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Friday, October 26, 2012

Lisbon's Good "Ole Bowies" Have Got To Go Bye Bye

SUMMARY OF ROUTE 9 FORUM

Last Thursday night, the Planning Board reviewed the results of the Public Forum on Route 9.  The results they reached are not the same results I reached so I am going to provide you with my own interpretation.

At the Public Forum there were approximately 30-35 people who chose to attend.  From what I understand not all of them were residents of Lisbon and only a few reside on Route 9.  However, the town council was well represented by Chairman LaRochelle, Vice Chair Pomelow, Councilor Bickford and Councilor Mason.  Council Mason resides on Route 9 so I expected her to attend.

The results of the forum are suppose to be posted on the town web site.  However, what I saw was the “Good Old Boys” clubs working hard to make sure their friends remain protected.  These people want to ignore the Comprehensive Plan and our town ordinances and allow these illegal businesses to operate even though the town has shut down other businesses on Route 9. 

Instead of enforcing our ordinances and the Comprehensive Plan, these four illegal businesses are going to be allowed to continue operating.  Just to make it perfectly clear, I have searched the Personal Property Book and cannot find where the two garages and one roofing/siding business are paying Personal Property Taxes.  Of course, the “Good Old Boys” do not care if their friends pay their fair share or not.  You and I have to make-up the difference!

Also, the Planning Board is looking into the “Home Occupation” definition as a means to make these illegal businesses legal.

This is not a Planning Board issue to begin with; it is a Code Enforcement issue.  The Code Enforcement Officer notified the two garages by letter they were violating our town ordinances.  I have copies of these letters but apparently the Town Manager would not allow the Code Enforcement Officer to go any further because that is where it stopped.  The Planning Board is asked to somehow cover all this up for the town manager.
The right way to correct this situation is to enforce our ordinances equally. It is wrong to close some businesses and allow others because they are friends of the “Good Old Boys” club.  As citizens it is our duty to obey the ordinances of this town.  Because the “Good Old Boys” club shut down some businesses and not others puts each and every one of us at risk of having to pay legal fees to defend their actions. What this group has done is discriminated against our neighbors and friends and that is just not right.
Get rid of the “Good Old Boys” club and enforce the ordinances.

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizens

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