• PILOT STILL FLYING: The Boston Globe gave some props last week to the Worcester City Council for their dogged pursuit of Payments in Lieu of Taxes from city colleges and universities, calling it a “righteous request.” But how much could we really be looking at bringing in? Some PILOT critics have argued that the money we’ll bring in will hardly be worth the ongoing debate. Councilor Phil Palmieri disagrees. “We can get more than $750,000,” says Palmieri. “That’s not a benchmark for me. … We have to at least hit over $1 million. And I don’t think we should stop there.” Long term, says Palmieri, he’s hoping for a plan that goes beyond the colleges and universities to other non-profits.
• THE NEW MR. SPEAKER?: Last week’s hush-hush gathering of 70+ (or 60+, depending on who you ask) state representatives at Maxwell Silverman’s in Worcester is about as big a deal as it gets for Beacon Hill insiders. The group, who came together in support of Robert DeLeo for Speaker of the House should Sal DiMasi not run for reelection or step down in light of several investigations, was the biggest of its kind so far, and immediately puts the pressure on assumed opponent John Rogers while eliminating the chance for any other challenger to mount a campaign. “I think DeLeo is clearly in the driver’s seat as far as the next leadership shakeup,” says Democratic consultant Matt Barron. “There’s a growing [nervousness] among the rank and file … there’s some trepidation about going in in January and voting for another two years [of DiMasi]…and at some point after the vote the shoe begins to drop.” And the fact that the gathering was organized by local leaders — Rep. Vincent Pedone, a longtime DiMasi ally, was reportedly instrumental — means that those local legislators playing a key role could potentially get rewarded in the event of a DeLeo win. The Speaker has a real centralized power when it comes to committee chairmanships, and it becomes a real “relationship based process,” says Barron. Pedone says that it wasn’t intended to be such a large gathering. “Chairman DeLeo had asked me to put together a group of about 15 or 20 legislators to talk with issues ranging from the economy to all the rumors flying around the statehouse and the potential of a speaker’s fight somewhere down the line. That meeting of 15 or 20 legislators quickly — within two days — turned into an enormous amount of interest in the house, all the way from Provincetown to Pittsfield. Nearly 70 members showed up. It was a great showing of support for Bob DeLeo.”
• SHIPPING OFF FROM SHREWSBURY: Workers at DHL’s Shrewsbury branch could find themselves jobless next year when the shipping giant stops domestic-only service. Or maybe they won’t. Last week the Boston Globe (and Worcester Magazine) reported that DHL will shut down operations in Shrewsbury, Needham and Stoneham. The story came on the heels of a Nov. 10 press release that announced DHL will stop domestic-only service January 30. The stoppage will reduce the number of U.S. stations from 412 to 103 and cut 9,500 from the payroll. And while the Shrewsbury, Needham and Stoneham branches do not provide international services, a spokesperson from DHL says that the Globe’s report of definite closings is inaccurate, at least for now.” We haven’t announced any closings at this point,” DHL spokesman Robert Mintz says. “We’re not in a position to know the total result of the new structure.” Mintz says the only thing that is certain is that the company is making extensive changes to its domestic routing structure while it starts to focus solely on international customers. The good news for the 69 workers employed in Shrewsbury is that DHL will retain 3,000 to 4,000 U.S. Express employees to meet the needs of international clients. ”We’ll have a better sense of [the restructuring] in January,” Mintz says. “It’s too soon to tell what the full impact will be at this time.”
• MEETING THEIR NEEDS: The much-anticipated new/old Levi Lincoln chamber in City Hall is getting closer to completion with the rostrum in place and the carpet laid down. The chamber, on the opposite end of the building from the current room used by City Council, was historically used for committee and council meetings, but was utilized for the City Manager’s office space for much of recent history. With the space destined to be used for committee and commission meetings, at least one councilor on Tuesday night expressed jealousy, wishing that that body would be able to switch meeting areas.
• HOLD THE DOOR WITH A WIDE STANCE: Speaking of City Hall construction, the new bathrooms on the third floor are spectacular, as far as bathrooms go, especially in comparison to the decrepit affairs they replaced. One small problem: the men’s single occupancy, handicapped accessible room — the only one unlocked last Tuesday night — is without a lock from the inside, leaving users with little solitude where they need it most.
• GEMME SHOOTS BACK: Police Chief Gary Gemme has been under fire lately from the Telegram & Gazette and City Councilor Rick Rushton for not releasing public records to the Telegram, despite cashing a check from the paper to pay for the records. Last week, he took to the airwaves to defend himself. In an extended interview on WTAG with Jordan Levy he responded to criticisms he has delayed on a T&G request for public records relating to citizen complaints against officer Mark Rojas. Essentially, Chief Gemme’s argument boiled down to. The difficulty of gifting through personnel records while conducting a massive internal investigation. Still the records are expected within 30 days.
• A DEBATE WE’LL NEVER SEE: But the real drama came after his interview. Telegram columnist Dianne Williamson called the station to defend the paper; that was followed by an off the air call from a police administration official to the station challenging the paper to “a debate.”
• A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING: After a Tuesday night City Council discussion, it’s clear the lowest residential tax rate will pass at next week’s hearing (although that doesn’t save us from the speeches about saving the residents that will precede the vote). But, par for the course for this council, the discussion wasn’t without its drama. Councilor Rick Rushton requested a report for next week on potential strategies and hurdles to move to a single tax-rate system, which would mean an increase in residential rates. Immediately, Councilor Paul Clancy questioned Rushton’s order, calling it “esoteric,” and saying the information had already been reported. The conversation quickly shifted to an ideological debate about the merits of different tax systems, with Mayor Konnie Lukes joking it was a “good preview” of next week. Councilors Joe Petty and Bill Eddy questioned why any request for a report would be denied, regardless of viewpoint; Rushton’s order passed 8-3, with Phil Palmieri and Barbara Haller joining Clancy. o
