Paris Selectboard meets Monday Jan. 3, 7PM, town office. Agenda here. Although brand new creative additions often times appear on the agenda by the time meeting time rolls around....
According to The Sun Journal 12-28-10, this particular meeting, rescheduled because of bad weather on 12-27-10, "...had been planned to be short, with one article on communication between selectmen and town employees."
Item #12 on the agenda for the postponed 12-27 meeting refers to a "discussion of information sources for board members".
Those sitting in the audience at the 12-13 meeting will remember some heated words between Mgr. Tarr and one specific selectman. It was not totally clear what the underlying issue was - but there was no question that there was a clash of wills. Perhaps it was a question of who's in charge here?
There are folks - some selectboard members, some just plain old citizens - who continue to ask questions; because even if things look pleasant and accommodating and all okey-dokey, a not-so-clear issue or situation can be cleared up with a few well-placed questions and some straight answers.
And someone intent on keeping the voting public informed, with nothing to hide, would have no problem with that. Right?
Take the following questions, for example....
Consider the interlocal agreement between Norway and Paris to deal with solid waste (NPSW) and the structured board with combined members from both towns.
*Why are there 2 town managers of participating towns sitting on that board with voting privileges? One of whom not only votes, but is also chairman? Both are responsible for formulating budgets for their respective towns, and those town budgets include amounts formulated by NPSW in its budget.
There is no question that some town managers have skills to share; but, after the initial crisis intervention situation NPSW faced early on, this continuing guidance should be - and should have been - done on an informal, advisory basis.
There is cause to look further into the term "incompatibility of office," as discussed in the Municipal Officer's Manual published by MMA, chapter 2, "Board of Municipal Officers" under the topic of "Conflict of Interest." (See TPR post 12- 05-10 Continuing to track.)
*How is this ok?
Continuing on the theme of a town manager wearing 2 hats...at the 12-13 meeting, Selectboard member Smart brought to the board's attention the cover page from an NPSW request inviting proposals for firms or individuals to apply for the job of conducting a comprehensive analysis of solid waste and recycling operations within or near Oxford County. [editor's note: check the address and title in the middle of the page to see under whose auspices this document appears to be sent out.] It is not the intent of TPR to criticize this project. Consider, however, that at the top level of the joint steering committee for this project sits Paris Town Mgr. Tarr, Chairman of NPSW.
OK. Two jobs - maybe not too hard? But who is this job for? Sel. Smart asked if there wasn't an office at NPSW where Tarr could receive mail and from which he could administrate; and he responded that there was an office at Brown Street, but no one always there to answer the phone or give out information.
*So Paris town office staff should do it?
Another selectman responded that he (Mgr. Tarr) was working for "us," that we asked him to do this. So, is the assumption...
*...it's also ok for Paris staff to do work for NPSW?
Wait - did we ask him to do this - all this? Thought that was for the crisis intervention period early on.... Thought we hired Phil Tarr, at a fine and dandy salary, plus benefits, to manage the town of Paris.
And while we're at, while we're asking questions, lets see how the division of that administrative time is working out....
*... any giving over of Paris duties to office staff so NPSW business gets handled...?
*What kind of oversight is happening at the top level in Paris' municipal machine?
*Whose interest is being served? There need to be some more questions....
