April 2008 Archives

Present: Selectmen:  Karel A. Crawford, Edward J. Charest, James F. Gray, Betsey L. Patten; Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator, Hope K. Kokas, Office Secretary.

I. CALL TO ORDER:  Karel called the meeting to Order at 7:00 P.M.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 
III. REVIEW/APPROVE MINUTES:  Ed Made the Motion to approve the Minutes of April 17, 2008 as written.  Joel Seconded.  The Motion carried Unanimously.

IV. NEW RESIDENTS:  None.

V. PUBLIC MEETING:

1. Jean Beadle asked the Selectmen to confirm that the “Bad Moose” Restaurant was purchased by the owner of a Subway Restaurant.  Karel and the Selectmen acknowledged this.  She voiced her concern that if a Subway goes in the area will look like a strip mall.  Ed commented that ......

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The Meredith News

Editorial

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

It’s true that there are quite a few school districts in New Hampshire that could use a boost of the financial variety. We’re lucky to have so many well funded schools in our coverage area, by comparison. But how to give those school districts a helping hand without amputating our own hands? SB 539 seeks to redistribute funding based on a complicated formula - $3.450 per student, plus “An additional $431 per pupil in kindergarten through grade 12 eligible for the federal free and reduced-price meal program who attends a public school in which less than 12 percent of the pupils reported in the school’s ADMA in the determination year are eligible for the federal free and reduced-price meal program,” et cetera, et cetera. The point is that this potential law has a price tag .....

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By JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political Reporter
Sunday, Apr. 20, 2008

Note from the MCA: There is a chart identifying the financial impact to towns at the end of this article. Moultonborough is not included.  This was brought to the attention of the Moultonborough Selectmen at the last meeting, but not fully addressed.

Health subsidy debate pits towns vs. retirees

By JOHN DISTASO
Senior Political Reporter

Union Leader
Sunday, Apr. 20, 2008

 Concord – A legislative effort to shore up the financially ailing New Hampshire Retirement System pits unions representing active and retired public workers against municipalities, who say they are representing the interests of taxpayers.

Retired public workers fear they will no longer be able to afford medical care ......

Click here for: Moultonborough Selectmen's Agenda- April 24th 2008    
 

Present: Selectmen:  Karel A. Crawford, Edward J. Charest, James F. Gray, Joel R. Mudgett; Betsey L. Patten; Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator, Hope K. Kokas, Office Secretary.

I. CALL TO ORDER:  Karel called the meeting to Order at 7:00 P.M.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 
III. REVIEW/APPROVE MINUTES:  Ed Made the Motion to approve the Minutes of April 10, 2008 as written.  Joel Seconded.  The Motion carried Unanimously.

IV. NEW RESIDENTS:  Brittany L. Clippinger, Ryan G. Cahoon, Walter B. & Jane P. Fardy, Michael & Sharon A. Rousseau.

V. PUBLIC MEETING:

7:05 Chief Scott Kinmond, LRPC, Route 25 Corridor Study:  Chief Kinmond, a committee member of the Route 25 Corridor Study, introduced Mike Izard of Lakes Region Planning Commission.  Mr. Izard presented each Selectman with a copy of the.....

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MCA

**Please Note:  Items to be placed on the weekly Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda must be submitted no later than Tuesday, noon.
 
Office of Selectmen
P. O. Box 139 / 6 Holland Street
Moultonborough, NH 03254
603-476-2347
 
AGENDA

Selectmen’s Meeting                                                       April 17, 2008

I.         CALL TO ORDER:     7:00 PM
II.        PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III.       REVIEW / APPROVAL MINUTES:     April 10, 2008
IV.       NEW RESIDENTS:

V.        PUBLIC MEETING:
            7:05     Chief Scott Kinmond, LRPC, Route 25 Corridor Study

VI.       NEW BUSINESS:
            1.         Sick Bank Contribution, Kathy Remson
            2.         Carolyn Nelsen – Outing Club, Request for Funds
            3.         Vadar Systems 2008 Contract
            4.         Sex Offender Residency – Proposed Ordinance
            5.         Ossipee Park Road, LBG Proposal

VII.     OLD BUSINESS:
            1.         NH Bass Federation Nation, Launch Request, Change of Date

VIII     OTHER BUSINESS:
            1.         Legislative Update
            2.         Planning Board Update
            3.         Administration Update
            4.         Municipal Needs Committee Minutes, April 9, 2008
            5.         Planning Board Meeting Minutes, April 9, 2008

IX.       PENDING:
            1.         Policy for Closing Town Offices Emergency/Inclement Weather, May 15, 2008
            2.         Heidi A. Davis, April 7, 2008

X.        CORRESPONDENCE:
            1.         NRRA, April 9, 2008

XI.       ADJOURNMENT:
 

 
Present:            Selectmen:  Edward J. Charest, James F. Gray, Joel R. Mudgett; Betsey L. Patten; Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator, Hope K. Kokas, Office Secretary.
 
I.                   CALL TO ORDER:  Ed called the meeting to Order at 6:30P.M.
 
6:35     Non-Public Session:
 
Betsey Made the Motion for the Selectmen to go into Non-Public Session per RSA 91-A:3 II (e).  Jim Seconded the Motion.  Ed called for a roll call:  Jim – Aye; Betsey –Aye; Joel – Aye; Ed – Aye.  The Selectmen went into Non-Public Session at 6:35 pm.
 
Betsey Made the Motion for the Selectmen to come out of Non-Public Session.  Jim Seconded.  Ed called for a roll call:  Jim – Aye; Betsey – Aye; Joel – Aye; Ed – Aye.  The Selectmen came out of Non-Public Session at 6:55 pm.
 
Joel Made the Motion to seal the Minutes.....

March 12th, 2008   Email to the Selectmen

I am addressing this message to the attention of Mr. Charest and Mrs. Crawford.

Congratulations on your reelection. Your service is appreciated whether or not we are in agreement.

Since we use secret ballot to elect town officers, you have no way to know how and why I voted but I would like you to know that I did not vote for either one of you and why.

The reason? I think you did not act in the Town's best interest in endorsing the expenditure of $375,000 to cost out the athletic facilities/community center/senior center project (in that order) that the people of Moultonborugh have not yet agreed they want. I'm so old I think $375,000 is a h--l of a lot of money. At several Selectman's meetings leading up to the hearing when you gave your approval to this article, you stated many reasons why this is inopportune at this time. You heard them all, and agreed with many - too much money, rising taxes, school funding impact, retirement benefits costs, and on and on. However you finally stated that you were so impressed that 300 people had signed a warrant article that you decided to support it. If you indeed feel that the wants of 300 people is in the best interest of the 4500 inhabitants of the Town after you had such misgivings before the 300 (voters?) came forward, I say your thinking is wrong for the Town. The voting almost approving SB2 and the 353 write-in votes against the two of you demonstrates that I am not alone.

End of rant. My request is that on Saturday, Town Meeting Day, you will do the right thing and recant your approval of this warrant article.

Yours Respectfully,

Robert Damarell

**Please Note:  Items to be placed on the weekly Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda must be submitted no later than Tuesday, noon.
 
Office of Selectmen
P. O. Box 139 / 6 Holland Street
Moultonborough, NH 03254
603-476-2347
 
AGENDA

Selectmen’s Meeting                                                       April 10, 2008

I.         CALL TO ORDER:     6:30 PM
           6:35       Non-Public Session, Personnel Matter

II.        PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III.       REVIEW / APPROVAL MINUTES:     April 3, 2008
IV.       NEW RESIDENTS:

V.        PUBLIC MEETING:
            7:05     Karyn Nelson, Recreation Advisory Board
 
VI.       NEW BUSINESS:
            1.         Chief Kinmond, Request for Funds, Chem-Free After Prom Event
            2.         Sick Bank Contribution, Scott Kinmond
            3.         Sick Bank Contribution, Francis Horne
            4.         Sick Bank Contribution, Edwin Wakefield
            5.         Sick Bank Contribution, Jim Nave
            6.         Ralph Carrasco, Resignation from Municipal Needs Committee
            7.         Darcy Boyle, End Probationary Period, April 10, 2008
            8.         Hillary Bride, End Probationary Period, April 11, 2008
 
VII.     OLD BUSINESS:

VIII     OTHER BUSINESS:
            1.         Legislative Update
            2.         Planning Board Update
            3.         Administration Update
            4.         Library Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes, March 6, 2008
            5.         Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting Minutes, April 2, 2008

IX.       PENDING:
            1.         Residency Ordinance for Registered Sexual Offenders, April 15, 2008
            2.         Policy for Closing Town Offices Emergency/Inclement Weather, May 15, 2008
            3.         Senior Needs Committee

X.        CORRESPONDENCE:
            1.         Stephen S. Woodman, April 6, 2008
            2.         Heidi A. Davis, April 7, 2008
            3.         Eric Taussig, April 8, 2008
            4.         Tom & LeAnne Fifield
            5.         NH DRED Div. of Forest & Lands, Reappointment of Kenneth Kahn, Deputy Forest Fire
                        Warden

XI.       ADJOURNMENT:
 

www.LaconiaDailySun.Com                April 9th, 2008

To the editor,

The traditional Town Meeting is not a hiding place for backward antiquated thought. People, like Mr. Horne and Ms. Pam Finer are offering advice on improving Meredith’s government and some folks just don’t understand the advantages of SB-2. The public’s perception is that if truth has fair play it will always prevail over falsehood. The public, up to a point, is gifted with a charitable bent. But let us not be mistaken, through God’s grace they possess a mesmerizing charisma and charitable nature. They are forgiving until they become fed up with rhetoric which stokes up a controversy about how the town’s gentry know more than they. Mr. Obadiah Plainman 11 a recently resurrected gentlemen told me that one should listen carefully when the better sort of people tell you that they know more about what is good for you; this method of government leads to dictatorship and that can be upsetting. When a certain individual implies that the folk in the street are the mobs or the rabble, heads rise. Well I enjoy being and am proud to be the “rabble”. My breakfast friends enjoy being the “rabble for freedom” and detest hearing that there are folks out there that style themselves as a “better sort” or imply that the common folks are a stupid herd. The common citizenries, the “poor ordinary folk” work hard to meet their responsibilities and pay their property taxes. Cantankerous Yankees get rankled up when someone proclaims themselves to be of the better sort and look at the rest of their neighbors with contempt. Some folks don’t like it when others put on aristocratic airs. We are allergic to snobbery and are proud to be a part of the rabble and a Plainman. It was the “Rabble In Arms” or Continental Army under Gen. Washington that threw out the army of George III, the English king when he trampled on the rights of the American people. New Englanders have the spirit of rugged individualism and are fiercely supportive of their community. Self-reliance and civic involvement is part of Meredith and American character. Meredith will prosper if you permit the people to be heard. We can not fear the people. Give the little guys the credit they deserve. They will involve themselves in the community if they can. Note that our Town Manager holds selectman workshops meetings at the inappropriately, outrageous hour of 4 p.m. and selectman meetings at 5:30 p.m.. When you want to keep the people uninformed that is a way to do it. Hardly a time that the working people can attend to involve themselves in government. Why not hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. so that the average guy can get home after a commute, eat, shower and go to the public meeting and enjoy the beneficial consequences. It is no wonder that we hear defamatory protestations by a “well bred man” with a Ph.D., who makes scurrilous comments in the Sun and has little esteem or affection for the straight talking plain folk wanting them to fall in line. If SB-2 will shake up the local establishment then so be it. Perhaps some folks ought to sacrifi ce some of their vanity and become enthralled in a democracy that includes the right to vote. The Town Meeting is inconsistent with true liberty. The no-nonsense people have a right to be displeased rejecting those who hunger for personal privilege. We have recommitted ourselves to freedom and will recreate a great new awakening in democracy. I sense a great emotional tide of revivalism that is sweeping the Lakes Region. It sweeps away “pious fraud” and reviews the doctrine of democracy and the right to vote. There was a Great Awakening in America in the 1730s generated by the likes of Jonathan Edwards (“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”). Edwards wanted to recommit America to the spirituality of Puritanism. Some voters in Meredith want to recommit to democracy, liberty, tolerance, individual merit, civic virtue, rationality and the right to vote by secret ballot. With undisguised pride and optimism I still say “Power to the People” and “Uraahhh” to Mr. Horne and Ms. Pam Finer for bringing to our attention the importance of the diligent, unpretentious, “self-created and self-willed man” who believed in reason and threw off hateful malicious oppressors and bigots. The Plainfolk recognize and want better representative government, a right to vote at a time of their choosing and conveniently by secret ballot. VOTE YES FOR SB-2.

Richard Gunnar Juve

Meredith

www.Laconiadailysun.com     April 8th, 2008

To the editor, Mr. Peter Miller promises to study the hybrid “charter” forms of government (allowed to be adopted by towns and cities as set forth in the state Constitution) and share his findings from time to time. What information he will be presenting was already presented in The Laconia Daily Sun on March 24,

2008. The restructuring of local government is stated in state law Title III Chapter 49-B. The forms of government allowed to be adopted are: 1. town council, 2. town council with official ballot, 3. representative town meeting, 4. budgetary town meeting and 5. official ballot town meeting. It was spelled out what they were, and that before any could be voted on by the people the new charter as construed by the charter commission must be reviewed and approved by the Secretary of State, Attorney General and commissioner of the Department of Revenue Administration. This process takes at least three years after it is first initiated, and who knows how twisted the meanings written between the lines. What SB-2 offers is rather straight forward and simple, the residents of Meredith will be regaining the right to cast a ballot in deciding articles on the warrant. All the Statutes — RSA’s— are available at the state’s website. Mr. Peter Miller needs to study more that the state statutes, he needs to study history. He has a tendency to construe and present as fact. An instance is his statement on February 14 that Town Meeting is “our direct link to the America that was conceived and created by the architects of our constitution,...” FACT: Town Meeting existed long before any thought of separation from England. Fact is that in Exeter on Jan. 5, 1776 the people of New Hampshire in Assembly established a Congress and voted to take up Civil Government thus establishing a Constitution (before any other colony, state or nation). The Congress then went on to detail the form of government and its Bill of Rights and statutes which was sent out to the people to be voted on and amended. It was at Town Meetings throughout this State that the details of it were raised and voted on three times before final approval in 1783. It has been amended many times there after. So it shall be interesting to read from time to time what he has found as the facts are in the statutes which we can all find and in which nothing is hidden between the lines or inferred somehow by some other statute. It is by the twisted logic of inference of what is or was meant that those who would control our lives, rights and freedom prevail upon us. Mr. Peter Miller should study SB-2; find the good in it if he is so consumed with what is good for us. But you know that will not be, he will reference various (non-partisan most likely) groups, findings of negativity in any SB-2  community, and all the

achievements of other hybrid forms of local government he can to convince us to keep the form of government we have, instead of allowing all registered voters to vote because that would be the worst thing of all.

G. W. Brooks

Meredith

Present: Selectmen:  Karel A. Crawford, Edward J. Charest, James F. Gray, Joel R. Mudgett; Betsey L. Patten; Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator, Hope K. Kokas, Office Secretary.

I. CALL TO ORDER:  Karel called the meeting to Order at 6:45P.M.

Jim Made the Motion for the Selectmen to go into Non-Public Session per RSA 91-A:3 II (b).  Ed Seconded the Motion.  Karel called for a roll call:  Jim – Aye; Betsey – Aye; Ed – Aye; Joel – Aye; Karel – Aye.  The Selectmen went into Non-Public Session at 6:46 pm.

Jim Made the Motion for the Selectmen to come out of Non-Public Session.  Karel called for a roll call:  Jim – Aye; Betsey – Aye; Ed – Aye; Joel – Aye; Karel – Aye.  The Selectmen came out of Non-Public Session at 6:50 pm.

Jim Made the Motion to seal the Minutes until a decision is made.  Ed Seconded the Motion.  The Motion carried Unanimously.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 
III. REVIEW/APPROVE MINUTES:  Joel Made the Motion to approve the Minutes of March 27, 2008 as written.  Betsey Seconded.  The Motion carried Unanimously.

IV. NEW RESIDENTS:  Paul W. Cochran, Shane J. Hayes, Melissa A. Walker, Brooke E. Aiken.

V. PUBLIC MEETING:

8:00     Non-Public Session, Personnel Matter:

VI. NEW BUSINESS:

1. MPD Request Authorization to Purchase Cruisers (2):  In Chief Kinmond’s memo to the Selectmen, Carter explained

**Please Note:  Items to be placed on the weekly Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda must be submitted no later than Tuesday, noon.
 
Office of Selectmen
P. O. Box 139 / 6 Holland Street
Moultonborough, NH 03254
603-476-2347
 
AGENDA
 
Selectmen’s Meeting                                                       April 3, 2008 
I.         CALL TO ORDER:     6:45 PM
            6:46    Non-Public Session, Personnel Matter
 
II.        PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III.       REVIEW / APPROVAL MINUTES:     March 27, 2008
IV.       NEW RESIDENTS:
 
V.        PUBLIC MEETING:
            8:00     Non-Public Session, Personnel Matter
 
VI.       NEW BUSINESS:
            1.         MPD Request Authorization to Purchase Cruisers (2)
            2.         MPD, Officer Promotion
            3.         Sick Bank Contribution, Debra Peaslee
            4.         Sick Bank Contribution, Bonnie Whitney
            5.         Sick Bank Contribution, Elizabeth Dow
            6.         Sick Bank Contribution, Don Cahoon
            7.         Sick Bank Contribution, Jeri King
            6.         Municipal Pest Management Services, Inc., 2008 Contract
            7.         NH Dept. of Safety/Homeland Security & Emergency Management, FEMA-1695-DR-NH
            8.         Petition for Warrant Article, SB2
            9.         NH Municipal Association, HB 1645 Omnibus Retirement Bill
            10.       Letter to NH House Representatives Re: Constitutional Amendment
 
VII.     OLD BUSINESS:
 
VIII     OTHER BUSINESS:
            1.         Legislative Update
            2.         Planning Board Update
            3.         Administration Update
            4.         Planning Board Meeting Minutes, March 26, 2008
 
IX.       PENDING:
            1.         Residency Ordinance for Registered Sexual Offenders, April 15, 2008
            2.         Policy for Closing Town Offices Emergency/Inclement Weather, May 15, 2008
            3.         Senior Needs Committee
 
X.        CORRESPONDENCE:
            1.         James R. Castleberry, March 26, 2008
            2.         Nancy M. Smith, March 31, 2008
 
XI.       ADJOURNMENT:
 
 

www.citizen.com               April 2, 2008

Editor, The Citizen: "Set up" is defined as "a contest prearranged to result in an easy or faked victory". The selectman's meeting of March 27 will live in the annals of Moultonborough's selectman history as a dark day. With an obviously pre-stacked audience of supporters of the RSPT's defunct 'country club', two of our selectmen chose to puff themselves up, if only in their own mind, to some perverted level of justification. Selectmen Charest and Crawford obviously conspired to use their bully pulpit to express their point of view and worse, publicly condemn the MCA and its members. (For the sake the above selectmen's naiveté and anyone else that may think I am accusing them of something I am not, "bully pulpit" is defined as "an advantageous position used for making one's view known or rallying support") Their indignation was motivated by the satirical response to a publicly published letter written by one member of the RSPT that had been posted on the MCA website. This response was not written by any member of the MCA and was removed (with apologies) from the website at the first notice of aversion by selectman Joel Mudget days prior to the meeting of the 27th. Assuming that Mr. Mudget and Ms. St. Amand seemingly accepted the removal and apology one would think that the incident was over. However, this was not to be. I suggest it all smells like the above defined "setup".

I will say here and now to Mr. Charest and Ms. Crawford that if you are selectman, governor or president and you want to express your support for an "offended compatriot" and you want to do that as a citizen, you ought not do it at the venue at which you preside, unless you are willing to deal with the criticism of which you are deserving. Cowardice is not too strong a word to describe this prearranged lynching.

To the St. Amands (whose letter was satirized) I will say, as a native that has seen any number of pompous nouveau riche come to this area, the first thing they want, 20 minutes after the ink is dried on the deed to their "Mc-Mansion on the Lake", is to change everything that makes this rural area desirable. I will also say that when you write a letter to the editor, or publish it in any other forum, you set yourself up for criticism. Realizing that you may be naive to such a concept, I will add here that I did not take the obvious opportunity for pot shots at your letter. I chose instead to let your letter speak for itself. It clearly showed your arrogance and lack of concern for the rest of us taxpayers, even to the most challenged of readers.

But back to our selectmen Charest and Crawford; methinks this vainly attempted assassination was not totally inspired by the Web site's misjudgment. Rather it came as a culmination of several recent challenges to your fiefdom. Facts speak for themselves: (A) the challenge to your 180-degree flip-flop on the $10-$13 million recreation center et al, (B) the 60 percent and 50 percent losses (respectively) of your voter support by a brief write in campaign, (C) the devastating loss of the proposed taxpayer supported country club (article 9), (D) and the fact that 58% of the voters in Moultonborough have weighed in, they want SB2 style voting for all town spending issues. We know how you two feel about these issues but your public whipping was not only uncalled for, it was an embarrassment to your position as selectmen and the responsibilities you have sworn to uphold.

With respect to some of the challenges you put forth I will offer the following opinion. While I may not personally agree with the methodology of the satirical format that the author chose for his comments, I support and defend his right to say it as a basic precept of our constitution, just as I support the St. Amands' right publish their effort in favor of the proposed golden palace, even at the risk of criticism. Mr. Charest, in his personal tirade, claims that we are "losing our rights little by little". I suggest that disguising his bully pulpit as a "citizen's speech", in a denunciation of the public that are exercising their rights, is a larger attempt at whittling away our rights. He also seems to think that Moultonborough has been nearly destroyed in "two short years". Funny, in his "personal" remarks condemning SB2 he spoke of the good old days when the women (who were not allowed the vote then) brought the bandages to town meeting to patch up the men folks. How did we ever survive that, Ed? I will say to Ms. Crawford that I have not heard, read or written that the present administration is "dishonest and power hungry" as you said in your portion of the screed, so stop crafting your own words. Words such as spin, tomfoolery, amazing, callous and cavalier have been used. I was, however the recipient of "belittling" at one of your selectmen's meetings, and accused of spreading of lies and misinformation by one of your fellow selectmen, while sitting in his selectman's role. Again, I will say that trying to decipher when you folks are selectmen and when you are not is like chasing a rat through a wood pile. As for the "negativism" that you claim is ubiquitous, the last I checked with Mr. Webster, "disagreement, dissent and opposition" are nowhere defined as negativism. So let's call a stop to that tired allegation. I would suggest that you keep selectmen's meeting for the business of the town and express your personal opinions and grievances at such times that you are not taking advantage of the assembled audience in the venue of the meeting you chair.

Rick Heath

Moultonborough

Present: Selectmen:  Karel A. Crawford, Edward J. Charest, James F. Gray, Joel R. Mudgett; Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator, Hope K. Kokas, Office Secretary.

I. CALL TO ORDER:  Karel called the meeting to Order at 4:30 P.M.

Jim Made the Motion for the Selectmen to go into Non-Public Session per RSA 91-A:3 II (b).  Ed Seconded the Motion.  Karel called for a roll call:  Jim – Aye; Ed – Aye; Joel – Aye; Karel – Aye.  The Selectmen went into Non-Public Session at 4:35 pm.

Jim Made the Motion for the Selectmen to come out of Non-Public Session and to adjourn at 7:00 pm.  Karel called for a roll call:  Jim – Aye; Ed – Aye; Joel – Aye; Karel – Aye.  The Selectmen came out of Non-Public Session at 5:45 pm.

Jim Made the Motion to seal the Minutes until a decision is made.  Ed Seconded the Motion.  The Motion carried Unanimously.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
 
III. REVIEW/APPROVE MINUTES:  Joel Made the Motion to approve the Minutes of March 20, 2008 as written.  Ed Seconded.  The Motion carried Unanimously.

IV. NEW RESIDENTS:  Jennifer A. Frohock, Virginia W. & William G. Gassman, Jennifer L. Swartart, John F. Jr. & Jennifer M. Perkins.

V. ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING:

1. Chair/Vice Chair:  Joel Made the Motion to appoint Karel Crawford as the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.  Ed Seconded the Motion.  The Motion carried Unanimously.  Joel Made the Motion to appoint Ed Charest as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.  Jim Seconded the Motion.  The Motion carried Unanimously.
2. Board Committee Appointments:  Karel suggested and the Selectmen agreed to take one week to consider their present committee appointments and any changes they would like.

VI. PUBLIC MEETING:

1. Karel requested approval by the Selectmen and audience to allow her to momentarily step down as Chair......

A response to questions about Moultonborough

www.Citizen.Com  

April 1st, 2008

Editor, The Citizen: Since Mr. Kim Dubuque wrote an "open letter to me" I must respond and expand on my points in a factual manner. I also must apologize for referring to Kim as "her". We have never met and I just made a wrong gender assumption.

In regards to the secret ballot petitions, you stated: "Could the motivating factor be that you and your core group were trying to make a point? In my opinion you were. I feel you accomplished your goal." The goal was not to make a point. The goal was to assure a fair and equitable means of voting on contentious issues. And yes, on that level it worked. As to your point, "Why were the last two petitions withdrawn"? While it may seem odd that this year there were so many petitions, I was not the only one requesting secret ballots in Moultonboro's Town Meeting. I didn't sign all of them. As for why the last two were withdrawn, I really wouldn't know as I was not one of those that requested that they were withdrawn. Perhaps that can be answered by those that did.

You further stated, "What I think, is that the petitioners became aware of the will of the overwhelming majority in the room and realized that what they were doing caused more harm than good". No. Harm or good were never factored in to the equation. Look at the issues that were on the table. I signed the secret ballot petitions that I felt strongly about. Period. Others did the same. I would tend to doubt that they withdrew the petitions as they were "swayed by the overwhelming majority" as evidenced by dwindling volume of voters after the community center vote.

As to the volunteers, you stated, "Another point I would like to make is I find your insinuation that the citizens who circulated and presented the petition for the community center intentionally inflated or sought out non registered voters to sign it, at the very least offensive. Anyone who knows the people involved with this project knows them to be hardworking and well intended members of our community". The point that was finally made successfully by voting down the $375,000 study funding is that most agree that a community center is worthwhile. The RSPT however drew a line in the sand and never looked for a middle ground. It was all or nothing and a very valuable lesson learned as evidenced by the new strategy of this team to think about how to phase this out and make it more palatable for the public. I have no doubt that those involved in any of the projects on any of the committees works hard. That was never an issue for me. I commend them for their hard work. I commend the selectmen for doing the jobs that they do. The issue I have is when they are swayed by a petition that is one third invalid and never thought it relevant. The RSPT and supporters continually referred to the opposition as a "small vocal minority". Apparently it is not.

As for your last issue, "I would also like to address Mrs. Punturieri comments about our select board. It is easy to accuse using generalizations. For those accusations to be plausible you need to use facts. Knowing the members of our select board, I find it highly unlikely that any of them would publicly ridicule a citizen for speaking his or her mind". I would invite Mr. Dubuque to take a look at some of the film footage of some of the selectmen's meetings available in the library, to view for himself some of the indignities that transpired. They are too numerous to mention and the issues have been decided. Enough said.

Linda Punturieri

Moultonborough