NOTICE: If you are interested in participating in a class action lawsuit against the Town of Marlborough relating to our BOS disobeying our charter and not calling a town meeting in response to our petitions, please contact me via email, and provide your full name, address, and telephone number. If you know of another resident who doesn't have Internet access and is interested, please provide their information as well. We don’t know the costs involved yet, and nobody is obligated to remain involved once the costs are known.

12/8/09 – BOS Meeting Tonight on Hodge Exemption

There will be a BOS meeting tonight at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall.

To date (not including November’s bill) Bill Black has spent over $7,700 in legal fees “fighting” the veterans’ tax exemption. So he has now spent $7,700+ to save the town $4,400 this year. Robin Hodge acquired this information via a FOIA request filed a few days before Thanksgiving. Initially, Black told her that she would have to wait 20 “town” business days which would have been after Christmas. Mrs. Hodge immediately contacted the FOI commission, at which time Black complied without further delay.

Is This Site Dead?

In case you’ve been wondering if the site is dead, the answer is no. The problem (if you want to call it that) is that business is taking up all of my time lately. I would like to open the site up to other people to contribute new articles. I’ll be sending out some invites to people who’ve remain actively involved in the various issues discussed here. For now, however, updates may be few and far between from yours truly.

One update I can share is that Washington Rd is apparently not done. Another grinder pump was installed at one of the rental homes next to me. And, apparently, I’m next on the list. Honestly, I’d had it with asking the town what was going on with my place, and just decided to stop asking. It’s not my job to manage the sewer project and remind the town employees to do their jobs, and quite frankly, I was just planning on not getting the pump installed now and not connecting.

Sewer Regulations Tabled Until 11/19

A resident reported that the adoption of the regulations has been tabled until the November 19th WPCA meeting, primarily because of my letter. It was also reported that King Bill has a “Selectman’s Corner” coming out in the Rivereast, on the sewer, covering at least these two issues:

“When will the sewers be operational?” and “Have the sewer regulations been adopted?”

Too bad he doesn’t add, “Why did I spend $15,541 dismissing two legal petitions calling for a town meeting?” I’d like to see an answer on that one.

WPCA Meeting Tonight to Adopt Regulations and Set Usage Fee

The WPCA is holding a meeting tonight at 7:00 PM at the town hall, to formally adopt the sewer regulations. The regulations are posted on the towns website and can be downloaded here. I have not had time to review these.

The agenda also lists the “OPERATION & MAINTENANCE BUDGET 2009-2010″, which will determine the usage charges.

Additionally, I’m supposed to attend the RTC meeting tonight to officially volunteer (yet again) for the Charter Revision Committee. Both of these meetings are inconveniently scheduled at the same time. Unfortunately, I can’t be in two places at once.

Decisions, decisions. There’s little chance I’ll actually get on the Charter Revision Committee even if the Republicans put me up as a candidate (of which, I have my doubts.) And, there’s little chance that anything I could say that the WPCA meeting would make a bit of difference, as almost everything I’ve said has fallen on their deaf ears. Perhaps, if you have time tonight, please attend the WPCA meeting and record it.

Here is a letter I sent to Jack Murray, WPCA Chairmen, to be read aloud. If you plan on going to the meeting, please print it out and take it with you.

Republicans Sweep Marlborough Election

The Marlborough Republican party swept all the races in town, with 1157 votes cast by residents. Bob Clarke has the details on his blog, which you can access at right. Congratulations to Pasquale, Dick, and Cliff.

Halloween Event Results

The residents of Marlborough and other towns turned out to show their support for the food bank at this past weekend’s Halloween event, donating $170 and a pickup truck full of non-perishable food

A special thanks to my Mom and my fiancee for their help in setting up and tearing down the displays. I would not have been able to host the event without their invaluable assistance. Thanks also to the relatives and friends who contributed their time by participating in the event.

I managed to snap a few photos, albeit during the hour it rained, which you can view here.

I thought I’d take another minute to answer some of the questions I’m frequently asked about the displays and the event.

Lauren Cragg + Beth Petroni = Recipe for Disaster

I attended and video taped some of the BOF meetings last year. Lauren Cragg, an alternate, was seated in absence for Dan McMahon. If you want to watch Cragg voting against every single budget cut, the videos are available in the Documents and Multimedia section of the website.

There you can watch Beth Petroni and Lauren Cragg argue against every cut proposed by other board members. You can watch Lauren Cragg, running for a full seat on the BOF, look over at Petroni to see how to vote either because she wasn’t sure, or wasn’t paying attention, or just wanted to tow the party line.

In fact, if you wish to see just how badly this permeates Cragg’s thought processes, you can watch her actually recommend that King Bill take a pay freeze — then vote against her own recommendation, simply because Petroni does so.

Halloween Event Tonight and Tomorrow

Come by 15 Washington Road tonight, October 30th and / or tomorrow, October 31st, between 6:00PM and 9:00 PM, for my annual “Haunted House on Lake Terror-Among-Us”. We will be accepting non-perishable food and monetary donations for the Marlborough Food Bank.

I will also have the petition available regarding the Board of Selectmen as discussed in previous posts.

See you tonight — and, BOO!

Bill Black Resign – Letter to Rivereast

If you serve in public office, what clues might indicate that you’re doing a poor job? Imagine firing someone without following protocol, and that person sues the town, where you waste taxpayers dollars in a legal battle. Imagine calling in OSHA to get new carpeting for your office, bypassing the established Board of Finance for proper funding. Imagine leasing an office for five years to move the probate court out of town hall, then subsequently work to move the probate court out of the town completely, leaving the taxpayers on the hook for the lease payments.

Public Hearing on Veteran Issue Tonight

As reported on Bob Clarke’s blog, the court in the Hodge case has temporarily barred the Board of Selectmen from creating an ordinance on property tax exemption for qualified disabled veterans. Bob has a nice write up, so I won’t bother repeating it all here. I don’t believe the case is over yet, as that would be the shortest lawsuit in history. The judge has likely just issued an injunction barring the BOS from action.

The interesting thing, however, is that the BOS still have a public hearing on the issue scheduled for tonight at 7:00, at the school cafeteria. Perhaps, this is the part where King Bill can now assign all the blame on the Hodges for filing the lawsuit and tell us all that there hands are tied, and how he was going to create the perfect ordinance, but thanks to the Hodges, he can’t.

Or, perhaps he’s going to continue to fight the people, spending who knows how many thousands of our tax dollars, in a vain attempt to show us all who has the power in town, while holding this public hearing for appearance purposes only. If he can throw away $15,500 on a three page legal opinion that’s complete b.s., for justification in violating our charter, who knows how much more he’s ready to waste on an issue that isn’t an issue at all for most of us. But, damn it, he’s Bill Black and nobody tells him what to do! He’ll show us all!

Time for a new party?

I’m beginning to feel like it’s time for a third political party in this town, and I’m not alone. They did it in East Hampton, and it’s controversial to say the least. But, I just don’t see either party addressing any of the serious issues in Marlborough. I’ve heard nothing from the Republicans or Democrats on the Hodge issue, the sewers, the petitions, and how this affects the people. No, wait a moment — I think I do recall single letters in the Rivereast by one of the party chairs about the Hodge issue, and the sewer. I could be wrong, but that’s all I recall.

I do recall reading multiple letters about the community bulletin board, and all kinds of propaganda about doing it for the children at budget time. I don’t hear about the BOS violating our charter. I don’t hear about how the sewer bills will force people out of their homes. I don’t hear any criticism of the deeper issues affecting the town. Perhaps these parties are addressing them, and I’m just missing it somewhere. If that’s the case, then I’ll stand corrected, and submit my apologies.

But, I know that when the attention I’ve brought to these issues is called “charging at windmills” by “stirring up people”, to quote a leader of one party, that I’m not going to be getting any help from the established political parties in this town.

I don’t consider getting people involved the equivalent of charging at a windmill. If people don’t get involved, nothing will change. Yes, it’s idealistic but change can happen if enough people group together and do something.

Perhaps it’s time for a new party in town. Maybe a branch of the Chatham Party. Hmmm….

Republicans Seeking Persons for Charter Commission

The Marlborough Republican Town Committee is seeking individuals who would like to serve their community as members of Marlborough ’s Charter Revision Commission. The Charter revision process, if initiated by the Board of Selectmen, would take approximately 18 months to complete.

How much does it cost to invalidate petitions?

A few months ago, the BOS (on advice from counsel) deemed my two petitions “improper”. Counsel provided the BOS with a three page report on why they felt the petitions were improper.

How much do you think these three pages cost the town? My guess was around $2,000. A friend of mine involved in all of this guessed $6,000.

Guess what? We’re not even close.

To fight the people of Marlborough with a directed opinion from counsel, the wonderful Marlborough Board of Selectmen spent $15,541.00!!!

Bill Black and Marlborough BOS Sued

Last week, attorney Pasquale Amodeo filed suit against the the Marlborough Board of Selectmen, on behalf of Will and Robin Hodge, his clients. In case you don’t know, this is King Bill’s second lawsuit since taking office and improperly firing our last tax assessor. Black and the town were officially served with the lawsuit papers, this week.

New Petition to Demand BOS Step Down

Our town is under attack by a First Selectmen with very little regard for the people he’s supposed to serve, and our remaining BOS either parrot his sentiments or lack the fortitude to stand up for their opinions. I have no confidence in any of them, at all.

And if you think this is just about the sewer, you’re dead wrong. The BOS appoint people to the committees which govern a lot of the goings on in town. The WPCA, for example, is an appointed committee. The only sewer district residents on that committee own vacant land that can be developed because of the sewer. Have you ever heard a WPCA member actually stand up and say any of the things we’ve said? No, and you won’t, as their carefully picked people who stand to either derive a benefit from the sewer, or are people whom will feel little financial impact from it.

Sewer Article in Hebron / Marborough Life

The latest issue of the Hebron / Marlborough Life newspaper has one of the more in depth articles written to date on the sewer project. I was interviewed over the phone and a lot of what I said appears in the article. There are also direct quotes from this blog, and from email I’ve sent the town. I recommend you pick up a copy and have a read.

Our Class Action Lawsuit

I sent an email to people last week with a response from a prospective attorney. This attorney has successfully represented Preston residents in a suit against their BOS, for failure to call a town meeting in response to a petition. My email asked people for their feelings on the attorney’s response, for assistance, and for an estimate of their financial commitment capability

I have to say, that I am less than overwhelmed with the number of responses, and less than overwhelmed with the content of these responses I did receive.

I’ve said this before, and I will say it again. I cannot help people who are not willing to help themselves. I am entirely too busy to manage every aspect of our fight against the town’s WPCA and BOS, and certainly cannot finance the fight on my own.

If you want some relief folks, you need to contribute some time, and you need to understand there will be a cost. Open up your email, go back and have a look at the message I sent you, and please reply to me. Thank you.

–Dave

10/06/09 BOS Meeting Audio

Click the big orange button on the left to listen to the audio.

You may also download it here.

If you listen long enough, well after the veterans leave, you can hear King Bill and his court motion to bring the veteran’s ordinance to a public hearing — one which contains no support for a veteran’s wife, and can be “sunsetted” (terminated) on a yearly basis. Listen to the end and here Black deny the Rivereast reporter a copy of this proposed ordinance.

You can hear about Black wanting to push reval out another year. That would be just long enough for all the sewer benefit assessments to be levied, thereby magically increasing the value of the sewer district residents homes, and allowing the market some more time to recover.

You can hear about forming a commission for charter revision, with such ideas as moving the budget vote to a referendum (an all day vote), and doing away with the board of finance, and consolidating boards and commissions. You can hear me volunteer for this commission, immediately after Black says Amodeo can’t be on it, as he’s a Board of Finance member.

We have some very serious problems with our town government, folks.

Charter revision now? / Veterans, stay home! / Library

The Board of Selectman have a meeting scheduled tonight for 7:00PM at the town hall. Listed on the agenda for new business is “Charter Revision – Objectives & Staffing”. Are you kidding me?! I just got done listening to King Bill tell a room full of veterans that the Hodge issue wasn’t being delayed, it’s just that the BOS were so busy with other things.

So, now is the time to take on charter revision??

Is this retaliation against the townspeople who have told him that we are the legislative body of the town? What does he want to do? Revise the charter so that it actually says, “The town of Marlborough shall have a King and he shall rule over the people as their legislative body?”

Regarding the Hodge issue, it is on the agenda tonight as well. Accordingly, a member of one of the local veterans associations received a telephone call from Bill Black, in which he was told that if he showed up tonight and embarrassed Black again, he would be escorted out of the town hall by the police!

Conversation with F&J

Dave and Jamie from F&J stopped at my home today to discuss various issues, including some landscaping. The head guy from Weston & Sampson also showed up. Here are some facts I learned:

• They have received no instruction to not perform work for people who have turned in my modified version of the “Authorization / Right of Entry / Right To Construct” form. In fact, I will not turn in any other version, and the work will proceed at my location.
• The lateral drilling crew is gone and finished with Marlborough. They may be back in East Hampton for another job in two weeks, and which time they may do my lateral. Otherwise, F&J will essentially carve a path of destruction up the street from North Main to my location.
• All other work on Washington Rd is finished. If you don’t have a pump or lateral, you’re not getting one, as the town has run out of money. This effectively means everybody on Washington starting at the stop sign on Pettengill, down to the dead end will not be sewered.
• The contractor has not heard anything about removing pumps for people who do not connect. He has told the town its not wise to let a metal pump sit in a pool of water for several years, but that’s it. My guess is that the town would simply come and unscrew the top of the grinder pump casing and remove the pump, if they’re so inclined.
• The president of EOne systems is involved in the leaky pump casings issue. The issue pertains to the marrying of a stainless steel fitting to a brass fitting, which is leaking under pressure tests. Dave estimates that approximately 50% of the grinder pump casings have or will fail when tested.
• The pressure testing on the lines in the roads has been backed down to 125psi from 150psi, as the lines were failing at 150psi.
• The anticipated actual pressure flowing through all of these systems would be 40psi.

Take all of that for what you will. If you’re on Washington and don’t have a pump casing installed yet — congratulations; you’re not getting one and you won’t get billed either.