Reporting from Thursday, June 19, 2008 :

Workshop Meeting

From the June 19 Special Meeting of the Town Council (TC)

The Draft Interview Procedures and the Records Retention and Access Policy were reviewed in detail.  The town attorney was to send a revised draft to the TC members before their July meeting.

Reporting from Monday, June 2, 2008 :

Interview Procedures

From the June 2 Regular Meeting of the Town Council (TC)

Discussion tabled to a workshop meeting set up for June 19, 2008.

Reporting from Monday, May 5, 2008 :

Interview Procedures

From the May 5 Regular Meeting of the Town Council (TC)

The town attorney said Councilperson Sammons had prepared the original draft and that he had made some revisions but none which changed her intent.  Since she was absent from the meeting and he and some TC members had questions, the matter was tabled.

Supervisor’s Report

From the May 5 Regular Meeting of the Town Council (TC)

Supervisor Young said “there’s been some statements made” about the town clerk’s minutes of TC meetings being “brief” and that they don’t “… flesh out a lot of the comments…that are made.” As an example of what is typical, she read from minutes of a County Board of Supervisor’s Facilities Committee meeting, noting that you had no idea what some parts referred to.  She said the town clerk’s minutes are just as brief and well within what is done at the county level.  In response to audience and TC comments about the adequacy of the county minutes, Supervisor Young explained that this was the way it has always been done and that if a particular supervisor wanted to know more, it was up to them to find out.  Christine Tallackson, an audience member, said she understood there were different schools of thought on minutes, with some preferring less detail and others more.  While each type might be fine for a particular purpose, minutes are never a good substitute for actually attending a meeting and getting the full flavor of what is going on—which is why there’s always room for other types of communications such as newsletters.

Reporting from Monday, April 7, 2008 :

Interview Procedures

From the April 7 Regular Meeting of the Town Council (TC)

TC discussed a draft resolution regarding interview procedures for candidates interested in serving on appointed town boards.  Councilperson LaSalvia expressed concern about a proposal to limit each TC member to asking only one question of each applicant and to limiting the total number of questions any applicant may be asked to five.  TC members were also concerned about rescheduling interview appointments for good cause, whether all of the applicants had to be interviewed by every TC member, whether the PB or ZBA chairpersons should have any role in the interview or selection process, and other issues.  The resolution was tabled for further discussion.

Correspondence Policy

From the April 7 Regular Meeting of the Town Council (TC)

TC will list and now also date “correspondence received” on its meeting agendas.  Copies of all signed correspondence will now be put in a notebook for public review at TC meetings.  Letters may be read aloud at a meeting if the reader signs up to speak during the public comment period.