Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Quick Article Index . . .
Valcourt edges out Spirlet
by just 60 votes from a total 3025 cast in this year’s April election.
Animal site registry proposed by
town advisory committee.
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Valcourt edges out
Spirlet by just 60 votes from a total 3025 cast in this year’s April
election. Newcomer nursing professional, Judith
Ann Menard handily beat back a challenge by repeat candidate Craig D. Mignone to capture Housing Authority seat. Judging
by the number of blank votes for uncontested elections, voters came out
mostly to vote in the selectmen’s races. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday,
April 12, 2017 Valcourt edges out Spirlet by just 60
votes from a total 3025 cast in this year’s April election. The two ran against each other to
replace Antone Vieira who decided not to run for
re-election. Six-term candidate Steven Ouellette was a heavy favorite to win
a seventh term, and Valcourt paired up with Ouellette to run as allies
against Spirlet. The retired New Bedford
police captain and south coast drug czar won four out of the five precincts,
but couldn’t overcome the substantial deficit in Precinct 5 (High School.) It was a tight race
overall with Ouellette getting 1067 votes, Valcourt 1004 and Spirlet 944.
1850
ballots were cast, representing 15.83 percent of the town's 11,687 registered
voters, a marginal turnout considering the weather and an important
Seelctmen’s races. But
there was little illusion that voters would turn out in large numbers
considering the number of uncontested races, no funding ballot questions, and
one contest with no declared candidate. Question 1 passes with
54.57 percent of the vote. Question
1, removing burdensome excise takes on machinery, farm implements, and
certain farm animals for non-commercial farmers received 54.57 percent of the
YES votes. In
an otherwise uneventful election, newcomer nursing professional, Judith Ann
Menard handily beat back a challenge by resident/advocate Greenwood Terrace’s
Craig D. Mignone, taking 72.34 percent of the vote to become the town’s
newest Housing Authority board member. Above left: Candidates work the line at the High School. Right: Town Clerl Marlene Samson
swears in Constable Arthur Caesar. Westport
Point resident Maurice E. May handily won by a margin of 1057 vs. 221 votes
the three-year seat on the Board of Health by defeating write-in political
newcomer Constance Gee of River Road. All
races with uncontested candidates were, as you might expect, won by the
uncontested candidates. Write–in
votes are being certified before the Town Clerk can announce a winner for the
Commissioner of Trust Funds seat.
Above: Judith Ann Menard being sworn in by Town Clerk Samson,
herself an unopposed candidate for re-election. . Westport’s
popular, long-time Town Clerk, Marlene Samson was once again (and always?)
the majority vote getter with 1429. Tax collector Carol Borden was just
behind Samson with 1380 votes. The Town Hall Annex (Precinct 2) had the largest turnout
with 516 ballots cast, a 20.71 percent turnout. Next was the Westport Jr/Sr
High School (Precinct 5) with 502 or 18.82 perent of the precinct’s
registered voters. According
to Assistant Registrar Joshua Brum, "There has been a mild increase
overall in total registrations versus last year.” Brum made an effort to get
unrolled residents to return their yearly Westport census forms. Above:
Former two-term Selectman
Richard Spirlet with grandson Cooper Spirlet campaign at the American Legion
Hall. Despite a strong challenge, Spirlet fell short by 60 votes due to low
turnout in Precincts 1, 3 and 4. Question 1: Shall the Town
of Westport cease assessing the excise tax imposed under General Laws Chapter
59, Section 8A on certain animals, machinery and
equipment owned by individuals and non-corporate entities principally engaged
in agricultural?
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Selectman 3-Year
Two seats
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Town Clerk 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Treasurer 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Collector of
Taxes 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Assessor 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Board of Health
3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Board of Health
1-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. School Committee
3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Regional School
Committee 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Fish Commissioner
3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee ballots
not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Constable 3-Year;
two seats
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Trustee of Fee
Public Library 3-Year; two seats
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Landing
Commissioner 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. Housing Authority
5-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Planning Board
5-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee ballots
not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-ins Commissioner
Trust Funds 3-Year
All results are unofficial. Absentee
ballots not yet received have 10 days to be counted. * Write-in
Above: Cheerful Town Hall Annex poll workers sign
in funeral home operator, Jonathon Potter. Animal site registry proposed by town advisory committee. EverythingWestport.com Monday, April 11, 2017
Special
Correspondent to EverythingWestport.com WESTPORT – After months of pondering potential local regulations for
supervising properties where farm animals are being kept, Westport’s Animal
Action Committee is recommending that the town set up a registration system
to help keep track of all sites where certain types of livestock are present. The advisory committee reached consensus on the need for a town-wide site
registration requirement at their April 10 meeting, deferring a decision on
whether the registration system would be ordered by a new town bylaw or a Board
of Health regulation to other town officials. Delegates from the Board of
Selectmen and Board of Health indicated they would take up the recommendation
with their respective boards and seek legal advice before working out the specifics
of the proposal.
Inset:
Animal Action Committee members, Selectwoman and chair of the committee Shana
Shufelt, and Bill Harkins, Board of Health
Chairman. Photo | EverythingWestport.com Selectman Shana Shufelt, chair of the
advisory committee, suggested it was “just not practical” to seek the
registration of every farm animal in town. “We want to register the site, not
the individual animals” on each piece of property, she said. She is firmly in favor of regulations that would guarantee town
inspectors full access to every site where livestock are located, a problem
which contributed to the lack of early detection of widespread animal abuse
issues at a tenant farm off American Legion Highway last summer. Hundreds of
dead and neglected animals were removed from the property, with most of the
survivors placed in foster care. Grand jury indictments for animal cruelty were recently handed down
against farm owner Richard Medeiros and 26 animal owners renting plots on
that site. Similar cases of neglect or abuse were discovered on the property
in 2010, but the most recent discoveries led to the formation of the town
advisory committee to help prevent future occurrences. Board of Health Chairman
William Harkins, another member of the advisory committee, wants any site
registry provisions adopted to clearly spell out which kinds of animals would
be covered by the new rules. Generally, livestock is considered to be any
farm animal which reaches a weight of more than 40 pounds when mature. Dairy farms and commercial poultry growing operations are monitored by
state inspectors working for the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), it was noted. But annual “barn book” visits for
all sites where farm animals are kept are also conducted by state-appointed
local animal inspectors typically operating under the Board of Health, with
the census results reported to MDAR. In Westport, the Board of Health is responsible for issuing annual
piggery permits and stable licenses for sites where more than four equine
animals are being kept. Commercial kennel licenses are also issued by the
board. Most advisory committee members agreed that a site registry
requirement should apply to both commercial livestock operations and
non-commercial growers, including backyard farmers. Whether keeping a few
rabbits or a small flock of chickens for family use would trigger a site
registration requirement for residential properties drew mixed opinions. Small animals kept as pets
should be excluded from the registry, most agreed. “If they’re raising
rabbits for meat, then it’s commercial” and registration of the site should
be required, suggested Animal Control Officer Donna Lambert. The growing number of animal rescue operations, including several
located in Westport, should also have to comply with site registration
requirements because of the numbers of animals typically involved, Lambert
said. The animal control officer has two part-time assistants, and they
should be able to maintain a site registry database and conduct any
inspections required by the proposed regulations without any additional
manpower, she indicated. Shufelt said she thinks that the animal control
department should be the enforcing authority for any site permitting process
adopted by the town. Whether that department should remain under the
supervision of the Board of Selectman or returned to operating as an arm of
the Board of Health is another topic for further debate. Whoever is put in charge of animal site inspections should be required
to have some formal training in animal care standards, suggested Police Sgt.
Tony Cestodio, another advisory committee member. A free registration system or setting a nominal cost for inspections would
likely encourage more animal owners to voluntarily comply with any new
regulations, most advisory committee members feel. “If we charge too much,
nobody will want to participate,” Shufelt said. Agricultural Commission members sitting on the advisory committee said
that farmers they have talked to weren’t in favor of
registering every animal kept on their properties. The farming community
probably wouldn’t object to site registrations, they suggested. That declaration prompted one advisory committee member to wonder why
local farmers haven’t been attending committee meetings to provide some input
on the animal-related issues under discussion. Representatives of animal
advocacy groups have been regular attendees of the public meetings. TENANT FARMS Tenant farming is a common practice in town, so provisions specifying
that property owners are to be held responsible for the welfare of any
animals kept on their property should be included in any new regulations,
committee members all agreed. Animal owners could be allowed to designate one or more caretakers for
their livestock, but the property owner should be ultimately held responsible
for any instances of abuse or neglect found on their rented sites, Shufelt said. Board of Health candidate Philip
Weinberg said that certificates of compliance, signed under penalties for
perjury, could be required for any sites in the registry, with property
owners declaring that they understand they are accountable for ensuring that
best practices standards for animal care are being maintained by their
tenants. A signed certificate should also include an agreement to allow the
town to inspect the property at any time, he suggested. The ability of town agents to inspect any site on the registry to
ensure best practices for animal care are being met must be a key provision
of any regulation or bylaw, Shufelt agreed.
“Locally, we want the registry so that we have the ability to inspect,” she
noted. SUGGESTIONS TO MDAR The advisory committee will also ask selectmen and the Board of Health
to ask state legislators to arrange some meetings with MDAR
officials to talk about the possibility of increased cooperation between town
and state officials on animal control issues, and how the state uses local
animal inspectors to conduct “barn book” visits for the state census. Shufelt complained that state inspection
information is kept “confidential” by MDAR, and any
enforcement actions related to complaints filed by local inspectors are not
being reported to the town. Cooperation between the state agency and the town
“hasn’t been working” under the present set of policies, she said. “The information in the barn book may be confidential, but the site
information shouldn’t be,” Harkins said. He also believes there “has to be
more communication” with the town on what conditions the state’s own
inspectors find on local farms, he added. It was noted that state inspectors just look at sanitary conditions
for milk processing operations, but don’t actually inspect the cows on the
dairy farms. Instead, the local animal inspectors are supposed to check on
the individual animals and their housing conditions and care during annual
barn checks. Weinberg suggested that state legislators might be able to help the
town negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the MDAR
on data reporting and policy issues. It was also suggested that the advisory
committee invite assistant MDAR commissioner Jason
Wentworth, a Dartmouth resident, to a meeting to discuss present MDAR policies and procedures, and the potential for
increased cooperation with local officials. - - - - - End - - - - - ©
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