Last nights Open Forum sponsored by the SRTC in my opinion was a great success.
There were far more in attendance from Town Leaders and Residence alike then I could have hoped for. Furthermore the Board Members and Department heads that were in attendance were forthcoming, educational, honest, and appeared to enjoy answering questions and engaging the Residents of Seekonk. For me it was great to see the Town Leaders sort of role their sleeves up and just dig into whatever the the Residents wanted to talk about.
The Chief of Police (Ron Charron) gave some great insight on the stability of the SPD in terms of Officer Retention, performance, and the overall infrastructure of the Police Department. The Chief also assured the Residents that despite rumor, there is in fact adequate police coverage in town. I personally would like to see at least one more Police Officer added per shift (I think the Chief probably would too) but there is confidence in the SPD that they can handle covering the Town, though at times it is challenging.
4 Members of the School Committee as well as the School Department Finance and Special Education Directors were both in attendance. Dr. Chevrette had a last minute personal matter he had to attend to so he was not able to attend. All the before mentioned individuals offered up some great information, answered some tough questions, and really engaged the residents in attendance.
Bob McClintock, though I will never agree with his antics at the November Town Meeting, showed himself to be incredibly knowledgeable on just about every aspect of the Town's Government. He was even able to fill in the where Board of Selectmen Members could not. (More on that later.) So where Mr. McClintock sometimes lacks in delivery, he certainly makes up for in knowledge. As our new President has demonstrated, knowledge is a little more valuable than a nifty and polished speech.
The Moderator Mr. Mike Durkay did an outstanding job. We could not have asked for a better person to do that job.
Now onto the lashings....
Two Members of the BOS attended the meeting; Bob Richardson who was only inclined to stay for about five minutes before leaving, and Francis Cavaco who has only been a member of the BOS for about six months. Mr. Cavaco did his best to answer what he could, and was honest enough to say when he did not know an answer to something.
While the members of the Board of Selectman where under no obligation to attend, they apparently do not share the same desire to communicate with the Residents of Seekonk as the School Committee, Chief of Police, School Department Heads, Board of Accessors, Planning Committees, Building Committees, or any other members of Town Committees I may have missed who were in attendance. Especially when two Members of the Board of Selectman are up for re-election and their opponents were in attendance.
So with that in mind, take note. Francis Cavaco, Victoria Kinniburgh, and Dave Parker attended an Open Forum voluntarily to help discuss and address the needs and concerns of the Community they wish to serve.
Victoria Kinniburgh and Dave Parker are currently running for Board of Selectman.
Vote Accordingly.
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2 comments:
I think it lacks common sense to vote based on a candidate's willingness or ability to attend one community forum. It almost smells of a set up.
This is Seekonk. Not Rehoboth.
If I am not mistaken, Donald K. is or was a member of the Republican committee. This forum, I thought, was suppose to be a non-partisan effort to address town issues. You lose credibility with the "read between the lines" endorsement of Mrs K.
"Original and Unedited" letter to the editors
PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF WATER MUST NEVER BE USED AS A SOURCE OF REVENUE TO CLOSE BUDGET GAPS IN SEEKONK.
I am Christine Allen and I am running for Water Commissioner in Seekonk.
There have been suggestions that the Town of Seekonk should take over the Water District. Not on my watch! It must remain its own separate entity. I have seen first hand the fighting that goes on over who gets the cash, town side or school side. The Water District should never become part of the 35-65 budget split tug-of-war.
In order to maintain the purity of the water supply, when repairs or improvements are needed, they must be made as the Water District sees fit, and not be held hostage at a Town Meeting. There is an old adage, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” I think some members of the Board of Selectmen are seeing dollar signs dancing in their heads. You see, the Water District doesn’t come under Proposition 2 ½, and in my opinion they would like to try to impose a Water Tax!
Water is a basic necessity of life. It must be of a high quality, and available at a reasonable cost for all of us. These goals can be achieved by supporting the top-notched staff and increasing the customer base.
If elected, I will propose the following consumer friendly projects to the board:
Mail estimated quarterly water bills to be sent out at the same time as the actual bills, with different due dates. (Just like we get our real estate tax bills). This will help the Water District because it will improve cash flow, cut down on overdue accounts, and reduce costs. The customer will be helped because the quarterly payments will be smaller.
Establish a website. The first place that most people now go to for fast reliable information is online. A website will be an educational tool for both young and old. In the event of a water emergency, emails could be sent to customers immediately, rather then waiting and hearing it on the evening news or in the next day’s newspaper.
Make paying your bills easier by accepting credit card/debit card payments. Develop an electronic payment method.
It is important to understand that the day to day operation is the responsibility of the Superintendent who is licensed. He runs the facility with consultation with the three Water Commissioners. We do not need another person in town micro managing. One of my opponents claims he is the person to “successfully run the Water District”.
The Water District is a business. My business experience will help me perform the job. I have common sense along with the necessary skills to listen, question, and have discussions with the other two Water Commissioners, the Superintendent as well as the Treasurer. The Water District also retains the services of an engineering firm.
I am a customer of the Water District and I have deep ties to Seekonk. My home has been in my family since the 1950’s. I plan on living here for many years and want to keep the cost of water tax free and affordable for all of us. The Water District must remain a separate entity.
I do not have any relatives employed by the Town or Water District.
I have reviewed the approved contractors and supplier lists and I have no connections, conflicts or affiliations that would interfere with the awarding of bids and or contracts. Can my opponents state the same?
Thank you for your consideration on April 6.
Christine Allen, Candidate for Water Commissioner
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