Green says censure won't stop her

School Board member accused of misleading public
By Doug Ireland
 The Eagle Tribune Fri Jul 18, 2014, 12:14 AM EDT

PLAISTOW — Timberlane Regional School Board member Donna Green, who was censured by her colleagues Wednesday, said the reprimand won’t change how she conducts herself.
The Sandown resident said yesterday that even though seven of her eight fellow board members voted to censure her, she will continue to seek “transparency” from the school district administration, especially when it comes to spending issues.
“Censure has no bearing on me,” Green said. “I’m not going to change my behavior.”
Board members said during the nearly three-hour special meeting Wednesday that Green’s behavior is having a disruptive impact on the board and district.
They said Green often makes inaccurate and inflammatory remarks during meetings and in her personal blog on district issues. Her comments are damaging the board’s credibility and integrity, the members said.
Board member Rob Collins, who made the censure motion, said there have been nearly 70 inaccuracies in her blog since she joined the board in March.
The comment prompted Green to rise from her chair and say, “I’m done.” She then left the meeting.
Shortly before Collins’ remark, Green refused to attend a 10-minute nonpublic session called by Peter Bealo to discuss “reputation.”
After Green left, the board voted in favor of the censure — the equivalent of a public scolding. Chairman Nancy Steenson said a censure letter would be drafted for the board’s review at its meeting in August.
Green said yesterday afternoon she didn’t learn of the censure until a friend phoned her and that she had not been notified by the board.
She said she even stopped by the school administrative office yesterday to review district invoices, but no one mentioned the censure vote. She called the vote “a public humiliation.”
Green admitted the move wasn’t a complete surprise, explaining that Collins has said in the past he would ask that she be censured. The special meeting was called by Steenson to clarify the district’s position on key issues Green has challenged.
Those issues included the district’s transfer-of-appropriations policy, a health trust refund and an auditor’s report.
The Wednesday night meeting became heated as Green queried administrators, including Superintendent Earl Metzler, and board members questioned her actions.
Among her concerns was that the board did not have enough control over overexpended line items in the school budget.
“We are falling down on budgeting,” Green said. “We are also falling down on oversight.”
Board members told her administrators retained the authority to make those budgetary decisions. Steenson said Metzler and his staff have followed the district’s policy and done nothing illegal or unethical. Green disagreed.
Board members also said Green refused to attend policy meetings or meet with Metzler in his office to discuss issues.
Green said one meeting was held on Passover and she couldn’t attend. Another was held while Green said she was out of the country. She said she would only discuss district issues in public.
Green issued a statement yesterday, questioning Collins’ claims about inaccuracies in her blog and asking him to outline each one.
She also denied accusations that she would not work with her colleagues and said censuring a member would discourage other residents from running for the board.
“My blog has always been open to public comment and correction should it be challenged,” she said. “The real root of my censure is my is my insistence on financial transparency at Timberlane to get a handle on the excessive cost increases we have experienced while enrollment is plummeting.”
Board member Kelly Ward, also of Sandown, abstained from voting Wednesday but did not say why. Ward later said he did not have enough information to cast an informed vote.
Steenson, the only board member authorized to speak to the media, refused to comment on Green’s censure.
Green is serving her first term on the board. She was elected in March.

Timberlane board censures member

Donna Green censured, accused of misleading public
By Doug Ireland
The Eagle Tribune Thu Jul 17, 2014, 12:23 AM EDT
PLAISTOW — The Timberlane Regional School Board voted to censure one of its own members last night, saying Donna Green is damaging the board’s credibility and integrity.
The 7-0-1 decision came after the board met for more than two and a half hours to explain and clarify its positions on key issues that Green challenged and the public has questioned.
The special meeting, called by Chairman Nancy Steenson, was often contentious as board members debated Green on various issues.
Those included Green’s comments on the district’s transfer-of-appropriations policy and her opinions on a health trust refund and an auditor’s report.
Steenson defended the board’s positions, saying neither the board nor school administration has done anything illegal or unethical.
“I don’t know if you didn’t understand it or didn’t like it,” Steenson said of Green’s views on one policy.
After a 10-minute nonpublic session that Green contested and refused to attend, board member Rob Collins was among those to publicly explain his dissatisfaction with her as a member.
Since her election in March, Green has often disagreed with her colleagues on issues.
“I have some very grave concerns about the behavior of Mrs. Green,” Collins said.
Collins spoke of what he said were nearly 70 inaccurate quotes in her personal blog on district issues. Green then said, “I’m done” and left the meeting with her husband.
Collins then made the motion to censure her. A censuring is, in essence, a public scolding. Board member Kelly Ward abstained from the vote but did not say why.
Collins said Green makes inaccurate and inflammatory comments in and outside the meeting room that hurt the public’s trust in the board.
“The damage she is potentially doing to this district I’m not going to stand for,” he said.

Other board members agreed, including Sue Sherman.
“She is not reflecting our truth,” Sherman said.
“It is really misleading to the public,” Vice Chairman Kate Delfino said.
Superintendent Earl Metzler called Green an “obstructionist,” saying, “She is unwilling to work with us.”
During the meeting, Green criticized the board and administration for not doing a better job of being transparent and handling the district’s business in the proper fashion.
Steenson said a censure letter would be drafted for the board’s review at its meeting in August. She declined to explain the censure process.

Consentino lies exposed in public

Yes last nights Official Town Business meeting was an unusual one. Readers of this blog will remember that in 2005 Phil had to be Ordered by the Court to obey the law. and was found in Contempt of Court for ignoring that Court's Order. Well he is STILL ignoring it.

While he has participated in Police, Elderly, and Town employee matters, regularly, Last night he participated in discussions about the Town Elderly donation account, versus his own opaque Senior slush fund.

At numerous meetings in May of this year he told the Selectmen and the public that he would be dissolving his Senior fund so as not to compete with the Town's fund. After this lie, he promised it would be dissolved by May 31, 2014. IT IS STILL IN OPERATION!!! AND STILL Soliciting Donations, and promising to continue to provide services.

In a mailing that was jam packed with lies, sent out by Phil's "fund" he claimed that it had been in operation since 1993, LIE, it was CREATED 8/20/08. NH Secretary of State office

When Mr. Artus pointed out these lies on camera, Phil resorted to his usual threat of a lawsuit for slander. Hey Phil, that threat did not work with me. it did not work with Wayne Peak. It did not work with Ken Grant, nor did it work with Mr. Artus. As a matter of fact although you have made the same claims in all of these suits going back 33 years YOU HAVE NEVER WON ON THEM!

It was after these repeated threats from Phil, some of you may remember at candidates night when Phil threatened Mr. Artus in front of a room full of people, Phil tried to adjourn the meeting. As always just get it out of the public eye.

AFTER The public cameras were shut off at the selectmen's request, Phil, the man who on year ago was FIRED for Cause pursuant to a sexual harassment complaint from one of the women in the PD, stood up and gyrated his hip while making lewd gestures towards Mr. Artus. Perhaps he is switch hitting now? or just old sexual harassment habits are hard to break.

Mr. Morse and Mr. Baldwin during this circus had been reading the handout Mr. Artus gave them and began asking Phil if he really had dissolved his slush fund. Phil put on a grand display of sputtering and stammering, petulantly claiming he was not the Treasurer and therefore did not know, Neglecting to mention in his attempt to deceive that HE IS THE PRESIDENT!

Clearly PHils private unaccountable slush fund Is still in operation, still soliciting donations, and IN COMPETITION WITH THE TOWN ACCOUNT. This is a CLEAR conflict of interest of the very type that the Court Ordered him to recuse himself from.

As it is evident that Phil can not obey the law without being forced to, it is high time for him to OBEY THE LAW, or resign before he embroils the town in further litigation, The ONLY area at which he has proven competence.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Acciard

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