HELP: Neighbors Need Your "YES" On Town Survey - NOW

Survey Web Address At The Bottom Of This Article

PLEASE Read Why You, Too, Might Want To Answer, "YES."

THANK YOU (you may need to cut & paste) ... & PLEASE FORWARD

Middletown Town Council wisely decided to survey residents to see if they
thought it was worth the money to videotape the once-a-month Zoning and Planning
meetings, and the as-needed Conservation Commission meetings, for posting on the
website. The one-question survey reads “Would you watch these
recordings?” This question seems to ask if someone thinks they have the time
or would choose to watch them as entertainment. This is a much different
question than, “Do you think there is value to recording these meetings?”

If you, or someone you know –
- has had to attend a Zoning Board meeting (a quasai-judicial entity, a.k.a. a
court), the answer is likely, “Yes;”
- is out of town or does not have transportation to scheduled meetings: “Yes;”
- wants to review meeting discussion to take action for the next meeting, but
can not get meeting minutes for a month or more because minutes must be approved
at a subsequent meeting to be available to the public (did you know that?),
thereby losing the opportunity to take action for the next meeting: “Yes;”
- review meeting minutes finding many, many details missing: “Yes;”
- wonder how the “bird houses” on East Main Road or projects in Zone 1 Watershed
areas get approved: “Yes;”
- is insulted by the Newport Beach House’s 6’ high front yard fence blocking
ocean views: “Yes;”
- want detailed testimony of the proposed National Grid substation on Jepson
Lane: “Yes;”
- need to know whose discussion points (rarely detailed in the minutes) align
with your philosophies, so you know who supports you: “Yes.”

The discussion against the taping, focuses on 1. cost and 2. the volunteers on
the Boards feeling uncomfortable. 1. Information is invaluable. For a lesser
investment, the Council could decide to videotape just “Zoning Court,” which is
at least a start. “Yes” supports your neighbors who do need this information.
2. As for volunteers, with the exception of the Personnel Board, Juvenile
Hearing Board or other boards dealing with “Personal Protected Information,” if
you are reading this and also wonder why volunteers might be uncomfortable with
the public knowing their justifications for their vote on an issue, then
Middletowners need you as a volunteer: please apply!

This is not an issue of would you take your discretionary time to sit back in
your armchair and access the website to take in a Town meeting, as if it were a
Patriots game, but an issue of how valuable the future development of our Town
is and being able to access that information. Send the message to the Town
Council to continue to consider the taping, so this important transparency
opportunity isn’t lost: Please answer “Yes.”

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/broadcastcommittees