The following is an editorial in the Newburyport Current, Friday, August 11, 2006

“The city lost a top-notch employee last week. City Planner Julie LaBranche announced that she will, only a year into the job, leave in early September for a position on the Strafford Regional Planning Commission.

The official reason: LaBranche wanted to grow professionally.

Unfortunately, there also appear to be far more serious reasons behind her resignation. LaBranche spoke this week of not being invited to meetings between Mayor John Moak and developers, fundamental disagreements with the building commissioner, and the administration’s apparent lack of trust in her expertise.

Several members of the Planning Board – some who normally do not openly criticize the mayor – called the atmosphere “abusive” and “hostile.”

 LaBranche was hired last summer and quickly gained the respect of boards and commission members who now describe her technical assistance and expertise in land use laws and low-impact development as invaluable. The city, they said, struck gold when she was hired a year ago.

LaBranche’s resignation shows the complete disconnect between the mayor and the planning office. Moak has, of course, every right to meet with whoever he wants, but to let some developers use the mayor’s office as their Wailing Wall shows a lack of respect for the city planner. Ever since Moak decided to replace former Planning Director Nick Cracknell, it has been clear that the mayor does not whole-heartedly support goals in the master plan such as design review.

It is, thus, no surprise that in Moak’s City Hall there is no room for LaBranche, who embraced the same document with its emphasis on Smart Growth and historic preservation.

The question is, and has been for nearly eight months: What is Moak’s vision for the city of Newburyport?

Now, when he is preparing to hire a new city planner with his appointee for planning director, Chris Ryan, he needs to get specific about long-term goals, beyond customer service and solid management. City planning is, needless to say, more than shuffling papers.

Poor decisions and development at any price can destroy a historic city like Newburyport. If the mayor does not realize it, let’s hope the new planning director does.

And to the detriment of Newburyport, LaBranche will have no say in it.”

In earlier posts on the search for Newburyport’s Planning Director, there was a certain note of hope in this blogger’s blogging, a sense that someone competent would be a relief.

The tone of this blogger has changed since the early news hit that Mayor John Moak had found a possible appointee.

Now why would that be?

Three things (which have nothing to do with the appointee at all.)

One is the resignation of Julie LaBranche. Ms LaBranche has been described as “intelligent, knowledgeable, generous, professional, hardworking, talented” to just downright “great.” Certainly I have found her to be extremely bright, conscientious, personable and she appears to me to go out of her way to be accommodating.

One would think that those at City Hall would be proud to have a person such as Julie LaBranche in Newburyport’s Planning Office.

The word on the street, however, is that Ms LaBranche has been treated badly, with disrespect, intimidation and ire. The sources are so various and consistent that one cannot help but think they are most probably true.

I can actually see where people might have had a personality clash with Nick Cracknell, strong personality that he is. But Julie LaBranche? This baffles me. How one could treat Ms LaBranche with anything but courtesy is beyond this blogger’s understanding.

It almost feels as if there were people that went out of their way to make Ms LaBranche’s life so unpleasant that she would leave her job as City Planner. I am not pleased.

This also leaves a Planning Office in complete disarray. Not even superman could bring this mess up to speed in any kind of timely fashion.

The second is the confirmation that yes, John Moak’s philosophy appears to be that development, good, bad or indifferent, is so important to the tax base and the overall economy, that things like historic preservation, smart growth, community preservation, open space seem to be only vaguely on the radar, if in fact they are on the radar at all.

All of this coincides with the emergence of yet another developer, Mr. Minot Frye from Wenham, MA, who apparently intends to demolish the federalist house at 11-13 Ship Street and put up two condominiums. This is a developer from out of town, with apparently deep pockets, and deep connections, who has his sights on Newburyport, Massachusetts and does not have the City’s best interest at heart in anyway shape or form. Apparently this gentleman has the attitude of “I own it, and I’ll do anything with it that I please.” This does not work for me.

Blogging gloom is so unfortunate. And this blogger is trying to figure out what in the world she will do.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Mayor John Moak has sent a letter out to the Newburyport City Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, and Historic Commission to come to City Hall on Monday night August 7, 2006 from 6-8 PM in City Council chambers to meet the proposed Planning Director, Christopher Ryan.

As I understand it this meeting, by law, must be open to the public but not necessarily open to public comment. (The meeting is not posted, at least not on the City’s website.)

So I guess that means folks, if you are curious, you too can show up at the City Council chambers and at least take a peek at Christopher Ryan…whether you will be able to say “hello” or not who knows.

My guess would be that if you have questions and public comments are not allowed, one of the City Councilors or one of the members of the various boards and commissions would be happy to ask them for you.

The Newburyport City Council will vote on the appointment for Planning Director on the following Monday, August 14, 2006 at their regularly scheduled meeting.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: This meeting did appear in Monday’s Newburyport Daily News, August 7, 2006, so it is posted. Good for Mayor Moak. It is a “Open House to meet new Planning Director Chris R. Ryan, City Hall, 6 p.m.”

The “Central Water Focus Group” is also posted. That is this Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the police station. Again, good for Mayor Moak.)

I put the blame for the complete disarray of Newburyport’s Planning Office squarely on the shoulders of Mayor John Moak.

Mr. Moak campaigned as a manager (which I thought he would well be capable of), and in my opinion the current state of disorder belies the campaign promise.

Not to have a Planning Director for 3 months (Mr. Moak’s idea) is an invitation to disaster. And frankly I cannot blame Julie LaBranche, Newburyport’s City Planner for resigning.

To have a Planning Office so understaffed would invite chaos and burnout.

And what a waste of talent to have highly trained individuals spend their time answering the phone (out of necessity because there is no one else to do it), instead of attending to the myriad of very complicated issues that are before the City of Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Tom Ryan, the editor of the Undertoad, hints darkly on his blog that Newburyport’s Building Inspector, Gary Calderwood (reportedly, Mayor John Moak’s good friend from the Mayor’s 11 years as Newburyport’s City Clerk) had a great deal to do with Ms. LaBranche’s departure.

I have no idea what the story is with Mr. Calderwood, but I will say, coincidentally?? that I did receive a number of emails yesterday with various complaints about our building inspector. I know little about Mr. Calderwood and could not possibly verify any of the information that I received. But it does appear that city politics are at their “glorious” best in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

I do know as a woman working in various civic endeavors in our seaport city, that I am often treated with lack of respect and various people over the years have done their best to try to intimidate me. (Luckily I was born and raised in New York City where intimidation is often viewed as a contact sport—good training for my involvement in Newburyport politics.) One can only imagine, if as a citizen I have been treated this way, what Ms. LaBranche may have experienced over these last 3 months.

And no matter how good Christopher Ryan may be, if he is appointed, he will enter a Planning Office in crisis. I can’t imagine that is what he had in mind when he applied for the job.

And yes, I’ve now read the article in the Newburyport Current on Christopher Ryan. And despite Ulrika Gerth’s “right on” questions, I know almost nothing about where Mr. Ryan stands on pertinent issues. The answers seemed to me to me masterful side-steps.

One always wants to hope for the best. But I finished the article feeling extremely gloomy.

Mayor John Moak is our “leader.” And to have the Planning Office and by ripple affect the various boards and commissions it helps, in turmoil, is a woeful example of managerial style.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

I talked to Jack Mee, the Building Inspector and Zoning Officer in Walpole, Massachusetts where Christopher Ryan, the Mayor’s appointment for Newburyport’s Planning Director worked as of last week.

I figured who better to know the Town Planner (Christopher Ryan) than the Building Inspector. And Mr. Mee was very forthcoming and extremely helpful. (Jack Mee said it would be ok for me to not only quote him, but also use his name.) What a nice guy.

Well according to Jack Mee, it’s good news folks.

History: As I understand it the Town Planner before Christopher Ryan did work at another venture along with the job as Town Planner and that turned out to be difficult for the Town of Walpole to negotiate. So, when Mr. Ryan wanted to teach, the town, because of previous experience, was somewhat apprehensive.

Walpole’s Building Inspector, Jack Mee seemed to think very highly of Christopher Ryan.

Apparently Mr. Ryan set up a “Design Review Committee” for the Town of Walpole. Boy, this works for me.

My understanding is that Mr. Ryan is well aware the political upheaval concerning Nick Cracknell’s leaving, and understands that the community might well be distrustful of him if he were to follow in Nick Cracknell’s shoes.

Mr. Mee, thought that Christopher Ryan would be mindful of the community’s welfare; that Mr. Ryan is capable of being extremely tactful, but in Mr. Mee’s words (I hope I have this right, I am a blogger, not a reporter), Mr. Ryan “would not be a puppet for the mayor.” Whew.

From my point of view it would be really important that the new Planning Director for Newburyport, Massachusetts not to give the green light to all our hungry developers. One would hope that Mr. Ryan would know how concerned so many of us are about developers who see Newburyport, MA as such a wonderful opportunity to make a buck. And from what Jack Mee has told me, it does appear to be encouraging. And if Mr. Ryan is confirmed by the Newburyport City Council, only time will tell.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Good grief, for this blogger not to check the obvious. The Walpole Times, www.walpoletimes.com.

Yes the Walpole Times has a story “Town Planner Ryan Leaves” by Tom Glynn, July 28, 2006.

Go check the whole thing out yourself at www.walpoletimes.com, but here are a few highlights.

“Town Planner Christopher Ryan has resigned after two years in the post to take a position teaching city planning at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Ryan, who is working on a doctorate, said he’s long wanted to teach at the college level. With a bachelor’s degree from Miami of Ohio, he has a master’s from Georgia Tech.

He applied for the WPI post earlier this year at a time when there was uncertainty over whether the Walpole town planner position would exist after July 1.

The uncertainty arose when Town Administrator Michael Boynton proposed an article for the spring Town Meeting that would have combined the planner post with that of the town’s economic development director to create a new department.”

“In an interview, Ryan said he tried unsuccessfully to work out a schedule that would allow him to teach at WPI but continue to do planning for Walpole.

With his last day tomorrow, he is leaving just as the planning board is preparing to seek a consultant to overhaul the town’s zoning bylaw.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

I was hoping that there would be an article in today’s Newburyport Daily News about the about Mayor John Moak’s new pick for Newburyport’s Planning Director, Christopher Ryan, so I could blog on it. But there wasn’t.

So I thought I would pass on what I’ve heard, and it’s not much, but I trust the people that I’ve talked to.

Apparently there could be worse candidates. That’s sort of damned with faint praise, but there it is.

However, Mr. Ryan was on a number of people’s “short list,” and these are folks that I trust. So that’s extremely encouraging. I’ve also been told that Mr. Ryan has a very different “style” than Nick Cracknell. One would expect that, no problem in my book with that one.

But best of all apparently if Mayor Moak wanted to do something and it was not possible, Mr. Ryan would not hesitate to inform him. (I like this.) And I’ve been told that Christopher Ryan might well have a differing point (or points) of view and might well feel free to express it or them. (And of course I like this a lot.)

So that’s what I know. It’s not much, but it is encouraging. And I really, really want Christopher Ryan, if that’s who ends up being the next Planning Director, to be worthy of the City of Newburyport, and to be able to breath a sigh of relief that someone competent is on board.

And no matter who the Planning Director for Newburyport, MA might be, I think the citizens of this seaport city are on alert, whether it comes to the Central Waterfront, 40B housing, inappropriate infill, environmental issues, demolition of historic homes or outside developers coming here just to make a buck.

The Newburyport Current’s website says that there will be a story on Christopher Ryan in Friday’s edition. I’m sure, as always, that the Newburyport Current’s editor, Ulrika Gerth, will not disappoint, and I’m looking forward to reading the story very, very much.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport