#MiddleburyCT #Editorial #LocalIssues
Inspired by an editorial by fellow editor Deb Paul, we hope to encourage local residents to become more involved in their local governments. We aren’t suggesting they run for office. We are however, encouraging them to make an effort to know exactly what issues and projects their local boards and commissions have before them and to let their voices be heard on issues that matter to them.
In Middlebury, one person distributing an anonymous letter let residents know a massive distribution center was before the town’s boards and commissions. Had that person not sounded the alarm, the residents who believe such a project is not appropriate wouldn’t have known about it, perhaps not even until the land was being cleared and construction was under way.
As my fellow editor pointed out, our boards and commissions are constantly making decisions that shape our community – “decisions about development, traffic, schools, public safety, budgets and long-term planning.” Their decisions can greatly impact residents’ daily lives and the value of their homes.
Yet, until the alarm was sounded about the distribution center, meetings were attended almost exclusively by only the board or commission members, people who had business to bring before them, and reporters from area newspapers. The distribution center issue brought a dramatic increase in resident attendance. Now it seems attendance is declining.
Residents need to continue attending meetings and not attend only when they object to the way an issue or project is being handled. Their attendance and voicing of their concerns help board and commission members make better decisions. Community input matters.
No matter how much confidence we have in local government and the hardworking volunteers who serve as board or commission members, we owe it to ourselves and to our towns to be informed. My fellow editor pointed out that good government happens “when residents stay engaged, ask questions early, and pay attention before the train has already left the station.”
Fortunately, there is more than one way get involved. The best, of course, is to attend board and commission meetings, which are open to the public.
Next best is watching the meeting on Zoom, provided you are able to do so. Not all meetings are on Zoom. One that always is on Zoom is the Middlebury Board of Selectmen meeting, which usually is held the first and third Mondays of the month, currently at 5 p.m.
If neither in person or Zoom work, you can turn to the meeting minutes, which need to be posted within seven days after the meeting. In Middlebury, you can find them on the town website and either read them online or print them out.
Note: Middlebury’s current website is middlebury-ct.org, However, likely in mid-June, that will change to middleburyct.gov.
Consider getting involved in local government by picking a board or commission you find interesting or important or one that meets on a night that works with your schedule. You can learn what is on their agenda by going to the town website, finding them under “Boards & Commissions” and then clicking on the agenda for the meeting.
Take a look at the meeting calendar at the end of this article. You’ll find meetings on most weeknights. There are some meetings during the day – the Commission on Aging meets at 9:30 a.m., the Retirement Plan Commission meets at 1 p.m., and the Library Board of Trustees meets at 4:30 p.m.
Look at the variety of meetings. You can choose everything from the Board of Finance (for those who love to crunch numbers) to Parks and Recreation (for those interested in sports) to Public Works (for those who care about keeping the town in tip-top shape).
Getting involved is a win-win for both residents and the town’s boards and commissions. Please go pick out “your” board or commission today and start following it.
Middlebury Meeting Calendar
Monday, June 1
Board of Selectmen, 5 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Greenway Committee, 6 p.m. Shepardson, Room 26
Tuesday, June 2
Parks & Recreation, 7 p.m. Shepardson, Room 7
Wednesday, June 3
Land Preservation & Open Space, 7 p.m. Shepardson, Room 7
Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m. Shepardson, Room 26
Thursday, June 4
Planning & Zoning, 7 p.m. Shepardson, Room 26
Monday, June 8
Police Commission, 6 p.m. Police Department
Tuesday, June 9
Library Board of Trustees, 4:30 p.m. Middlebury Library
Wednesday, June 10
Board of Finance, 7 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Thursday, June 11
Retirement Plan Commission, 1 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Monday, June 15
Board of Selectmen, 5 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Public Works Commission, 7 p.m. Public Works Mtg. Rm.
Tuesday, June 16
Commission on Aging, 9:30 a.m. Shepardson, Dining Room
Water Pollution Control Authority, 7:30 p.m. Shepardson, Room 26
Wednesday, June 17
Beautification Committee, 6:30 p.m. Shepardson, Room 26
Monday June 22
Board of Selectmen, 5 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Economic Development Commission, 6:30 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Tuesday, June 23
Middlebury250 Committee, 7 p.m. Town Hall Conf. Room
Tuesday, June 30
Conservation Commission, 7 p.m. Shepardson, Room 26
