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Did the minutes for the last meeting which were approved without discussion or amendment include the now infamous, "I kill you!" quote?
The Proposition 2 and 1/2 Overrides were voted on by the Selectmen as their previous meeting. They are the only ones that can place an override on the ballot by voting to do so.
Once an override issue is on the ballot, it is ILLEGAL for a local official (read Selectman) to use public resources such as facilities (where the meeting was held) to promote or oppose the question.
The law was clearly broken last night at the Selectmen's meeting. Speaking favorably of the overrides last evening in the Selectmen's Room in the Town Hall was ILLEGAL! No one cares?
read pages 7 and 8 of the printed guide.
Editor: The guide specifically refers to conduct, not speech, but does note:
"Thus, while local officials can
take a position on an override or exclusion question and speak in favor of or in
opposition to it, they cannot spend public funds or use public resources, such as
personnel, supplies and facilities, to promote or oppose the question."
Are you saying re-iterating a previously stated position at a duly held Selectmen's meeting would be considered "spending" public resources?
i have a way too save the tax payers of williamstown,,let start with D.P.W.and CEMENTARY workers,,i see D.P.W. worker over in pownal at stewarts,and winchesters dont you think thats costing the town a lot of fuel,,i know there do a break,,but too go to pownal,vt. for a pack of cigarettes,(little blue truck)or riding around or sitting in a truck on a raining day,the cementary worker start at 730am to 4pm i see them down in the old part at taking a break till they go home,,,,,and what about these guy taking town trucks home,,to north adams,and cheshire that a lot of wear and tear and fuel
We are talking about the ballot or election which precedes Town meeting. Once it is on the ballot - vote is made to put it on the ballot, all these ethics rules kick in. A Selectmen cannot use Town Hall as a staging ground and bully pulpit to promote a yes or no vote on the ballot issue. The chair even promised to do this again next week!
iBerkshires: why not call the State offices and get their opinion?
1-617-727-8352 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1-617-727-8352      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Could be a good story!
1-617-727-2828.
Editor: Why didn't you call? OK, I did. Preliminary call to DOR, Division of Local Services says no violation - unless they're sending home fliers with kids. The Selectmen have the right to an opinion and to discuss whatever they want at their meetings. That's it so far.
Second call to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance also says no violation. The Selectmen can state their opinion at their own meetings; the public can also state their opinions at the Selectmen's during citizen comments. So equal access is allowed. If officials use resources such as computers and copiers, that's a no-no. But anyone can stand on town property with a sign for anything.
Thanks for making the calls. I called yesterday, but no answer. I had always believed one could not use Town property to promote one's beliefs. Unless there was some misunderstanding at the state level, I stand corrected.
Editor: You absolutely can use town property to state your beliefs - although government entities may impose certain restrictions. People hold protests and vigils all the time in public spaces like Field Park and Park Square.
Williamstown Planning Board Hears Results of Sidewalk Analysis
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Two-thirds of the town-owned sidewalks got good grades in a recent analysis ordered by the Planning Board.
But, overall, the results were more mixed, with many of the town's less affluent neighborhoods being home to some of its more deficient sidewalks or going without sidewalks at all.
On Dec. 10, the Planning Board heard a report from Williams College students Ava Simunovic and Oscar Newman, who conducted the study as part of an environmental planning course. The Planning Board, as it often does, served as the client for the research project.
The students drove every street in town, assessing the availability and condition of its sidewalks, and consulted with town officials, including the director of the Department of Public Works.
"In northern Williamstown … there are not a lot of sidewalks despite there being a relatively dense population, and when there are sidewalks, they tend to be in poor condition — less than 5 feet wide and made out of asphalt," Simunovic told the board. "As we were doing our research, we began to wonder if there was a correlation between lower income neighborhoods and a lack of adequate sidewalk infrastructure.
"So we did a bit of digging and found that streets with lower property values on average lack adequate sidewalk infrastructure — notably on North Hoosac, White Oaks and the northern Cole Avenue area. In comparison, streets like Moorland, Southworth and Linden have higher property values and better sidewalk infrastructure."
Newman explained that the study included a detailed map of the town's sidewalk network with scores for networks in a given area based on six criteria: surface condition, sidewalk width, accessibility, connectivity (to the rest of the network), safety (including factors like proximity to the road) and surface material.
By a 5-1 vote, the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday OK'd a school-sanctioned field trip to Ecuador despite concerns that not all district families would be able to afford the opportunity. click for more
The middle-high school council is requesting the addition of three full-time teachers in the next fiscal year — one each in the math, wellness and world languages departments. click for more
Utilizing the school's "buddy reading" format, 65 sixth grade students read the storybook to a Pre-K, Kindergarten or 1st grade student. click for more
Grandchamp reiterated that CareOne, Sweetwood's owner, is committed to honoring the assisted living contracts it has with current residents, and Sweetwood is still marketed online to potential new residents as an "independent living" community. click for more
