This article by Patricia LeBoeuf originally appeared Jan. 14 in the Bennington Banner.
POWNAL — Select Board members and the public alike expressed anger, frustration and dismay at a special meeting on Monday in relation to inflammatory content of emails they said are among the thousands released last month.
The unredacted emails, which had been exchanged among current and former town officials, were released in response to a FOIA request; a number have been made widely available through Facebook postings.
RELATED: Pownal residents say green ‘model communities’ program not local, rolled out illegally
Several board members read statements or presented them informally at the start of the meeting.
“I know there has been a very heated discussion about the emails and their content,” Bryan Harris, chairman of the board, said in a prepared statement. “I just want to say I feel the same frustration and anger at the type of language used against some of our citizens by individuals who were supposed to be working for the benefit of the people of the town, not just a select few.”
Harris went on to reference the “betrayal of the public’s trust” by some of the same people who engaged in discussion of confidential information “provided to them illegally by certain individuals.”
“I would expect that as trusted members of this community and town government that you would have stopped the individual from disclosing confidential information and also have notified the Select Board of such egregious actions and violations,” he said. “Instead some of you chose not only to listen but also offer input and attempted to manipulate the individuals who divulged the information to you.”
Read full article at the Bennington Banner.
(Fair use with written permission from the New England Newspapers Inc.)
Thanks for the reality check COG…keep em coming 🙂
Readers should definitely view the video to get the true story. Most of the debating occurs during board members statements and public comment period which is around the first 45 minutes or so. The former select board member who flipped the bird at the current select board member is still an elected official. She’s a Justice of the Peace, and one of the persons called upon for resignation.
Much ado about nothing. All this hand ringing and protestations about the email release and not one word about content. What’s the big deal? Vermont is an open state and the folks have every right to know what’s going on with their elected officials.
A bit of research into the history will show that it has to do with obfuscated agendas of factions composed of members of unelected/appointed boards and commissions being pushed to effect changes that involve the entire town. The voters have been by-passed and their input unsolicited.
There is also the matter of a selectboard member taking actions “outside her paygrade” in violation of executive session rules.
Also unreported was the obscene gesture toward a selectboard member sitting at the table made by a recently resigned member who has a more than casual relationship with the reporter.
It should be obvious that the Bennington Banner might have an interest in publishing A STORY rather than THE STORY. I wonder who will publish THE REAL STORY….
I appreciate True North Reports for sharing the struggle of Pownal, but doing so by linking to the far far left propaganda rag “the Bennington Banner” does us little justice. I understand it is happening throughout Vermont. Perhaps a dedicated story or series on this topic by one or more of your writers will brace up the weary warriors who have been fighting in Pownal and other towns to resist the globalist agendas.
UN agendas 21 & 2030, brought to your town by groups like VCRD and your regional planning commission, social engineering is happening all over Vermont as the enlightened globalists take control over shaping local municipalities to conform to their goals and dreams.
When you try to force it, there is always resistance and conflict!