Conflict of Interest

What constitutes “conflict of interest”?

In a small town with only so many people who are willing to serve their community, one could find “conflict of interest” in many areas, if they look hard enough or want to push the issue.

But is it a conflict?

Is it a conflict if you serve on a town board, town council or other town committee and you happen to makes wreaths for the town, fix cars, sell insurance, sell merchandise, create a website, or contract some sort of service?

If you look through the history of Dexter or any other town for that matter, you will find overlapping of such activities. Does that make it a conflict of interest and people are not serving you well?

Should that make civic minded people ineligible for serving their community?

According to the Town Charter in Dexter, ARTICLE IX: GENERAL PROVISIONS/CODE OF ETHICS
The charter reads as follows:

Section 9.01. Personal financial interests
Any town (officer) Councilor, Board Member or employee who has a conflict of interest, or a financial interest, direct or indirect or by reason of ownership of stock in any corporation, in any contract with the town or in the sale of any land, material, supplies or services to the town or to a contractor supplying the town shall make known that interest and shall refrain from voting upon or otherwise participating in his capacity as a town (officer) Councilor, Board Member or employee in the making of such sale or in the making or performance of such contract. Any town (officer) Councilor, Board Member or employee who willfully conceals such a financial interest or willfully violates the requirements of this section shall be guilty of malfeasance in office or position and shall forfeit his office or position. Violation of this section with the knowledge express or implied of the person or corporation contracting with or making a sale to the town shall render the contract or sale voidable by the town manager or the town council.

I am making this point because I was informed by someone (after the election) that it would be a “conflict of interest” to continue my job as web designer for the Town of Dexter that I have been doing since 1997, (with no complaints) and also be on the Town Council, and we needed to talk about it.
If I would be forced to give up the website (DexterMaine.org), it would be like cutting off an extension of myself as well as making it a financial burden.

Five years ago when papers were taken out by current council member Dean Thompson on my behalf, I was concerned that my position on the Development Corp. or my job as web designer would be in jeopardy.
Former town manager Bob Simpson researched and found that Dexter Regional Development Corporation was not an issue due to it being a separate entity and not part of town government.
He also assured me that he found that it was not a conflict for me to continue with the website as long as I did not vote on my yearly pay during budget time or keep it a secret.

Upon the evidence found, I made the commitment to run for Town Council and sat on the council for 3 years, and I did refrain from voting when it seemed to be a conflict, as other council members continue to do.

So I ask you, is it a conflict of interest that the candidate you chose to represent you on the Town Council or people that serve you on other boards, be ineligible to provide products or services for the town? And if I am ineligible, are all the other people who provide services also banned from serving their community?

I hope that the people that are serving you are capable and honest human beings and will abstain from voting on issues if they feel that it will be a “conflict of interest”.

Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
Judy

Saying of the Day

By William F. Scolavino

The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions.

Also at the Nov Council meeting

... also at the Nov. 8th Council meeting was a presentation by new Code Enforcement Officer Jana Wood about how things can be misinterpreted in the Land Use Ordinance and maybe it should be revisited and clarified in writing.

At the end of the presentation, she suggested that this go to the Planning Board for further action and recommendations. The planning Board meeting is tonight, Thursday November 15th at 6:30 pm.

Dana Wilbur with his handy dandy camera recorded the presentation and I am sharing it for you to see. It is a very important issue for the future.

November Council Meeting

The November Council meeting was held on Thursday the 8th with a very good crowd in attendance.

The evening started with a Retirement Reception for Cemetery Sexton of 17 years Maurice Neal and his wife Corinne. They were presented with tokens of appreciation in the presence of their children and a cake was served. GREAT JOB Maurice! We will miss you and the wonderful job you have done. The Dexter Cemeteries are known as some of the best kept in the State of Maine and you will be missed!

One of the topics brought up was a proposal to buy Holiday flags (signs) with lots of lights for just over $300 a piece. They would have been hung on the light posts on Main Street. Now, I am not Grinch, but with the times as they are, many of us thought that the $2000 plus to purchase the first installment of 'flags' taken from the Reserve account, is kind of hasty. These flags would NOT replace the wreaths that are purchased out of the $1000 holiday decoration fund, but be in ADDITION to.

The council did vote 4 to 3 to not purchase them this year; but with that said, I found out after from a reliable source, that the 'flags' are 4 foot long "metal" signs and if hung on our decorative light poles and a strong wind blows, it could potentially take down the pole, the wreaths and the new 'flags' due to the almost 200 pounds that they weigh. (or all that 2 men could do to take out of the box)
I wish that would have been brought up during the discussion.

I know that a few people thought that $2000 wasn't a lot of money to spend on Christmas, but with oil prices the way they are, I am afraid we may need Reserve Accounts to pick up the slack on other things. I would like to point out as well, that our Main Street business do a great job decorating their store fronts and our Main Street always looks festive for the holidays.

Dexter Regional Development Corporation is sponsoring the Holiday Light Contest again this year and last year most of the businesses and offices (including the Town Office girls) submitted entries in the contest.

The next Town Council meeting is being held on December 13th (the 2nd Thursday of the month) and hope that residents will attend.
Thanks.. those are my thoughts........
Please comment if you agree OR disagree......
Judy

To see pictures taken during 2007 Council meetings taken by Dana Wilbur, click here

Saying of the Day

I love this saying of the day by American Writer Leo C. Rosten (1908-1977). It is my phlosophy and how I try to lead my life. If everyone can try, it would be a better place!

I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate.
It is, after all, to matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.

Greenhouse Seminar

Darlene and I went to a wonderful seminar on Thursday which was title; The Sustainable Greenhouse: Producing Crops while saving Energy, sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

It was held at Longfellow's Greenhouses in Manchester Maine and all I can say is holy hanna, what a wonderful place. There were greenhouse after greenhouse filled with Poinsettia after Poinsettia after Poinsettia, more than 60 cultivars on display. Huge Christmas displays in the main store and lots of house plants.

The greenhouses can make grown women weep with envy!

Back to the seminar..... We learned the potential for organic greenhouse production in Maine; an overview of energy alternatives for greenhouses; and the best was a panel discussion on alternative fuels for Maine Greenhouses.
Lisa Turner from Laughing Stock Farm in report talked about her experience on heating with recycled commercial cooking oil and Mary Lou Hoskins of Greencare in Bangor/Exeter on heating her greenhouse with a corn furnace.

Both women and their husbands (not there) are great examples of growing green. They explained the daily principals and the working day of using these alternative heating and both said they would not do it any other way.

After a tour of Longfellow's, free buffet lunch we sat in the huge middle greenhouse for the next segment called Energy Conservation, Things every greenhouse grown can do now, by John Bartok, Professor Emeritus of the University of Connecticut.

John's practical tips were things you could do everyday to converse energy in greenhouses, but could be applicable in everyday life.
John also did a comparison of fuel costs; Fuel oil, waste oil, natural gas, coals, softwoods, hardwoods, chips, corn biofuels/vegetable oil and electric. Interestingly did you know that #2 oil runs hotter than kerosene to get to the same temperature or that wood pellets and corn are the most burner efficient?

All in all, on the way home, Darlene and I started plotted on how to better heat her greenhouses at the Snap of the Dragon (but on a budget)... I am getting a smaller greenhouse and can institute the same principals only a smaller scale and to fit my personal use.

There were a few other displays Tuesday, one of which was SARE, a sustainable agriculture research & education program that I think may be beneficial to farmers in our area. I want to do more research on that, but I think the Green Thumb Society could take advantage of some grants that could benefit the community.

My message today is, if you see a class by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, please take advantage of these great programs. They are free a lot of time and you learn a wealth of information and sometimes even get a free lunch.....

Election Results

Good morning....
I am very please with the huge turnout of voters on a non-presidential year. On a rainy day, 754 voters turned out at the poll or submitted absentee ballots, which show a growing public interest.

I am also please that I will have the opportunity to act upon the concerns that employees and taxpayers have expressed at recent Council meetings.

I want to encourage Residents of Dexter to continue attending the monthly Council meetings. The public attendance has grown each month since June of 2007, which shows that people are becoming more educated in how their town government operates.

Although I will not be sworn in until January 2008, I encourage residents to contact me with any questions, concerns and thoughts they may have at 924.3067 or judy@DexterMaine.com.

The results went as follows with voters choosing three (3) Councilors for three year term:

CRAIG, Judith W. - 414 (won)
HASKELL, Peter A. - 348
MUNDAY, Ella L. - 203
SHERBURNE, Erlfred W. - 456 (won)
TEMPESTA, Albert C. - 290
THOMPSON, Dean R. - 391 (won)

Thanks to those who have and are supporting me. PLEASE, just because the elections are over, don't stop coming to the council meetings, calling with concerns and asking questions.
C ya Thursday night

Did you vote today?

Courtney and I went and voted at lunch time and it was nice to see so many cars parked in front and on the sides of the Town Hall!
We were greeted at the door by the Tri-County Tech Center law enforcement class (not sure of the correct name) with teacher Steve Spaulding.

They were giving directions on where to vote, showing off the renovated Town Hall and operating the new elevator! Funny about the elevator, I think it makes a total of "3" elevators now in Dexter..... hehehe

Any whoooo.... We went upstairs and voted.... I spoke with Town Clerk Shelly Watson who said the turnout today, despite the rain and not being a presidential year, that it was a 'very good' year so far.

So, if you haven't gone to the polls yet, please go before 8 pm tonight!

Election this Tuesday

Elections are coming in a few days and I hope you take the opportunity to exercise your right to be heard and VOTE.

If you are not registered, please stop by the town office and take the plunge!
It doesn't hurt, it doesn't cost anything AND it gives you the right to bitch and complain later because you voted! You can also register at the polls.

I, as many others, hate it when people moan and groan that they don't like what is
going on, where their tax dollars are spent what laws are being passed, etc..... and they don't bother to vote.

With that said; if you are from the Dexter area, you know that the Town Council race is quite unusual with 6 candidates running for 3 seats.

While I respect many of our current council members, I and others feel that there needs to be some changes in the Town of Dexter. Running for council this time isn't as easy as it sounds. There are a few people (who I won't name), that I have admired for my whole life, and now they won't speak to me. I have to admit that hurts, but I have to remember, they don't know the "whole" story, only one side of it.

On the other hand, thank-you to all the people that have called, emailed and even written to me thanking me for taking a stand!

Reading Letters to Editor in local papers that "may or may not" be directed at a few of us running, makes 'me' wonder if I am doing the right thing?

* Am I really seeing the inconsistencies that I think I see?

* Do I believe what the employees have been telling me for almost 2 years that cause concern?

* Is money being spent where it should be spent?

* Are the Elected Officials you voted for running our town or is someone else?

I ask myself these and other questions daily, making sure I am true to myself & my beliefs, and when I can answer all those questions I come to the same conclusion; I AM doing the right thing. Especially when I see valued sick employees terminated, others resigning so they won't be terminated and others miserable going to work. Please ask any employee their thoughts and feelings about the current situation and form your own opinion.

Ask yourself, why is it that the current council (not all, but many) can't see these inconsistency's. Or maybe, they are NOT being told the whole truth! ?

We asked the public to come to council meetings after the June 2007 meeting and at that time only a handful of people attended. Now there is standing room only! We want to thank the citizens of Dexter for becoming involved. Each meeting since brings more people and at the last meeting in October there were close to 70. I hope that this trend continues in the future.

I am voting on Tuesday and I can say on my own blog that I am voting for myself, Judith W. Craig, Al Tempesta and Fred Sherburne.

But PLEASE vote on Tuesday, whether you agree with me or not.

Micro Chipping your pet

Saturday update: Adoption Plus sponsored a great program on Saturday that Courtney and I decided was a great preventative idea for our beloved dogs.

We got our dogs Emma (6 pound Yorkie) and Snowflake in the Wind "Flakey" (106 pound White German Sheppard) micro chipped in hopes that if they become lost or worse (stolen), we will have a easier time in locating them.
If you have pets it might be something you want to consider.

The cost was $35 and it took only a few minutes to do and with only one painful yip from both Emma and Flakey. There is paperwork to fill out (at home) and send in to the American Kennel Club, and then your pet is good to go. Most Veterinarians, animal control officers, and people like the Pet Motel in Corinna, have the wand to recongize and read the chip from then on.

For me, it is worth the money. I had one Yorkshire Terrier stolen from my yard 5 years ago, so it is a little more "insurance" for me.

Call Dexter's Animal Control Officer Kathie Ricker or Dr. Rick Dubois at Dexter Vet Clinic for more information. Or you can call me 924.3067