By Muriel Bristol |May 4, 2020
The Milton Board of Selectmen (BOS) have posted their agenda for a quasi-Public BOS meeting to be held Monday, May 4, at 4:00 PM. (And a follow-on Workshop meeting at the conclusion of the meeting).
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 three agenda items: 1) Update Regarding Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Operational Activities in Response to Governor Sununu’s Update (as of the development of this agenda, Governor had not yet spoken), 2) Update on Status of Recreation Summer Programs (Karen Brown), and 3) 2020-2021 Capital Improvement Program Development and Coordination (Bruce Woodruff).
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.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has done an about-face and is now recommending Sweden’s approach: voluntary measures, with no restrictions.
Some U.S. states have never had any state-level restrictions. Some states have begun removing their restrictions in phases. Some of the constitutional justifications for state-level restrictions – and they were somewhat thin ones – have been undercut by recent federal declarations. (The states derived their supposed authority to impose many restrictions from the original federal emergency declaration).
People are becoming restive. Michigan’s legislature is suing Michigan’s governor over her restrictions. A second End the Lockdown rally was held at the Statehouse in Concord, NH, on Saturday, May 2.
Update on Status of Recreation Summer Programs (Karen Brown). One imagines Summer is on schedule. New Hampshire’s current restrictions have a “Best By” date of May 15, unless extended further.
2020-2021 Capital Improvement Program Development and Coordination (Bruce Woodruff). Might it be that the Town planners plan to “flatten” their spending curve? That would be long overdue.
Old Business has a single item: 1). Update on Letters of Interest Received for Possible Appointment to Local Government Efficiency Task Force.
Update on Letters of Interest Received for Possible Appointment to Local Government Efficiency Task Force. When last heard on April 20, the BOS was in favor of weighting its “Task Force” with a majority of Town officials.
Other Business That May Come Before the Board has no scheduled items.
There will be the approval of prior minutes (from the quasi-Public session of April 20, 2020), the expenditure report, Town Administrator comments, and BOS comments.
There will be a follow-on BOS Workshop Meeting whose subject is 1) Public Works Staffing Levels (Patrick Smith).
Mr. S.D. Plissken contributed to this article.
References:
Town of Milton. (2020, May 1). BOS Meeting Agenda, May 4, 2020. Retrieved from www.miltonnh-us.com/sites/miltonnh/files/agendas/05-04-2020_bosagenda.pdf
Town of Milton. (2020, May 1). Expenditure Report, May 4, 2020. Retrieved from www.miltonnh-us.com/sites/miltonnh/files/agendas/05-04-2020_expenditurereport.pdf
Wikipedia. (2019, November 19). Washington Monument Syndrome. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Monument_Syndrome
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