Square Improvement Project Fails First Vote at Capital Expenditures Meeting

Updated 11:45 a.m., Tuesday: When reached by email Tuesday morning, John Heffernan declined to comment on his thoughts about the project, saying, "I may hear some new information that could change how I vote."

Original story published Monday evening:

In a 2-2 vote Monday evening, the Capital Expenditures Committee failed to approve the $6.1 million , and agreed to reconsider the capital item Saturday morning when the full board is present.

Committee member John Heffernan was away on business and absent from the meeting.

Town Administrator William Keegan recommended to the board that $4.8 million of the project receive funding through bonding as part of a . The town received a to foot the rest of the bill.

"The challenge is how do we turn back a $1.3 million grant from the state?" Keegan asked. "We would take a step backward."

Committee member Michael Podolski, for the second meeting in a row, spoke out against the procedure of the project receiving recommendation for capital spending, instead of going in front of voters.

"The definition of what should be done this way, [and] that way, needs to be addressed," said Podolski, one of the two dissenters.

Currently the town doesn't have a written policy on what types of projects and at what pricetag receive bonding through capital funds or go to voters, Keegan said.

Eric Chambers, the other member who voted against the project, agreed with Podolski that the approval for a $4.8 million project should be on a ballot.

"This is a big chunk of change that I think typically has gone beyond just going to the boards, it has gone to the town to vote," Chambers said. "The residents should have a say in this."

Keegan reiterated his defense for the project, saying the town has managed its debt to accomodate projects of this magnitude when they come along.

"The only way to actually put it to the voters in that way is through debt exclusion, which is something that didn't need to be done in this instance,"  Keegan said.

Monday represented the first time the project faced a vote for its funding from any town board.

If the Capital Expenditures Committee ultimately approves the project, the Finance Committee would vote on it as early as Tuesday, April 5. If the Finance Committee passes the project, it will then go to Town Meeting for final approval in May.

Despite the number of hurdles the project faces, Podolski didn't want to "rubber stamp" the project and wait for other entities to make decisions. 

"My job is to call it the way I see it here," he said.

Recognizing the work by several town departments - economic development, engineering and the administrator's office - and by , Podolski acknowledged that the project had merit and the area needs work.

"I know a lot of people that have put in a lot of time into this, and the town has sunk a lot of money into this," he said.

But with no permanent home for a senior center and a cramped police station, Podolski said the town's priorities shouldn't be "sidewalks in Dedham Square."

The town administrator cited past studies that call for traffic and safety improvements to the Square that the project, as currently planned, would address.

"It's not just a beautification project, but a safety project," Keegan said. "This is a project that really should be done and should be supported by the town."