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1. Global warming claims all hot air, says speaker at OU2. OU student charged with raping 17-year-old3. Police chief: City can’t stop parties before they start4. For most, the journey to Nine Fest seemed worth it5. Is another oil and gas land-rush starting in Athens?6. Parties spun by OU alums have bootie-shakers raving7. High St. student renters take on big local landlord8. Tanning parlor fights to get back into uptown Athens storefront9. Oak and Mill fests mellow down easy10. City Council acts to ban ‘fracking’ in water supply area11. Landowners’ group renews leasing pitch12. Wal-Mart asks judge to grant store win in shoplifter’s lawsuit13. Electric blue skies, May warmth frame music fest14. OU and city officials urge better fest behavior15. Pills defeated relative when no other drugs could do it16. David Alan Jones17. Local developers hoping to revive struggling hotel18. Hall of Fame baseball coach calls it a day at OU19. Festering fests; down, down deep; and the Golden Rule20. Nine Festers enjoy the sun and music, without the mud
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Wednesday, February 15,2012
Commissioners shortchange important issue by not attending
To the Editor:
At a meeting Tuesday morning, our county commissioners decided that only Lenny Eliason will be present for Athens County Animal Advocates' (ACCA) Town Hall Meeting to Ban Gassing Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Ohio University Walter Hall 145. At this meeting, the general public is invited to engage in a dialogue with ACAA and county commissioners on the subject of banning the gassing of shelter dogs in Athens County.
Due to legal open-meeting restrictions, more than one county commissioner cannot meet to discuss official county business unless the meeting has been deemed an official commissioners' meeting. Doing so would violate the Sunshine Law, which promotes government transparency.
Our county commissioners denied our request to make the meeting official so that all three of them could attend. (Due to previous engagements, Mark Sullivan and/or Larry Payne may have had to come late to our meeting. However, the fact that our request was denied means that now neither of them can come at all.) The bottom line is that only Eliason will be present.
I find it appalling that our county commissioners do not consider the gassing of shelter animals a top priority of county business. Having only one commissioner present sends the message to the general Athens County community, myself included, that our concerns are not important. Our shelter animals are not important.
ACAA planned this Town Hall Meeting to allow our county commissioners to really listen to their constituents. While they have heard from ACAA and some members of our community, up until now there has not been a chance for everyone involved to be in the same room at the same time, answering questions and voicing opinions. This meeting was intended to allow community members direct access to their commissioners in the flesh, not through email correspondence, not through phone calls, and not through limited attendance meetings.
Due to the fact that decisions regarding county business are made by Larry Payne, Mark Sullivan and Lenny Eliason, I do not understand why all three of them would not want to stay completely informed and be present at the time this important issue is being discussed.
Our Town Hall Meeting will still be able to give county residents a full chance to learn about the issue of gassing shelter animals, the humane alternative of EBI, as well as voice their own opinions. But it is a shame that their concerns will fall upon only one of the three officials they elected to listen.
Sarah Robles
Athens County Animal Advocatees
Elm Street
Athens
Also in Letters:
Forest Service apparently on verge of allowing oil-gas leasesWhat good does Ohio University provide to Athens community?City just encourages drunk-fests by closing traffic, recognizing eventsLet’s hope that climate change denial evaporates into stupidityFor decency’s sake, Time Warner, bring back Columbus CBS!Mitt Romney and Palmer Fest celebrants have much in commonWhy is city discriminating against people who want to rent out homes?Health commissioner is ignoring a lot of hard data that questions fluorideIf you’re disgusted by banking folly, you can express yourself locallyCity Council right to challenge state law on fracking regulation
It's an important issue to be sure, but to classify it as a "top priority" of county government is a stretch. The commissioners could hold a public hearing on the matter which allows them to attend together; that would not allow them to hold any vote on the matter until they convened their regular session. Setting special meetings for single issues would be non-stop so it's best that they not go down that road. Ms. Robles should maybe be as passionate about understanding her own government and also recognizing some other priorities.