Chester selectmen. Dictators?

[KBCraig]

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Chester+in+the+dark%3a+Selectmen+like+to+pull+the+wool&articleId=7f2ade81-d2f6-4a06-828f-7023632e9904

Chester in the dark: Selectmen like to pull the wool

It is now absolutely indisputable: Chester's selectmen have a nasty habit of intentionally keeping the public in the dark about town business.

Last week, after a lawsuit brought by the New Hampshire Union Leader, Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Robert E.K. Morrill forced selectmen to open sealed minutes from a June 29 closed meeting. Selectmen had gone into executive session on the excuse that they were dealing with a personnel matter involving Police Chief Alfred Wagner ?" even though Wagner wanted the meeting open.

The minutes show that selectmen discussed not only Wagner, but also animal control policy and general employee compensation policy ?" a clear violation of state law.

Back in April selectmen kept secret for a month an independent auditor's letter recommending that the town hire a financial manager.

Last fall selectmen placed administrator Victoria MacLaughlin on leave without telling anyone, including her. Why? They went on to spend about $50,000 on that dispute, never giving the public any explanation.

Chester's selectmen have been caught doing the people's business behind closed doors. And that raises two obvious questions:

1. How much other business have they conducted in secret?

2. How much longer will the people of Chester put up with this behavior?

[aries]

Surely they have nothing to hide?

Actually I think the residents have a RICO case here against their town government.

[Dave Ridley]

I think the topic of this thread should read:

"Selectmen: Dictators?"

heh heh

[KBCraig]

I wonder how much their obstinance cost the taxpayers of Chester?

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Chester+to+pay+paper%27s+legal+fees&articleId=4c3fc4c2-b9d0-4b5e-bd6e-8f91d8b2e98e

Chester to pay paper's legal fees

By RUSS CHOMA
Union Leader Correspondent

Chester ? Following up his decision two weeks ago that the board of selectmen must release the minutes of a non-public session to the New Hampshire Union Leader, a judge has ordered the town of Chester to compensate the newspaper for its legal fees in the matter.

In a ruling handed down yesterday, Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Robert E.K. Morrill found that selectmen misstated the law during their June 29 meeting, when they told Chester police Chief Alfred Wagner that it was not his decision whether he had to go into a closed door session with them. If they had not done so, Morrill determined, a lawsuit filed by the New Hampshire Union Leader to unseal those minutes would not have been necessary.

Under New Hampshire law, public bodies can only go into closed door sessions for a handful of reasons, and in at least two cases - discussion of personnel and issues that could negatively affect someone's reputation - the person being discussed has the right to ask for an open meeting. At the June 29 meeting, selectmen asked Wagner to go into non-public session with them for those two reasons, and he twice declined to do so.

At the time selectmen told Wagner that as his employer they had the right to overrule him and go into closed session.

Based on a concern that this was illegal, the New Hampshire Union Leader filed a formal Right To Know request for the non-public minutes, and when that was denied by selectmen, the paper file a petition in Rockingham County Superior Court. During a hearing Aug. 25, Wagner stated he was indifferent about opening the session to public eyes, and Morrill ordered the sealed minutes be released.

In his ruling yesterday, Morrill wrote that selectmen bore at least partial responsibility for the court hearing.

"By misstating the law the selectmen set in motion the events, which led to this proceeding," Morrill wrote.

Morrill determined that after Aug. 21, when Wagner spoke with the Union Leader¹s attorneys and stated a willingness to allow the meeting to be opened, the newspaper could have helped avoid the hearing by informing the town of this information. For that reason, Morrill ruled that the town is only responsible for reasonable legal fees up until Aug. 21.

On his way into the selectmen meeting last night, board Chairman Michael Weider said he would not comment.

Yesterday, Malloy and Greg Sullivan, the newspaper's attorney, had not yet determined how many hours were spent on the matter. New Hampshire Union Leader Executive Editor Charles Perkins called the decision "an admirable ruling by Judge Morrill.

"I hope it's well-read by municipal boards that do not respect the public's right to know," Perkins said.