Thursday, April 30, 2009

I've got a secret

Click to enlarge/read

UPDATE: Friday afternoon
So the Gazette, finally, caught up with this fascinating behind-the-scenes soap opera on the hiring of the new Super. And they even allowed me attribution for breaking the story but describe me as a "town meeting member."

But today's Amherst Bulletin has a mention of my 'Trespass Order' getting lifted (on highly read page 3) where I'm described as a "town meeting member and local blogger." Out of those two, I of course prefer the latter.
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UPDATE Thurdsay: 1:45 PM
So I had to change a stinky diaper and other daddy duties thus did not add any comments. I wanted to get this up fast (not that I was worried about the Gazette getting around to it) and I think the document and vote speaks volumes.

But you gotta wonder...on this most important symbolic issue (and politically savvy PR folks know well it is the little things that matter to voters)one-third of the Regional School Committee could not be bothered to show up and vote? Yikes! But hey that's what you get with unpaid volunteers.
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ORIGINAL POST: 12:30 PM Picture only (15 minutes after receiving the document)
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7 comments:

  1. EdApril 30, 2009 at 1:52 PM

    Did they give a rational for their redaction? I didn't know that you were allowed to redact minutes for anything other than homeland security...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Larry KelleyApril 30, 2009 at 2:04 PM

    Yeah, sort of:

    Hi Mr. Kelley:

    Yes, on Tuesday night the Regional School Committee approved the minutes and voted to release the section of the minutes regarding the discussion and vote on
    Dr. Rodriguez's salary. The minutes also reference another unrelated issue regarding contract negotiations, which was not approved for release and has been
    redacted.

    I have the minutes ready to mail to you today. Would you prefer to stop by the office and pick them up? If so, they're ready and you would be welcome to pick them up at any time during regular office hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00
    p.m.

    Thanks,
    Deb


    4/30/2009 10:14 AM >>>
    Hi Debbie,
    I understand the Regional School Committee voted and approved the Executive Session minutes and vote on the new salary level for Dr. Rodriguez that I requested.? Any idea when I can get them?

    larry

    ReplyDelete
  3. Larry KelleyApril 30, 2009 at 2:23 PM

    And just to show what a thorough journalist/blogger I am:


    -----Original Message-----
    From: amherstac@aol.com
    To: westmorelandD@arps.org
    Sent: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:43 pm
    Subject: Public Documents Request #2

    Hey Deb,

    Hate to be a pain, but could I also get the minutes from the March 2’nd Regional School Committee meeting Executive Session where the salary and additional benefits package for Dr. Rodriguez were first discussed. Thanks,

    Larry

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 30, 2009 at 4:37 PM

    Somebody called somebody else a racist, or whatever the polite version of that is in School Committee, in one of these closed-door meetings.

    And that somebody else was very mad about it.

    It got nasty in there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 30, 2009 at 8:47 PM

    Ed,
    The word is rationale.
    Pay attention!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alison Donta-VenmanMay 1, 2009 at 11:31 AM

    It is troubling to me that only four of the nine then-members of our School Committee actually voted for this salary/compensation package. Of those four, one is no longer on the School Committee and another is stepping down. I am surprised that, with so much at stake, the School Committee didn't defer the vote until all members could be present.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Larry KelleyMay 1, 2009 at 4:31 PM

    Yeah, welcome to the world of municipal government.

    ReplyDelete