The contract problem has a new twist. A majority of the Commissioners now agree that the negotiations pertaining to the Town Manager's contract should be carried on during executive session. This means that we the public can't attend. Had this happened in the first place many of you in town would not even know something was wrong. Why the change all of a sudden?
Executive sessions are the place to discuss personnel problems and litigation before the town. This contract is not the kind of personnel matter that executive sessions are usually used for. Usually they're for accusations of wrongdoing or questions about job performance (which haven't been on the table). This, however, is about a contract that could RADICALLY CHANGE how our town is governed. It shouldn't be viewed like union/employer contract negotiations. It's a discussion that should be public considering this particular contract's potential impact on our way of life.
It's not even clear that the public would have a decent amount of time to review what is drawn up in an executive session before any public vote. AT MINIMUM THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE AN ENTIRE MONTH TO REVIEW WHAT IS TO BE VOTED ON. There is no way in the heat of the moment at a town meeting that any proposed contract can be properly reviewed and compared with the contract that came before.
Contact your Commissioners and let them know how you feel. Such an important issue needs to be kept in a public forum all steps of the way.
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