By Muriel Bristol | April 6, 2020
The Milton Board of Selectmen (BOS) have posted their agenda for a quasi-Public BOS meeting to be held Monday, April 6 at 5:00 PM.
Due to their concerns regarding Covid-19, there will be no public in attendance and, therefore, no public comment. The session may be watched remotely through the usual YouTube means or by teleconference. The links for both are in their original agenda, for which there is a link in the References below.
The Public portion of the agenda has New Business, Old Business, Other Business, and some housekeeping items.
Under New Business are scheduled six agenda items: 1) Update Regarding Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Activities, 2) Update of Transfer Station Operations, 3) Consideration of Boat Ramp Opening, 4) Default Budget Discussion, 5) Town-owned, Tax-Deeded Properties, and 6) Revolution Food Pantry Request.
Update Regarding Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Activities. One supposes, by the very terms of the meeting announcement, that the Covid-19 is still among us. We will evidently hear an update on those things with which the BOS has been active.
Update of Transfer Station Operations. Those who have been lately to the Transfer Station will have found that they were unable to drop off their paper and cardboard.
The laws of supply and demand tell us that when there is some level of demand for recycled paper and cardboard and a limited supply, then one might obtain a good price for paper and cardboard. As the supply increases – through a governmental intervention or by other means – then the price would tend to fall. Should the supply exceed the demand, it would become necessary to dispose of these materials in some other way or even pay to get rid of them, rather than being paid.
Mr. Brown recently observed in a public comment session that the good thing about elections is that the voters get what they want, but that the bad thing is that the voters get what they want. Might we be seeing the opening move of a Washington Monument gambit?
Consideration of Boat Ramp Opening. One would hope that the fees charged are sufficient to cover all the costs of Boat Ramp maintenance, having a police navy, European Naiad control, and the expenses of collecting the money. Otherwise, those costs would be laid upon those not using the boat ramp.
Default Budget Discussion. The fictional Mr. Spock once explained his use of the terms “fascinating” and “interesting.” He said that he reserved the term “fascinating” only for the unexpected. Chairwoman Hutchings alluded recently to having heard the voters. Will something more than interesting – something “fascinating” perhaps – emerge in this discussion?
Town-owned, Tax-Deeded Properties. Sell them, but they will bring in less – probably a lot less – than the tax valuations for which they were taken. This might be an occasion to reflect on what that simple fact might be telling us in terms of both the accuracy of those valuations (and Milton’s budgets and tax rates).
Revolution Food Pantry Request. Always a good cause, but perhaps now more than usual.
Old Business has a single item: 1). Consideration of Selectmen By-laws (Attached).
Consideration of Selectmen By-Laws. Each board member has two ears with which to listen and but one mouth with which to speak. This adage suggests the board should spend more time listening and less time saying “aye” to every single thing. As regards governance of a free people, less is more.
Other Business That May Come Before the Board has no scheduled items.
There will be the approval of prior minutes (from the Public and Non-Public sessions of of March 16, 2020, the Public session of March 20, 2020, and the Public and Non-Public sessions of March 24, 2020), the expenditure report, Public Comments “Pertaining to Topics Discussed,” Town Administrator comments, and BOS comments.
Mr. S.D. Plissken contributed to this article.
References:
Town of Milton. (2020, April 3). BOS Meeting Agenda, April 6, 2020. Retrieved from www.miltonnh-us.com/sites/miltonnh/files/agendas/04-06-2020_bosagendawebsite_0.pdf
Wikipedia. (2019, November 19). Washington Monument Syndrome. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument_Syndrome
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