What follows is an email (edited to remove names) which I received from a constituent. This person took issue with the selectmen's recent decision to interview some incumbent committee/board/commission members even though there were no other applicants for these seats.
My response follows it. I had debated sharing these thoughts during the selectmen's meeting last night, but decided against it. There was enough on the schedule without me pontificating.
Dear Selectmen:
Your finding it necessary to interview the...people you appointed to the [committee/board/commission] several years ago is simply folly. To delay their appointment after we requested you to do so well in advance so as to not interrupt our business and after giving us a written commitment to do so and to indicate there would be no reason to interview them as there were no other applicants shows a lack of respect for these dedicated, professional people.
Do you realize the hundreds of volunteer hours they have given to this town, developing procedures, attending workshops, making site visits...examining applications? ...members receive no financial reimbursement for travel to meetings, most workshops, site visits...
What possible good could come from your interviewing these people again? If you want “rubber stamp” people who won’t exercise good judgment and act professionally with all of their considerable experience, education and dedication who aren’t afraid to question and vote no on issues, then by all means, don’t reappoint any of these people.
If this whole thing is the result of your recent decision to get involved in the high school debacle, you are making a huge mistake. This is apples and oranges—totally. Our [committee/board/commission] was created...with plenty of checks and balances. We consult regularly with Town Counsel...over gray areas.
Instead of interviewing these people—a waste of their time and yours—you should give them each a letter of commendation for a job well done...
In my eyes, your ability to deal with volunteer appointees has reached a new low.
Sincerely,
Citizen Precinct...
Dear...
First of all, I take responsibility for instigating whatever change there may have been in the appointment process. It was I who insisted on interviewing every applicant, incumbent or not, whether or not there are challengers.
A letter of commendation for our volunteers is a good idea. The selectmen have been discussing our oversight of the various committees, boards and/or commissions, and recognition for effort should be a part of that. From personal experience, I can tell you that in most cases, our volunteers are given NO recognition whatsoever, and that needs to change.
That said; I take issue with your statement that, "your ability to deal with volunteer appointees has reached a new low." In fact, the Board is working to structure what has been a largely unstructured part of our responsibilities - the management of the appointees to our committees, boards and commissions.
Before and since taking office, I've heard from a number of people about a number of committees, boards and/or commissions and the appointment process. One person emailed me, "Why wouldn't all Selectmen want to [check backgrounds or review past performance] to make the right decisions on behalf of their constituents, the Falmouth Taxpayers?" Another offered an explanation as to why we have a lack of volunteers, "Why bother applying if the selectmen are just going to reappoint the incumbent?"
Other concerns include...
...Two volunteers on a committee/board/commission walk out of a meeting in protest because they are unhappy with the outcome of a vote;
...After being appointed, it is discovered that a volunteer has a guardian and is mentally incapable of serving;
...Some volunteers have been rude or discourteous to other members of their committees, boards and/or commissions or the public;
...Some committees, boards and/or commissions have, at times, attempted to exceed their authority, trying to do that which they are not authorized to do.
This is NOT to say that there are problems in every committee, board and/or commission; indeed, the vast majority of our committees, boards and/or commissions and their members do their jobs VERY well and there is far, far, TOO LITTLE recognition of that.
Every volunteer is a special town employee, yet there is no code of conduct, no job description, no formal background check, no review of performance - nothing. Many of these volunteers have regulatory authority or can recommend how millions of dollars will be spent, and in all cases they represent the selectmen and the town. In the latter capacity they can be - and do get - sued because of decisions they make, and the town spends money to defend them and those decisions.
You seem insulted that the selectmen want to interview incumbents who are up for reappointment. Please, tell me, Do you expect the Board to reappoint an individual simply because they are an incumbent and the only person applying for the job? No incumbent is entitled to reappointment, and if there was but one other applicant, our request for interviews would not be questioned.
The selectmen have certain responsibilities, and the appointment and oversight of the various committees, boards and/or commissions is perhaps the most important. The lack of other applicants should not prevent the selectmen from taking this opportunity - currently our only opportunity - to review our appointments and their performance.
For my part, I was not elected to endorse the status quo, but rather to make improvements to our town government. I fail to see how interviews of any potential appointee, incumbent or otherwise, does anything but encourage open, accountable government.
A thorough and consistent appointment process must apply to all committee, board and/or commission members. This needs to be followed by thorough and consistent management of all appointees. If there are to be any deviations, there should be higher standards - not relaxed standards - for the members of those committees, boards and/or commissions which have significant authority.
Such as those before the selectmen Monday evening.
Brent
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