What are we waiting for? Is it time to be ok now? Do we know enough about anything to be secure yet about: a.) how this town is supposed to operate? and b.) is it operating that way?
We do know:
*The 2009 independent financial audit report - done in July 2009 - has come in, and, as of June 2009, Paris was in solid shape. The audit information is public information, available to look at and ask questions about if you call the town office ahead of time.
*That we will not have to take out a loan to operate this town after the end of March, contrary to a concerned statement made in early January by then newly appointed town manager P. Tarr.
*Where we stand, right now, on budget to actual expenses, because Treasurer Sharon Gendreau has those figures. This information is also public, and, if you call ahead, you can arrange a time to ask your own questions.
TPR learned today, for instance, that the budgeted amount for attorney fees, $8,000, is already over budget by 50%. We have paid, as of March 30, 2010, $12,070.87 ($1,000 of that for Mr. Hanley's repeat performance re. Town Farm Road...).
*That we are fortunate to have a dedicated and professional group of ladies working in that front office.
*That we have 4 selectmen who are going to try their hardest to get this town back on track, with our support.
But we have unfinished business, always with unknowns:
*How much will we lose from state revenue this coming year?
What will we have to cut further?
*The resolution of a law suit brought about by the vengeful firing of a former town manager;
* An interlocal agreement with Norway that must be reestablished - or a new plan made - to keep solid waste management in the hands of a board comprised of people who are responsive to the voters, and the law, instead of their own agenda.
We've started; and now we have to keep each other moving - complacency is such an easy chair to fall into when the maddening roar stops for a moment.
This town will only become what we want if we demand it be so, and then step up to help.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
On the Docket for Thursday
The issue of an injunction, to immediately overturn efforts of the boards of selectmen in the towns of Paris and Norway to deal with questionable management practices of the recently deposed board of Norway-Paris Solid Waste, will be addressed in Oxford Co. Superior Court on Thursday, April 1, at 12:00 noon.
All court proceedings are open to the public.
The request, filed by former NPSW lawyer Dana Hanley, is to immediately reinstate 5 of the deposed 7 NPSW board members, and to rescind all efforts to recognize the interlocal agreement passed by voters in both towns last June.
Once again voters, this time in Norway as well as Paris, are in danger of being sold short.
The wishes of the few, to control the choice of many. It depends, no doubt, on where one stands how the shape of that decision should play out..
Paris has become quite experienced in this kind of fight. It takes courage, backbone, and determination to follow through on clean up after being taken advantage of by the few.
It is a hard act, for the newly seated board of selectmen in Paris, to follow - betrayal by a previous board majority who tried to sell voters down the river.
It will take extra work on the part of this new board to garner the trust of citizens.
Not the few naysayers; but the majority, the citizens, the voters, the folks whose town Paris is.
All court proceedings are open to the public.
The request, filed by former NPSW lawyer Dana Hanley, is to immediately reinstate 5 of the deposed 7 NPSW board members, and to rescind all efforts to recognize the interlocal agreement passed by voters in both towns last June.
Once again voters, this time in Norway as well as Paris, are in danger of being sold short.
The wishes of the few, to control the choice of many. It depends, no doubt, on where one stands how the shape of that decision should play out..
Paris has become quite experienced in this kind of fight. It takes courage, backbone, and determination to follow through on clean up after being taken advantage of by the few.
It is a hard act, for the newly seated board of selectmen in Paris, to follow - betrayal by a previous board majority who tried to sell voters down the river.
It will take extra work on the part of this new board to garner the trust of citizens.
Not the few naysayers; but the majority, the citizens, the voters, the folks whose town Paris is.
Monday, March 22, 2010
On More Than One Level
Up for the second time tonight as a new selectboard; a board of 4, since Selectman Young officially resigned tonight, and the board agreed not to hold a special election to fill the seat 6 weeks before the June town meeting.
New dynamics emerging on this board: interactive; information seeking; disagreeing with each other sometimes, without shutting the other down. And the doing of homework before class begins. Not to say that sometimes last minute items don't come up; but when a topic has been around a while - an ordinance, a law suit, a policy - it is refreshing to hear "I have been reading that statute..." from the front table. Even more refreshing would be "..and I have a copy with me."
Several items on the manager's report were actually main agenda items:
* We need a new street sweeper - case presented by Road Foreman Frank Danforth;
*The town is looking toward computerizing the town report to save paper and mailing. Do they really know how many non-computer folks there are in this town? Selectman Herrick made the point that come town meeting people will want to have something to hold in their hands to refer to; the speaker responded that that information would be on the computer and they could print it out..... missed the point....
Main agenda:
*Finally, just one year late, a hearing scheduled for the repairs to the petitioned replacement subdivision ordinance voted in last June. The impediments have been corrected, and these corrections will appear on the June 2010 warrant. For real.
*Our acting town clerk, Liz Knox, became official until June 30, when she will then be reappointed for another term. Paris is grateful for her continued dedication and efforts.
LEVEL TWO
Item 11. This law suit. Selectman Herrick said "This item is a very emotional topic for many people...many people." He went on to point out that it's necessary to separate the emotion from the cost of the law suit; that a decision needs to be made that is good for the town.
He is right on all counts, absolutely right. Working backwards on the points above, what works for the whole town must be the focus of our selectmen. And, of course, in order to run any machine, mechanical or municipal, the operators have to be able to manage the costs.
But, now, this emotional part. Why is this item so emotional? And, is emotion a nonessential component to the machine? Or is there more to it?
The situation has become so complex that it is almost impossible to boil things down to one, or even two, issue(s) of merit. We had a groundless firing; we had bullies; we had deceit after deceit. We - staff, elected officials, hired personnel, citizens - were all mocked, misled, lied to, cheated. People. All of us people. We were sold down the river. How does that feel?
And then a law suit. Wanted her job back. Couldn't get anyone to listen. Twice. How does that feel? Not only to the jobless person, but to us watching? Helpless and watching? Can you look away? Is the action right? wrong? How does that quandary itself feel?
Still the turmoil continued. Two of our elected officials trapped in the turmoil of the civil war brought on by the 3 other elected officials. How does that feel? To the 2? To the angry citizens watching?
Nine long, ridiculous, awful months.
We cannot disregard the emotion. It should not run the show; but it is part of who we are as people, all of us - elected officials, hired staff, citizens - our values, our vision, our hopes are built around our emotions.
And that includes our anger. We cannot sustain this anger any longer. Until there is a resolution to this lawsuit that has been blown into global proportions and looms over this town like a toxic cloud, we cannot rebuild, no matter how many street sweepers, fire tankers, and neat & tidy budgets we manage to whip up. Our former manager must be able to get on with her life - we owe her that - and we must be able to get on with Paris.
New dynamics emerging on this board: interactive; information seeking; disagreeing with each other sometimes, without shutting the other down. And the doing of homework before class begins. Not to say that sometimes last minute items don't come up; but when a topic has been around a while - an ordinance, a law suit, a policy - it is refreshing to hear "I have been reading that statute..." from the front table. Even more refreshing would be "..and I have a copy with me."
Several items on the manager's report were actually main agenda items:
* We need a new street sweeper - case presented by Road Foreman Frank Danforth;
*The town is looking toward computerizing the town report to save paper and mailing. Do they really know how many non-computer folks there are in this town? Selectman Herrick made the point that come town meeting people will want to have something to hold in their hands to refer to; the speaker responded that that information would be on the computer and they could print it out..... missed the point....
Main agenda:
*Finally, just one year late, a hearing scheduled for the repairs to the petitioned replacement subdivision ordinance voted in last June. The impediments have been corrected, and these corrections will appear on the June 2010 warrant. For real.
*Our acting town clerk, Liz Knox, became official until June 30, when she will then be reappointed for another term. Paris is grateful for her continued dedication and efforts.
LEVEL TWO
Item 11. This law suit. Selectman Herrick said "This item is a very emotional topic for many people...many people." He went on to point out that it's necessary to separate the emotion from the cost of the law suit; that a decision needs to be made that is good for the town.
He is right on all counts, absolutely right. Working backwards on the points above, what works for the whole town must be the focus of our selectmen. And, of course, in order to run any machine, mechanical or municipal, the operators have to be able to manage the costs.
But, now, this emotional part. Why is this item so emotional? And, is emotion a nonessential component to the machine? Or is there more to it?
The situation has become so complex that it is almost impossible to boil things down to one, or even two, issue(s) of merit. We had a groundless firing; we had bullies; we had deceit after deceit. We - staff, elected officials, hired personnel, citizens - were all mocked, misled, lied to, cheated. People. All of us people. We were sold down the river. How does that feel?
And then a law suit. Wanted her job back. Couldn't get anyone to listen. Twice. How does that feel? Not only to the jobless person, but to us watching? Helpless and watching? Can you look away? Is the action right? wrong? How does that quandary itself feel?
Still the turmoil continued. Two of our elected officials trapped in the turmoil of the civil war brought on by the 3 other elected officials. How does that feel? To the 2? To the angry citizens watching?
Nine long, ridiculous, awful months.
We cannot disregard the emotion. It should not run the show; but it is part of who we are as people, all of us - elected officials, hired staff, citizens - our values, our vision, our hopes are built around our emotions.
And that includes our anger. We cannot sustain this anger any longer. Until there is a resolution to this lawsuit that has been blown into global proportions and looms over this town like a toxic cloud, we cannot rebuild, no matter how many street sweepers, fire tankers, and neat & tidy budgets we manage to whip up. Our former manager must be able to get on with her life - we owe her that - and we must be able to get on with Paris.
Friday, March 19, 2010
For Monday the 22nd
Posted here is the agenda for the Paris selectboard meeting Monday March 22, 7 pm, at the Paris fire station.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Time's Up
Paris voters cannot sit in on the executive session Thursday at 6 pm when our new selectboard gathers at a special meeting with town attorney Geoff Hole. But we all have a stake in that discussion, and we need to make our expectations clear.
We expect the facts to be presented to each of our elected officials (to date that has not happened), not only about the costs, but about the reasons and the methods and the options.
We expect there to be some resolution besides going to court because we're stuck with it.
We expect there to be good strong intelligent questions, serious discourse, and thinking outside of the box. We want a solution that deals with the rightness of things - not just a check list. We are sick of hearing about things that won't work - can't work - might not work.
We have had 9 months of things that did not work and we put a stop to that. We did - the 612 in the letter June 2009, the 354 for the recall ordinance petition in July, the 338 for individujal selectmen recalls in November , the 279 to request a notary public in December to set a town meeting, the 437 at the January town meeting, the 600 plus at 2 recall elections in February. We, the voters, worked together in our community and made that happen.
Our elected officials should look back at what we did, and recognize that it was the wrongness of things that motivated us. They need to keep that in mind as they work through their discussion Thursday night.
And, they need to consider:
No one asked for that firing in June, nor any of the poorly-orchestrated, costly, and destructive decisions made between then and the recall election in February. Our town almost capsized.
We can, all of us together, right the ship; but now we need the specific help of our elected officials in taking the appropriate, necessary legal steps to continue what we started.
The voters expect our selectboard to come up with a solution that will work for this town, that will make this town right again. Not right because it's quicker or cheaper or easier... but because it's right.
We expect the facts to be presented to each of our elected officials (to date that has not happened), not only about the costs, but about the reasons and the methods and the options.
We expect there to be some resolution besides going to court because we're stuck with it.
We expect there to be good strong intelligent questions, serious discourse, and thinking outside of the box. We want a solution that deals with the rightness of things - not just a check list. We are sick of hearing about things that won't work - can't work - might not work.
We have had 9 months of things that did not work and we put a stop to that. We did - the 612 in the letter June 2009, the 354 for the recall ordinance petition in July, the 338 for individujal selectmen recalls in November , the 279 to request a notary public in December to set a town meeting, the 437 at the January town meeting, the 600 plus at 2 recall elections in February. We, the voters, worked together in our community and made that happen.
Our elected officials should look back at what we did, and recognize that it was the wrongness of things that motivated us. They need to keep that in mind as they work through their discussion Thursday night.
And, they need to consider:
No one asked for that firing in June, nor any of the poorly-orchestrated, costly, and destructive decisions made between then and the recall election in February. Our town almost capsized.
We can, all of us together, right the ship; but now we need the specific help of our elected officials in taking the appropriate, necessary legal steps to continue what we started.
The voters expect our selectboard to come up with a solution that will work for this town, that will make this town right again. Not right because it's quicker or cheaper or easier... but because it's right.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Better Late Than Never
The Paris selectboard have scheduled a special meeting Thursday March 18 with town's attorney, Geoffrey Hole, to discuss matters relating to Sharon Jackson vs. The Town of Paris. The suit was filed in July 2009 - and to date, there has been no exchange of information, no discussions, no clear understanding of anything.
This is not just about money - that would be a gross oversimplification. This is about wrongness -all the way around. It is complex, sticky, and unpleasant; but not impossible to deal with. The people in this town are not timid by nature, and have shown a distinct bent this winter for setting things straight. However, not only do the town's people not know anything about the status of the suit, neither do our selectmen at this point.
The meeting will be held in closed session, most likely. However, the discussion at this meeting should provide the basis for answers we have been waiting for:
What happened? How did it get to this? What can we do now? How do we go on from here?
As a result of the 3-18-10 meeting, it is to be hoped that the next selectmen's meeting, Monday March 22, will include specific straightforward information on this topic. When citizens have been attending these meetings over a long period of time, they do not need to be read endless details and rules about procedure; they simply need to be given information about what's going on, as much as is possible without jeopardizing confidential proceedings.
Our selectmen need to know we are waiting for their response.
This is not just about money - that would be a gross oversimplification. This is about wrongness -all the way around. It is complex, sticky, and unpleasant; but not impossible to deal with. The people in this town are not timid by nature, and have shown a distinct bent this winter for setting things straight. However, not only do the town's people not know anything about the status of the suit, neither do our selectmen at this point.
The meeting will be held in closed session, most likely. However, the discussion at this meeting should provide the basis for answers we have been waiting for:
What happened? How did it get to this? What can we do now? How do we go on from here?
As a result of the 3-18-10 meeting, it is to be hoped that the next selectmen's meeting, Monday March 22, will include specific straightforward information on this topic. When citizens have been attending these meetings over a long period of time, they do not need to be read endless details and rules about procedure; they simply need to be given information about what's going on, as much as is possible without jeopardizing confidential proceedings.
Our selectmen need to know we are waiting for their response.
Openings
Any Paris resident 18 years or older may pick up candidacy papers at the town office to run for the following seats: (election to be held in June)
one director, PUD;
two directors, SAD 17;
two selectmen, Town of Paris
Papers may be picked up beginning March 15, and must be returned by April 26. [FYI -Anything to do with candidacy forms is public information.]
one director, PUD;
two directors, SAD 17;
two selectmen, Town of Paris
Papers may be picked up beginning March 15, and must be returned by April 26. [FYI -Anything to do with candidacy forms is public information.]
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