District 7 Update: 2019 Summary and look ahead
Happy New Year everyone!
I’ve spent the first year of this term observing things “as they are”. After all, one can’t make good changes without first establishing what the baselines are. But there was still plenty of opportunity for action! It’s been great meeting folks, talking about things that matter to you in the Town, taking questions about Town Meeting and the Rules Committee, and more. Here’s some of the important things that happened in 2019:
At Town Meeting, we passed not one, but two versions of the budget as we anxiously awaited the results of an Operational Override ballot question.
Voters of the Town passed the Operational Override! Great news for our schools and for other services that we need in town.
We also passed some changes to the zoning around the Town center, the goal being more opportunities for growth, but controlled growth where we can better plan out how the Town looks and feels as more businesses and people clamor to come to our fantastic town.
I was appointed to the newly re-formed Rules Committee for a 1 year term for our district, serving with an awesome mix of fellow Meeting Members from the other districts.
… and during that term, the Rules Committee reviewed and made recommendations regarding a Consent Agenda rule for future Town Meeting sessions.
Bonus! I sat in on a demonstration of electronic voting devices for sessions of Town Meeting (Note: Not for elections, just Town Meeting sessions). No formal proposal is in, but I’ve now seen how the devices worked, learned about their costs, asked questions, checked their accessibility features, and so on.
A strike occurred at the Stop & Shop on the edge of our district. I stopped by to give support, and to arrange a meeting between interested residents and Senator Rush’s office. I also requested that Senator Rush’s office dig into what bills are currently at the Statehouse that touch on the impact of automation on various work sectors.
Students also held a massive series of Climate Strikes during 2019. A special note on this: I did participate in the Strikes. It’s my responsibility as an extended agent of the General Court to uphold Article 97 of our state’s Constitution regarding the right to a clean environment for citizens of our Commonwealth. Even if there were nothing wrong with the global climate, I would still have the responsibility to defend Article 97 for you.
There was another awesome Norwood day! Very soon it’ll be time to plan for a big milestone we have coming as a town as birthdays go.
Congressman Stephen Lynch stopped by Norwood Day. I chatted with him about his activities on the House Oversight Committee.
At a special session of Town Meeting in the fall, we voted on the aforementioned Consent Agenda. If you’re a Town Meeting Member, be sure to review the new rule! If you have questions about how it works, reach out.
We also updated the appointment frequency of the Rules Committee. So the Committee will serve for longer terms now, but the 2019 committee has successfully dissolved, to be appointed anew beginning with the 2020 Town Meeting.
Looking ahead to year two aka 2020, I had lots of ideas of what to implement and things to try … and then something unexpected happened. But I don’t think it will decrease my desire to keep making those improvements. I might just get to do them on a wider scale now! Stay tuned for an important update on a possible change to my duties to the Town. No matter what happens, it is still my intention to continue to serve you as your elected rep, and I will still want your feedback on life in Norwood. I plan to implement a Norwood Light based email address. Even though Town Meeting Members aren’t required to have a government email address, it has still never felt right to me that constituents have to send emails via a big 3rd party platform. At least if it’s a Norwood Light email, we as a Town own the Norwood Light. So in the meantime, continue to use the agrow@usa.com until I announce the new address for District 7 constituents.
With sincerity,
Amanda Grow
District 7 Town Meeting Member