Selectmen Debate Whether They Can Be on Other Boards
The issue could be placed on the agenda for the town meeting in June.
Seekonk's special town meeting within a town meeting in June dedicated to the senior center bond measure could include a second item. Three selectmen on Wednesday said they supported adding a proposal for prohibiting selectmen from serving on other town boards unless the panel was in danger of not having enough people to meet a quorum.
A decision whether to add the item to the agenda was delayed to next week at the request of Selectman Gary Sagar, who said he needed more time to think about it. However, unless supporters Francis Cavaco, Dave Parker and Bill Rice change their minds, there are enough votes to get the measure on the agenda regardless of what Sagar decides.
Parker proposed the item because of criticism the BOS received last fall when Cavaco and Selectman Bob McLintock were appointed to fill vacancies on the Board of Health. This led to the resignation of two other BOH members.
"Obviously, there are quite a few people in town who feel we should not be appointing ourselves to boards," Parker said. "So my thought is instead of arguing how we feel about it, why don't we just put it on town meeting and find out how they feel about it."
McLintock said he disagreed with the proposal because it is the BOS' duty "to deal" with problems of boards that report to the selectmen.
"I think this is a big mistake and I think it takes the power away from the people who have already voted all of us in here to do the job that they expect us to do," McLintock said. "They should at least give us the credit that we're going to do the right thing or try to do the right thing in most cases, which is sometimes almost impossible sitting on these boards."
Cavaco has resigned from the BOH, but McLintock is still a member. Sagar sits on the Zoning Board of Appeals. The selectmen are expected to vote on Cavaco's BOH replacement next week.
DATE OF MEETING UNCERTAIN
The town meeting will take place either June 11 or June 18. It had been scheduled for June 25. School district Superintendent Madeline Meyer requested on Wednesday that the date be changed because teacher layoffs could be approved at the meeting, and she wanted those people to know about whether they would have jobs in the fall closer to the end of this school year, which is June 18.
The date will be set next week after it is determined whether a venue is available to have the session on June 11.
The selectmen voted 3-2 to change the start time of the meeting from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. Those in favor of the shift said it would be good to get the session started earlier since it usually goes late into the night. Parker, who voted against the proposal along with Cavaco, said it could reduce attendance because people who do not get out of work until the 5 p.m. hour would have a difficult time getting to the meeting.
Seekonk Town Moderator Michelle Hines told the board she was against the time change for the same reason that Parker opposed it.
The selectmen voted last week to place the senior center measure on the agenda for a special town meeting that will take place immediately prior to the regular meeting. Parker requested this week that the proposal to limit appointments of selectmen be added to the special meeting's agenda. Other items could also be on the agenda next week, when it is expected to be finalized. This bothered McLintock.
"The reason for a special town meeting is to address the issue we're going to be addressing," he said. "To have a bunch of other warrant articles thrown in on top of this thing doesn't make any sense. That's what the [regular] town meeting is for."
deb of see-attleboro
2:04 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
What purpose is a by-law prohibiting a selectman from serving on another board going to serve if it is not absolute? The BOS can simply allow other boards to dwindle below quorum and VOILA!! Mr Parker's proposal is a paper tiger.
Here is a proposal with teeth. If the BOS can not recruit enough members to meet a quorum through the standard means of enlistment, they must advertise more aggressively until the positions are filled....even if it costs the town.
Even better...take the money out of the selectmen's stipends:)
In all seriousness, the Town Moderator hit the nail on the head. Just do what's right. It may be perfectly legal to serve on more than one board, but that does not mean it is ethical or practical.
Two able bodied, intelligent men approached the board willing to serve. Be "gatherers of people". Stop discouraging participation. IMO, Mr Mclintock's heart may be in the right place, but he's got this all wrong.
Carol Bragg
5:39 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Deb: You're right, of course. It's become the practice of some Selectmen to berate and threaten members of Boards, in an active effort to get them to bend to their will or resign. And, as some of us have experienced, we can submit Talent Bank forms, watch as they're put into the folder in the Town Administrator's office, and then VOILA! they can't be found and someone one of the Selectmen has personally recruited is appointed. When this happened to me, I asked the Town Moderator to appoint me to the Capital Improvement Committee and did all the research and wrote the RFP for the townwide facility study. When I sought reappointment as SRPEDD (regional planning agency) representative, I was asked by someone who has served well in excess of a dozen years as Seekonk rep to Tri-County Regional Vocational School whether I believe in term limits. I'd been the SRPEDD rep for 4 years. The appointments, at least in some cases, are based on politics not merit.
deb of see-attleboro
1:25 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
I always wondered what happened to those talent bank forms.
How about this, then. Why not require a log be kept of all citizens who have submitted a talent bank form. And to further prevent any hocus pocus, the names must be read publicly so these individuals can be recognized and thanked for stepping up to the plate. Maybe post their names on the website and scroll on the town channel.
I think it is the very least we could do to show our appreciation and it would be of no cost to the taxpayer.
paul
4:22 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
I 2nd that.
gd
9:56 am on Thursday, May 3, 2012
deb...good idea and nice way of keeping things above board....no pun intended.
deb of see-attleboro
11:46 am on Thursday, May 3, 2012
Thanks, Ginger and paul.
The discussion continued last night regarding Mr Parker's original suggestion. A sufficient petition was turned in. There was some debate. Mostly I think Mr Mclintock and Mr Sagar were grasping at straws. The bottom line (I think) is that the petitioners will see their article on the special town meeting warrant in June. IMO this is unfortunate. Hopefully, wisdom will prevail and the BOS collectively will vote to not recommend the article. I think an administrative policy would make far more sense.
Mr Saad made a great point. He said Mr Mclintock was appointed temporarily to this seat. It was not an appointment to serve out a term. If true, the entire board, but especially Mr Mclintock, could be committing serious ethic violations.
Nelson Almeida was appointed to the rec committee but did say he would commit to the BOH, as well.
If what Mr Saad said is true, (and it makes perfect sense), the board must vote either up or down on appointing Mr Almeida to the BOH. To do anything less, IMO, is an serious abuse of power.
William Rice
4:09 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Sorry I missed this post...it was my idea from the beginning. Mr. Parker only got involved because it was on the agenda and I had to be out of town. He liked the idea of doing it so took it over. Then, when the rubber hit the road he backed Mr.Sagar for appointment as ZBA Alternate. That translates to:
he is a board member and is an active ZBA member when ever another regular member is not present and Mr. Gruorke asks him to serve. I made all of these comments to Mr. Sagar and the board at the appropriate time. It's no surprise to anyone.
deb of see-attleboro
8:23 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
You've given me alot to think about today, Bill. I hope all is well.