A Two Cent Toll

NOTE:

I realized I never published this piece Tuesday morning. So here it is, a day late.  Enjoy, or not ...

Interesting evening last night.  The Selectmen's meeting went out live, starting at its usual time, being +/- 6:35 P.M.  You could tell when the Board of Health meeting next door broke up,  The background shouting stopped and a few stragglers wandered in.

Nice piece in The Standard Times today on the B of H meeting.  Seems it had to be shut down.  Overcrowding.  Too many people showing up for the "answers" and comment to questions from a selectmen to the board of health about a planning board proposed article that hasn't been formerly proposed yet.

The planning board meets tonight.  Its agenda notes the intent to schedule a public hearing on the by-law for February 12, 2013.  

Little exchange last night between the Executive Secretary and Selectmen Espindola on the selectmen's proposed annual report.  Haven't seen it, but apparently reference was made about the turbines and the testing going on in the draft report.  Seemed to be a bit of disagreement between the two as to what is actually accurate.  

The most interesting piece last night, for me anyway, the revamping/revising of the cable access committee.  In case you haven't heard there appears to be some interest in attempting to start-up the public access channel again.  Quite frankly, what other reason would there be for the "re-start" of the committee.

Well nothing really happened, except to put it out there for more applicants to sit on the committee.  Might be nice if someone mapped it out just what the intent, purpose and goals of the cable access committee are to be before it gets a new life.

Historically, if was the negotiation and oversight of the cable contract.  There were times when it was tasked with dealing with the prior public access in town and the controversy that use to swirl around it.  

Heck, if we went back to the old days, I might be tempted to drag the old show out of the mothballs.  

I certainly think the town has underutilized its cable t.v. capacity.  It has certainly made strides to this end lately, and certainly can do more.  Before we reform a committee to "study" the matter, I would like to hope someone out there has a basic game plan.

Fairhaven collects a fair chunk of change as a result of "franchise" fees, a significant portion of which has to be designated toward the educational component of the PEG services (Public, Educational, Governmental) authorized by law.  Your Blue Devil T.V. is essentially funded through that part of the fee.

As I read the present contract with Comcast, the Selectmen as the Issuing Authority control all the money and determine the rules relative to Public and/or Governmental access.  There is no requirement under the contract or law that you must provide both Public Access and Governmental access (although the contract does require the educational component of the PEG services).  Neither is there any requirement that the P and G components of the PEG money be segregated.

So despite some grumblings to the contrary, no one is being deprived of any "right" to a public access channel.  

But I digress a bit.  I just think that before we unleash another committee (in this case a dormant committee revived) on the town, shouldn't we know exactly where the committee is heading?  Point number 2, if this committee is in fact going to charged with reviving public access, can we kindly keep public officials involvement on this committee to a bare minimum.  Point 3, perhaps a three member committee is too small, however opening up membership to everyone and anyone who wants on the committee is and continues to be a problem.  

Pick a number, weed through applicants, and please set some ground rules.  Make it absolutely clear from the get go the duties and delegated "power" for the committee.  

This one is worth watching.  Whatever good intentions may be behind this, the road to be paved can very easily head off to a destination that no one wants to end up at.

There is my two cents worth on that one.

That is also about all the "capital" I am willing to spend on it today too.  Enjoy the "warm" weather today and hopefully the forecast for sunshine.  Be safe.