Casino Advisory Committee to be Finalized Tonight
Selectmen will convene tonight at Town Hall.
The Salem Board of Selectmen will finalize the charge of a Casino Advisory Committee tonight during a meeting at Town Hall.
The board is scheduled to convene at 7 p.m., where the organization of the committee will be discussed.
Daniel Norris of the advocacy group N.H. Casino Now joined the board on Jan. 14 to talk about the committee.
At that time, the group suggested the following membership – two Board of Selectmen representatives, Town Manager Keith Hickey, Community Development Director William J. Scott, one Budget Committee representative, one School Board representative, two citizen representatives and either state Sen. Chuck Morse or a state representative that he may designate.
Selectmen will also discuss proposed amendments to the Second Hand Dealer and Pawnbrokers Ordinance.
The subject was first talked about in June after Selectman Stephen Campbell had a conversation with a local business owner.
At that time, Campbell said that bookkeeping required by Salem Municipal Code Chapter 251 forces the business owner to spend over to $70,000 a year on "minimal-amount items" such as CDs and DVDs he purchases to later sell.
The agenda for the rest of the meeting is available on the town website, which is available here.
Campbell questioned if these lower-cost items should require the same amount of paperwork as bigger items.
F Jackie Marlow
6:54 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
While I am full support of the casino plan, I don't think the Bill Scott should be included in anything but as a staff advisor. I don't believe he is a Salem resident, only here as long as he's on the payroll. He seems to be more interested in traffic cameras, bus routes and railtrails than serious econimic development. In my opinion, he may do more harm than good.
Riley Reid
11:02 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
@fjm, add the town manager to that list as well. The board should be CITIZENS and a mix, not the elite businessmen who usually try to run the town
Jeff Hatch
10:52 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
I agree, all board members should be residents of Salem. Hopefully the BOS will do the right thing here but if I were you I wouldn't bet on it.
Riley Reid
11:05 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
and add to that "no one who maybe interested in lining up a job at the casino down the road or looking to get a construction contract out of the deal". Imagine how many locks they have in a casino
Stephen Campbell
3:21 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Here's the problem with some of the posts on this web site. Riley wants everyone to think that Pat is for this because he will get some future contract if the casino is built. You can disagree with what the BOS is doing without implying that people are breaking the law. Regardless of what you think of Pat or me I guarantee you that what we are doing is because we believe it is best for Salem and not just what is best for ourselves. I would love for some of the naysayers to put their name on a ballot and be accountable. I know that will never happen, but I can dream.
Stephen Campbell
Riley Reid
4:25 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
I don't see why asking that things be done "above board" and that there is no perceptions of any conflicts of interests down the road is a bad thing.
You can have your dreams Mr Campbell, mine is a day when I don't see your name on a ballot ever again.
Stephen Campbell
11:50 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Riley, the problem is you say you want everything above board. How much more above board can it be that the discussion is on television? Unless you actually want to accuse the BOS of breaking specific laws then your snide remarks suggesting something is not being done above board should cease. There still are libel and slander laws in this country.
You can disagree with everything I or other members do and not suggest anything other than you think you know how it should be done better than the current officials. The one good thing about these unproven allegations is that it makes fair people in Salem support us all the more because of your unfounded comments.
In answer to Jeff Hatch, maybe some elected officials listened to you and thought you had a point. There will only be town citizens and no town employees on the Casino Committee. I guess you should be a little more positive and less negative about some of our elected officials.
Stephen Campbell
Anthony Arnold
1:01 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Regarding Mr. Campbell’s reply; Your words are correct “we believe it is best for Salem and not just what is best for ourselves” Really! Geremonty drive and Veterans road did not need to be paved before much worse streets in Salem. The BOS just wanted to make it look nice because the HS, Town Hall and the Sr Center are there. That way people would see what you want them to and not the truth that the town is laying off all full time employees and replacing them with part time people to save the town money. Has anyone really looked at the IT savings? My guess is no because the real costs are spread out into so many departments now. Maybe someone should clear all the costs up and not just what the town manager shows the BOS and the public. The only thing Salem saved was the elimination of a department that could question the TM and the BOS’s agendas.
Jeff Hatch
9:13 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
well you maybe correct. I could've named the selectman I was worried about but I chose not to because I hold the entire board accountable. As far as being more positive the board I say the board hasn't given me enough reason to be positive. Before you go crazy there're inviduals that I can be positive about but as a board not yet.
Jeff Hatch
11:18 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Glad I'm not a betting man. Thank you BOS for changing the make up of this board you did the right thing.
Riley Reid
11:20 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Mr Campbell, please do not expect us to believe the only discussions regarding town matters are done on Monday nights in front of the television cameras. On a regular basis the BOS chairman mentions how people are always coming into his lock shop, candidates from the state level stopping by to discuss Salem matters, and who hasn't seen three selectmen talking amongst themselves in the parking lot after a meeting ? Not to mention your presence in the town hall tying up the staff with requests and the mountain of emails you send to the TM keeping him from his job.
I have made no allegations, and if I did I would back them with proof. But again, don't think any of us are foolish enough to believe everything is done in front of the camera, we know better. Salem is really a small town and voices carry.
Anthony Arnold
12:33 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The Casino Board should be comprised of residents, local business owners and possibly a state representative. The BOS and the town manager should only be involved where town ordinances and extended costs to the town come into play if a casino is ever built in Salem. None of them should have design or input on its operation beyond town bylaws and ordinances. Putting the above people in charge would be like having the wolves watch the chickens. I am for a casino the only problem is the ability of the Salem’s Local Government being able to represent the residents and not their own agendas.
Anthony Arnold
1:08 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I almost forgot, by the time the board of selectmen stops asking for studies, plans and added costs to get the project approved, it would never get approved in time before another town builds one or the permits expire.
Riley Reid
4:29 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
@AA. You are right, no one pays attention to where the money is going and it is the current agenda to remove as many full time personnel who receive benefits and replace them with part timers. I don't think they care what they are paying these people, or if they know what they are doing, it's just certain selectmen who don't have benefits and a retirement to look forward to that are jealous and don't want anyone to get a retirement.
Speaking of money, did you know that the DPW had crews on the clock from 3pm til 11pm last night waiting to plow roads ? Some routes were plowed and sanded while some employees just sat there killing time. I wonder what the cost of that was ?
Anthony Arnold
8:36 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Good talent is hard to find and keep these days. What is the incentive to work for a municipality with no retirement, no benefits for yourself or family and no possibility to advance beyond your part time position? Sounds like the TM has already signed up all the part time employees for Obama Care. Push the burdon to the state and the federal government. Mr. Hickey and certain BOS members are running the town like Walmart. Town employees work hard and for the most do it to better the town. A part time person is looking for a paycheck and nothing else.
Riley Reid
2:56 pm on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
I bet Wal Mart isn't following town employees around and sneaking up there driveways to see how long they are taking for lunch.
Certain members of the BOS are intent on shutting down the town government and outsourcing everything. That won't work, but they'll run things into the ground and then someone will be tasked with straightening things out.