What the?

I really don't know what to make of the news that the new Plum Island Foundation had, in just a few weeks, raised the money necessary to hire the Washington Lobbyist.

I mean, bully for them. I'm happy they're getting this guy on the case. And I'm glad it came so easily.

But I've got to wonder. Why didn't they just do this in the first place?

I recognize it would have been a great deal cheaper to have Newbury and Newburyport cover most of the cost. But didn't the campaign to convince Newbury and Newburyport officials take a few months of valuable time. Wouldn't it have been more prudent to raise as much as they could before approaching our cash-strapped towns.

Once they were rebuffed I figured we'd be looking at a summer of fund-raising. But lo and behold they are nearly done, and they could have raised more.

The fledgling Plum Island Foundation held its first official fundraiser last night, with about 150 people gathered at the Plum Island Grille to nibble appetizers and sip beverages. Foundation board member Robert Connors of Annapolis Way said organizers had stopped selling the $100 tickets to the event after 135 were purchased.

Again, I commend these folks for stepping up. I really do. I just think it might have been more politically prudent to have tried to raise the money privately before approaching the city and town.

Or perhaps the foundation needed the rejection as a rallying cry to get more islanders involved.

In any case, I'm glad they're going to get the help they want.

An Excellent Idea

From yesterday's "Around the Town" News:

City's new Web site ready to launch

Newburyport: Welcome to 2008. In a month or so, paying parking tickets and property taxes will get easier with an upgrade to the city's Web site.

Mark Kavanagh, the city's IT director, said he's been working on a new city site since January, and once it is put online in mid-May, residents will for the first time be able to pay tickets and tax bills online — with bill-paying ability for utilities coming soon after.

The payments will go through a third party, Metropolitan Communications, that specializes in such municipal payments systems.

It is part of an overall effort to modernize the city's "clunky" site, Kavanagh said. The site hasn't been updated since 2003, which, in tech terms, makes the city's site archaic. Beyond paying bills, Kavanagh said the site will be easier to navigate, offer more services and be formatted better.

"It's going to be clear cut, clean," he said. "It's going to be night and day."

Also, coming soon, Kavanagh said: a service that will allow residents to write in complaints — things like potholes — that will be sent along to the appropriate people and departments.

I'm predictably excited by the idea. I want to say it's about time, but I don't think Newburyport is exactly behind the times on this.

Perhaps Kavanagh could work on the Daily News' Web Site next.

I'm officially submitting my application for the position of City Web Site Blogger.

I could use a pension.

References upon request.


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Water Woes Make the Globe

Here's the regional giant's take on the Water Bill problem. $18,000? For real? How the hell does that happen.

I've got a few questions about all of this, but here's one of them.

Is the city required to underestimate usage if people aren't providing usage? Seems like people would have been more likely to remember to call in their numbers if they were presented with higher than typical bills, or at least an amount that fell in the same neighborhood as a bill that wasn't estimated.

I suppose it's a moot question now.

Please take a moment to register your thoughts in the poll to the right.