Vote Medford 2005

Q6: Open Spaces, Sidewalks and Trees

What are your thoughts on the condition of Medford's parks, open spaces, streets, sidewalks and trees?

What would you do as a city councilor to ensure that the city is making the best use of its resources in the care and maintenance of these assets?

Burke: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

I believe that we have made a great effort to rehabilitate our parks and open spaces. I led the charge, with neighbors, to redo Victory Park. However, funds need to be set aside for maintenance. We, like many communities, have to determine where to allocate our resources in the most beneficial manner. As a councillor, I have always advocated for more manpower out on the streets, periodic safety checks at our parks and fields and more funds for maintenance. I will continue to do so. Beyond what the city can do in the care and maintenance of these assets, we, as a community must take an active role in the upkeep of our parks and fields. Also, in regards to tree plantings, I have advocated for an Adopt A Tree program to the administration. This has been taken under advisement.

Camuso: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

We need to preserve our natural resources by ensuring that we have an adequate staff to keep our parks and greenery up to par. We need to encourage all our citizens to help keep our community clean and beautiful. I put forth a City Council resolution to bring back Medford Pride day where residents and businesses clean the area and parks surrounding their property to keep Medford clean.

Carr: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

Medford's parks are greatly improved in recent years, like the newly refurbished Columbus Park. Almost every park in Medford has seen major reconstruction or enhancements in the past decade. Maintaining all of parks in Medford continues to be a fiscal challenge, as Medford does not currently have enough personnel to do the job properly. One solution we have used is to ask the many great organizations in the city like Rotary or American Legion (among many others) to "adopt a park" and have volunteers walk the parks to pick up trash and offer helping hands during the spring and summer months. I have called for a ten-year plan for Medford's parks to outline a long-range plan and schedule to maintain the parks for the long-term.

Dello Russo: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

I recently returned from a business trip to Chicago. I was impressed by the attention and care that city pays to its public areas. Medford has made great strides. Almost all of the parks have been renovated; a war memorial, which everyone can be proud of, has been erected and dedicated; resurfacing of Salem St. is underway; we have four new schools; sponsorships from local businesses to maintain green areas are in place. Much has been done but more is needed. As a city councilor I would support a program of zero deferred maintenance for our public places. In the budget process I hope to bring my business and academic experience to creatively find ways to allocate funds for this purpose.

Doherty: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

Almost all of Medford's parks have been rehabilitated with modern playgound equipment. We need to now provide capital funds so that the parks may be maintained properly. The residents in the Carr Park area should not have to go to the Council to have their park cleaned and maintained.

One of the top priorities of a local government is to have safe and clean streets and sidewalks. Many of our streets have been repaved but the shape of a number of our sidewalks is not good. As I knocked doors this campaign, one of the two problems people continually raised was a long wait for a new sidewalk. It may seem trivial but, particularly to the seniors and small children, smooth, even sidewalks are important.

Trees are critical for every city. They make neighborhoods livable, provide shade to yards, streets, houses, and sidewalks, provide windbreaks and improve the value of a home. Trees also absorb the relected sunlight thus cooling the air in the neighborhood. A top priority in the city should be in replacing trees that are diseased or destroyed and in providing proper maintenance for the city's trees.

Lungo: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

The Administration of this City hired another department head for 87 thousand dollars this year, who will work for the Department of Public Works. Five of the current seven city councilors, including myself, voted to remove 87k from the budget because we felt the position was not needed at this time. The reason I voted to eliminate the position, had nothing to do with the gentlemen who was hired, it had to do with how this city spends money, and the fact that we need the money to be spent in different areas such as to repave our streets, which are in dire need of repair, and to better maintain the parks in this city. We also cannot do all of this work that desperately needs to be done without more workers, men and women who will actually have their boots on the ground. The parks are kept up as best as can be with only five members of the parks department, which is headed by Joe Nowak. With over 15 parks in this City, having five people to maintain them, does not cut it, and I have fought and will continue to fight for additional hiring so that the parks can be better maintained. Medford does a wonderful job creating new parks, such as Victory and the Columbus, but we neglect parks which need to be better maintained. I receive calls every week on a different park. Barry park needs new tennis courts, Victory Park already has missing pieces, Dugger Park needs better lighting, and just recently Carr park needs additional structural pieces as well as a paint job. The list is never ending and needs to be addressed. We as a council talk about and fight for all of these concerns to be taken care of, but we only have so much authority. I promise that with the power I do have I will continue to be a voice on these important issues. Our parks are for the children of this community, a population that seems to have no voice, which is why I ran for office in the first place and why I continue to want to be a part of it.

As far as Open Spaces and trees, I am a big supporter of green space. Every development that comes into this City, from Wendy’s to the Wellington development, I have made sure that green space and additional trees are part of their master plans. We also have to continue to fund the replacement of trees throughout this whole community. If trees rot, which they sometimes do, they should be taken down and replaced. Our tree warden does a great job with the funding that he receives, but of course he could be doing a lot more if he had additional personnel and funds.

Maher: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

No response received.

Maiocco: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

There is always room for improvement when it comes to our parks and to our streets and sidewalks. A program of parks restoration has brought results. They require constant attention. The National Arbor Foundation has given Medford "Tree City" designation in recognition of the city's arbor care efforts and tree planting. As a Councilor I have urged that more personnel and increased funding be allotted to meet the needs. The administration appears cognizant of all these needs including open space preservation but there is a limit as to how much funding can be appropriated. I will continue to press for efficient use of our limited resources and, whenever possible, to increase such funding.

Marks: Q6 - Open Spaces, Sidewalks, and Trees

The Department of Public Works does not have adequate staffing levels to maintain our city parks and open space. The sidewalk and street program which is run by the Mayor's office is not aggressive enough when it comes to addressing resident concerns .There is also a lack of communication between the city and residents on the status of their request which leads to frustration and a loss of confidence that their concern will be addressed in a timely fashion.