Tuftonboro selectmen disallow public comment at meetings

Rusty · 04-15-2015, 07:33 AM

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/2...0606/150419517

04-15-2015, 07:33 AM	#1
Rusty Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 2,028 Thanks: 603 Thanked 687 Times in 425 Posts	Tuftonboro selectmen disallow public comment at meetings 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/2...0606/150419517 __________________ It's never crowded along the extra mile.