What's with all the sloppy practices? As mayor, Drew also set forth an official rule that all committees were to meet after 7 pm so that members of the working public could better attend. Many committees, such as Design Review & Historic Preservation (DRHP) meet much earlier in the day violating the decree. Harbor Review hasn't met in months, despite recent attention to riverfront redevelopment. Redevelopment Agency & the Riverfront Redevelopment Committee have taken several months of hiatus for unknown reasons, much to the disadvantage of the public. Here is a link to the yearly meeting schedule of the Riverfront Comm. which basically says it will meet when "needed" which from the looks of it means never. DRHP and others are permitted to operate outside of Robert's rules, issue rulings without legal quorums, and don't keep accurate meeting minutes. Speaking of representation, Mayor Drew often names committees "task forces" to attempt to thwart the state statutes of minority representation- 'ala the Task Force on Government Efficiency. Try getting meeting minutes, schedules or agenda's from the City's website and one will find many committee's minutes are several YEARS out of date. Despite the progress to decommission the City sewage plant and allow new development of the riverfront, the Riverfront Comm., according to the city website last met in May 2014- almost a year ago. As McClellan points out, the last minutes for Redevelopment Agency are from 2011! Who knows what meets when or what goes on!
Unfortunately this thwarting of the law is nothing new. McClellan has been attempting since 2013 to get accurate committee lists directly from city hall and he hasn't been the only one . Also, in a 2013 via an official FOI request filed with the Town Clerk MRTC Vice Chair William Wilson tried to obtain list of vacant committee seats & active members from Norwood whom indicated to Wilson the lists of committee members could not be provided because they "did not exist." Wilson's FOI letter can be read here.
Website Members
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March 15 Meeting Minute Members
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Kate Miller(Chair) (D)
Sheila Stoane(Vice-Chair) (U, Former D) Liv Baker Jane Brawerman (D) Ellen Lukens (I) Steven Ladd (D) Lee Sawyer Jonathan Morris Joan Liska (I) Diane McGrath Vacancy David O'Brien (alternate) (D) Vacancy(alternate) Vacancy (alternate) |
Chairperson Kate Miller (19)
Vice-Chair Jonathan Morris (17)
Shelia Stoane (16)
Diane McGrath (17)
Steven Ladd (16)
Jane Brawerman (19)
Joan Liska (20)
Lee Sawyer(17)
Liv Baker (16)
Eric Mosher (15)
Ellen Lukens (17)
Alternate: Michael Singer (16)
Alternate: David O’Brien (19)
Alternate: Vacancy (16)
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Website Members
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March 15 Meeting Minute Members
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Deborah Kleckowski (Common Council Seat)
Grady Faulkner (Common Council Seat) John Rumberger (Middletown Housing Authority Seat) Vincent Szynkowicz (Planning and Zoning Commission Seat) Robert Blanchard (At-Large Seat) Linda Szynkowicz (At-Large Seat) Ronnie Bantum (Low/Moderate Income Seat) Harvey Cushing (Elderly Seat) Richard Pelletier (Disabled Seat) Sean King (Westfield Seat- Census Tract 5412, 5413, 5414) Jessica Broderick (Westfield Seat- Census Tract 5412, 5413, 5414) Pat Murray (Downtown Seat- Census Tract 5411, 5415, 5416, 5417) Karlene Duplessis (Downtown Seat- Census Tract 5411, 5415, 5416, 5417) Howard Reid (South Farms Seat -Census Tracts 5418, 5419, 5420, 5421, 5422) Susan Owens (South Farms Seat- Census Tract 5418, 5419, 5420, 5421, 5422) |
D Kleckowski
G Faulkner
R Rumberger
V Szynkowicz
R Blanchard
L Szynkowicz
R Bantum
H Cushing
R. Pelletier
S King
J Broderick
K Duplesis
H Reid
S Owens
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Good letter, Ken. Did this get to the Middletown Press or WMRD? Didn't see or hear it, but could have missed it, though.
ReplyDeleteThere was no action on the part of the mayor to appoint anyone to the five vacant positions on the IWWA at tonight's counsel meeting.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor has indicated that there were several persons interested in being appointed.
We public citizens are held to the letter of the law and ignorance of it is no excuse or defense. The city government and those that have judicial power over us should be held to the same standard or even a higher one. It would be expected in a position to affect our lives with there decisions, know the laws and how to apply them in carrying out their duties. I am confident that Mayor Drew will step up to the plate and appoint commissioners to all the vacant seats in our great city. It is time to fix all the sloppy book keeping and get our city into compliance with all the city, state and federal laws.
ReplyDeleteMayor Drew knew about the vacancies all along, it is just insignificant to him. He is more worried about how he is going to explain the $10-$20 million dollar shortfall for the sewer project to the taxpayers and still get re-elected this fall.
ReplyDeleteLet us see if he even says anything to the taxpayers about this huge problem before election day.
A-3 You have more confidence that do I.
ReplyDeleteI did send a copy to the Middletown Press and the Hartford Courant. Not to WMRD. If you have a contact, feel free to forward the information, or post the contact info and I'll send it.
ReplyDeleteKen McClellan