* Top 10 Reasons To VOTE “NO” On Acton’s DPW DEBACLE

#01720 #Acton #ActonDPW #ActonMA #ActonMA01720

The Acton Select Board has given Actonians few compelling reasons to support the DPW project and MANY to oppose it. Borrowing a page out of David Letterman’s playbook, we count down from 10 to 1!

10. FINCOM SAYS NO! Acton’s Finance Committee is unanimously opposed to the PROPOSED DPW building project and has been from the very beginning. If the Select Board has been unable to convince even the Finance Committee, then why should Acton voters be convinced? Acton voters should NOT be convinced. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See references A, B, & C.)

9. BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT! The PROPOSED DPW project excludes a wash bay (a car wash for large vehicles), which was supposed to protect the environment from salt and chemical runoff. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See reference F.)

8. NO GYM FOR BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS! The PROPOSED DPW project building is too small for current/future personnel and does not include a gym. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See references H & I.)

7. TOO SMALL ON DAY ONE! The PROPOSED DPW project building is too small for current/future equipment, which is the exact same mistake that was made in 1969. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See reference F.)

6. NO NEW TAXES! The PROPOSED DPW project would require yet another override, the year after an override that only passed by about 42 votes. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See reference A.)

5. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! The PROPOSED DPW project building is 20 to 25% more expensive, compared to similar DPW projects in Massachusetts, on a cost per square foot basis. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See references D & G.)

4. NOT IMMEDIATELY NECESSARY! The existing DPW facility is not falling down. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See reference C.)

3. 100s OF VOTERS IGNORED! Acton’s Select Board has completely ignored over 500 supporters of a petition, asking for a reasonable budget for sidewalks in conjunction with the PROPOSED DPW project. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See reference J.)

2. 100% OF DPW NEIGHBORHOOD IGNORED! The Select Board has completely ignored the concerns of the Robbins Park neighborhood and the DPW neighbors regarding pedestrian SAFETY. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See reference J.)

1. FINCOM STILL SAYS NO! Acton’s Finance Committee is unanimously opposed to the PROPOSED DPW building project and has been from the very beginning. If the Select Board has been unable to convince even the Finance Committee, then why should Acton voters be convinced? Acton voters should NOT be convinced. VOTE NO ON ACTON’S DPW DEBACLE! (See references A, B, & C.)

References

A. 2024-10-08 Acton Finance Committee Meeting.
Finance Committee Chair Jason Cole notes that the PROPOSED DPW project requires a debt exclusion override, which must pass by a 2/3 vote at Town Meeting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4PJH0mNcHg#t=1h20m48s

B. 2025-01-31 Acton Select Board Meeting (Joint Moderated Session with Finance Committee Re DPW).
Meeting moderator Bart Wendell notes that without desperation, there can be no consensus and that there is no consensus between the Select Board (100% in favor of the PROPOSED DPW project) and the Finance Committee (100% opposed to the PROPOSED DPW project).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGLLAPA0Zh4#t=1h17m0s

C. 2025-02-11 Acton Finance Committee Meeting.
Finance Committee Chair Jason Cole notes that there are vastly cheaper ways to do the PROPOSED DPW project and that the existing DPW building is not falling down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIB68hSWXfY#t=0h21m0s

D. 2025-02-11 Acton Finance Committee Meeting.
Finance Committee Member Greg Jarboe notes that compared to similar DPW projects in Massachusetts, Acton’s PROPOSED DPW project is 10-14% too large.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIB68hSWXfY#t=0h26m30s

E. 2025-02-24 Acton Select Board Meeting.
(Note that this was my most recent in-person statement, and I have been absent since because I broke my left wrist in early March.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnKabWZwXmY#t=0m17s

“Hello, Erik, E-R-I-K, Heels, H-E-E-L-S, 17 Forest Road.

I am here to make a NOW-FAMILIAR PLEA for Forest Road sidewalks for the SAFETY of the DPW neighborhood. The terms ‘DPW Sidewalk Project’ and ‘Forest Road Sidewalk Project’ are used interchangeably.

First, our Change.org petition (Build Sidewalks On Forest Road For A Safer Acton (MA 01720)) now has over 450 supporters (https://www.change.org/acton-sidewalks). I want to thank those on Forest Road, in Robbins Park, and in Acton at large for the overwhelming support that you have given to this project and to me personally. It is this support that keeps me going, thank you.

Second, there is at least one pizza shop owner on Great Road who is confused about what we are asking for. So let me clarify. We are proposing that the cost of building sidewalks on Forest Road be rolled into the DPW building project and bonded as a single unified project. The DPW project makes ALL OF ACTON SAFER, and sidewalks on Forest Road makes Robbins Park SAFER FOR DPW NEIGHBORS who are most impacted by the DPW (past, present, and future).

Third, regarding COST. Quoting from slide 34 of the 2025-01-10 Town Manager’s budget presentation, and based on a $43M DPW project cost, the ‘Current estimated taxpayer impact (based on FY2025 valuation) [of the DPW project] is approximately $336 for the average single-family household, $196 for the average condo household.’ Using 1.7% as the estimated cost of sidewalks on Forest Road, the estimated taxpayer impact of sidewalks (1) for a single-family household would be $5.72/year, which is 1.6 pennies/day, and (2) for a condo household would be $3.33/year, which is 1 penny/day. 1.3 pennies/day on average.

Fourth, regarding SAFETY. The industrial DPW operation moved in to the residential Robbins Park neighborhood in 1969. In the 55 years since, the population of Acton has nearly doubled, and the traffic on Forest Road has increased at least that much. It is INHERENTLY DANGEROUS for bikers, walkers, joggers, baby strollers, wheelchairs, and dogs to traverse Forest Road – without sidewalks – side-by-side with dump trucks, snowplows, fire engines, and all of the other Acton vehicles that fuel up at the DPW.

According to my notes, there are only 4 regular Select Board meetings remaining before the April 29 Town Election and May 5-6 Town Meeting. I sincerely hope that the agendas and minutes of these remaining meetings reflect a commitment by the Select Board to (1) fix the broken DPW building and (2) fix the DANGER on Forest Road.

Erik Heels, 17 Forest Road, HEELS H-E-E-L-S at ALUM A-L-U-M dot MIT dot EDU (heels@alum.mit.edu), Actonian since 1995.”

F. 2025-02-25 Acton Finance Committee Meeting.
Select Board Member David Martin shows a slide that (inadvertently) illustrates how the PROPOSED DPW project is already undersized as it is 100% full with existing vehicles with zero room for expansion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmVJ3-B2BrE#t=1h12m55s

G. 2025-02-28 Acton DPW project vs. Medway DPW project.

Medway’s DPW cost is 46% less than the Acton cost ($506/sqft Medway DPW vs. $935/sqft Acton DPW; in 2025 dollars).

Medway DPW Project:
– CONTRACTOR: Colantonio Inc. (https://www.colantonioinc.com/projects/medway-new-dpw-facility/)
– DATE: Completed in December 2020
– ADDRESS: 155 Village Street, Medway MA
– SIZE: 33,000 square feet
– COST: project cost $13.2 million ($16.7 million in 2025 dollars) ($506/sqft 2025 dollars) (https://archive.townofmedway.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif12846/f/uploads/state-of-the-town-presentation_final.pdf)
– CERTIFICATION: Energy Certified by the International Living Future Institute
– ENERGY: facility’s roof and vehicle canopy are covered with a photovoltaic array system that provides 100% of the building’s energy

Acton DPW Project:
– CONTRACTOR: Weston & Sampson (https://www.westonandsampson.com/)
– DATE: planned 2026-2027
– ADDRESS: 14 Forest Road, Acton MA
– SIZE: 46,000 square feet
– COST: projected $43 million ($935/sqft 2025 dollars)
– CERTIFICATION: Zero Energy?
– ENERGY: heat pumps (wells)

H. 2025-03-03 Acton Select Board Meeting.
Select Board Member Dean Charter (and DPW Building Committee Chair) suggests that opposition to the PROPOSED DPW project may be a class issue (white-collar people versus blue-collar workers).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzuGw4km4v8#t=2h3m32s

I. 2025-03-03 Acton Select Board Meeting.
Select Board Member Alissa Nicol (inadvertently) notes that there is a gym in the police and fire buildings but not in the PROPOSED DPW facility.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzuGw4km4v8#t=2h19m20s

J. Build Sidewalks On Forest Road For A Safer Acton (MA 01720).
500 supporters and counting!
https://www.change.org/acton-sidewalks

LEGAL DISCLAIMER & NOTICE: The “Sidewalks For Acton” campaign was started by and is funded by GiantPeople LLC, a single-person LLC founded in 1999 by Erik J. Heels (heels@alum.mit.edu). Erik has been an Actonian since 1995, an independent voter for 40 years, and a recent member of the MA Democratic party (joining 2024-09-11). Erik claims to publish the #1 blog about technology, law, baseball, and rock ‘n’ roll at giantpeople.com.