A VOTER’S GUIDE To Selectman Candidate Mark Maselli

WILMINGTON, MA — Mark Maselli is one of the six candidates competing for two 3-year Selectmen seats in this Saturday’s Town Election.

Below are Maselli’s Closing Argument; his Q&A’s with Wilmington Apple; links to his supporters’ letters to the editor; the full video of the WCTV debate he participated in; his interviews with WCTV (video) and the Town Crier (written); and more.

Closing Argument

Dear Wilmington Residents,

I’d like to first thank Robert Hayes and WCTV for all the work they have done on covering this election and for the opportunities they gave all the candidates to communicate with the public on different issues. The Wilmington Apple and WCTV have both gone above and beyond in their duties and have done a tremendous service for the voters of Wilmington.

It has been a great experience for me running as a candidate for the Board of Selectmen. I have enjoyed meeting new people and listening to what they have had to say and their opinions and views on some of the issues. It has been a humbling experience and one that I am glad I chose to do.

If elected, these are just some of the things that I would like to help accomplish. I have mentioned these topics in a few different places already, but would like to present them once again, as they are important:

Prioritize Building Projects – We pay a lot of taxes and there are many municipal buildings that need to be updated or replaced. The cost for these projects will continue to rise and we need to get started on them now. Our elementary and secondary schools are in dire need not only for upgrades and remodels but for capacity.

More Housing For Seniors – The cost of living in 2019 is tough enough for a small family who have two incomes. The seniors living on social security must be having a difficult time making ends meet. We need to put together a plan to keep our seniors living here in Wilmington.

Get Olin Cleaned up for Good – This issue has gone on for many years too long. We need a final report on the land in order to start discussions on what we are going to do with the property. We should not even be thinking about development on this lot, as the site is yet to be remediated from contaminants. Wilmington needs to be compensated for all the damages and losses the town has incurred from Olin.

Promote Economic Development – I think the newly formed Economic Development Board will be a big help in moving this forward. We need to find businesses that fit our community, will be long lasting and will also bring in consumers from surrounding towns. We have many unoccupied store fronts and lots that can be redeveloped for new retail businesses.

I am aware that some candidates have said disparaging remarks about other candidates and town officials. I have kept my campaign very clean, about me and about what I would like to change and accomplish as a Selectman, should I be elected. However, there is something that has bothered me. Why would a currently-serving selectman endorse two candidates who are running their campaigns on the same platform which includes saying they want to make changes and replace the incumbents? If these two candidates are elected, they will serve with the selectman that endorsed them, thus bringing 3 common voices to the board. Now, is this any different from what they are trying to replace? We need diversity on this board. We need individuals that will bring their own opinions and ideas to solve the issues at hand and provide different points of views to best serve the constituents of our town. We need individuals that will generate proactive conversation and thought amongst the Board of Selectmen, not division and conflict.

I am running for this position because I know that I will bring fair and reasonable leadership to the Board of Selectmen. I, like you, have a deeply-vested interest in Wilmington. I want to make sure that we remain a community where people can live, raise a family, and retire. We can continue to grow our town, but we need to ensure that we keep its character and resources, without overcrowding. I will strive to promote more community engagement and give residents the voice that they so deserve in our town. I believe we need unity and to work together to achieve these goals that will benefit all of us. We will have differing opinions at times, but through civility and respect, we will come to a common ground and achieve together what we need to continue to move forward as a community.

It would be my honor to be your next Selectman and I ask that on Saturday, April 27th, you use one vote to vote for me, Mark Maselli.

Thank you.

On The Issues (Q&A’s with Wilmington Apple)

Is the Town of Wilmington heading in the right direction? Explain.

As a concerned member as this community, I would say no. There are too many empty retail lots and storefronts. Our population is growing fast, and I believe that the town may become overpopulated quickly and we will not be prepared for the consequences of that growth in the near future. There are not enough illuminated parks for the kids to play in after dusk and our youth programs are suffering a great loss in participation. The overall political moral of this town is down. Over the past few elections, voter turnout has been consistently low. We need to come together as a town to make decisions that will benefit all generations currently living here as well as future residents.

Describe your past & present involvement with Wilmington’s town government (e.g., any appointed or elected positions, serve on any committees?) AND in the Wilmington community (e.g., volunteerism with non-profits, churches, schools, youth sports, etc.).

I volunteer my time at various school functions, help various fundraising for different school groups. I have been donating and volunteering at numerous ice cream socials at our schools over the last 12 years. I also volunteer in Wilmington youth sports as a coach as well as with Boy Scout Troop 56 at their Christmas tree lot and their 4th of July booth. I have also volunteered with the St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving event. I have not served in Wilmington’s town government.

Do you/did you support the construction of a detox facility at 362 Middlesex Avenue? Why or why not? What do you say to residents who strongly disagree with your position?

When looking at any new site development, the first part of any plan is the layout and size of the structure that is compatible with its surroundings. In my opinion, the proposed structure size for the detox center at 362 Middlesex Ave. is too large for that lot and is not harmonious to the neighborhood that borders the plot of land. The size offers nothing but harm to the abutters along with the noise pollution that also comes with a facility that is run around the clock. In fact, I would not support any business located there to be run 24/7. The probability for disrupting the peace for the abutters is too great.

As we all know, the proposal was voted down by the Zoning Board of Appeals because of size. However, something that really bothered me was those that voted in FAVOR of the detox center. As I’ve mentioned, the proposed facility offers nothing for the quality of the neighborhoods, the abutters or the town. It is the job of the ZBA members to make the best choices for the town and all of its residents, and I believe that those members voting “yes” failed in this respect.

I once was given this advice, “When the ball is in your court, you don’t give it up.” Well, the ball was in our court and, sadly, we gave it up – the abutters got nothing but bushes that that will make no difference for years, if at all. We should be asking for the moon and settling for the sky – these abutters got the ground!

It really bothered me seeing the abutters asking for help, pleading for it, and getting nothing. The disruption to their neighborhood, the surrounding neighborhoods, and all the families is too great. They know what it is like to have a business in that lot, this is above and beyond that. This facility will drive their home values down, something that is most people’s biggest asset. It will make them uncomfortable in their own homes and not feel safe in their neighborhoods. I have yet to hear any rebuttals from the developers or the town on feasible ways to remedy any of this – because they can’t.

The patients in this facility can come and go at will and one doesn’t know what they may do if they are struggling and want to get their hands on alcohol or drugs. I will not claim to know first-hand what it’s like to have an addict in my family, however, we have a very close friend whose child is a recovering addict. I know what this child did to get money for drugs, including stealing from their own family. I know every story is different, but the threat of break-ins to homes and cars is there along with many other potential issues. This proposed detox center is a disservice to the abutters and frankly also to the addicts that would be in it as it is putting them in a surrounding that has temptations and makes it easy for them to relapse. We want to see those addicted succeed and find a better footing in life, not the opposite.

Put it this way: Nothing about putting this proposed detox facility at 362 Middlesex Ave. favors our community – it is detrimental.

What I say to the voters who disagree with me is: if you or someone in your family is struggling with addiction, would you want to look out the detox center windows and see a beer truck or signs for liquor on sale across the street – every day? Wouldn’t you want to be in a relaxing, peaceful environment instead of hearing trains go by numerous times during the day and night? If we want to help people with addictions, we should strive to provide them with the BEST environment for their recovery. An environment they will be comfortable in and surroundings that do not offer any temptations. As a community, we need to do our part in the opioid and addiction crisis that is hitting Wilmington and our nation so hard. I am not opposed to having a detox center in our town – in the right place – but I am vehemently against it being at 362 Middlesex Ave.

We need to ensure that the Wilmington community feels safe especially in their own neighborhoods and people struggling with addictions, looking for help, should get the right treatment at the right place. Putting a detox center at this location serves neither of those things.

In September, the Wilmington Memorial Library hosted a month-long series of programs on civility to address a growing lack of civility in today’s society. In his latest newsletter, Town Manager Jeff Hull called for more civility in town when discussing controversial topics. If elected, what will you do to create more civility in Wilmington — online, at meetings, and in the community overall?

Civility refers to the way people treat one another, with respect, even when they disagree. We need to model civility in our leadership and in our public meetings, all while setting the example for the town. This includes social media as I’ve seen a lack of civility on those platforms a lot.

I would encourage people to have thoughtful dialogue and to respect one another even when there is disagreement. Disagreement plays a necessary role in politics; however, the issue here is how the disagreement is expressed. I would encourage people to recognize how passionate they feel about the issue at hand and realized that the person that disagrees with them feels just as passionate about their stance on that issue. We need to strive for a better understanding of one another and to be respectful of people’s opinions, especially when they differ from our own.

I would also promote working collaboratively instead of taking sides. When we come together as a community and engage in respectful, civil conversations, we can disagree in a more respectful way. We don’t need to attack one another. We owe it to one another to work towards an ‘us mentality’ instead of an ‘us vs. them’ mentality and work together towards harmonious and collaborative solutions to the issues we are facing. We need to lead by example and show our children that we can come together to work through the issues, so they will do the same in the future. I was always taught that everything you do is a reflection of yourself, and I would remind people of that.

All those who chose to speak during a public meeting deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect. Most people are not comfortable with public speaking so being respectful will help the situation all around. Personal attacks, booing, or yelling from the crowd doesn’t help to move a conversation forward. This is an issue that we have seen at some recent public meetings, especially those that are associated with the Detox Center.

As a Selectman, I would suggest specific time limits on questions or comments in a public forum. Continuous rhetoric from some people in the audience can become annoying and quite counterproductive. Whoever is moderating the meeting needs to be respectful of the person who is speaking and handle situations calmly and rationally.

Civility starts with the town being united as ONE.

What do you feel should be Wilmington’s next TWO municipal or school building projects? Why do you prioritize these two projects over other projects?

The two municipal buildings I would prioritize would be the Roman House (School Administration Building) and Wilmington Town Hall. This is one of the biggest project recommendations in the towns Master Plan. It makes sense to start this project sooner to satisfy the space needed for the school administration and Town Hall departments. Both buildings are very dated and the cost of delaying construction for them will only increase the longer it is put off. Bringing these together in one new building located on the old Swain School lot keeps the School Administration department in the same general area it is now and it will bring better visibility and accessibility to Town Hall offices.

I prioritized this because it is very much needed and it is a less complex project then some of the others. We already have the empty lot of land that is ready to be built on. Let’s get this done and move onto the more complex projects pertaining to our schools, which are also a high priority.

Are there any articles on this year’s Annual Town Meeting Warrant (https://www.wilmingtonma.gov/sites/wilmingtonma/files/uploads/2019_atm_warrant.pdf) that you currently plan to vote against? If so, which articles and why? And what ONE article would you most wish to bring to the attention of voters and ask that they support? 

The majority of articles listed are recommendations or requests for monies needed for town initiatives and I do not have issues with those and would not oppose them.

The one article I would like to bring to the attention of the voters and ask for their support is Article 42, referring to the Town’s requirements to meet all the state’s provisions regarding the 40B subsidized housing inventory. This has been dragging on much too long and our deadline to remedy this situation is quickly approaching. It is important to discuss this, get it out in the open and get a solid plan together before the State comes in and does it for us.

If you are elected, what are at least three big things that you hope to accomplish during your 3 years on the board? How would you accomplish these things?

There are many big things that I would hope to accomplish as Selectman. Some things I would want to help accomplish would be to put an end to the Olin situation. It’s been going on much too long and Wilmington needs answers and monetary compensation for the loss of that land. Build a fire substation in North Wilmington, another item that is long overdue. I’d like to purchase Sciarappa Farm and put together a short- and long-term plan for development on that site that would benefit the entire town while still preserving the environment.  I would put together a time frame for the expansion and/or consolidation of the Wildwood, Woburn Street and North Intermediate Schools.

I would accomplish these things by working with my fellow Selectman to find common ground on these issues and the best ways to accomplish them in the near term. I’d listen to the residents of our town and hear their questions and concerns and give them direct, honest answers. As Selectman, it would be my responsibility to help make the right decisions in the best interests for all of Wilmington and that is what I intend to do.

What grade would you give to Town Manager Jeff Hull for his performance over the past year? Why? Are you looking for a change in leadership at Town Hall?

I would grade Jeff Hull as a C. My grade is based on my perception as a citizen of Wilmington and not someone who has worked directly with him. I would expect that the incumbents in this race may have a very different rating.

We have needed a fire substation on the North side of town for many years now and there are no solutions on paper for it to happen any time soon – it’s a wish list item – and the need for it is only going to continue to grow and become more of a desperate situation. The attempt to purchase the Ice Rink was not handled properly and was a big loss not only for the hockey and figuring skating leagues, but for the community. While it would have benefited our local youth groups it also would have been a small source of revenue. Olin has dragged on way to long. The EPA has not been pushed hard enough to give our town updates and all the while plans for development of the land continue. The Detox Center should have been dealt with way back in 2017 when this developer was “introduced” to the town. The town failed in negotiating with the developer to get this built in a more suitable location in Wilmington as well as getting anything of value for the town. The fate of what happens next is in the hands of a federal judge and it should never have gotten to this point.

As far as looking for a change in leadership, I am running for a seat on the Board of Selectman to make a change, so yes, I think it is time for a change. New voices, fresh ideas that will lead to a better direction for Wilmington.

(Editor’s Note: The above questions were submitted by readers. Each candidate was given the same amount of time each week to answer. These answers were previously published on Wilmington Apple over the past two months.)

Letters To The Editor/Endorsements

Watch The Debate

Candidate Conversation with WCTV

Wilmington Town Crier Candidate Profile

Campaign Announcement/Other

Candidate’s Website & Social Media

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