Here is a selection of the committee and board meetings for the week along with my selected highlights from the agendas. All these meetings are open to the public, so you’re welcome to stop on by.
Be aware that changes to the meeting schedule are known to happen throughout the week. For an updated list of meetings, visit the town website.
Monday, July 16, 2018
- Recreation Commission, 3:30 pm@ Recreation Building, South Union Building, 21 Highland Street (agenda) Agenda Highlights: BOS Meeting prep – Project Updates, Capital Planning, and Rec Director position; field dedications
- Historical Commission, 7:00 pm @ Historical Society Museum, 25 Common Street (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Vote rules and regs for Demolition Delay Bylaw
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
- Board of Trustees Southborough Library, 6:00 pm @ Southborough Library, Ella Eaton Room, 25 Main Street (agenda)
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee, 6:15 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda)
- Southborough Trails Committee, 6:30 pm (agenda)
- Board of Selectmen, 6:30 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda with packet) Agenda Highlights: Updates from Youth Commission and Recreation; Discuss release of 2016 e-mail from former Selectman John Rooney under Attorney General’s decision; Review committee charges for Golf Course CR and Main St Reconstruction; Review of Fayville Hall Disposition RFP response; Approve and execute Halloran property Purchase and Sale Agreement
- Recreation Commission, 7:00 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Joint meeting with BOS to present project updates and capital planning
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
- Southborough Housing Authority, 6:30 pm @ Colonial Gardens, 49 Boston Rd (agenda)
The Attorney General’s decision can be found on the AG OML determinations page:
https://massago.onbaseonline.com/Massago/1700PublicAccess2/OML.htm
Importantly, this is the third “guilty” determination over the past 3 years.
Now, generally speaking, this Town and this Town Counsel must STOP defending the wrong side of the equation. STOP! Stop using taxpayer money to pay for legal services (OUR MONEY!!) to defend legally untenable positions. From now on, start REMOVING and PROSECUTING appointees who have broken the law and disqualified themselves from public positions by breaking Open Meeting Law and State Ethics Laws.
This is not the first time for violations. See the following article:
Southboro selectmen cited for Open Meeting Law violation
http://www.telegram.com/article/20151109/NEWS/151109230
Why doesn’t the BOS packet include a copy of the Attorney General’s decision? Shouldn’t it include the decision regarding Mr. Rooney? Also, shouldn’t the packet include the initial instructions from the state in January 2016 to Mr. Rooney to recuse himself? In other words, why did the State instruct him to not participate?
Why didn’t the town release this email and decision together at the LAST BOS meeting on June 21st? The Town was notified on June 12th! In the meantime, the public has no idea. However, appointments take place to Advisory on June 27th, with Mr. Rooney put on the committee by Mr. Cimino? And in a town that is starved for qualified volunteers, several are removed by Mr. Cimino! This makes no sense whatsoever. Sounds like a back room deal and wrong politicizing of this matter to me!
Here’s the Sobo strategy for getting ahead without being honest. Remove all and every person who has ever told the truth, who looked to work for the town, not the town working for them. Gather all your cronies, brother in laws, sisters, or any other former attorney five time felon (who wants to be ZBA Chair), and anyone else brought before the state ethics board and or the Attorney General’s office on charges. Appoint every crumb you can drag in to sit and make unlawful decisions that will hurt the taxpayers. Make sure you stifle public opinion at all cost. Keep the police in the back of the room in case any knowledgeable taxpayer speaks up and tries to express an opposing opinion, point out errors of procedure and/or law and needs to be apprehended, hog tied and literally dragged out of the town hall.
Qualifications ? Can you do any of the following?
Defraud the town of permits and approvals?
Have ability to read in low light (i.e. darkened back rooms)?
Talk out of both sides of your mouth (especially on legal matters)?
Make sure you do not fill out ANY Conflict of Interest Forms— at least not until the permit has been granted and the jig is up.
Can you have midnight movers on call after the permit has been granted for a quick getaway?
Although you may find this comical, it isn’t. Time for Special Town Meeting in the fall. Does October 10th work for everyone?
Cannot stress enough that those who serve in public positions or are town employees CANNOT break state law. No matter what.
Those who have conflicts of interest must recuse themselves. There must be meaningful policing of conflicts, interviewing in the first instance. There must be meaningful deterrence and consequences for breaking state ethics laws and Open Meeting Law (and any other misconduct). Period.
Town government must be clean and fair. There must be fair play for all.
Regarding Fayville Hall, this situation is a disgrace and a mess. The TAXPAYERS own this property! They are entitled to receive fair market value. Implicit in the definition of market value is proper, professional marketing to the marketplace. This does NOT mean a couple of one time newspaper ads.
The Town MUST properly and professionally market this property. This can be done via MLS and a professional realty group (interview three and pick one) or via a well advertised public auction. This is standard professional practice for goodness sake!
This property is worth more than $5,000 ! This is outrageous. This is not about sentimentality or even subsidized housing (because any units barely move the meter). The reason the pricing came back so low is because it was not professionally or widely marketed! This is not amateur hour. The BOS must maximize the pricing and disposal of this asset. This is the BOS’s legal and fiduciary duty owed to the owners of this asset: the taxpayers.