Wednesday, May 22, 2013
City Councilors are not supposed to use cellphones during meetings. Jeremy Denlea says councilors are using them, and he wants repercussions.
Last month's hot topic during an Attleboro City Council meeting was when councilors take their bathroom breaks. This week it was whether councilors were using their cellphones during meetings, violating an unofficial rule set by council President Frank Cook banning the use of cellphones by councilors and audience members during meetings. Councilor Jeremy Denlea alleged Monday night that some of his colleagues were "texting, emailing and playing games during every meeting." He at first did not specify names, but later pointed at the two men who sit to his immediate right at the horseshoe table—Richard Conti and Jonathan Weydt. Weydt said he was "very upset and disgusted" by the allegation. Denlea immediately responded that he sees Weydt …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Two councilors head for the restroom during a vote with permission from the president. A third councilor says the vote should be redone. His motives are questioned.
Granting someone permission to use the bathroom can have consequences. For Capt. Mark McCluskey and Virgil "The Turk" Solozzo in the first Godfather film, the decision cost their lives as Michael Corleone returned from a restaurant restroom and fired a gun. The outcome was a little lower on the intensity scale for Attleboro City Council President Frank Cook, but his apparent permission to allow two colleagues to use the facilities during a discussion and vote at the April 2 meeting led to a 20-minute debate two weeks later about who can go when. At the center of the controversy were City Councilors Jay DiLisio and Mark Cooper, who left the table for the bathroom during a discussion and vote on, perhaps ironically, pollutant limits for …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
City Council President Frank Cook leads his colleagues in a moment of silence to honor the victims of the marathon tragedy and those who helped them.
With President Frank Cook noting Attleboro's strong connection to Boston, the city council honored those affected by the marathon tragedy during its meeting Tuesday night. Cook said Boston is more than just the capital of Massachusetts. "It is a place where many in this city, like myself, were born and raised," he said. "It is a place where every day hundreds of our residents go by train to their jobs. And it's also a place where on Patriots' Day every year for over 100 years, citizens have gone from here to participate [in the marathon]." He said nearly everybody in Attleboro has either run in the Boston Marathon or knows somebody who has. "At this time, it's important we stand with the citizens of the city of Boston ... and that we …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The councilor is seeking a second term as the representative of Ward 5.
City Councilor Jeremy Denlea has taken care of business early to get his name on the ballot for Attleboro's fall election. The Ward 5 representative became the first official candidate Friday when he returned his nomination papers to City Hall with the required number of signatures, which were certified by the Election's Department. Denlea is seeking a second term as the Ward 5 councilor. In an email to Attleboro Patch, he wrote he was proud of contributing to several city government accomplishments during his first term. "Working with the city administration and fellow councilors to help curtail overly enthusiastic parking enforcement officers and to approve bonds for a new animal shelter and a new AHS track and field facility are …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sara-Lynn Reynolds will run in 2014 for the seat occupied by Sen. Richard Ross.
Since winning a special election in 2010 to succeed Scott Brown as state senator of a district that includes a portion of Attleboro, Republican Richard Ross has had his term renewed twice with no opposition. This will not be repeated in 2014 because at least one other person would like to represent the Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex District. Attleboro City Councilor Sara-Lynn Reynolds, who two weeks ago changed her voter registration status from independent to Democratic, said Tuesday that she will run in the election. Reynolds stressed she has not made a formal announcement, but there were rumors about her interest in being a Senate candidate, and she confirmed they were true when contacted by Patch. She will not run for a second term …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The city will borrow a total of $6.2 million to fund three municipal projects.
In three separate 10-0 votes, the Attleboro City Council voted Tuesday night to approve loan orders totaling $6.2 million to fund three municipal projects, including a new animal shelter and upgrades to Attleboro High School's athletic complex. Mayor Kevin Dumas requested approval of the loan orders ($1.16 million for the animal shelter, $3.55 million for the high school athletic project and $1.523 million to upgrade a municipal water treatment facility's computer system). Only 10 councilors voted Tuesday because Council President Frank Cook is serving as acting mayor while Dumas is in Washington D.C. for President Barack Obama's inauguration Although the vote to fund the projects was unanimous, several councilors said they were troubled…
The City Council will vote on borrowing money to build an animal shelter, improve the high school's athletic complex and upgrade a municipal water treatment facility's computer system.
The residents spoke last week, and tonight it will be the Attleboro City Council's opportunity to weigh in on Mayor Kevin Dumas' proposal for the city to borrow $6.2 million to fund three projects, including the building of an animal shelter and improvements to Attleboro High School's athletic complex. More than 100 people came to the council chambers last week for the public hearing on the loan orders. Nearly all the speakers were in favor of the mayor's proposals, with the one exception being a man who was uneasy about the $1.16 million price tag for the animal shelter. Several councilors have spoken in favor of the animal shelter and high school projects. Recent behind-the-scenes talk could mean there is at least some concern among …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The City Council has a lengthy discussion on the possibility of opening a medical marijuana dispensary in Attleboro.
When it comes to medical marijuana, it appears nearly everybody on the Attleboro City Council has a strong opinion. There was a lengthy discussion Tuesday night about medical marijuana, its legalization by Massachusetts voters in November and how the city should prepare for the possibility of a local dispensary. By a vote of 9-2, the council sent related measures introduced by Councilors Jonathan Weydt and Jay DiLisio to its public safety committee for further review. Medical marijuana will be legal in Massachusetts starting Jan. 1 due to the passage of a ballot measure in November that was supported by 63 percent of voters (64 percent in Attleboro). The state health department has until the end of April to create regulations for the law. …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Councilor Shannon Heagney wants a committee to review the city's ordinances for possible revision. Council President Frank Cook says he needs to talk to the mayor about that first.
A proposal for a City Council committee to review Attleboro's ordinances and determine if any could be removed because they are out of date or conflict with state laws turned into a 30-minute debate Tuesday night between two councilors. Councilors Shannon Heagney and Jeremy Denlea proposed that a council subcommittee review the municipal laws for possible changes. Usually when a councilor makes a proposal, Council President Frank Cook determines which committee (whether it be an existing one or a new one) should review it in preparation for a possible recommendation to the full council. However, this time he said he wanted to refer the item to the city's administration, which means Mayor Kevin Dumas and Budget and Administration Director …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
He says no information triggered the request, but sources say that's not true.
City Council debate on the controversial proposal to rezone a property on Linden Street in Attleboro was stalled Tuesday night when the developer requested he be allowed to withdraw his bid. He said he needed more time to consider what to do with the 1.54-acre property. At least 40 people attended the meeting that began 15 minutes late (no reason was stated), many of them holding signs carrying a slogan in opposition to the proposed rezoning of the property from industrial to general residence. With the rezoning, developer John Cloud of A. Caponigro & Co. could build a planned 21-unit condominium complex. Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter…
Rich
5:26 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
Think you hit the nail on the head about Mr Weydt. more ›