Treasurer's End of Year Statement

  Board for 2009 - 2010

Westwood/Walpole LWV
Board
2009-2010

 Local Positions Reviewed & Accepted at Annual Meeting

• Cooperation with selected recycling efforts of other organizations
• An eventual regional solution to the town's solid waste disposal needs

• Study and support human services in Westwood

• Support of the development of child care resources and facilities in          Westwood
• Monitor local day care programs

• Ways in which the League can contribute to the education of youth of Westwood by promoting understanding of government process
• The purposes and principles of the METCO program and the host family system in the Westwood schools
• Adequate funding to maintain quality education in Westwood public schools

• Increased communication between the Recreation Department and townspeople
• Program for preschoolers and non-competitive programs
• Efficient use of presently available facilities
• Acquisition of land for recreation use
• A community center for all ages, centrally located
• Establishment of a Youth/Activity Center

• Appointments made to the recreation committee from various areas of interest to encourage a broad spectrum of community participation.  Inclusion of arts & crafts, outdoor education, recreation for pre-kindergartners, etc. as well as sports areas
• Self-sustaining programs and facilities where possible
• A regional YMCA as the most practical way of meeting the need for multi-purpose building with an indoor swimming pool
• The following facilities:  playing fields, bike trails, cross-country trails, an imaginative way of dealing with snowmobiles and trial bikes
• The following programs:  more water activities (sailing and canoeing, creative arts and crafts programs, music and theater at a centralized location, such as the Blackburn Hall particularly in the summertime, Band Concerts (perhaps at Bird Park Music Court), more pre-kindergarten activities
• Extension of swimming hours, swimming lessons condensed to a two or three week program (@45 min); pilot program
• Use of 6 high school tennis courts as well as those at Johnson middle school.  Classes of 10 children instead of 20, staggered lessons; centralized activity related to tennis skill development for siblings and children waiting for lessons
• More long-range recreational planning
• Improved upkeep and safety of fields (e.g. screens at Bird School baseball/softball field).  Merging of departments of recreation, parks, and cemeteries if this would assure maintenance of playing fields
• The need for more public relations and publicity about on going programs, policies and facilities of the recreation Department
• Making recreational activities available to all citizens; should user fees become necessary, League would support some alternative payment schedules, such as sliding fee scale or scholarships, for those with limited incomes.  Increase in fees to improve quality of tennis instruction would be acceptable as would fees for swimming lesions if used to expand or develop programs.
• Coordination between public and private recreational groups. Cooperation with the Arts Council is suggested for music & art programs.
• A full time recreation director pending the use of central facility

• Action to implement May 1974 Education Consensus
• Support quality education in the Walpole Schools; ways of providing the quality education desired are basic League concerns
• Support measures to provide better public relations between the School Committee and the public. 
  
• Support Regional Vocational Technical School

• An appointed autonomous Board of Health
• Three-year term for Selectmen
• Incorporation into the Charter of "Right of Recall"
• Principle that Charter includes all elected officials
• Measures to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the financial department
• Measures to allow Selectmen more time for policy-making

• Support a form of government with a Board of Selectmen as an elected policy-making body and a Town Administrator as the central overseeing the operation of all town departments
• Support Selectmen giving more appointive power to the Town Administrator; appointments dealing with policy-making to remain with the Selectmen, and those dealing with the ongoing operation of the Town to be made by the Town Administrator
• Support eventual formalizing of these changes in the Charter by replacing the Town Administrator with a strong Town Manager
• Support the continuing of Representative Town Meeting and measures to improve the quality and accountability of members
• Support changing the Charter to appoint the Sewer and Water Commissioners, Board of Assessors, Planning Board.

• Support the closing of both library branches at this time due to the implementation of Proposition 2 1/2.
• Support changes in the library hours provided they reflect the needs of working people
• Support the establishment of a toddler interest area, under parental supervision
• Support more publicity for library services
• Support a procedure whereby fines for overdue books could remain with the library
• Support cooperation between public libraries and the schools' media centers
• Support the volunteer library group

• Support measures for : protection of the watershed, preservation of open space, recreation, protection of wildlife habitats

• League members feel the first priority concerning our water supply is protection of the source
• Support protection by the town of our local public wells in terms of land use in the aquifer area
• Support protection of the town of our local public wells in relation to hazardous waste management in the aquifers
• Support the town's efforts to reduce the sodium content of Walpole's water to below the state maximum level
• Support measures by the town to update and improve the distribution of Walpole's water

• Support fluoridation of Walpole's water supply

• Support a regional approach to handling its solid waste disposal problems. A regional resource recovery program

• Support low-incoming housing interspersed throughout the town

 National Popular Vote Compact -- Final Report

Year in Review