The two recent special meetings, held in executive session, were, as many have speculated, to discuss the EMS situation. Both were held without Brat FD members present.
BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2023
SPECIAL MEETING – 5:15PM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL CENTER
MINUTES
Selectboard members present: Ian Goodnow, Franz Reichsman, Peter Case, Elizabeth McLoughlin,
Daniel Quipp.
Staff present: Town Manager John Potter, Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland.
Others present: None.
Chair Ian Goodnow called the meeting to order at 5:15pm.
GOODNOW MOTIONED TO FIND THAT PREMATURE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE REGARDING
CONTRACTS WITH EMS PROVIDERS WOULD CLEARLY PLACE THE TOWN AT A SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE, BECAUSE THE SELECTBOARD RISKS DISCLOSING ITS NEGOTIATION
STRATEGY WITH EMS PROVIDERS IF IT DISCUSSES THE PROPOSED ITEMS IN PUBLIC.
5-0 MOTION PASSED.
GOODNOW MOTIONED TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING AND CONTRACTS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 1, SECTION 313(A)(1)(A),
AND THE EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE AND THAT INVITED INTO THE
EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE THE FOLLOWING: TOWN MANAGER JOHN POTTER AND ASSISTANT
TOWN MANAGER PATRICK MORELAND.
5-0 MOTION PASSED.
Goodnow reconvened the meeting at 6:40pm. There was no further business.
MOTION BY REICHSMAN AT 6:40PM TO ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2023
SPECIAL MEETING – 5:00PM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL CENTER
MINUTES
Selectboard members present: Ian Goodnow, Franz Reichsman, Peter Case, Elizabeth McLoughlin,
Daniel Quipp.
Staff present: HR Director Sally Nix, Finance Director Kimberly Frost, Town Manager John Potter,
Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland.
Others present: None.
Chair Ian Goodnow called the meeting to order at 5:00pm.
GOODNOW MOTIONED TO FIND THAT PREMATURE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE REGARDING
CONTRACTS WITH EMS PROVIDERS WOULD CLEARLY PLACE THE TOWN AT A SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE, BECAUSE THE SELECTBOARD RISKS DISCLOSING ITS NEGOTIATION
STRATEGY WITH EMS PROVIDERS IF IT DISCUSSES THE PROPOSED ITEMS IN PUBLIC.
5-0 MOTION PASSED.
GOODNOW MOTIONED TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS CONTRACTS UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF TITLE 1, SECTION 313(A)(1)(A). INVITED INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE
THE FOLLOWING: HR DIRECTOR SALLY NIX, FINANCE DIRECTOR KIMBERLY FROST, TOWN
MANAGER JOHN POTTER AND ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER PATRICK MORELAND.
5-0 MOTION PASSED.
Goodnow reconvened the meeting at 8:40pm. There was no further business.
MOTION BY CASE AT 8:40PM TO ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
28 Peter Case, Clerk
Thanks for digging
Interesting for many reasons.
– length of time of each meeting (one almost 4 hours!)
– the attendance was different at each meeting
– not sure the “premature public knowledge” would really harm anything here
– Goodnow claims the harm would be a “risk of disclosing a negotiating strategy”… what’s to negotiate? These are public responses to the RFP and the “negotiation” consists of saying “yes” or “no” to each one. Further explanation, please… : )
– the board seems to have had extensive discussions about each proposal/proposer in private
– they weren’t considered together (It wasn’t “hey look, here they are, have fun…”)
Special Meetings
My guess is that the first meeting, the one on the 18th, was to discuss how to answer questions about cost/charges for dispatch ($36.37 per call the first year) and cost/charges for sharing space with Brat Fire (#3,000/month). That meeting was on a Friday and the addendum for the RFP was posted on the 22nd, a Tuesday.
I can hazard a guess that the meeting on August 30 was to open and look at the bids. I had queried a lot of folks (not in the town government) and no one knew if the Select Board was going to open the bids at a public meeting or not. A bid is a bid, there is no reason not to open it/them in public.
And, of course, you are correct about the “negotiating strategy” not being necessary. You accept the bid or not.
I wonder if AMR submitted the rates that they are listed as charging in NH
Emergency Transport, Advanced Life Support $2,995
Emergency Transport, Basic Life Support $2,396
Mileage Rate for Ambulance Transport $63/mile
Non-Emergency Transport, Advanced Life Support $1,797
Non-Emergency Transport, Basic Life Support $1,348
( Source: https://nhhealthcost.nh.gov/ )
"Motioned"
Many years ago, Peter Diamondston corrected me for saying that someone “motioned.” He said the correct expression is “made a motion” or “moved.” For example: “John made a motion to adjourn,” or, “John moved to adjourn,” but not, “John ‘motioned’ to adjourn.”
After seeing “motioned” today on ibrattleboro, I searched and checked a number of respectable website, including Washington State University, which has a page on which Prof. Paul Brians (who wrote, “Common Errors in English Usage”) explains the following:
https://brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/25/motion-move/
motion / move
When you make a motion in a meeting, say simply “I move,” as in “I move to adjourn”; and if you’re taking the minutes, write “Barbara moved,” not “Barbara motioned” (unless Barbara was making wild arm-waving gestures to summon the servers to bring in the lunch). Instead of “I want to make a motion . . .” it’s simpler and more direct to say “I move. . . .”
“Negotiating strategy” not necessary. . . just price, take-it-or leave-it?
I am as skeptical about our selectboard as anyone, particularly their habitual lack of transparency and their lack of respect for public inquiry.
But 3 decades experience in a business heavily centered on negotiations, have shown me that what may appear to be one-dimensional dickering over price, almost always involves complex factors which matter, despite not being obvious.