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The meetings of Manchester's Board of Mayor and Aldermen continue to be riveting. Last night, the board voted to privatize a city operation, without any notice to the public, with no prior mention on a published agenda, with the required city ordinance changes not made available to the public for comment, and only given to the aldermen at the meeting last night. On top of that, the board voted to award yet another no bid contract to replace the office. All to carry out one of the privatization initiatives promoted by a Ted Gatsas task force.
The operation being privatized is the city's Employment Assistance Program. The two people who work in the department are going to retire at the end of June, and basically the city voted to give them a contract to do the same work they are doing now - but part time and on contract, while they also collect their city pensions. According to the alderman who made the motion, the individuals do a good job and this will save the city some money. Maybe it is a good deal for the city. But once again, the city has made a decision that was never discussed in public until the meeting at which the aldermen voted to pass it. If it was a good idea, why not put it on an agenda, give the public the opportunity to comment, and also give the public the opportunity to look at the ordinance revisions? And why not put it out to bid? Why the rush?
Alderman Jim Roy did step up to the plate and said that he was very unhappy with things being dropped on the board, not being put on an agenda, and not being put out to bid. He voted against it, but unfortunately appeared to be the only one [correction - Alderman Long voted against it, too, see comment below] . Alderman Ludwig expressed some concern about privatizing, while Garth Corriveau raised an objection to the proposed five] year term on a no bid contract (when I left the meeting, it looked like it was being reduced to three years) [corrected from five to three] . Alderman Devries was unable to be at the meeting due to the senate being in session, but something tells me that she would have been agreeing with Alderman Roy.
The number of no bid contracts passed in the Gatsas administration is starting to pile up, and the number of votes taken without any prior notice on a public agenda is staggering. The mayor and board members openly refer to private meetings held with the mayor on various issues. These meetings are taking place despite a city charter provision that prohibits any member of the board of mayor and aldermen from seeking individually to influence the official acts of any other members of the board. There is an exception for advocacy of particular outcomes of matters "pending before the city" when the matters are of a general nature. I'm not sure how a matter can be considered "pending" when it is not on a board agenda, but based on these comments, the mayor meets with aldermen individually to influence their votes for matters the public knows nothing about. Effectively, the mayor, but not the public, has the chance to lobby aldermen, while the public is deprived of any opportunity to know or comment. Decisions are being made in private meetings without public disclosure and without public input.
We have some good aldermen on the board, and hopefully the stirrings last night by a handful of them are a sign of more independence and courage by board members to take a stand against a government which has become way too closed. It did not work for New Hampshire when Craig Benson was governor, and it is not working for Manchester with Ted Gatsas as mayor.
