To err is human; to blog...divine!

Strikeslip...we usually agree with what you write, but this time we must show you the err of your ways.

In your blog, The Good and the Bad you said:

The Bad: New Hartford Town Board eliminates Police Commission with no advanced notice or opportunity for public input.

So much for the new "transparency" that was promised.

Strike, we feel that Supervisor Tyksinski was as transparent as he needed to be given the circumstances; it really is a town board's prerogative to abolish the commission; input from the public is not required.

Supervisor Tyksinski could have discussed the topic during executive session and then merely come out of executive session to adopt the resolution after the public left [of course, Concerned Citizens would have still been there], but he didn't. Instead he proposed the resolution in open session and even gave people in attendance a chance to speak. Actually, since this was not a public hearing, he didn't really even need to acknowledge comments from the audience; but he did. We commend him for his willingness to allow open and frank discussion.

While we are sure there might be some that might agree with you, so far, from what we see on the internet, and even on your own blog, Strike, the public seems to be very much in favor of what was accomplished at last night's town board meeting. Waiting to give the public a chance to attend the meeting would have been a lesson in futility any way...the same people attend town board meetings every week. Heck, even when there is a public hearing; the same people attend these meetings.

No, Strike, the decision needed to be made last night so the town can move forward. After all, who was overseeing the police department when contracts were signed absent town board approval...the Marquee Cinema; the resource officer at Sauquoit School; and we also have recently been advised that there may be a contract with Gander Mt. to do "gun runs". The town police, on overtime pay, are supposedly using town police vehicles to transport guns from Gander Mt. to the State Police barracks in Oneida for mandatory balistic testing prior to the guns being sold at Gander Mt.

Obviously, for too many years, the fox have been guarding the hen house. That came to an end at last night's town board meeting. Now we will truly have transparency when it comes to the Police Department because the people in charge will have to answer to the people that pay the bills.