Hebron Dollars & Sense

Questions about Communication:

1.) what is the preferred way to get dialogue going with the town boards? This question prompted by no response to date to e-mails.

2.) Is it customary for boards not to respond to public comment at meetings?

3.) Where are the BOE by-laws published?

Questions about how to get more public momentum on budget questions:

1.) is there an existing group of taxpayers that meet and follow the activity of the boards?

2.) is there an organized effort to document the meetings as the minutes are sometimes truncated?

3.) Can they be televised live? I know some town's do that.

4.) Is there a need to have a group that can provide rides to evening meetings? (for those who may not be able to drive)

5.) A group that rotates writing letters to the editor?

6.) Are there any e-mail distribution lists of Hebron residents that could be utilized to get more people in attendance at the BOE meetings.(suspect letters to the editor is most direct route).

7.) Do you think residents would support a loose knit group such as a "Hebron Association of Taxpayers" (HAT) to do some or all of the things mentioned above?

I can only speak to a couple of those issues. Selectmen's meetings are televised. I think they are all televised? Go to www.cvcct.org (community voice channel) and look under monthly updates on the first page. Click on February schedule. You have to scroll all the way to the bottom for channel 96--municipal meetings. For this month I see BOS meetings, RHAM BOE meetings, but no Hebron BOE meetings. Wonder if there's a way to request that they be taped?

Re response to emails--I've never had much luck with them either, personally.

And regarding the minutes--I like the word truncated. Definitely cannot get a very accurate flavor for what goes on at the meetings from what appears in the minutes. I wonder if the meetings are tape recorded, and whether taped versions are available.

Sorry I can't be of more help--hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along...

"WHYNOW's" comment posted on another topic is a GREAT IDEA... Repeating part of the comment here will allow others (who may have missed it) to read it now.


We plan to attend these meetings. Click here for scheduled meetings Lets ALL MAKE AN EFFORT TO GO!!!

I can only answer a couple of Kevin's questions. The BOE policy is not to "dialogue" with the public during public comment. Same is true of RHAM BOE. However, almost every other board will "dialogue" with the public, especially if they have questions... call it "user-friendly," as there is nothing more frustrating than to make public comments which include questions, and the response is a bunch of stares.

The other boards, BOS and BOF, even if they do not respond during the public comment session, will address questions raised during public comment. I've seen this a million times.

As to the BOE By-Laws, I don't think they have "by-laws." They call it "Board Policy." I do not know where those policies are available, unless one calls and asks for it, and, by CT statute, if there is no response within 3 days, then you can write a Freedom of Information Act letter. Very simple to do: Start first sentence with "In accordance with the Freedom of Information act, I am requesting that you send me an electronic copy of the Hebron Board of Education's Policies and Procudures." Make sure you ask for an electronic copy; by law, that is free. If you do not specify electronic, they charge you 50 cents per page for a paper copy. They have 3 days to respond to a FOIA request (even if it's only a letter saying "we're trying to get it together for you and the ETA for getting it to you is xx/xx/xxxx".) If you don't receive the information by xx/xx/xxxxx, you file a complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission in Hartford, stating simply: "I asked via email (or letter) for a copy of xxx, it was promised by xxx, I still have not received that information."

HBOE meetings have never been televised in the decades I've lived in Hebron -- unless their meeting was coupled with a BOS or BOF meeting.

If you have no response to emails, the only recourse I'm aware of is to issue a complaint to the Superintendent and the Chairman of the BOE, Jane Dube.

With regard to a local taxpayer group, there is already one established, legally, and that's Hebron Dollars and Sense. I highly suggest you meet with them and add your energy and new ideas to that group. Because people in authority have been playing "nice" for the last 4 years, there was no reason for the group to be highly active. That is not the case now, which, as I understand it, is why they never formally dissolved -- just in case the unthinkable hit our community again. And obviously, it has.

The minutes for any board and commission are horrible. That is because, by statute, the board clerk is required to report an extremely limited amount of information: board members in attendance; board members absent; guest speakers/comments; and exact wording of motions, and who makes the motion, and who seconds the motion (with the exception of the BOS -- they do not second motions). So that's all you're ever going to get. It was definitely different even 6 years ago, where you could read the minutes and almost feel like you were there.

On getting the BOE meetings taped: there is no budget for that, so that will be their excuse for not taping the meetings, but that doesn't mean it can't be done! (1) We would need someone certified by the Community Voice Channel Public Access channel to tape the meetings. (2) That person would have to deliver the tapes to CVC in Bolton, which is literally on the Hebron/Bolton line, so not that far of a drive. (3) The person taping the meeting would need to notify the Superintendent and the Board in advance that they plan to tape the meetings.

Communications with the press would be an important factor, but that effort should be organized.

Sorry I can't answer some of your other questions right now; they are all GREAT ideas! Thank you for posting your thoughts!

WhAt I don't understand is this....both boe sit at their meetings and vote on line items to "cut" which is such a BS term, but I digress.....what should happen is this: board votes on a budget number....board gives that number to the super and say this is what u have for next year. If super comes back with a number you fire them or give warning depending on how many times it has happened. The boe are not educators and have no business going through a budget like that.

This way the boe aren't viewed as monsters unless they give a ridiculous to start with.....make the super do their jobs!!!1111one.

FAH Q wrote:



Well Put "Q"

Nuff said On That, But I Digress To Another "Communications Issue" That Has Cropped Up again

Todazes Courant "B" Section 1st Page About The Squatcanned Former Finance Director

Suit Continues to Federal court In New Haven Because Of Free Speech/Communication Issues Lack Thereof As alleged.

Accepted standards Of Accounting/Oversight/Reporting Were Not followed As Alleged

How Can You Have The Fox Guard The Henhouse( The Three Amigos) By reporting To themselves/Each other??

How Much will the Perry Masons Co$t Us On This One?

Will This Turn Into another "Collins FIASCO" For The Town With 6 figure Legal Bills/Settlements Involved??

This Town Is SO SCREWED UP

Let's See How They "Communicate" This Issue To Us Monetarily Depleted Taxpayers Eh??