Saturday, November 14, 2009

Turf meeting rescheduled, agenda revised - Nov 17

The new turf meeting agenda:

AMENDED 11/13/09
JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
7:30 P.M., TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, TOWN HALL,
84 SOUTH MAIN ST., CHESHIRE, CT 06410

AGENDA:

1. Roll call.
2. Pledge of Allegiance.
3. Presentation of Turf Study Group report.
4. Possible appropriation of the $525,000 State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Cheshire High School Turf Field Grant.
5. Adjournment.


I'm not sure if this will be televised. But I do find this to be a rather interesting development for a lame duck Council meeting.

And for some clarity on terminology... in July 2008 the Council voted to "accept" the $525,000 turf grant. So this is for the "appropriation" of the money.

To the best of my memory, as a Council member I have almost always voted on the "acceptance" and "appropriation" of grants funds simultaneously with only one exception: the turf.

Tim White

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

"possible appropriation of the $525,000". If the council accepts this, does this mean that the turf is a go? What happened to trying to get the money for lockers instead?

Tim White said...

does this mean that the turf is a go? What happened to trying to get the money for lockers instead?

Keep in mind that the 19th Council (5-4 Dem majority) serves until December 6. The 20th Council (7-2 GOP majority) begins serving on December 7.

Until December 6, the current Council has governing authority.

Anonymous said...

It will be no surprise that the dem council passes the turf...afterall, it's been their agenda all along.

But with the new counciltaking over Dec. 7th, I would think, and perhaps Tim can verify this, that the vote could be "Rescinded" or "Reconsidered." Time to check the Robert's Rules of Order.

Anonymous said...

A bit odd too in that the BoE hasn't had the "final report" given to them. They also never had ANY vote taken regarding installation of turf. This impacts their budget big time and the council has no right to pass it through before the BoE hears the report. If the council passes it through it's equivalent to saying "you now will have to use money in your budget to maintain your turf field." Remember the council doesn't have a say in how the BoE spends their money - or do they??

tim white said...

I would think, and perhaps Tim can verify this, that the vote could be "Rescinded" or "Reconsidered."

I'm confident that this vote will be fully understood on multiple levels.

cedar lane said...

This is Altieri's, Ecke's, and Bowman's final F-you to the town which voted overwhelmingly for candidates against the turf. We won't forget !!!

This is flagrantly illegal. The BoE has not acted on this proposal yet.

The incoming Council needs to use every legal tactic nesessary to halt this in the interim before they take office.

Anonymous said...

This is insane. There are towns in this country that have shut down athletics due to budgets and we are trying to pass this without any thought about the cost and SAFETY of the children and every adult that will step foot on this field. If this somehow gets by, the future TC and the BOE should entertain "PAY to PLAY" or ELIMINATING team sports from Cheshire schools. Look at what is going on with our economy please.

Anonymous said...

As president of the Chamber of Commerce, Sheldon Dill will be under great pressure to vote for the turf from Matt Bowman, one of the major contributors to the CofC.

Dill clearly has a conflict of interest, and he should recuse himself from this vote.

Anonymous said...

Cheshire alfready has pay to play. Time to eliminate sports all together

SHAMELESSLY ARROGANT said...

The Democrats are effectively admitting that the Board of Ed "study" was a facade and a sham all along.

Adinolfi and Ecke, if you vote for this under these circumstances, your lives will be hell for the next two years.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 6:23 time to get rid of all sports!

Anonymous said...

If the Dem's push this through they will be committing political suicide. It will be a cold day in hell before the ever see a majority again. Cheshire will not forget the party that pulled a fast one on the voters. Can the new council when they take office recind or reconsider the vote?

Anonymous said...

Robert's Rules says -
Rescind - also knows as "repeal or annul" is the motion by which a previous action or order can be canceled or countermanded. The effect of "rescind" is to strike out an entire main motion, resolution, rule, bylaw, section or paragraph that has been adopted at some previous time.
Amend Something Previously Adopted - is the motion that can be used if it is desired to change only a part of the text, or to substitute a different version.

Anonymous said...

What's up with the link to the Town Charter? Some sort of server error??

Anonymous said...

Tell the dems a "yea" vote means no snacks for the next two years. Then you will get the one "flip" vote needed to halt this bs.

Anonymous said...

The grant stated for recreational uses including the turf, at the high school. The BD of ED should make the request of the TC; and then it should go out for referendum. Common decency does not exist with the dems on the council; they prefer backdoor dictatorship. They vote for their personnel wishes and not for what the majority of citizens prefer. They blatantly violated the laws when they encouraged some of the athletic organizations to vote for only democrats that supported the turf. This was in direct violation of IRS laws for 501c3 tax exempt organizations. When the investigations are complete they may lose their tax exemptions, and because of the Altieri's, & Ecke's disrespect for, people who donated in good faith to support these organization; they will not be able to take a tax deduction for their charitable contribution. The board of directors that issued the unlawful Letter endorsing candidates; could be subject to heavy fines I/E other Penalties.

Breachway said...

I guess I would have never expected Matt Hall to play along with trying to jam this thru. I know him and voted for him. Common sense says you let the new board handle it.

Anonymous said...

Honesty
Since the town attorney is probably on his way out and should be, He should decide if his decisions are legally correct as well as ethically correct. Ethics must prevail; he should not continue to rubber stamp the Dems and TM. Sheldon Dill as a minimum is the only decent person that will excuse himself from the turf vote because of conflict of interest, his vote might be legal but ethically it will be wrong, and he knows it. Many of the Chambers members and contributors to the C of C will benefit if the turf is approved

Anonymous said...

I would imagine that the BOE would at least be able to see and review the turf report BEFORE it goes to the town council. To the best of my knowledge, this has not happened in any BOE meeting since Bob Beher's 9/17/09 report.

I do know, however, that Bob Behrer is going to try and get this approved before the new BOE and TC takes over. At Main Street cafe on election night, he told people there that the proposal was ready and they (democrats) were going to push it through before they left in December.

With a 5-4 majority on the Town Council people should expect this "appropriation" to pass 5-4 Tuesday night. On Thursday night's (11/19) BOE Business Meeting, expect the acceptance of the "appropriation" to pass 5-2.

By Friday of this week, the turf project will be underway. If the Town Council approved the $170K funding request for the bus contract last Tuesday night what makes anyone think that the majority won't raid the $8M town surplus account (again) to fund the turf?

I guess this is the democrats' way of giving the town voters the middle finger in response to the election results.

Anonymous said...

"If the Dem's push this through they will be committing political suicide. It will be a cold day in hell before the ever see a majority again."

Consider them already DOA based on the recent election results. According to the Secretary of State's web site in '08 Cheshire Democrats outnumbered Cheshire Republicans but in spite of this they couldn't carry this month's election. Basically they lost everything they could. If the lame duck GANG-OF-5 vote to move forward on turf, or anything else at this point it's just more of the same thing which placed them squarely in the DOA category on November 3rd.

Could it be that even Cheshire registered Democrats voted against the special interests which their party saw fit to run in this election?

registered Democrat said...

Many fellow registered Dems I spoke with voted Republican this year because they/we were fed up with the FLATULENCE of Altieri, Ecke, Hall and Bowman. They are an embarassment to the party and the town, and they don't even care.

Anonymous said...

“Ye sordid prostitutes, you have defiled this sacred place and turned it into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices.

“Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your god. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the people?

“Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole (town); you who were deputized here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves grievous! So! In the name of God, just go!”

Oliver Cromwell’s words in dismissing the rump parliament of 1653 apply just as truly to this rump town council of 2009.

Cromwell dismissed parliament effective immediately. Sadly, while the people have dismissed this rump council, it has three more weeks to work its sordid prostitution.

sordid prostitute? said...

Will Sheldon Dill be one of the “sordid prostitutes,” or will he do the honorable thing by recusing himself from voting for the turf? How will he choose to write his legacy?

Anonymous said...

If Sheldon recuses himself, which apparently he should, then the vote would likely end up 4 - 4...tie...which is a "failed" vote. Personally I'd think Ecke should recuse himself too since his brother is the head football coach.

mcjk said...

"At Main Street cafe on election night, he told people there that the proposal was ready and they (democrats) were going to push it through before they left in December."

According to Tim's post on election night the R's were meeting at Main Street Cafe.

cedar lane said...

Sordid prostitutes is an accurate political description for Altieri, Ecke, and Hall, not only on this issue, but on a host of other issues before the council in the last four years.

I'd like to think it doesn't fit Sheldon, but Tuesday night will tell ....

Anonymous said...

5:31PM The R's did meet at Main Street Cafe but Beher and a few other D's came to congratulate them on their victory. This is a customary practice no matter which party is victorious.

Anonymous said...

hey shamelessly arrogant stop threatening people you are a cop is that how you will make peoples lives hell every word you republicans utter will be scrutinzed and bashed your stupid police dept is shooting itself in the foot there are at least two maybe three lawsuits in the works right now great time to be republican

Anonymous said...

Mr. Ecke and Mr. Dill should not vote on this because of conflicts. Mr. Altieri should not vote because the TC did NOT request this grant. It seems that"someone" asked Ms. Fritz for the grant and all roads lead to Mr. Altieri. If these people do the "RIGHT THING" on Nov 17TH, no proplem for now. We have ten years to use the grant money if it passes all of the tests(safety and cost and is voted on by all citizens..

Anonymous said...

Will Sheldon Dill be one of the “sordid prostitutes,”

He seemed to be for the W/S Mall which is to be built on land owned by Frank DiNitali, Paul Bowman and Doug Calcagni. I think our local plumber, Matt Bowman who work real hard for it, would have gotten some plumbing work there.