Southampton Select Board hopefuls lay out priorities at candidates event

By CAITLIN ASHWORTH

@kate_ashworth

Published: 04-28-2017 12:12 AM

SOUTHAMPTON — Four candidates running for the two seats on the Select Board all voiced parallel concern for a top priority in town — a new public safety complex.

“If we don’t do anything within the next few years, it’s literally going to fall down,” Select Board member John Martin said, who is running for re-election.

The candidates spoke on various issues at Southampton’s Meet Your Select Board Candidates Night Wednesday, but the major concern was a new facility to house the fire and police departments.

The two incumbent candidates are Martin, who has served since 2014, and Jacqueline Sears, who has served since 2011.

Martin works as the director of procurement and campus services at UMass Amherst. Prior to his position on the Select Board, Martin spent a decade on the Finance Committee.

Sears is an author and watercolor artist as well as the former co-owner of Western Mass Mechanical Contractor Inc. Sears said she has been involved in a number of town events over the years.

Challenger Maureen Groden is the interim part-time manager at Mercy Hospice and teaches community health nursing at UMass Amherst. She was elected to serve on the Board of Health and the Hampshire Regional School Committee.

Another challenger is Gary Swanson, a consulting engineer who designed a majority of the Southampton public water system. He spent about a decade on the Southampton School Committee, health board and as town moderator.

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The candidates answered questions from both returning Select Board members and community members chosen at random.

All of the candidates agree the town should move forwarded with a public safety complex, but on different circumstances.

At the May 2015 annual Town Meeting, voters rejected a proposal for a $10.8 million override for a police and fire station. At a special election two months later, town officials asked voters to reconsider building the facility at a lower cost, but voters also rejected that idea.

Sears said the proposal was too expensive and the town should go back to the drawing board.

Swanson said the town needs to look at a plan that won’t raise the tax rate.

For Groden, who has spent her career in the health field, safety and quick response to emergencies is a top concern.

Groden said Southampton has missed opportunities, not only for a public safety complex, but for a new senior center.

She said several communities secured emergency federal dollars for building projects

Another question regarded a home charter by consultant Bernard Lynch, principal of Community Paradigm Associates, who found the town’s government structure to be outdated, fragmented and lacking accountability.

Lynch recommended that the town update local bylaws, reduce the number of elected boards and officials and establish a stronger town administrator.

Sears said Lynch’s suggested charter gives the town administrator too much power over departments such as police and fire, and the charter takes away the public’s vote on positions such as town clerk.

Martin said he wants to give more responsibility to the town administrator, but not as much as the home rule charter suggests. He said the town should form a committee to tweak and suggest edits on the charter.

Martin said sometimes it’s better to hire a person with skill than hold an election.

“Fortunately, we have a great clerk and a great treasurer, but it wasn’t always like that,” he said.

While Groden agreed the charter should be edited to fit the town, she noted the charter includes the creation of a department of public works which she supports.

Swanson said he disagreed with most of Lynch’s restructuring of the town government, but agreed with the creation of a DPW, saying the town’s public works system is fragmented.

Should the Select Board be paid? The overall consensus: No.

In the past, Select Board members were given a small stipend, but Swanson said the town’s resources got abused as many members applied for coverage under the town’s health insurance.

Martin said the money draws the wrong people to the table.

Martin was on the Finance Committee when the decision was made to take away the Select Board’s stipend. He said the committee reviewed the town’s health care budget and found $50,000 was being spent on the Select Board.

For Sears, she never considered being paid for her duties on the Select Board.

“This is something you do because it’s important,” Sears said. “Volunteering is something you do for your community and you get back so much.”

Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.

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