Citizen Jack

Thoughts for a Better City

That does not include oil, foreign or domestic, or natural gas, both of which are not renewable energy sources.

This leaves us with fewer choices, such as wind and solar or the old standby, wood.

We see trees around us, even in new housing developments.

If we assume that heating with wood is the most cost-effective and sustainable process, then should we not look to see if we can sustain that process within our town boundary?

Of course we should. We need to determine if we could all heat with wood in Methuen.

Is there enough of this sustainable product for all the citizens?

The sad answer is, NO. We could not sustain that within our boundaries.

How did you determine that?

Research shows that each household would require about 4-5 cords of wood per year.

Remember that some households would use more and some less than the above quoted amount.

In order to properly manage that requirement about 10.5 acres of properly managed woodland is needed.

Methuen is about 22.4 square miles in area. There are 640 acres per square mile.

So, Methuen has a total of 14,336 acres within our border.

How much acreage would we need?

Methuen has about 16,885 household units

At 10.5 acres per household that works out to 177,293 acres total.

Our requirement are for about 277 square miles of land.
That land can be forest land, no housing or industry or farming, just managed forest.

I have not taken into account all the forest land, beside the Town Forest, that is owned by the City of Methuen.

Nor have I accounted for individuals who may own 10-11 acres of forest land within the city borders
Based on the above numbers, Methuen can only support, in a perfect world, about 1365 households.

It seems obvious that this is not an option for all the residents of Methuen.

However, we do have forest land and that is a good thing. Forests provide more than just firewood. They provide habitat for wildlife and are a huge part of the ecosystem that sustains us.

 

Today was my first foray into radio. I have a segment, monthly, on the Politically Active radio program that features Jamie Atkinson, George Scione and J.J. Huggins.

Here is the full text of todays segment on Health issues;

An old English proverb and rhyme dating back to 1639 is:
Jack Sprat could eat no fat.
His wife could eat no lean.
And so between them both, you see,
They licked the platter clean.

Federal State and local budget officials hear, “Cut the fat out”, repeatedly.

We are bombarded with jokes, and metaphors and idioms all about fat.

It is no longer a joke. More and more we hear that obesity is becoming a national epidemic.
Obesity is a medical condition used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy.
If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass.
Body mass index (BMI), is a measurement which compares proportions of weight and height.
A simple search on Google or any other internet search engine soon pulls up hundreds of sites with data and information about this issue.
Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century
The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise
The Department of Health Policy & Management at Emory University School of Public Health has published a tome that headlines, “Put the Obesity Epidemic at the Top of the Agenda”, which recently caught my attention.
The study finds that:
• By 2018, 103 million American adults — or 43 percent of the population — will be considered obese;
• US spending on health care costs attributable to obesity will quadruple – to $344 billion – over that same period; and,
• By 2018, obesity will account for more than 21 percent of health care spending.
Obesity is historically linked to about one third of the increase in domestic health spending since the mid-1980s and is a key factor in the rise in private insurance premiums, Medicare and Medicaid spending. These new findings show there’s no question that as a nation, we need to take action — and fast — to control our weight.
What issues does this create medically?
The risks of many medical complications increase with increasing body mass index. These medical complications lead to premature mortality in obese persons. In people who had never smoked, the lowest point of the mortality curve occurred at a body mass index of 23.5 to 24.9 in men and 22.0 to 23.4 in women.
Blood pressure is clearly strongly correlated with BMI. studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of developing hypertension
Excess weight and even modest adult weight gain substantially increase risk for hypertension: each 2.2 pound increase in weight after age 18 was associated with a 5% increase in risk for hypertension.
It is likely that the 25% increase in the prevalence of diabetes in the last 20 years in the United States (9) is due to the marked increase in the prevalence of obesity. Body mass index, abdominal fat distribution, and weight gain are important risk factors for type 2 diabetes
The most widely disseminated CDC research statistics on American obesity tell us that 63% of adult Americans have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0 and are therefore overweight; more than a quarter surpass 30.0, having been declared obese. Perhaps the most riveting statistics concern obesity in kids: research shows that childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past two decades.

So what does this have to do with our local government, since that is my primary focus.
One of the largest causes of Fiscal problems in the recent past is the explosion in health care costs.
Are we implementing any strategies to reduce those costs over time? What recommendations can be found?

Key recommendations for addressing obesity within health reform include:
• Ensuring every adult and child has access to coverage for preventive medical services, including nutrition, obesity counseling and screening for obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes;
• Increasing the number of programs available in communities, that help make nutritious foods more affordable.
• Provide safe and healthy places for people to engage in physical activity;
• promote proven programs that improve nutrition and increase physical activity among adults ages 55 to 64.
• Increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity;
• Improve access to safe and healthy places to live, work, learn, and play;
• Limit employee computer screen time; and
• Encourage employers to provide workplace wellness programs.
So what needs to be done at the local level?
Get invested in promoting wellness. Providing incentives for health and wellness programs is a terrific start,
Studies show that only 25% of employees participate in many wellness programs.
We must offer financial incentives to employees for lowering cholesterol, losing weight or stopping smoking,
Financial incentives can include gift certificates and premium discounts or surcharges or they may lower premiums, lower copays, flex credits, cash contributions to health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) or health savings accounts (HSAs), gifts and merchandise discounts
We should encourage filling out a health risk appraisal and working on individual health care plans, not on issues related to health, disability status or family history.
The most effective incentive is lowering health insurance premiums for employees who participate in wellness initiatives because it directly connects to the message that you want employees to be healthier.

Offer premium differentials to employees who report healthy behaviors or who participate in a wellness program to improve existing health behaviors..

Roll the cost of your wellness program into your employee health insurance premiums.

Work with local businesses to offer discounts based on success in exercise programs and weight control.

If we do not take proactive steps to control health care costs, we will all lose.

We need to be open about our self funded health care plans and share the costs. More importantly we need to share good healthy attitudes and programs that make our employees more healthy for themselves their families and the community they serve.

Keep your eyes open. Until next time stay informed.

Ever wonder what the criteria may be to win a Common Cause Massachusetts E-Government Award?

The City of Methuen prominently displays the logo at the top of their home page (when the system is up).

Here is the criteria as published by Common Cause.

e-Government Award Recipients:

In order to qualify for an e-Government Award, the town or city must

post their governing body’s, Methuen City Council,  agenda and minutes,

budget information,

general by-laws, Methuen Municipal Code,

and–if applicable–their town meeting warrant and results.

At present,  119 of 351 municipalities meet these criteria.

e-Government Award with Distinction Recipients:

In order to qualify for an e-Government Award with Distinction, the town or city must fulfill requirements above, as well as provide ;

archived governing board agenda and minutes,

zoning by-laws,

school committee agendas and minutes,

agendas and minutes for an additional board or committee,

and a calendar with all public meetings.

At present, the following 51 of 351 communities meet this criteria:

Amherst, Andover, Arlington, Bolton, Boston, Burlington, Chatham, Chelmsford, Concord, Dedham, Duxbury, East Longmeadow, Easton, Falmouth, Freetown, Gardner, Gill, Gloucester, Haverhill, Holden, Ipswich, Kingston, Lakeville, Littleton, Lowell, Marshfield, Maynard, Methuen, Monterey, Nantucket, Needham, Newton, North Andover, North Reading, Provincetown, Reading, Salem, Salisbury, Sandwich, Springfield, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Sutton, Tewksbury, West Boylston, Westford, Weston, Westwood, Weymouth, Worcester, and Wrentham.

Great start.

Now compare the websites for those 51 communities and see which ones just meet the criteria and which ones embrace the concept of open and transparent government.

Note: when the city website is back on-line I will provide links to each of the criteria.

Heard on the radio; credit to Jamie Atkinson and George Scione.
Ken Willett, 3-term City Councilor, soon to be 3-term School Committeeman, Member Commission on Disabilities, executive with Methuen Exchange Club,  will definetly run for Mayor in 2011.

Rumor has it that James Jajuga, a retired State Police drug investigator, six-term state senator and former secretary of the Department of Public Safety,  president and CEO of Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, will also run for Mayor here in Methuen.

Here is something I have never understood. If the open meeting law does not allow serial communication on an issue, how can the next City Council Chair already be determined? Rumor is flying that the determination is made.
I wrote down what I have heard as to the outcome.This is the third time that I have seen this occur. Seems there may have been a reason for the Ethics Commission to request Council records.

Heard that next year, we will have a challenger for Representative Campbell. The focus will be on females. Seems Deb Quinn, whom I asked to have censured, is considering a run to the State Capital. Are they looking for a boat ramp in the harbor?

The Charter Commission will finally meet. Some elected officials have apparently no understanding of Open Meeting laws. Heard a rumor that someone who liked to misrepresent the Citizens for Better Government position prior to the election has been trying to subvert the law. Will the election results hold when they pick the Chair, vice-chair and secretary positions? We’ll have to wait and see. Hope they also decide to have a treasurer. That is at their option. My other hope is that they decide to have multiple public hearings, at multiple locations across the city. Would be great to have them hold public hearings similar to the Master plan. At locations throughout the city to really test sentiment of the populace.

Received this in an email. Decided to share. Enjoy.

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Importance of Walking

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Walking 20 minutes can add to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

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My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he’s 97 years old and we don’t know where he is.

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I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

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The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

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I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I’m doing..

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I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks.
Haven’t lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

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Every time I hear the dirty word ‘exercise’, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

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I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

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The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they’ll say, ‘Well, he looks good doesn’t he?’

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If you are going to try cross-country skiing,start with a small country.

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I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years … just getting over the hill.

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We all get heavier as we get older, because there’s a lot more information in our heads.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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This will be short. the subject has been literally beaten to death in the past few weeks.

Though, I believe the City does have the ability to give the money back and sell the property. I also believe that a business could be placed there without violating any laws.

Quick aside, someone stated that we don’t want a business there because of the proximity to the water intake pipe. Seems they forgot that while they ate that suace sandwich at the old Bea’s, that water pipe was still there. No harm, no foul. More concerned with the Arsenic from the water upstream by old farm in Andover that was released into the Merrimack over the past three months.

So, getting back to Bea’s. I offer another scenario.
What if we ask the State to reopen the old boat ramp, under Route 93.
Whoa, slow down, I understand the problems documented by the residents.
This time, we install survellience cameras linked to the Police Department.
The cameras could be also directly sent to the web. A Boat ramp webcam. Talk about reality programming.
Maybe the locks to the gate could be shared between the Police and a neighborhood watch group or residents. The ramp gets opened every day and locked every night by the residents. The police have access, and possibly storage for their equipment. They have the area under constant scrutiny. No additional patrols and via DVD or in Methuen, tape to use in prosecution of any criminal activity.

Ok, but what about Bea’s. The original meetings between the Mayoral Commission and the residents asked for input on a park. That would still be a beautiful site for a park. A picnic site with a small childs playground. Green grass. Trees. Perhaps a canoe or kayak launch.
I seem to recall describing such a park and calling it Lafayette Crossing. In honor of Lafayette’s visit to Methuen in 1820.
We still have options. Unless the money is already spent? Haven’t seen any contracts but we didn’t see any when the first plans were published either. Someone made the plans for the city pro-bono? No, when questioned, the mayor stated that money had been spent from the Community Development account to create the earlier plans and the current plans as well.

Let the residents speak. Let them state what their desires are. The City and it’s elected officials should be cognizant that just because the State wants to offer you money may not be a reason to accept. Before more energy goes into this, listen to the residents again.

They have only requested that the neighborhood be safe from crime and the property values maintained. No one was opposed to construction of a park or a boat ramp in either site.

Methuen should be considering making the entire rivers edge a walking trail. This site could be the start of a river renaissance or the site of continued bickering. Your choice.

It is time for the City to live up to the rhetoric of Openness and Transparency.
During this past campaign, a request was made to open the city books. Create a process and procedure that allows the Cities records, which for the most part are public records, to be posted on the City website.
There are numerous concerns, which are appreciated.
The site could include a delay of one quarter prior to posting.
The City could use the site as a small revenue stream, if they were creative enough to think the process through.
Why not create a database, open source, that would mesh with the States databases, to allow compatability. It would be semi-public. This means that the database is on line and available for the public to use but would require a password and the payment of a small fee to access. The small fee would be based on historic records and can be modified over time based on the database usage statistics.

So, assume that the current user to the city website views 4 pages with each visit. This data should be gathered via the web statistics which I assume the city keeps.
Also, assume the average cost per page for requested, hardcopy information is $0.25. Then that cost times 4 pages is a charge of $1.00.
The starting fee for each access to the data would be $1.00. That is one way of setting an access fee.
This fee could be determined in numerous other ways but should never be more than a corresponding fee for hardcopy data.
The main difference would be that for a hardcopy request the City can charge one for a persons payrate to look up and copy that info. This database would not have any personal rate charges, since you are doing the search, not a city employee.
Information which is currently excluded from public data by law would continue to be excluded.
The city would open it’s books, maintain it’s ability to link to State mandated datastructures and reporting databases. It would continue to charge for Freedom of Information requests, but that would be on-line utilizing a password and credit card or paypal payment for each access to the data. The data would be secure from change by outside persons. It could be searched, viewed but not changed except by authorized City personnell.
These requests are not pie in the sky. Cities throughout the Nation are implementing similar schemes.
Step up and let’s move into the 21st Century with our openness and transparency.
Empty phrases for electioneering? I hope not. It’s your right to see how the government works. Open the books and show us that you are worthy of the trust the voter bestows on you.
Executive order, departmental request or council resolution…. any of these processes should work to get the ball rolling. Create a plan to open the City and School Department registers. Integrate it into the daily work of the employees. Allow restricted access to the public on a pay-per-view process. Set up the IT infrastructure and let’s start the discussion.
What does the public want?