Plainridge: When Citizens Loose Their Rights, What Are They Hiding?

This sounds like the tyranny that existed in Middleboro - badger opponents, prevent them from speaking, harrass the public, backroom deals, refusal to question the LACK OF WATER and WASTE WATER, refusal to answer questions, refusal to consider FUTURE EXPANSION......

What are they hiding?  

From our friends at No Plainville Racino:

Unfortunately, the Plainville Planning Board closed its hearing to public comment last night before allowing residents to speak to the issue of "Change of Use" of the Special Permit, even though it was on their agenda. As soon as the exchange between the Town Administrator and residents began to get contentious regarding the issue of mitigation and whether the Board of Selectmen would even listen to information about the downside of slots, the chair of the Planning Board acceded to Plainridge's persistent request to close the hearing to any more public comment.

As in every other so-called public forum, the time limits for questions was short. In this case, the Planning Board never even got around to accepting testimony, but only entertained questions.

 

Moreover, the town administrator, with his hectoring tone toward residents, made it impossible to give an opinion without getting yelled at.

One woman mentioned that she said, at the very first forum, how hard it is for young mothers to make it to meetings in the evening, and that she had requested meetings at alternate times. Joe Fernandes yelled at her, speaking over her and badgering her with "Did you speak to me? I schedule these things." When she tried to say that she had said it at a public meeting and that he was there, he spoke over her again and silenced her.

When the process of the forums and the selectmen's participation was questioned, the resident was accused of trying to "hijack the process."

The "process" worked very well for Plainridge, but it did not work so well for residents. We never got to see the documents that were being discussed before we were asked to discuss them. At the forum that covered issues like addiction and crime, we were kept to only a very few questions (due to time constraints, we were told). There has NEVER been a chance in this entire process for people to actually give testimony, including last night at the Planning Board hearing.

And now the last forum for residents to voice our concerns has closed the hearing to public comments.

We will host a forum with speakers on September 7th or 8th to discuss the reasons to vote NO on the Host Community Agreement. Please contact us at if you would like to help to get the word out.

http://www.plainville.ma.us/Pages/PlainvilleMA_Calendar/S040F6FDF-040F7017.0/Planning%20Board%20Agenda%207-15-13.pdf

 

NoPlainvilleRacino

CORRECTION: In the confusion last night, it was unclear what the Planning Board decided. In fact, the Public Hearing is still open for comments. PLEASE write your comments to the Board. That's probably the most effective way of having them consider your concerns about property value, problem gambling, crime, traffic, etc. PLEASE do it today!

Mail comments to :
Plainville Planning Board
142 South Street, PO Box 1717,
... Plainville, MA 02762

Or email comments to:
Dru Proctor
with the subject line: FOR THE PLANNING BOARD