Just when you think Middleboro might be moving forward, making progress and moving into the appropriate century, you realize that the dinosaurs have prevailed!
.
The PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site, a label not originating with me) has long been the butt of jokes and frustration and letters to the BOS and the Middleboro Gazette.
.
For comparison, MMA offers City and Town Web Sites
.
Both the Middleborough Public Library and the Middleborough Public Schools offer user friendly formats with pertinent information.
.
A review of the Selectmen's Meeting Minutes, historically available on line, seems to indicate that minutes have not been posted since is that July 2008?
.
And those minutes are posted in doc format.
.
It would appear that if you miss a meeting because you're on vacation or out of town, you need to submit a Public Records Request, wait for the retrieval of the pertinent documents and pay for them as well.
.
So much for transparency in Town Government! And the Board of Selectmen haven't noticed.
.
Offers of free assistance to replace the PTWS have been ignored or rebuffed by the IT Director.
.
As part of the discussion regarding the Community Preservation Act (CPA), a search for information about the actions of other communities produced Open Space Plan Massachusetts.
.
Other municipalities actually provide information that is available to the public.
.
Not so Middleboro, Home of Mushroom Farming!
.
More than a year ago, the IT Director announced that he would add a Calendar feature to the PTWS. If you want to know what meetings are scheduled, you must travel to the Bank Building to review the bulletin board, but don't forget binoculars. If the lobby is locked, you'll need them. And don't plan on the visit being brief because the bulletin board is disorganized and confusing, so time is required for review. Or to find out what meetings are scheduled for only the following week, you can buy the Middleboro Gazette. So, if you want a Calendar format that actually projects public hearings or future schedules, don't look for it because it's never been important enough for the BOS or IT Director to provide.
.
Even the Board of Selectmen has never found it important enough to post their future agendas of public hearings prior to the 48 hours mandated by the Open Meeting Law.
.
All of the above ignores that Executive Session Minutes were requested more than a year ago, as is appropriate under the Public Records Law.
.
One interesting fact posted on the PTWS is the following:
.
The area that the town covers is 68.1 square miles.
.
Former Selectman, Lincoln Andrews made the unsubstantiated statement as fact during the January 12, 2009, Board of Selectmen's Meeting, that 7 Square Miles of the Town was preserved as Open Space.
.
Those who attended or watched might recall Mr. Andrews' unnecessary outburst when I asked, through the Chairman of the Board, the source of the "fact."
.
And Mrs. Duphily, who pays little attention to facts, rushed to defend the fiction.
.
But then, this is Home of Mushroom Farming! Don't allow facts to intrude in your opposition or support when it's convenient.
22 comments:
Weren't Neil Rosenthal and Lincoln Andrews on the Search Comitee that passed along Dagostino and Eunochs? There not always right but some havent figgured it out.
That website is a disgrace. At least Roger finally removed "fire apparatus" from primary industry. Or maybe he had someone else do it for him. Don't rush things. It only took 20 years. That dept should be outsourced. Get rid of Roger, save a stack of cash and get better IT service.
How many leaks in the Town Hall basement does it take to grow mushrooms? :)
Sometimes I think that Cristello must go home and laugh about these pathetic clowns.
Roger was unemployed and Good Old Boys gave him a job Started out as 'volunter' but quikly became paid. No experience qualifications education or expertise
cant do much for $100,000 but this is the 'boro
you expected more?
Dumbest town we have ever lived in.
Could a pro-casino person take Steve Spatero aside and explain to him that the mushrooms might pay for the budget deficit and cuts in local aid? The Town could make some money on this deal with specialty fungi. At the same time he might consider compressing the new park dept head with a new IT director or the old IT director could be park head.
My husband and I thought that either the Recall or the last election provided a broad balance of qualified candidates with a range of education, varied abilities and the town would have been enhanced by any assortment other than those elected.
Instead we have the least qualified on that board.
We filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission about Mrs. Duphily's continued participation in all things fire department and hope others will as well. The lady is truly dense.
Just curious, have the executive session minutes actually been released?
What is the price charged for copies?
Nocasino,
More than a year ago, as you probably remember, I filed a number of Public Records Requests for a number of reasons, but primarily because the law was being violated.
At the time, I had several conversations with the attorney handling the matter at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
The attorney I spoke with prepared the guide that is available online and we discussed that presentation.
The guide is simple and easy to understand. It provides the complexities of the law in layman's terms that even I can comprehend.
He also offered to the Town Clerk in a phone conversation and in writing to travel to Middleboro to provide a presentation of the pertinent laws - Public Records, Open Meeting and Archives. The presentation has been provided to other towns and would provide a great opportunity for elected officials and voters to inform themselves and ask questions.
Needless, to say, Middleboro never availed itself of that offer. When you can't walk and chew gum at the same time, how can you expect to digest the statutes you should comply with?
There is also an appeal process in the law that allows an applicant to pursue the matter in court -- without an attorney should the documents be denied.
If you are interested in a specific Executive Meeting session, you might consider requesting those meeting minutes as a "Public Records Request."
If the cost exceeds an amount specified in the law, the Town Clerk is required to provide an estimate BEFOREHAND.
Otherwise, the cost is nominal.
The Town Clerk is required by law to post the charges and has discussed the law with the Secty's Office and it has been confirmed in writing. (I received a copy.)
When you request minutes from Executive Session Meetings, you CANNOT be charged for the cost of town counsel to review the contents. So the charge should be the customary per page cost. I believe it's ~ 10 cents a page, but haven't recently reviewed the law.
I can do the research for you.
I can request the documents.
I can post them as I have in the past.
That is not my intent.
My intent from the beginning has been to give each and everyone who is interested the information that will empower them to make Town Government work for them.
No one should be reluctant to request information they are entitled to.
Executive Meeting Minutes are clearly addressed in the guide.
If the BOS can't get meeting minutes posted since last July, there seems to be a problem of greater depth than what I initially questioned.
It should also be noted that when I requested certain BOS documents, the Board's secretary, in response, referenced the Freedom Of Information Act.
My intent is not to educate those who should be familiar with the law and should conform with the law.
FOIA is a federal statute that pertains to federal information and records. It does not govern this request.
At what point will the town hire competent people to fulfill their responsibilities in a professional manner? FOIA and Public Records? I think not!
As a footnote: When this issue was raised last year and I challenged the charges which I believed were excessive, Mr. Spataro commented during a BOS meeting to the effect that 'we should stick to our policy.' That clearly indicated that he had NOT read the Public Records Law before voicing his opinion. The 'policy' is not guided by the Town, but by the law of the Commonwealth.
A comment made earlier that started me thinking that we have been displeased with Mrs. Duphily's participation in fire department matters and her conduct on the Board. It's regrettable that someone felt the need to forge a letter, but Mrs. Duphily refused enlightenment.
To file a complaint to remain confidential --
Massachusetts State Ethics Commission
John W. McCormack Building
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
Lombard hired a secretary who doesn't use a spell check and makes errors in the minutes. Now she doesn't bother to post them. What a town!
The town hires an incompetent and overpad sectray who cant do her job and Brian G, Head Buffoon, recaps the meetings.
What a joke!
Why all the questions about whether Exec minutes have been released? Just ask for them.
Wayne Perkins was the biggest obstacle to town improvemenet but gave great raises to employes. I hope sombody investigats him.
When this unravels, will we find out that this was all Jack Healey's idea and he seduced Bond with promises?
Or will find out that it was Wayne Perkins' idea and he led everyone else? Naw! Doesn't have the brains.
What part did the little twerps plays in the casino folly?
I understand that Marsha and Roger were regulars at Foxwoods. Anyone know if that's true?
Wayne will fold under pressure. He's done it publicly.
Watch him.
I looked here for the latest comments about the cst mega barf blog. Damage control?
Revisionist history?
I DON'T KNOW WHY MS. DUPHILY CAN'T REMEMBER TO RECUSE HERSELF WHEN FIRE DEPT. ISSUES COME BEFORE THE BOS. IT SEEMS TO BE THE ONE ITEM SHE IS PREPARED FOR AND UP TO SPEED ON. IF SHE WANTS HER HUSBAND TO RECEIVE THE SAME BENEFITS AS THE FULL TIME FIREFIGHTERS SHE HAS TO REALIZE HE NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER STEPS AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING. SHE DOESN'T HIDE ANGER VERY WELL
As a child, I loved circuses, but after watching tonight's meeting, I realized I don't want clowns running my town.
The board seemed unanimous that they never look at the PTWS and weren't aware that meeting minutes hadn't been posted since July.
Mimi has enough time to jawbone with Sputero on street corners, but neither can do the job.
You need to comment on the bos meeting. It's just too pathetic.
Post a Comment