From the Eagle Tribune;
Atkinson library trustees, town officials at odds over use of space
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON, N.H. — Kimball Library trustees said they plan to consult the state attorney general's office if the selectmen would like to put town computer servers inside the library.
The town's Technology Committee had explored putting computer servers in the library, but decided it would have to find another location after the trustees questioned whether it was a move by the selectmen to take control of the library.
Selectmen's Chairman Fred Childs said yesterday the news from the committee at Monday night's selectmen's meeting was disappointing.
"I guess they weren't received too well at the library," Childs said.
The town is in the process of improving its technology systems and had eyed the library as a potential site to consolidate servers for all town departments.
Currently, the town's servers are in Town Hall, but the room where they are kept has mold problems.
But Kay Galloway, chairwoman of the library trustees, said yesterday they were not completely opposed to putting town servers in the library.
"We just want to make sure our interests are being protected," she said.
Galloway said she would be seeking guidance from Terry Knowles, assistant director of the charitable trust unit at the state attorney general's office, if the town was still interested in using space in the library.
Under state law, library trustees have the authority to manage the library. The new $2.7 million library opened Oct. 12, 2008.
The library has plenty of space, but Galloway said she's concerned that the library isn't the best solution.
"We were wondering how much it would cost the town," Galloway said. A July 27 report by the town's Technology Committee said using the library would be cheaper than building a new room at Town Hall.
Childs said the town might reconsider its options over the next couple of months while the selectmen work on next year's municipal budget.
Atkinson Town Hall
The Norman Rockwellian picture of Atkinson
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
148 comments:
Hmmm, even the library trustees don't trust the motives of the board of selectmen.
Once the well has been poisoned.....
They have good reason to act with suspicion, after how the Consentino, Childs, Sapia, board tried to control the library project, as well as management. It was the trustees job to manage, and they tried to take over, claiming it was a town dept. and therefore it was their function.
Law is different. Law says trustees run library, NOT selectmen.
They don't need a new room at the town hall. Some people at town hall don't want to get rid of the boxes of old records stored everywhere so they want a new room instead.
Forget it! Clean out the closets first.
The library board's suspicions aside, they need to also keep one other thing in mind: The library was build using taxpayer money and is funded by the taxpayers. The taxpayers went to bat for them when a super majority vote was required at the Deliberative Session to get the funding on the ballot. If they refuse to share their computer room with the town, the town will have to build their own, again with our money.
And, it is not the selectmen suggesting the library space. It is the Technology Committee and they are doing their job, attempting to eliminate duplication of effort, which for a small town can be expensive. And this committee, like others formed by the BOS, is made up of ordinary citizens who have volunteered their time and their technical expertise.
No, maybe the library board does not need to share, but they owe it to the taxpayers to do what is best for the town and the taxpayers. And quite frankly, I don't see how asking to make the best use of a town resource as an attempt to take over the library.
OBW, not just any space can become a computer room. To do it proper it needs to be climate controlled, secured, and have backup power available. Only the library has such a room at the moment.
Right now the town is using that little back room as a computer room. It's not climate controlled, secure or dry. No wonder they have mold in there. I can't imagine why they chose that room!
If they need computer space, they should be able to use the library. If they cannot (by law, not by preference) they should find space in the town hall and set it up correctly. There's enough space in town hall that is under utilized.
I read that statement by Kay as meaning that they are taking it under advisement, they just want to be certain that the selectmen are not trying to put the skids under them like the last time they trusted them.
I would bet that the library will do the right thing and allow the consolidation of servers, especially once they realize that it will not compromise their authority over the library in any way.
And I hope your right Mark. All I was basically trying to point out is that a turf war should not be an excuse for not doing right by the taxpayer since we are the ones footing the bills. It is not the Trustees Library. It is not the Selectmen's town hall. They all belong to US, the ones who paid for them. I just don't want that little tidbit forgotten.
And as far as putting it in town hall: Where? Why do you think the server is where it is now? Because it was the only space readily available. I mean no disrespect, but those running the towns IT are not IT professionals. They may not fully understand the full requirements of a proper server room. Sure, I suppose some piece of office space could be divided up but to do it right is $$$$$. The Technology Committee is saying, "we already have a taxpayer owned server room. It is only common sense to use what we already have."
I've read the Technology Committee's reports. The current situation is serious and wide open for abuse or damage. It is anything but unified and those running it are doing so in their spare time. The committee is trying to get the town's IT structure in line with industry norms. They are providing consulting services that could easily run into the $100's/hr. if the town hired someone, for free, on their own time. The last thing they need is to be in the middle of a turf war. They need our support, not bickering.
" Because it was the only space readily available."
'Readily' is the key word. There is space in town hall that is misused because it contains tons of paper records that do not have to be retained, or can be retained on digital media, or offsite.
The document storage problem at town hall needs to be addressed as well and when it is, the space made available can be used as a server room as an alternative to using the library, if necessary.
The tech comm recognized the need for doc mgmt too. There's a section in their report that addresses it.
"server room as an alternative to using the library, if necessary."
Why, when we already have one? Give me one good reason why a small town like Atkinson needs two server rooms.
Sorry, but someone cut down the money tree and at a time when people are losing their jobs and homes and tax revenues are behind what they were last year, it is no time to play NIMBY with taxpayer owned facilities.
Remember two years ago the cable committee wanted to spend something like $300K to add an addition to town hall so they could get a proper studio? Clean out the storage room and bingo, space for a studio.
I hope Mark is right and the Library Trustees will do the right thing. If their beef with the BOS prevents that, well, use your imagination.
Whoever wrote about the "tons" of records that don't need to be retained, is mistaken. There is a state document that lists all ORIGINAL records that must be kept....some of them forever.
It might be a great idea if someone in Town Hall launched a campaign to the State asking them to reconsider....bear in mind that some of those records go back to 1762.
"Why, when we already have one? Give me one good reason why a small town like Atkinson needs two server rooms."
The technology committee looked at all the options, not just the library.
"Remember two years ago the cable committee wanted to spend something like $300K to add an addition to town hall so they could get a proper studio? Clean out the storage room and bingo, space for a studio."
Yes, exactly my point.
"Whoever wrote about the "tons" of records that don't need to be retained, is mistaken. There is a state document that lists all ORIGINAL records that must be kept....some of them forever."
I am not mistaken. There are tons of paper documents in boxes that can be destroyed or digitized or kept off site per the State's retention policy. Read the policy and take a tour, talk to the TA.
For years, individuals at town hall have insisted on keeping things the old way, on paper.
This is not necessary.
We went over this on budget committee with Linda Jette 4 years ago. We put money in the budget to have those records microfilmed and stored in conjunction with state records retention laws, however there are boxes of original paper records that do need to be kept. And they need a better storage system than cardboard boxes in the back room of town hall.
I would typically side with the library trustees over the selectmen, but I have been so dispirited by the depressing arrangement and use of space at what should have been an impressive and library that I encourage the use of the library for something; God knows we didn't get our money's worth...
Before this gets any more heated, how about a sweetner? Maybe the BOS should jockey a few line items around in the budget next year and actually pay the library a small fee to rent some of their space for the town's server. And where would I look for the money to pay for this? Why the Police Department and the School budgets, of course.
The town has no control over the school budgets. Two separate buckets of money, although that's where most of our tax dollars go so I certainly wouldn't mind to see the schools go on a diet.
Resolving the document storage problem is one of the Technology Committee's task and they are addressing it. They are smart people. Let them do their job.
As regards to paying rent, again, I come back to this; all of the buildings, equipment, salaries are paid by US. I think a $1.00 a year is sufficient to utilized unused space in one taxpayer owned building for another to use.
This argument that the library is afraid that BOS is trying to take them over with a request like this, one recommended by the Technology Committee, makes me angry. I've always been a big supporter of the library but if their paranoia, justified or not, costs me more in taxes, I am less likely to give them my support in the future.
Bottom line, they have the space, it meets all the requirements for the placement of network servers, and we should not have to pay to build a new one, period.
The jury is still out. The library board has not made a decision. However, if they do not do the right thing based on a petty disagreement between them and the BOS, I might get a little petty myself.
I believe renters can be evicted if they don't play nice. And I believe if the BOS recommended cuts in the school budget, the people might stop rubber stamping every demand the school makes. I'm rooting for the for Library Trustees on this. But in all honesty, the Library should be called a Media Center. The Cable TV Studios should move there. That
would get them out of the clutches of Town Hall.
Town hall lunchroom makes a perfect computer room. I don't have a private lunch room at my job. I eat at my desk like everyone else
once the BOS gets an inch they will take a mile. Isn't it obvious.
Anon @ 9:30, your arguments make no sense. First of all, the BOS doesn't control the school budget and has no say in it. Secondly, the BOS was going by the recommendation of the technology committee. So when you say you're rooting for the library trustees, what you seem to be rooting for is additional costs to the town. I hope you have deep pockets. Finally, regardless of where the cable TV studio is located, it still is under the BOS control. Given that the majority of what is broadcast occurs at town hall, your suggestion of moving it to the library seems ludicrous.
"once the BOS gets an inch they will take a mile. Isn't it obvious."
No, this is not obvious at all. The Technology Committee made a recommendation based on what is already available and from they have learned being IT professionals. To view this as a power grab by the BOS is silly and part paranoia on the trustees part. Requesting to use empty space in a room for a purpose it was design for is common sense.
I know members of the Technology Committee and I can tell you politics is the last thing on their minds. To take their recommendation and then turn that into a power grab by the BOS does the taxpayers no favors and this should stop now.
How many times does it need to be said. The IT room in the library does not belong to the trustees, it belongs to you and me. Since it has room and fits the requirements it makes absolutely no sense for you and me to fund another, period.
Frankly, I'm very disappointed the trustees let this issue make it to the front page of the ET. It's embarrassing as a citizen and makes the trustees look petty.
Not a very smart move by the library in my opinion. They get all the trust and love of the taxpayers to the tune of almost 3 million bucks and they can't play nice and share a closet? And I'm expected to pay for another one when we already have one? Blunders like this can backfire bigtime on people once public scrutiny starts taking a closer look at what the heck is going on.
all this does for me is raise a lot more questions and concerns about the library than I ever had before. I want to see their budget and I want to know more. I heard all kinds of strange stories about the battle for control over construction spending at the library. We taxpayers paid a lot of money for an architect who filled a role far beyond anything an architect ever does and some people I spoke to told me it was totally unnecessary.
Is the library out of touch or maybe they don't want people taking a closer look at ANYTHING the library does?
We all have a right to know why the libary is against this. Where are minutes posted?
September 24, 2009 12:53 PM
Right on bro!
They say you should pick your battles. This was a stupid one for the trustees to pick.
Think how much different it would have been if they said, "Sure, you can have some space. We're glad to help the town save money."
Right. Then they could point out what a good idea it was to build a new library and how it helps the town save money.
Instead it looks like a petty fight over control with no consideration for taxpayers at all.
This kind of behavior really upsets taxpayers and justifiably so.
While I fully understand the Trustees mistrust of the BOS given the recent history, I also believe that the town's server's should share occupancy with the library's. It is simply good fiscal policy.
I believe that the trustees will realize, once they have had the time to look at this, that it will not compromise their duty to protect the library's interests.
I fully understand their caution, and knowing Mrs. Galloway a little bit, I believe she and the trustees will make right decision.
If you know her please call her and tell her what you think is best for the town and library. Its important for her to hear from taxpayers and what we consider good fiscal policy.
When Selectmen start doing the right thing by the Taxpayer, then maybe just MAYBE taxpayers would support them.
At the moment, Selectmen can't be trusted to do anything except EMPIRE BUILDING. We should trust them as far as we can throw them.
Mrs. Galloway, don’t trust these snakes! They will attempt to take over your library and then find a way to throw you out. Don't forget what they did to Linda Jette.
Small minded thinking like that will forever keep this town divided and taxpayers pay the burden for personality conflicts. New selectmen had nothing to do with past battles. Stop living in the past and grow up.
The economy sucks and taxpayers need relief not ego battles. We pay for a 3 million dollar library an we EXPECT you to use it in the interests of taxpayers and the town. Resign if you can't do the right thing. Do you care that people are struggling and need the town to cut costs and keep taxes down? It doesn't look it.
Anon September 24, 2009 4:41 PM
you said to Mrs. Galloway:
"They will attempt to take over your library and then find a way to throw you out."
Excuse me but ITS NOT HER LIBRARY. Do you understand that little fact? Its OUR library not hers.
I don't think Mrs. Galloway has to fear the selectmen throwing her out. She's doing a fine job at getting herself thrown out. She doesn't need any help.
It might surprise you, or it might not, but the source of this mistrust started with our old friend Jack Sapia. He's been out of office two years and his legacy still haunts us.
At first Jack was all for the library. Very rah rah. Then it went out for bid and his buddy did not get the job. All of a sudden he turns into the evil Jack and made life miserable for the trustees.
Just a little ditty to remember if he ever tries to run again.
However, for the trustees: Jack is gone and knowing the current BOS as I do they are not looking to scoop it up. They have enough other problems on their plate.
So, put the past behind you and do what is right for the town.
So you ARE planning to throw her out. Selectmen can't do what they are elected to do, so they would screw up the library too. They have NO rights to run it, and if we give them a foothold they will take it over.
Don't allow the Atkinson Mafia in this game, or they will turn it into something ugly. Keep those guys away from our innocent kids. They will infect them.
We can't move forward till the past mistakes have been corrected. They will just do it again and your argument will be the same.
When is this Town going to hold the selectmen responsible for ALL their past mistakes, before we do move forward? Anything less would history to repeating itself.
Small minded people came with Jack Sapia and his supporters. Time to grow up and see those people for what they are, not what you would like them to be. That will NEVER happen with that bunch. They are NOT our Friends, or good for the Town.
Grow up and stop sniffing the Chief’s BUTT.
Thankyou Mark for not being smallminded, arogant and assinine
like some of the prior posters. It all comes down to it's our library and our tax money. This argument playing on people's emotions is bullshit. Take the emotions out as this is a pure business decision. Clearly the BOS has no intentions of taking over the library by this proposal. The Sapia card or Chief card has no place in this discussion. The people on the tech committe have only one purpose. The power the library dictator must have felt bitch slapping the committe down must of been one hell of a rush. I hope all taxpayers are paying attention to this as I will surely spread the word. I think the only purpose of going to the state for guidance is
purely to try and shut down the plan. Mark, please speak to the trustees as you are well respected and have vast knowlegde and insight on most budget items. Once again take the emotions out of this and do what is right for the town!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your kind words, but I don't think that the Trustees need my advice. I think that they will do the right thing on their own.
I also think many of you may have mischaracterized them. They are doing their job. Their job is to look out for what is best for the library. They are doing that. I believe that once they are convinced that this will not infringe upon the library's autonomy in any way, they will try to help the town to be more efficient, and will be proud that their shining new building could be the vehicle for this efficiency.
As for the statement about the selectmen throwing trustees out... they can't. Selectmen do not have that authority, although that very stunt was tried a few years ago.
Me thinks the comments of this blog subject are misdirected when we use the word "trustees". The postings should be "top dog" "big cahuna" "big britches" as we all know that the fearless leader of the trustees snaps her fingers and expects all of her board members to fall in line with her smallminded thought process. The practice of lifelong mini-kingdoms must end. It's the problem that has run rampant thoughout this town. One can look at almost any department to see the strongarmed bullying tactics being used to further one's agenda. I'm sick of pissing MY TAX $$$$$$$$$$$$ down the shitter because of somebody's
swollen head. You may be the king but it's still OUR kingdom.
They tried it once and they will try it again. Never trust a snake(s), they strike when you least expect it.
Keep the Atkinson Mafia out of the library. Put the equipment in the Fire station. They have PLENTY of UNUSED ROOMS there, at NO addition expense.
OH, that wouldn't work cause Kojack (or is it hijack) doesn't want it there. Hmmmmmmmm, who's running this town anyway?
If you want to correct that problem, you need to get rid of Phil, Polito, the selectmen first, then work on the underlings.
You HAVE to cut the heads off the snakes before they die.
"Atkinson Mafia"! LOL! Yes, every selectman that ever gets elected from here on out will forever take on the persona of Sapia. LOL! How about sharing some of those drugs your taking?
And oh, btw, do you think just any old room is good enough to be a computer room? Maybe you should do your homework before you make yourself look more foolish than you already do.
I agree, however the current biggest swollen headed snake lives at the library. The current BOS scares you because it is the SOLUTION finally to rid this town of snakes. Look at the snakes hiding under the bookshelves!!!
To Anon September 25, 2009 8:36 AM
Once the Mafia is destroyed, voters must be vigilant not to replace them with other Mafia types.
The MANY empty rooms at the fire station are perfect for computer equipment with very little modifications. (Take a walk upstairs to see for yourself) They even have a large generator backup system in case of power outages. It's a town owned asset under the control of the taxpayers, and IS NOT located in our library. It's the BEST solution to the problem, without getting into controversy.
Perfect solution to a perfect problem, right?
Oh, forgot one big fact. Kojack doesn't want it there, soooooooo it will never happen. Once again the PHILibuster is the problem to the solution. So what else is new? In his own little pea brain, he was the beginning of this town and HE will be the end of this town along with his underlings.
I see. So now it's all about Phil. LOL! Good grief. Do you stay up late at night conjuring up these supposed schemes? Stay off the hallucinogens. Phil hasn't been anywhere near this story until you just pulled his name out of your posterior.
No the only connection to Phil is that Kay acts like him. How many vulnerable seniors does she manipulate to get her way? Its all about power and control. She learned from da best.
In reality pulling Sapia and Consentino and Polito into the story is nonsense. There may be behavioral similarities, but that's about it.
No, don't stay up all night, just watch the HISTORY of events in this town. All the controversy, lawsuits and POWER GRABS revolve around PHILibuster and his cronies. "Don" Consentino says JUMP and you guys can't crawl over one another fast enough to Kiss his…………………… ring. That being said, the BEST place for the computer equipment is in the fire station, not the library.
Since you won't take a walk upstairs to see for yourself, I think you should use the name RINGKISSER when you post here.
Just my opinion. To bad it makes so much sense that you are unable to understand.
Of course I understand. You clearly know more than the technology committee. The town should have simply gone to you for advice. What were they thinking asking professionals to stick their nose in. Gotta love the supposed know it alls. Too bad you can't pull your head out of your posterior long enough to realize that you've been talking out of it.
Sorry, I don't want to waste anymore time talking with a "Ringkisser". Need to get to people who want to do something constructive for the town. That's not you. How could it be when you have an anus fetish?
Oops……..I hear your phone ringing. It’s the Chief. He has another BIG FAVOR that he wants you to do for him. Don’t trip over your own big feet rushing to answer his demands. He won’t stand for you to be tardy! He has ways to punish you. Then again, be tardy! :)
Do you ever get hurt making such big leaps in your "logic" like you do? Hey, is that Phil looking at you through your window? LOL. Paranoid people make me laugh.
WOW, did THIS thread ever get far afield!
I believe that Kay and the Trustees will ultimately do the right thing. They have a server room already, and whoever posted that before is correct. Servers require more than just a room with a socket. The library already has those requirements covered, and therefore is the best choice.
The Trustees should be happy that their library could prove so useful in an unintended manner to the town that bought it.
Mark, again you speak with reason and I thank you for that. It's too
bad that you get dragged down being associated with the numb nuts that immediately bring the Chief into this. How stupid they look. They could care less if the
library dictator wants to ream each and every one of our wallets... as long as we can slander the Chief then its ok.
Why don't one of these weak spined weasels run for office? Oh, because they would also be characterized as being a Chief butt kisser. Has anyone watched whats going on in town lately? The bos is actually reigning in all rogue deptartments. The library board is out of touch with reality. Last I checked the economy was not smelling like roses. Wake up bloggers!!!!!
I watched the selectmen meeting and heard what that committee said. That Kay said she was jaundiced towards the selectmen and frankly I don't blame her. I agree I think it was a plan by selectmen to take over the library. They cant be trusted. Mr. Sapia wanted control on everything. We have this great architect doing wonderful work and all they wanted to do was interfear. All these questons about spending was none of their business but the library's. If it costs us to keep computers someplace else so be it cause its the selectmens fault.
AMEN TO THAT!
Small minded people think alike.
Anon @ September 25, 2009 4:45 PM. Your statement is just wrong on so many levels. First, it sounds like Kay didn't acquit herself well at all during that meeting, but yet you applaud that? This is the type of empire building, territorial rubbish that is a PROBLEM, and here you are endorsing it! Unbelievable. Second, you're probably one of the first ones to jump on Phil for not being open, but yet here you are telling us that the library doesn't need to be! Are you for real! Where do you think the library gets its budget from? The Board of Selectmen! So you think that they should be able to do whatever it is that they want without being held accountable. If that's the position you are taking, you better rethink your position against Phil because it's contradictory. The town officials, including Phil and the library, ought to be open and transparent and be working together for the BEST INTERESTS OF THE TAX PAYERS!
When Phil is open and transparent, call back. We might listen. Until then, Kay keep them out of your library. Fire station is the best choice.
JMO
JMO {Jumble Minded Oaf}
I like to give all my monies to Kay!!! She is the best magician ever. See my Monies disappear!
Wow, she is good!!!
JMO wannabee
Thank you JMO for exposing yourself as the hypocrite you are. So tell us, just how long have you been Kay's lapdog???
Lets clear up a few things.
1) This has absolutely nothing to do with chief. Invoking his name in this discussion is just a distraction.
2) The BOS Kay is so fearful of is for the most part gone. It was Jack Sapia that instilled this paranoia by the trustees with his interference and power grab attempts when he did not get his way. Kay, Jack is gone. I truely believe the current BOS has no desire to expand their empire. Let it go.
3) The Technology Committee are citizens just like you and me who have a specific knowledge of IT and what is require to do it properly. A key part of any IT infrastructure is its servers. They are not cheap and if not protected, puts the IT structure and the town at risk. They saw a that the library had a IT room that meets the requirements so they naturally recommended its use. It was THEM, not the BOS who recommended it and IT IS NOT a power grab, foot in the door, whatever.
Atkinson is a small town with a limited tax base and budget. It makes absolutely no sense to spend our money for something we already have.
I think Kay was wrong to make this a headline issue, but it is. I hope the Trustees do the right thing. If they don't they could very well loose the support of many people.
So, those of you who think everything that happens in town is a conspiracy, that everyone trying to help the town has an ulterior motive, that they are merely puppets, here is some advice: Get back on your meds or get them adjusted and be sure to replace the tin foil on your heads to keep out those thought control waves coming from the chiefs house.
Why not put all the servers at 54 Sawyer ave.
Anon September 26, 2009 11:49 AM takes forever to say nothing. Long speech but says nothing.
Anon September 26, 2009 3:13 PM Rebuts in one sentence saying everything about how Townspeople trust the Mafia. Kay, keep them out of our library.
Anon September 26, 2009 11:49 AM speaks about tinfoil. Tinfoil makes good antennas, which is another issue the townspeople don’t trust the Mafia on.
Anon September 26, 2009 11:49 AM has wrapped his head in tinfoil, and townspeople don’t trust him either.
SCORE
Anon September 26, 2009 3:13 PM 100
Anon September 26, 2009 11:49 AM ZERO
Debate over
Now maybe Anon September 26, 2009 11:49 AM will realize he’s done, and go home with his bat and ball.
Anon September 26, 2009 3:13 PM is right. Lewis OWES the Town a few favors, after all the TOWN has done for him.
“Influence Peddling” is a BIG BUSINESS, don't you think?
Just my opinion
Anon @ September 26, 2009 11:49 AM
Spot on, but you'll never convince the small minded people of that. Instead of expecting our government to operate efficiently, they play into fantacies about "mafias". It's like the war on drugs or the war on poverty. It's a battle that can never be won because they'll never recognise that they are being small minded.
I hope that eventually we'll have a group of Trustees that will remember they need to do what's best for the taxpayers and not their little kingdom. I don't see that this current group is up to the task. Is Kay up for election by chance? Time for her to go.
No, but Fred is! Talk about someones time to GO!
Hey September 26, 2009 9:18 PM - September 26, 2009 11:49 AM was quite articulate in explaining the situation yet you criticize and fail to say where he's mistaken.
Me thinks he hit a nerve. Is that the best you got? Forget the anti-depressants. You need some anti-psychotics with your corn flakes.
As far as the Lewis's. The server belongs in the library close to where it is to be used. What they could do is help fund the effort. To do it all right is going to be costly. It would be the least they could do after putting us through all the grief they've given us over our water.
Tin foil does not work silly. What you need is armadillo shell strapped to your head.
Yes, to protect the delicate brain that does not function properly. Tinfoil helps protect the idoits that supports the chief. :)
Sheep are known to go to the slaughter willingly. Chief smiles when they do so.
Just my opinion
Definition:
Tinfoil = Sapia
Sheep to slaughter = Sapia
Underling = Sapia
"Don Chief" = tinfoil, sheep, underling Sapia, Polito, Bos, ZBA
Just my opinion
Definition:
JMO = Atkinson Village Idiot
Don't forget to register with the Historical Society. They have a special section dedicated to the village idiots and we'd all hate to see you lose out on your notoriety.
If they put the town server in the library, they still have to set up a WAN to be able to use the computers at town hall. This solution is not without expense.
If they use existing town hall space they need to redirect the existing network and clean out one of the room, add A/C access, some electric.
Neither solution is perfect or free.
The entire town has to go on a WAN, which includes the fire station, library, town hall, police station, and community center. In theory it does not matter where the server go in this case but to those of us with some sense of Yankee frugality the choice of location is clear.
For any organization, public or private, to run at maximum efficiency (i.e. lowest cost) you eliminate duplications of effort and duplicate resources. You don't go constructing new ones either.
This is not about empire building, power grabs, whatever. It is about doing the right thing. Sure, the library has reasons to be cautious thanks to the wonderful job Jack did, but they need to but that aside for the sake of the town and for us who pay the bills.
Best solution is the Fire station. I can be a command center the next time we have extended outages. To bad that the Chief doesn't want that.
Library can't be a command center.
To Anon September 28, 2009 7:57 AM
Sorry but the "Village Idoit" section is all filled up at the library. That's why you couldn't get in the last time around. REMEMBER?
That's the bad news. The good news is they are looking for tinfoil head kooks, and you are a shoein this time. :) Don't screw it up.
I think the person suggesting the Fire Station has a very valid point. In case of emergency, this is the base for all activities. Maybe it should be there, with the generator etc.
The technology committee did not raise this option to my knowledge.
September 28, 2009 12:23 PM
You miss the point. The servers can go anywhere on the WAN. The library server room has provisions for battery backup for short term outages, and a hookup for a generator for long term. As long as you have those things the fire station provides absolutely no additional benefits, except more cost to implement.
This is really very simple. The town owns a properly designed server room with everything a server room needs; security, environmental control, emergency power, and access to the network. In that 1/2 mile stretch of road why does everyone think it is perfectly OK to duplicate that, and the expense that goes with it?
The Technology Committee did not recommend the FD BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. They did exactly what they did as trained professionals because the library option made the most sense. Just because the Trustees have some concerns over their sovereignty does not make their recommendation any less valid.
September 28, 2009 12:23 PM and September 27, 2009 10:29 PM:
Your "Just My Opinion" posts show that your opinions are much better kept to yourself. The usually make no sense and show a degrees of paranoia and that you have a persecution complex. Get help.
Can we take a poll?
1) Should all town servers be located in the library server room?
2) Should the library be left as is and a new location be constructed to store all town servers except the library's?
"You miss the point. The servers can go anywhere on the WAN. The library server room has provisions for battery backup for short term outages, and a hookup for a generator for long term."
Last storm, the library closed and the FD did not. I didn't miss the point at all but apparently you did. In my opinion, equipment and services key to town operations, should be co-located, being on the same network isn't the only consideration. In a storm the WAN may be up but all computers may not be for other reasons (power, people, preference).
just friendly advice from an engineer.
Last storm, the library closed because of problems.
If we locate the servers at the library, the library would have to become part of the emergency management solution. Since they are down the street, two buildings will have to prepared and manned. How much will that cost? What are the logistics of this operation?
The Technology Committee did not discuss this issue when they made their recommendation.
I think the FD is where all the town servers should be installed and it's obviously a better solution.
Just my opinion and my MSCE
Your Fire Department recommendation creates two server rooms. I'm guessing your plan doesn't require the town to move library servers into the FD.
Your plan is we have two server rooms instead of one. Isn't the idea to consolidate? What are the redundancies created by having two server rooms? Do you know the cost to have the two instead of just one?
But it will appease Kay so at least she'd be happy with her fiefdom intact. Who cares about the cost? You've got it.
Long live KING Kay!!!!!
She can waste our monies each and every day!!!!!
Hurray, hurray, hurray!!!!
If the servers were in the FD, then the town clerk and tax collector would need to setup shop in the FD in order to operate. Do those departments need to stay functioning during another ice storm like event? I'm guessing not. I would think they would need to move their computers, printers, and forms over to the FD in order to function. But even if they did, who in town would know to go to the FD to get those services? I think if they really want to keep those services running, they need to add a generator to town hall. It may actually make sense to do so because the tv station is there too. Did that go off the air during the ice storm? I'm guessing it probably did.
'Your Fire Department recommendation creates two server rooms. I'm guessing your plan doesn't require the town to move library servers into the FD.'
No, just one server room, at the FD.
You want the library to move its servers into the Fire Department?
Now they'll think the FD is trying to take over the library. Good luck getting agreement to THAT! LOL
If the computers, printers were all on the same WAN, and the server was at the FD, they could work from the FD in an emergency, or work from town hall in a non-emergency. They don't have to move their computers around if the tools and data are on the server at the FD and everyone is on the same network. You operate your printers and tools over the network, right? In most caes, yes.
They'd only have to go to the FD if their building power was down. In that case, would they need to be open? Probably not.
If you have an emergency, everything should be operated from one center. If you are looking to co-locate town computer equipment, it should all be in a building that is going to be operational all the time.
You wouldn't need all these generators either. Some battery backup power to provide graceful degradation of the systems is necessary of course, but...generators to power up any non -FD building? no.
There are other considerations that have not been evaluated yet as far as I can see.
I think it's a better idea to put the server room in the FD and not a political bombshell.
FD has lots of space and they are not a political bunch.
Sure. Have the library move their server to the FD, why not.
This is about consolidation and reducing waste. This is about the departments working together to get the residents the best and cheapest solution possible.
The point I think you're missing is that if the town hall functions aren't going to operate during an extended power outage, then what is the benefit of having the servers on a generator? Town hall would be nonfunctional without power. Why go through the expense of setting up a WAN?
As to the idea that sharing rack space in the library should be some sort of political bombshell, that's ridiculous. The trustees should have remembered that it's the tax payers who gave them that nice new library.
No, YOU are missing the point. If the server is at the FD which has power, the WAN HAS POWER, therefore the town server would be up whether town hall was up or not!
This is the main point behind having an emergency center, you operate from there. Bring a laptop, connect to the WAN and get back to work from the FD.
Get it now?
Too bad they didn't invite the Technology Committee to the meeting last January where they discussed the emergency management issues. They asked Paul Sullivan to be included, but no, they weren't.
For all of you who think the FD is where the servers should be located/relocated let me point out a few things, even to my friend with with a MSCE:
1) Servers have battery backup. This keeps the servers running during power glitches where the power may only go out for 5, 10, 30 seconds, whatever. A generator cannot do that unless it is running 24/7, which they don't. When a server goes down for lack of power it can take a very long time for it to come back online while they are booting, hence the batteries to make sure that does not happen. Battery life may vary but at least an hour is not unusual.
2) The library has provisions to hook up an external generator. If it looks like the outage will last more than the battery life, bring in the generator. The switch over is seamless since the batteries are running the servers when the generator power comes on. Side benefit, the generator starts recharging the batteries
3) The servers running has absolutely nothing to do with whether the library is open or not. They don't shut them off when they go home at night or on Sundays. They are 24/7.
4) With the servers alive and well at the library the fire department can still be used by those who need computer access.
So this argument that the FD is the best place because they have a generator and it is where people can go during an outage carries no weight. It does not justify building a new room.
Let me give you an example. My company is very computer intensive and for awhile we leased servers from a location near Boston and we connected to them through a high speed leased line. Not a server on the premises. It was only when the company began to suffer slow downs due to heavy CAD and simulation work that we brought them back in-house. This is a situation that would never apply to a town government. But it does show that with the proper network connection a server can be located anywhere.
So the lesson my children is as long as the servers are set up to run during short term power losses, and a plan is in place to supplement that with a generator, there is absolutely no need for the taxpayers to fund a new room at the FD or anywhere else.
The Technology Committee understands all this and if they felt the library was not the right place they would have not recommended it. You can sit here and second guess them all you want but they were the ones who evaluated what we have and what we need. The FD was not included because it would have been redundant. Why is everyone so anxious for this cost more than it needs to?
The Technology Committee has had openings during its existence. If some of you know so much why didn't you volunteer?
I think the server should be at the emergency center, not the library.
Why have a second building be on a generator too during an emergency?
Why have to get two buildings functioning in that situation?
This is how we got into this mess in town. Every dept has to have a generator, every dept wants to have their own equipment.
If there's an outage, the FD is the main point for everything.
It makes the most sense to me and I didn't see anything in the technology report that addresses this in the detail I would have expected.
The Technology Committee turned away people who wanted to volunteer, who had the experience and the education and for no good reason.
If you locate the server on a different site, a power outage could take down your network, then what? The library is up and you can't connect to it.
"The Technology Committee understands all this and if they felt the library was not the right place they would have not recommended it. "
A bit condescending don't you think? Are you related to the Police Chief? A Lion buddy maybe?
There are many residents that could stand toe to toe with those on the Technology Committee and debate the pros and cons of each option. Get over yourself, you are not infallible.
Is there a single engineer on this committee? I hear there's several IT and management people are on it. Really, what makes them all knowing?
Did you read their report? If you did you would know. I read it.
Loren Albright and Joyce Lafrance are both engineers.
Mr. Albright resigned from Technology Committee weeks ago. Hence the committee opening.
"A bit condescending don't you think? Are you related to the Police Chief? A Lion buddy maybe?"
It is exactly this kind of comment that make people with the right expertise hesitant to volunteer. For one thing, how in God's name what the poster said related to the chief? Second, rather than trust their judgment it seems there are loads of people quite willing to arm chair quarterback when they did not participate or not necessarily know what they are talking about.
"There are many residents that could stand toe to toe with those on the Technology Committee and debate the pros and cons of each option. Get over yourself, you are not infallible.
"Is there a single engineer on this committee? I hear there's several IT and management people are on it. Really, what makes them all knowing?"
Perhaps because they do this sort of thing for a living and are donating their time for the benefit of the town. They are trying to help. What are you doing?
"The Technology Committee turned away people who wanted to volunteer, who had the experience and the education and for no good reason."
There is always a reason, you just may not know what it is are do not agree with it.
"The Technology Committee turned away people who wanted to volunteer, who had the experience and the education and for no good reason."
There is always a reason, you just may not know what it is are do not agree with it.
"There is always a reason, you just may not know what it is are do not agree with it."
Political reasons are not good reasons to prevent qualified people from being involved when they volunteer. I do know the reason and I do not condone this type of behavior.
Isn't the chief of the technology committee related to the police chief?
I am doing MY civic duty and volunteering and have for years so don't just assume everyone here is doing nothing and that the only people who are technically competent are on this committee. I AM participating whenever I can and whenever I am allowed. I know the systems involved so don't YOU play armchair quarter back and assume I do not. YOU are a hypocrit.
The technology committee has to earn my trust and respect just like everyone else does. If I have something to add, I will.
Joyce is no longer on the Technology Committee either. She resigned when she was elected to the Conflict of Interest Committee and remained a volunteer to the Technology Committee.
The BOS didn't want her to volunteer for anything while on the Conflict of Interest Committee so the tech. committee told her she couldn't help anymore.
She was allowed by town ordinance to volunteer but they just stopped giving her anything to do and the BOS got their way in the end.
"Political reasons are not good reasons to prevent qualified people from being involved when they volunteer. I do know the reason and I do not condone this type of behavior."
What makes you think it was political? Lots of people claim they know things when they really don't. Maybe they really were not qualified.
The BOS forced an engineer off the committee? How is this not political? They were open about wanting to change the ordinace so that CIC members can't volunteer for anything. They just wanted to force their will on her before they got the voters to change the ordinance.
Lets face it. This was just an IT project, not and engineering problem to be solved. The town needs some website work, network redesign and someone to type up the reports. Hire a town service, butter up the departments heads and get everyone to play nice. No engineering consultations are needed for this project.
"The BOS forced an engineer off the committee?" Who did they force off?
Read September 29, 2009 3:57 PM
It sounds like they used the passive aggressive approach.
If she resigned, then she wasn't on the committee so what is the issue? And how does any of this made for TV drama you're trying to engage in have anything to do with the server location? If the servers are in an insecure room that has mold, it needs to be fixed. It sounds like the tech committee is trying to do just that. Good. All this other stuff about people being denied to the committee and whatever else some of you are blathering is just noise. Probably more hear say and rumor than anything else. If you have questions, then why not just ask the tech committee and get it first hand?
How about sticking to the real issue. After all, our personal information is on these servers. I don't want that to be stolen, do you? Hopefully it can be done with minimal cost to the tax payer. If the library was the cheapest solution, then shame on the trustees for blocking that.
There is no free solution. You seem to think the library solution is free, but it's not.
Condsolidating town email onto a single exchange server, installing the WAN in ALL the buildings is going to cost the same amount of money no matter which building it's put in. The real question is where should it be?
The library has room, the FD has room. The server room need A/C and security. The library has a wall mounted A/C unit in the server room, not a big expense, but there's not alot of room in the server room either, certainly no room to expand much. The FD has lots of empty space upstairs and it's the emergency center. This is not a big expense to get an A/C unit compared to the above static costs. Locks on the door. Both buildings have security and fire suppression. The FD is a better choice.
I think the library should push for the FD too. The FD has always been a neutral department in town, staying out of politics. :)
How does "minimal cost" and "cheapest solution" somehow get translated into "free"? Whatever the solution ends up being, I think we can agree it will be much better than what exists today.
The Tech committee is filled with good IT people, but the was only ONE actuall IT Engineer on that committee, and the BOS forced her to resign, then did not want her volunteering either even though the law said she could.
This woman stopped volunteering for political reasons only. I got this information first hand from someone directly involved.
Agreed! We need to see changes in this area ASAP.
Wait, the BOS forced her to resign? I thought she resigned because she was elected to the conflict of interest committee? According to their own rules, she couldn't serve on a committee, but could volunteer. "No member of the Committee shall hold any Town, Federal, State, or County elective or appointed office, board membership, commission membership or trusteeship... This does not prevent a member of the Committee from volunteering unpaid services to the town, where no conflict of interest is created."
And when you say "engineer", what kind of engineer? There are many different fields. Simply being an engineer doesn't make you qualified for IT based decisions. I don't know that engineers are needed here. This is an IT problem.
She is not an IT (information technology) person, she's an engineer, works on radars. IT people work for her.
She's a computer software engineer
So she's a programmer. How does being a programmer give her the expertise in server rooms? She probably doesn't even see the servers she programs on. This is such a non issue.
If you're trying to deflect attention from the real issues at hand with the library just keep on chasing this one down. What a pile of BS.
Joyce LaFrance said:
To clear up this controversy, I resigned the Technology Committee after I was elected to the CIC in March to conform to the requirements of the ordinance. The technology committee welcomed me as a volunteer since we were in the middle of the analysis of town systems. In May they informed me that the BOS they didn't like anyone on the CIC to volunteer. I protested that it was allowed by town ordinance so the BOS relented. Unfortunately, by then they had already divided up the rest of the work so there was nothing left for me to do. There was no need to continue to show up to the meetings if I was not contributing.
I am an engineer with over 2 decades of experience designing software systems to run radars and communication equipment. I have experience in all aspects of computer software, from architecture through integration, and I have held various technical leadership roles over the years.
You don't need an engineering degree to design a server room or work in one, but you do need one to be an engineer. You do the math.
hey 10:04
actually she was trying to volunteer, but the chair Todd barbera just never gave her any assignments. Everybody on the committee had separate pieces of the report to handle, they gave her none. She kept asking, and finally got tired of working so hard to be given the work she was volunteering to do.
There is more to this story than Joyce is admitting. It is not as black and white as she would have you believe. Ask her about EMAILs.
If you want emails, get them from the BOS under your RTK law!!
She's trying to be polite by not realing every detail of the bullying.
Who is/was doing this alleged bullying?
Its not what I want with the EMAILs, it is what she did with the ones she received.
It was very brave of Joyce to post her comments here. I applaud her for it. But, if one is going to explain a situation "all" the relevant facts should also be revealed.
There was no bullying.
Okay, so now there was no bullying. How about you stop beating around the bush. Just what are "all" the relevant "facts" that you think should be revealed? Post them or stop playing games.
Really? emails say the BOD told her that she couldn't serve both boards. Law says she can.
Then she resigned and offered to volunteer.
Again email form BOS says you can't do that.
Law said she can.
Tech committee, doesn't give her any work.
Objective achieved!
Actually the cic's bylaws says she can't serve on another board, but she can volunteer as a non voting member. According to Joyce, there wasn't any work to give her so what's with the spin?
Joyce LaFrance said:
This realize this is silly.
What did I do with the emails I received? I read them and responded to some of them. They are in my inbox. If you want copies, you can request them thru the town and they can give you copies.
I will say that I had to argue my point repeatedly about volunteering before the BOS relented.
I requested the BOS file a CIC complaint if they felt there was a conflict, this was not done and no conflict was raised.
The BOS demanded a public meeting on this and I refused to attend based on that fact that the town ordinance allows me to volunteer.
The BOS were clear about wanting to change the ordinance in the future because they didn't like it.
Barbara Snicer also conveyed her objections to me about CIC members volunteering when Dave Hammond was doing it last year. She told me that she was going to take up the matter with the BOS.
Was I being bullied? Absolutely.
Will I volunteer again? Not likely.
"Will I volunteer again? Not likely."
Good, because I don't want you posting my EMAILs here, again.
Another case of the townies bending the rules to suit themselves. Going against the voters and bullying people.
Why are they always complaining about not having people participate then drive people away?
Sorry load-box Luie, but the IT committee has no "townies" on it.
Looks like a lot of smoke being blown around here. Whats in the cigarettes you be smokin? Looks to be a e-mail leakin, whiner situation on our hands. I just don't want to give up my monies beacause of the Library dicktator.
Do whats right for us. As for bullies, it looks like the library is all set in that department.
What a thug.
You got it. Nice summation.
I was referring to September 30, 2009 7:28 PM, not the idiot at September 30, 2009 10:43 PM.
September 30, 2009 7:28 PM hit the nail on the head.
I just heard the Library made the news again.
Yeah, looks the the library thugs are in the hot-seat. I'm proud to be be a donor is almost as good as saying I'm finally proud to be an American. Give us and our wallets a break you library run-amok thugs.
7:28 gots it dead on!!!
Joyce,
I think the library dept could really use your wisdom and expertise to help further their aspirations. You'd fit right in with that group. Nothing like a whining bully.
Article submission
Atkinson officials work to clean up paper trail
Donors gave $150,000 for new library
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON — Kimball Library opened a year ago, but the selectmen recently asked the library trustees to reveal all construction costs that were paid by a group of anonymous donors.
Residents approved spending $2.7 million to build the new library and tear down the old one, but that would only cover the bare necessities. To make up for extra items on the trustees' wish list, some 300 people donated about $150,000 through the Friends of the Atkinson Library to help pay for energy-efficient lights and carpet upgrades.
The problem is the extras were paid for by residents directly to the contractors, according to Selectman Bill Friel.
"None of the paperwork went through the town," Friel said.
The town needs to know exactly how much donors spent on the construction project and what improvements they paid for.
Selectmen also need to see all warranties, contracts and other documents associated with work paid for by the donors.
"The whole paper trail is missing," Friel said.
Until March, only the selectmen were given the authority to accept gifts and they couldn't do so without documentation, Friel said. At Town Meeting in March, residents approved a warrant article that gave library trustees the authority to accept gifts.
Once they have all the requested information, Friel said, the board won't have a problem accepting the donations retroactively.
But library trustees said at a meeting Tuesday night that they had already provided the selectmen with the information they requested.
"Their difficulty is they have a wretched retrieval system," trustee Chairwoman Kay Galloway said.
Ron Lamarre, the architect for the library, said the lowest bid came in about $200,000 more than what the town had approved, so that's why the donations were needed.
A ceremonial shovel, stained-glass window and an exterior clock all were donated to enhance the library, Lamarre said.
"I think there are many people who were happy to be part of the legacy fund," Galloway said.
Miscommunication between the trustees and the selectmen is nothing new.
Galloway said the selectmen were invited to all trustee meetings starting in 2006 during the planning for the new library until after it was opened in October 2008.
"One of the difficulties we've had is a selectmen's liaison that has been absent more often than present," Galloway said.
To resolve the issue, trustees said they plan to hold a meeting to make sure selectmen have all the information they need.
Friel said a meeting would be scheduled soon.
Ms. Lafrance would obviously make an outstanding member of any town committee. Town says it wants volunteers but they way she was treated and finally neutralized by not giving any assignments is absurd. Any honest citizen reading this sordid tale would think twice before donating their time to a town committee.
Seems the message is-- Only town hacks that do our bidding need apply. No competent advice desired or needed. Do as we want or get out. --Sorry, no work for YOU to do. There's the door. And if you don't get out we have scheduled a special selectmen meeting to "discuss" you.
The mantra continues: Please, please we need volunteers. We have no idea why nobody will step forward to volunteer in this town.
Now we all know why.
Thank you Ms. Lafrance for trying to make a difference and volunteer.
What a comical thread. The article was about how to best use town resources I thought and maybe saving taxdollars. I guess its all about one person instead.
Some people love being the "victim".
So when's the library article going to get posted on the home page of this blog?
I thought the blog posted all articles? Seems like an article about $150,000 is a bit more in priority than an article about $5,000. But that's just me.
They're probably off looking for some new law suite to file. Takes a lot of work looking under rocks.
To Anon October 2, 2009 3:19 PM
No is doesn't. You're under everyone of them.
Post a Comment