January 20th Selectmen's Meeting - Agenda, Etc.

Some parts were interesting - other parts were the "same old thing meaning the usual run-a-round, rudeness, and - well, you figure it out.

There was some discussion re: a pending Agreement with Dedham as to the maintenance of Mountainy Pond Road. Seems Dedham has received some federal funds in the past. Now there needs to be an Agreement between Eddington and Dedham as to which town is going to be responsible for what and the length of the agreement. The Selectmen are leaning toward a 3 year contract. The Town Manager was delegated to developed more data and bring the matter back to the Selectmen.

DOT is going to be paving Route 9 east of Edy Heights this summer.

The Selectmen heard a rather sketchy synopsis of presentations of the proposed RSU 15 school consolidation from the attending school board rep. and decided to take the position to oppose consolidation. They agreed to notify the Bangor Daily News of their position but not to mail out any letters or information to that effect to the town voters - even though both Clifton's and Holden's Selectmen are reportedly doing so to their voters. When I suggested the Eddington Selectmen place something on the large info board outside the Town Office to the effect "Selectmen oppose school consolidation" or "Selectmen say vote No", I was told they couldn't legally do that. ???? Understandably they probably can't say "Vote NO" but they could post they are opposed. Anyway, you might want to review my earlier blog for some basic details re: the consolidation costs. (At least the sign could be put to better use than be vacant most of the time.)

The Selectmen then signed the necessary papers for the Referendum Vote to take place at the Town Office on January 27 - 8am to 8pm at the Town Office.

Nomination papers need to be completed and turned in to the Town Office for two upcoming local positions: One Selectman position and One Eddington School Board position.

Selectman Charles "Chip" Grover, Jr.'s term is expiring. He will probably be running for re-election but anyone else who wants to run needs to pick up the necessary forms and gather the required number of qualifying signatures and get them turned in to the Town Office by (I think) February 6.

If school consolidation doesn't pass, there will be one current seat/term expiring. Whether or not the person will run again is unknown. Anyone interested in the position needs to pick up a candidacy form and gather the required qualifying signatures and get them turned in to the Town Office by (same date, which I believe is) February 6. If consolidation does pass, the current school board positions probably become moot and the two from Eddington on the RSU Board may have to go through some new selection process since the terms are staggered. Who knows.

Now for the "interesting" and You-can-call-it-whatever-you-want-to-News:
The individual who's business issue was on the Planning Board's agenda without his knowledge (see earlier posting) appeared and explained his issue. He was treated most courteously. The Selectmen were quite surprised he had not been advised of the Planning Board's agenda (his issue) by the Code Enforcement Officer and felt that his matter should be placed on hold until he had an opportunity to be heard. The Selectmen also expressed the idea that a rep from the Planning Board should be making reports to the Selectmen's meetings. Interestingly enough when I later mentioned - as I do every meeting - that posting the Selectmen's agenda on the Government Access Channel would meet the same need of informing the community of the issues the elected officials plan to be addressing - they saw no compelling need or civic responsibility to do so.

I then told the members that I had contacted various area governing bodies (Brewer, Bangor, and two other unnamed locales) and was told there was no legal reason why they couldn't or shouldn't. (Refer to earlier blogs re: this matter.) After minor discussion when it was noted that adding the phrase "subject to change" would cover any additions or deletions to any published agenda, the Selectmen, as usual, agreed to take no action. Once more this body who would not be in their positions but for the votes of the individuals/taxpayers of this town feel no responsibility to communicate to those same people what business is being conducted which will impact them. Perhaps not tell anyone will help insure as few as possible show up to any meeting where they might see their government in action.

Now - as to the on-going saga of the Recycling Newsletter... Smile here people as we go around the barn once more.

One of the hand-outs for the meeting was the 2008-2009 Appropriations and Expenditures (Budget). The Selectmen have already had one preliminary budget planning meeting for the 2009-2010 fiscal year (December 2.) and they are planning the entire February Selectmen's meeting to be devoted to that topic. Please note - no discussion of any alternative Recycling collection program here. No questionnaire has gone out to the townspeople - so no feedback from them either after six months. When I pointed out I had made change after change at either the Selectmen's request or that of the Town Office and nothing had been done, I thought I deserved an answer as to why they had bottle-necked the data and questionnaire from getting to the people who pay for the services. I won't bore you with all the gobbledegook - but this time (a) it is too expensive to mail (the money had previously been approved) - (b) I should put it on the Government Access Channel (!) - and (c) certain members wanted to go over everything that was covered at the November meeting.

Bottom Line: they have delayed it for so long there is no time to get it out, get the feedback from the community, use the feedback as the base for any Request for Bids, and (drum roll here.....) one can expect they will go with the same vendor for no less than $11,000.00 per year AGAIN.

The real sticking point(s) - Even after being directly WHY the Selectmen were so afraid of having the townspeople just see the data in the newsletter - not one of them would answer the question. Second point: Not one of them had the personal or professional integrity to say - in six months - they weren't going to mail it out. They just played games. Not just with me, but more importantly - played games with the town taxpayers.

March 3 and 17 are scheduled for Public Hearings on the 2009-2010 Budget. (Wonder if they will use the same format as what they'll use at the Town Meeting March 24. Last year there were different formats which made it difficult to trace the errors discovered at the Public Hearings.

One Selectmen thinks the way town government works isn't broke - and that's why no one shows up at Selectmen meetings (except me, of course. And I'm sure they wish I wouldn't.) Out of 1600 registered voters, only approximately 300 people showed at last year's Town Meeting - and a lot didn't vote!

People tell me they don't go to any meetings because no one in town government listens to them when they do go so why waste their time and breath. Based on my experiences I think the people are more right than that Selectman.

See tomorrow's blog re: Who plowed the Eddington Town Office during last week's snow storm - and what company had the $90,000.00 annual snowplowing contract?