Does anyone else recall the last city council candidates’ Forum (the one at the Community Center)???  If so, do you recall a question that went something like this:

If elected, do you promise to refuse to accept any appoints to any of the boards, commissions, and the like that council passes out every year???

ALL FOUR successful candidates said:

"YES!"

In looking at the record of council’s appointment to "boards, commissions, and the like", Dan Picard and Armbruster seem to have forgotten all about their promise to The People:

Housing Committee –Josh Laubach, Anita Scott Jones, Dan Picard

Public Safety Committee – Jim Armbruster, A. J. Smith, Anita Scott Jones

***Emergency Management Advisory Council – Larry Mulligan

Airport Commission –Dan Picard

**Architectural Review Board – Dan Picard

***Consolidated Plan Committee – Josh Laubach, Dan Picard, A. J. Smith

Golf Course Commission – Jim Armbruster

Keep Middletown Beautiful – Jim Armbruster

Middletown Clean Community Board - ???????

Park Board – Jim Armbruster

Tree Commission – Jim Armbruster

A. J. Smith and Josh Laubach seemed to have done better, it appeared that they at least tried (or perhaps they forced?) to limit themselves to committees and only the boards and commissions that are required by charter or ordinance to seat a member of council:

Diversity Affairs Committee – Larry Mulligan, A. J. Smith

Housing Committee –Josh Laubach, Anita Scott Jones, Dan Picard

Public Safety Committee – Jim Armbruster, A. J. Smith, Anita Scott Jones

*Citizen Advisory Board to the Middletown Division of Police –A. J. Smith, (Alternate Josh Laubach)

*City Planning Commission – Anita Scott Jones (Alternate Josh Laubach)

***Consolidated Plan Committee – Josh Laubach, Dan Picard, A. J. Smith

***Middletown Moving Forward – Larry Mulligan, Bill Becker (Alternate A. J. Smith)

*Youth Commission – Larry Mulligan, A. J. Smith [one seat authorized]

***No such thing exists by Charter (to date) or by Ordinance (as of May 1, 2007) in the City of Middletown.

**Council seat required by Charter.

* Council seat authorized by Ordinance.

§ 260.03 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT.

Every member of any City board or commission shall be a resident of the City.

§ 268.01 DUTIES

The Park Board shall act as an advisory board to the Department of Community Service for the operation and maintenance of public playgrounds, playfields and other recreation areas and facilities owned by the City.

Since advising "the Department of Community Service" is the Park Board’s ONLY function, and the Department of Community Service no longer exists, why is there still a need for the Park Board??? Also, NOTHING in the Charter or The Codified Ordinances allows the Park Board to enter into contracts or otherwise expend public funds, yet they commonly do so with Council’s apparent "blessing".  WHY??

§ 269.01 ESTABLISHMENT; MEMBERSHIP; TERMS.

A Tree Commission is hereby established in and for the City. It shall be composed of seven members, one of whom shall be the Chairperson of the Middletown Clean Community Beautification Committee.

Has the Council appointed "the Chairperson of the Middletown Clean Community Beautification Committee" to the Tree Commission??? Do they intend to do so???

§ 1202.01 COMPOSITION, APPOINTMENT AND TENURE OF OFFICE.

(a) There is hereby established a City Planning Commission. To be eligible for appointment to the Commission, a person shall be a citizen of the United States and, for other than the Board of Education member, a resident of the City. The Commission shall consist of nine members, one of whom shall be a member of the City Council, and one of whom shall be the Director of Planning and Economic Development of the City. The Director shall serve as Secretary to the Council. The City Council member and the Director shall not be entitled to vote on any matter before the Commission. The remaining seven members, one of whom shall be a member of the Board of Education of the Middletown City School District or such other person as the Board of Education shall designate, shall be appointed by the City Council.

(b) The term of office of the seven voting members shall be three years. The terms of present members shall continue until expiration. Any such member of the Commission may serve on other administrative boards of the City, if such other office is not incompatible with membership on the Commission.

Anyone want to hazard a guess how many "members of the commission" have served on other "incompatible" boards??? How many decisions were made???  Here's a clue:

§ 1225.05 ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD.   

"Incompatible offices"??? Let’s imagine that Mike Presta wants to build a new house in Middletown, (remember, we’re using our imaginations) but my wife has her heart set on a gambrel or a mansard roof. So, like a good boy, I apply to the Architectural Review Board (a council member and two members of the City Planning Commission) for a variance. For some reason, they say "NO!" I mumble something under my breath and appeal to the City Planning Commission, where, on the other side of the curvy counter, I see four familiar faces--The three that had already turned me down and the guy from the planning department that recommended against approval!! The Planning Commission says "NO!!" I mumble a few more words to myself, and off I go to make my final appeal to City Council. So I do, but when I get there, something looks vaguely familiar. It’s déjà vu all over again!!! There sit’s the same Council member who turned me down TWICE. In the audience I see the Planning director, who recommended AGAINST me TWICE, by spouting some sort of babble about it was too near and incompatible with the HISTORIC (built in 1974) house around the corner and two blocks down the street where they will be able to see my roof if they hang out the attic window with a mirror duct-taped to a broomstick (but it must be an OLD broomstick, and only in the winter after the leaves have fallen) and next to him is his pal, the High Commissioner of Landmarks and Other Historic Stuff at the ready to "testify". I figure that I might as well leave now, and go have a few beers, but NO ONE ELSE in City Hall can see the conflicts in this!!!