Public Speaking

These are comments that I made at the Town Council meeting last night. You can watch the video here. (I start around the 7:13 mark) 

My comments started as a response to Al Zink's facebook post last week, but I decided to use this an opportunity to address the entire council:

Last week a Town Councilor posted a statement on Facebook that I believe was incendiary and inappropriate which he then followed up with an email to me. 

I first want to point out that Facebook is not the appropriate venue to conduct town business nor is it the forum to resolve town problems. 

We need people who will bring us together, not continue to divide our community. That's what leadership is to me and that is what I expect from our elected officials. 

I am excited by how far the school and town have come in working together and am hopeful that efficiencies can be expanded. I wish that everyone could take a step back to recognize and celebrate the progress we have made while we continue to move forward, rather than lament what hasn't been done yet.

But, tonight, I'd like to put the school facility crisis in Newmarket in front of you, the Town Council.

You are leaders in our community and  though you are not school board members, this is the single largest decision that our community will make and I believe it will take everyones' participation in the process to make a solution work. 

This is a community problem and a solution for our facilities will effect our entire community.

But a real solution won't be easy. 

A real solution will involve working with the school board and Dr. Hayes on this complicated issue.

A real solution will involve educating yourselves on the concerns of everyone in Newmarket.

A real solution will involve understanding the limitations of the current Jr. Sr. High School building.

A real solution will involve trying to understand the dynamics of our relationship with Oyster River and Durham.

A real solution will involve understanding the cost associated with a tuition agreement in both the short and long term. 

A real solution will involve having conversations with the architect about the requirements involved with building a school. 

A real solution needs facts. 

I do not expect everyone to agree on the correct course of action. Some of you have publicly stated that you do not support tuitioning and some have stated that you do not support a new school building. I do, however, expect people to search out the facts and stop spreading misinformation. 

As a member of this community, I have to say that doing nothing is unacceptable. I expect our community to act on this issue and I urge you all to be more involved in the process.