NEWBURYPORT — It was a year ago Gov. Deval Patrick held a town hall-style meeting in Amesbury's Upper Millyard Ampitheater, answering questions about Newburyport's Crow Lane landfill and Amesbury's Lower Millyard development.
Now poised to make a second appearance tomorrow in Newburyport from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. as part of his summer "listening tour," what has changed in a year?
Local opinions are somewhat mixed, but on at least one topic — the landfill — Patrick will likely be in for some criticism.
Tomorrow's visit is expected to follow the same format as last year's. Patrick will do a walking tour of downtown Amesbury a few hours before holding the public forum on the Newburyport central waterfront.
Patrick has said he hopes residents come out to talk with him about the challenges and possibilities facing the community and state.
"I want to talk about the tough economic circumstances we are all facing and the reform agenda we have been pursuing on Beacon Hill," Patrick has said of the meetings.
Some of last year's key topics of conversation revolved around how Amesbury can partner with the state to fund its Lower Millyard project and how the state can provide relief to the neighbors of Newburyport's Crow Lane landfill.
"We need you to strengthen your Department of Environmental Protection," Ron Klodenski of Newburyport said at last year's meeting.
Klondenski has spearheaded a neighborhood crusade to end the noxious odors that come from the landfill. The site has been designated as a "21E" site — a location with hazardous materials — which means that the city has to pour money into lawsuits rather than funding schools and roads, Klodenski said.
"Can DEP rescind that designation?" he asked.
At the time, Patrick told the group from Newburyport — which also talked about the impact the landfill has on the health of neighbors — that discussions are happening.
"I am talking to DEP," he said. "You want it to be closed properly. That's the issue. It needs to be closed properly."
Everyone is at the table now, Patrick said, including the state, the city and New Ventures, the owner of the landfill.
"Everyone, including DEP, wants the right outcome," he said.
"I will talk to Mass. DEP about it myself, OK?" he added, drawing applause.
Since then, Mayor John Moak has said progress has been made regarding the landfill. He said that, while last year the city was contemplating what to do about the landfill situation, this year things are getting done.
"At that point, there was a lot of controversy about the attorney general and DEP agreement with New Ventures," Moak said. "At this point, the agreement has been settled, and we are moving ahead now. For the most part, it has gone pretty smoothly except for the last two weeks."
Moak says once the recent rainfall ended and work continued to reshape the landfill, crews cut into some of the old material, causing odor problems, Moak said.
"I think the biggest difference from last year is that we are getting close to finishing it," Moak said. "Is anybody happier? probably not, but I am, because it is getting closer to being finished, and that's a goal I've had. Last year, we were contemplating how to reach the goal; this year we are closer."
Moak said after attending a recent mayor's meeting where Patrick spoke, he is aware of a public hearing in the works regarding the landfill and the DEP and believes it will be announced shortly.
"Patrick has been arranging this, and it will be done soon," Moak said.
Neighbors of the landfill are still suffering from odors.
"Nothing has changed for the good in the past year," Klodenski said. "We have more problems than ever. Last year, we told him (Patrick) we need the DEP to rescind its declaration of the site as 21E so the mayor could relax and do what was right. That never happened, and we are suffering more than ever."
Klodenski said the city is at the mercy of the landfill owner and with a lack of data and 100,000 cubic yards of waste being trucked in, he calls the situation a fiasco.
"Patrick is not paying attention to it," Klodenski said. "I'm thinking the Deval Patrick meeting is going to be more like a landfill meeting."
In recent weeks, neighbors have said the odors have once again caused health impacts, including burning eyes, congestion and sleeplessness, among other issues.
The City Council sought its own legal opinion to review the landfill situation after Moak notified them that he had told health director Jack Morris to send an administrative order to New Ventures to cap the landfill.
Councilors received an opinion from attorney Gregor McGregor, of McGregor and Associates, that the host community agreement, or contract, has not been canceled or substantially amended, and that any changes to it would require council approval. McGregor told councilors New Ventures, owner of the landfill, needs to comply with the host community agreement and the administrative order.
Amesbury Millyard
The other topic that dominated conversation at last year's town hall listening tour was Amesbury's downtown.
Matt Sherrill, president of the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce, asked Patrick last year how the town can partner with the state to get needed funding to develop its Lower Millyard site — a plan that includes moving the Department of Public Works garage and finishing the Riverwalk pedestrian trail.
Patrick said he wants to help, but where the project falls on the state's priority list he couldn't say right then.
"I'm interested in the project," Patrick said. "Money's tight right now. That's the truth."
Patrick said he's aware of the impact the Upper Millyard project had in rejuvenating downtown and knows Amesbury wants to extend that impact with the Lower Millyard.
"We'll figure it out," he said last year.
A year later with money much tighter than it was last year, the project still hasn't gotten off the ground, with plans in the works to develop the transportation center in the Lower Millyard just picking up steam.
Moak said he believes tomorrow's meeting will bring out those affected by recent budget cuts, concerned with charter school equality issues and with health care concerns. He hopes that by listening to his constituents speak with Patrick, he will get a better understanding of what he can be doing to help.
"We're all hurting for money right now, and I think he's done a pretty good job of listening to us," Moak said. "I'm very interested to hear what people have for questions. The landfill is a concern I listen to daily and work on daily, it's nothing new, but it doesn't diminish the acute nature of the project."
The Newburyport Republican Committee is also holding an event surrounding Patrick's visit. The committee will be holding a mixer at Michael's Harborside from 7 to 9 p.m. after attending Patrick's forum.
