.  We've moved toward Munis as a platform for managing the town's
finances.  I'd like more coordination between finance positions.

Ruderman.  I favor articles 18 and 19.  One risk of consolidation will
be a lack of cross-checking between departments.

Hurd.  I favor the consolidated finance structure.  Putting the
finance folks together will improve communications.  It will also
provide an upward mobility path for people who serve.


Question: How would you coordinate the operating override and debt
exclusion?

Ruderman.  This is a difficult issue, and we owe voters an
explanation.  The voters deserve to know they're getting good value
from the town.  I'd like to do both together.

Hurd.  I support the high school rebuild.  Arlington has had a period
of financial stability.  It's incumbent to review both costs and
revenue.  I'd put both on the ballot.

Curro.  Communities envy our long-range planning committee.  I'd put
both questions together on the ballot.  The high school is a major
piece.


Question: How should the town increase affordable housing?

Hurd.  We should take advantage of opportunities for mixed use
development.  I'd support a review of knock-downs, which are
increasing property costs.

Curro.  We have enough affordable housing to avoid 40B encroachments.
I support mixed use development, reductions in parking requirements,
use of community development block grants, and the community
preservation act.

Ruderman.  We qualify for safe harbor under 40B.  We've made progress.


Question: What about vacant storefronts?

Curro.  We passed a storefront registry, and that's led to a drop in
commercial vacancies.  I'd like to streamline the workflow for
permitting new businesses.

Ruderman: We gone from seventeen to five vacant storefronts.  But
that's the hand of the marketplace.  We need to diversify businesses
in Arlington.

Hurd.  The registry has worked.  To solve this problem, we have to
support local businesses.  Revitalize the business district, increase
parking, and have a better cultural center.


Question: What about the Mugar property?

Ruderman.  The Mugar property is currently in litigation.  It's a
terrible development plan.  We have to gain control over development
on this property.

Hurd.  I second what Mike said.  This would be one of my top
priorities.  Development would be horribly detrimental.

Curro.  No part of town has more persistent traffic complaints than
Lake Street.  Flooding is a big concern.  I support the litigation.


Question: What are your thoughts on the opioid problem, and
recreational marijuana?

Hurd.  The opioid problem is awful.  I'm in favor of local support
initiatives.  For marijuana, I support the decision of the voters, and
I'd work to find a suitable location.

Curro.  There are lots of deaths due to opioids.  It's a big problem.
I support our moratorium on recreational marijuana.  I support medical
marijuana.

Ruderman.  I admire the care and leadership of our police department.
Medical marijuana is the law of the commonwealth.  I'm hesitant about
recreational marijuana.


Question: Senior homeowners are moving out because they can't afford
their taxes.  Would you support a CPA discount for seniors?

Curro.  I support tax relief for seniors.  I'd like to raise the
limits for income eligibility.

Ruderman.  41C limits are outdated.  I'd support a surcharge exemption
for the CPA.  I'd like to see the town do more to publicize assistance
options.

Hurd.  I'd look at a CPA exemption, and ways to defer costs for
seniors.


Question: What about transportation issues?

Ruderman.  We need to do a better job at intra-town transit.
Reliable, available, and regular options would help.

Hurd.  I'd like to create a lot of parking in the business centers.
I'd support any avenue to help seniors.  Something like Lex-express
could help.

Curro.  I'd start by looking at our enterprise fund for
transportation.  We could use CDBG to support transportation
initiatives.  We've also radically increased handicapped parking.


Closing Remarks.

Curro.  I have two core promises: to be honest, and to work hard.

Hurd.  I've met with and listened to many residents.  I'm humbled.  We
need to address issues in a way that serves Arlington residents.

Ruderman.  I'm the person who can listen to people and respond.

== School Committee ==

There are two candidates for school committee: Jeff Thielman and Jane
Morgan.  

Opening Remarks.

Thielman.  Jeff talks about teenagers advocating for gun control.
These kids benefit from having a great public education.  I want to
ensure that Arlington's kids continue to have a great public
education.  We'll need to increase property taxes to meet the demands
of increased school enrollment.

Morgan.  I've never run as a candidate for town-wide office before.  I
have four kids and I teach statistics.  I'm running because our
schools are so important.


Question: Are Arlington schools doing enough for special needs
students?

Morgan.  We're doing what we can, but there's room to improve.

Thielman.  Our SPED teams work very hard, and they care about the
kids.  We're not perfect, but we're doing better.


Question: What do you think about our policies and procedures for
safety?

Thielman.  We've implemented the ALICE system, and improved safety
locks.  Safety comes from a deep relationship between students and
educators.

Morgan.  Infrastructure improvements at the high school will help.
I'm glad the school district has taken an age-appropriate approach to
ALICE drills.


Question: What about the (long) wait lists for after-school programs?

Morgan.  This is a tricky thing.  We need to understand what programs
are wait-listed, and how long these wait lists are.  We need data.

Thielman.  Our waiting lists are too long.  We need to look at the
data.  Based on the outcome of an investigation, we could consider
expanding after-school programs.


Question: How about the Minuteman school?

Thielman.  We promote the Minuteman option to students in Arlington,
and 120--130 students attend.  It's a good educational program.

Morgan.  I'm glad we supported the Minuteman rebuild, and we need to
continue promoting it.  I'm glad the choice is available.


Question: What's your ten-year view to relieve overcrowding?

Morgan.  I'm comfortable with where we are in terms of infrastructure,
and our ability to do well with the high school.

Thielman.  We'll monitor enrollment growth.  We may have to pivot
quickly in the future.


Question: How will the consolidated municipal finance department
affect the schools?

Thielman.  The town and school work closely together.  The school
budget is still controlled by the school committee.

Morgan.  The move towards a consolidated municipal finance department
seems sensible.  We still need collaboration between the town and
school.


Question: Do we teach civics?

Morgan.  Our third grade classes did a mock town meeting.  We need to
continue teaching civics.

Thielman.  We do a good job with civics.  The challenge is making room
for everything in the curriculum.


Question: If you had $100,000 to spend, what would you do with it?

Thielman.  I'd hire more teachers.

Morgan.  I'd hire more building subs.  $100,000 doesn't get you very
far.


Question: Is there a subject you'd like to talk about?

Morgan.  It's important to present a cogent sense of what we want our
schools to look like.

Thielman.  Working on a five-year plan and getting ready to have a
thoughtful dialog on an override, and what it costs to maintain a
great school.


Closing remarks.

Morgan.  I'm really excited about the opportunity to serve, and about
people who volunteer to improve our schools.

Thielman.  We have very good schools.  There's public support, good
leadership, and a high-functioning school committee.  We want to keep
those things going.

[[Category:Public Meetings]]