Letters to the Editor

Selection process is flawed

To the editor,

What a clear example of schoolyard retaliation we witnessed at the Dec. 6 special select board meeting.

Despite seven people speaking on behalf of John Costin’s appointment to the new Charter Commission (those currently or formerly on the select board and four newly elected to the commission), select board member Kortney Nedeau found it necessary to voice unmitigated prejudgment, claim to read the public’s mind, bring up irrelevant past elections (to her self-aggrandizement), and publicly disrespect Mr. Costin.

Nedeau erroneously thought that stating she has “nothing against John,” peppering her sentences with “full respect,” and claiming three times she didn’t want to “discredit” him somehow would absolve her from actually showing her clear dislike and disrespect. This unfortunate display made me think of item No. 4 on the select board’s own code of ethics where members agree to not make disparaging remarks about the public. Alas, she clearly showed we’ll again have to keep copies of their ethics code on hand.

I think board members Nedeau and Pratt were clearly prejudiced against Mr. Costin, their bias masquerading as their perception of what’s good for this town. They showed zero objectivity and overlooked facts and sound judgment. Pratt demonstrated bias against Mr. Costin followed by smiling favoritism toward Chris Cluff, whom she nominated despite the fact that he stated he’d rather not be on the commission. In all, Nedeau and Pratt obviously retaliated against Mr. Costin for calling out select board members (past and present) when further information and corrections were required.

Kudos to members Miriam Whitehouse and Leslie Trentalange for calling out this sorry excuse for a selection process. Indeed, it was in Trentalange’s words, “a slap in the face to someone who actually wanted, and was motived, to be on (the) commission.”