Archive for Karen Quigley
12.31.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Karen Quigley at 9:49 AM by Karen Quigley
This Wednesday’s BoS agenda item for 7:45 is ‘Acting Town Manager Contract – Action Requested’. I have a problem with that if, as Chair Paul Carlson stated at the last BoS Meeting, “The Town Meeting vote on Article 14 has nothing to do with the existing contract.” Their intent is clearly to ignore Town Meeting and to extend Mr. Milanoski’s “perfectly legal”contract.
The facts suggest the opposite.
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12.18.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Karen Quigley at 10:32 AM by Karen Quigley
The ‘spin machine’ at Town Hall is working overtime in regard to Article 6 at the Special Town Meeting. This article was brought forward by the illegal Town Manager for an appropriation of nearly $1million. However, it was not properly presented in the warrant and therefore could not be voted. The result: no money for any of these purposes.
For those who think we’ve been nitpicking over process and procedure, I offer this as a prime example of the real-life consequences of not complying with municipal law.
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12.12.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Governance, Karen Quigley at 11:53 AM by Karen Quigley
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat of Article 14 at Town Meeting Monday night, I was so focused on the chess game – what’s their next move/what’s our next move – that I failed to fully grasp and appreciate the importance of that vote. I apologize to everyone I spoke to yesterday for being the skunk at the party.
For despite the Moderator’s attempt to keep the discussion focused on the issue and not on personalities, there was not a person in that room that did not know that this was a referendum not only on the Acting Town Manager, but also on the BoS and those Town officials who support them.
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10.26.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Governance, Karen Quigley at 9:57 AM by Karen Quigley
We have a BoS that doesn’t understand its role, has little if any regard for process and procedure, seeks to legitimize its illegal actions by revising our governing law after-the-fact, and now needs ‘do-overs’ because it can’t do one simple task: correctly post a meeting.
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09.20.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Cohasset Water, Karen Quigley at 4:58 PM by Karen Quigley
The uproar over uncivil emails must seem inane. It is. Until you realize that it’s about public officials using their office to bully, intimidate and embarrass private citizens and members of the press who have the temerity to question and/or disagree with them.
I declined to attend last Tuesday night’s BoS meeting as I chose not to validate the Board of Selectmen’s authority to bring a private citizen before them with the purpose of examining their emails and blogs.
And, while I choose not to engage in a futile dialogue with Peter DeCaprio, I will say that his statements, both verbal and written, as they pertain to my actions are gross misrepresentations and outright untruths.
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08.23.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Karen Quigley at 7:45 PM by Karen Quigley
I didn’t think I could be surprised by anything this Board does. I was wrong. In executive session by a 4-1 vote they extended the Acting Town Manager’s contract until June 30, 2015. We only know this because the chair of the BoS issued a press release.
It is within their purview to do so. However, it is unprecedented not to issue an RFP for the Chief Executive Officer of our Town. Other adjectives that come to mind are: irresponsible, ill advised, and derelict.
This is the individual who hires, fires, manages, carries out policy and is responsible for a $50+ million budget.
And this Board is so arrogant that it sees nothing wrong in handpicking an individual with no experience. Without any public vetting other than that sham of a review they held Tuesday night.
Nothing wrong in not considering that there just might be someone out there who would be better qualified? No. That would be exercising their responsibility to all the citizens of this Town.
Instead, the only reason I can think of for this blatant disregard for process and procedure is that their priority was not to find the best candidate. It was to ensure that Mr. Milanoski has employment after he makes his settlement with Attleboro.
Mr. Milanoski submitted his resume for the prior Town Manager Search. Instead of competing he withdrew. Was it preordained even then?
Maybe that explains the overwhelming opposition and utter lack of support by the BoS to the former Town Manager. Remember him? The one chosen by the Town Manager Search Committee that Mr. Milanoski chaired. The one the Selectmen chose. The one they fired. The one that’s going to sue Cohasset.
Just my opinion.
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08.02.12
Posted in Cohasset Selectmen, Karen Quigley at 2:49 PM by Karen Quigley
While it is gratifying to see many of the processes and procedures I advocated as a selectman finally being implemented, it is also elicits mixed emotions. Why not then? Well, the answer is that it depends on who brings the idea forward and whether or not you’re in the ‘in-crowd’. See my overtly sarcastic comments about the Acting Town Manager.
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07.27.12
Posted in Cat Dam, Karen Quigley at 12:59 PM by Tanna K
The saga of Cat Dam continues as DEP in a letter dated July 12, 2012 asks Cohasset to “…advise the Department, in writing, as to your intentions to file the required ENF with the MEPA Office…”.
At the July 19 Conservation Commission meeting, Acting Town Manager, Michael Milanoski, presented an “update” which in reality was a request for ConCom to support his recommendation to the Board of Selectmen. That recommendation being that due to the potential cost of threatened litigation from members of the E-20 group and abutters sympathetic to their position, and the monies already expended by the Town on this issue, that the Town take no further action in the matter of Cat Dam.
During the discussion, newly elected Conservation Chair, Jack Creighton, asked the members of the appellate group if they would “compromise by withdrawing their appeal to DEP for a Superceding Order of Conditions.”
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06.18.12
Posted in Karen Quigley, Police Chief Mark DeLuca at 11:48 AM by Karen Quigley
I’ve been watching town government from the sidelines for the past year and my conclusion and opinion is that the Board of Selectmen (excepting our newly elected selectman, Martha Gjesteby) is compromised, incompetent, lacks any respect for the rule of law, process and procedure, extends extraordinary influence to some elected and appointed officials, and has abdicated its authority to an inexperienced Town Manager, selected and appointed by them with no public vetting.
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05.10.12
Posted in Karen Quigley at 7:30 PM by Tanna K
Article 21, Citizen’s Petition to Reorganize Water & Sewer Management Simplified
by Karen Quigley
It’s really not complicated. There are a number of steps that need to be taken that make it seem complicated, but what Town Meeting is being asked to vote is not.
1. Vote to make the water & sewer commissions a combined, 5-person advisory board appointed by the Troika which puts it on the same level as Advisory and Capital Budget.
2. Vote to create the position of Public Works Supervisor.
It won’t take effect immediately. The goal is to put into motion, on a specific time frame, the steps that need to happen and which are going to a year to complete. The specifics will be brought back for vote at the next Town Meeting and a ballot vote at the 2013 elections.
It doesn’t mean the utilities will be operated in house. It simply puts the day-to-day management and oversight of our utilities in the hands of a qualified professional. It does, however, create the management necessary if/when Town Meeting so voted.
It doesn’t require but also provides the opportunity to have professional management of the DPW and Facilities.
The enterprise funds remain as they are pending recommendation by the DOR as part of their Financial Management Review slated to begin in July.
The elected officials serve out their terms, by law, and then they could remain as appointed officials.
We, as a town, must look to the past to learn from our history and use those lessons to ensure our future. Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.
Please Vote YES on Article 21 at tomorrow’s Town Meeting.
Karen Quigley is the main proponent of Article 21.
She is a former selectman and lives at 27 Clay Spring Road.
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