January 5, 2010 Town Council Meeting‏

Well folks,

 I am done with my seasonal, part-time job at LL Bean so, for
what it's worth,  am back attending town Council meetings.

As the meetings no longer seem to be important enough to be published in the
Lewiston Sun Journal, for what it's worth, I will attempt to recap the
Tuesday January 5, 2010 Town Council Meeting.

The meeting was called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of
the United States of America.

Present were Council members Roger Cote, Dale Crafts, Fern Larochelle, Mark
Lunt, Gina Mason, Lori Pomelow, and Chairperson Michael Bowie. A few Town of
Lisbon citizens were also present, in the audience.
The Town Clerk reading of the meeting rules was suspended.

3. PUBLIC HEARING
    There was none

4. CONSENT AGENDA
    2010-1 Order. A. Minutes of the December 1, 2009 meeting was approved on
a 7-0 vote.

5. COUNCIL ORDERS, RESOLUTIONS & ORDINANCES
    2010-2 - CMP Street Light Addition for Capital Ave., Littlefield
    Road, and King Road.

A Capital Avenue (Maine Recycling) business has requested a street light for employee parking,
and some Littlefield/King Road citizens requested that a street light be
placed at that intersection. Both requests are for safety reasons.

There was considerable discussion as to if we can afford more street lights,
who owns the lights, CMP or the Town. There have been discussions at
previous meets concerning the number of street lights there are in town, are
they all necessary, wattage, the cost of operating said lights. Town Manager
Eldridge said he has a map showing all Town street lights. A copy is
available for Council members. 

Councilor Crafts suggested members drive to
Littlefield/King Road after the meeting to see if a light at that
intersection is necessary. Town Manager Eldridge said the Town Engineer and
Chief Brooks will be meeting to discuss if all are necessary and if some can
be eliminated.

This will be tabled until the January 19, 2010 meeting  so they can be
looked into further.

  2010-3 Order - Town Office insulation bids.
Two bids have been received. There is a difference of $400, but one company
is for 6 inches of insulation and the other for 12 inches. There are other
differences, such as areas to be insulated. This also was tabled for further
investigation.

7. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
    there was none.

8. APPOINTMENTS
   2010-4 ORDER- Registrar of Voters (1).
   Town Clerk Twila Lycette was appointed for a 2 year term.
    Approved 7-0

   2010-5 ORDER-Voter Registration Appeals Board (1) Lisa Ward (?)
   was appointed. Approved 7-0

   2010-6 ORDER-Appoint Ethics Panel Chairman
   Councilor Bowie made a motion to appoint David Bowie. (No
   relation). Approved 7-0

  2010-7 ORDER-Ethics Panel (1). Chair Councilor Bowie made a
   motion to move Ross Cunningham from alternate to full time. A new
   alternate position will be advertised. Approved 7-0,

  Councilor Cote said the Ethics Panel needs more authority. He feels
  that the Council is not policing itself. He said some previous
  meetings should have been policed and handled a lot better. Council
  Chair Bowie said any changes would have to be done through the
  Town Charter. A very heated discussion followed.

Now, I am not one to just sit back and say nothing. For what it's worth, if
I feel there is something to be said, I speak up. And speak up I did.

Councilor Cote's comments were made in a conversational tone of voice. He
was giving his opinion and offering a suggestion. I can't remember just what
Councilor Bowie's comments were, but his tone of voice was argumentive, as
was Councilor Mason's. This is a topic that warranted discussion, and not
the argument it turned into. I suggested to Councilors Bowie and Mason that
they watch the meeting on TV Thursday evening and see their reactions to
Councilor Cote's comments and suggestions. I wish I had added, that they
watch and listen with an open mind.

I hope the good citizens of the Town of Lisbon watch and decide for
themselves how the Council meetings are conducted; how the Councilors
conduct themselves. The crutch of this discussion was the February 2009
Council meeting when Police Chief Brooks gave an hour and a half tirade
against Councilor Cote. No one has ever been allowed to speak that long. I
have been at Council meetings when Council Chair Bowie said that people were
allowed to speak only twice on a subject and for only five minutes each
time. This is blatant discrimination. And Councilors Bowie and Mason, and
other Councilors who did nothing see nothing wrong in that?
Perhaps Councilor Cote is right. The Ethics Panel is nothing but an Ethics
Panel in name only.

And that is my opinion. I welcome yours.

Dorothy B. Fitzgerald
A Very concerned Citizen
 
 
  Ethics Panel is advisory only. Any changes would have to be done
  through the Town Charter. 

(Reminder council meeting airs tonight on Local Cable Access Channel 7 at 7:00pm)