Leominster officials approve sewer-rate hike

Question, why doesn't the Mayor attend the City Council meetings in person vs watching same meetings from a TV in his office ?

"I didn't vote in favor of a rate increase," she said Tuesday. "I voted to comply with a state mandate that has to be done."

The queen of fence sitting strikes again.

From what I saw this is not even accurate. Most of the money is for maintance on an aging facility not because of state mandate. Even the DPW director said that on Monday.

Luther Manning wrote:

Question, why doesn't the Mayor attend the City Council meetings in person vs watching same meetings from a TV in his office ?

Watch the meeting on tv and then send down your subordinates to do the dirty work. That is the act of desperation

Apparantly Too much TV isn't watching these meetings. They are horrible. I try watching but it is outright disgusting to watch these councilors sit there and not know anything. Rowlands says the treatment plant needs work so what does he do? Vote against the money to pay for the repairs. Jesse I wonder why the mayor is frustrated.

Come on now you can't mean to tell me that there aren't people in town who have the time to run for these offices? It has become embarrassing to watch the meetings.

I try to remain in touch with my local government but I have to be honest I can't watch it any more.

My cable bill is over $100.00 a month and I just got my water/sewer bill and it was $69.00 for a quarter so I figured it out and its like 50cents a day. I went to the states web site and can't even find another city or town that comes close. Bargin galore. BTW Does Rowlands ask question about issues? Just watch him cause he never asks questions. He cannot. He is not capable. Watch him next time. The councilor just makes statements and ads questionable facts so that no one can really validate what he says. If he asks a question then he will get an answer and that is not what he is looking for. The answer he might get just might be the fact and truth. Can't have that.

TV Choice (DM) You must watch a lot of those info commercials with your $100 cable bill because you sound like the guy selling laundry detergent - "bargains galore"

I have to agree, I can't watch it anymore either, repeat after repeat. The information is hidden until the last minute and then when it is sent down it has to pass tomorrow. Isn't there a special meeting to pass the $28 Million by Monday?

Why does it always come down to the state having to mandate that the city do it's most basic job? School accredidation at High School, Water (expect a letter with every bill), and now the Sewer Treatment plant? Who knows where we would be without the state demanding that the most basic services provided by the city are in proper working order.

Mazz is watching this on tv because there is no way he is going down to the meeting to put his name on this mess. Water that you can't drink that is costing us millions and now the same thing with the treatment plant. Great time in the economy for this all to happen. Of course blame it on the state, it is their fault.

If Mazz had someone running against him none of this would be happening. This is why it wasn't fixed in the past.

Ask him but don't expect answer, can't have that, expect an info commercial - "Fix it now for $28 Million but offer ends tomorrow and price will double - Credit cards only ..."

Ok Councilor Rowlands. I have questions for you. Will you answer them? The last post sounds just like you. I have questions for the Mayor and I will call and ask him. I have in the past and he has answered. Wasn't it the mayor who had to fight the council in order to speak . I would not attend either. Stuff is hard to believe that it actually takes place in this country. Mayor wants to speak and council denies.

Their snotty, pompous, arrogant ways are real comforting to anyone who wishes to speak, never mind the mayor.

Cindy W wrote:

Ok Councilor Rowlands. I have questions for you. Will you answer them? The last post sounds just like you. I have questions for the Mayor and I will call and ask him. I have in the past and he has answered. Wasn't it the mayor who had to fight the council in order to speak . I would not attend either. Stuff is hard to believe that it actually takes place in this country. Mayor wants to speak and council denies.

Not me, though I have a guess who it could be, just like I have a guess who "TV Choice" could be as well - Don't you?

With regard to answering your questions please feel free to call my home any time before 10pm. If I am not home please leave a message and I will try to get back to you between 6:30pm and 9:00pm on weekdays (after work). On weekends I am usually in and out running errands, so schedule is little less predictable but I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Also feel free to e-mail me at any time. My e-mail is on the city's web page drowlands@leominster-ma.gov. I try to respond to e-mail at lunch time or in the evenings.

I find these two formats the best for having a detailed discussion on an issue.

I cannot comment on the point raised about the mayor having to fight with the council to speak. In my term on the council I don't remember that ever happening. I do not remember the mayor being denied access to speaking with the council, when you call or e-mail, maybe you can provide specifics that could jog my memory.

I look forward to hearing from you.

One one point, I can see why the Mayor watches the meetings from a "remote location". A few years ago, a question between the Mayor and a certain City Councilor ended up turning into a shouting match, with both the Mayor and the City Councilor leaving the Council Chambers. The meeting was ajourned until the City Councilor returned. The Mayor never came back.

I've been to a number of meetings of the City Council, and between the clashing egos, arguments between people, and attitudes, it's a 3-ring circus minus the ring master...

PS NO city councilor, including the one in my Ward (5) has ever responded to phone calls or emails sent in their direction. The Mayor, on the other hand, responds within 1 day.

Councilor Rowlands please run for mayor and lets see how you do with all the problems of the city. I bet your ego will get you a long way!! The city has a lot of major issues and all you ever do is create more problems. I know for a fact that if you ran for at large you wouldn't be a councilor anymore.

I think the mayor's cheerleader(s) should find something more constructive to do with their time than slam a city councilor. It just makes me like Rowlands more. If Rowlands ran for mayor- I'd vote for him!

please run wrote:

Councilor Rowlands please run for mayor and lets see how you do with all the problems of the city. I bet your ego will get you a long way!! The city has a lot of major issues and all you ever do is create more problems. I know for a fact that if you ran for at large you wouldn't be a councilor anymore.

Tell us how can we believe you "know for a fact" Rowlands wouldn't be elected as an at-large councilor?? Are you a psychic? Have you rigged the at-large election? Have you taken a scientifically valid poll of the city's voters? Did you have a premonition? Or did you just have a "gut" feeling that you want us to believe is a fact? How do you know? Please tell us- we're anxious to "be enlightened".

please run wrote:

Councilor Rowlands please run for mayor and lets see how you do with all the problems of the city. I bet your ego will get you a long way!! The city has a lot of major issues and all you ever do is create more problems. I know for a fact that if you ran for at large you wouldn't be a councilor anymore.

What problems for the city has this councilor created? I'd love to know- and then you should tell me HOW he created the problems you "know" he created. Now's your chance to explain.

please run wrote:

Councilor Rowlands please run for mayor and lets see how you do with all the problems of the city. I bet your ego will get you a long way!! The city has a lot of major issues and all you ever do is create more problems. I know for a fact that if you ran for at large you wouldn't be a councilor anymore.

the mayor is this city's biggest asset...the economy is strangling most towns/cities, and we are doing very well in comparison. oh, and i love the water that comes out of my faucet...it tastes real good...