Recap Town Council Meeting July 15th, 2014

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – JULY 15^TH

Last night’s Town Council meeting was lengthy so this recap will probably be lengthy.  I try to keep my opinion out of the recaps but in this case I have to say that I was impressed and moved by the Public Service Announcement shown during the meeting.  The Public Service Announcement was filmed using Lisbon students and parents and showed how one bad decision can ruin the lives of so many.  I encourage every one of all ages to review this moving and powerful Public Service Announcement.

Under Council Orders, Resolutions & Ordinances – The 2014-2015 Municipal Budget Resolution failed again by a vote of 3-2.  There was no vote on the Economic Development Budget Resolution because it is part of the Municipal Budget.  The 2014-2015 Sewer Department Budget passed by a vote of 5-0.  Mr. Dennis Douglass, Code Enforcement Officer, provided a detailed plan for repairing the Public Works Garage.  This plan included floor plans and cost analysis and the Council voted 5-0 to move forward.  The Town Office Holiday and Library Holiday schedules were approved by a vote of 5-0.  The Personnel Staffing Study was turned over to the Town Manager for action.  The FOAA Waiver Request was denied by the Council by a vote of 5-0.  The General Assistance Ordinance and Appendices (1^st Reading) was approved by a vote of 5-0.  The Special Council Meeting and the Public Hearing for the Qualified Energy Conversation Bond was tabled.

Under Other Business – The ECD Director provided the Council with a presentation on the Career Center & Healthy Main Street Grants.  The Town Manager stated she was very much impressed with the Moxie Festival and all the hard work that when into the festival.

An additional Town Council Workshop is scheduled for July 22, 2014 at 07:30 PM to have more discussions pertaining to the budget.

Under Appointments – Fern LaRochelle was reappointed to the Finance Committee for a three year term.

Under Executive Session – Once the Council came out of Executive Session, they revealed that loans 4229 and 4522 were to be written off and loan 4467 was to go to collections.

Larry Fillmore

Revised (2) Lisbon Council Agenda‏ July 15, 2014

REVISED AGENDA
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014
LISBON TOWN OFFICE
7:00 P.M.

 

1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE TO FLAG
 
2. ROLL CALL
 
___Councilor Bickford ___ Councilor Brunelle 
___ Councilor Garrison ___ Councilor Lunt___Councilor Metivier
 ___ Councilor Pesce ___ Councilor Ward
 
Town Clerk reading of meeting rules

3. GOOD NEWS & RECOGNITION
 
A. Police Department and S.A.D.D. Public Service Announcement (PSA)

4. PUBLIC HEARINGS
 
A. Victualer's License for Laura Pelkey d/b/a The Cabin

5. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION FOR AGENDA ITEMS

6. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION RESPONSE

7. CONSENT AGENDA
 
2014-126 ORDER − A. Victualer's License for Laura Pelkey d/b/a The Cabin
 
B. Minutes of July 1, 2014
 
C. Minutes of July 8, 2014
 
D. Off Premise Catering Permit - Slovak Catholic Assoc for Knights of Columbus Grounds

8. COUNCIL ORDERS, RESOLUTIONS, & ORDINANCES
 
2014-127 RESOLUTION − 2014-2015 Municipal Budget Resolution
 
2014-128 RESOLUTION − 2014-2015 Economic Development Budget Resolution
 
2014-129 ORDER − 2014-2015 Sewer Department Budget
 
2014-130 ORDER − Authorize Contract with Hebert Construction for Public Works Building
 
2014-131 ORDER − Town Office Holidays
 
2014-132 ORDER − Library Holidays
 
2014-133 ORDER − Schedule Council Workshop
 
2014-134 ORDER − Personnel Staffing Study
 
2014-135 ORDER − FOAA Waiver Request
 
2014-136 ORDINANCE − General Assistance Ordinance (First Reading)
 
2014-137 ORDINANCE − General Assistance Appendices (First Reading)
 
2014-137A ORDER − Set Special Council Meeting for July 29, 2014

2014-137B ORDER − Public Hearing for the Qualified Energy Conservation Bond

9. OTHER BUSINESS
 
A. ECD Director's Report on Career Center & Healthy Main Street Grants
 
B. Town Manager's Report

10. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION NEW ITEMS

11. COUNCIL RESPONSE TO NEW ITEMS

12. APPOINTMENTS
 
2014-138 ORDER − Finance Committee Renewal term expiring June 30, 2017

13. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS

14. EXECUTIVE SESSION

2014-139 ORDER − 1 MRSA § 405 (6)(C) Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds

1 MRSA § 405 (6)(F) Discussion of confidential records

15. ADJOURNMENT
 
2014-140 ORDER − To Adjourn

BIG Night In Lisbon Tonight, Will They or Won't They Consider The Impact of Such An Outrageous Municipal Budget

By: Peter Reuter, Special to The Lisbon Reporter

Tonight Lisbon's Town Council has a grand hurdle to get over. The Municipal Budget is in limbo at the moment as it has not been voted on for approval.  It was tabled two weeks ago for more discussion that really never occurred last week during the special workshop.  The clarity of this type of a maneuver by the council is not really clear.  As during last week's workshop the aspect of making more cuts to the budget was really non existent.  I sat there perplexed because it was crystal clear that the council, all (5) that were present, as Mr. Pesce, and Mr. Metivier were excused, had absolutely no intention of making any suggestion of making cuts to the budget.

Sure there was discussion about chasing around the barn to make $35k in cuts, but if they cannot even find the missing $32,500.00 taken from the Economic and Community Development coffer, I have  no way of rationalizing a measly $35k.  Which the week before they allocated.  Duh!

Now how many communities have a budget where the Police Department makes up the largest portion?   I know this requires some work on the part of the taxpayers and really I am not sure if many even give a hoot. The answer, not many, if any at all.  But in Lisbon, a dilapidating  community along the banks of the Androscoggin River with one major and two other land routes dissecting the area, the Police Department budget is $1.3 Million, give or take.  Oh wait, there is no give, it is all take.  Chief Brooks as taken every dollar he possible could from the taxpayers over the course of his career here, and continues without remorse.
I find it hard to put into words the correct ones to describe the selfish act of continuing to literally rape the taxpayers of Lisbon.

So it is simply up to you to pass the word get you neighbors, friends, etc. and attend the meeting tonight and speak out about how you feel.  You have duly elected (7) people to represent and make a vote for you but if you do not communicate with them, they have no way of  understanding how you feel.

After we all get our tax bills it will be too late to do anything then.  NOW is the time to make the cuts in the Police Department.  Some have said that they could easily make $100k in cuts without much of an impact.  In reality the councilors should cut $200k to make up for the cuts they did not do last year.

Hope to see you at the Town Office tonight, meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. promptly with a Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.  A proper function but often overlooked meaning and purpose.

 Hopefully it will not be another waste of time.

May God Bless US All and pray for those fighting for us in harms way.

Lisbon HS Track Ground Breaking‏

LISBON HIGH SCHOOL TRACK GROUND BREAKING - HISTORIC MOMENT IN LISBON!

  Members of the Lisbon Community joined Superintendent Richard Green and members of the School Committee during an early morning Ground Breaking Ceremony at the campus located at 2 Sugg Drive In Lisbon Falls.  Pictured (l-r): Lisbon School Committee members, Marcey Croskill, George Caron, Kathi Yergin, and Traci Austin; Superintendent Richard Green; Track Coach, Dean Hall; owner of Maine Tennis and Track, John Cornish; and Lisbon High School alumni and representative from Labbe Construction, Bob Walton.  Photo courtesy of Monica Millhime.

Lisbon - The morning of July 14, 2014, marked a historical moment for the citizens and school community of Lisbon, Maine.  Richard Green, the Superintendent of Schools for the school department, greeted a small group of guests for a ceremony to begin a long awaited construction project to renovate the Lisbon School Department’s track and field.  Guests who attended the ceremony included the Lisbon School Committee, school department employees, students, and members of the public.  John Cornish, the owner of Maine Tennis and Track and Bob Walton, a Lisbon High School graduate and representative from Labbe Construction were both present.

Superintendent Green acknowledged the members of the Lisbon School Committee for their role in providing the direction, guidance and support throughout the process.  He further personally thanked the citizens of Lisbon and Lisbon Falls for their support of the track renovation project.  He noted that, “What seemed like an impossible dream will start to become a reality today.”  He recognized the commitment that the citizens have made to the school department and noted that it is our goal to, “Make sure that you see a return on the investment.”

Members of the administrative team and central office support were thanked as they worked quietly behind the scenes to make sure that the track process continues to move forward.

Richard Green noted that there were many citizens in the community who were not “quiet” throughout the early stages of the track project and bond referendum.  Many people worked to make sure everyone was aware of the importance of the track project and for this he showed gratitude on behalf of the school department.  Superintendent Green acknowledged two individuals in particular who were very involved and vocal.  Dean Willey, a parent, has been actively involved over the last year and managed to fund and organize a private campaign to support this renovation project.   Secondly, Coach Dean Hall, who has called the track home for many years, was involved with the track campaign since its inception.  Many young lives have been impacted as a result of Mr. Hall’s influence and there was probably nobody more anxious than him to get this project started. Knowing how long Coach Hall waited for this day, Superintendent Green passed the ceremonial shovel to him to break ground.  The ceremonial shovel and sample of soil will be placed on display in the new Lisbon High School gymnasium that is scheduled to begin construction in the next few months. 

FMI on future developments and Lisbon school projects and other activities visit Community Resource News in Lisbon Schools on FaceBook and www.lisbonschoolsme.org.

The Difference Between A Budget Advisory Board And A Finance Committee in Lisbon, Explained!

BUDGET ADVISORY BOARD VERSUS FINANCE COMMITTEE

A couple of years ago, this town had a Budget Advisory Board elected by the people.  Being elected, these individuals were completely separate from the Town Council and could provide the Town Council with an objective review of the budget.  However, this Budget Advisory Board, for its last two years, did not support the Town Council’s Municipal Budget.  As a result of the Budget Advisory Board NOT recommending approval of the Municipal Budget they were replaced with the Finance Committee.

This Finance Committee was not elected by the people but appointed by the Town Council thus eliminating any objective review of the budget.  In order to ensure the Finance Committee always supported the Town Council’s Municipal Budget the Council loaded the seven members with five (5) previous councilors.

 

This has worked out well for the Town Council but has hurt taxpayers because there is no one to look out for them.  There is no separation between the Town Council and the budget process because the majority of the Finance Committee members are former councilors. 

In this year’s budget, the Finance Committee recommended a total of $65,650.00 tax dollars be spent on Professional Services.  This is in addition to Professional Development.  The Town Engineer alone will receive $53,600.00 tax dollars in Professional Services.  Look below for their recommended cuts:

INSURANCE - $25,000.00

ASSESSING - $22,000.00

FINANCE - $14,590.00

TAX COLLECTOR - $16,200.00

TOWN CLERK – $9,489.00

PUBLIC WORKS - $58,400.00

PARKS - $600.00

POLICE DEPARTMENT - $0.00

The Police Department has a $1,300,000.00 plus budget.  That’s right over $1.3 MILLION of our tax dollars and the Finance Committee could find no areas to cut.  I do not need to continue to repeat some of the areas I found with just a quick glance.  These former councilors have dedicated their time on the council protecting Chief Brooks' budget for numerous years and now they continue to do it.

It is imperative for this community to survive that there be a group of individuals, completely separate from the Town Council to ensure there is a check and balance system in place to protect the taxpayers.  This is NOT present at this time.

The Town Council needs to take action to reinstate the Budget Advisory Board ELECTED by the people.

Larry Fillmore

Is Chief of Police, David T. Brooks Really Lisbon's Chief Executive Officer?

WHO WORKS FOR WHOM????

It is very apparent that members of the Town Council do not understand whom they work for or what is the “chain of command”.  So I will explain it to them:

The Town Council works for the people!

The Town Manager works for the Town Council!

The Department Heads work for the Town Manager!

Town Employees work for their respective Department Heads!

There are times that Councilors believe that they work for a Department Head and not the people.  This is obvious by their voting on certain issues especially when it comes to the budget.

The largest departmental budget belongs to the police department.  It is currently at $1,300,000.00 plus.  That is right, our police department costs taxpayers over $1.3 MILLION dollars.  So when it comes time to look at areas to cut the budget the first place to look for excessive spending would be in the largest expense area. 

Areas that would be looked at would be duplicated efforts such as two Detectives or three Secretaries (even if you call them by different names).  You would look for areas where you could wait another year before taking action such as replacing a vehicle you just replaced the engine last year because police vehicles are measured by the engine hours.  These are items that reside currently in the police budget which could easily be cut with minimal impact to the police department.  So why is it, that Chief Brooks, the Finance Committee and the Town Council cannot see or want to take this opportunity to help the citizens with their tax bills by making these cuts?

Why does Chairwoman Ward say that if the budget is not approved by the last day of July there will be a 7% increase in our taxes?  The Assessor cannot set the mil rate until there is an approved budget or commitment regardless of how long it takes.  What delaying the budget approval means is that the town will continue to operate on the Town Manager’s budget which is slightly higher?  So the Councilors have to weigh whether is it more important to give the people the best budget possible or settle for another year of an inflated budget with excessive spending by Chief Brooks?  I believe the people would appreciate it if this Council cut all the wasted spending in this year’s budget instead of putting it off for another year.

Chairwoman Ward has learned well from her mentor.  Fear and intimidation is a strategy for success; look how Chief Brooks has used it for years to get his way.

Larry Fillmore 

Department of Justice: Great: Feds contenting to open records : July Best Practices Workshop Series Open to the Public‏

This is wonderful news, but contrasts with what Maine is doing for State FOAA makes Maine look very backward.

Dwight

 

 July Best Practices Workshop Series Open to the Public

July 10, 2014 Posted by The Office of Information Policy 

As a part of the Second Open Government National Action Plan’s commitment to modernizing FOIA, OIP launched a new series of workshops focused on agency best practices in FOIA administration.  Next week OIP is hosting the second event in this Best Practices Workshop series on the topic of proactive disclosures and making posted information more useful for the public.  We are pleased to open this event to interested members of the public as well agency personnel.  

Attorney General Holder’s FOIA Guidelines encourage agencies to “readily and systematically post information online in advance of any public request.”  While increasing their proactive disclosures, agencies are also finding new and creative ways of making the information they post online easier to find and more useful to the public.  At this event, a panel of representatives from the Office of Science & Technology Policy, OIP, the Department of State, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will share their success stories and strategies on improving their proactive disclosures. 

As agencies continue to make progress in this area, it is important that they interact with the public in order to learn their needs and better understand how they access government information online.  To further that exchange, OIP is opening this event in the Best Practices Workshop series to the public.

The details for next week’s event are:

FOIA Best Practices Workshop
Proactive Disclosures & Making Online Information More Useful
Department of Justice, Robert F. Kennedy Building
10th and Constitution Ave. NW – Great Hall
July 17, 2014, 10:00am – noon
You will need a picture ID to enter the building for this event.

The first event in this series focused on how agencies can reduce backlogs of FOIA requests and improve timeliness, and the panel of agency representatives identified a number of common approaches that they had each taken to achieve success in this important area.  As this series continues, we hope that FOIA professionals continue to learn from one another and leverage the successes of others in their own organizations for the overall benefit of FOIA administration across the government.

If you are interested in attending next week’s event, you can register by e-mailing your name and phone number to OIP’s Training Officer at DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov with the subject line “July Best Practices Workshop.”  As space for this meeting is limited, registration is required to attend.  If you have any questions regarding this event or the Best Practices series, please contact OIP’s Training Officer at (202) 514-3642.

Lisbon And TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT

TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT

What does “transparency in government” really mean?  For me it is the right of the people to know what the government is doing and how their taxes are being spent.  Normally, this information is provided by those in charge during Public meetings, which are videoed and retransmitted through the local television stations.  The important aspect is the local government making an attempt to keep the people informed.

However, there are incidences where the local government falls short on providing ALL the information as in the case of the Unitil Proposal to run a natural gas line to 4 Campus Avenue.  On May 20, 2014, the Interim Town Manager provided a memorandum from the Town Engineer, Mr. Leighton on a proposal to use tax dollars to accomplish the Unitil project.  The only document presented was a memorandum from Mr. Leighton.  There were no maps, no distances, no written agreements between Unitil, Brunswick Housing Authority (BHA) and no exact amount the taxpayers were going to have to pay.  However, the Interim Town Manager did state that Public Works personnel would be responsible for the trenching.  The proposal was tabled until Mr. Leighton could be present and additional information could be provided.

At a Special Town Council meeting on May 27, 2014, Mr. Leighton provided the same memorandum but did provide a map to the council but not the people.  During his presentation he did cite the distance of the project.  However, there were no agreements for Unitil or the BHA and there was no actual cost provided.  Mr. Leighton also stated that Public Works personnel would NOT be doing the trenching.

Under Maine Law an individual has a right to submit a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) to obtain information necessary for transparency.  This is the option I use to obtain further information on various subjects.  This information is then passed on to the citizens of Lisbon through The Lisbon Reporter and Lisbonmaine.net.  These are webs sites dedicated to providing residents of Lisbon with more information about what is going on in the community and how their tax dollars are being spent.  This is to provide more transparency in our local government.  However, Town Attorney Roger Therriault, in a legal opinion on June 10, 2014 states and I quote …”First, neither the Lisbon Reporter nor Lisbonmaine.net are traditional journalistic type enterprises.  They are merely blogs and the degree to which they contribute significantly to public understanding of government activities is problematical at best.”… These web sites are problematic to local government because they provide the facts and not just the ones the local government want the people to know.  How do you feel about that?

                                Roger Therriault Esq. Lisbon Town Attorney

   Therriault & Therriault, Town Attorneys

   Therriault & Therriault, Town Attorneys

( click on the following link to read mentioned statutes)

 http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/1/title1sec408-A.html

I was not happy with the lack of information about this Unitil project so I submitted a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) on May 30, 2014.  I have submitted hundreds of request over several years and always paid of the information provided but on June 2, 2014, I received an email from the Town Clerk stating and I quote “So far, Mr. Leighton informs me that he has so far approximately 100 copies of emails and potentially there could be well over 200 pages when he is finished.  That’s 200 pages at 50 cents a copy or approximately $100 or more and will take may be another hour to complete.  So far we have a little over 45 minutes into this.  He estimates this could total approximately 2 hours at $15 an hour over the first free hour.” This means in order to get the information it will cost me approximately $130.00 dollars.  Remember, this started out as a one page memorandum and has now blossomed into over 200 pages; isn’t that amazing what happens when you ask for transparency. This is a far cry from the one page memorandum submitted to the Council.

According to Roger Therrauilt’s legal opinion of June 10, 2014, he advises the town that this waiver will set a precedent.  Mr. Therriault also goes on to say and I quote “Obviously the Town wants to be in a position of having at least a minimum amount of control over its responses to FOA requests and, frankly, the imposition of costs is the only control that the Town has where requests are voluminous and require significant staff and effort.”  This is a practicing attorney advising the town to undermine Maine law.  Every citizen in the state of Maine has a legal right to submit as many Freedom of Access Acts (FOAA) as needed in order to receive transparency in government.

On Tuesday at the Town Council meeting, the Council will review my request for waiving my fee on the FOAA which I submitted on June 4, 2014 in accordance with Maine law Title 1, Chapter 13, Sub Charter 1 Statute 408 paragraph 6(b) which states “The agency or official considers the release of the public record requested to be in the public interest because doing so is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of operations or activities of government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.”  I write for both the Lisbon Reporter and the Lisbonmaine.net with the sole purpose of providing transparency of government in Lisbon. 

 Total transparency in government eliminates the need for FOAA's.

Larry Fillmore

NewsBusted: Jimmy Carter Gave Himself A High Five After Reading Obama's Recent Poll Numbers‏

Friday's Video

 

 Wednesday's Video

 

Lisbon Track Ground Breaking Ceremony Invitation‏

I would like to personally invite each of you to our ground breaking ceremony, at the track, on Monday, July 14 @ 9AM.

Richard A. Green

Superintendent of Schools

Lisbon School Department

19 Gartley Street
Lisbon, ME 04250
Phone: 207 353-6711
Fax: 207 353-3032

Great Falls TV: Lisbon Town Council Workshop July 8, 2014

BrasscheckTV: The 9/11 planes‏

===================
BrasscheckTV Report
===================
 
I like to show both sides of a story
because the purpose of Brasscheck TV
is to expose truth - not defend positions. 
 
A reader said that this video proves 
the "no planes" theory is false, so 
I'm playing it. 
 
As always, you can make up your own
mind. 
 
Video:
 
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/26902.html
 
- Brasscheck TV 
 
P.S. Please share Brasscheck TV with your
friends and colleagues. 
 
================================

 An extended and hostile interview
of “no plane” exponent
Did they undermine the argument?

The first of two programs

A reader sent me this and told me in proves that the “no planes” theory is impossible.

I don’t know. I’m not convinced.

What I see is a hostile host and an “expert” who is looking for any and all possible ways to discredit the observations made by the guest.

This was originally aired May 13, 2008.

Bizarre that his show is sponsored by the Libertarian Party of New York.

 http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/the-911-files/an-extended-and-hostile-interview-of-no-plane-exponent.html

The first of two programs

A reader sent me this and told me in proves that the "no planes" theory is impossible.

I don't know. I'm not convinced.

What I see is a hostile host and an "expert" who is looking for any and all possible ways to discredit the observations made by the guest.

This was originally aired May 13, 2008.

Bizarre that his show is sponsored by the Libertarian Party of New York.
- See more at: http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/the-911-files/an-extended-and-hostile-interview-of-no-plane-exponent.html#sthash.YInRlL7m.dpuf

A Travesty Of Justice For Lisbon Taxpayers Plays Out Once Again This Year

A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE

Council Chair Lisa Ward

The Town Council met last Tuesday for a Workshop to find ways to reduce the tax burden on the people of Lisbon.  However, the Council’s efforts are being blocked by the Chairwoman Lisa Ward, who by the way pays NO Real Estate Taxes in this town.  Councilor Lunt suggested at the last council meeting to NOT replace any police vehicles this year.  Chair Ward passed the suggestion by without taking any action on it.  Chairwoman Ward’s primary mission is to approve the police budget without any cuts.

Roger Cote, during Tuesday’s workshop, asked why the department that costs the taxpayers the most was not asked to cut spending.  In fact, the Finance Committee did not recommend any cuts in the police budget.  Once again, the Chairwoman of the Finance Committee does not pay Real Estate taxes in this town.   

Finance Committee Chair Miriam Morgan-Alexander

Also, five of the committee members are former town councilors who for years supported Chief Brooks’ budget year in and year out.  Chairwoman Ward tried her best to cut Mr. Cote off during the workshop but Roger Cote held his ground wanting an answer which never came.  Instead, Chairwoman Ward order Mr. Cote to leave the workshop, never having to provide an answer to his question.

 Lisbon Chief of Police David T. Brooks

It is obvious that the police department could cut a minimum of $100,000.00 out of their budget with no impact.  Chairwoman Ward during the workshop asked Department Heads to try and help reduce their budget and Chief Brooks sat there like a bump on a log.  Chief Brooks has one full time Administrative Assistant, and two part-time secretaries; he also has two Detectives and has included over a 5% increase in pay for Dispatchers.  Chief Brooks wants to replace three vehicles this year; one had a new engine put in last year and does not need to be replaced and the other ones can wait a year.  There is no way Chief Brooks will allow any reduction in his police budget because he is not and has never been a team player.  He does not care about how much the taxes go up in Lisbon as long as he can retain his empire.

It was spot on when our four real councilors voted down the municipal budget but unfortunately I do not believe that they can make changes as long as Chairwoman Ward refused to listen to their recommendations.  Chair Ward has recommended approving the current budget, with no cuts to the police budget for this year and then the council will work on next year’s budget.  This is all well and good but it is the same every year and the police budget continues to grow and nothing is done about it and our taxes continue to rise every year.  Our four real councilors have the right idea.  The people have suffered enough and this is the year to put a stop to it.  I urge the council NOT to pass the budget until $100,000.00 dollars is cut in the police department’s budget.

A Public Office is a Public Trust!  Stick to your guns.

Larry Fillmore

JW: BIG News

Dear Friends,

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton will appear on "The Kelly File with Megyn Kelly" on the Fox News Channel in the 9 pm ET hour tonight, Thursday, July 10, regarding the Judicial Watch victory for accountability in the hearing held this morning by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan concerning the emails of Lois Lerner and other IRS officials, which were the subject of longstanding Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act requests and a lawsuit.

Judge Sullivan has ordered that an IRS official must swear in writing under oath in the next 30 days about Lois Lerner's lost emails and computer crash.

Best,

The Judicial Watch Team

www.judicialwatch.org

LISBON TRAFFIC ALERT‏

      TRAFFIC ALERT        TRAFFIC ALERT

This Friday, July 11, 2014 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Lisbon Fire Department will be having their second annual Toll Booth, Stuff the Boot, fund drive at various points along heavily traveled Route 196 through Lisbon.

At the 2013 Toll Booth at the intersection of Route 196 and Route 9 vehicles heading west, Topsham to Lewiston, were at times backed up past School Street and down the hill to the bowling alley.

This is the time people are heading home from work, hot and tired, or families are heading out for the weekend or vacation.

Waiting while traffic moves slowly forward does not put one in one of the best of moods.

Per Lisbon Fire Chief Sean Galipeau, the monies collected at the Toll Booths are given back to the town; as scholarships for students wishing to make fire fighting a career choice, sponsoring Lisbon Junior Athletic League teams, contributing to the Town's annual Christmas Basket fund drive, and more.

All good causes and intentions. 

The Lisbon Falls Fire Department car wash at the Lisbon Falls station has always been popular and a safe way to raise monies.

I have had my car washed there many times, hope to again this year, and urge others to also.

I have to wonder if stopping traffic, on a busy highway, on a hot day, when workers are anxious to get home, or families, maybe some with small children, are heading out for the week-end or vacation, is really the smartest thing to do.

I am urging those wishing to avoid traffic delays at that day and time to seek alternate routes.

Apologies to Ryan Guay, a firefighter dear to my heart, and to all firefighters, everywhere. You put your lives on the line every time you go out on a call.

May God Always Watch Over You.

Dot Fitzgerald

A concerned Lisbon Citizen

Town Council Agenda for Tuesday July 15, 2014

Please see attached agenda and supporting documentation for the upcoming Council Meeting on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.

There are 186 pages of supporting documents.

Please go to the town website to view if interested

www.lisbonme.org

 

REVISED AGENDA
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2014
LISBON TOWN OFFICE
7:00 P.M.

1. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE TO FLAG

2. ROLL CALL
___Councilor Bickford
___ Councilor Brunelle
___ Councilor Garrison
___ Councilor Lunt
___Councilor Metivier
___ Councilor Pesce
___ Councilor Ward

Town Clerk reading of meeting rules

3. GOOD NEWS & RECOGNITION
A. Police Department and S.A.D.D. Public Service Announcement (PSA)

4. PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Victualer's License for Laura Pelkey d/b/a The Cabin

5. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION FOR AGENDA ITEMS

6. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION RESPONSE

7. CONSENT AGENDA
2014-126 ORDER − A. Victualer's License for Laura Pelkey d/b/a The Cabin
B. Minutes of July 1, 2014
C. Minutes of July 8, 2014

8. COUNCIL ORDERS, RESOLUTIONS, & ORDINANCES
2014-127 RESOLUTION − 2014-2015 Municipal Budget Resolution
2014-128 RESOLUTION − 2014-2015 Economic Development Budget Resolution
2014-129 ORDER − 2014-2015 Sewer Department Budget
2014-130 ORDER − Authorize Contract with Hebert Construction for Public Works Building
2014-131 ORDER − Town Office Holidays
2014-132 ORDER − Library Holidays
2014-133 ORDER − Schedule Council Workshop
2014-134 ORDER − Personnel Staffing Study
2014-135 ORDER − FOAA Waiver Request
2014-136 ORDINANCE − General Assistance Ordinance (First Reading)
2014-137 ORDINANCE − General Assistance Appendices (First Reading)

9. OTHER BUSINESS
A. ECD Director's Report on Career Center & Healthy Main Street Grants
B. Town Manager's Report

10. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION NEW ITEMS

11. COUNCIL RESPONSE TO NEW ITEMS

12. APPOINTMENTS
2014-138 ORDER − Finance Committee Renewal term expiring June 30, 2017

13. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS

14. EXECUTIVE SESSION
2014-139 ORDER − 1 MRSA § 405 (6)(C) Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds
1 MRSA § 405 (6)(F) Discussion of confidential records

15. ADJOURNMENT
2014-140 ORDER − To Adjourn

Lisbon HS Track Ground Breaking Invitation!‏

Recap Town Council Workshop - July 8th , 2014

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP – JULY 8TH

Last night’s Town Council Workshop was extremely informative and very explosive.  Members of the Town Council discussed various ideas to reduce the budget in various areas.  These discussions lasted for approximately an hour and a half.  At the end of the workshop Chairwoman Lisa Ward opened the workshop for Public input.

Mr. Richard Main was extremely upset because during the workshop Legal fees was brought up.  The legal fees are excessive for this small town and one of the reasons is that any town employee can call the Town Attorney who gets paid $190.00 per hour and his son receives $175.00 per hour.  Mr. Main recommended that all town employees go through the Town Manager first before going to the Town Attorney.  This was the recommendation by the Council to the Town Manager.

I offered the fact that under Professional Services there was approximately $80,000.00 tax dollars in the budget.  This could be reduced to save the impact on residents.  There are five (5) different incidents of Lease Purchase Agreements spread all through the budget with no explanation.  The Council was looking to reduce the budget by $35,000.00 dollars instead of reducing the budget as much as possible to help the citizens.

Dot Fitzgerald spoke about the additional $35,000.00 the Council added at the last Council meeting which should have made it necessary to find $70,000.00 instead of just $35,000.00.

Roger Cote asked the question to Chairman Liza Ward why the Council was not looking at the department that cost the taxpayers the most.  Everyone knows that he was referring to the Police Department’s budget.  Chairwoman Ward tried to stop Mr. Cote from addressing the Police Department.  Mr. Cote wanted to find out why there were no cuts in the Police Department budget.  Chairwoman Ward demanded Mr. Cote stop and he did not so Chairwoman Ward ordered Mr. Cote to leave the Workshop. 

You are aware that the Chair of the Finance Committee and the Town Council Chairwoman DO NOT PAY REAL ESTATE TAXES in Lisbon.

Larry Fillmore

BrasscheckTV: About the 9/11 Planes‏

===================
BrasscheckTV Report
===================
 
"9/11 changed everything" 
 
It sure did. 
 
It turned the US into a war mad
security state where the elites are
involved in a program of widespread
looting of public funds. 
 
In this video we examine one of 
the least appreciated facts
about the 9/11 story. 
 
Video:
 
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/26884.html
 
- Brasscheck TV 
 
P.S. Please share Brasscheck TV with your
friends and colleagues. 

 “Physically impossible”

Hitler boasted about the power of his “Big Lie” Theory. 

His thesis was that while most people tell small lies, the idea of telling a massive lie is unthinkable and therefore the average person can’t imagine anyone else doing it.

Therefore, Hitler posited that telling Big Lies, the more outrageous the better is not only effective, it’s practically fool proof.

Keep this in mind as you reflect on the content of this video.

Who actually saw the planes hits the Twin Towers and what did they actually see?

The fact is all the video of the event is suspect at best. We see jetliners that structurally are nothing more than aluminum tubes slice through thick steel girders like butter. We see wings that should have sheared off beyond a shadow of a doubt penetrate the building.

Experienced pilots have come out again and again and said the feats performed by the “Al Qaeda Hijackers” were beyond the ability of any pilots let alone amateurs who’d never flown aircraft like that before.

This video is a collection of pieces that address the “planes” and it starts off with comments from John Lear, the one of the inventor of the Lear Jet who at the time of this recording was 65 years old and had over 19,000 of flight time over 40 years with over 100 different kinds of aircraft.

- See more at: http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/the-911-files/pilots-doubt-911-story.html

 Pilots doubt 9/11 story
The Big Lie exposed

Retired Expert Pilot John Lear - No Planes Hit the Towers on 9/11 

 

9/11 Affidavit By John Lear, Son Of Learjet Inventor
I am 65 years of age, a retired airline captain and former CIA pilot with over 19,000 hours of flight time, over 11,000 of which are in command of 3 or 4 engine jet transports, have flown over 100 different types of aircraft in 60 different countries around the world. I retired in 2001 after 40 years of flying....
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/03/9...

A former CIA and civilian pilot has sworn an affidavit, stating that no planes flew into the Twin Towers as it would have been physically impossible.
http://neonnettle.com/news/211-ex-cia...

The Holographic Projector
http://www.historycommons.org/timelin...

The holographic projector displays a three-dimensional visual image in a desired location, removed from the display generator. The projector can be used for psychological operations and strategic perception management. It is also useful for optical deception and cloaking, providing a momentary distraction when engaging an unsophisticated adversary.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume4/...

LASERS IN SPACE : TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS FOR ENHANCING US MILITARY
CAPABILITIES by Mark E. Rogers, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
November 1997
Occasional Paper No. 2
Center for Strategy and Technology, Air War College
Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

"Without question, space-based lasers could be fielded in 10 to 20 years that can destroy targets in space as well as on or near the earth's surface. The challenges involve engineering and cost, rather than the fundamental laws of physics."

Spacecast 2020 includes holographic projection from space, planetary defense weapons, and weather modification systems that would involve lasers in space in ways or at power levels that stagger the imagination.

Holographic Projector
Operational Concept. This concept, which would fall into the force enhancement mission area, was considered in the Spacecast 2020 study, and as a truly novel idea provides evidence that the strategic studies did consider "out of the box" ideas. However, the concept ignores the fundamental physics of generating holograms.

The concept is a "system that could project holograms from space onto the ground, in the sky, or on the ocean anywhere in the theater of conflict for special operations deception missions. This system would be composed of either orbiting holographic projectors or relay satellites that would pass data and instructions to a remotely piloted vehicle or aircraft that would then generate and project the holographic image." The apparent intention is to generate three-dimensional images of sufficient quality to make the observer believe an actual object is being seen.

There have even been suggestions by anonymous sources that these holographic images could be made to produce speech as well, which is theoretically possible using the photo-acoustic effect in air. This effect has been proposed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for a laser-based emergency broadcast system.

http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/progr...

This technology was reported in the media before 9/11 pertaining to military psychological operations (PSYOPS).

Washington Post
"When Seeing and Hearing Isn't Believing"
By William M. Arkin
February 1, 1999

A few notable quotes (emphasis added):

According to a military physicist given the task of looking into the hologram idea, the feasibility had been established of projecting large, three-dimensional objects that appeared to float in the air.

...

...washingtonpost.com has learned that a super secret program was established in 1994 to pursue the very technology for PSYOPS application. The "Holographic Projector" is described in a classified Air Force document as a system to "project information power from space ... for special operations deception missions."

Abused elephant rescued by Wildlife S.O.S. - GrindTV.com

 Abused elephant named Raju cried when he realized he was being rescued. Photo from Wildlife S.O.S. Facebook page

 Raju, an abused elephant for 50 years, walks free of chains and spiked shackles at an elephant sanctuary in India. Photo from Wildlife S.O.S. Facebook page

 (click on the following link for video)

Abused elephant rescued by Wildlife S.O.S. - GrindTV.com