Read the reply from Mike Noble
June 10, 2019
Waitsfield Selectboard
Paul Hartshorn, Chair
Sal Spinosa, Vice Chair
Kellee Mazer
Darryl Forrest
Jon Jamieson
4144 Main Street
Waitsfield, VT 05673
Honorable Members of the Waitsfield Selectboard,
On May 27, 2019, there was a meeting at American Flatbread that had been authorized by the LOT Steering Committee of the Mad River Planning District. We are troubled by the variety of reports of the nature of this meeting. We respectfully ask you to inquire, get answers and clarify the nature of the meeting, both for yourselves and for the Waitsfield community at large.
The Planning District Steering Committee has been referring to the meeting as a focus group, and once as a community forum. The Valley Reporter, whose editor is a representative of the Noble Group engaged to facilitate this meeting, called it a community conversation. We asked a member of the Planning District about our participating, and he called it a private meeting not open to the public.
Whereas the people who were selected to attend were the only ones who might speak on behalf of the community, we ask the Selectboard to acquire and publish the invitation list that was reviewed and approved by the Steering Committee.
While the meeting was established to be private, and not subject to the Open Meeting Law, we ask the Selectboard to publish a list of Steering Committee members who were present at it.
The financial support of the meeting concerns us. The Steering Committee paid one dollar for the services of the Noble Group. The owner of American Flatbread apparently donated the meeting space and refreshments. A member of the Steering Committee said in an email that he (the Steering Committee member) had donated is own funds in support of the meeting and other LOT activities, as had others. We ask the Selectboard to determine and publish all the sources of funding for this event.
Despite the Steering Committee’s repeated assurances of transparency, we are finding it very difficult to get an accurate and complete picture of the eligibility of the participants, the event’s financial backing, and what transpired. We ask the Selectboard to inquire on behalf of the people of Waitsfield.
Sincerely yours,
Alice Peal
Mark Peal
741 Spring Hill Road
Waitsfield, VT 05673