This is an interesting comment in today's paper regarding Conservation Commission appointments:
"...King said that has nothing to do with his timing. "It has to do with their operations," he said. "This is an important year for them, and we want to have people on the board who represent the entire town, not just one special interest." The Conservation Commission is charged by law of Commonwealth of Massachusetts, not by the town, to do two things: 1. Under the Conservation Commission Act, Commissioners must actively pursue the acquisition of open space and the protection the natural resources of the community and 2) Under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, Commissioners are charged with protection the wetland resources of the community. The Town of Framingham, through town meeting, voted the Framingham Wetland Bylaw to further protect the town's wetland resources. This is very specific as to what the regulatory charge is for Conservation Commissions. Yes - it is a special interest called the environment. There is no way around that. This is something that our town manager apparently does not understand. This town also voted that its Conservation Commission shall have seven members - the maximum number allowed. The vote was not to have seven members when it suited an unnamed purpose, but to have seven members. The town meeting subcommittee on "Government Rules and Regulations" (I think that was the name of the committee) spent a year establishing guidelines for background qualifications for appointees. Hopefully these might come into play with the upcoming appointments. It is important to note, and I am speaking from experience, that our town manager wants to 'manage" the Commission. By that I mean, who is chair (not by vote of the Commission but by holding one's appointment hostage), how the town applications are reviewed, opposing the town even having to file with the Commission, to what type of information is required of applicants. It is considered by the administrator that the Commission requires too many "hoops". It doesn't matter that these "hoops" are law. It is interesting that under the law all are treated equal, but under the town administration only some should follow the law. Maybe Mr. King could provide a list of who is exempt from the wetlands laws, who is partially exempt and who must comply to the letter of the law. Enough said. Leslee Willitts ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrea Carr-Evans" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 4:26 AM Subject: MWDN 7-18-03: Appointments to the ConCom King not rushing board choices By D. Craig MacCormack / News Staff Writer Friday, July 18, 2003 FRAMINGHAM -- Town Manager George King said yesterday he will make his four appointments to the Conservation Commission soon -- but he's not saying when. King has twice delayed making his picks for the open spots, with the latest move coming after Conservation Administrator Cindy Dionne said she'll leave the post in August to move to Maine with her husband. Further complicating the process is the attempt by Dionne's predecessor as an administrator to obtain a seat on the commission. "They have enough people to conduct their business as it is," King said. Critics of the delay in appointments say King is holding up his appointments so the panel can't file an article with regard to Morency Woods for the fall Town Meeting. That proposed two-town land deal with Natick failed at the spring session. Conservation Commission members want the 14-acre parcel kept as conservation land. Others want Framingham to sell the entire plot. King said that has nothing to do with his timing. "It has to do with their operations," he said. "This is an important year for them, and we want to have people on the board who represent the entire town, not just one special interest." Dionne will be the second conservation administrator to leave in about 18 months, following Sarah MacLennan out the door. MacLennan is one of eight residents vying for appointment to the Conservation Commission. "I have the experience, and I'm offering my experience to the town," said MacLennan of her decision to go for the post. She is joined in the pool by two incumbents and five potential newcomers. MacLennan did not leave the town's employ under the best of circumstances. She grudgingly resigned after two years on the job when the seven-member commission leadership publicly criticized her job performance. MacLennan said at the time the commission needed to rotate the chairman's position to create more orderly meetings. She left for a similar job in Cambridge, and she has since retired from the public sector. Cambridge officials could not be reached yesterday for comment on reasons for MacLennan's departure. King said he doesn't expect MacLennan to return to her former post. MacLennan would not discuss speculation that she intends to start an environmental consulting business, which she called a "rumor." When asked if the rumor is true, she said, "That's none of your business." Either way, it's no problem, King said. "They just have to make sure their job doesn't conflict with their office," he said of public servants who represent private clients. MacLennan is in a group of Conservation Commission applicants that includes incumbents William Merriam and Andrew Toorock, and newcomers Nicola Cataldo, Jan Gill, Steve Orr, Jeffrey Roy and Vickie Staples. No special consideration will be given to MacLennan because of her previous experience, King said. Meanwhile, King has made little progress in the search for Dionne's replacement. No timetable is set for that, he said. The administrator assists the Conservation Commission on projects under review as well as makes sure local regulations are applied properly. (Craig MacCormack can be reached at 508-626-4429 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]) <http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/local_regional/fram_king07182003.htm > http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/local_regional/fram_king07182003.htm Andrea Carr-Evans TMM pct 3 508-272-8598 [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with body "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored). To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with body "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored).
