Changes Needed In Lisbon

IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP IN LISBON? 

You decide after reading the following.

I have been attending Town Council meetings and have watched and listened to the Town of Lisbon, (Town Manager, Steve Eldridge) vs. Reginald Thiboutot saga. For those who have not been following the tale, Mr. Thiboutot owns a building on what was Western Avenue, now Village Street, in Lisbon. His land is adjacent to the Lisbon Fire Department building. The Town, at some time in the past closed the portion of Western Avenue from Village Street to Franklin Street, Mr. Thiboutot’s property is on that portion, and added onto the Lisbon Fire Department building. Some say that portion of Western Avenue was closed illegally, some say it was closed legally. That is beside the point. Mr. Thiboutot was having health problems and was not living in the home for a time. During the time the building was vacant the town plowed snow up onto the front of the home. The packed snow prevented run-off and this, plus melting snow, created numerous problems to the building. Also during that time the building was vandalized, windows were broken allowing rain into the building and causing further damage.

Now comes the Town of Lisbon, hiring a licensed engineer to evaluate the building, even though the town has a licensed engineer on the payroll, and sending Mr. Thiboutot letters stating that the building is unsafe and immediate repairs must be made. Mr. Thiboutot did begin making repairs to the building, including putting in a foundation and replacing broken windows. But the letters still came; requiring further work or the building would be condemned. The more work he did, the more the town requested. Why? So the Town could have a nice little bunkhouse for firefighters? All the bills sent to Mr. Thiboutot have been non-itemized bills for lawyer’s fees, for 3 engineer inspections. Bills that have added up to over $8,000! Bills the Town Manager says must be paid or the Town will foreclose. Mr. Thiboutot says he will pay what he owes, and has for more than 6 months requested an itemized bill for lawyers services which the town has failed to do. Note: All attorney fees have to be itemized for billing. Non-itemized bills for lawyer’s fees, for 4 engineer inspections; bills that have added up to over $8,000! Bills the Town Manager says must be paid or the Town will foreclose on it for unpaid bills. Mr. Thiboutot says he will pay what he owes, and has, for more than 6 months, requested an itemized bill for lawyers services. Mr. Thiboutot said he would pay for his own engineering inspection, but NOT the towns. The Town of Lisbon is also sending water and sewer bills to Mr. Thiboutot’s mother, who no longer owns the property, even though there is no water or sewer into or out of the building. No bathroom fixtures or kitchen sink.

You think that maybe the building could have been made unsafe due to the snow plowed up to the building causing sills to rot, and due to vandalism, right on Village Street, next to the fire station where firefighters meet and our police supposedly frequently drive by or sit in parked cruisers at night watching for speeding vehicles or motor violations? Mr. Thiboutot has put up a fence numerous times to keep vandals out, only to have it torn down. All on our police departments watch.

When asked at a recent Town Council meeting, Mr. Eldridge said he has two employees working on the bill. How sad! With the Town’s state-of-the-art computer system it should not take one employee more than a few days to compile the information and send an itemized bill for attorney fees to Mr. Thiboutot!

It makes one wonder why all the stalling on the part of the Town? It is no secret that the Town of Lisbon wants Mr. Thiboutot’s property. The land is 50 X 100 feet, with 50 foot frontage on Village Street, and as said previously, adjacent to the fire station. The town has the land assessed at $15,550, and the building at $15,810, for a total assessment of $31,360.

Mr. Thiboutot has filed a Civil Suit against the Town of Lisbon for illegally taking his property and for not supplying him with the proper bills in a reasonable time.

With attorney fees to date at almost $9,000, and the prospect of going to court, take a guess at what attorney fees will be when this is all said and done? This is taxpayer’s money. Yours and mine! The only ones who will win are the lawyers. The solution as I see it is so simple. Why does the town not make an offer to purchase the property from Mr. Thiboutot? This would be a win, win for all concerned, for Mr. Thiboutot, for the Town of Lisbon, and especially for the taxpayers, considering the prospect of more attorney and court fees.

If I were Mr. Reginald Thiboutot I would take this all the way to the Supreme Court and make a laughing stock of Town Manager Steve Eldridge, the Town Council and the Town of Lisbon.

Your thoughts please? And to contact Town Manager Steve Eldridge with comments, call Town Office at 353-3000, extension 104.

Dot Fitzgerald

A Very Concerned Lisbon Citizen