To the Board, or not to the Board, that is the question

To the Editor:

Cathy Richardson and Barbara Payne did an outstanding job in creating the “Get to Know You Selectman’s seminar” this past spring. This one event was a breath of fresh air for the citizens of Paris.

Currently, we are five months with the new board. We expected, as citizens, for all the board members to speak up on all issues presented before them. It is currently being administrated, influenced and impacted by the chair and vice-chair. This is not the way to go forward.

The chair is expected to assume responsibility for directing and overseeing the board on different issues and motions. The chair isn’t supposed to be the board.

On August 22, a motion was officially recorded in the minutes as follows: A motion made by Ms. Smart “not to include the Budget Committee in the discussion on Road Bonding,” seconded by Mr. Kirchher. Motion passed with a 4-1-0 (Mr. Kurtz voted no).

Mr. Kurtz, chairman, and Mr. Kirchherr, vice-chairman, went anyway to the Budget Committee meeting. Personally, this decision to attend the meeting does not seem to bestow any consideration or respect to the other board members or to the citizens of this town.

I believe we have a situation where a board member has a vested interest, where we have a board pursuing selfish goals and the chair exerting a controlling influence to achieve these goals. The interest or attraction could be money, status, fame, ego, knowledge or reputation.

Mr. Kurtz’s admission last board meeting on October 24, voiced it well. He wants the citizens of Paris to look back 10 years from now. The citizens are supposed to view the roads and embellish the fact that this board, the select board of 2011, initiated the reconstruction of the roads. Imagine, Paris Hill Road, Paris, will be renamed the “Kurtz Memorial Highway!” It that doesn't sound like someone who wants distinction, status and/or reputation to me, you tell me what does!

The chair and vice-chair must be advised that their honesty, reliability, impartiality, temperament and fitness to serve as power figures must not be impaired. Public confidence in the chair and the board is eroded by irresponsible or improper performance. The chair and other board members must avoid at all costs impropriety and the appearance of impropriety. This restraint applies to both professional and personal behavior. Their distinctive actions can be seen as in conflict with select board duties, even if not yielding monetary advantage, as a potential cause of public embarrassment and/or diminishing faith in their integrity. The board members must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny and accept freely and willingly restrictions that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen.

I attend select board meetings on a regular basis. The presence of two high ranking officials of the board with the Budget Committee has been brought to the forefront three separate times in the past two months. The citizens showing their disapproval in this issue appears to be ringing on deaf ears.

Repairing our roads is a monumental task. All the various suggestions and comments given on October 24, on the improvement of roads and the use of our taxpayers’ moneys should give thought to the board’s next step in this matter. The board must recognize and utilize the citizens' taxpaying dollars in the most unselfish and prudent way possible.

Jim Hakala

South Paris