Selectboard Meeting of November 3, 2009
Read about the latest chapter in the feud between Wettlaufer and LaMountain, the new law requiring town officials and town employees to take an ethics test every two years, more fallout about the Gleason blunder and more»Edit - Delete
Comments:
Posted on 17 Nov 2009, 12:11 by Concerned CitizenLive-Call-In
The Community channel claims that there is a "Live-Call-In" after every public meeting conducted by the Board of Selectmen. Watching the meeting on television, I noticed that the Board did away with that useful custom. What happened? What about open government?
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Posted on 17 Nov 2009, 14:46 by Jim L
Recordings of Meetings
If you go to the Selectman minutes for April 2006 you will see these Selectmen voted to destroy all archived video of their prior meetings and to stop saving them.
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Posted on 17 Nov 2009, 16:18 by Maxx~
Something Smells
That smells very odd............I can see stopping the recordings for whatever reason, but I see no need to destroy the tapes. It might appear that the tapes had content that they were somewhat concerned with and therfore voted to destroy. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.....plausable deniability.
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Posted on 17 Nov 2009, 17:10 by LOL
Ethics Test
How about this for Ethics. Wettlaufer had a Grant from the Federal Govt. to do work at the Elementary Schools for a Job worth close to a quarter a million Dollars. The Feds required 2 competitive bids. That means two contractors not related.
Mr Wettlaufer called one guy that had interest in 2 companies. He asked the guy to give him 2 competitive bids. The guy told Wettlaufer the bids would be inflated if he sougt two bids from the same person. Wettlaufer said he did not care and took two bids from the same guy.
The bids could be inflated by many tens of thousands of dollars more than what the town really needed because Mr W. decided not to seek competitive bids.
Mr Wettlaufer knew full well he was violating the Federal Laws and Regualtions in his handeling of their Monies but ignored the rules for a potential future kickback.
This is Standard Procedure in our town.
There are two answers when it comes to Ethics Mr Wettlaufer. Either you have them or you don't. Wink Wink
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 16:02 by Republican Newspaper Reader
Pay some more Holland
...More misconduct by officials cost Holland taxpayers
SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN
COURT ORDER APPEALED
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
By JOHN APPLETON
jappleton@repub.com
HOLLAND - A $150,000 fine and a state judge's order to restore land cleared on Mashapaug Road are on hold pending an appeal filed by landowner James P. LaMountain, who has also started a related federal lawsuit.
LaMountain and the corporation Northeast Concepts Inc. were fined $150,000 in October for state wetlands violations and were ordered to stop excavating their property near Hamilton Reservoir and to restore it to its previous condition by July 1.
Hampden Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ford issued the fines and restoration orders in a civil suit brought by the state Department of Environmental Protection, which charged that LaMountain's work at the property had a significant impact on wetlands areas of Amber Brook and Hamilton Reservoir.
However, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Martha Coakley said the fine and the judge's orders have been put on hold, pending an appeal LaMountain filed earlier this month.
LaMountain contends that his work at the property is agricultural and, as such, exempt from the wetlands law provisions cited in the lawsuit.
Briefs are expected to be filed in the appeal by mid-January.
In addition to filing the appeal, LaMountain has filed a federal lawsuit in which he charges that state environmental officials Robert McCollum and Timothy McKenna, Selectman James E. Wettlaufer and the town of Holland violated his civil rights, denied his right to conduct commercial agriculture and made false complaints against him.
In the federal suit, LaMountain is seeking an injunction that would order the defendants to refrain from enforcing terms of prior wetlands violations judgments in state court and release a $250,000 attachment placed on the property.
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 19:22 by Holland lake trout
lake shore
Obey the laws LaMountain family and the town of Holland would save so much money.This so called farm just cuts were they wanna cut and dig were they wanna dig it must end.Town of Holland we must end this farm as we all know if these people put animals on this hill all the cow shit will end up in the lake.Think about it people.
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 19:50 by Peter Frei
The big MYTH..
To "Holland lake trout," LaMountain has a Constitutional Right to be a farmer. The Wetland Protection Act does not apply to farmers and to the LaMoutains' as they are legally farmers, what is so complicated here? The recent ruling by Judge Ford was based on a default judgement and not based on the merrits or LaMountain not following the law. The Holland Blog wrote about it.
The town (Wettlaufer/Johnson) would save lots of money if they would stop filing frivolous lawsuits they keep losing. They have yet to show a victory.... or do you "Holland lake trout" know something we don't know?
It is not just the LaMountains they deny their rights; it is other people including myself too!
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 20:42 by Farmer on a Hill
Cow manure
Cow Sh*T in the lake???? Sounds like more Bull Sh*t from town Officials. Nice try. More mis direction..... A town can not stop a farm. Therefore wake up people and read the law. MGL 40 A section 3.
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 20:47 by Referee
Commercial Agriculture
Chapter 40A: Section 3. Subjects which zoning may not regulate; exemptions; public hearings; temporary manufactured home residences
Section 3. No zoning ordinance or by-law shall regulate or restrict the use of materials, or methods of construction of structures regulated by the state building code, nor shall any such ordinance or by-law prohibit, unreasonably regulate, or require a special permit for the use of land for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture, nor prohibit, unreasonably regulate or require a special permit for the use, expansion, reconstruction or construction of structures thereon for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture, including those facilities for the sale of produce, wine and dairy products, provided that either during the months of June, July, August and September of each year or during the harvest season of the primary crop raised on land of the owner or lessee, 25 per cent of such products for sale, based on either gross sales dollars or volume, have been produced by the owner or lessee of the land on which the facility is located, or at least 25 per cent of such products for sale, based on either gross annual sales or annual volume, have been produced by the owner or lessee of the land on which the facility is located and at least an additional 50 per cent of such products for sale, based upon either gross annual sales or annual volume, have been produced in Massachusetts on land other than that on which the facility is located, used for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture, whether by the owner or lessee of the land on which the facility is located or by another, except that all such activities may be limited to parcels of 5 acres or more in area not zoned for agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture. For such purposes, land divided by a public or private way or a waterway shall be construed as 1 parcel. No zoning ordinance or by-law shall exempt land or structures from flood plain or wetlands regulations established pursuant to the General Laws. For the purposes of this section, the term "agriculture'' shall be as defined in section 1A of chapter 128, and the term horticulture shall include the growing and keeping of nursery stock and the sale thereof. Said nursery stock shall be considered to be produced by the owner or lessee of the land if it is nourished, maintained and managed while on the premises
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 20:52 by I can read too
Wetland Laws for Dummies
PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
"Wetland Protection Act"
TITLE XIX. AGRICULTURE AND CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 131. INLAND FISHERIES AND GAME AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES
Chapter 131: Section 40. Removal, fill, dredging or altering of land bordering waters
The provisions of this section shall not apply to ....." work performed for normal maintenance or improvement of land in agricultural use or in aquacultural use;"
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 20:55 by Mike LaMountain
Duh
No Farms No Food. If you want to have no farms just stop eating. If you want me to stop cutting down trees move out of your wooden house. If you have a problem with my farm grow a sack and swing by the farm and voice your concerns. I work there everyday including weekends. If you want to tell me what to do on my property just start paying my taxes.
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 21:04 by Fertilizer Salesman
Sh*t in Lake
Oh No there is Fish Sh*t in the lake.. Get rid of the fish.
Oh No there is Duck and Goose Sh*t in the lake. Get rid of all the water fowl..
Oh No there is People Sh*t (Septic) in the lake.. Get rid of all the people..
Oh No there is road sand and salt in the lake... Get rid of all the roads.
Oh No there is Bull Sh*t in the town hall.. Get rid of all the Johnsons and Wettlaufers.
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Posted on 30 Dec 2009, 21:19 by "I can not tell the truth" J.W.
Dis-Honest James W.
That day, state police detectives had been summoned to Town Hall by James E. Wettlaufer, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Wettlaufer said he had asked state police for advice on how to make a smooth transition and maintain the “chain of custody” of evidence stored at the police station, which is in the basement of Town Hall.
Locks on the building were changed and pass codes for alarm systems were altered, he said.
Two state police lieutenants, one from the Sturbridge barracks and another from the Hampden County detectives unit, along with a trooper from the Sturbridge barracks, oversaw the inventory of items in the Police Department’s evidence locker, Mr. Wettlaufer said at the time.
The inventory took several hours to complete. The chief was present during the inventory.
The day of the resignation, Mr. Wettlaufer said it was “a normal procedure.”
Here you are Holland..Mr Wettlaufer saying it is normal and lying to us about the Police Chief....What else does he lie to us about?
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Posted on 31 Dec 2009, 8:01 by Patriot Games
Obedience to Law is Liberty ????
If our Officials in the Town Hall would obey the laws then our Town would not be spending so much on "super lawyers".
For what Wettlaufer and Johnson are spending to deny people their rights, Holland could purchase new text books for every student in the elementary school or Laptop computers for every student in the school, taking the leadreship role in 21st century education.
For what they are spending to defend the Johnson-gate land fiasco, Holland could purchase a new dog pound with heat, water, and power.
The only law breaking going on here is by our Officials who use the power of their offices to conceal their Illegal acts, and further the agenda's of thier friends and families.
We have agents of Chaos and Deception in control of our town and its employee's.
Thank God for this blog as it allows the truth a place to be seen.
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