Abandoned after verbal protest, police called
Tonight the planning and parks committee met.
All nine councillors were present.
No declarations of interest were given,
Cllr Lucas should have declared for item 11
her husband is a member of the Rotary they are begging public money for cash to buy a Christmas Tree to gift to the town.
It is becoming very frustrating, because this council has meetings they call briefings, these are held before
the public meeting and at those meetings items are debated in private and decisions are
made leaving just a few last minute question at the public meeting, but most of the time many
agenda items are passed with no comment or debate
Anyway the chairman quickly got through the first four items and we arrived at the clerks report
I say report, we were told reports relating to various matters were available for councillors to view in the
office, clearly not wanting to divulge anything to the public.
We then came to the members reports.
Cllr Lucas said" you have all received and read my email about Rutland Day" then rather strangely went onto say "RAF Commander Peter Goldberg had cycled to Rutland Water because he could not walk due a operation he had on his foot.
There were no other reports
Then we came to public deputations
I gave a deputation suggesting the town council buy there own Christmas Tree and seek sponsorship
Then rather more controversially I suggested that the council should tender for work on a tree in Cutts Close
after reading the clerks suggestion as we know this man well we don't need to tender.
I mentioned this man had charged the council £10,000 to put and take down Christmas lights and last Christmas he left the town littered with glass from bulbs his men smashed as they took the lights down.
I then went onto suggest the council considered not buying hanging baskets instead buying planters for the ground and fill them with plants, like those in the splendid Oakham in Bloom sustainable beds, This would mean the council, would not need to buy new plants each year and free up money for future projects
and also they would need less watering freeing up more cash.
The Council spends thousands each year buying baskets with underdeveloped plants and after a few weeks of summer and when the baskets appear to be at their best they are binned or sold on who knows?
They then moved onto item 8 the Floral Displays there was no debate or comments and they agreed to tender for the same old expensive things.
Item 9 was the last item considered .
During this item the Chairman Cllr Adam Lowe asked the public not to whisper as it was disturbing
Cllr Lucas's and others concentration.
Joyce clearly fond of the tree surgeon, who has for many years fleeced the council out of thousands of pounds ( I say fleeced because this year the council finally got around to tendering and is spending less
money buying all new Christmas lights, testing, putting them up and taking them down, than it has ever paid.
Cllr Joyce Lucas proposed the contract be awarded to the known tree surgeon and this was quickly seconded by Cllr Charles Haworth, such a lovely couple, when I look at them grinning I visions of
worzel gummidge and aunt sally
The vote was passed because there were in my view two very cowardly abstentions. I think a councillor should not sit on the fence and Abstentions should be banned.
I then verbally protested and suggested corruption at this point the Chairman Cllr Adam Lowe asked me to shut up nicely or leave, I said I would and told the mob in a polite fashion what I thought of the council.
I was going to leave until Cllr Dewis suggested the police were called, I said go ahead and sat down.rather disappointingly for Cllr Dewis I don't react to his slimy way anymore.
Cllr Lowe came and spoke to me I said I would like to stay he agreed , Cllr Dewis remembering a new standing order he had slipped in, where members can now over rule a chairman's decision called to exclude me from the meeting Clr Lowe voted against the exclusion. Cllr Dewis went to the office to call the police, I said I hope he is not telling them I have eaten a mince pie like Cllr Haworth did last Christmas.
At this point Cllr Lowe adjourned the meeting and we all went home, I had a chat outside with Cllr Lowe the police arrived and Cllr Lowe said there was no longer a problem I said hello to the officer and he waved as he drove his van off.
I hope my peaceful political protest makes the few of our unelected town councillors think and yes I am pleased I have caused some of them a little inconvenience that is nothing compared to the years of abuse I have been subject to by some of them and their supporters.
Cllr Lucas and Haworth seemed to find it very amusing, when I told them the police were going through the process of tracing the abusive letter writer and the foul internet blogger. I believe this time the police are going to deal with this abuse and we will very shortly see who has the last laugh....
