DIXFIELD – Before entering an executive session to discuss a real estate matter Monday night, selectman established a new protocol for meetings.

Instead of allowing people in the audience to repeatedly interrupt discussions among selectmen on municipal matters, public comments are to be relegated to the end of meetings.

Chairman Hugh Daley unexpectedly broached the issue to Selectmen Montell Kennedy, Sandra Buchanan and Eugene Skibitsky, saying he was prepared to resign as chairman if the board did not side with him on the matter.

“It just confuses me when several people are talking at once, and I’m not prepared to answer them,” Daley said.

Initially, he sought to either limit discussion to a designated comment period, or put the matter on the agenda of an upcoming board meeting.

The latter, he said, would give the board time to research issues to provide correct information to questions rather than shooting from the hip and misstating something.

Daley also sought to gain control of meetings. Some in the past had a tendency to spiral out of control and into argumentative clashes.

Skibitsky was initially taken aback by Daley’s argument. Buchanan, at first, said she would rather hear the comments during the meeting.

“Sometimes, they can be disruptive, but if they take the time to come see us, I want to hear from them,” she said.

Kennedy had little to say other than the fact that he didn’t want to be chairman.

In other business, a brief discussion ensued over a pattern the board and town manager “unwittingly” established of not putting items on the next meeting’s agenda that selectmen agreed to place there at the previous meeting.

“In our minutes, if you say you’re going to put a meeting on the agenda of the next meeting, put it on the agenda,” Kennedy said.

Resident Don St.Germain echoed Kennedy’s statement, saying he believed the board would resume discussion on the Child Hollow Road issue because Daley indicated they would at a previous meeting.

But Daley said he would not bring the matter before the board unless all selectmen were present. Selectman Stephen Donahue could not make it to Monday night’s meeting.

The lack of a quorum canceled the board’s last meeting in December.

Skibitsky agreed with Kennedy, saying a discussion about the water budget was supposed to be on Monday night’s agenda but wasn’t. Town Manager Nanci Allard said she would make sure the matters were on the board’s agenda for the next meeting on Monday, Jan. 26.

Selectmen also voted 4-0 approving the appointment of Norman Mitchell as a Planning Board alternate, and of Michael Johnston as a Ludden Memorial Library trustee.

Johnston was chosen to fill the term of Patricia Jones, who resigned. The term ends in June 2005.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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