Lisbon Town Council Recap for July 5, 2011 meeting

Council Recap

The Town Council meeting on 5 July 2011 was no exception to the rule. It proceeded just like a play with each councilor reading their lines on cue. Please review the meeting and watch three key players, Lori Pomelow, Mike Bowie and Fern LaRochelle. Watch the eye contract between Pomelow, LaRochelle and Bowie. Pomelow sat in as the Chair in Mark Lunt’s absence and she did an excellent job with Mike Bowie’s assistance.

During the meeting Stephen Eldridge announced, starting on 9 July 2011 the town will post the agenda documentation and any handouts for the next meeting. I assume these documents will be available at the same time as the agenda is posted to the web site. We sure could have used the handouts at this meeting because Ryan Leighton presented the Treatment Plant Budget and as usual he raddled off numbers and figures. When questioned by councilors, he was not really prepared to answer most of their questions but I think for sure he talked about raising our sewer bill to offset his expenses. The bottom line is your sewer bill is on the rise. The exact amount will depend on usage.

The council also approved approximately $32,000 dollars to replace a Public Works truck body.

Also Pomelow announced the Council Working Rules, which was approved at the last meeting, had some more issues. Pomelow did allow me to speak on the question of the Public Works truck body after the council’s debate and prior to the vote and I thank her for this. Whatever changes are made will certainly require a new debate and vote in order to approve the new and revised council working rules.

Prior to the council going into their Executive Session, I handed Pomelow a copy of the Maine Statue 708 Conduct of Meeting from Title 13-C Business Corporation Act Heading: which states under paragraph 3, Fairness of rules. “Rules adopted for the meeting and the conduct of a meeting held pursuant to this chapter must be fair to shareholders.” Since the Town of Lisbon is Incorporated, I believe this status applies and hope the council will take this into consideration when revising the Council Working Rules.

And of course, Roger Cote was the only councilor wearing a Moxie T-Shirt from the Kennebec Fruit Store in support of a local merchant and Moxie Day. Gina Mason provided input on Moxie Day.

Please review last night’s meeting on Thursday 7 July 2011 at 07:00 PM on Channel 7. Watch your councilors in action.

Larry A. Fillmore

Concerned Citizen