Kudos to Larry Krauss
for an excellent "Letter to the Editor" in this week's Waterville
Times!!! Larry also takes issue with the new “Rules of Decorum” passed
by the Town Board that further restricts public participation and comment at
Regular Board Meetings. While “legal”, the new
"RULES effectively limit any inquiry as to what is going on in this
Town. So,why now?
Frankly, because the
"natives" are restless and asking questions, demanding performance!! Enough of the promises...and "I'll look
into it"...."it's under discussion"..."there's nothing we
can do"....and ignoring the PUBLIC !
This “gag” rule comes at a time when
it is so critical to be informed about the changes and issues affecting our
community; when OPEN discourse with our elected
representatives is most essential, YET we
are HANDED a four page “sit down & shut up” set of rules. While it may be “legal” it doesn’t make it
RIGHT!!!
How about some RULES OF DECORUM
for the Town SUPERVISOR & THE BOARD?
Here are some suggestions:
1.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST - Put the COMMUNITY before your personal,
family and political interests by DISCLOSING and NOT VOTING on resolutions
where there is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
2, BE INFORMED - Have a fundamental
understanding of the issues; some Board members believe their ignorance is
an acceptable excuse and attempt to pass it off
as "open-mindedness"!
3. CONDUCT MEETINGS - publicly, at properly
noticed times and not in private business establishments and behind closed
doors.
4. BOARD MINUTES & AGENDA – Minutes and the agenda should be prepared for
each meeting an available to the PUBLIC within a REASONABLE period of
time. When was the last time we saw MINUTES? Then, we
can see what we missed and when those "formal" resolutions are
finally written up! And STOP WITH
the same “cookie cutter” AGENDA with little, if any, information about matters
to go before the Board.
5. BE PREPARED - put a little effort
in ...maybe read up on the issues, minutes, topics, resolutions BEFORE THE
MEETING STARTS...not while you're sitting there at the table..
6. DISCLOSURE - Let us KNOW when the COUNTY
SUPERVISORS are voting for their own salary increases on TOP of their FREE
health insurance...don't hide it in the budget or neglect to mention it in
Supervisor’s County report. The
TAXPAYERS have a right to know when you are giving yourselves a salary increase
at OUR expense! ….As happened this year!
7. EARN RESPECT - a four page list of
rules for the PUBLIC is the Supervisor's means of achieving
respect..? As Krauss summed it up:
“you don’t COMMAND respect… you
EARN IT!”
