To the editor:
The quality of debate and democracy in Great Barrington could be improved by dividing the annual town meeting into two nights: one for the town’s business so that anyone who wants to question the way it is done has an opportunity to do so, and a separate night so that citizen petitions can also be heard with patience and time for reasonable debate.
The most important and consequential vote, one that may obligate the town to pay a large sum of money for Housatonic Water Works, was taken in confusion at close to 11 p.m. on May 1 when nearly half the voters had gone home. There was barely a quorum, Michael Wise, the moderator was exhausted, and it was not clear, at least to this voter, exactly what was going on.
It wasn’t Mr. Wise’s fault. He had offered the option to come back again on Thursday. The voters voted to stay, but then they weren’t patient. Bad manners were displayed as the hour grew late. Dan Seitz, who had made the reasonable suggestion that the town not use spyware to monitor short term rentals by homeowners, was hissed at, and the question was called, cutting off debate, by some people who said words to the effect of “we already know how everyone stands on this issue.”
As if once a thing is done it can never be changed, amended, or improved. I, for one, hadn’t made my mind up, and I would have liked to hear the pros and cons, a lively discussion with an actual exchange of ideas the way it was over Mr. Hankin’s petition. Instead, we heard speeches from the two Selectboard members, Ms. Davis and Mr. Garfield, most closely identified with the bylaw. No one hissed at them, but after they were done, their supporters voted to cut off debate.
This is no way to run a town of 7,000 people. I understand the town needs to pass a budget, and why that must come first on town meeting night, but the citizen petitions are important as well. The results of these votes affect us all and should not be left to late at night when it’s easy to play procedural games. They deserve to be heard by all those who have interest—not just those who are able to stay to the end of the marathon.
Claudia Laslie
Great Barrington
