Posted as a link to this site is the Agenda for the selectmen's meeting. Note the final item, under "selectmen requests. This is a good beginning.
Bring questions, listen to the answers, talk with each other, ask more questions. It is going to take all of us to get the job done.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Ready to move on
At 7 PM on March 11th at the fire station, the Paris Selectboard will have their first meeting with the 2 new sworn in members, bringing the board back to the full member status of 5.
Today's election saw Ted Kurtz elected by a count of 416 votes to fill the term that runs through June 30th, 2010. The term of the contested seat, sought by Jean Smart and Ken West, runs through June 30, 2012. Jean Smart was declared the winner with 323 votes.
Once again, the town of Paris extends its appreciaition to the staff in our town office for their extra efforts and their professionalism; we thank, one more time, the ballot clerks who have come and sat all day to monitor still another election, the 3rd in 5 weeks! And we thank the crew at the fire station who have helped with setting up, not only for the elections, but for the selectboard meetings as well.
12.5% of the registered voters in this town took time to come out and vote in a time of year that this town doesn't usually vote; 123 voted by absentee ballot. Citizens campaigned, wrote letters, called people, distributed flyers, and voted. When it comes right down to it, it is the people that make a town go. A town is about its people...all of them.
Come Thursday night. Be ready to ask questions about what this new team is going to do to get this town moving again. We have things to do, responsibilities to be met, plans that need to be put in order. [editor's note: refer to postings Unresolved Issues and What's on the list?]
Today's election saw Ted Kurtz elected by a count of 416 votes to fill the term that runs through June 30th, 2010. The term of the contested seat, sought by Jean Smart and Ken West, runs through June 30, 2012. Jean Smart was declared the winner with 323 votes.
Once again, the town of Paris extends its appreciaition to the staff in our town office for their extra efforts and their professionalism; we thank, one more time, the ballot clerks who have come and sat all day to monitor still another election, the 3rd in 5 weeks! And we thank the crew at the fire station who have helped with setting up, not only for the elections, but for the selectboard meetings as well.
12.5% of the registered voters in this town took time to come out and vote in a time of year that this town doesn't usually vote; 123 voted by absentee ballot. Citizens campaigned, wrote letters, called people, distributed flyers, and voted. When it comes right down to it, it is the people that make a town go. A town is about its people...all of them.
Come Thursday night. Be ready to ask questions about what this new team is going to do to get this town moving again. We have things to do, responsibilities to be met, plans that need to be put in order. [editor's note: refer to postings Unresolved Issues and What's on the list?]
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Vote Tuesday March 9, Paris Fire Station
Polls open 8AM - 8PM
(Absentee voting Monday 8:30 - 4:30 at Paris Town Office )
Candidates for term ending June 2012: Jean Smart, Ken West;
Candidate for term ending June 2010: Ted Kurtz (must be voted in even if unopposed)
Come and vote! Get your friends out to vote!
(Absentee voting Monday 8:30 - 4:30 at Paris Town Office )
Candidates for term ending June 2012: Jean Smart, Ken West;
Candidate for term ending June 2010: Ted Kurtz (must be voted in even if unopposed)
Come and vote! Get your friends out to vote!
Agreeing that this town should be liable....
If you have a need to remind yourself what made 611 Paris residents, citizens, and voters so angry on June 22, 2009 that they wrote an open letter to the Paris Selectmen and published it in 2 papers, saying "You did not speak for us when you fired Sharon Jackson!" - get yourself a copy of the dvd made by NPCTV.
You will come across the following little snatch of dialogue:
Selectman Young: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a motion...uh... to take a vote on...uh...page 2, termination...
Selectman Glover: So, you're suggesting she [Town Mgr. Jackson] be terminated without cause?
S. Young: Yes.
S. Glover: You're agreeing that this town should be liable for the penalties for termination?
S. Young: Yes.
We all know the rest of this sorry drama. Including the recalls that ended the political careers of a couple of select men.
The above conversation makes it pretty clear that someone, and whoever else was attached to that someone, knew there were going to be repercussions.
Good. Let's send them the bill for the thousands of dollars in legal fees from Bernstein & Shur that dealt with the resulting law suit and questions on how to avoid being recalled.
Let's send them the bill for the thousands of dollars involved in paying Mgr. Jackson the severance pay written into her contract; plus more, because they decided to "ratify" that firing in October, and the severance pay began all over again.
Maybe we can get them to reimburse the town at $1000 for each of the 2 recall elections in November, and the almost $1000 for the election coming up March 9; all of the elections the result of irresponsible decisions and unfortunate leadership skills.
Nice that they - or he and they - or however it gets sliced - agreed that the town should be liable for penalties for termination. Word aound town, however, is that the "town" (i.e. the tax payers) takes a very different view of that decision....
You will come across the following little snatch of dialogue:
Selectman Young: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a motion...uh... to take a vote on...uh...page 2, termination...
Selectman Glover: So, you're suggesting she [Town Mgr. Jackson] be terminated without cause?
S. Young: Yes.
S. Glover: You're agreeing that this town should be liable for the penalties for termination?
S. Young: Yes.
We all know the rest of this sorry drama. Including the recalls that ended the political careers of a couple of select men.
The above conversation makes it pretty clear that someone, and whoever else was attached to that someone, knew there were going to be repercussions.
Good. Let's send them the bill for the thousands of dollars in legal fees from Bernstein & Shur that dealt with the resulting law suit and questions on how to avoid being recalled.
Let's send them the bill for the thousands of dollars involved in paying Mgr. Jackson the severance pay written into her contract; plus more, because they decided to "ratify" that firing in October, and the severance pay began all over again.
Maybe we can get them to reimburse the town at $1000 for each of the 2 recall elections in November, and the almost $1000 for the election coming up March 9; all of the elections the result of irresponsible decisions and unfortunate leadership skills.
Nice that they - or he and they - or however it gets sliced - agreed that the town should be liable for penalties for termination. Word aound town, however, is that the "town" (i.e. the tax payers) takes a very different view of that decision....
Friday, March 5, 2010
Just because the storm has stopped...
It's important, Paris voters, that, just because this town is not wracked with seething crisis at this moment, we don't forget to finish the job of doing what we're supposed to be doing: making sure this town gets back on track. That's not exactly just a flip of a switch....
Reminder:
3 candidates running for 2 openings on Paris Board of Selectmen:
2 1/2 year vacancy, to end June 30, 2012
Jean Smart
Ken West
3 months vacancy, to end June 30, 2010
Ted Kurtz
Election day is Tuesday, March 9, 8 AM - 8 PM at Paris Fire Station;
or
Vote absentee ballot through Monday March 5, 8 AM - 4:30 PM at Paris Town Office.
NPC-TV will broadcast the 2-25-10 candidate forum again this Sunday, March 7, at 6:30 pm.
Reminder:
3 candidates running for 2 openings on Paris Board of Selectmen:
2 1/2 year vacancy, to end June 30, 2012
Jean Smart
Ken West
3 months vacancy, to end June 30, 2010
Ted Kurtz
Election day is Tuesday, March 9, 8 AM - 8 PM at Paris Fire Station;
or
Vote absentee ballot through Monday March 5, 8 AM - 4:30 PM at Paris Town Office.
NPC-TV will broadcast the 2-25-10 candidate forum again this Sunday, March 7, at 6:30 pm.
Unresolved Issues
Check list:
*Ask about how we are going to pay our bills;
*Ask about the responsibility for handling the ins and outs of this law suit;
*Ask when the tax payers will have some straight talk on this law suit;
[editor's note: If not resolved, the process for discovery (preparation for court) will resume April 10.]
*Ask what steps this new board of selectmen are going to take to be sure there is better sharing of information with citizens;
*Ask how we are going to deal with the shortfall of state funds.
*Ask about how we are going to pay our bills;
*Ask about the responsibility for handling the ins and outs of this law suit;
*Ask when the tax payers will have some straight talk on this law suit;
[editor's note: If not resolved, the process for discovery (preparation for court) will resume April 10.]
*Ask what steps this new board of selectmen are going to take to be sure there is better sharing of information with citizens;
*Ask how we are going to deal with the shortfall of state funds.
Monday, March 1, 2010
What's on the list?
No, Paris, it's not all better yet. And there isn't any magic. We - all of us - have to get out and make things happen. We've made a serious start with voter turn out to stop things from going any further south in our town government.
The hardest part, the less dramatic and immediately gratifying, the more demanding because it is longer term - though no less critical - is yet to come. The patient has had the bone set, antibiotics have been administered, care givers have been identified, the patient has been discharged from the hospital. Now the patient's bone has to heal, #1; and then the patient has to learn how to walk again, #2.
We have to re-establish the ordinary, day to day functioning of our municipal machine, clear of the debris of misunderstandings, lack of accurate information, guilt trips and naysayers, blame and innuendos. Without focusing on the real, but distracting, too-hards, never-been-done-befores, no-one will-show-ups, there's-not-enough-moneys.
What's on the list? Here are some starters:
*Three candidates are running for the 2 open seats on the select board. Time has been limited, but there has been a Meet the Candidates night, and articles and ads in the paper. It's up to the voters to do their part - again, still, one more time - and get to the polls March 9. Or, vote by absentee ballot at the town office up until that day. Remind your friends to vote. Offer to drive them. Vote yourself!
*Norway Paris Solid Waste will be needing directors to replace those removed by the joint decision of Norway and Paris selectboards last week. For the Paris seats, Paris has an application process for any interested Paris citizen to make his or her interest known to our Paris selectmen. Call the town office.
*The law suit facing the town is not a taboo subject shrouded in dreadful unspeakable mystery; it is a topic that requires a little homework on the part of our elected officials, and then some straight talk with the voters, as much as is possible when a legal issue is under consideration. But there must be straight talk. Because, before any healing can possibly happen in this town, there has to be a way to deal with a miscarriage of justice that has left people confused, angry, and worried.
The dilemma of the law suit can be dealt with. In a workable way...somehow. Our elected officials have this assignment, and we voters will continue to remind them. The deadline for this will be sooner rather than later.....
*Land use is still a raw issue. We have subdivision-ordinance amendments sitting in dry dock.
A comment made at the candidate's forum offers food for thought - how do the citizens in Paris as a whole (not only the builders, or the land owners) feel about the whole idea of what our town becomes?
The Comprehensive Plan enacted June 2007, and the Subdivision Ordinance (the original ordinance) enacted at the same time, was surrounded by heavy controversy and strong feelings; attempts to repair things only made the controversy worse; the replacement ordinance enacted in 2009 only fed the controversy. There never has been a time to have an actual dialog in the light of day without individual agendas or demands and threats. Somehow that needs to be looked at.
This town belongs to every tax payer in it, including, but not exclusively, the ones who have a financial interest in the use of the land.
*The budget? Oh yes. But we have a crew already on that. They'll be talking to us soon, and everyone should be ready with questions.
*And that civil tone that everyone is craving? We will all have to help with that. That will take a while to get nailed back down. Straight talk will help. Listening will help. Taking responsibility will help. It's not so easy....
The hardest part, the less dramatic and immediately gratifying, the more demanding because it is longer term - though no less critical - is yet to come. The patient has had the bone set, antibiotics have been administered, care givers have been identified, the patient has been discharged from the hospital. Now the patient's bone has to heal, #1; and then the patient has to learn how to walk again, #2.
We have to re-establish the ordinary, day to day functioning of our municipal machine, clear of the debris of misunderstandings, lack of accurate information, guilt trips and naysayers, blame and innuendos. Without focusing on the real, but distracting, too-hards, never-been-done-befores, no-one will-show-ups, there's-not-enough-moneys.
What's on the list? Here are some starters:
*Three candidates are running for the 2 open seats on the select board. Time has been limited, but there has been a Meet the Candidates night, and articles and ads in the paper. It's up to the voters to do their part - again, still, one more time - and get to the polls March 9. Or, vote by absentee ballot at the town office up until that day. Remind your friends to vote. Offer to drive them. Vote yourself!
*Norway Paris Solid Waste will be needing directors to replace those removed by the joint decision of Norway and Paris selectboards last week. For the Paris seats, Paris has an application process for any interested Paris citizen to make his or her interest known to our Paris selectmen. Call the town office.
*The law suit facing the town is not a taboo subject shrouded in dreadful unspeakable mystery; it is a topic that requires a little homework on the part of our elected officials, and then some straight talk with the voters, as much as is possible when a legal issue is under consideration. But there must be straight talk. Because, before any healing can possibly happen in this town, there has to be a way to deal with a miscarriage of justice that has left people confused, angry, and worried.
The dilemma of the law suit can be dealt with. In a workable way...somehow. Our elected officials have this assignment, and we voters will continue to remind them. The deadline for this will be sooner rather than later.....
*Land use is still a raw issue. We have subdivision-ordinance amendments sitting in dry dock.
A comment made at the candidate's forum offers food for thought - how do the citizens in Paris as a whole (not only the builders, or the land owners) feel about the whole idea of what our town becomes?
The Comprehensive Plan enacted June 2007, and the Subdivision Ordinance (the original ordinance) enacted at the same time, was surrounded by heavy controversy and strong feelings; attempts to repair things only made the controversy worse; the replacement ordinance enacted in 2009 only fed the controversy. There never has been a time to have an actual dialog in the light of day without individual agendas or demands and threats. Somehow that needs to be looked at.
This town belongs to every tax payer in it, including, but not exclusively, the ones who have a financial interest in the use of the land.
*The budget? Oh yes. But we have a crew already on that. They'll be talking to us soon, and everyone should be ready with questions.
*And that civil tone that everyone is craving? We will all have to help with that. That will take a while to get nailed back down. Straight talk will help. Listening will help. Taking responsibility will help. It's not so easy....
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