Letter: Davis Square Task Force replaced by Gewirtz Task Force

Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz has made the Davis Square Task Force her own personal fiefdom. She runs the meetings, sets the agenda, cancels meetings and reschedules them according to her availability and personal convenience. She brings development plans to the task force that she has already approved and only puts items on the agenda that fit her political philosophy.

In the past, the task force was a citizen's forum. The Ward 6 alderman only had one section of the agenda, the alderman's report. Non-elected people created the agenda, chaired the meetings and, in general, ran things.

We never elected officers because we didn't want anyone to be the face of the task force or for it to be anyone's political theater. That has changed.

Alderman Gewirtz formed DARBI a business and resident group that was to be a sub committee of the task force. Instead it became its own entity and has diluted the influence of the task force. For years the business community resented the task force, they thought it wasn't fair to businesses. Now they have their own Davis Square entity and we don't get to pass judgment on the appropriateness of new Davis Square businesses.

Whatever input we had as the Davis Square Task Force has been diminished and a bright light that has glowed for the past 30 years is going out. The task force that has guided Davis Square from a tired collection of businesses into an example of urban vibrancy, charm and liveliness is dead. Rest in peace Davis Square Task Force we will miss you.

    - Jim Campano

Comments

[Frank]

She didn't "kill" the DSTF Jim,; it appears the DSTF aided and abetted in the "crime" by allowing her to do it.
IOW--You guys committed "suicide."

[John Carabiner]

That's becuase Alderperson GeeWhiz's particular brand of socialist politics eliminates input and discussion from the people who elect her. Only she knows what best for YOU!

[tom blair]

"we don't get to pass judgment on the appropriateness of new Davis Square businesses".

That statement is ridiculous, the residents should have no right to pass judgement...if they want a particular business they should go out and open it themselves if they are going to complain about every other business that tries.

[What next?]

And the PDSers say they don't have an agenda???

[Shana Lyons]

I have to agree with Tom Blair here. I'm horrified that you ever had the ability "to pass judgment on the appropriateness of new Davis Square businesses". What were your criteria for selection? How did you enforce which businesses could open and which couldn't? The whole thing sounds very strange.

[Trent]

Jim,
I understand your frustration with the situation in Davis Square, but as I remember it, many of the Davis Square Task Force members turned on Jack Connally and got this woman elected.

If you don't like the new direction then run against her or get another candidate and bounce her out. She is clearly out of her league intellectually (as evidenced by her many, many gaffes at the BOA meetings) and certainly out of touch with the citizens.

It's a simple plan, Jim: Vote GeeWhiz out of office.

[It would be so cool]

I don't know how things work in Somerville, pretty new here. But elsewhere, my understanding is that community task forces and neighborhood groups wield a little bit of power by making reccomendations about whether businesses should be granted licenses for things like food service, take-out, beer and wine, etc. They also make reccomendations about zoning variances if businesses are doing build-outs or whatever.

In Boston, the licensing board or the zoning Board of Appeal way those community reccomendations pretty heavily, especially if the group is established and regularly makes reccomendations.

It would be great if this letter were a news article that explained what the Davis Square Task Force is, what it does and a little about its history. Also, accusing a public official of taking over a community group is pretty serious. Might want to get perspectives from more curent and former members + comment from the accused and all that.