Gillian Swart (although you were called Gillian Stewart) was a topic at the Everett Board of Alderman meeting. The city solicitor was asked to explain herself over Jack Morris's comments about not telling Everett to enter into a consent agreement and part of you article from the Current was read.
She NOW claims that Jack Morris did in fact say "cease and desist" however, when he heard all the evidence (and conveniently when she walked into the meeting, at the end of it) that he THEN said "consent agreement" Not one word was believable.
The Everett Mayor also claimed because he informed the Everett Board of Alderman that the landfill will be opened in 7-10 days, per something being worked out between him and Mayor Moak, that THAT was the reason Moak backed down. Because Newburyport's city council did not know FIRST and he should not have said anything. Not one word was believable there either. More to come but it looks as if Everett is starting a cease & desist on Wood Waste tomorrow, with the building department. His building department violation is being delivered tomorrow and Oh yea....the building department CLAIMS they did not know they can issue a violation on Wood Waste. They are starting to sound like our legal team.
Oh, you say "cease and desist" and I say "consent order." Let's call the whole thing off!
8 comments:
[Oh, you say "cease and desist" and I say "consent order." Let's call the whole thing off!]
I LOVE people who know the lyrics to GOOD songs!
Dick, I also know the lyrics to 10,000 or so pop/rock/country songs ... sadly, in the latter case ... but thanks!
That means you know more songs than Sleepy LaBeef.
I don't know about you, but, in my case, those lyrics are occupying neurons that could be more profitably employed; e.g., remembering where I left the car keys.
All my lyrics are from the "Great American Songbook"; i.e., the classic era.
And, there's another Sleepy LaBeef fan in town? Is he still around?
I should have googled before posting. He certainly is still around.
www.sleepylabeef.com
Not on youtube, yet, but this letter to the editor was in our local paper today.
The Everett Independent, Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Page 7 From Our Readers
The bottom line
To The Editor:
For as long as I can remember, I have taken great pride in the city that I call home - the place where my husband and I have raised our daughters. The past few years have not been easy. I have watched as lifelong residents have left in tremendous numbers, having chosen to leave Everett because of what seems to be an endless series of mayors that have allowed the power of office to go to their heads and an outbreak of crimes that we never thought possible here.
After all this time one issue has emerged as my breaking point. Two years ago our former mayor, John Hanlon, backed down from a worthwhile fight and allowed the City of Boston to build a waste handling facility on lower Broadway while Everett residents cried out for a fight.
Today, I see yet another mayor allowing a waste facility to run roughshod over the taxpayers of this city. Unfortunately for all of us, Carlo De Maria and his administration owe their jobs to the owner of Wood Waste, his donations and his fundraisers. It is no wonder why they seem to be bending over backwards to help Everett’s worst business keep it’s doors open.
Wood Waste and it’s owner has made a fortune off this city, all the while making residents sick from horrible fumes that have made us all nauseated or caused our eyes to tear up. They have flagrantly ignored our laws and been fined by the EPA. All of the facts seem to have fallen on deaf ears as Mayor De Maria campaign war chest has taken precedence over the residents of our city.
The most recent, and the most unconscionable example of this took place when the aldermen brought Mayor De Maria and City Solicitor Colleen Mejia in front of the board to discuss their desire for a cease and desist order against Wood Waste for its numerous indiscretions. To our dismay, Ms Mejia and the mayor informed us that they preferred a consent agreement with Wood Waste. They even went as far as telling the board that the health director from Newburyport, Jack Morris, told the city that a consent agreement was the best direction to head in with Wood Waste. Unfortunately for the De Maria administration, that suggestion was news to Mr Morris. The following is an excerpt from the Newburyport Current from January 28, 2009.
“Newburyport Health Director Jack Morris said, contrary to rumor, he did not recommend that Everett enter into a consent agreement with Wood Waste of Boston, but rather that city’s officials they should rescind the site assessment on the property and invoke a cease and desist order.”
These conflicting statements beg the question is the De Maria administration lying or just plain incompetent? Do they realize the people of Everett pay their salaries? That they work for the people of Everett and not Wood Waste? That the truth is expected whenever she is called in front of our elected bodies?
The bottom line for me is this:
I hope the Board of Aldermen take steps to hold a vote of no confidence on this administration that can no longer be trusted. I hope the truth continues to come out on an administration that has taken incompetence and deception to a new level. I hope that there is someone out there planning to run against Mayor De Maria, but, most of all, I hope the people of Everett are smart enough to throw Mayor De Maria out of office and into the same trash piles he has so vigorously defended during his entire tenure in the mayor’s office.
Sincerely,
Cathy Faherty
Here is an article that appeared in today's Everett Independent.
Mayor: Wood Waste piles violate zoning ordinances
By Keith Spencer
The city solicitor and building inspector appeared alongside Mayor Carlo DeMaria at Monday’s board of aldermen meeting to discuss the controversial debris piles at Wood Waste of Boston. Discussion once again turned into debate, as Alderman Robert Van Campen and Mayor DeMaria continued to discuss their differences in policies.
At the heart of the debate, board members received an update on the administration’s efforts to negotiate an enforcement agreement with Wood Waste of Boston. The board also received news from DeMaria that Building Inspector James Sheehan would be issuing a zoning violation to Wood Waste regarding the height of debris piles at the center of the controversy.
DeMaria informed the board that his administration’s efforts to come to an agreement with William Thibeault, owner of Wood Waste, are ongoing. The administration had received a response on Monday morning from his attorneys regarding language added to the agreement. However, the company has yet to agree to language that includes the removal of piles from the Boston Street facility.
In yet another intense exchange, DeMaria and Alderman Van Campen discussed the differences in how they would like to approach this issue. Van Campen pressed the mayor for answers, even calling for action on the board’s recommendation for a cease and desist order.
Van Campen also attempted to hold DeMaria and his administration accountable for previous comments regarding the city’s jurisdiction over the pile heights and potential movement in Newburyport. Van Campen quoted a piece by Newburyport resident Gillian Stewart featured on her blog, “The Porter Unlimited”. The piece alleged that Newburyport Board of Health Director Jack Morris advised Everett to pursue a cease and desist order rather than an enforcement agreement.
DeMaria avidly defended his administration’s public comments on the subject, and offered to have the assistant city solicitor appear before the board. The mayor conceded that “he should have never said anything” about his discussions with Newburyport. However, DeMaria and the solicitor said they never denied Newburyport Board of Health Director Jack Morris discussed a cease and desist order.
Mayor DeMaria asked the board for an additional week to see what how Thibeault responds to a March 1st deadline set to submit construction plans of an enclosed facility at the Revere Beach Parkway site. DeMaria stated he “had seen the plans”, and he hoped that Wood Waste would come through.
After meeting with officials from the Department of Environmental Protection earlier in the day, DeMaria informed the board that his team is ready to pursue other options in the absence of a signed enforcement agreement.
The mayor conceded that there was in fact a zoning violation at the site regarding the height of debris piles. In 2002, the city issued a similar violation to Wood Waste, which had gone unnoticed up to this point.
“After some discussion, Jim admitted that he just had not realized it was a violation, and that he would rectify the situation this week,” said the mayor.
Van Campen praised this move, which was offered in a separate resolution by himself, Alderman DiPerri, and Alderman Marchese. The alderman admitted his intentions were not “to throw someone under the bus” but rather to express his frustrations. However, he was happy that through working the zoning ordinance, “we will get this piles out of here”.
The mayor informed the board that the building inspector would be issuing the violation on Tuesday, February 24. Wood Waste would then have thirty days to correct any violation before the city would begin legal proceedings to shut down the business’ operations. The city solicitor notified the board her intention would be to file a short order notice in superior court to get an immediate cease and desist order if the company failed to comply with the zoning ordinance.
The mayor also informed the board that his administration would be working with the DEP, the Attorney General, and Wood Waste to potentially broker a meeting to discuss the current situation. DeMaria and his administration is also researching the possibility that materials from the Everett facility could be deposited at other landfills in Massachusetts, an option dismissed by Wood Waste over the last year.
Alderman Michael Marchese also offered pointed criticism of DeMaria’s handling of the situation. In comments that echo previous remarks, Marchese outlined his frustration with Wood Waste, its owner, and their failure to comply with city and state regulations. The alderman called for the board of health to simply issue a cease and desist order as recommended by his fellow aldermen.
Before leaving with the customary thanks, DeMaria reiterated his original intentions to the board regarding this controversial topic. According to the mayor, he has always wanted “to get the piles out” and get the business in “proper working order”. He feared that coming down with an immediate cease and desist order would get “no movement” and the piles would be here for another three years while the city entered into litigation.
Van Campen’s resolution regarding the consent order was tabled until the board’s next meeting. Mayor DeMaria will appear once again to update members on the current status of the enforcement agreement. Van Campen also asked that his resolution regarding the zoning violation be sent to the building inspector due to the pending enforcement action against Wood Waste.
Following the meeting, DeMaria spoke briefly about his discussions earlier in the day with DEP, and the board’s continued push for a cease and desist order.
“I did what I believe was the only thing to do: try to build a solid case that could support litigation and a potential cease and desist order,” said the mayor. “After meeting with DEP officials, I am hearing a much different song. There are other avenues that we are exploring. If we can’t get a signed agreement soon, the board will get their cease and desist order.”
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