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— News and commentary about elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News
(What do I now about my land hoarding jones?”)
Image via the Boston Globe
The Quincy City Council rejected Mayor Koch’s proposal to buy the former Eastern Nazarene College’s 27 acre campus in the Wollaston flats.
The proposal needed a supermajority vote of at least 6 City Councillors in favor of it to pass.
Instead, the mayor’s ask was rejected by a supermajority of 6 to 3 against it.
Reasons stated for the no votes were primarily based on concerns about the mayor’s extremely optimistic expectations and the city’s deteriorating deteriorating financial condition.
The City of Quincy’s financial situation is heading south
image via barrons.com
Simply put, the city’s financial situation is best summed up by how its credit rate has suffered two credit rating downgrades over the past year and a third cut posed as likely with the City of Quincy the most so dinged municipality in Massachusetts going away.
Rationals presented by councillors during the Finance committee meeting portion of the meeting also included how the Koch Maladministration was slow to providing council members with even the basic of informational asks to in some instances not providing of what was asked.
Quincy Quarry New’s Financial and other affairs desk poured through the mayor’s so-called plan as well as took in the maladministration various presentations to the council and found the objections of the councillors who voted against the mayor’s proposal soundly based.
One of three losing yes voters
Image via Facebook
The small minority of the three councillors who voted in support of the plan were mostly thin. Two councillors posed basically pandering to voters statements that the acquisition would be a good one for the city even if any discussion of metrics was as thin as are the city’s finances.
On the other hand, most curious was how the most experienced of the three councillors laid out a litany of wide ranging concerns about the mayor’s proposal that was all but in lock step with those voting no only to still vote yes as he felt it to be the right thing to do.
No idea, if he suffered a groin injury while he straddled the fence, however,
In any event, the proposal so died in committee and so was not considered during the regular city council meeting second half of the evening’s events.
Bag it and tag it
Image via the Reading Eagle
Even so, supporters of the plan unloaded on the councils voting no during the Open Forum portion of the meeting which allows the general public to address the council, something which was pressed to happen by the super majority of the council elected last fall as promised transparency reform.
As could only be expected, supporters of the mayor’s plan were not pleased, often enough running over their allotted time with one at the end of things seeing the microphone cut off on her after she had been repeatedly told that her time had expired.
Even so, she would not stop talking until she was threatened by the Council President to be seen removed from the meeting by police before she finally left the podium in a mumbling huff.
Investors purchasing closed small colleges frequently face severe difficulties.
These challenges are typically tied to the complex nature of the properties, local regulations, and deferred maintenance, making successful redevelopment much more complicated than a standard commercial real estate deal.
Investors encounter several major obstacles when trying to revive these properties:
• Massive Deferred Maintenance: College campuses often contain a variety of specialized buildings (dormitories, laboratories, gymnasiums) requiring expensive environmental remediation (such as asbestos removal) and major structural or HVAC system upgrades.
• Building Layout Inefficiencies: Dorms and academic halls are difficult and costly to convert into profitable spaces like multi-family housing or senior care facilities.
• Zoning & Community Backlash: Campuses often come with historical designations, restrictive zoning, or location in dense, single-family neighborhoods. Proposed redevelopments (such as adding high-density housing or commercial spaces) are frequently met with strong community resistance and prolonged legal battles over traffic and environmental impacts.
• Complex Financing: The capital needed for the “adaptive reuse” of a sprawling campus is extraordinary. Banks and investors are often wary of the unique risks involved, requiring developers to piece together complicated funding stacks that include grants, tax credits, and loans.
The young man with the clown nose actually seems pretty bright and dialed in . Remember what Sun Tzu said.
The Koch Machine, and all that comes with it, is crumbling. All the relatives, best FOK (friends of Koch), hacks, private business operators, and others who have grown accustomed to the peculiar ways of doing things in Quincy are watching their positions on the inside slowly becoming extinct. Oh woe is thee!
I watched the process play out with great interest, time will tell if the correct choice was made. Full disclosure, I was a yes.
Why is Thomas Clasby being sent to FMC Devens (Federal Medical Center) for his “prison” time?
Mr. Dough,
Technically, Clasby has yet to be told where he is to be confined in prison,
Devins, however, makes sense. Reasons included that his attorney noted that he has mental and physical health issues and which one can only reasonable assume Devins can likely address. Additionally, the feds endeavor to keep inmates close to their hometowns when warranted and space is available.
“Dopey“ DiBona’s performance at the Finance Committee is another example of his complete lack of knowledge and understanding of the city’s fiscal condition.
“Dopey”, there’s an old saying, “Better to be Thought a Fool than to Open your Mouth and Remove all Doubt”.
“Sleepy” Hubley can explain it to you.
DiBona is loathe to put down the rubber stamp that he’s held in an iron grip for so long. He invariably makes statements designed to remind everyone (over and over) about how long he’s been a city councilor. It seems, also, that he has no problem tossing veiled and not so veiled insults at other newer members of the council. Is this meant to intimidate? Is it meant to ingratiate himself to whatever constituency he thinks might appreciate that sort of behavior? Or is he just kissing up to the Lord Mayor?
“Reached for a comment Tuesday after the vote, Koch told The Sun, “It is clear to me it was all orchestrated by the council president. Their comments were all prepared. There was no debate.”” Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sure, Tommy Taxes, what else could it possibly be?
Sounds like the Lord Mayor is becoming paranoid.
“They’re” out to get him.
Louie,
Just because someone is paranoid doesn’t mean that people are unfairly out to get him.
It looks like the very group of Anti-City Council people on Facebook are in an uproar over seeing vans from the City of Boston Health/Human Services on the ENC Campus. Word has it that Boston is contemplating the purchase of ENC for Alcohol, Drug and Homeless Services.
What is ironic is that the Facebook Page filled with outraged people is the same page that promotes having two Catholic Statues adorn our Public Safety Building because they believe our public safety employees deserve the protection of these saints.
Do the drug addicted, Alcoholics, mentally disabled and homeless deserve to be cared for and protected? Surely, the Bible Studies in the area are still teaching the Beatitudes right?
If this happens it looks like ENC will be protected and the Christian Values ENC taught for many years will continue in the Wollaston area for many years. Thank you to our City Council and the City of Boston. The Save ENC signs really worked!
May Michael the Archangel and Saint Florian Protect Mayor Wu as she makes caring for the “Least of these” in our midst paramount. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Juneteenth!
4Jesus,
So, either the City of Boston picked up on the Gadfly of Quincy posing that it should effect payback by buying the former ENC campus to reuse as substance abuser treatment facility after years of Quincy Mayor Koch playing Billy Goat Gruff to the City of Boston’s lawful right to rebuild its Long Island Bridge on its dime OR perhaps the Wicked Witch of Weymouth has been pranked by a Telephone Game transmogrification of the Gadfly’s suggestion.
Either way, we all know what is payback.
FAFO
ENC4Jesus
IMO!
The mayor has been corrupted by the Devil himself. He can say all he wants about his Catholic faith because he believes his Power and Authority is exercised in Jesus’ name. Reality, however, he worships the false gods of greed and corruption.
He also unleashes his minions to sow the seeds of apathy and conspiracy spreading meanness, disrespect, and, yes hate and disdain.
And then there are the court jesters who ignorantly believe everything is free but here we are: Two Billion in Debt..
I’ve been wading through the Facebook comment section of the Facebook site noted above, and whew boy -— I must have missed the chapter in the Bible where Jesus tells everyone to act like total trolls. Because if these comments are supposed to be Christian in nature, they must be the result of reading a wildly different translation than the rest of us.
Let’s do a quick catechism refresher, shall we?
Catholics are supposed to believe in the Communion of Saints. You know, the whole concept that we should actually perform saintly works here on earth? Because last time I checked, the Bible explicitly states that “Faith without works is dead.”
Further, the bible does not teach that you can throw on a stenciled vest with “Men of Divine Mercy” slapped across the front and suddenly get a free pass to block aid to the poor and the sick. Apparently, some people also think being Pro-Life begins and ends at abortion. Let’s get one thing straight: being Pro-Life means respecting all life. Yes, even the lives that need to pass through Squantum or Wollaston to get actual life-saving help.
You also should not to erect statues that are not welcoming to the vulnerable. Jesus was pretty clear about this: when you take care of the marginalized, you are taking care of Him. Blocking them while rocking custom merch isn’t just hypocritical; it’s embarrassing.
I pray tonight that whoever controls the ENC property carries on the Christian values of Mercy by helping the homeless, drug addicted, those suffering from mental illnesses & those plagued by alcoholism. ENC could offer these people an oasis with beautiful trees as well as ready access to the MBTA and a new medical center in Quincy Center where they can receive other needed medical services.
I also pray that Mayor Koch joins Mayor Wu in making the City of Presidents a regional leader in providing much needed Social Services at ENC.
I’m all for Boston buying ENC and turning it into a shelter. That would fix Tommy good. His waste of money fighting rebuilding a bridge that was there for decades is a losing battle. City Solicitor Timmons has yet to win but a single hearing in this matter.
Add Timmins into the ENC mix and it’s dead as he is Quincy’s biggest loser in court.
I hope Boston does buy ENC and turns it into a homeless shelter (Btw, it would be ADA-protected). That would turn the screws on Tommy. Then Boston wins on the bridge fight and turns the island into a Casino and Golf Course resort.
FAFO is the new Quincy.
Dictator Tommy and his Kool Aid drinkers have lost their compass. As for the Council meetings. Get a Sergeant at Arms to remove the trash that uses the mike as their BS soapbox of hate. Hankey gone, Dunn gone (how can he get a Variance for a fence he was denied at the Approval level?), O’Briens gone and The Clown is just that.
Clasby has mental problems? Go figure, all the Blue Juice peeps suffer from the same. If all the kids you grew up with are screwed up, there is a good chance you are too. Do the clown and Clasby go to the same shrinks.
Timmins works for the City and is supposed to represent ALL of all. He is not Tommy’s personal attorney anymore and he hates it. How many outside attorneys is the City using these days and in what matters? The legal department requires an Audit. Timmins has been using his office as a tool to promote Tommy’s (failing) agendas.
Who paid for Clasby’s defense? His attorney was not a Public Defender and he has no money.
Our City needs an enema and it should start with Walkby. Then go after the Mayor’s inside team: Timmins, Hinds, Grass, and Pretenderville. Everyone is a lacky of the Koch Machine. I can’t wait to sift through Tommy’s recent fundraiser’s deposits. He is NO GOOD.
Solid points other than dissing Quincy’s new clown in town. Truth be told: it takes a clown to take down Quincy City Hall’s scary clowns.
Well, it sure was a fun rumor Lea was promoting. Total panic! She and her coven had ENC all but turned into a Mass & Cass South!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!
Wendell Ave was going to become a Methadone Mile by Tuesday according to all the mayor’s supporters on FB. All the trees were going to be cut down and stacked for firewood — even more LOL.
Just keep the checks flowing to Tom’s campaign fund because that is the only way to stop the Sachem Street Inn from being built.
It’s amazing what people will as payback for a city job or some other favor.
They’re a motley collection of reactionary Kochsuckers. Hyperbolic hoo-ha.