Tuftonboro selectmen disallow public comment at meetings

[Rusty]

Tuftonboro selectmen disallow public comment at meetings

By DAN SEUFERT Union Leader Correspondent

TUFTONBORO — In response to challenges from two members of the Budget Committee, selectmen have disallowed any public input “for the time being” at their public meetings, and have threatened to have anyone who violates the rule arrested, a move the town’s lawyer says is completely legal.

At their meeting Monday night, Selectmen Chairman Dan Duffy made it known that selectmen will not accept public input at their meetings.
He announced “the board’s new policy” as Budget Committee member Steve Brinser was trying to air a grievance about information that he felt was omitted from this year’s town report.

For the time being, we have, as a group, decided to act because there are some people who are mudslingers, who are anti-anything in this town,” Duffy said on Tuesday.

“We have received a legal opinion that the meetings are our meetings, and we can hold them as we wish, as long as we give proper notice as to whether public input will be allowed.

In the past, we have always allowed public input at our meetings, but when they started backstabbing, we had to do something,” Duffy said.Brinser and Budget Committee member Bob McWhirter are furious.

Both acknowledge the legality of the move, but neither thinks it is necessary.“I’m not going to let people (smear) my name in public,” Brinser said. “And when you discourage any kind of internal discussion, look what happens.”McWhirter agreed, and said much of what is occurring goes back a year, when he was blamed by selectmen for the failure at Town Meeting of a new town library project.

Duffy said McWhirter is still angry because of the town’s termination of his wife’s job as a worker in the town offices.McWhirter said he could not discuss his wife’s situation with the town. “But (the selectmen) have blamed me for the library not passing,” he said.“In spite of what legal cover they may have, I don’t think it was the right way to get things done and to heal old wounds,” McWhirter said.

The town’s attorney, Richard D. Sager of Ossipee, said he has researched the state’s right-to-know law, and found very little about public input at selectmen’s meetings.“The right-to-know law doesn’t really say anything about public input,” he said. “If the meeting is not noticed as having public input, the public does not have a right under right-to-know to say a damn thing at a meeting.”

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150415/NEWS0606/150419517

[MAXUM]

Tuftonboro selectmen disallow public comment at meetings

By DAN SEUFERT Union Leader Correspondent

TUFTONBORO — In response to challenges from two members of the Budget Committee, selectmen have disallowed any public input “for the time being” at their public meetings, and have threatened to have anyone who violates the rule arrested, a move the town’s lawyer says is completely legal.

At their meeting Monday night, Selectmen Chairman Dan Duffy made it known that selectmen will not accept public input at their meetings.
He announced “the board’s new policy” as Budget Committee member Steve Brinser was trying to air a grievance about information that he felt was omitted from this year’s town report.

For the time being, we have, as a group, decided to act because there are some people who are mudslingers, who are anti-anything in this town,” Duffy said on Tuesday.

“We have received a legal opinion that the meetings are our meetings, and we can hold them as we wish, as long as we give proper notice as to whether public input will be allowed.

In the past, we have always allowed public input at our meetings, but when they started backstabbing, we had to do something,” Duffy said.Brinser and Budget Committee member Bob McWhirter are furious.

Both acknowledge the legality of the move, but neither thinks it is necessary.“I’m not going to let people (smear) my name in public,” Brinser said. “And when you discourage any kind of internal discussion, look what happens.”McWhirter agreed, and said much of what is occurring goes back a year, when he was blamed by selectmen for the failure at Town Meeting of a new town library project.

Duffy said McWhirter is still angry because of the town’s termination of his wife’s job as a worker in the town offices.McWhirter said he could not discuss his wife’s situation with the town. “But (the selectmen) have blamed me for the library not passing,” he said.“In spite of what legal cover they may have, I don’t think it was the right way to get things done and to heal old wounds,” McWhirter said.

The town’s attorney, Richard D. Sager of Ossipee, said he has researched the state’s right-to-know law, and found very little about public input at selectmen’s meetings.“The right-to-know law doesn’t really say anything about public input,” he said. “If the meeting is not noticed as having public input, the public does not have a right under right-to-know to say a damn thing at a meeting.”

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150415/NEWS0606/150419517

It's absolutely amazing to me the arrogance of people elected to office. So just because the budget committee doesn't want to hear from the "anti everything" crowd, everyone is now unable to attend and say a thing. WOW really? This is what our country has turned into?

What the budget committee should do is instead of cutting off all public comment which is completely irresponsible and just going to piss people off, they should have done this, allow public comment but put VERY strict limits in place as to the length of time for each person with the option to extend such comment time IF and only IF the discussion is relevant and civil.

These people have to understand they are public servants not royalty. If they are incapable of controlling a town meeting and maybe take some criticism along the way then maybe they need to reconsider their choice of being on the committee. Squelching public comments is not the way to fix this problem.

As much as I would love to shut up those that may disagree with my political philosophy or way of thinking, in the end this is a free country or at least I thought it was, and as such everyone should have the ability to speak their mind so long as what they are saying is constructive and relevant to the topics being discussed.

[upthesaukee]

Maxum, I think you misread the article. It is the Board of Selectmen that is not including Public Comment at their meetings, angering two members of the Budget Committee who want to speak at the BOS meetings.

[MDoug]

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely-- Lord Acton

[Tired of Waiting]

Maxum, I think you misread the article. It is the Board of Selectmen that is not including Public Comment at their meetings, angering two members of the Budget Committee who want to speak at the BOS meetings.

Ups,


You can't say that!! Maxum has rule that you can't disagree with him or correct his post in this forum!!


So There. The royal one "Maxum the Great" has spoken:D

However being a brave one my self,,, Maxum it was the BOS not the Finance Committee that made the rule.


Now we are both in trouble Up's


ToW

[tis]

Sounds familiar doesn't it???!! What is with these selectmen from all these towns? As said, it must be they are all on a power trip.

In Tuftonboro it is not just the budget committee members who are unhappy but quite a few others.

[DickR]

One can't but help thinking that wanting to exclude public input from a committee's meeting is to avoid just the sort of abuse evident a while ago in Alton. Non-constructive commentary by the politically disgruntled can be very disruptive. Perhaps one solution would be to have periodic "public input" meetings having that as the sole agenda item. There is a proper forum for almost anything.

[MAXUM]

Maxum, I think you misread the article. It is the Board of Selectmen that is not including Public Comment at their meetings, angering two members of the Budget Committee who want to speak at the BOS meetings.

OK I stand corrected, what ever committee or board or meeting, to eliminate any interaction with the public, including allowing comments to be made just doesn't seem right. Doesn't take away from the merit of what I said these people work for and at the discretion of the tax payers, not the other way around.

At least they didn't move it behind closed doors, I'm sure that'll be next.

Hey TOW way to stir the pot!

[SIKSUKR]

You're out of order! You're out of order! You're out of order and You're out of order:laugh:!

[Diver1111]

Plan B: Go to the meeting with no intention of speaking but, bring a quality video camera, mount it on tripod for easy filming, turn it on to record audio and video, and don't say a thing the entire time.

Then post the video to YouTube.

[Merrymeeting]

https://youtu.be/BofddwtPBPw

https://youtu.be/kW4zHE0adc0 (last 5 seconds)

[jetlag100]

And then sometime down the road there's always that question I find myself asking, who made this crap up? People need to stand up to this sort of crazy BS. If the meeting is solely for selectmen, then so be it...they need to define the terms..

[upthesaukee]

...stating the business you want to conduct and ask to placed on the meeting agenda.

If they decline, publish your letter and their response in the local newspaper.

If enough people do this, and act in a responsible manner, the Board will have to either respond in like manner (responsibly) , or they will be voted out.

Bottom line for me is that citizens and elected officials need to act with total civility in their dealings with each. This seems to be a lost form of behavior in our society at times.:(

[chattypatty]

I agree that banning all public input is not called for, however I kind of understand where they are coming from. It seems that these days, no one sticks to the issue at hand or simply states their case, they begin slinging the mud and name calling. It gets so personal. Look at the lawmakers in another country we saw on tv a few months back, either throwing shoes at one another or breaking out into an all out brawl. Some civility would be welcomed at these meetings.

[Patiently Watching]

Unreal - i cannot believe it will take a lawsuit to clean things up in Tuftonboro.

Town is really going downhill... Very sad

[secondcurve]

I agree that banning all public input is not called for, however I kind of understand where they are coming from. It seems that these days, no one sticks to the issue at hand or simply states their case, they begin slinging the mud and name calling. It gets so personal. Look at the lawmakers in another country we saw on tv a few months back, either throwing shoes at one another or breaking out into an all out brawl. Some civility would be welcomed at these meetings.

I believe the issue is that selectman Duffy led the charge to build a new library three times and it failed THREE times in a row at the ballot box. Now he is attempting to stamp out the opposition. I have seen children behave better than this guy.

[secondcurve]

It's absolutely amazing to me the arrogance of people elected to office. So just because the budget committee doesn't want to hear from the "anti everything" crowd, everyone is now unable to attend and say a thing. WOW really? This is what our country has turned into?

What the budget committee should do is instead of cutting off all public comment which is completely irresponsible and just going to piss people off, they should have done this, allow public comment but put VERY strict limits in place as to the length of time for each person with the option to extend such comment time IF and only IF the discussion is relevant and civil.

These people have to understand they are public servants not royalty. If they are incapable of controlling a town meeting and maybe take some criticism along the way then maybe they need to reconsider their choice of being on the committee. Squelching public comments is not the way to fix this problem.

As much as I would love to shut up those that may disagree with my political philosophy or way of thinking, in the end this is a free country or at least I thought it was, and as such everyone should have the ability to speak their mind so long as what they are saying is constructive and relevant to the topics being discussed.

Maximum you and I think a like. Unfortunately, this sore loser has decided to take his ball home so no one can play the game. Childish and pathetic.

[tis]

I believe the issue is that selectman Duffy led the charge to build a new library three times and it failed THREE times in a row at the ballot box. Now he is attempting to stamp out the opposition. I have seen children behave better than this guy.


From what I am hearing, you are right. That and the fact the selectmen did not want the people to know the true cost of operating the library and didn't include it before the vote.

[Tired of Waiting]

OK I stand corrected,

Hey TOW way to stir the pot!

Maxum,

Don't know what got into me that morning but the devil or should I say "witch" made me do it. She just handed me the stick and made me stir it up!:D

But no matter you are right on the head of the nail. Our elected officials are so thin skinned and think they are so far above the rest of us it is sickening.

Not a good thing for our local and national well being.


ToW