A few years back I was on a task force, although now I could not be on it as a Holden resident according to Councilor Clancy, that looked into the PILOT headed by Rep Leary. We all realized that there was very little the City could not legally to impose a property tax, but that there were other options. Bottom line you can mail a college a tax bill and if they do not pay it, there is nothing a City of Town can do.
The key to the whole task force was that Representative Leary, who did an excellent job, brought people in from CEO for Cities who brought in reports on how other cities work with their non-profits, in particular Pittsburgh. After a few months, we came out with a really good report on how we could maximize the assets (monetary and intellectual) on the non-profits in the the City of Worcester. Amongst the many recommendations was that we should have an agency dedicated solely to these efforts.
Recently I have read about the PILOT issue being brought up again by some of the councilors. As a result I decided to check out the agency that was created by our task force the UniverCity Partnership. I got to tell you that I was rather disappointed. Although I have not heard of many of our recommendations being implemented, I was hoping that I have read something different. Quick can anyone tell me who heads this Partnership??? If you want, you can check out the report here.
If you want to see how this is suppose to be working check out the City of Pittsburgh's University Partnership or the Providence Plan. Instead of going down the PILOT road again, maybe we should reconvene the task force and take a look at our original recommendations and see how we have done so far?
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
5 months ago
13 comments:
Bill, as I said a few days on here, this PILOT being in the news again is IMO just a lot of election year grandstanding on the issue.
How the hell can someone like Palmieri who voted to give the New Loews $190,000 waiver of fees now turn around and (per last weeks T&G) say he wants pilot payments from non profits? Haller and another were also mentioned in the article, but I do not know how they voted re LOews handout. My guess is they too voted yea.
Then consider the Millions(?) given to the new Loews in Community Block Grant Funds and you have to ask yourself, of the counciloors who voted for it, how can they now turn around and start screaming PILOT again? These councillors are common street walkers on this PILOT issue.
I know what they are really aiming for are the colleges with their multi million dollar endowments (multi billions combined?) but what are they going to say.........we want PILOT payments from the college non profits, but not from others like group homes, empowerment centers, churchces, social service agencies and the like?
This is why I continue to see too many of out local politicains as hypocrites on this PILOT issue.
If & when they got their hands on the PILOT money who knows that they wont start waiving more fees for non profits? Afterall, Holy Cross has some huge plans on the drawing board and what's good for the Bijou Deja Vu (Loews) is good for the Crusaders, too. H
Giving more money to coucilloors who are intoxicated with money already is hardly a good idea.
Let's attack the Multi million dollar sick pay abuse in the City first. Not one of them has the political testosterone to touch anything but the easy issues like wayward shopping carts, traffic cameras and useless resolutions
Jahn:
What does IMO stand for???
The main reason I bring this up is that we have two task forces out there right now--zoning and homelessness. If we do not follow up on the recommendations of these task forces, what is the point of doing them in the first place.
Bill
Bill,
IMO= In My Opinion
IMHO= In My Humble Opinion
LOL=Laugh Out Loud
etc. etc. etc.
It's basically internet shothand.
Hope this helps
LMAO = laugh my ass off
TTFN = ta-ta for now
BFN = bye for now
WTF = what the (you get the idea)
STHU = shut...up
We gotta educate this older generation, Steve. Wait, I AM part of Bill's generation!
Correct me if I am wrong on this..but....
Bill, the last zoning task force that I recall was in the late 80's and early 90's. Maybe it wasnt a task force per se but thre was major rchange to the zoning ordinance legislated into law about 1992 as a result of a "task force's" recommendations.
One of those changes was no more use variances were allowed ...e.g. you could not ask for a variance to build to build a residence in a manufacturing zone b/c this would be a use variance.
Fast forward to the next century and we have a local radio personality who bemoans the the fact there is little residential housing downtown and none is allowed (without an overlay district) to be built. Care to guess who was one of the council votes who championed this new ordinance that precluded new residential construction in downtown?
Clue: He will now co-chair (per T&G) what I call the "PIP Shelter Task Force" with Mr Jeff Mulford.
I am not always sarcastic, so I must say it's good to see a Wally World finally coming to Worc. I just wish it could be more centrally located, but given the scarity of huge parcels of land in the center of the City, the old American Steel & Wire is still a great reuse of an old industrial site. I love Wally Worlds carpenter jeans b/c I can still almost fit into their size 34" waist. {g}.
We have the Worcester Telegram & Gazette now in Millbury (for yrs now, TY Bob!), we have the Worcester Masspike exit in Millbury, and now the Worcester Wally World (WWW) is almost in Millbury.
Worcester is aging an its center of gravity is being pulled south!
Dough Boy:
Three are so many task forces now, it is hard to keep track of. That is why I am calling for this task force to reconvene, review our recommendations and see how the UniverCity Partnership has done.
The task force I was referring to was not a zoning task force. It was specifically set-up two or three years ago (I forgot) to review the PILOT issue.
It frustrates me to see the whole PILOT issue being brought up again and fear another task force being put together (HOMELESS TASK FORCE). We had some real good recommendations. Mr Leary (what is his title now) should reconvene the task force, review our recommendations and see how the Univercity Partnership has done.
Speaking of PILOTS, don't forget yours truly's suggestion of the Canadian Football League at Holy Cross' Fitton Field, and all the economic spinoff it could yield...
;-)
Harry Tembenis
Worcester, MA
Do you mean Leary or Early? Your typos are killing me. There's an Early who's now Patrick's chief of staff. There's a Denis Leary who has a funny TV show about the NYFD, and one who heads the veteran's shelter here in Wistah. There'e a Bob Leary I've played tennis with. Who are you talking about?
Sorry about the typos. State Rep Jim Leary was the person who did a great job heading up the task force. He has since left to take a job with LT Governor Murray.
you know what they say about the city of worcester 5000 employees and 7 last names early leary murray very early i became leary of murray is st pats day on a satarday this year
You forgot Foley
Typos.......what's Wistah???.......is that near Bawstin?
Ha! Wicked funny!
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