Clearing up some misstatements

As is likely described elsewhere in today’s paper, the parade of participants during the public comment section of Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting raised several issues. First is the structure of public comment. As the name implies, this is the opportunity for the public to comment, not to engage in extended dialogue with the selectmen or other members of the audience. The comments should be respectfully and courteously directed to the chair of the meeting, the mayor. If any selectman wishes to respond to comments, the selectman has the opportunity to speak during the selectmen comments portion of the agenda; otherwise, the purpose of public comment is for the selectmen to listen — to any member of the public on any topic of interest to that person. The selectmen, the members of the audience and those viewing on television must be aware, though, that anyone can say anything during public comment (within, of course, reason). What is said, though, cannot be guaranteed to be true or factual. If an issue raised sparks interest or questions for you, follow through with that interest and contact the speaker or someone else who may be knowledgeable. In other words, don’t necessarily accept everything said at a Board of Selectmen meeting as complete and accurate. The selectmen and I do our best to provide such information, but we’re not perfect. Usually after a meeting, I respond to several email or telephone requests for clarifying or more information. I do my best to provide the information requested. The speakers at the Board of Selectmen meetings are publicly identified, so if you have questions for them, they should be accessible, too. So, let’s get to a few of the actual issues brought by the public to the Board’s attention Monday evening.• The Board of Selectmen, before Monday’s meeting, was well aware that the town has several fiscal issues to address. That fact alone may be somewhat shocking to the several speakers that brought it to the board’s attention. The board is actually working to address those issues, but they cannot be solved within days. Perhaps, as is becoming evident that these issues have been somewhat long-term in development, if long-term residents who speak so forcefully now had been as “diligent” previously, some of these issues may have been avoided.• No, neither the board nor I have an anticipated date for the completion of the long overdue 2010-2011 audit. The town attorney has, on repeated occasions, informed the selectmen that the auditors are working, in part, with other outside state agencies, to complete the audit. The audit will be completed at their professional pace. When the audit is completed and delivered to the town and presented to the Board of Selectmen, the document will then be posted on the town’s website for everyone to review.• Town employees have not garnered excessive wage increases. The nonunion staff has not had a pay increase in several years. The union-represented staff has had no increase this year, with the exception of the dispatcher/animal control staff (a 2 percent increase in the final year of a three-year contract). The other unions (police, Public Works, and secretaries) have been paid at the same rate as last year. The supervisors union (and the Board of Selectmen) recently ratified a three-year contract that begins this year with no pay increase (followed by 1-percent and 2-percent raises in subsequent years). As part of that same contract, the supervisors union members agreed to a change in funding medical benefits (which will save the town additional funds), as well as agreeing to paying a higher portion of the medical benefits premium. I have found the union representatives with whom I have been working to be cognizant of the various issues confronting the town, and willing to work within those somewhat more restrictive parameters, rather than immediately claiming that, “Well, they’re getting ‘X’ in other towns!” The contract negotiation process is a series of compromises, many of which have a long history behind them. Several contracts are currently in negotiation.• Water and sewer rates will likely increase. As was mentioned at the meeting, those rates were not raised in 11 years. Water is a commodity and sewer availability is a service, both of which entail costs to produce or sustain. How much has your electric, oil or gas bill increased since 1998? What were you paying for cable television and Internet service at that same time? What about your cell phone bill? We all now routinely accept $150 to $200 monthly charges each for those “basic” services. We even unquestionably pay several dollars for bottled water at the grocery store. The cost for hundreds of gallons of water used at home is mere pennies.If you have a question or comment following a Board of Selectmen meeting (or any other meeting or, in fact, at any time), send it to me. If you’d like to have the selectmen address an issue, let me know that, too. I believe that a critical role for me (and Town Hall staff) is to provide accurate and complete information. When you have that, you can make an informed decision, and that is what I ask of you in issues brought before you. Dale Martin is the town manager of Winchester.