The Valley Advocate: On Springfield

On Asselin, Hurst, and segregation

Wed, 22 May 2013 8:54:00 AM MST

The city’s License Commission has turned down an application from Chris Asselin, the one-time state rep turned convicted felon, to sell used cars in the city.

Sometimes the jokes write themselves.

Not so funny is the fact that Commission member (and Ward 8 City Council candidate) Orlando Ramos had to abstain from voting because, as the Republican’s Pete Goonan reports, “he was contacted by Asselin multiple times before the hearing, with Asselin asking questions and seeking his support.”

• Another Council candidate, Justin Hurst, officially kicks off his campaign today with an event at the John Boyle O’Reilly Club from 5 to 7 p.m. Hurst, the son of former School Committee member Marj Hurst and one-time mayoral candidate Rick Hurst and the husband of current School Committee member Denise Hurst, is running for an at-large seat. Check out his website for information about his campaign.

• Finally, Goonan (busy man, he) also reports on yesterday’s City Council subcommittee meeting to discuss a new report showing deep racial segregation in the Valley. Attendees, Goonan notes, called for “regional strategies” to address the problem. Unfortunately, the meeting was light on participants from outside Springfield.

A Little Help Here?

Tue, 21 May 2013 9:07:00 AM MST

This afternoon at 4:30, the City Council’s planning and economic development committee will meet to discuss data from the University of Michigan that shows deep racial segregation in the Springfield metro area.

The research looked at segregation between the white population and the Hispanic, African-American and Asian populations in 102 metro areas around the country. It found that the greater Springfield area has the nation’s highest level of segregation between whites and Hispanics and the 22^nd highest between whites and blacks. Segregation between whites and Asians was the least stark, with metro Springfield ranking 57^th.

As the Republican’s Jeanette DeForge reports, City Councilor Bud Williams, chair of the economic development committee, has invited state legislators and representatives from civic and social organizations to attend today’s meeting. The meeting, Williams told DeForge, is a chance to “have an open conversation and find out if there are things we can do to make the numbers better.”

But for that to happen, a heck of a lot more people would need to show up than can fit in a City Council subcommittee room.

Like so many issues related to race—and the closely connected issues of class and economic opportunity—the report is being played largely as a Springfield issue, not a Valley-wide issue. But that’s exactly what it is; the UMichigan report, after all, looks at segregation in the Springfield metro area, which includes all of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

The problem isn’t that Springfield is a segregated city, but that the Valley, overall, is a segregated region; as DeForge notes in her article, 75 percent of the Valley’s black residents and more than 50 percent of its Hispanic residents live in Springfield. Given that those two populations face more social struggles—like higher levels of poverty and higher school drop-out rates—that means, of course, that Springfield bears the brunt of this Valley-wide segregation.

That doesn’t mean Springfield should have to tackle the problem on its own. But until other communities in the Valley—specifically, the whiter and more affluent ones—step up to share the work, it’s easy to see why so many regard this as a “Springfield problem.”

Better Living Through Bocce

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:55:00 AM MST

Did you happen to catch on The River yesterday the interview with Rico Daniele, owner of the South End’s Mom & Rico’s—and, as the River’s Monte put it, “bocce enthusiast, fanatic, evangelist”?

The interview took place on Daniele’s turf: the bocce courts in Forest Park. The two played a bit while they chatted, with the novice Monte sorta winning, and gentlemanly Daniele handling it quite graciously.

Daniele took the opportunity to make the case for the wonders of bocce and to pitch the free “bocce school” he’ll host at the park on Father’s Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.—leaving plenty of time, he noted, for participants to get home for a family dinner.

Tax Relief from Casino?

Thu, 16 May 2013 9:33:00 AM MST

City Councilor Tim Rooke continues to push a proposal to use some of the money promised the city by MGM to cut local tax bills.

MGM was recently chosen by Mayor Domenic Sarno as the city’s preferred casino developer. In a host-community agreement negotiated with the administration, MGM has promised to make annual payments to the city once (and if) its casino opens. That money—a combination of property taxes, development grants, “community impact payments” and other payments—is “anticipated” to be “in excess of $25 million.”

Rooke would like to see part of that money used to offset property taxes paid by homeowners and businesses. “This is the fairest process overall,” he said. “Give a portion back to the residents and businesses that have stuck it out in Springfield—kind of a way of saying, ‘Thanks for sticking it out in the tough times.’” The move might also help attract new businesses to the city, Rooke said.

And, he added, it would reduce the inevitable squabbling that would come when councilors lobby to allocate the casino money to their pet causes or organizations. “Before you know it, everyone thinks it’s Christmas, and nobody can agree on where the money should go.”

Rooke doesn’t know yet how much of the money he’d like to see applied to tax relief; the City Council, mayor and City Hall finance team would have to hash that out, he said.

Of course, it’s too early for property owners to begin celebrating their lower tax bills. Residents still need to weigh in on the MGM agreement, which they will do in a July 16 special election. And, ultimately, the Mass. Gaming Commission will decide who gets the sole casino license to be granted in Western Mass.: MGM; Hard Rock, which has a proposal in West Springfield; or Mohegan Sun, which wants to build a casino in Palmer.

Casino-free Zone

Fri, 10 May 2013 6:03:00 AM MST

Have you had your fill of the casino war and are eager for something—anything—else to think about? Or are you completely absorbed by the drama and looking for something to pass the time until the next battle (this evening’s City Council meeting, at 5 p.m., when councilors will discuss the city’s community agreement with MGM)?

Either way, may I direct your attention to this terrific photo essay on the Springfield Armory, by MassLive’s Laura Merwin? Merwin’s captured some really striking and moody shots of the armory, which is a National Historic Site, run by the National Parks Service.

I’m embarrassed to say how long I lived here before I finally made my first visit to the armory, but I’m glad I finally made it; it’s a well-maintained and fascinating window into Springfield’s history—notably, a time when the armory, not a casino, was the city’s economic engine. (This region, of course, is full of great national historic sites; my other favorites are Minute Man National Historic Park in Concord and the excellent complex of restored mills in Lowell.)

If you’re looking for an excuse to check out the armory, try this: on Memorial Day (Monday, May 27), the U.S. Coastguard Dixieland Jazz Band will play a free concert there at 2 p.m.

Sarno, Ferrera Lock Horns on Casino

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:57:00 AM MST

Are the Sarno administration and City Council President Jimmy Ferrera headed into a stand-off over the city’s agreement with casino developer MGM?

On the heels of his move to halt a City Council vote on the agreement earlier this week, Ferrera yesterday released a letter to Mayor Domenic Sarno and William Hornbuckle, MGM’s president, calling for a change to the document. Specifically, he wants the deal to include a minimum-investment figure for the project.

In earlier documents filed with the city, Ferrera notes, MGM had referred to an $851.5 million project. More recently, however, city officials have described the total cost as around $800 million. Ferrera had cited that discrepancy as one of his reasons for delaying the vote at Monday’s City Council meeting.

“Let’s end the confusion and what can be misleading to the public and adopt the simple little sentence” clarifying the exact cost, Ferrera wrote to Sarno and Hornbuckle.

Ferrera ended his letter with a shot over Sarno’s and MGM’s bow: “Quite frankly if the Mayor and MGM can’t quickly agree to inserting a ‘not less than investment amount’ into the host agreement I would have serious reservations about the entire project.”

The mayor’s office responded quickly with a prepared statement attributed to Cezar Froelich, a consultant hired by the city to guide it through the casino process, that described the agreement between the city and MGM as “heavily negotiated” and including “extensive safeguards guaranteeing MGM will build a world class casino resort and entertainment destination exactly as MGM promised to the residents of Springfield.”

The deal, Froelich went on, “describes in great detail the exact project MGM will build, specifying each of the constituent components including the various project amenities such as hotel, spa, retail, office, residential, back of house, child care center, parks, skating rink, number of restaurants and minimum number of yearly entertainment events.” The deal also includes the project’s minimum square footage and compliance requirements that will ensure “the City knows exactly what MGM will build,” the statement said.

“While we believe the ultimate cost of the project will be $800 million or more, we are more interested in making sure MGM builds what it promised and we are confident it will,” it added.

The next round in the casino bout is scheduled for tomorrow evening at 5 p.m., when the City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the MGM agreement.

Meanwhile, it’s been fun this week to track reaction to Ferrera’s delaying of Monday’s vote, which has ranged from the effusive praise offered by the anonymous Casino Whispers website, which portrays Ferrera as the lovechild of Winston Churchill and Superman, to the highly suspicious take of Western Mass. Politics and Insight’s Matt Szafranski, who sees the councilor’s move as little more than political posturing during what could be a tough election season.

If Szafranski’s analysis is correct, it might not be a bad strategy on Ferrera’s part. According to my highly unscientific polling over the past few days (read: talking to various City Hall watchers and tracking the comments section on MassLive.com), even people who aren’t necessarily Ferrera’s greatest supporters agree that the deal was being rushed through and that city councilors would be wise to take some time before signing off on such a tremendous project.

Ferrera: Not So Fast

Tue, 07 May 2013 6:29:00 AM MST

City Council President Jimmy Ferrera last night put the brakes on the rush to move forward the city’s draft casino agreement with MGM.

It had been widely expected that the Council would approve the agreement, which Mayor Domenic Sarno had announced last week. “We can’t let the grass grow under our feet,” at-large Councilor Kateri Walsh told the Republican after Sarno’s announcement. But Ferrera tossed a monkey wrench in those plans by invoking Rule 20, which halts discussion on an issue until the city comptroller produces a report on the potential costs to the city.

After the meeting, Ferrera released a statement explaining the move. The potential casino project, he wrote, “is the largest financial issue, other than the city budget, to ever come before the City Council. This is an important opportunity for Springfield, perhaps even a crucial opportunity that can ensure our future. We need to get this right. By law, this document cannot be amended after we ratify it. There is no do-over.”

While he supports bringing a casino to the city, Ferrera continued, there are questions to be answered about MGM’s deal with the city, including the total amount of property taxes the project would yield, why the agreement has 1,200 fewer parking spots than originally proposed, and, most urgently, why it does not specifically describe the casino proposal as a $852 million project, as it earlier had been described. Instead, Ferrera noted, related documents now refer to the project’s “nearly $800 million investment.” That, he wrote, is a million less than the investment promised by rival casino developer Penn National, whose plan for the city’s North End was eliminated from contention last week by Sarno.

Ferrera will now face some backlash from people eager to see the casino project steam ahead. There will also, undoubtedly, be lots of speculation on the city’s back channels about whether he’s driven by some hidden agenda. I think that level of scrutiny is vital; given how much money is flying around the casino question, Springfield residents would be wise the look very closely at all the players and decision makers involved.

Still, whatever your personal theory about why Ferrera invoked Rule 20, it’s hard to argue with the case he’s made: if a casino does come to Springfield, it will change the city’s economy and culture in unprecedented ways. So why rush the process, which, as Ferrera notes, cannot be undone down the road. Why not pore over the agreement and get answers to lingering questions—including, as Ferrera contends, the apparent disappearance of $50 million from the original MGM proposal?

I’m not the only one to think Ferrera did the right thing: the casino-watchdog website CasinoWhispers.com is positively gushing with praise for Ferrera, calling him a “hero” and writing that “this plain spoken, earnest young man has done what few, if any, city officials have had the courage to do; stand up to MGM and their on-the-ground political arm twisters by saying ‘not so fast.’” (Indeed, CW’s praise is so effusive that I think I’ve finally uncovered the secret identity of the person behind the anonymous website: Ferrera’s mom.)

Ferrera’s delaying tactic aside, the Council is still moving ahead with its review of the MGM agreement; as Pete Goonan reports in today’s Republican, councilors will meet this Friday evening to discuss the deal.

Meanwhile, here’s another interesting detail to chew over: over his time on the Council, Ferrera has received a couple of thousand in campaign donations from members of the Callahan family, owners of Palmer Paving, the most recent in 2011. David Callahan is an investor in MGM’s casino project; he’s also president of Palmer Renewable Energy, which has a pending lawsuit against the city over the City Council’s revocation, in 2011, of a special permit for the controversial wood-burning power plant PRE has proposed in East Springfield. (Ferrera has been a supporter of the power plant project.) Ferrera has also received a couple of thousand dollars in donations from Callahan’s attorney, Frank Fitzgerald. The most recent: a $200 check on May 2, just a few days before Ferrera’s move to halt the MGM vote.

Callahan’s role in those two projects creates a particularly sticky situation: city officials are considering approving a major development deal in which he is involved at the same time they’re fighting a major lawsuit he’s filed against the city.

Mayoral Raise Question Surfaces Again

Fri, 03 May 2013 6:56:00 AM MST

That cheering you don’t hear coming from the streets of Springfield is the sound of city residents not rallying around the Chamber of Commerce’s latest proposal to give the mayor a pay raise.

As Pete Goonan reports here, the Chamber is calling for the mayor’s salary to be increased from $95,000 to $135,000, to reflect the magnitude of the job and to keep it competitive with the pay offered in other communities. (Heck, forget about other communities; Springfield’s mayor makes significantly less than many city employees who report to him.)

“That is akin to running a multi-million dollar corporation, and we believe the compensation that is paid should attempt to be somewhat commensurate,” the Chamber said. “The Chamber simply wants the ability to compete for the best candidates and for the compensation to be consistent with comparable communities.”

This isn’t the first time the Chamber made this recommendation; a few years earlier, it promoted both an extension of the mayor’s term from two years to four (which voters approved) and a mayoral pay raise (which went over like a lead balloon). I can see the point the Chamber is making; over the years, I’ve had a few mayoral-quality folks tell me that moving from their private-sector jobs to City Hall would come with too hefty a pay cut. But that doesn’t mean working and middle-class residents are crying too many tears for a mayor who takes home only $95,000 a year—almost $60,000 more than the median household income in the city.

Meanwhile, as Goonan’s report shows, city politicians seem wary of taking on such a potentially explosive topic. Incumbent Mayor Domenic Sarno said, wisely, he’ll leave that decision to the City Council. Councilor Clodo Concepcion, who chairs the Finance Committee, said he has an “open mind” about the matter but tossed the hot potato to Council President Jimmy Ferrera, noting that it’s up to him to decide how to proceed. And Ferrera said he’s too focused on the MGM casino agreement to think about a mayoral raise right now.

Time to Place Your Bets

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 4:40:00 AM MST

It’s the moment of truth: later today, Mayor Domenic Sarno will announce the casino developer, or developers, with whom his administration has negotiated a host-community agreement. (Technically, of course, he could also announce that he’s reached an agreement with neither, although that’s about as likely as a monsoon hitting the city.)

From here, the agreement(s) will go before the City Council for approval, then to city voters. Ultimately, the state’s Gaming Commission will pick the winner of the four proposals seeking the sole casino license to be issued in Western Mass. (Let’s not forget, while Springfield has been ardently pursuing the license, there are two other plans in the mix: Mohegan Sun’s proposal in Palmer and Hard Rock’s in West Springfield.)

So who will advance to the next round? MGM, with its plan for the South End? Penn National’s proposal in the North End? It’s widely expected that only one plan will move forward, meaning there could be a good deal of disappointed folks after Sarno makes his announcement—including a casino company that’s poured buckets of money into advancing its proposal and the various local investors and consultants who’ve attached themselves to the plans. And let’s not forget that the Springfield Republican has a good deal riding on the outcome, too; in a grave conflict of interest, the city’s only daily paper, while covering the casino issue, also stands to profit if the license goes to Penn National, which intends to buy the paper’s property for its casino.

Sarno is due to make his announcement at 11 a.m., so place your bets now. That’s what our old pal the Casino Whisperer has done; last night, I, along with a number of other local reporters, received an email from a writer purporting to be the creator of the anonymous Casino Whispers website, announcing that his or her sources have MGM winning the contest. “Done. Take it to the bank,” Casino Whisperer wrote.

And here’s some good news for fans of that website, which went mysteriously dark a few weeks ago: Casino Whispers is back in action.

Teachers' Union Sees Contest

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 7:33:00 AM MST

Tim Collins has been the president of Springfield’s teachers’ union for so long, and so visibly, that it’s easy to forget that it’s an elected seat, not one he holds by birthright. But next week, he’ll face a challenger for the position, which he’s held for 16 years.

His competition, as the Republican’s Jack Flynn reports: Sharon Nieves, a business information management instructor at Putnam High.

Nieves comes to the race with a good pedigree: her mother, Antonette Pepe, served for years as president of the city schools’ paraprofessional union, before her election to the School Committee. (Her father, Russell Pepe, is a former sheet metal worker who’s also been active in the local labor movement.)

That connection—the head of the teachers’ union being related to a member of the School Committee—might seem a bit sticky, although it’s nothing new; Collins’ brother, Chris, is also a longtime member of the Committee.

The election takes place May 6 and 7.