The Springfield Finance Control Board is planning to be in town for an unprecedentedly large “community forum” later this week. The event, slated for Thursday, September 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, will take place in the theater at Springfield Technical Community College’s Scibelli Hall (pictured).
Earlier that day, the control board will hold one of its regular meetings at City Hall, including the now-routine public comment session beginning at 12:30 pm, followed by the formal meeting at 1:00.
In last week’s bi-weekly podcast with MassLive.com staffer Kristen Beam, Mayor Charles Ryan mentioned that he met with Governor Deval Patrick recently to discuss the status of crime and policing needs in the city, following up on his public request for $1 million in police overtime funding per the control board’s approval.
Police Commissioner Edward Flynn accompanied Ryan to the meeting, he said, which was somewhat anticipated, but the surprise news was that control board chair Christopher Gabrieli was in attendance as well.
The new control board, re-appointed last spring by the new governor, has distinguished itself from the board’s earlier incarnations in a number of ways. It is supposedly more of a feel-good board, but it also carries some of the preliminary marks of being less efficient, and possibly likewise less effective, in helping the city remain on a steady yet difficult charted course. Where the previous board’s members came across in meetings and through media characterizations as perhaps aloof and almost royal, the news ones seem more gregarious, familiar, and approachable.
Those last qualities do not directly translate into the consistent, hands-on monitoring and coaching often needed to help the many city employees and department heads do what they need to do, working out the latest kinks and applying best practices. But it can lubricate any advice they give, and aid its reception: that is, if they are in the city, face to face with the right people, to offer it.
Given that the control board must be responsible for making so many important decisions as long as it’s steering the city’s wheel, it is essential that members stay on top of current events, becoming as familiar as they can possibly be with the changing needs of the city—and not just by reading the newspaper or calling the mayor. If they rely only on occasional meetings for substantial updates, they won’t know enough to make informed decisions. One can imagine that no control board member has ever relied purely on the meetings for that purpose. At the same time, one wonders if the new board members are often physically in the city, meeting as a team with department heads and others.
Is the majority of the necessary, tremendous legwork of ship-righting largely in the hands of the mayor and the new control board executive director, Steve Lisauskas (pictured, at far right, with former executive director Philip Puccia and CDO David Panagore)? If so, is this how it should be, or might the new board members take up a bit more of the slack, given the rich, seemingly sincere promises of the governor on the occasion of their appointment?
Whatever the case, it is probably a very good thing that Gabrieli was able to attend the crime-prevention-focused meeting with the governor. The only sour note is the meeting’s location in Boston, with the Springfield representatives doing the schlepping to make it possible—understandable given the governor’s schedule, status and scope of governance; less so given that of control board members, for whom familiarity with Springfield’s current crime-perception predicament and tangible crime-prevention needs is imperative. That said, Gabrieli’s attendance at such a meeting, whatever the location or timing, can only benefit the city.
Gabrieli (pictured) was said to have held some meetings in Springfield with residents and officials at some point, perhaps beginning during the summer months, but the efforts did not receive publicity, and have generated little buzz, if any. (Buzz wielders, feel free to comment here on your meetings, and dispel the silencing layer of dust that may have settled on the topic.)
Heading the “renaissance board,” he appeared initially to be particularly zealous about working on educational matters. On May 19, he said publicly, “There’s an opportunity to take this new enthusiasm that we have in the corner office, tie it with the enthusiasm the legislature has, and ask, how do we really help kids in Springfield get the kind of opportunities they need to succeed in the 21st century? That’s certainly something I hope to work on with all of you.”
The previous control board executive director, Alan LeBovidge, who served for several years as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, was rather laconic when making public pronouncements about his aspirations, if he ever spoke of personal aspirations in the first place. There are benefits as well as drawbacks to doing so. Raising the hopes and even expectations of Springfield residents and officials might be considered, well, both a benefit and a drawback.
A control board-hosted community forum such as the one scheduled for September 20 seems somehow long-overdue, and will hopefully be warmly welcomed by city residents. It may simply take some restraint to participate willingly and also keep hopes and expectations moderate.
Full press release below.
A COMMUNITY FORUM WITH THE FINANCE CONTROL BOARD SCHEDULED
Springfield citizens are invited to discuss their questions and ideas with members of the Springfield Finance Control Board during a community forum from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 20 in Scibelli Hall at Springfield Technical Community College.
The open dialogue will provide members of the Finance Control Board with an opportunity to listen first-hand to concerns that are most important to the citizens of Springfield and hold conversations in a capacity that extends beyond public comment sessions, which occur at the beginning of regularly scheduled Control Board meetings.
Mayor Charles V. Ryan emphasized that the community forum with the control board is an important step which recognizes the engagement of the city’s residents.
“The citizens of this city are concerned about its condition and its future. They have thoughts and opinions and I’m pleased that this forum will further open the lines of communication,” said Ryan. Chairman Chris Gabrieli said hearing directly from the citizenry is vital as the newly re-established control board goes about the business of moving the city forward.
“We look forward to hearing from the citizens of Springfield about their priorities, concerns and questions. It is a good opportunity to continue conversations with all residents, including many with whom we may have already spoken and hopefully many new voices,” remarked Gabrieli.
The event is free and open to the public.
The regularly scheduled control board meeting will still take place Thursday, September 20 at City Hall in Room 220. The public comment session will begin at 12:30, followed by the regular meeting at 1 p.m.
