Armed Sheriff or Deputy will now attend all Coos Commission meetings Published Date Monday, 18 November 2013 22:34 Written by Barbara Tetreault BERLIN – The Coos Commission will now have an armed sheriff or deputy sheriff present at every meeting. Citing the incident at the Oct. 17 commission meeting in which Commissioner Rick Samson grabbed papers out of the hands of Chairman Tom Brady, Commissioner Paul Grenier asked to place the issue on the agenda at last Wednesdays meeting. Brady and Grenier voted in favor of the motion while Samson abstained. During the discussion on the issue, Grenier said he was concerned for his safety and that of the staff. He said he wanted an armed sheriff deputy at all commission meetings. Grenier said there is no question that there are differences among the commissioners. But he said he felt forcibly taking materials from another commissioners hands crossed the line. I am worried about my safety, Grenier said. I dont think we need to be subjected to that, he said. Samson noted that he has apologized for the incident, admitting he was frustrated when he tried to retrieve the papers he had handed out earlier in the meeting. He said he has tried to treat the board and county employees with the upmost respect. Samson said information is withheld from him and his questions and requests are not answered. He said it is clear Grenier has not accepted his election to the commission over long-time commissioner Burnham Judd. Furthermore, he charged Grenier has made personal attacks against him and he asked to have the Jan. 10 non-public minutes unsealed. (County Administrator Jennifer Fish on Thursday said she could not locate the minutes and was searching for them. She said once the minutes have been located if they can be unsealed, she will make them available.) Im sorry Mr. Grenier you feel threatened by me, he said. Grenier charged Samson has a short memory and said last spring Samson accused Grenier of manipulating a bid award because he was seen having lunch with Judd and County Treasurer Fred King. Brady said Samson was shown a list of commission committees back in January and refused the opportunity to serve on any of the committees. Sheriff Gerard Marcou said the request would not be a major problem for his department since he or Deputy Sheriff Keith Roberge usually attends commission meetings. But the sheriff delivered a brief lecture to the three commissioners, urging them to understand there are differences of opinion among them and suggesting they agree to disagree. You all have good intentions, Marcou added. Seated at the table between Grenier and Samson, Brady indicated he feels caught in the middle. I sometimes feel I need a bulletproof vest in the middle of this, he said. County Treasurer Fred King said the idea of having the sheriff or deputy present at all commission meetings is not a bad one. He noted the board deals with a lot of controversial issues. He said the meetings are public and the North Country is not immune to the types of outside influences that have plagued other regions. Brady agreed that the North Country is not insulated from the outside world. As chairman, he said running the meetings are his responsibility. He said he would err on the side of caution and grant Greniers request. During public comments, John Amey of Pittsburg expressed his dismay at the concept of an armed guard at commission meetings. Amey said he has 30 years of experience serving on various boards. We never requested an armed guard at our meetings, he said. Noting the reporters present at the meeting, Amey said he was not pleased that the issue will now be aired in the newspapers. As a citizen, as a taxpayer, this is quite embarrassing, he said. Greniers request to place the issue on the agenda was contentious. After Brady and Grenier voted in favor of adding the issue to the agenda, Samson asked what the policy is to put items on the agenda. Brady replied that commissioners must send requests to County Administrator Jennifer Fish who in turn will forward them to Brady. As chair, Brady said he decides what goes on the agenda. He said he will weigh the proposed items as he sees fit and make a decision on what to put on the monthly agenda. But he pointed out that at the beginning of every meeting there is a vote to accept the agenda. At that point, he said the two other commissioners can make a motion to add an item. If a majority approves the motion, the agenda is modified. He noted Grenier had just followed that procedure with the security issue. Samson then moved to add Coos County Forester Brendan Prusik to the agenda but his motion died when it failed to get a second. Samson also made a motion that the Oct. 17 minutes be amended to indicate that Grenier moved to vote on awarding the contract to appraise the Granite Reliable Park wind farm to George Sansoucy LLC before Samson had finished discussing the issue. I dont recollect that as having been the case, said Brady. Grenier said he did move for a vote after 45 minutes of discussion. There was nothing further to add, he said. Samson said he had done seven hours of research on the two bidders and was trying to share that with the commission. In the future, I do my own research and I dont need it from you, Brady responded. Samsons motion failed to get a second and it was defeated.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Nov 2013 02:30:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015