By Muriel Bristol | August 17, 2019
The Milton Board of Selectmen (BOS) have posted their agenda for a BOS meeting to be held Monday, August 19.
The BOS meeting is scheduled to begin with a Non-Public session beginning at 5:00 PM. That agenda has one Non-Public item classed as 91-A3 II (c).
91-A:3 II (c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the public body itself, unless such person requests an open meeting. This exemption shall extend to any application for assistance or tax abatement or waiver of a fee, fine, or other levy, if based on inability to pay or poverty of the applicant.
The BOS intend to adjourn their Non-Public BOS session at approximately (*) 6:00 PM, when they intend to return to Public session.
The Public portion of the agenda has New Business, Old Business, Other Business, and some housekeeping items.
Under New Business are scheduled four agenda items: 1) Fire Station Driveway Parking Repairs (N. Marique), 2) Casey Road Restrictions and Parking (K. Golab), 3) Milton Mills Flag Pole Replacement Request (R. Graham) and 4) September Meeting Schedule Adjustment (due to Labor Day Weekend).
Fire Station Driveway Parking Repairs (N. Marique). Hello, DPW? When you are out repairing roads, could you repair our driveway also? Otherwise, I’d have to make an expense request.
Casey Road Restrictions and Parking (K. Golab). We saw this before as a request for authorization of a neighborhood yard sale.
Milton Mills Flag Pole Replacement Request (R. Graham). Apparently another expense request.
Strictly speaking, there is no requirement that Milton Mills have a public flagpole at all. While Milton Mills does abut the State o’ Maine, it is nowhere close to Canada. There is little danger of anyone wondering if Milton Mills is still within the territory claimed by the United States of America.
Now, if Milton Mills were to secede from Milton, for which I understand there is some sentiment, this could be an agenda item at their first BOS meeting. Hint: all it took to create Milton in 1802 was 900 people and a church. You have both, and much more besides.
September Meeting Schedule Adjustment (due to Labor Day Weekend). Pro forma. Does anyone imagine that the BOS will not be giving themselves a Labor Day Weekend?
Under Old Business are scheduled four items: 5) Town-Owned Properties Update, 6) Auction Property Status 7) Law Firm Selection and 8) Budget Process.
Town-Owned Properties Update. Still with us (and some still dilapidated), unless a property auction is to be scheduled.
There was that request for divine intervention in the matter of the old fire station because the BOS missed its warrant deadline. Then the BOS missed the NH House divine intervention filing deadlines. But NH Senator Bradley obliged, after a fashion. There is a “sale pending” sign out there now.
Auction Property Status. If this is not a scheduling request, then the status is no property auction scheduled.
Law Firm Selection. Hopefully, the BOS have selected a law firm that knows that the Town cannot invent beach restrictions, put their signs on State highways (all of Milton’s major streets), sell fire stations without voter authorization, or do any of the other things that have had to be reversed.
Budget Process. Presumably, this concerns the Joint Budget Committee-Board of Selectmen hearings regarding departmental budgets that were discussed at prior meetings.
Unless, the BOS intends to reverse the “guidance” for tax increases that it gave at its last meeting. Regrettably, that has been their “process” for far too long. This could be its chance to begin righting its course.
Other Business That May Come Before the Board has no scheduled items.
Finally, there will be the approval of prior minutes (from the BOS workshop meetings of July 11, 2019, July 15, 2019, and July 18, 2019, as well as the regular Bos Meeting of July 15, 2019), the expenditure report, Public Comments “Pertaining to Topics Discussed,” Town Administrator comments, and BOS comments.
The Town Administrator has planned comments about an Economic Development Committee (EDC) Recording Clerk request. Because the Town needs another expense item on its budget.
After the Public session, the BOS meeting is scheduled to continue with another Non-Public session beginning at 5:00 PM. That agenda has one Non-Public item classed as 91-A 3 II (c).
Mr. S.D. Plissken contributed to this article.
References:
State of New Hampshire. (2016, June 21). RSA Chapter 91-A. Access to Governmental Records and Meetings. Retrieved from www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/VI/91-A/91-A-3.htm
Town of Milton. (2019, August 16). BOS Meeting Agenda, August 19, 2019. Retrieved from www.miltonnh-us.com/sites/miltonnh/files/agendas/08-19-2019_bos_agenda.pdf
Youtube. (1965). Cone of Silence. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1eUIK9CihA&feature=youtu.be&t=19
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