By Dana Benson
Save Our Towns/Save Our Schools
Below are links to a video clip and transcript of what Easton citizen Beverly Dacey had to say at the recent Selectman meeting regarding Bindelglass’s decision to file a secret complaint against an Easton citizen for making too many Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests regarding zoning violations at the Riding Academy.
Bindelglass filed the complaint in November 2023 and didn’t tell the town, the other Selectmen, or Logie that he had done so.
The FOIA Commissioner has recommended dismissing the complaint for failure to file properly because it has no merit. The Commission will decide at a hearing on August 14.
Why should an Easton citizen be dragged up to a State Hearing to defend themselves for checking up on the enforcement of our zoning laws?
How is it “harrassing” town officials to ask them to show her documents when by State Statue (see below) that is part of their job?
Is this how Easton wants its elected First Selectmen to treat the activists who also represent the people who live here and want their zoning enforced?
The Freedom of Information Law says a citizen has a right to go to Town Hall during business hours and ask to see public record documents and to make copies of them. If the town is not able to produce them, it has a reasonable time to do so.
Logie requested to see Zoning Enforcement Orders, Building Inspection Reports, paid building permit fees, the employment contracts of some town employees, and some other documents regarding the Riding Academy because she believed they were in violation of our zoning regulations and that town officials had not flagged them for these violations. She copied the documents in the town hall.
The idea that Logie, who is experienced in Freedom of Information rules and has made many requests over the years, would “harass” town employees is absurd. Some town employees may not have appreciated the scrutiny, but that comes with the turf.
Here is an excerpt of what Dacey said. “The point here, I think, (is that) we’re all feeling right now is that we’re witnessing a sea change under our feet in Easton in terms of the kind of community this has been and the movement towards commercial development and everybody’s very unnerved by it.”
“The Community has been boxed out. It’s (the feeling that) it doesn’t matter what public sentiment has (wanted), (it’s the feeling that) what we want for this town (didn’t matter); it’s the sense that decisions are being made behind our backs.”
“And this (secret complaint filed by Bindelglass is in keeping with) how things are being executed in Easton. And it seems to reinforce on a grander scale what people are beginning to feel and have been feeling for some time, and it’s a problem.”
“And I’m gonna conclude by saying one thing, David, and this is something you wrote about your commitment to civility and to trying to lower the level of vitriol in our discourse. This was incredibly vitriolic.”
Transcript of Dacey’s comments:
https://bit.ly/46CgCou
https://bit.ly/46CgCou
Video of Dacey:
https://vimeo.com/993908184
Link to Bindelglass’s complaint:
https://bit.ly/4cgfJTC
https://bit.ly/4cgfJTC
Link to State FOIA Commissioner Ruling:
https://bit.ly/4cekv43
