*There is no regularly scheduled Paris Selectboard meeting this week.
The board will meet in executive session - not open to the public except for the formal opening of the session - on Wednesday the 20th to plan and discuss the upcoming...in a while...later on...down the road....6 month evaluation of the town manager that was urgent in August but has become less urgent, evidently - since November begins month 11 of his employment. [editor's note: see the excerpt of a transcription of the 10-11-10 meeting in previous posting.]
*Currently Norway-Paris Cable TV is renegotiating their contract with Time Warner Cable, not uncommon in the tidying up and straightening around of affairs in the cable TV world from time to time.
Serving on the NPCTV committee, along with Norway reps, 3 individuals represent Paris. One of these individuals will be going around to check how many cable connections Time Warner is currently providing. This individual is currently being ferried around by Paris Highway Department's transport.
This is best use of Paris funds? Yes? Perhaps the NPCTV committee individual could shovel a bit of gravel in between times....
*Last Tuesday's combined meeting with Paris planning board and selectboard included a discussion about the possibility of a study group to look at the feasibility of zoning (aka "land management") for the town of Paris - a concept Norway and Oxford already have in place. Both local newspapers have given coverage.
Two or 3 individuals of the combined boards had reservations about the potential success of such an exploratory study. The combined boards were, in the end, convinced to take a step back before actually agreeing to convene a study group to look into things. They chose to take a straw vote to decide whether to even consider convening a study group.
The final decision was to include information in a flyer from the comprehensive plan - that the voters have already voted on and agreed with - and a box for yes or no, and have a straw vote for a study group at the November 2 polls.
If not too many "no's", then a study group could be arranged. Then research would happen; information would be gathered to educate folks; and perhaps Paris voters could make a real decision on whatever the question actually becomes - instead of a straw vote.
There is, however, one small... inconvenience.... The straw vote flyers just came back from the printers, and none of the 174 folks who have voted by absentee ballot so far have had a chance to weigh in - if they would have chosen to on this optional straw vote in the first place.
Because it is not wise for a town to disenfranchise any voter, the decision has been made to mail out 174 flyers, and include a self addressed stamped envelope in case the individuals want to weigh in on the straw vote.
So: 174 x $.88 (2 stamps per) = $153.12; plus 174 envelopes and address labels. Plus the extra time from office staff on top of what they already do; one too many more pieces of busy work because of inadequate planning. No big deal? Why worry? When should we worry? And the omnipotent being who broadcasts that signal would be...?
* The Designated and Undesignated Fund Balance Policy, Town of Paris, Maine Policy Number 5-2007, will become an item of discussion by Paris Selectboard in the near future. TPR will give the topic some focus in an upcoming posting.
*Important Public Forum:
Wednesday October 20 , 7-9 PM at the OHCHS auditorium, The Advertiser Democrat will sponsor a formal public debate on question #1 on the Nov. 2 ballot: "Do you want to allow table games and slot machines at a single site in Oxford County, subject to local approval, with part of the profits going to specific state, local, and tribal programs?"
The debate looks to be professionally set up, competently staffed, and fairly run. Come and bring a friend. This is a high impact issue for our locality, never mind the whole state. The Advertiser deserves high marks for backing it.
