Alderman at Large Questionnaire: Bill White

  1. What political or community activism accomplishments are you most proud of during your last term in office (or the last two years if you have not previously served)? What specific things do you want to accomplish during the coming term?

    During my last term in office, I am particularly proud of my involvement in planning and development issues effecting both large areas and local neighborhoods. As part of my 10 year involvement in Assembly Square development, I, along with Denise Provost and Rebekah Gewirtz, had proposed amendments to address whether Somerville should take advantage of transit oriented development benefits from the state at Assembly Square. I have also monitored the proposed future development at Assembly Square, and have expressed concern that the City's need for commercial development there may not be met. With respect to Union Square, I participated in neighborhood meetings where residents expressed concern over height, open space, and massing issues and intend to work further with the neighborhood as the zoning moves forward.

    When issues arose over the proposed zoning change for the Maxpak site and the related covenant with the developer, I asked that additional public meetings be held to address the concerns of the neighborhood and community at large, including the bicycle committee and the friends of the community path. These additional meetings where held and the input from the public helped reshape some of the provisions of the covenant, to the benefit of the public.

    I have also worked with residents before the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals on proposed developments such as Hayden Terrace, 35R Lexington Ave., Somerville Ave. and elsewhere.

    During the coming term, I would like to continue in my efforts on promoting sound development and help to accomplish the passage of zoning appropriate for the particular needs of the City. Of specific import is the preservation of existing neighborhoods and planning for mixed use projects that mesh well with adjoining neighborhoods and incorporate appropriate scale and open space with good commercial development. Other issues I would like to address include increased air traffic and public safety. For instance, I have already received a number of complaints, especially from residents of the eastern half of the City, about noise from air traffic. I have contacted MassPort and learned that air traffic has increased (by one measure it may have tripled) and likely will continue as result of the operation of the new runway at Logan Airport. A number of yeas ago, I helped spearhead Somerville's opposition to this runway construction because of the projected impact on Somerville. It seems that our concerns about the impact from the construction of the runway were legitimate. Further, in the event that the proposed police reorganization proposal goes forward, I will work for a public process to address the impacts of any such reorganization. Basically, I intend to continue in the approach to government that I discuss in my answer to the last question.

  2. How will you balance business development with the needs of low-income residents as the Green Line comes to Somerville?

    In the past, I have sponsored orders that the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development begin planning for the Green Line expansion. One can anticipate that gentrification will result from the extension and that appropriate zoning should be put in place to promote reasonable commercial development that will bring good paying jobs to the community. I think that we should resist the push for dense residential development that will displace existing residents. Affordable housing should be a definite component of any plan. At this point in discussions, however, there has not been any real tension between business development and low-income residents as there has not been much promotion or concrete proposals for business development along the Green Line. The real tension may be between real estate residential developers and existing residents. There is a real danger that real estate speculators will acquire real estate and propose dense residential development, taking land away from potential commercial development. In fact, between Assembly Square and Union Square, there are already proposals to build about 4,000 condominiums, which would increase Somerville's already dense population, thereby putting pressure on the City's budget by requiring additional public services. Commercial development, on the other hand, would not put similar pressures on the budget and would increase tax revenue, since commercial property is taxed at a higher rate than residential property. Currently, Somerville has a very low rate of commercial development and residential homeowners largely bear the property tax burden. The ratio of commercial versus residential tax payers should be increased to take the burden off of homeowners and provide additional revenue for the budget. Of course, any proposed zoning changes to account for the Green Line expansion should involve a great amount of public process.

  3. Would you support instant runoff voting (or similar voting reforms) for city elections? Why or why not?

    The requirement that there be a preliminary election and a final election is governed by Massachusetts state law. Except for Cambridge's use of proportional representation that does not have a preliminary election, I am unaware of any city in Massachusetts that uses runoff or other nontraditional voting. At this point, I would be wary of changing the method that has traditionally been used in all Massachusetts cities. Any such changes would probably have to result in a City Charter amendment and, perhaps, state legislative approval. Accordingly, any such change would require great support among the electorate. At this point, I have not seen any manifestation of such support for change, but I would, of course, be willing to listen to any proposed changes. In fact, I sponsored a proposal that the Board of Aldermen discuss whether the City Charter should be changed to avoid special elections, at least for alderman at large, and the seat given to the fifth place finisher in the event of a vacancy. There was no support for that proposal.

  4. Why is the gang ordinance not enforced, and what do you plan to do about it?

    The Somerville gang ordinance, which is a home rule petition approved by the legislature, was originally modeled on a version enacted by the City of Chicago, after the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that its previous version was unconstitutional. The purpose of the ordinance is to address the type of gang loitering whereby gang members effectively take control of a neighborhood and impact the quality of life and safety of the residents of such a neighborhood. At the time of the passage of the ordinance, there were numerous complaints and concerns by residents of gang loitering and its impacts. At the same time, concerns were presented by Somerville residents about the potential misuse of the proposed ordinance. As a response to those concerns, I sponsored an amendment that was adopted to utilize a gang advisory board to monitor the ordinance's implementation and insure that citizen's rights were not infringed. When the Somerville ordinance reached the legislature, the Somerville delegation proposed that the Board of Aldermen consider a number of amendments to the ordinance, which increased the criteria necessary for individuals to meet the requirements for the application of the ordinance. Once the Board of Aldermen enacted a new home rule petition that included those requested changes, the legislature approved the revised gang ordinance home rule petition. It is my understanding that the police have not encountered situations where the revised requirements for the application of the ordinance have been met. At the same time, we have not heard the same type of complaints from residents of the type of gang loitering that existed at the time of the enactment of the ordinance. To the best of my knowledge, the revised Chicago ordinance, unlike its predecessor, has not been struck down by any court on constitutional grounds. Also, the City of Milwaukee just enacted an anti gang-related loitering ordinance, modeled on the revised Chicago ordinance.

    At the present time, the organization of the Somerville Police force is somewhat in a state of flux. The search process is almost complete, and the Mayor should shortly nominate the new Chief of Police. In addition, the current acting chief has proposed a reorganization of the police force which is currently in impact bargaining with the union. The gang situation in Somerville should be addressed by the new chief, especially in light of any reorganization, and I would be prepared to study any recommendations the new chief might make with respect to the ordinance and the gang situation in general. Again, any changes to the Somerville ordinance would have to be approved by the legislature because of its status as a home rule petition.

  5. What specific steps will you take to strengthen the community policing program?

    When I was first elected to the Board of Aldermen, Somerville had true community policing where one or two officers were assigned in each ward as a community police officer and would ride bicycles in the summer and devote time each day to interact with neighborhood residents, groups and help address their issues. I thought it was very effective. As a result of budget cuts, community policing was changed. The number of patrol officers has been reduced from about 112 to 88. It is my understanding that now, officers are assigned as community police officers in the wards, but they no longer ride bicycles and instead take regular shifts on patrol in police cars. To the extent that they have available time, they still try to be involved in community issues in their respective wards. The outcome of the proposed reorganization discussed above in my answer to question 4 may strengthen the program. To the extent funds become available, I would like to see the restoration of community police to the manner in which it functioned before the budget cuts.

  6. What specific steps will you take to increase the civic involvement of immigrants?

    In order to increase the civic involvement of immigrants, the City has created the multicultural commission. We have also increased the hiring of minority police officers and those who speak the native languages of our immigrant population. The use of such officers in community policing, whereby such officers would get acquainted with the immigrant community, could lead to an increase in civic involvement. The City also uses a number of methods to try to communicate with immigrants about neighborhood and city issues in the native languages of immigrants, including the cable television wheel, public notices, and notices taken home by students.

    In researching the goal of increasing civic involvement of immigrants, it appears that many communities believe something more must be done to increase immigrant participation. In fact, I discovered that the topic is one that has been addressed on local and national levels, not only in the United States, but in Canada and the European Union. It appears that one important approach is for local government to work in cooperation with advocacy groups that represent immigrants. Many believe that there is a need to foster the development of leadership skills, especially among young members of the immigrant community. If these young leaders could be brought into participation in civic life, they could operate as a bridge to other members of the community. For example, in New York, a program known as the 'New American Leaders Fellowship Program' was sponsored by the New York Immigration Coalition and the Social Justice Leadership Collaborative. It states that it aims to help leaders work with immigrant communities to develop insights, strategies and skills needed to increase immigrant participation in the civic and political life of New York. The Fellowship states that it will challenge participants to take stock of their individual approach to operating as leaders, increasing awareness of their own management styles and interpersonal relationships while exploring personal vision, purpose and core values as agents of change. Within the safe space of the fellowship, the program offers participants the opportunity to challenge themselves and each other to grow as community leaders. Such a model could work in Somerville, and I would agree to participate to help mentor a young leader in such a program.

  7. What specific steps will you take to promote pay equity in Somerville? (see http://www.mass.gov/women/payequity/payequity.htm#legislation)

    I noticed that the referenced web site lists the City of Somerville's Women's Commission as a member of the Coalition for Wage Equality. Unlike the State, the City, of course, cannot regulate the wages that private companies pay to their employees. The City can, however, make sure that the City does not discriminate in its current job classification system and that its employee compensation, pensions, and benefits are free from gender and racial bias. I would be willing to work with the Women's Commission to review these items to address any pay inequity issues.

  8. What will you do about Somerville's budget crunch?

    Last year, I participated in a forum run by the Progressive Democrats that addressed the City's budget. There seemed to be a general consensus that the budget fairly allocated the available funds. Thus, the real need is to increase the revenues available to the City. The Municipal Partnership Act, proposed by Governor Patrick, would increase revenues to the City, but its passage appears to be unlikely according to recent news reports. Also, the state legislature does not appear to be in a mood to increase local assistance or Chapter 70 (educational) funding. Thus, to increase revenues, Somerville needs to promote good economic development. This is especially important because classification permits the City to tax commercial property owners at a higher rate than residential property owners. Also, economic development would have spin off effects, bringing jobs to Somerville residents.

  9. How will you create a town-gown relationship with Tufts comparable to that of Cambridge and Boston with their universities?

    From my election in 1997 through 2004, I sponsored and supported resolutions asking for payments by Tufts in lieu of taxes, giving some admission and scholarship preference to Somerville residents and requiring Tufts to work with the surrounding neighborhoods on internal Tufts matters, such as development within the campus boundaries, that had spill over effects. In 2004, the Mayors of Somerville and Medford each entered into a ten year agreement with Tufts that largely defines the current town-gown relationship between Tufts and Somerville/Medford. That agreement requires Tufts to pay to Somerville and Medford each the sum of $1.25 million over the ten year period in lieu of taxes. In addition, Tufts agreed to pay special consideration to Somerville and Medford residents in the admission process and to pay at least $300,000 per year per city in need-based grant aid for Medford and Somerville. According the Mayor's office, this 2004 agreement also included a number of non-financial arrangements worked out between Tufts and its host cities, including a reduced charge for course audits for local residents, a waiver of rental fees for campus facilities used for local programming, support for local children in Tuft's early childhood programs, coordination on 'mutually beneficial' economic development opportunities, a coordinated response to neighborhood concerns and better information sharing with regards to Tuft's master development plans.

  10. What else should we know about your candidacy?

    One of my most deeply held beliefs is that a City should be a real community, fostering the involvement and interaction of its residents in civic and social life so that residents have a sense of belonging and possessing the power to influence decision makers on issues that impact them. As an elected official, I have tried to conduct myself in a way that promotes that sense of community. My approach to government over the last ten years has emphasized the need for transparency in decision making together with giving our residents a sense of empowerment. From issues surrounding development at Assembly Square almost 10 years ago to the recent Maxpax covenant, I have always fought for a public process. I have also tried to bring government to impacted areas and groups by holding aldermanic committee meetings in effected neighborhoods. For example, when I served as chair of the newly created Senior Services Committee of the Board of Aldermen, I brought committee meetings to the Senior Buildings. Should I be successful and win reelection, I would like to continue in my approach.