Chapter 22. Government Affairs

Unable to accept gift because of conflict of interest

Dear Mr. Simon,

I received your invitation offering an all-expenses paid, weeklong trip to the Bahamas for myself and my family.

Although I appreciate the offer, it would be inappropriate for me to accept a gift from a company that does business with the town. I note that your company has submitted a bid for sewer reconstruction in town, and that contract will come before the board in a few months.

The state board of ethics clearly states that to avoid a conflict of interest no elected or appointed official can accept a gift of any value from any supplier or bidder for government work.

Sincerely,

Don Roberts

Cc: copy to town counsel’s files

Complaint about cleanliness of community pool

Jamie Gregg, Aquatic Director

Rolling Meadow Community Pool

Dear Mr. Gregg,

We are very fortunate to have a wonderful facility like the community pool in Rolling Meadow. Our entire family are regulars.

Over the past month, however, I have become very concerned about the cleanliness of the facilities. The showers have an accumulation of mold, the floors in the dressing room are dangerously slippery, and there have been times when the trash does not seem to have been picked up for days at a time.

As you can understand, these are significant health and safety concerns and also present the danger of liability lawsuits to the town.

I hope you will address this issue immediately. I look forward to hearing from you about this matter.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Golden

Protesting closure of town facilities

David Elder, Director

Rolling Meadow Visitor Service & Information Bureau

Dear Mr. Elder,

On behalf of the Rolling Meadow Retail Association, I am writing to ask that the town reconsider its plan to close the public restroom facilities in the visitor’s bureau downtown.

Although we are certainly aware of the budgetary crisis faced by town government, it is also true that one of the main sources of tax income is the downtown business district. We want to do everything we can to encourage people to come downtown and visit our stores, galleries, and restaurants.

Although it may seem like a small matter, we feel that the lack of public facilities in downtown may add to the exodus of business to the suburban malls. Every dollar spent there hurts the downtown business district and our tax base.

As we did three years ago when our association helped pay for the landscaping of Venetian Park, we would be willing to work with the town to find additional ways to fund improvements that would benefit the downtown.

Sincerely,

Bruce Woods, Director

Rolling Meadow Retail Association

Ending community service

Tate Holdgate, Mayor

Rolling Meadow

Dear Mayor Holdgate,

It is with regret that I must inform you that the Flying Aspidistra Garden Club will not be able to provide plantings and landscaping services in public spaces throughout downtown Rolling Meadow this summer.

It has been an honor to do this for the town for the past five years; we were very pleased with the appreciation we received from residents and visitors.

Unfortunately, although we still have many willing volunteers, contributions to our club have dropped off severely in the past six months, and we are unable to purchase plants and flowers.

If the town has funds to pay for the greenery, we would be happy to donate our time to take care of them this summer and in years to come. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Kathryn McDougall, President

Rolling Meadow Garden Club

Protesting closure of town facility

Kenneth Olden, Mayor

Rolling Meadow

Dear Mayor Olden,

I am writing to protest the proposed closing of the Rolling Meadow Elder Daycare Facility. I know I am not alone in saying that this facility is one of the most valuable services offered by the town.

For the past three years this service has been a lifesaver for my family.

My mother is eighty-five years old and still lives in her own home here in town, just down the road from us. She is not able to drive and her walking is limited, but she still very much enjoys getting out and spending the day with others.

For the past four years I have brought her to the center every morning, and we’re both very grateful for what it has offered her.

Without the center, my mother and many other older people will probably end up sitting in front of a television set all day long. And the town will lose some of its distinctive character.

Of all the things to choose to close in difficult financial times, I think this should be the very last. We owe so much to our elders, and the adult daycare center has been proof that our community cares.

I call upon you to reverse this decision. I would be happy to become involved in a committee to save the center.

Sincerely,

Elliot Newman

Complaining about cutbacks to library hours

Margaret Norman, Director

Rolling Meadow Library

Dear Ms. Norman,

I am very unhappy to see that the library board has decided to eliminate evening hours this summer. The chance to stroll downtown to the library and enjoy some time in the cool and quiet of the reading room is a treat many of us enjoy.

Everyone understands the difficult economy, but I have to believe there were alternatives to eliminating this much-appreciated pleasure; in my experience there were nights when every seat was taken.

I think closing the library early on Saturday or even closing it completely on a weekday would be a better solution. Perhaps we could get some of the downtown stores to sponsor night hours.

I would be happy to volunteer my time on a committee to explore these and other options.

Sincerely,

Randolph Perry

Objecting to closure of local motor vehicle registry

Mary Turner, Director

State Motor Vehicles Department

Dear Ms. Turner,

I am writing to object to the announced plan to the Rolling Meadow Motor Vehicles Department. In your announcement you said local residents would be able to use the bureau in Green Island, about ten miles away.

While I am in favor of saving tax dollars wherever possible, I also feel that the state should always remember who pays those taxes. I work Monday to Friday and don’t have enough time during the day to drive to the next town to conduct business.

I think a much better idea would have been to split the hours between the two locations. Let the clerks from Rolling Meadow come to Green Island on Tuesday and Thursday, for example, and stay at the other facility the rest of the week. By doing this, two or three people have to commute instead of dozens or hundreds who need to conduct business with your agency.

Sincerely,

Lee Davies

Unhappy about end to swimming lessons

Peter Swift, Chairman

Parks and Recreation

Rolling Meadow

Dear Mr. Swift,

I was very unhappy to learn that the parks department has decided not to offer swimming lessons at Mirror Pond this summer.

I have been a resident of Rolling Meadow for the past fifty years, and all three of my children became good swimmers as a result of this instruction. Two of my grandchildren were looking forward to attending this summer.

I realize that this is being done in an attempt to save money, but I have to believe that there are other ways to fund this important offering to the community. We could seek sponsorships from local businesses, run fundraisers, and seek volunteer help.

I would be glad to work with others to find a way to keep this valuable community resource going.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Summers

Complaining about bus route

Jean Collier, Administrator

Rolling Meadow Regional Transit Authority

Dear Ms. Collier,

I was disappointed to see that the transit authority intends to make a change to the route of the number 9 bus for the upcoming winter season.

In its present route, that bus picks up and drops off passengers in front of the Rolling Meadow Senior Center. Many of the residents use the bus on their trips to and from downtown.

The new route would change the scheduled stop to three blocks away, on Orange Street.

I hope you will reconsider this alteration to the route. Senior citizens are among the most consistent users of mass transit. I feel that we should always look to find ways to make their lives easier, not harder.

Sincerely,

Paula Kinsley, Executive Director

Rolling Meadow Senior Center

Objecting to new recycling fees

Gerald Day, Administrator

Rolling Meadow Recycling Facility

Dear Mr. Day,

I have just read about the proposed revised fee schedule for the Rolling Meadow landfill.

I realize that expenses have gone up and that we need to avoid running a deficit at the facility. The 15 percent increase in charges for dumping household garbage will be painful but we can manage.

I do, though, think that the substantial increase in special fees for dumping things like tires, appliances, and other bulky items is going to be counterproductive. I fear that instead of encouraging people to properly dispose of unwanted articles you are going to end up with more and more of these items dumped in the woods or by the side of the road.

Please reconsider these fees. Most people want to do the right thing. Let’s not encourage the wrong result.

Sincerely,

Jane Derr

Complaining of unlicensed dogs

Edward Lewis, Town Clerk

Town Clerk’s Office

Rolling Meadow

Dear Mr. Lewis,

I am writing to formally request that the town take action against a neighbor who has three unlicensed and unchained dogs. These animals are left to roam the neighborhood and regularly cause problems with garbage cans and make a great deal of noise every time a truck drives by.

Several residents of the street have concerns the dogs might harm young children.

I have made several calls to your office in recent weeks, but I do not see that anything has been done.

The property is question is owned by Sam Zillo, at 63 South Road.

I want to make it clear that I do not blame this situation on the dogs. It is their owner who must take control.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the mayor’s office and the chief of police. I would appreciate the courtesy of a response to let me know what will be done about this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Snow

Asking oversight of handicapped parking spots

Richard Graham, Chief of Police

Rolling Meadow Police Department

Dear Chief Graham,

As the result of a recent fall, I have been forced to use a brace and crutches, and I received a temporary handicapped parking permit from the town.

I appreciate the availability of closed-in spaces for my car in downtown.

However, I am—for the first time—aware of how often this courtesy is abused by people who have no right to use the spaces.

I am writing to ask your department devote more attention to the policing of vehicles in the spaces.

Just this morning I had business at the town office building. Both of the handicapped parking spaces were occupied by vehicles that did not have permits; I was forced to park several blocks away.

I, of course, recognize that parking enforcement is not the highest priority for the town. However, that does not excuse the lack of attention to this matter.

The town receives a significant amount of revenue from parking tickets, and we already employ several meter attendants. I am asking that you direct officers on patrol to pay close attention to the use of the available spots in town and to send a message to those who do not belong there: respect the law and those of us who need a bit of help in going about our daily activities.

Sincerely,

Fred Poor

Objecting to partisanship at town observance

Rolling Meadow Gazette

To the Editor,

Our family has long made it a tradition to attend the Memorial Day observance at Venetian Park in Rolling Meadow.

I want to compliment the community organizations and service groups who participated in the event; as always, it was a moving moment.

However, I do want to register my displeasure at finding a number of state and local political candidates who took advantage of the gathering to seek to campaign for office and collect contributions from the attendees.

Although I recognize that elections are an essential part of our system and that campaign activities are protected as a constitutional expression of free speech, I also think we should hold our politicians to a high standard; this should always be a solemn and nonpartisan event.

I am not singling out a particular political party or candidate here; I was equally offended by representatives of both persuasions. I hope that others will join me in reminding candidates that they should be smart enough to realize that some events should be outside the realm of partisanship.

Thank you.

Matt Armstrong

Objecting to actions of elected official

Editor

Rolling Meadow Daily News

To the Editor,

Once again I want to compliment the county commissioners and everyone else involved in putting on the Tuckernuck County Fair.

We are a small county, but we know how to put on a great party.

I do, though, want to express my indignation at the actions of Bert Greider, county sheriff. At a booth just inside the entrance to the fair, the sheriff and several of his deputies were handing out free baseballs and other items with his name printed on them.

No matter how I look at this, it comes out wrong to me.

Either he was using taxpayer money to buy items that served no purpose but to promote his name, or he was appearing in uniform with deputies to give away campaign material. Perhaps he was doing both: giving away campaign material paid for by tax dollars.

Sheriff Greider owes the people of our county an explanation. And we should all keep this in mind at election time next fall.

Sincerely,

Ben O’Neil