Dedham Town Officials Field Broad Range of Questions

It takes more than a little bit of rain and ice to keep a concerned resident away.

About 40 residents braved the ice and rain to get to the third "Town Hall to Your Neighborhood" meeting Monday evening at , which involved precincts 3, 4 and 6. Dedham town officials and department heads fielded a variety of questions ranging from traffic issues to the constant issue of paving roads.

Traffic

A number of residents complained of traffic issues at the meeting. Many complained of several areas that needed a sidewalk and others said that there were areas that were unsafe for walking. There were also several reports of areas where speeding was a problem.

One notable speeding problem that police attempted to address was on Curve Street. A resident said that while there is a radar, it doesn't appear to be slowing drivers down. It was also noted that High Street, specifically near Dedham Square, has had problems with speeding.

Chief Michael d'Entremont said the has acknowledged the issue of speeding. He said that 6,000 speeding citations have been issued this year, but the problem remains.

"Traffic is a problem everywhere," said d'Entremont. "It's been a problem in society."

Bill Gorman, a Jefferson Street resident, was concerned about speeding on and around his street. Gorman explained that drivers do not hesitate at the lights, and that the amount of traffic will increase around the holiday season.

"We should have some stealth work done over there to get a handle on the speeding," said Gorman.

Dan Hart, of Harvard Street, was also concerned with excessive traffic on East Street due to the fact that drivers cannot turn left at the light on Washington Street. He said that the road is already narrow and that there are a children who frequently walk in that area near the mall.

However, David Field, the town's engineering director, said that this should not be much of a concern because the VFW Parkway has at least twice as much traffic. He did, however, say that the town would keep an eye on it.

Recycling

Residents had several minor concerns about what they can and cannot recycle. One resident, for instance, asked if coat-hangers could be included. Virginia LeClair, the environmental coordinator, said that the best thing to do is to look at a website called Earth911.com, which tells what you can recycle.

Otherwise, Town Administrator Bill Keegan had excellent news about recycling. Dedham will be recognized at a presentation in Boston for its recycling. Keegan said that while the town has met its goals, they want to surpass these goals and help convince those who are not recycling to take part.

According to Selectman Mike Butler, Dedham has more than doubled its recycling in the past year.

"This is great for the planet and great for tax dollars," said Butler.

Tax Revenue

Cecilia Butler, the selectman's wife, asked the department heads how much revenue came from the new hotel and meal tax this past year. Butler joked that he would have told her this information if he had been home for dinner, but then told that the total had come to about $940,000.

Butler explained that the money will not be used to offset any other budgets and that it will go into renovating old buildings or constructing new ones.

"As that money comes into the state, it is sent back to the town," Butler explained. "Taxpayers have transparency of how much is coming back for that purpose."

Selectman Carmen DelloIacono said that they are looking to use extra revenue to keep tax rates lower. He said that the money will stay in an account until it is decided at Town Meeting next year, where a two-thirds vote will be needed.

Flooding

Mary Bourque, of Winthrop Street, said she has had problems with flooding at her property for 20 years. She explained to the department heads that she has repeatedly asked for assistance over the years and that nothing has been done.

When asked if this could be the year it would be fixed, Department of Public Works Director Joe Flanagan said that the road is not on the pave and management list, a computer-generated plan. He said that crews have cleaned the catch basins, but said that no additional drainage is planned.

Bourque said that she has complained about this for years and that she has never seen progress.

"The water still runs like a river down my driveway to the land behind me," said Bourque.

Bourque added, "It's disheartening to see other streets worked on when I'm the one with serious drainage problem and nothing's been done."

Flanagan said that he would check the road Tuesday, but also said that the road is not on the three-year plan to fix. Keegan added that roads like East Street, which have had repairs, have a much heavier traffic flow.

Great Police Work

One resident commended the Dedham Police Department for retrieving family heirlooms that were stolen from a residence. The resident praised members of the force and said that the detectives were professional and very prompt as they found  the heirlooms within two weeks of the robbery.