A bit of writer's block today. So much that could be said, and probably should be said, but not able to put it in a proper light.
Maybe some general observations. Maybe not.
The NSTAR's clear cutting. Has a lot of people upset. Maybe, just maybe, going forward the town will pay actual attention to easements granted. Including the continuing saga for the Cushman Park easement.
That being said, absent something within the actual easement deed, I wouldn't be counting on trying to stop NSTAR from doing it, if that is the plan.
Seems the town is going to the dogs, literally.
Interesting brief discussion on Monday about dogs being brought into Town Hall. Not talking about service dogs mind you. Can't keep service dogs out whether you wanted to or not (and service dogs shouldn't even be an issue).
Tell you what, in a world that operated under a modicum of common sense, this wouldn't even be an issue.
While I am barking up that tree about Town Hall, the other thing that makes one have to wonder is just why any individual believes it is okay to park in the crosswalk in front of the building. You know the one that runs across from the library.
If you followed the selectmen's meeting from Monday (it is on demand), and if you managed to stay awake during the "reappointment" process, do you think we need anymore committees in this town?
I received a few e-mails and phone calls on the emergency preparedness plan. I was actually present for that segment of the meeting. Several things were obvious. The first, different memories of recent event. The second, the fact not everyone present had read the plan. A third, not everyone gets it.
Several events on the near horizon that have significant impacts.
Part II of the hearing on the "election" lawsuit is Monday. Hopefully the endgame will get at least clarified. Only certainty right now is there will be an election to fill that seat. No one seems to have an answer as to when, who and what will be involved.
Town government study committee application deadline is today I believe.
I managed to read the article in The Advocate yesterday on the Con Com. Always good when you can get several takes on something.
Still wading through sections of Monday's marathon meeting for the selectmen.
Been wading through various on demand available meetings. Why do so many people insist on "using" proper procedure, and not have a clue? Why do so many people argue about their rights and fail to acknowledge their legal obligations?
Anyway, that is it for today. Stay dry. Be safe?
I managed to read the article in The Advocate yesterday on the Con Com. Always good when you can get several takes on something.
Still wading through sections of Monday's marathon meeting for the selectmen.
Been wading through various on demand available meetings. Why do so many people insist on "using" proper procedure, and not have a clue? Why do so many people argue about their rights and fail to acknowledge their legal obligations?
Anyway, that is it for today. Stay dry. Be safe?
NOTE: Further internal debate from this blog today. Language use in a proposed comment. Please keep swears, mild oaths and objectionable adjectives out of your post. Again guidance would be "town meeting protocol", along with the seven words you formerly were unable to say on radio or t.v.
ReplyDeleteThis could be a mistake because of the way some talk to their elders today, but if you wouldn't use the word if you were speaking to a grandparent, don't use it in the comment.
The shame of it is I entirely agree with the comment. So much so, I have cut and pasted the same below simply omitting the word. Don't assume this will happen to your comments though.
From Anonymous:
I really think people are getting nuttier when it comes to their dogs. Can you imagine if little kids acted like dogs running around, sniffing, licking people, etc.? Keep your dog on a leash & for heaven's sake please keep them out of restaurants, stores, municipal buildings etc (unless they are a service dog). My family had a super dog growing up. Guess what? He was a pet! He ran around in our yard and he didn't come out to breakfast with us! Get a grip!
From watching the emergency preparedness segment of the selectmen's meeting, it looks like we'd be in a lot of trouble if something major happened right now. It seemed like someone didn't completely understand the 'chain of command,' or their place in it. I hope it gets straightened out at the WI meeting, or in an event, it will be every man for himself.
ReplyDeleteNon-service dogs in public buildings? It's already bad enough going to the town hall or library, and having to watch for poop in the foot wide strip of grass at the edge of the curb 'outside' of the building.
Could be a local joke though:
"Have you seen the rest of the ballots?"
"I think the dogs ate them."
Looking at the number of boards, and the number of appointments that take place, might be reason enough to streamline town government.
To be perfectly honest, I was horrified at the lack of understanding, coordination and attention in regards to Emergency Preparedness in Town. To all who watched it, it should be painfully obvious that we need: 1) an updated plan, 2) to define/re-define the roles and responsibilities of our officials, and 3) to mandate training, certification and credentialing of all those who expect to be part of an emergency response.
ReplyDeleteMr. Osuch - thanks to his historical institutional knowledge - appeared to be one of the only non-public safety personnel that actually understands what's going on. I believe he said that the disaster plans we have available are 20+ years old. If that is the case, that is completely unacceptable.
A lot has changes in the last 20 years. September 11th and Hurricane Katrina were two major events that paved the way for sweeping changes in emergency response and preparedness. Gone are the days of small-town ways of doing things. With the Federal and State Emergency Management Agencies (FEMA and MEMA, respectively) being plugged into emergency response planning and emergency responses, those that "play" with them are expected to be able to perform with nationally-implemented ways of doing things.
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) establishes the methodologies and heirarchies of how incidents are managed. Local leaders REQUIRE training in these systems. If the Selectmen or Department heads expect to have a voice in these systems, then they require the appropriate credentialing. Our police and fire personnel receive this training, and can be plugged into incidents with no issue. NIMS and ICS are second-nature to them. A manager or other participating personnel without this training can likely be a hinderance to how a response mission is accomplished.
An emergency preparedness plan does need to be general enough to apply to various types of emergencies (natural disasters, chemical incidents, terrorism, etc.), but fluid enough to adapt to those emergencies. It should be abundantly clear that a 20+ year old plan would not suffice in today's post-9/11 world. Plans nowadays must meet minimum standards. The good news is that these plans are easier to make these days. We don't have to reinvent the wheel, as a lot of the planning language, operational hierarchy, et cetera are already in other plans. Other than specifics relative to our community, a lot of the language can be copy/pasted.
In this day and age where we have greater access to and improved communications, it behooves the Town to play along more closely with Federal, State, and regional emergency planning agencies. This may be to ensure our Town receives disaster aid (monetary or personnel), that we make shelters available in a timely fashion, or just simply don't get caught with our pants down.
We, as a Town, have been extremely fortunate that our local emergency responders haven't had a major incident to deal with in the last few decades. Most of our winter and summer storms have been on the mild side. Aside from the Bouchard oil spill of 2003, we haven't had a major regional chemical incident. Our police and fire officials have always done a great job at managing what comes our way, but we - as a community - cannot just put the response planning and response on their shoulders. They need the help of the community and other department heads as well. We shouldn't just sit idely by and accept our fortune, as our luck can run out some day.
There was specific interest in handling the needs of the elderly in the event a local emergency. If it's expected of them to have to evacuate their residences, it would be beneficial for them to understand the procedural details before a catastrophic event occurred. An hour before a required evacuation is not the time for an explanation.
ReplyDeleteCrosswalks are for people to walk in ,but some people think park in or maybe have no idea or dont care.Just like the cigarette containers by the door which are used by town employees for smoke breaks.They are to close to the egress points period...Or are these tidbits not germain to the daily discussion..
ReplyDeleteYour tidbits are fine. Your snarky attitude on another day might not be.
DeleteWhat do you think of snapping a picture of a violation and then sending it to the party responsible for enforcement? Could be a money maker in fines for the town.
ReplyDelete