Recently in Heritage Commission Category
Now, we are not out to point fingers here, but only to highlight that there is a general lack of understanding of New Hampshire statutes. The recent “issues” with the formation of the Heritage Commission and the Capital Improvement Program Committee are two examples. The exclusion of the school district from the proposed “ordinance” for the CIPC is another.
The right to know laws are another area where we believe more education is essential. That is why the MCA hosting a Right to Know Seminar as a useful and helpful event for all citizens, whether in the private sector or in public office.
‘I urge every citizen, every school child, and every student of government to study the Right to Know Law’ Kelly Ayotte NH Attorney General.
Please come and find out for yourself! Mark your calendars: Monday August 10, 2009 at 7pm at the Moultonboro Library. There will be guest speakers: Ed Naile, from the Coalition of NH Taxpayers; Doug Lambert of Gilfordgrok; and Tom Tardif, former Mayor of Laconia.
This is not a political event, nor is it a partisan event. This is an educational opportunity open to everyone.
All are welcome!
Here’s something to question. At the July 2nd Board of Selectmen meeting, the board decided to agree with a member of the audience, and the new Heritage Commission, to not proceed with writing an ordinance, that once written, would be a legally binding document. They decided to table the issue. However, when the discussion turned to the Capital Improvement Program Committee, #7 on the agenda, the decision was made to discuss both the Heritage Commission and CIPC ordinances at a public hearing on July 30th. Which is it?
And why does our Town Administrator insist on bringing this issue back to the table to discuss? The Board already voted and made a decision. For once, we agree with their decision and feel that these committees need to go forth and prosper without interference! Let’s let them meet, unite and begin their journey as a committee.
The town voted on the establishment of a Heritage Commission at Town Meeting this year and we have been waiting for months for the Board of Selectmen to finalize volunteers to that commission. Once volunteer letters to the Board have been submitted and reviewed, we would think that the commission would be properly appointed and the newly formed Heritage Commission could meet and begin the tasks ahead of them. Not so: and still we wait. The Board of Selectmen still have not yet finished determining who is on the committee. Why is that?
There are several things that concern us about the appointments made thus far. For instance, at the Board of Selectmen meeting on May 14, 2009, Chairwoman Karel Crawford said that they would work on it at their scheduled work session on May 28th. Yet somehow at the Selectmen’s meeting on May 21, the very next week, announcements were made as to who would be appointed to the Heritage Commission. When did they discuss that they would make appointments at their May 21 Board of Selectmen’s meeting rather than at their scheduled work session? Is it possible that all five of the selectmen were on the same wave length at the same time? If they had a discussion, it was not before the public. If so, where are the minutes? Or is this privileged information not available to the public?
We wonder if there was some kind of discussion behind the scenes that no one bothered to recognize as a need to bring to the public under the Right to know law.
Another issue is the selection of one volunteer who serves on several other committees. No questions were raised at the appointment of Jean Beadle who serves as the Chair of the Advisory Budget Committee, as well as a member of the Town Planner Screening Committee. Yet when Selectmen Betsey Patten suggested that Jane Fairchild should be assigned as an alternate, she implied that Jane would be far too busy to be on the Heritage Commission as she is already a member of the planning board. Not Jean Beadle however who is the Chair of the ABC. She should be quite busy finding a replacement for a member that resigned, not to mention all the time to bring a new member of the ABC up to speed.
Don’t forget folks, the school will be in the midst of contract negotiations with the teachers union, the school budget, and the town budget and that should be more that enough to keep the ABC Chair quite busy. Why is an alternate assignment good for one but not the other?
Is there some favoritism amongst the appointments?
The third issue at hand is the select board member that is required by statute to serve on the Heritage Commission. Another statute states that there cannot be 2 members of the Planning Board on the same committee or board. Selectmen Ed Charest is on the planning board as is volunteer Jane Fairchild. How will this be resolved?
How long must we wait? There is a worksession June 25, 2009 @ 4pm........
The Board of Selectmen meeting was a bit difficult to hear tonight, but that’s not unusual. We have written about that before. We would like to see a microphone available for the Selectmen to use so that all members of the audience can hear as well as the listening audience from the video tape.
A few points of interest: Our legislator, Betsy Patton addressed the chair with some research she had done on the Heritage Commission appointees. She began to cite the RSA pertaining to Planning Board Members on a heritage committee. While it is true that no two members of a planning board can be on a heritage commission, sadly, she was not able to quote the correct RSA. She had gone so far as to pass out copies of the alleged RSA, but when she realized she had the wrong RSA, she said ‘Oh well. I can’t find it.” What can you say, but it’s very difficult to follow what she is trying to convey to the listening public. This is not just folksy charm. It’s a lack of familiarity of the facts.
Another point of interest: Why is it that Jane Fairchild, who is more than qualified to be on the Heritage Commission and has pressed for the establishment of the Commission, seems to be targeted to be pushed out of appointment altogether? A member of the Board of Selectmen needs to be on the Heritage Commission as stated earlier, but why not let Jane be on the commission? Another Board member could easily be appointed who is not on the Planning Board. So, why the delay?
And another point is that the summer schedule for the Board of Selectmen will be the 1st, 3rd and 5th, if there is a 5th, Thursday of each month, beginning now. July 2nd is the next meeting. Workshops are scheduled for the 4th Thursday of the month. This will be posted on the Town Webpage.
That’s it for tonight folks! Keep tuning in. We will be adding more information as it develops!
