PTWS Up And Running!

Indications are that the PTWS,

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located at http://www.middleborough.com/

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incidentally hosted in Town Hall, is up and running with no explanation.

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Maybe some computer geek can explain why when I type in "https," I come up with FVS318, which can be purchased from Amazon.com for about $100. (Actually, some can be purchased for ~$25.)

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So, is the best we can do to protect the Town's computer system a $100 gizmo?

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And maybe some computer geek can explain why the PTWS that used to get the

spelling of Middleborough correct, now appears at:

http://www.middlborough.com

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In case you were wondering what the Selectmen's Agenda was for May 11, 2009, check here. Notice that the Town Manager is listed as reporting on the progress of the PTWS. (It doesn't indicate which one -- the old PTWS, the new non-functioning PTWS, the new misspelled PTWS. Please help us to understand why we spent money and don't know what's going on. Is something being hidden from voters?)

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Maybe Marsha could explain on her email website? Or Mrs. Duphily could interrupt her beautification to explain? Or Mr. Rogers, who is up for re-election next year?

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It wasn't so long ago for those of us who were paying attention that the Library Director, to her credit, posted the Town Meeting Warrants on the Library's web site because of the pathetic PTWS.

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How have we improved?

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Marsha, please prepare your notes to tell us all about TRANSPARENCY, just like you told us town vehicles weren't going out for repairs after the Finance Committee disproved you.

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Many of the comments I have received (and not posted) have informed me of what detractors and critics have offered. It might be wise for those who condemn the messenger to examine the MESSAGE. Other towns don't operate like this.

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Stayed tuned!
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Sunshine or Mushroom Farming?

It is understandable that a reporter for the Brockton Enterprise might not be familiar with the protests about Middleboro's PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site) that has gone on for more years than one remembers.

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In 2007, the Middleboro IT Director, Roger Brunelle, husband of a computer inept Selectwoman Marsha Brunelle, announced that he would include a CALENDAR of public meetings in the PTWS.

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Not done!

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At a recent BOS meeting, Selectwoman Marsha Brunelle used the terms "blog" and "email address" interchangeably, refusing to publish her personal blog address for the public to send comments to her. Someone needs to explain that a second email account can be established. The same can be said of Selectman Steven Spataro, currently running for re-election.

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Lest anyone believe the CALENDAR is a trivial matter, take a look at where public meetings are posted and the disarray on the current bulletin board.

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The Public Meetings are posted in the lobby of the Bank Building. That lobby is locked in off hours. So, let's say, you're sauntering down the street on the weekend and want to review posted meetings. You best remember to bring your binoculars because you can't view the posted meetings otherwise!

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The Middleboro Gazette does an admirable job of listing meetings that are posted in their edition that is published on Thursday. But, let's just say a meeting is posted after the Gazette goes to press. It's posted nowhere else other than the cluttered and inaccessible bulletin board.

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Maybe that complies with the Open Meeting Law, but it sure doesn't make it convenient, nor very public.

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Until voters protested the failure of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen to make Executive Meeting Minutes available, as provided in the Public Records Statute, it was never done. Compliance with that statute was accomplished over the protests and whines of the BOS who initially suggested passing along the cost of Town Counsel's review made sense.

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Executive Meeting Minutes were released and posted once. We're still waiting for the regular reviews specified in the law.

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Previous attempts to motivate the BOS to create a new and improved replacement for the PTWS have been met with resistance.

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Town residents have offered to create one for FREE. Those offers have been ignored.

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Town Meeting Warrants have been posted on the Library web site, to the credit of the Library Director, in the past because they haven't been posted on the PTWS.

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Transparency?

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In fairness to one of the departments that has worked to post forms and information on the PTWS, I must correct the following comment ---

Middleboro, West Bridgewater and Whitman do not make property assessments available on the Web.
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On the PTWS that goes beyond user unfriendly toward user hostile, the Assessing Department has posted the information. You just can't easily find it unless you know it's there.

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Middleboro voters have elected dinosaurs who resist change and modernization.
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Clearly, Kyle Alspach is unfamiliar with Middleboro Mushroom Farming.

Middleboro: Home of Mushroom Farming

Just when you think Middleboro might be moving forward, making progress and moving into the appropriate century, you realize that the dinosaurs have prevailed!

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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.

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For comparison, MMA offers City and Town Web Sites

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Both the Middleborough Public Library and the Middleborough Public Schools offer user friendly formats with pertinent information.

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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?

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And those minutes are posted in doc format.

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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.

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So much for transparency in Town Government! And the Board of Selectmen haven't noticed.

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Offers of free assistance to replace the PTWS have been ignored or rebuffed by the IT Director.

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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.

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Other municipalities actually provide information that is available to the public.

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Not so Middleboro, Home of Mushroom Farming!

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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.

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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.

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All of the above ignores that Executive Session Minutes were requested more than a year ago, as is appropriate under the Public Records Law.

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One interesting fact posted on the PTWS is the following:

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The area that the town covers is 68.1 square miles.

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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.

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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."

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And Mrs. Duphily, who pays little attention to facts, rushed to defend the fiction.

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But then, this is Home of Mushroom Farming! Don't allow facts to intrude in your opposition or support when it's convenient.

Once upon a time .....

Once upon a time, there was a DOR (Department of Revenue) Report.

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That incidentally, should probably be repeated since it would appear little progress has be made.

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That DOR report was requested by the Finance Committee, who seem to have done the best they could addressing the town's finances.

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The DOR notified the FinCom that the Board of Selectmen were required to request the review.

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Chairman Wayne Perkins, duly embarrassed by his oversight and being upstaged by the FinCom was forced to require the request by the BOS.

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The report itself contained many self-evident recommendations that a town government novice, such as myself, could recognize were significant money savers, silly things like quarterly tax billing, a 5 year budget projection.

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The report commented on the Town's failure to employ 'technology' to its fullest. PTWS maybe?

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The report also recommended that committees post their meeting minutes on the PTWS.

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Remember the whining at the DOR hearing about how the BOS had no control over committees?

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It might seem they have control over a committee they appoint, of which there are several including CRAC.

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Although the PTWS is user hostile, have there been any additional meeting minutes posted?

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The subject again reared its ugly head at tonight's BOS meeting since the public is uninformed without attending those meetings.

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The subject of Executive Sessions was again questioned.

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This is what Public Records Guide has written about Executive Sessions [Middleboro Board of Selectmen 3-9-09 ] --

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Minutes of executive session meetings must be reviewed and released regularly and promptly. Executive session minutes must be released to the public as soon as the stated purpose for the executive session protection has ceased.

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When the issue was raised during this evening's Middleboro Board of Selectmen's meeting that since the 2007 Executive Meeting Minutes were recently released, when would the meeting minutes of 2008 be released? The response by the Town Manager, Charles Cristello was that he had decided the meeting minutes would be released annually, right before the town election in April.

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So ANNUALLY must constitute 'regularly and promptly.'

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Thanks for that clarification!

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Gavel Queen (who gavelled any dissent or opposition to silence regardless of how polite), Selectwoman Marsha Brunelle and star of Sick And Tired Of This Crap assures us that nothing secret is going on with the Tribe. The BOS must have made a resolution since they negotiated a backroom deal with Glenn Marshall.

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Just put that gavel back in her hand and she won't have to make those outrageous claims!

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We can all sleep well knowing that we have Marsha's word!

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I wonder.....Would we keep re-visiting the same issues if they were resolved?

January 5, 2009 Middleboro Board of Selectmen's Meeting

According to the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site), the
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Special Town Meeting RESCHEDULED to
Monday, October 27th, 7 p.m. at Middleborough High School

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A reasonable person might expect to find the cancellation of the Monday, January 5, 2009, Board of Selectmen's Meeting posted on the PTWS. Or maybe even a reasonable explanation.

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Alas! This is Middleboro, where Mushroom Farming persists in spite of valiant efforts by its citizenry to request, protest, demand, expect, beseech, and whine about

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transparency

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Rumors are flying in Middleboro about a water leak in the basement of the Town Hall that successfully knocked out internet connections. Although some have questioned how that would be determined since the email addresses seem ultra Top Secret to the residents of the Town who might desire the ability to actually communicate with their Town Government by means other than sending their emails to the IT Director for forwarding in hopes it reaches the appropriate person.

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And the BOS secretary is likewise blamed for her failure to post the meeting and agenda. Hmm...seems to me I raised the issue in ancient history about posting the agenda at an earlier date, but memory fades with age.

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In a letter to the editor of the Middleboro Gazette (still only 50 cents and worth every penny) last week, Marsha Brunelle was taken to task for questioning why voters were actually communicating with the ONLY member of the Board of Selectmen who is available by a publicly known email address.

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Mrs. Brunelle, it should be noted, was the Selectman who actually requested that there be a time limit on citizens' comments at the last meeting. Marsha didn't earn the title of Gavel Queen for nothing! If given the opportunity to arm wrestle the Chairman for that gavel, bets are that Marsha would win! (Aaahh! The video that Gladys could create!)

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The irony of Marsha protesting citizen input going to ONLY one member of the Board is breathtaking! It simply begs the question "Marsha, You actually want to listen or is it control or jealousy?"

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And, Marsha, you and I had a conversation about your lack of internet savvy last year when you were Chairman. You called me. Do you remember? This is after all, the 21st Century and rapid communication is expedited with quick emails that ask questions, get immediate answers, instead of snail mail that requires hand-delivery or postage and time.

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The failure of this Board to address the longstanding issues surrounding the IT Department and hosting the web site within Town Hall (with the potential for hacking by a teenager) and much else has been addressed for years.

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It should be noted that one Selectman, Steven Spataro actually has a non-published telephone number to avoid communications. You just can't allow voters to sway your opinion! Right, Steve? Incidentally, Steve Spataro is up for re-election in April. Is there any candidate willing to consider the Big Leagues, as Steve would say?

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No one is quite sure if Mrs. Duphily has yet discovered the internet, although she commented about an email she received from her friend who was a member of the Mashpee Wampanoags, that seemed to sway her appropriate representation of the Town of Middleboro.

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And we're not quite sure of Mr. Rogers' silence. It would seem to be spineless silence and not commitment either way.

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Beyond all other issues, You Guys Have A Problem.

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Your inability to address and resolve issues as they are brought forth has created a backlog, beginning with Rockland Industries. You continue to build on unresolved issues until each issue becomes one from the past. The Town Web Site (PTWS) and the failure of the Board of Selectmen to address the IT issues of the Town will continue to haunt.

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Those computer geeks have quietly explained about hosting the web site in the Town Hall. You were offered a site, designed free of charge, hosted elsewhere.

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But there will remain those of us who are convinced that the Mushroom Farming takes place in the basement of the Town Hall which explains the lights remaining on when the Town Hall was otherwise unoccupied.

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It's not ghosts. It's Mushroom Farming!

Executive Meeting Minutes on Middleboro's PTWS

Executive Session Meeting Minutes were requested in 2007, and a few may now be found on the PTWS here.

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Information regarding the law may be found here MMA and Public Records Division.

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What is distinct in the Massachusetts statute is:

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Every government record in Massachusetts is

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presumed to be public

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unless it may be withheld under one of sixteen exemptions.

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Of Executive Sessions, the Guide says:

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A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law 􀁹 4

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Minutes of executive session meetings must be

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reviewed and released regularly and promptly.

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Executive session minutes must be released to the public as soon as the stated purpose for the executive session protection has ceased.

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After I filed a Public Records complaint with the Secretary of State's Office because of the refusal of the Board of Selectmen to make Executive Session Minutes available, I had several conversations with the attorney handling the matter for the Commonwealth.
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He indicated that he has provided a 'forum' in other towns that includes Open Meeting, Public Records and Archive statutes to enlighten officials about their responsibilities to uphold the statutes.
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He offered to provide that same 'forum' in a conversation with the Middleboro Town Clerk and in writing in a letter that included the Board of Selectmen.
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It would be my hope that the Board of Selectmen would not only take him up on his offer, but widely publicize it, and have it broadcast on ComCast, so that the public and other towns would attend.
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Understanding these statutes can only lead to improved transparency and increased participation.

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Although [Mr.] Rogers said past boards did not know that state law requires the minutes be released once the issue has been resolved, let's not continue to use ignorance as a convenient excuse when the information is available and the state is willing to provide further details to you.

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The Brockton Enterprise published the following: Middleboro selectmen release executive session minutes

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“It’s one of the first issues I addressed as chairman,” said board Chairman Patrick E. Rogers, who added he was relieved to make the minutes public. “We released them finally.”
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Rogers, who replaced Adam Bond as board chairman last week, said there is a plan to continue releasing details of the sessions on a regular basis.
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The Guide says the following:
A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law 􀁹 42
(2) Promptness of Access. Every governmental entity shall maintain procedures that will allow at reasonable times and without unreasonable delay access to public records in its custody to all persons requesting public records. Each custodian shall comply with a request as soon as practicable and within ten days.
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Somehow, the ten day requirement doesn't seem to equate to the time table of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen.

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The article goes on to say:
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Jacqueline Shanley, the selectmen’s administrative assistant, said those who want minutes from executive sessions must file a written request under the Freedom of Information Act.

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Page 7 of the Guide offered by the Secretary of the Commonwealth said this:

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What is the difference between the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Massachusetts Public Records Law?

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The federal FOIA is a statute that applies to federal records. The Massachusetts Public Records Law applies to records created by or in the custody of a state or local agency, board or other government entity.
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Were the Board of Selectmen to provide an informational forum that presented explanation of the pertinent statutes and allowed questions and answers, many of the mistaken ideas could be clarified.

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When I requested the information that was used to determine the increased rates charged to water ratepayers, I was told that no information existed in the Selectmen's records. That information was presented by Patrick Rogers from his laptop. After requesting the information from Mr. Rogers twice, he finally informed me that the information was no longer available.

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A number of Middleboro residents have requested documentation that doesn't exist in the Town Hall archives. The following appears to be the appropriate governing portion of the statute:

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A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law 􀁹 33
3. Original Records Created Outside of Municipal Offices
a. Whenever original public records are created outside the municipal offices, they shall be transferred on a regular and frequent basis to secure storage in the municipal building.
b. If secure storage is available in the records custodian’s private office or home, then copies of the records shall be maintained in the municipal building, with the originals stored in secure storage at the records custodian’s private office or home.
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Of the delay ---

....selectmen “always have other things to do, so it just wasn’t prioritized,” Rogers said.

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It's time for Middleboro officials to accept their statutory obligations, inform themselves of the governing statutes and comply. If you don't have the time to devote to the job, you might consider not running for the office or resigning.
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The following offers a brief indication of the expertise of the Middleboro BOS and the continued existence of the PTWS, in spite of offers to provide a web site FREE OF CHARGE that was ignored. It seems that someone's ego is more important than providing transparency and information to residents:

BOS email and web sites

Sunshine or Mushroom Farming? #2

Sunshine or Mushroom Farming? should have helped residents to think about transparency and public disclosure.
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Once upon a time, I had the hard copy of the Town's Auditors' Report. It's lengthy and instead of scanning it into my computer, since it was composed on a computer at the Auditors', I sought the electronic version.

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The auditors indicated that the electronic version was considered proprietary by them, but since the Board of Selectmen had commissioned the audit, they were the authority that would have to request the auditors to release the electronic version. [Yes, I called and confirmed this with the auditing firm.]

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When I submitted my written request for the electronic copy to the Keeper of Public Records (Town Clerk), the request wound its way to the Board of Selectmen, specifically the Chairwoman at the time, Marsha Brunelle. Included in that request was that the Auditors' Report should be posted on the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site).

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Chairwoman Brunelle requested a determination from Town Counsel who ruled that the BOS didn't have to make available a public record in a format in which it did not exist. Well, I knew that because it's clearly indicated in the Public Records Guide for all to review. But it did exist in electronic format.

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For anyone who cared about TRANSPARENCY, the Auditors' Report was available and could have and should have been posted on the PTWS.

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If we're honest with ourselves, we recognize that the BOS is not interested in TRANSPARENCY, but rather Same Old, Same Old.

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Same Old back room deals, hidden negotiations with the Tribe and Mushroom Farming.

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When voters elect candidates based on friendship instead of who will best represent the Town, maybe you end up with a Selectwoman who confuses blogs and emails.

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Maybe you would never read the Auditors' Report, but you paid for it.

Doesn't it make you wonder what being hidden when you can't get information?

Saturday, April 4th is Middleboro's Town Election.

Maybe it's time for change.

Executive Meeting Minutes 1-7-08

Reviewing the Executive Meeting Minutes that are supposed to be released regularly and promptly according to the statute [Once Upon A Time...] ---

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Minutes of executive session meetings must be reviewed and released regularly and promptly. Executive session minutes must be released to the public as soon as the stated purpose for the executive session protection has ceased.

I discovered that the regular public meeting minutes are posted for 1-7-08.

The following request will be submitted to the BOS requesting a correction --

Re: Executive Meeting Minutes 1-7-08

A review of the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site) will indicate that the item posted as the following:

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 4:39 PM 50176 E.S. 1-7-08.doc

Represents the regular meeting minutes for the public session.

This requires correction.

Your prompt attention would be appreciated.

OMG! An astute reader pointed at that the Executive Session was posted at the end of the public meeting that was re-posted! Who would have thought? Who would have expected any consistentcy in the method anything is posted on the PTWS?

The following represents those meeting minutes and since they represent collective bargaining matters that have been resolved, one must wonder why they weren't previously released since this is what the statute says --

Executive session minutes must be released to the public as soon as the stated purpose for the executive session protection has ceased.

EXECUTIVE SESSION January 7, 2008
Middleborough Board of Selectmen
At 9:55 PM, upon motion by Selectman Perkins and seconded by Selectman Bond, Board voted by Roll Call to go into Executive Session to discuss strategy relative to collective bargaining and pending litigation. Roll Call: P. Rogers, Yes; S. Spataro, Yes; W. Perkins, Yes; A. Bond, Yes; M. Brunelle, Yes. Chairwoman announced Board would not return into Open Session.

Board met with Attorney Leo Peloquin to discuss collective bargaining issues.
Upon motion by Selectman Perkins and seconded by Chairwoman Brunelle, the following Roll Call Vote was recorded:
“To designate Labor Counsel, Town Manager, and designated Selectman as the Town’s negotiating representative with the two Police Unions

SELECTMAN P. ROGERS YES
SELECTMAN S. SPATARO YES
SELECTMAN A. BOND YES
SELECTMAN W. PERKINS YES
SELECTMAN M. BRUNELLE YES.”

Board agreed that the Town Manager will stay involved in Union negotiations, while on vacation, via telephone. Letter is to be drafted by Labor Counsel notifying the Unions of the Board’s policy decision.

Labor Counsel assured Chairwoman she did not need to leave the meeting while discussing GMEG Union as Board discussed position of Deputy Fire Chief only.

Regarding retirees and the health insurance co-pay reimbursement issue, Chairwoman asked Labor Counsel to call Town Counsel and discuss language in article. The following Roll Call vote was recorded:
“To support the Town Meeting article, which supports retirees and their spouses regarding health insurance co-pay reimbursements

SELECTMAN P. ROGERS YES
SELECTMAN S. SPATARO YES
SELECTMAN A. BOND YES
SELECTMAN W. PERKINS YES.”
Chairwoman M. Brunelle Abstained

Board requested Building Commissioner, Health Officer, and Town Counsel attend Board’s meeting on Monday, January 14, 2008 to discuss Holton lawsuit.

At 11:03 PM Board voted by Roll Call to adjourn meeting. Roll call: A. Bond, Yes; W. Perkins, Yes; P. Rogers, Yes, S. Spataro, Yes, M. Brunelle, Yes.

________________________________________________
Jackie Shanley, Confidential Secretary, Board of Selectmen

Middleboro Annual Town Meeting Tuesday, May 26 7:30 PM

The following represent the Annual Town Meeting Warrant posted on the new PTWS --

ANNUAL MEETING WARRANT
Middleborough, Massachusetts
To Gary J. Russell, Police Chief or any of the
Police Officers of the Town of Middleborough
Greetings:


In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby required to notify
and warn all the inhabitants of said Town, qualified to vote in Town affairs, to meet in the
Auditorium of the Middleborough High School, on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, at 7:30 P.M., to act on the following articles:


ARTICLE 1. To hear the report of any committee or officer of the Town, to appoint any
committee, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 2. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money by taxation
or from available funds in the treasury to defray expenses of the Town for the fiscal year
beginning on July 1, 2009, relating to all or any of its officers, boards, or departments and for
purposes authorized by law, to vote to fix the salary and compensation of all elected officers, or
act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to transfer from the income from the sales of gas and
electricity a sum of money to the Assessors for the purpose of fixing the tax rate for Fiscal Year
2010, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 4. To see if the Town will vote to transfer $66,972.60 from the receipts reserved for
the Water Pollution Abatement Trust Loan Repayment Account in order to meet the Town’s
obligation for payment of the Water Pollution Trust Loan, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 5. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $300,000.00 by
borrowing under General Laws, Chapter 44, by borrowing from the Massachusetts Water
Pollution Abatement Trust pursuant to General Laws Chapter 29C or by raising and
appropriating said sum from some other source for the purpose of funding the Town’s program
to repair, replace or upgrade septic waste disposal systems, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 6. To see if the Town will vote pursuant to Section 53E ½ of Chapter 44 of the
General Laws, as amended, to authorize and/or reauthorize establishment of one or more
revolving funds for the purpose of funding certain activities and operations of certain
departments and programs of the Town during Fiscal Year 2010, or act anything thereon.
Municipal Fire Alarm System Not to exceed $15,000.00
Hazardous Materials Incident Training & Materials Not to exceed $50,000.00
Recycling Program Not to exceed $100,000.00
Herring Fishery Program Not to exceed $100,000.00
Composting Bin Program Not to exceed $2,500.00
Recreation and Sports Program Not to exceed $100,000.00
Zoning Map, Bylaws and Not to exceed $2,500.00
Subdivision Rules & Regulations


ARTICLE 7. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation, or account, or other available source, for the purpose of reimbursing
Town employees and retired Town employees and other persons enrolled in the Town’s health
insurance plans for increases in health insurance HMO and PPO deductibles and co-payments
paid by said employees and other persons during Fiscal Years 2010 and in excess of the amounts
of such deductibles and co-payments applicable during Fiscal Year 2009, and to pay any related
costs, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 8. To see if the Town will vote to borrow the sum of three hundred fifty thousand
dollars ($350,000.00) for the purposes of replacing older water mains and curb to main
connections throughout the water system and to meet this appropriation, to authorize the
Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow the sum of $350,000.00 under
General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 8 and to provide that the debt shall be paid from the revenues
of the Water Enterprise System, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 9. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from available funds or
borrow a sum of money to refurbish the two (2) universal power supply units (1-18Kv 1-15Kv)
and replacement equipment for the Bank building and the Town Hall through the Information
Technology department and to meet this appropriation to authorize the Treasurer with the
approval of the Board of Selectmen to borrow under General Laws Chapter 44, Section 7, or act
anything thereon.


ARTICLE 10. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account or other available source, or by borrowing to pay for all
relevant and necessary expenses associated with the clean-up of an oil leak at the Green School
site, 251 East Main Street, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 11. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account or other available source, or by borrowing to pay for all
relevant and necessary expenses associated with alterations to the Lincoln D. Lynch School site,
49 Union Street, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 12. Local Adoption of Chapter 43D Expedited Permitting – Middleborough Park at
495
To see if the Town will approve the provisions of chapter 43D of the MA General Laws as
amended pursuant to Section 11 of chapter 205 of the acts of 2006, and to approve the filing of
an application with the Interagency Permitting Board for the designation of land at
Middleborough Park @495 (113.342 acres, Assessors Map 039, generally bounded by Bedford,
Clay, Ash, and Old Center Streets and Route 44) as a Priority Development Site, or take any
other action in relation thereto. Assessors Map 039 and lot numbers: 1938, 2987, 2868, 2895,
2886, 4436, 2754, 2769, 3539, 4316, 3438, 4223, 3457, 3492, 4381, 5157, 5151, and 4392, or act
anything thereon.


ARTICLE 13. To see if the Town will vote to amend Section IV of the Zoning By-laws by
revoking Section E in its entirety and adopt the following in its place:
E. INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
1. PERMITTED USES:
a. Religious, education, municipal or government uses.
b. Commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or
viticulture.
c Child care facilities.
d. Any use permitted in a Residence District, except those prohibited in Section 3.
below.
2. SPECIAL PERMIT USES:
a. Manufacturing or industrial use.
b. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall be the Special Permit Granting Authority
(SPGA) under Section VII, provided that no special permit shall be granted unless
the Board makes the findings set forth in Section VII.C.2.a.
3. PROHIBITED USES:
a. Dwellings, multiple dwellings, house trailers, and mobile homes, or act anything
thereon.


ARTICLE 14. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the
General Court for special legislation to provide that all withdrawal penalty taxes paid to the
Town pursuant to General Laws, Chapter 61, Section 7, all conveyance taxes and roll-back taxes
paid to the Town pursuant to General Laws, Chapter 61A, Sections 12 and 13 respectively, and
all conveyance taxes and roll-back taxes paid to the Town pursuant to General Laws, Chapter
61B, Sections 7 and 8 respectively, shall be deposited in a special account to be known as the
Land Acquisition Fund with any money in the Fund to be expended by the Board of Selectmen
duly authorized by vote of the Town Meeting to purchase the fee or other rights in land for
purposes of recreation, conservation, agricultural, open space, or other municipal uses with the
income derived from the land Acquisition Fund to be credited to the Fund, or act anything
thereon.


ARTICLE 15. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the
General Court for legislation to authorize the use of certain property owned by the Town of
Middleborough located on and off Fuller Street and on and off Plympton Street in
Middleborough and bounded and described in a deed of Annamarie Barnhart dated September
30, 2002 recorded in the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds in Book 23007, Page 244 and in an
Order of Taking dated October 7, 2002 and recorded in said registry in Book 23193, Page 343
and property bounded and described in a deed of Jonathan D. White, Trustee of Preserve Realty
Trust dated October 1, 2002 recorded in said registry in Book 23007, Page 258 for purposes
other than public water supply protection/aquifer protection and public water supply storage, or
act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 16. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to convey the
rear portion of the South Middleborough Fire Station property containing 1.7 acres to White
McGill Realty, LLC or some other party in exchange for a 1.3 acre parcel to be conveyed to the
Town and located on the southerly side of Wareham Street (Route 28) abutting the easterly side
of the Fire Station property, such exchange to be on such terms and conditions as the Board
determines, and to transfer the management and control of said 1.7 acre parcel to the Board of
Selectmen for the purpose of making conveyance of said parcel as part of such exchange, or act
anything thereon.


ARTICLE 17. To see if the Town will vote to adopt the following by-law
PUBLIC USE OF MARIHUANA (MARIJUANA)
1. No person shall smoke, ingest, or otherwise use or consume marihuana (marijuana) or
tetrahydrocannabinol as defined in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 94C, Section 1, as
amended, while in or upon any street, sidewalk, public way, footpath, passageway, stairs,
bridge, park, playground, beach, recreation area, boat landing, public building, schoolhouse,
school grounds, cemetery, parking lot, or any area owned by or under the control of the Town of
Middleborough or any of its boards or officers, or in or upon any bus or other passenger
conveyance operated by a common carrier; or in any place accessible to the public.
2. The term “place accessible to the public” as used herein shall mean and be construed to
include any way or place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees.
3. Whoever violates Section 1 of this by-law shall be punished by a fine of Three Hundred
($300.00) Dollars for each violation,
or act anything thereon.
Given, under our hands at Middleborough, this 27th day of April, 2009.


PATRICK E. ROGERS
MURIEL C. DUPHILY
MARSHA L. BRUNELLE
STEPHEN J. MCKINNON
ALFRED P. RULLO, JR
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Pursuant to the instructions contained in the above warrant, I have notified and warned all
inhabitants of said Town of Middleborough, qualified to vote as expressed in said warrant, to
meet at the time and place for the purpose specified by causing an attested copy of the same to be
published in the Middleboro Gazette on the 7th day of May, 2009, that date being more than
seven days before the time specified for said meeting.
GARY J. RUSSELL
Police Chief

Middleboro Board of Selectmen 3-9-09

With Middleboro's April Town Election fast approaching, it should be noted that when I raised issues of concern about the PUBLIC RECORDS requests that had been submitted, Stephen Spataro said "WE SHOULD STICK TO OUR POLICY."

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There is no OUR POLICY.

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The Town has NO policy.

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The Policy that Town of Middleboro follows is the state's Public Records Law.

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Stephen Spataro has been on the Middleboro Board of Selectmen for how many years and never figured out that there is no policy or Town By Law governing Public Records? Does that mean he has never read the Town By Laws? BTW, where are they posted? On the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site)?

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If you find the By Laws, Town Vehicle Use Policy, the Zoning Regulations, Planning Board Regulations, WRPD please post a comment immediately because I haven't found them yet.

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At tonight's Middleboro Selectmen's Meeting, Bob Dunphy rose to question when Executive Meeting Minutes would be posted.

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For those who believe this is a trivial matter, PUBLIC RECORDS are an important part of a Selectmen's duties.

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The link to the guide from the Secretary of State's Office is below, as well as the information about Executive Meeting Minutes.

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Other Towns conform to state law. Why not Middleboro?

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Public Records Guide
In the interest of open government, all records custodians are strongly urged to waive the fees associated with access to public records, but are not required to do so under the law.

Public records that are of great interest to a large number of people must be readily available within the office of the records custodian and should be provided at a minimum cost, if any. These records include minutes of local board meetings, town meeting documents, warrants, street lists, municipal financial documents, etc.

When must minutes of an open meeting be made available to the public?

Minutes of executive session meetings must be reviewed and released regularly and promptly. Executive session minutes must be released to the public as soon as the stated purpose for the executive session protection has ceased.

The Massachusetts General Laws broadly define "public records" to include "all books, papers, maps, photographs, recorded tapes, financial statements, statistical tabulations, or other documentary materials or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee" of any Massachusetts governmental entity.

Middleboro Town Meeting Tuesday May 26 at 7 PM

The following represents the Special Town Meeting Warrant posted on the new PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site) --

WARRANT FOR SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
Middleborough, Massachusetts


To Gary J. Russell, Police Chief or any of the
Police Officers of the Town of Middleborough


Greetings:


In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby required to notify
and warn all the inhabitants of said Town, qualified to vote in Town affairs, to meet in the
Auditorium of the Middleborough High School, on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 7:00 P.M., to act on the following articles:


ARTICLE 1. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account, or other available source, to supplement and/or adjust
departmental budgets for Fiscal Year 2009, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 2. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account, or other available source, for the purpose of reducing the
Fiscal Year 2009 budget due to the 9C local aid cuts of the Governor, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account, or other available source for unpaid bills from prior years, or
act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 4. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account or other available source to fund sick leave buy-backs, or act
anything thereon.


ARTICLE 5. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, the Stabilization Fund, an
existing appropriation or account or other available source to fund one or more collective
bargaining agreements, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 6. To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of Sixty Five Thousand Dollars
($65,000) from the Sewer Enterprise Unreserved/Retained Earnings Account for the purpose of purchasing wastewater treatment chemicals, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 7. To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of One Hundred Twenty Five
Thousand Dollars ($125,000) from the Sewer Enterprise Unreserved/Retained Earnings Account for the purpose of purchasing electricity, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 8. To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of Seventy Five Thousand six
hundred ten dollars ($75,610.00) from the Water Enterprise Development Fund to the Water
Unreserved/Retained Earnings Account, or act anything thereon.


ARTICLE 9. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from the Town’s Employee Fringe Benefits, Health and Life Insurance account,
Taxation, free cash, another specific available fund or Stabilization Fund, an existing
appropriation or account or other available source or by borrowing to continue to contribute the
same monetary percentage of the premium of a retired Town of Middleborough employee’s
contributory group, general or blanket hospital, surgical, dental and other health insurance, that
the Town contributed for the retired Town of Middleborough employee at the date of the Town
of Middleborough retiree’s retirement from the Town of Middleborough, but in no case less than
in effect in fiscal year 2007, or act anything thereon.
By Petition


ARTICLE 10. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer a sum of
money from the Town’s Employee Fringe Benefits, Health and Life Insurance account,
Taxation, free cash, another specific available fund, or Stabilization Fund, an existing
appropriation or account or other available source or by borrowing to continue to reimburse
retired Town employees for the increase in their health insurance HMO and PPO deductibles and co-pays paid by retired Town employees during fiscal year 2010 and thereafter in excess of the amounts for such deductibles and co-pays applicable during fiscal year 2007, or act anything
thereon.
By Petition




Given, under our hands at Middleborough, this 27th day of April, 2009.
PATRICK E. ROGERS
MURIEL C. DUPHILY
MARSHA L. BRUNELLE
STEPHEN J. MCKINNON
ALFRED P. RULLO, JR.
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Pursuant to the instructions contained in the above warrant, I have notified and warned all
inhabitants of said Town of Middleborough, qualified to vote as expressed in said warrant, to
meet at the time and place for the purpose specified by causing an attested copy of the same to be
published in the Middleboro Gazette on the 7th day of May, 2009, that date being more than
fourteen days before the time specified for said meeting.
GARY J. RUSSELL
Police Chief

I Can't Stand Whining!

Even when whining isn't accomplished in whining tones and doesn't have comparable laments, it's still whining.

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The Commonwealth and each and every municipality in the Commonwealth, with several exceptions, will confront major fiscal problems in the coming 2 years.

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To hear Mr. Spataro 'whine' about the budget shortfalls at this late date as an argument to oppose CPA (Community Preservation Act) does not negate that he has been slumbering during most of his term.

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His most recent 'compression' theory about calling a Special Town Meeting for the sole purpose of a Charter change to mandate a 'Public Safety Director' seems to have been discarded as a whim.

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Some might have noticed that Selectman Spataro was the sole occupant at the Selectmen's table when the October 20, 2008, Special Town Meeting failed to achieve a quorum.

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When the STM (Special Town Meeting) was reconvened the following week and achieved a quorum, Mr. Spataro was NOT in attendance.

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When STM reconvened, had the Board of Selectmen included the warrant article that has been customary about establishing committees and hearing committee reports (someone neglected to inform the new Town Manager about this maybe), Selectman Spataro could have introduced his warrant article regarding a single issue Charter Commission to consider a 'Public Safety Director.'

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Taking serious consideration of a 'Public Safety Director' one step further, it would be suggested that voters actually watch the BOS meeting.

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Former Selectman Lincoln Andrews condemned CPA because of supporters' failure to have an appointed study committee, public discussion and lengthy debate regarding CPA.

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So how does the Mr. Spataro's slap dash approach to amending the Town Charter somehow seem consistent with Mr. Andrews' position on CPA? Where was the Study Committee for the 'Public Safety Director'?

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NOTE TO NEWCOMERS: When all else fails, watch the BOS appoint a Study Committee. Much like Congress, you'll never hear the results, see the report or know about the meetings. There was a Study Committee appointed to ..... another day!

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Don't forget that Mr. Spataro has been sleeping through most of his tenure on the BOS, so instead of addressing the issue of a 'Public Safety Director' let's say two (2) years ago when it might have made sense, he suddenly rallied around that flag, knowing he was up for re-election in April 2009.

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As far as Mr. Spataro's current lament about the cash shortfalls within the Town, where have you been, Steve? You had opportunities to save taxpayer dollars that you slept through. Maybe you were text messaging when the opportunities presented themselves.

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Let's just say a Green Committee had been created by the Town of Middleboro when other municipalities were doing just that. Could you have saved 10%? 20%?

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And Steve, how about the Pathetic Town's Web Site (PTWS - a term coined by an anonymous admirer of the Town's IT Department)? Might that have reduced foot traffic and phone calls to the Town's offices were it user friendly? and in doing so, maybe allowed information to flow more smoothly? A cost savings, maybe?

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The Middleboro School Superintendent stood before the BOS last year and when reviewing his line item budget, said of energy costs that they couldn't be reduced. It's strange how that pronouncement changed.

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There were and are opportunities to save tax dollars. But let's follow Mr. Spataro, wait until the last minute when your options are exhausted, whine and do nothing.

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Bad government at its best!

Compression Obsession

A candidate for re-election to the Middleboro Board of Selectmen has one obsession: COMPRESSION. Whether the option is viable or not, his narrow focus has allowed him to remain silent when he has support other actions where money might have been saved.

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In this case, he was wrong both times.

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Posted on the PTWS -- in his own words -- after all of these years on the BOS, wouldn't you think he'd have a clue?

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[Of the discussion regarding hiring a new town accountant, the following are some of the comments]

EXECUTIVE SESSION
APRIL 9, 2007

Selectman Spataro asked about appointing Judy MacDonald as Acting Town Accountant.

Chairwoman Brunelle said this couldn’t be done as the positions are “checks and balances” for each other.

Selectman Spataro asked about appointing a Finance Officer.

Chairwoman Brunelle said you would still have to have a Town Accountant, Treasurer/Collector, and Assessor.

Selectman Spataro asked if it would cut out a layer of management.

EXECUTIVE SESSION
APRIL 25, 2007

Selectman Spataro noted that it was announced in open session that an Interim Fire Chief had been appointed.

Selectman Spataro clarified that it was legitimate to take the vote in executive session, but it just has to be announced in open session rather than taking another vote.

Misses The Point!

In March 2009, IT Director Roger Brunelle presented information about the plans to improve audio in the Selectmen's Meeting Room of the Town Hall. The IT Director, who seemed to have recently spent an inordinate amount of time researching solutions, has stymied previous attempts to improve or upgrade the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site).

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Brockton Enterprise reported --

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Residents who have complained for years of poor audio when attending selectmen’s meetings will find the volume turned up this summer after renovations are completed to the selectmen’s meeting room at Town Hall.

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This entire endeavor sorely misses the point!

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Millions of dollars were spent on Historical Town Hall renovations that created a too small Selectmen's Meeting Room, vast under-utilized auditorium space that is costly to heat yet rented at $50, for 12 town employees.

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Enter Mr. Brunelle with his wondrous proposal to add acoustical insulation that we would hope is not comparable to the Rhode Island Station nightclub insulation.

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Mr. Brunelle can't provide cost estimates and has missed the point. This is the same Mr. Brunelle: Middleboro's IT Department

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The Selectmen's Meeting Room is used by many other Town Departments and Committees. Should Mr. Brunelle move forward with his glorious plans, the BOS meetings might then be audible, but what of other users of that room? What of their access to equipment locked in a closet? Mr. Brunelle would have you believe that 'it won't cost the town anything because it's coming out of the cable fund,' but in fact, it's money that could be spent elsewhere.

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On Monday, April 13, 2009, the Selectmen's Meeting attracted an overflow crowd that were unable to be accommodated in the Meeting Room.

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With a vast Auditorium at its command, did the Middleboro BOS have the common decency to reconvene in the Auditorium that would have enabled the public to be seated? No!

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The overflow crowd stood in the hall, unable to hear the proceedings.

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Mrs. Duphily spoke in tribute of Victor Sylvia, raised funds for a scholarship in his name and proposed a garden in his memory.

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If Mrs. Duphily knew Victor Sylvia, she would have railed, as he would have about the failure to accommodate the overflow crowd with a vast auditorium located above the Selectmen's Meeting Room. Maybe she was too impressed with the admiration expressed by her "friends," the Town's proposed business partners, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Can't be bought with cheap gifts, huh?

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There were many Town issues upon which Vic and I disagreed, but the intent of the Open Meeting Law we shared.

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This is not the first BOS meeting to attract an overflow crowd and they are mostly predictable. Are we to expect more of the same shabby treatment of the public by a BOS that fails to utilize available space?

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Isn't it time something were done about the issue? In Victor's memory, I would hope so.

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Middleboro Green Committee

On January 30, 2009, I posted Middleboro Green Committee because so many had inquired about the 'Green Committee' that was initially posted in August 26, 2008 LINK and August 26, 2008 Press Release from PTWS.

During the February 23, 2009 Board of Selectmen's Meeting, Mr. Cristello announced the following candidates for the "Green Energy Committee" who were subsequently appointed --

1. Steve Bonfiglio

2. Charles Chace

3. James Cook

4. Julie Gould

5. Brian Kowalski

6. Joseph Ranahan

7. Jeff Stevens

As far as the candidates, I might offer the following of the few I am aware of --

Mr. Ranahan has LEEDs certification. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - definition)

Jeff Stevens has been involved in the alternative energy projects at the Soule Homestead projects, as well as energy efficiency with the public school system.

Steve Bonfiglio has constructed energy efficient homes and netzero homes for years.

That the process required August through February to accomplish when the applications were in the Town Manager's hands much earlier .... ???

That it required so much time for the Town Manager to act needs to be remembered to ascertain if this is a consistent pattern of management.

Middleboro has an abundance of untapped resources and talents within its boundaries.

For now, let's rally behind the Committee and attend the meetings and offer any assistance possible to move this process forward expeditiously. We're years behind other communities and need to catch up.

Being played for fools?

Sometimes, when you think you don't have the money to pay for an attorney, that's exactly the time to pay for an attorney well-versed in the applicable laws.

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1. Two Supreme Court decisions now appear to render Land Into Trust and Casino Shopping a non-issue. Would a discussion with an attorney well-versed in Constitutional Law, IGRA, IRA, Supreme Court decisions or comparable expertise be a wise investment?

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29 states signed on to the Hawaii decision. Somehow, 30 states supporting the case might negate any quick fix. Much the same as a Carcieri Fix.

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2. The land proposed for a Mega Casino Bingo Parlor in Middleboro is NOT owned by the "Tribe" that proposed to impose this Monster on the region. It's owned by casino investors.

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3. The Agreement the Tribe has or had with investors has an unknown expiration date at which time the Tribe must repay the investors' money. Their only asset? It seems to be land in Mashpee.

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4. The waters are rather murky about who planned to pay for the Middleboro Fiasco, but deep pocket investors Kerzner and Wolman, now divesting themselves in bankruptcy court of their Twin River money pit, seem none too credit worthy.

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Keep in mind that ANY development that includes 50,000 cars per day, mandates upgrades of "infrastructure" -- ROADS!

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SRPEDD offered information that hurt Middleboro's itty biddies.

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The Middleboro Agreement includes a provision that the "Tribe" (meaning casino investors) would pay for Route 44 upgrades. Although that's inadequate, what commercial venture would accept such terms in an economic downturn in which each of the pro-casino experts who testified at Senator Spilka's "educational forum" indicated that gambling is not as profitable as it once was? And some have said that Middleboro successfully shot itself in the foot and sacrificed a potential "shovel ready" project for some "pie in the sky" that evaporated with the SCOTUS decisions.

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Some have questioned if the "investors" pursued this location to prevent competition for the Twin River Money Pit. After all, those investors were generous in their campaign advertising to defeat a Rhode Island referendum and keep Harrah's out. And much the same was done in England.

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Some have even questioned why Middleboro never did an impact study.

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Someone say the "investors" were only paying the "planning fees" to keep competition out and pending a commercial venture.

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5. Apparently, no one has reviewed the BIA submission because rumor has it that it was grossly deficient and flawed.

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6. Someone questioned if spending $22 MILLION for water improvements to benefit the "Tribe" should be paid for by the "Tribe"

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And, yet the Middleboro Board of Selectmen, instead of gathering factual information, investing in legal expertise, continue to follow the Fool's Gold.

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True to form, Middleboro's very own Gavel Queen knows the facts:

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Selectwoman Marsha L. Brunelle said the selectmen gave the Resort Advisory Committee an extensive list of areas that needed to be addressed and a timeline.

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Marsha, could you point out where we could easily find the LIST on the PTWS (for the uninitiated, Pathetic Town Web Site that the Town Manager is supposedly working on)?

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All I've heard has convinced me It T'Ain't Comin'

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Plan all you want with other people's money, but do you think you could resolve the mess of the Zoning Regulations and Planning Regulations so that a readable copy is available for purchase and available online, just like other towns?

Rumor is ....

According to the terms of the Waste Management contract, the one not available on the PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site) if the Middleboro BOS was ever interested in transparency, the company paid for equipment that was left at the landfill when they assumed the management operations.

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Without a Public Records Request and payment of an inflated fee intended to discourage those requests, we may never know the details of the committee or the contract, but I digress.

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Waste Management paid for equipment, the details of which are not readily publicly available, and the money was used to purchase spanking new equipment for the DPW at Town Meeting, using the argument that the trucks/equipment were ancient.

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Rumor has it that a brand new dump truck was purchased. A brand new overly large snow plow was attached to that dump truck. Because the snow plow was too large for the frame of the dump truck, the frame was bent and the truck requires replacement at taxpayers' expense.

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Although it is commonly believed among the male population that their female counterparts are mechanically inept, I can only judge by my experience -- I purchased a vehicle and took it to someone to attach the appropriate snow plow for my purposes. While my needs differ from the heavy duty requirements of the DPW, this is not uncharted territory. Had the frame bent on my vehicle, whose fault would it have been?

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This raises a host of questions about who stipulated the specifications of the plow, among other things. Where was the oversight?

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Let's not whitewash this issue and expect Middleboro taxpayers to write a check before the answers are clear.

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And let's not accept Marsha Brunelle offering scripted excuses that fail to satisfy.

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Maybe the Middleboro BOS should be available to listen to taxpayer complaints and comments, even if the means Mrs. Brunelle making her email website address available to do so. Maybe Mrs. Duphily could allow Middleboro residents to email her as well, since her friends, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is already doing so.

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Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

Marsha Brunelle, the Gavel Queen, who stifled all pubic comments when she was Chairman of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen, lashed out at a PRIVATE CITIZEN that he should get copies of the tapes of the Selectmen's Meetings when she said she was Sick and Tired of This Crap ---

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but if you didn't watch tonight's meeting, you might not know that the TAPES Marsha thought were public record just aren't so available.

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On January 12, 2009, Mark Bellanger presented information regarding the CPA (Community Preservation Act) to the Middleboro Board of Selectmen.

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The Meeting Minutes are available on the Town's PTWS (Pathetic Town Web Site).

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Marsha Brunelle emphatically stated that the Town had voted at Town Meeting to have legislation passed by the state that would allow the Town to segregate Chapter 61 funds for the purpose of purchasing Open Space and those funds had been set aside.

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If you read the meeting minutes, you couldn't prove it.

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At tonight's meeting, a letter was read from Senator Pacheco indicating that the legislation was NOT passed for various reasons.

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Looks like Marsha Brunelle is wrong again. Or maybe I'm wrong.

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But you can't prove it by the meeting minutes that are vague or the video tapes that are unavailable.

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Is anyone watching? Do you think this is how town government is supposed to work?