MEMO Responds to Peterson’s Comments Regarding Medfield Day

The selectmen received a letter from Brandie Morris, the Medfield Employers and Merchants Organization (MEMO) president, responding to comments made by selectmen chair Osler Peterson that the organization's event, Medfield Day, is not “revenue neutral” because, according to Peterson, the organization does not pay for town services from the police and DPW and asked if that is fair to the town and other organizations in the town who do pay for those services.

Selectman Mark Fisher read the letter aloud at Tuesday’s selectmen meeting at Peterson’s request. This is what the letter said:

Dear Selectmen and Selectwoman:

Thank you for reading this letter aloud at the Aug. 2, 2011 Board meeting. I appreciate the opportunity to address the Board through this correspondence.

During the last Board of Selectman meeting there were a number of issues and questions raised regarding MEMO, the Medfield Employers and Merchants Organization, and our Discover Medfield Day event permits. I would like to address these and put the subject to rest. I am currently the President of MEMO and have been a member for over 25 years, including repeated seats on the Board of Directors.

MEMO represents the companies located in and doing business in Medfield. Our mission is to promote the businesses. We represent over 70 businesses, large and small. MEMO was founded over 30 years ago to take the place of a local Chamber of Commerce.

Since MEMO was founded, we have been providing the Town with various services including, but not limited to, our Summer Concert Series, the American Flags displayed on the telephone poles, Discover Medfield History Day trolley tours and cemetery tours, the Holiday Tree Lights and caroling, the Holiday Parade, Discover Medfield Day, High School Scholarships and others. We created Discover Medfield Day just over 30 years ago specifically to promote the Medfield businesses. These activities are done to strengthen the businesses bonds with the community and provide an outlet for the businesses to make contributions to the community.

When planning any of our activities, MEMO has involved the town departments as necessary and kept them apprised of our actions. We have applied for the necessary permits or approvals. When billed or supplied with a request we have always fulfilled our obligations. I appreciate the fact that various town departments contribute to MEMO’s efforts. Whenever requested we have contributed back to those same departments, as well as the community in general.

We are not a public corporation and will not be opening our books to the Board of Selectmen as requested by Mr. Peterson. To be blunt, no other group has received this request and it is inappropriate. I trust this will be the end of the discussion.

On behalf of MEMO I would like to personally thank the Town of Medfield for supporting our organization. Our association with the Town has always been cordial and beneficial to both parties and I’m certain this will continue to be the case in the future. Thank you for your time.

Cordially,

Brandie Morri

President, MEMO

Peterson responded to Morris’ letter by reading a piece published on his blog, “Medfield 02052” entitled: “”

After reading his stance on the issue, Peterson asked Town Administrator Michael Sullivan to clarify the list submitted by Medfield Chief of Police Robert E. Meaney Jr. of organizations that pay and don't for town services and how that is determined.

“The Chief was assembling the information [Peterson] requested [Monday] and I don’t know if he had it when he came [Tuesday] but he did talk to me briefly about it and said that he [used to] receive federal funds for community policing and he’d use that money to provide police coverage for a lot of various events,” Sullivan said. “From the Little League parade to Medfield Day to any other events in the town.”

Meaney told Sullivan since that federal money has been shrinking and now disappearing, he notified groups requesting coverage that he would provide the most coverage he could using regular shift officers, depending on the time of the event and the number of officers he had working.

“When [Meaney] sent out letters he said MEMO paid $1,000, which he felt covered about half the cost for police details,” Sullivan said. “I believe [Medfield Day] is a fundraiser for a lot of the groups, they use it as [a main] fundraiser for the year. Groups like the Lions Club and Fire Department, they all use [Medfield Day] as a fundraiser.”

In response to Peterson’s question of how it is decided who pays for town services and who doesn’t, Sullivan said it comes down to organizations helping one another in the town.

“The Chief tries to help out when he can,” Sullivan said. “Providing help to a group that needs it. Again, there are some groups that pay nothing and provide no service to the town. [Bicycle races for example], one on Saturday and one on Sunday and all the police detail that are needed to direct traffic while the bikes go through.”

Sullivan added that while bicycle races do not pay and provide no service to the town, groups like MEMO provide an “awful lot” of entertainment and services to the town.

“People appreciate it,” Sullivan said. “I’ve talked to Ken Feeney [Superintendent of DPW] and he said over the past couple of years, MEMO has been very good because they have had high school kids volunteer to empty out trash barrels and assist in cleanup.”

Selectman Ann Thompson said the concept of charging MEMO and other groups for services they provide to the town is a “dead issue.”

“I don’t want to charge youth baseball for using police for their parade,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to charge the high school kids for holding car washes, I mean think of the water they use. I don’t want to charge the high school for graduation and all the police necessary for that event."

Selectman Mark Fisher gave an example of how the MEMO's services saves the town money.

“Most people in Medfield might be thinking the town puts [holiday lights] up and takes care of those but MEMO takes care of all of that," Fisher said. "MEMO spends $1,000s a year replacing and buying light bulbs. I work in Winchester and Winchester's holiday lights are put up by the town and I watch as they start around Thanksgiving and you've got guys from the DPW out on a bucket truck for a couple weeks at a time, all day long, hanging lights on trees. So, you can think about how much that costs the Town of Winchester, having guys work full-time to put lights up. It's huge money."

Fisher recommended that it should be Feeney and Meaney, not the selectmen, who "draw the line" in town on who pays for services and who doesn't.

"They're the ones that have to manage their personnel budgets and operating budgets," Fisher said.

Thompson said there's no reason to change what's already working in town.

"To me the current policy ain't broke, so I don't think we need to fix it," she said.