Saying So Doesn’t Make It So

To the Editor:

First Selectman Rosenthal told a combined meeting of the selectmen and Police Commission Wednesday night that Newtown commissions are to post meeting notices, agendas, and minutes on the Newtown website. These commissions report to the selectmen and are appointed by the selectmen, so one could assume that posting these items would be under the supervision of the selectmen.

Town officials have often lamented about lack of public participation at town and commission meetings. Posting agendas and meeting minutes would make it easier for residents to follow town government and select to attend those meetings that have interest to them based on the posted agenda. If the agendas are not posted on the web, residents must take time off from work, within 24 hours of the meeting, and stop by the town hall to read the paper version of the agenda. They must also guess when the paper minutes will be posted and pay for a copy of the minutes (the fee was recently doubled by the selectmen for copies of minutes), again taking time off from work.

A quick check of the May/June to date Newtown town meeting calendar shows that few commissions posted their agenda for the monthly scheduled meeting. Those not posting included the Board of Police Commissioner, the Water and Sewer Authority, the Lake Zoar Authority, the Lake Lillinonah Authority, the Conservation Commission, the Borough Board of Burgesses, the Board of Education (not on town website), the Board of Trustees, the Inland Wetlands Commission, the Health District Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Fairfield Hills Authority, the Board of Finance, the Board of Fire Commissioners, the Design Advisory Board, the Public Building and Site Commission, the Water and Sewer Authority — even the Hattertown Historic District Commission, with such distinguished members such the spouses of Mr Rogers, Mr Rosenthal, and Mr Brimmer, don’t post their agendas. Get my point? Saying so, doesn’t make it so!

As for posting minutes on the Newtown website, the record is just as bad for the appointed commissions, with 15 posting no minutes on the Newtown website. When the minutes are posted they are often short and so incomplete as to make it impossible to understand what really transpired during the meeting.

It is to everyone’s advantage to have an educated public. The selectmen can help make sure the residents of Newtown have access to information by directing the commissions that report to them to post their meeting, agendas, and minutes promptly on the Newtown website. It would help if these items would be posted earlier than 24 hours before the scheduled meeting so residents can make arrangements, such as babysitting, so they can attend.

The town deserves no less.

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue,                                              Newtown June 6, 2007