LEBANON MAINE SELECTMEN'S MEETING 8/3/15
The lack of Selectmen's Meeting Minutes is beginning to take it's toll on other departments within the town. As you will see in part 1 of the video from the Monday evening meeting, Town Treasurer, Jeanette Lemay is attempting to secure a $1 million dollar TAN (tax appropriated note) for the town. The TAN is a line of credit afforded to the town for it's use in continuing day to day operations, payroll obligations and budgeted expenses while waiting for assessed tax dollars to begin coming in to fund the commitments of the voters in the June elections.
As part of the process, the bank requires a copy of the Board's approved motion in the form of recorded minutes in order to process and make that money available.
As has been discussed and questioned in earlier meetings, Selectman Royce "no comment" Heath is responsible for the recording and publishing of the official Selectmen's Meeting Minutes, and yet no minutes have been presented since Heath took over those duties in early June, 2015.
Selectman Heath is not available for questioning on this problem as he is away at Assessor's School for the week.
SEE Part 1 of the
Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting Video
HERE:
Discussion with Lebanon Maine Town Treasurer Jeanette Lemay continues in Part 2 of the Monday, 8/3/15 Video tape. Ms. Lemay suggests that in the absence of Board Minutes, that Select Board Chairman Ben Thompson and Selectman Paul Nadeau, as a quorum of the Board, make and pass a new motion that she can then forward on to the bank who are waiting for paperwork to open the TAN line of credit for the town.
Questions are asked regarding the Board's knowledge as to why Selectman Heath is so far behind (2 months now) on posting the meeting minutes. Select Board Chairman Ben Thompson says that he has not been given an answer from his fellow Board member, even though he has, himself, asked.
The meeting continues with questions regarding Mass Gathering Permit Applications which have been expected from the 4X4 Proving Grounds and / or Clear Choice Productions regarding the planned Country Music Festival tentatively scheduled for August 15, 2015. According to the Select Board Chairman, it has been said that it was told to them that the application had been mailed, however they have not received it as of yet. In order to have been received on time for the event to take place, the Board should have had the application by August 1, 2015. The Board has asked Town Code Enforcement Officer, Mike Beaulieu, to reach out to the 4X4 Proving Ground folks and have extended their deadline for the application until Tuesday, August 11, 2015.
Questions as to whether the Board is going to request a Mass Gathering Permit for the upcoming Medical Marijuana Festival (scheduled for August 21-23, 2015). There are still no clear answers from the Board as to whether or not they are going to require permits for that Festival as they haven't had any communications with the people who are hosting that Festival.
Questions as to the final numbers for the Lebanon Road Commissioner's budget overages. Board requests that we fill out a Right to Know paperwork application, and says the books on that budget are not closed out yet.
WATCH Part 2 of the Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting Video HERE:
The third part of the August 3rd, 2015 Selectmen's Meeting Video (named 2A due to the fact I forgot to download it until later), shows Select Board Chairman Ben Thompson having to re-make the motion to allow Treasurer Jeanette Lemay to pursue a TAN (tax appropriated note) line of credit through Kennebunk Savings Bank on behalf of the Town of Lebanon. Selectman Nadeau seconded the motion, and the two both voted in favor and signed the motion so that Lemay would have the appropriate paperwork to complete the TAN application.
Part 2A of the Lebanon Maine Selectmen's
Meeting Video........WATCH IT HERE
During the next part of the August 3rd Selectmen's Meeting, Lebanon Maine Truth Seeker, Sandy Adams offers for the second time in as many meetings to take minutes while she is in attendance of the meeting. She states that there are a group of others who are willing to attend and take meeting minutes, typing them and making them available to Selectmen's Assistant Sue Collins for publication within a matter of days, after they are approved by the Board and certified by them as official meeting minutes. Selectman Thompson gives Adams the go-ahead as he is worried about the lack of minutes in the past 2 months and doesn't want the recording of the minutes to fall behind by several months as it was when he took office.
SEE Part 3 of the Lebanon Maine Selectmen's Meeting Video from 8/3/15 HERE:
During Part 4 of the Lebanon Selectmen's Meeting Video, you will hear Lebanon Truth Seeker Deborah Dorey Wilson questioning the need for the Town to take a TAN, and hear Select Board Chairman Ben Thompson telling that the Board secures a TAN each year, whether they actually draw from the available funds or not. "It's just good business practice," according to Thompson. When asked if he forsees the town needing to take a loan prior to tax funding, Thompson is still unsure, awaiting the finalizing of the Fiscal Year 2014-15 bookkeeping.
Lebanon Maine Board of Selectmen's Meeting Video Part 4 HERE:
During the final section of the video showing the Board of Selectmen's Meeting of August 3, 2015, the Board welcomes resident Tom Clemens who has questions regarding the times the Board meetings begin. Both Selectmen assure Mr. Clemens that if he takes the time to phone in and get on the meeting agenda, that the Board is willing to entertain a later time to hear his concerns. The new video recorder ran out of batteries prior to hearing Mr. Clemens further concerns, which were regarding the December 2016 renewal of Metrocast Cable's contract as the cable television provider for the Town. Mr. Clemens had a copy of the Town's contract an questioned why the original Board had signed a 10 year long contract with the provider. The answers were not known by the current Board. Selectman Thompson spoke to Clemens about the possibility and need for creating a Town Committee to work with the Board on the creation of the renewal contract with Metrocast, or to research other cable television providers to see if they offer better options for townspeople who use cable television and internet services. Mr. Clemens took his leave after discussing with Selectman Nadeau how he missed seeing the Board Member at the Transfer Station where he had enjoyed discussing town goings-on with him. Selectman Nadeau motioned to end the meeting, seconded by Thompson and Selectman Nadeau left immediately afterward while Thompson remained to do the Board's paperwork.
SEE The FINAL part (5) of the Lebanon Maine August 3, 2015 Selectmen's Meeting Video HERE:
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