Councilors ask tough questions over new bond issue
By Doug Grindle Community Reporter

Marlborough - Marlborough's biannual process of issuing bonds is in its early stages, but already councilors are expressing dissatisfaction at how the city spends the money raised by the process.

At the March 31 Finance Committee hearing, councilors expressed dismay that projects meant to happen after prior issues of bonds had not yet been constructed, or even, on occasion, begun.

Criticism of progress on the projects centered on the Department of Public Works (DPW), which is one of the most high-profile departments for satisfying resident demands around the city.

The criticism came as the councilors considered a bond request for $12.7 million submitted by Mayor Nancy Stevens.

"It's hard to understand why we need to bond now and there is still all this work to be done," At-Large Councilor Patricia Pope said.

Councilors said they were unhappy that some projects stretching back for years are still incomplete.

Ward 2 Councilor Paul Ferro noted that some requests were dragging on so long that the individual councilors who championed the projects had retired before the projects reached the construction stage.

Ward 4 Councilor Peter Juaire also noted that several projects approved four years previously are still incomplete.

"Is there a reason we wouldn't want to clean them up before we approve a new one?" Juaire asked Commissioner of Public Works Ronald LaFreniere.

LaFreniere said the city projects are generally designed by city employees, assigned to outside contractors who have won bids for the projects, and then completed, he explained.

"I think we have done a pretty good job," LaFreniere said.

Councilors said this round of funding should be used as an opportunity to clear projects that may have been funded in previous years, but never built.

"My preference is to clean up our books," said At-Large Councilor Michael Ossing, chair of the Finance Committee.

Council President Arthur Vigeant also criticized the DPW for a backlog of jobs from previous rounds of bonds.

"We've had these bonds outstanding for a couple of years now," Vigeant said. "Two years later we're still picking at them. I was just hoping to be in the ground right now for some of the bigger projects."

LaFreniere noted that projects on Robin Hill Street and Elm Street are moving forward.

Councilors also criticized the DPW for neglecting to seek their input when deciding which road improvement projects to build first.

"Why didn't we get any input on what streets? Because we are the ones getting phone calls," Pope said.

City officials said they expected $1.6 million of the total $12.7 million could come from re-allocating funds from projects that were never completed.

Councilors also heard that because the city is in good financial shape, it could benefit from a relatively low rate of interest on the bond issue.

City Comptroller Tom Abel said the city's bonds are sought after by investors.

"We are actually selling bonds at the AAA rating," Abel said.

Abel said he is planning to pay 5.5 percent interest on the bonds, but the rate could be lower.

He noted the total debt owed by the city would rise to $72.9 million once the $12.7 million bond issue was added in.

Councilors reviewed details of the proposed bond issue, and decided to consider the requests more fully at the next meeting of the committee in two weeks.

During the course of the meeting, it emerged that DPW workers are allowed to take home city tools for their own personal use.

Councilors expressed amazement.

"I can't tell you how that strikes me wrong," Ward 1 Councilor Joseph Delano said. "Those belong to the peoples."

LaFreniere said it was a union-sanctioned practice that he had tried unsuccessfully to have stricken from the contract.

"Do firemen get to drive their trucks around on the weekend?" Delano asked rhetorically.