Councilors Are Affected with an Affliction Known as "Tunnel Vision".

TUNNEL VISION

Our leaders in the Town of Lisbon, the Town Manager, Steve Eldridge, and six of our seven town councilors are affected with an affliction known as "Tunnel Vision". With Tunnel Vision, one looks only straight ahead. There is no left or right, no up or down, no compromise, no flexibility, and no other options.

When I asked Mr. Eldridge at the August 2, 2011 Town Council meeting how the request for bids for the town revaluation was advertised, he said that it was advertised in the newspaper, (one tiny print legal ad in the Sun Journal), was advertised in the appropriate municipal journals, and several letters were mailed to various assessing firms. He said they only received 3 responses. One company, Tyler Technologies, in Tolland, CT responded but did not give us dollar amount. A bid from KRT Appraisal in Haverhill, MA, a 4 year plan; $40,000 years 1 -3,$126,000 for the 4th year, plus an assessing agent at $400 per day. The town received a bid from William Van Tuinen for $77,000 a year for 4 years, for a total of $308,000. The letters sent by Mr. Eldridge requested bids for 4 or 5 year revaluations.

Two councilors; Fern Larochelle and Lori Pomelow were willing to table the article and get more information from KRT, but after getting the nod from Eldridge, Councilor Bowie made a motion to accept the bid from Van Tuinen. A smile and wink from Mr. Eldridge to Mr. Van Tuinen, who was sitting in the front row, sealed the deal!

With approximately36 licensed appraisal/assessing companies in the State of Maine, I'm wondering why only 7 letters were mailed out? I have been calling around and learned that one very qualified Maine company did not respond because the proposal requested bids for a 4 or 5 year revaluation. The owner of that company said they would not bid on a 4-year revaluation. He said he would not recommend any town taking 4 years to do a revaluation because too many things can change in that time.

Now, I know that money here is tight, and bonding it out is now fiscally responsible, but why limit the bids to a 4 or 5 year revaluation? Why not listen to other options? I spoke with some who was involved in a revaluation in another mid-Maine town. The revaluation was done in one year, it is a small town, and they did a 5-year loan with a with a 1-year draw-down with a local lender. There was no interest for the first year, and interest paid only on the funds paid out of the loan.

As I said previously “Tunnel Vision”; the Town of Lisbon needs new leadership. We need a town Council with real vision and one with common sense; one that is willing to explore all options, in any and all aspects of town government.

We need an end to TUNNEL VISION. I urge all residents and taxpayers to attend Town Council meetings. Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. at Town Office. If you cannot attend, watch the meetings from the comfort of your home. The meetings are televised and aired the Thursdays after each meeting, on channel 7 at 7 p.m. Watch your Councilors at work. Notice the only one with any common sense!   AND RE-ELECT HIM IN NOVEMBER.


Dot  Fitzgerald 
Concerned Citizen