At the last Town Council
meeting on June 26, 2018, the Town Council decided to hold a discussion on
moving the responsibility of the Moxie Festival from the Economic Community
Development Department to the Recreational and Parks Department. As
usual there was NO advance notice posted on the town website including the
agenda posted for this meeting.
However, I am sure the agendas handed out at the meeting included this
change. This is the type of strategy the Town
Manager, Diane Barnes uses to control the input from citizens.
Instead of having this
discussion in a workshop, it was a last minute addition to the already full and
published agenda. Typical action by the
Town Council and the Town Manager! Such short notice does not provide
citizens with adequate preparation prior to the meeting but this is there
style.
Dorothy Fitzgerald offered
the Town Council a different option and as usual it went in one ear and out the
other of the Council. Mrs. Fitzgerald suggested the Moxie
Festival’s responsibility be moved to Positive Change Lisbon (PCL). It was obvious the Council members where not
aware of the history of the Moxie Festival.
The Moxie Festival started
around 1982 by the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce. It included businesses and citizen who
volunteered every year. The Moxie Festival
grew and grew every year and prospered very well. Because
it was making so much money, Steve Eldridge, former Town Manager decided he
wanted that money for the town and had the Town Council vote to take over
responsibility of the Moxie Festival.
Now, we all know that Mark
Stevens, Recreation and Parks Director, has his hands full. Mark
does an excellent job and the Town Council has added the responsibility for
parks, gardens, cemeteries to his original duties at the Recreation Department. Mark has done all this with a full-time staff
of one besides himself and the Town Council added a full-time maintenance
position this year. Adding the Moxie
Festival, would cause a major burden on Mr. Stevens and the Recreation and
Parks Department. Over the years, since the town took over the Moxie Festival and the
number of volunteers has continually declined.
POSITIVE CHANGE LISBON MISSION STATEMENT
To bring together the resources of Business people, local
Government and Citizens, partnering together in a positive environment, to
improve the image of our community. Through the efforts of a group of highly
motivated individuals guided by a clear vision of our future, we aim to build
on the favorable attributes of our Town and make Lisbon a more attractive place
to live, recreate and to conduct business.
Now to me, this sound like
exactly what the original Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce was made up of. Positive Change Lisbon appears to be the perfect place
for the Moxie Festival responsibility. If you review their website, you will see the
majority of the businesses are members.
Councilor LaRochelle is the Secretary.
Positive Change Lisbon puts on
numerous events throughout the year and this festival fits right in. The Moxie Festival promotes the town of Lisbon
and our many attributes. I cannot think
of a better organization to have the responsibility for the Moxie Festival.
I do realize that because Mrs. Fitzgerald suggested it
and I agree with her; this will never happen because the Council will never admit
this is the right thing to do and they did not think of it.
Larry Fillmore
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