BOS appoints McDonough to Assessors

The Norwood board of Selectmen met on Tuesday for a relatively short but packed meeting.

The Board voted unanimously to appoint Patrick McDonough to the Norwood Board of Assessors. McDonough is stepping into the position to follow in his father’s footsteps, as the late Timothy McDonough, who passed earlier this year, held the position for years – https://gvimes.link/timmcdon

Tim McDonough was also one of the youngest members elected to the Norwood School Committee, a position he and his son have both held.

Patrick McDonough read a statement before the Board.

“I come before you tonight asking you to allow me to continue my father’s legacy,” he said. “My father was the first of many McDonoughs to serve this Town, whether it was in the schools, the police department, or the fire department, my father has a long history of serving this Town. As many of you know, I have 11 of experience in public service, most notably as a school committee member and Town Meeting member. In both of these roles I have gained experience in budget planning, hiring staff, dealing with contract negotiations as well as policy changes. These are critical skill sets the assessors must have in order to fulfill their mandate and to interact with the Department of Revenue. Mr. Chairman and members of the Board, I come before you tonight to humbly ask for your vote.”

As the vote might imply, the Board was happy to appoint McDonough to the Assessors.

“Your dad was a great man and everyone here held him in really high regard, so it’s really nice that you’re interested in this position,” said Chair Matt Lane. “And interjecting a little youth into the Board is a good thing.”

“I want to thank you for putting your name forward Patrick, looking at your resume, you’ve got a lot of stuff on there, more than I’ve ever had, but I’m a little bit older than you,” said Selectman Michael Saad with a laugh. “I want to congratulate you and I think you’ll be an asset to the Board and I think you’ll learn very quick.”

“I think it’s wonderful you’re following in your dad’s footsteps and you’re making him proud,” said Selectman Cheryl Doyle.

“And not to be discounted is the many conversations you’ve had with your dad on assessing in general,” said Selectman Bob Donnelly. “I remember many times you being in his office spending time with him.”

In other news, the Board voted to table a giant bagel.

Perry Makarios, the owner of SPOT! Bagels on Cottage Street put in an application for a decorative bagel structure to sit just outside the shop. The issue is that this bagel would be placed on public property, and the Board asked that there be assurances that if SPOT! were to leave that location, the sculpture would be the company’s responsibility to take with them and that the spot returns to public ownership. Town Manager Tony Mazzucco said they have a standard way of doing that called a nonexclusive executive licensure agreement.

Lane said the main reason for the tabling was that he and Doyle hadn’t seen the sculpture yet.

“Not that we were opposed to this, we just want to get out and see it,” he said.

Saad said he quite liked the sculpture.

“I saw it, it’s big and impressive, and I’m not one to give away Town land for any business, but I think that corner fits nice where it goes in the theater and arts district,” said Saad.

Also at the meeting, Mazzucco said the Town is preparing for the upcoming Public Safety Override Ballot election, the funding appropriation of which was approved at Town Meeting (but still needs this ballot to pass to be able to happen).

The election is set for June 15, and Mazzucco said there will be more information sessions for residents to know what this tax increase, and the increases to the ranks of police and fire personnel, will mean for the Town.

“There will be a number of information sessions I know the chiefs and the unions will be putting on later,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll see some organizing and activity around there.”

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The Board signed the necessary paperwork for the election as well.

Also voted on at the meeting, the Board increased the annual price of an overnight sticker at the Town’s municipal lots from $150 to $200. Mazzucco said residents can apply for the parking for non-commercial vehicles, as commercial overnight parking has a different and more stringent process. He said it’s felt it’s still a cheap price, which hasn’t been updated since they started the program about five years ago.

“Still less than a dollar a night, which we think is a still a very reasonable price,” he said.

Mazzucco said they have about 40 such permits a year, with the majority going to the lot behind Norwood Theatre.

During Mazzucco’s Manager’s Report, he said that work has started on the Town Hall Elevator. The elevator has been broken for a few months now, and while it has had the relatively minor effect of moving the Board of Selectmen meetings to the Robert Thronton Room on the first floor, it has also forced any business of public entities on the second floor, like the Town Clerk, to conduct business on the first floor. This is to accommodate requirements by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The elevator, which was replaced about four or five years ago, broke down and Mazzucco said it is now being repaired. He has said in the past the Town might be able to get some sort of remuneration from insurance or the original contractor, as the window between installation and failure was very short.

Also at the meeting, Saad said they need more signatures for the Change.org petition supporting the bill in the State Legislature for the state to take Norwood Hospital by eminent domain. He said they currently have 2,500 signatures and are getting out to Walpole and other surrounding towns.

Go to https://gvimes.link/hospetition to see the petition.