You will note a public comment exists at the beginning of every session if you have any comments or questions about any department or program to be discussed that night. If you cannot attend that public comment period but would like to email me to have it read into the record, please click here to email.

Thursday, May 23

6:30 Public Comment
6:45 Collective Bargaining
Retirement Buyback
Other
7:15 Human Resources
7:30 Information Technology
7:45 City Clerk
8:00 City Council
8:15 Board of Registrars
8:30 Parking
8:45 Mayor’s Office
9:15 Legal

Wednesday, May 29

6:30 Public Comment
6:45 Auditor
Retirement
Workers Compensation
Unemployment
Stabilization Overlay
7:15 Treasurer
Debt Service
7:45 Assessor
8:00 Council on Aging
8:15 Library
8:30 Veterans
8:45 Whittier Tech School

Thursday, May 30

6:30 Public Comment
6:45 Youth Services
7:15 Public Schools
8:00 Parks Commission
8:30 Planning and Development
Planning Board
Conservation Commission
Historical Commission
Zoning Board of Appeals
9:15 License Commission
9:30 Building Department

Monday, June 3

6:30 Public Comment
6:45 Health
7:15 Harbormaster
7:45 Fire
8:30 Police
9:15 Emergency Management

Wednesday, June 5

6:30 Public Comment
6:45 Water
7:15 Sewer
7:45 Highway
8:15 Snow & Ice
8:30 Final Reviews

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First, we approve mayoral appointments.

Department heads can not be hired and committee volunteers can not be brought on-board until we approve them.

Second, we approve expenditures of the city treasury.

Budget transfers between line items and the purchase of goods and services require our approval.

Third, we write laws.

Some laws are passed and enacted. Others fail and are rewritten. This is where we spend the bulk of our time, approving orders and ordinances that enable city functions to breathe and empower residents and businesses to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Your critique is welcome.

When you suggest I can’t lead, I take offense.

From one of your blogs:

It is when the city council has to grapple with controversial issues in which THEY have some control, then they have a real trouble in taking bold leadership.

No longer can they point fingers at the Mayor. Now the limelight is squarely revealing their every move and I might add, their every word.

And they don’t like it.

Hogwash!

Tell me if you think a budgetary request should not be approved, a person should not be appointed, or if a law needs to be tweaked. This is what I do as your elected servant.

I consider myself a bold leader on the city council. Yes, I ask questions. Yes, I sometimes talk without thinking the words through. But, I do lead.

Where am I failing?

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It costs $22 for a roundtrip same-day ride on a C&J bus from Newburyport to Boston’s South Station. Parking is free.

I used to take the train all the time — until I discovered the bus.

I’m more than willing to save $2 (considering the MBTA’s parking fees) for a bus schedule that runs back and forth every hour. Moreover, the train schedule is every few hours, especially at night.

The last two northbound trains leave at 9:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m.

The bus leaves hourly through 1 a.m.

I’ve never understood why public transportation out of Newburyport sucks so much compared to its private competition. Taking the train to Salem is one thing but Boston is something else considering the discrepancy in frequency compared to the private bus lines.

What if there was another option?

The state-funded Merrimack Valley Regional Transportation Authority offers a $10 roundtrip same-day bus ride into Boston from Andover, Lawrence, and Methuen. There are six trips a day.

What if — and I truly ask what if — the MVRTA could compete with C&J in Newburyport and offer the same discounts as Methuen, etc. — for the hours that the MBTA does not run? What if the MVRTA and MBTA worked more in tandem than apart?

If the role of government is to increase revenue, then why have government agencies compete with each other? That’s what happening now with current MBTA service, non-existent MVRTA service, and private alternatives.

The MVRTA is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. on the second floor of Andover Town Hall regarding a proposed fare increase for its Boston Commuter Service. The current one-way rate of $5 would increase to $5.50 in July 2013 and to $6 in July 2014.

I intend to go to this hearing and air my views on the subject for the entire Merrimack Valley — specifically where the MVRTA operates but doesn’t offer Boston service, such as Newburyport. Stay tuned…

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ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITY.

ONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION.

These statements form the backbone of One Billion Rising, a grassroots movement that inspires people of all ages around the world to proactively show their solidarity and refusal to accept violence against women and girls.

The revolution continued yesterday, on Valentine’s Day, in Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Khartoum, Sao Paulo, and countless locations around the world when people took to the streets or gathered in public spaces and danced as one.

They rose there — and they also rose here in Newburyport.

The Daily News covered the event before it happened and also covered it last night.

Those who didn’t dance chose to watch, clap, and cheer. Many recorded the scene for posterity from vantage points in and around Market Square and shared their videos with the world…

NPR summed it up today:

Urging people to join the One Billion Rising campaign, Indian musician Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the late sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, revealed in a video this week that she had been the victim of sexual violence.

“As a child I suffered sexual and emotional abuse for several years at the hands of a man my parents trusted implicitly,” she said. “Growing up like most women I know I suffered various forms of groping, touching and verbal abuse … that I didn’t know how to deal with. … And as a woman I find that I’m frequently living in fear, afraid to walk alone at night … and you know, enough is enough … so join me. Let’s rise together.”

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Paula Chambers, Larry Giunta, Steven Hutcheson, Larry McCavitt, Ralph Orlando, Robert Rothberg, Warren Russo, and Mary Zinck submitted letters of interest and resumes to fill the unexpired term of Katy Ives. The lucky person who receives a majority vote (or 6 of 10 votes) on the 14th will be sworn-in the following day and will report to his/her first meeting as a councilor on the 28th.

Between now and the 14th, I’d like to know if you have any questions for me to ask everyone; or if there are specific questions for individual candidates.

Please add a comment on this blog post so they can see your questions, too.

Thanks.

Update: Larry McCavitt has removed his name from the running due to personal issues.

-- Thanks for reading my blog! I also encourage you to sign up for my email newsletter to receive monthly updates from my council desk. If the above article inspires you to add a comment, you may do so by visiting Questions For Your Next City Councilor. Thanks!