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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
After multi-year saga, Milton finally approves a state housing plan
Tuesday night's vote may finally be the end of a saga that has flamed political tensions in Milton since 2023, and, MBTA Communities supporters say, could mark a broader shift in the fight over the law. A year ago, 'Tonight's decision by Milton Town Meeting to advance a compliant plan is a strong signal that we are prepared to put the rancor of the past behind us and become a part of the solution to the housing crisis,' said Select Board Chair Ben Zoll, who has been pushing for the town to comply. Related : Advertisement Still, it was not without controversy. The plan passed at a special Town Meeting that went on for two nights, during which some community members gave impassioned speeches against complying with the law, and argued the town should continue its 'In every neighborhood, I meet people who tell me they saved up everything they had to move out of the city to live in Milton,' Denny Swenson, who helped organize the referendum in 2024, said at the meeting Tuesday. 'Many left the city and stressed the importance and value they place on having their own driveway, that tree by the sidewalk, that stitch of land in their backyard. They paid dearly to live in their neighborhood that is zoned as it is. This zoning article is changing that on them.' Denny Swenson campaigns against Milton's MBTA Communities plan ahead of a referendum in February of 2024. Erin Clark/Globe Staff There may still be one last push from opponents. Under the town charter, residents can trigger a referendum on a Town Meeting vote if they collect signatures from at least 5 percent of Milton's registered voters. There have been rumblings that opponents of the plan may try to force another town wide vote. The long fight over MBTA Communities in Milton began in 2023, when the Select Board passed a state-mandated zoning plan that would theoretically make room for 2,461 housing units. The plan was controversial, and after it The lead up to that vote in February 2024 was filled with intense campaigning, and some 54 percent of the 9,500 voters in the referendum Advertisement Milton's deadline to meet state guidelines was the end of 2023, so when voters rejected the plan, Attorney General Andrea Campbell In January, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Related : After the ruling, the town's planning board designed two plans for Town Meeting to consider, one that would comply with the town's full requirement as a rapid transit community, and another, smaller plan designed for a scenario in which the town is reclassified to a different community category, and therefore a smaller housing requirement. It was the bigger plan that passed Tuesday night, while the smaller option was sent back to the planning board for further study. 'We have a housing crisis, there's no question,' said Anthony Cichello, a Town Meeting member. 'The MBTA Communities Act is an effort by the Legislature to try to address that housing issue. Its not going to fix the problem. But its a step, and its the law.' Advertisement The vote puts Milton with a growing list of communities that have fiercely debated, yet ultimately passed, an MBTA Communities plan. More than 75 percent of the 175 cities and towns covered by the law have enacted zoning plans intended to comply with it, state officials have said, and Earlier this month, a Superior Court judge Andrew Brinker can be reached at
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Water rates set to rise to offset water main replacement project
ANDOVER — Water rates are set to increase over the next five years as the town moves forward with replacing miles and miles of aging water mains. The Select Board, acting as the water commission, unanimously approved an updated water rate plan for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 with rate increases of 15% for the first four years and a 10% increase in the last year at its meeting on Thursday. Town Manager Andrew Flanagan presented the modifications to the water main replacement program and water rate plan. He said the overall goal of the plan is to provide high-quality water treatment and distribution services to Andover and North Reading residents and businesses. There are 40 miles of water mains — unlined and subject to break — still to be replaced in the program. The plan will maintain the town's water main replacement schedule which targets four miles of annual replacement work. It also prepares for the replacement of the Fish Brook Pumping Station and annual and regular investments in the water treatment plant. The new plan also adjusts the existing rate plan in order to fund the balance of the Water Enterprise Capital Improvement Plan Program and maintain adequate funding for operations to retain staff. The updated water rate plan will also leverage the 11th year of the North Reading Water Agreement and stabilize rates. 'This is a significant investment in our infrastructure, one of the most important pieces of infrastructure we have in the community,' Select Board Chair Alex Vispoli said. The modified plan requires the annual investment to increase by $6 million to $12 million in order to fund four miles per year. There is also an annual debt service increase of $750,000. It also adjusted rates from the existing rate plan which would have seen rate increases between 5% to 6% depending on the year through fiscal year 2030. Department of Public Works Director Carlos Jaquez built in three phases to get all the lines replaced. The phases are based on prioritizing the remaining miles. The Phase 1 will have the greatest impact on discolored water conditions and covers 10.5 miles over the next five years. Jaquez said the other two phases address redundancy and resiliency issues throughout the system. Phase 2 fixes another 14.6 miles in six to 10 years while phase three will tackle 14.4 miles in 11 to 15 years. Flanagan said the town will be able to keep pace at four miles a year with the water rate increases and the payment of $750,000 in debt services annually. About 10% to 11% of the 15% increase is allocated to offset capital expenses. Vispoli said there are many moving parts to this plan to dig out and construct four miles of new water main yearly. He added there should be an update provided to the board to know how the process is going during the first year it's implemented. Flanagan said the Select Board will know if the town is ahead or behind with the project once or twice a year. Jaquez said the town has allocated $6 million in bonds for work already planned this past year. When when that number doubles to $12 million in July 2026, the design work will begin for the construction project. He said the town likely won't see any direct impact of construction for another year and a half to two years. 'These water mains do need to be designed before they go out to bid for construction,' Jaquez said. Flanagan said looking at five-year projections, the plan should be able to fund the Fish Brook Pumping Station replacement project without further action.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Massachusetts town looking into ICE facility zoning violations after teen described conditions
The New England Regional Headquarters for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is supposed to be a processing facility where people stay for only hours, and the town of Burlington where the facility is located says that's how it is zoned. "What I'm just concerned about is fair and humane treatment for anybody in Burlington," said Mike Espejo, chairman of the Select Board, "and this doesn't seem like that's happening." Milford teen describes conditions He tells WBZ-TV the case of Marcelo Gomes da Silva has shined a new light on what is allegedly happening behind the doors. "No one deserves to be down there," Gomes da Silva told reporters when he posted bail last week. "You sleep on concrete floors, I have to use the bathroom in the open. It's humiliating." He described what he called inhumane conditions for six days, leaving the town now more than concerned. "We had no idea anything like that was happening," said Espejo. It is why town officials are now gathering information on the scope of the operations inside the building and whether the ICE facility is violating local zoning laws. "We are checking with our legal counsel to see if we can do any type of zoning enforcement, or health code violation enforcement," Espejo said. "Anything we can do to just make sure that people are at least being treated humanely." Town was told no one held overnight There was some opposition in the town when the facility first opened in 2008, but residents received assurances that no one would be held overnight. Espejo said they were told the same thing in recent weeks when local officials began inquiries amid rumors. In a statement ICE tells WBZ-TV, "There are occasions where detainees might need to stay at the Burlington office for a short period that might exceed the anticipated administrative processing time." The statement goes on to say, "detainees are given ample food, regular access to phones, showers and legal representation as well as medical care when needed." That's not what Marcelo Gomes da Silva said he experienced. "I haven't showered in six days. I haven't done anything," he said when he was released. Espejo says it's a gray area for the town. "It's a federal facility so we don't know how much jurisdiction we have over it," Espejo said. He says town officials feel misled about a building where they believed mostly paperwork was being done.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kennebunk mourns loss of Shiloh Schulte: 'He's the kind of person you want in the world'
KENNEBUNK, Maine — As the community mourns the death of Shiloh Schulte, one of its most liked, respected, and dedicated citizens, there is one word that Select Board member Kortney Nedeau says describes the loss. 'It's immeasurable,' Nedeau said. 'It's just such a shock. He was the kind of person you want in the world.' Schulte, 46, died in a helicopter crash while conducting conservation work in Alaska on June 4. As outpourings from the community have shown, the former chair of the Kennebunk Select Board will long be cherished and remembered as a kind, energetic, and generous man who was devoted to his family, dedicated to his hometown, and passionate about celebrating and protecting nature, especially its birds. On social media, for example, Nedeau provided a heartfelt example of Schulte's impact as a community member and his ability to inspire others. She said Schulte was one of the reasons that she ran for a seat on the Select Board five years ago. 'He was encouraging, courageous, genuine, even-tempered, and fair,' Nedeau wrote in a post. 'It was such an honor to serve the town of Kennebunk in such a thankless job with someone who understood our work was above ourselves ... He was so humble, insightful, and honest.' Nedeau expanded on Schulte's character during an interview. 'He was unassuming,' she said. 'He was always listening first and was the last to speak. He always rose to the occasion. He always showed up.' And his impact went well beyond Kennebunk, Nedeau noted, so much so that she imagined that the duties of small-town government and community volunteering must have been a 'piece of cake' when compared to the hard work he accomplished throughout the world. More: Conservationist Shiloh Schulte, of Kennebunk, dies in research helicopter crash in Alaska Schulte worked with Manomet Conservation Sciences, a Massachusetts-based organization dedicated to using 'science and collaboration to improve the health of flyways, coastal ecosystems, and working land and seas,' according to its website. Among his contributions, Schulte coordinated the organization's American Oystercatcher Recovery Program and is credited with helping to rebuild the presence of that large shorebird – once believed to be completely out of existence locally – by as much as 45%. Nedeau said she and her colleagues on the Select Board would always know where Schulte would be come summertime as they worked out their meeting schedule for June, July, and August. Schulte, she said, would always tell them, 'I'll be in a tent, in the Arctic, unreachable – so do whatever works best for you guys.' Indeed, with June here, Schulte was in Alaska, pursuing his passions, fulfilling his commitment to protecting nature, and meeting his responsibility to future generations. 'Shiloh gave his life in the service of something greater than himself, dedicating himself to preserving the natural world for future generations," Manomet Conservation Sciences said in a statement announcing the tragedy. Schulte also was an avid and accomplished runner, who became the top Maine finisher of the Boston Marathon in 2019, completing the race in two hours and 39 minutes, according to the Dirigo Run Club, to which he belonged. In a social media post, the club described Schulte as 'known to always have a smile on his face' and as a 'fierce competitor.' Schulte served on the Kennebunk Select Board for a few years before ascending to the chair in the summer of 2022. Nedeau nominated him for the post, praising him as someone who knew how to lead a meeting, and who had a 'really great way about him to move things forward, regardless of where he is on the spectrum of an issue.' Schulte succeeded longtime Select Board member Blake Baldwin as chair. Anyone who followed the Select Board meetings during Baldwin's tenure could see the respect and esteem Baldwin had for Schulte and for the contributions he made to the discussions and hard decisions about town issues. 'He was the cool head that calmed troubled waters,' Baldwin said during a phone interview. 'For that, I was grateful to have him on the board, not just as a colleague but as a friend.' A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Schulte's family, including his wife and their two daughters. The GoFundMe campaign has a goal of $45,000. By the early afternoon of June 9, a total of $39,062 already had been raised. On the GoFundMe page, Schulte's family also refers to his passion for the natural world, describing him as an explorer of forests, wetlands and birds since an early age. Importantly, though, Schulte was more than a scientist, his family says on the fundraising page. 'He was a devoted husband and father, a loving son and brother, a generous neighbor, and a pillar of his community,' they said. 'Shiloh gave his all – always with a warm heart and a boundless energy.' In his interview, Baldwin also spoke of what Schulte was and always will be, not just to him, but to others. He spoke of Schulte's compassion for other people. In describing the impact that Schulte had, Baldwin referred to one of the most beloved movies of all time, 'It's a Wonderful Life.' In that Christmas classic, Clarence, the angel who is trying to earn his wings, explains to George Bailey, who wished he had never been born, what happens when people lose someone they love. Some people leave a big hole, Clarence said. Some people are part of your soul, Baldwin said, and when they are gone, 'they leave a big hole.' Said Baldwin, 'Shiloh is one of those people.' This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk mourns loss former Select Board chair Shiloh Schulte
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kennebunk wildlife biologist had passion for conservation and community
Jun. 9—Shiloh Schulte's family often found him exploring the woods, binoculars in hand, when he was growing up. His childhood interest in wildlife turned into a career in biology and a love for birds that his family adopted. Though his parents and four siblings are spread out across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, they say one object outside of their homes ties them to Schulte: bird feeders. The 46-year-old from Kennebunk, who has worked on several projects across the country to preserve landbird, seabird and shorebird populations, died in a helicopter crash Wednesday while conducting conservation work in Alaska to survey and record birds. "It's just such a tragedy, there was so much more that he could have done for the world and would have done," his brother Jonah Schulte said. "All we can do is hope to be even a little glimmer of what he was at trying to help." Shiloh Schulte, who most recently worked for the Massachusetts-based research nonprofit Manomet Conservation Sciences, was known in the company for his efforts to restore the American Oystercatcher population by 45%, according to a statement posted to social media. On the day of the crash, Schulte and the helicopter pilot, who also died, were flying from Prudhoe Bay to a remote area of Alaska's North Slope, according to the Boston Globe. The crash occurred on the first day of the study. 'KENNEBUNK SURELY LOST A GOOD ONE' His friends and family said his passion for conservation and community was infectious. Schulte lived in Kennebunk with his wife, 15-year-old daughter Caelyn and 18-year-old daughter Lorien, as well as his sister, Jill, and her young children. When he wasn't traveling for work, Schulte made efforts to be involved in his community, whether it was hosting potlucks or making friends in running groups, his wife, Shevaun Schulte, said. Every spring, she said, he and his family threw neighborhood parties to collect and boil down maple sap. As a father, his wife said, Shiloh Schulte instilled a love of learning in his children, and the family often traveled and went camping together. Loved ones are seeking donations through GoFundMe to support his family. Lorien Schulte said her father enjoyed reading, and was especially fond of "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin. Even off the clock, she said, he loved to photograph birds and share them on his Instagram account. Schulte, an avid runner who completed the Boston Marathon several times and finished as the top Maine runner in 2019, also served on Kennebunk's select board from 2015-24. Residents will remember him as a "thoughtful, principled" leader, according to a statement posted to the town's Facebook page. "Shiloh was encouraging, courageous, genuine, even-tempered and fair," Select Board member Kortney Nedeau said in a statement Monday. "Kennebunk surely lost a good one." MAKING FRIENDS ACROSS THE WORLD While "tromping through the tundra" at a camp in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2019, Michael Boardman, of North Yarmouth, said he was surprised to meet Schulte, a "fellow Mainer in the middle of nowhere." Boardman, who was serving as an artist in residence for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said he appreciated that Schulte was willing to connect with him, even though he's not an expert in science. He said Schulte's willingness to teach others about the whimbrel, a type of shorebird, resulted in him putting more emotion into his field sketches and paintings. Schulte, he said, was passionate about raising awareness of some shorebirds, working to protect them along their long migration routes. "You may never go to the Arctic, but there's a lot of birds that you see during the course of the summer that do," Boardman said. "If they disappear, the world will be a lesser place." Jonah Schulte said his older brother had made friends across the world, from South America to the Eastern Seaboard. Since his death, he said it's been heartwarming to see comments and stories from people on social media and online who knew him. "There's people everywhere that knew Shiloh," Jonah Schulte said, "and were excited to see and hear from him just because they knew that if he was there, it meant there was a good reason to be there." Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
