WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PUBLISHING AN AGENDA?
Have you ever wondered why the town publishes the Town
Council agenda on Thursday? The reason
is so that everyone has sufficient time to research and review all items on the
agenda. This is so anyone with a problem or concern
will have ample time to prepare their thoughts and comments prior to the Town
Council meeting.
Now on July 5, 2016, the town clerk prepared a memo adding
an additional agenda item for that same night.
This memo did not state why it had to be processed that night. It was for a banner for Positive Change
Lisbon with no other details available. This memo should
have been presented in accordance with the normal Council Working Rules which
means it should have been processed prior to Wednesday before the meeting. Piss
poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part.
There are provisions in the Council Working Rules to revise
agenda’s when the situations arrive or there are emergency situations. The very next agenda wasn’t even
revised. But the Council allowed Fern
LaRochelle to address the workshop on an idea of forming a Route 196 Committee
and to allow this committee to spend the $50,000.00 grant matching funds. Apparently, this could not have waited until
the next Town Council meeting. But wait a minute, at the next Town
Council meeting there was absolutely no mention of this proposal. Keep in mind the Town Council cannot vote at a workshop. So tomorrow’s agenda is out and there is no
mention of this on the agenda either. So how critical was it to alter the
agenda?
Now, tomorrow’s agenda has been changed yet again. One of the changes is critical and must be
addresses tomorrow or the world will come to an end. The new memo wants to go out for bid on Davis
Street. It is recommended by the Route 196 Committee
which has never been approved by the Town Council. Again, why is so critical that
it has to be approved before the committee is approved. Once
again, an example of Mr. Leighton not knowing what he is doing? What is so critical that the agenda had to be
changed?
This is my opinion; these revised agendas are changed at the
last minute to hide what is going on in the community. If
these changes are so critical then a memo should be included to the people
explaining why they have to be processed with such short notice. Published the day before the meeting, does
not provide sufficient time for the people to research the item. The Council Working Rules should be strictly followed all
times and in cases of emergencies should be clearly spelled out.
I completely understand that the “Good Old Boys” network and
certain Department Heads do not have to comply with any rules or
regulations. These individuals believe they hold the same status as Hillary
Clinton.
Larry Fillmore
