Town board meeting on July 3rd; seriously?

[Lee Chowaniec]

When it was announced that the next town board meeting would be held on Monday, July 3rd, council member Ronald Ruffino interjected and requested that the meeting be delayed until Wednesday, July 5th because of the July 4th festivities that would be taking place along Central Avenue that same evening.

Supervisor Johanna Coleman squelched the suggestion saying, “We have to pay the bills” and that the meeting date would not be delayed.
There is no meeting scheduled by any other board or organization that prevent the meeting from taking place on that Wednesday, in that room.

I have been attending town board meetings since 1998 and can never recall when past administrations did not reschedule a town board meeting date when the July 4th festival was taking place to avoid parking inconvenience (especially for the disabled) and/or noise and crowd disruption from people using the restroom facilities and entering the meeting room just out of curiosity.

Town Hall will be open on Monday July 3rd. The bills will be paid. A two day meeting delay is not acceptable, why?

[WNYresident]

What "bills have to be paid" that require the meeting to be held Monday?

[shortstuff]

When it was announced that the next town board meeting would be held on Monday, July 3rd, council member Ronald Ruffino interjected and requested that the meeting be delayed until Wednesday, July 5th because of the July 4th festivities that would be taking place along Central Avenue that same evening.

Supervisor Johanna Coleman squelched the suggestion saying, “We have to pay the bills” and that the meeting date would not be delayed.
There is no meeting scheduled by any other board or organization that prevent the meeting from taking place on that Wednesday, in that room.

I have been attending town board meetings since 1998 and can never recall when past administrations did not reschedule a town board meeting date when the July 4th festival was taking place to avoid parking inconvenience (especially for the disabled) and/or noise and crowd disruption from people using the restroom facilities and entering the meeting room just out of curiosity.

Town Hall will be open on Monday July 3rd. The bills will be paid. A two day meeting delay is not acceptable, why?

What? That sounds strange. My question would be-what bills?

[gorja]

Yes, Ruffino asked Abraham about the cancelled Planning board meeting on July 5th.
Abraham said, it was now scheduled on July 19th. That's when Ruffino asked why not have the TB meeting on July 5th due to the festivities and was abruptly told that we've got bills to pay.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Gee, I thought it was only me who couldn't figure out what one has to do with the other - paying the bills vs. delaying a town board meeting to accommodate for the communities best interest by encouraging open government participation by eliminating conflicting distractions.

[gorja]

It definitely will be a cluster f_ _ _ finding a parking spot. For me, I can walk if it's not raining but people like you Lee will need a shuttle.

[common sense]

this is not a holiday and government should not shut down because of a carnival/beer tent so if you don't want to go to the meeting then don't go.

[Lee Chowaniec]

this is not a holiday and government should not shut down because of a carnival/beer tent so if you don't want to go to the meeting then don't go.

Thank you for this profound post. I am sure some of us knuckleheads know that we have an option of going to the meeting or not.

Indeed Monday is not holiday. Government will not be shut down on Monday nor will it be shut down on Wednesday. Either way the regular town board meeting has no impact on paying the bills and would not cost one red cent more to have it on Wednesday.

Councilman Ron Ruffino was the one who had the common sense here to request the meeting’s delay to Wednesday and was immediately shut down by Supervisor Coleman before any input could come from the other board members. Transparent and open government is one that schedules meetings to avoid conflict and encourage community participation.

Supervisor Coleman has sat in on the town board meetings for the past two decades and has witnessed such meeting changes were made to avoid conflict and accommodate for board attendance and audience participation.

[common sense]

Thank you for this profound post. I am sure some of us knuckleheads know that we have an option of going to the meeting or not.

Indeed Monday is not holiday. Government will not be shut down on Monday nor will it be shut down on Wednesday. Either way the regular town board meeting has no impact on paying the bills and would not cost one red cent more to have it on Wednesday.

Councilman Ron Ruffino was the one who had the common sense here to request the meeting’s delay to Wednesday and was immediately shut down by Supervisor Coleman before any input could come from the other board members. Transparent and open government is one that schedules meetings to avoid conflict and encourage community participation.

Supervisor Coleman has sat in on the town board meetings for the past two decades and has witnessed such meeting changes were made to avoid conflict and accommodate for board attendance and audience participation.

this is a non issue...go or don't go. why do people always feel the need to make issues about everything. fact is the meeting does not fall on a holiday and at the end of the day there is really no need to change it to another day. get over it already.

[Lee Chowaniec]

this is a non issue...go or don't go. why do people always feel the need to make issues about everything. fact is the meeting does not fall on a holiday and at the end of the day there is really no need to change it to another day. get over it already.

Done.

We have shared our opinions and should move on.

[common sense]

Done.

We have shared our opinions and should move on.

fair enough. i can agree to that.

[shortstuff]

this is a non issue...go or don't go. why do people always feel the need to make issues about everything. fact is the meeting does not fall on a holiday and at the end of the day there is really no need to change it to another day. get over it already.

Don't pass out, but you do make a good point. Meetings fall on a Monday twice a month. It's not a holiday, you are correct. In terms of the festival event for the weekend, it does span those days, but should not be the factor in rescheduling the town board meeting. Although there are times, when a holiday does fall on that Monday, they reschedule it for the following day.

My real question and quagmire would be, how would this possible change impact paying the bills?

[mark blazejewski]

My real question and quagmire would be, how would this possible change impact paying the bills?

Maybe the Council is considering raising money by selling advertising time for periodic breaks during the session; perhaps segments of a VOL "Special Events" info-mercial. I hear that commercial sponsors can be very sensitive.

[Lanc]

Wow what a great idea on the advertising. Some how Dawn (Schroeder) Gaczewski did not think about that and try to get a Cut...

[shortstuff]

Maybe the Council is considering raising money by selling advertising time for periodic breaks during the session; perhaps segments of a VOL "Special Events" info-mercial. I hear that commercial sponsors can be very sensitive.

LOL Mark,

I guess I don't know what the big deal is about this. If you don't want to attend the meeting, don't attend and head over to the festivities.