It's been 22 days and 2 Board of Health Meetings since we requested some information from the BOH. If you read the exchange below you will see that the Administrative Assistant was very prompt with her reply to our request. That is where "User Friendly" ended. We have not heard a word since then.
Apparently the 3 members of the BOH don't think much of the people who visit this site. They don't publish their minutes or answer our questions. Another Imperial Board that thinks you are peasants who should be kept in the dark. And they wonder why we are cynical. What a farce.
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From: BOH
To: Hanging Gardens
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: H5N1
Dear Hanging Gardens
I will pass on your request to the Chairman of the Board and will get you the information as soon as possible. If you have any other questions please let me know.
Thank you
Missy Kakela-Bottoms, Administrative Assistant
Mendon Board of Health
----- Original Message -----
From: Hanging Gardens
To: Missy Kakela-Bottoms
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:37 PM
Subject: H5N1
We are under the impression the State has mandated that all cities and towns in the State formulate a plan to deal with a possible human pandemic as a result of the H5N1 virus. There is a discussion currently on our blog with regard to this issue.
We understand that this may be a sensitive issue but the citizens have a right to know how their town government is dealing with the mandate from the State.
We would like to know if a plan has been formulated by the town and what the particulars are. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. We can accept any form of electronic information.
Hanging Gardens
An Eye on Mendon
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19 comments:
Identify yourself Mr. Gardens, and then maybe you will get a reply.
This blog is a public forum. It's readers and authors are taxpayers and residents of the town of Mendon. Our request was for PUBLIC information.
We consider the information requested far more important than the idenity of the authors or posters.
The fact that some people can't stand not knowing who we are is of no concern to us. It does concern us that some find that more important than a major public health issue. Try to focus!
HG
Tony, this is the real world!
Most of the comments here are anonymous and we don't feel it is impolite. People say what they want and others disagree and everyone still says Hi when the see each other... because they don't know who said what. To quote Ollie North, "Its neat".
You have mentioned the plural thing before and we (I) explained why we do it.
Now back to the topic. Do you have any interest in knowing what your government has planned if the is an outbreak of the H5N1 virus in our area?
HG
HG, you know you are a good guy with the best of intentions. Most of us suspect that is true and since I do know who you are I can say it with even more confidence. But Tony is right for a change. When I served the town we did not respond to any complaints that were by unidentified persons. I don't see the difference here.
"The road to ruin is paved with good intentions" This old German proverb pretty much sums up where these blogs and their anonymous contributers are leading this town.
What information on this blog or the other two that is bringing this town to ruin??
And be specific!
HG
I am on a board in town, I would also disregard your anonymous request. Who knows maybe you are an illegal alien in our country and I could have you deported if you identify yourself? God knows I wish I could deport a bunch of people at town hall.
Hanging Gardens: If you were to send someone to town hall to request to view the minutes from the meeting where the response to this H5N1 was discussed, they cannot ask who you are or what you want them for, and the request is valid under the Public Records Law.
However, in order to appeal the custodian's failure to provide copies or access to records, your original request must be in writing, and dated. Local officials have ten calendar days to respond to your request. A failure to respond, or a denial in writing, allows you to appeal to the Supervisor of Public Records.
Minutes of open meetings become public upon creation. There is no requirement that these minutes be approved before they are made available to the public, and the board or commission cannot withhold them from disclosure. However, if the minutes are not transcribed (i.e., from audio tape) at the time of the request, there is no requirement that they be transcribed to fulfill the request. The audio tape of the meeting or any notes taken by the recording secretary are public records.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth Public Records Division phone number is 617-727-2832.
I don't understand the big deal with "revealing" public meeting minutes. What is the drawback to disclosing such information - anonymous or identified?
It is true that, upon request (in person), such information must be disclosed or provided without proof of identity, national status, residency, etc. That's journalism 101. The problem is, the people who manage the information don't know the laws and will try to turn people away, who make such requests.
Personally, I like anonymous contributors; they are more apt to submit actual viewpoints and feelings. It is more important to understand genuine feelings than the source.
Thank you Trish. The feeling here is that the request was valid.
Under the recent rulings about email, it would appear that our request was in writing.
We stand by the statement that in this case the BOH has no respect for the people who have viewed the pages of this blog 30,000 times.
Thanks for your post.
HG
I also wish anonymous 10:57pm. could deport a bunch of people at Town Hall. I know how important they all think they are, but they just don't seem to have anything to do. This town needs a leader and until we get someone who can take control, we will continue to have these problems. DOR recommended it and the selectmen chose to ignore their recommendations.
Many of the town officials choose to ignore requests for public information, and that is what this was, a request, not a complaint. If this same request was made by regular mail, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope with an anonymous P.O. box as the return, they would still be obliged to provide the information.
To anonymous Aug, 9, 8:58
i couldn't agree more with your statement that anonymous responders
give their actual viewpoints and feelings.
Can we start a new thread and discuss Franklin's new proposal for a Fire Dept......22,250 sq ft for $7.8M and the relevance to Mendon's PSB?
What do you want to say about it?
We are working on it right now.
HG
Where is it. Does it take over a week to figure that out? What is the matter? Did the numbers not come out the way you had hoped? 350 bucks a square foot not quite what you were looking for?
HG, how much more of a commercial base does Franklin have?
Mendon and Upton have about the highest % of residential tax base in the area. I think 95%+ of all land value in these towns is from residential property. Franklin has a lower perecentage of residential property than either of these towns...I think its in the low 80's but I could be wrong. Westborough and Bellingham had 65% residential property or lower thus giving those towns the lowest % of residential property in the area. I would assume Milford would have a low % as well but I cant recall that number.
Most of this info was compiled and reported on by the Milford Daily News probably within the last 5 years. Obviously residential property has jumped during this time. Its fair to say that a compilation of these numbers through 2005 would probably show a higher residential % across the board. Has anyone seen updated numbers for this? It was interesting at the time to see how Mendon stacked up against other towns.
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