The meeting:
The Select Board meeting lasted just under 30 minutes. The only speaker was Michael Canales. He reported on “project updates” — projects he oversees including Tuckerman Bridge and the Children’s Chime Tower.
It appeared the Chair asked a question, but it was inaudible. Patrick White made a comment about carpenter ants in the Chime Tower. Jorja Marsden asked a question about the historic Tuckerman Bridge.
The approved process:
Unless it is on the agenda, no discussion is entertained. Public comment is the designation for an agenda underpinning the right of the people to introduce any topic, idea, complaint, comment, or compliment to the SB even if it is not on the agenda.
The Chair, the Town Administrator, or the two in concert, draw up the agenda. So, if the Chair and Town Administrator create the agenda, and public comment is not on the agenda, then neither the Chair nor the Town Administrator wants public comment.
Now that’s odd because other boards and committees in our Town open the agenda to public comment. Boards, committees, and commissions in other Towns all have public comment.
The reaction:
As one gentleman was walking out, he said, “Well, that was anticlimactic.”
There were 28 people present on Zoom, and 21 present in the room. Forty-nine attendees is impressive when we consider that the usual attendance at an SB meeting is often limited to those who have business with the SB perhaps as few as three people.
The anticlimax was that a large number of folks came to speak and then…nothing. Okay so it is clear those in control did not want to hear from us. What if we want to be heard?
At a previous meeting, Chuck Cardillo told an attendee to hush because “this is a Select Board decision.” What if we think the SB should take our comments into account when deciding?
Was it a waste of time for forty nine people to attend? Nope. They sat as witnesses to a decision of our representatives. They sat as a reminder that the SB is meant to represent them.
The Law
The Massachusetts Declaration of Rights grants the people of the Commonwealth the right to redress grievances. It codifies the people’s inherent right to hold their elected officials accountable.
What’s next?
Those who wish to have public comment on the SB agenda can simply request that the Chair place it on the agenda. It is also true that both a former Select Board member, and an aspiring Select Board member reported that they asked for items to be placed on the agenda and were ignored.
If a request does not work, those who want to speak to their representatives during an SB meeting can start a petition that proposes public comment be a mandatory part of SB meetings.
If that is unsuccessful, then the people could holding a meeting specifically for public comments. What’s on your mind? The citizens can provide a date, a time, a place, and space –citizens can provide the ideas, thoughts, comments, compliments, and concerns — the citizens can invite the representatives.
We do have the right — sometimes we just have to fight for the right — just a little or a lot.
In closing
I was told that I would be next to be under attack. I hope that is not true both for me and for the Town I love.
I do worry that there is a pattern of character assassination in our country against anyone who even appears to criticize and I hope that no one in our Town adopts it as a tactic. It is part of the new politics and not the best part. In fact, it is the part that is hurting all of us everywhere in this great country. I ask, please refrain.
