Comment
PrintSometimes we get so passionate about the things we believe in, we lose track in the method that we are delivering that passion.
When residents started to share concerns over the mowing of the North Lebanon Cemetery, I expressed concerns of myself, not the Board of Selectmen. At no time did I relay the thoughts of any other member of the Selectmen, they can speak for themselves. I commented on concerns of three years ago when the bid was awarded and I was Chairman for the Board of Selectmen.
Although there has been on-going issues between myself and Mr. Gilpatrick, I believe his company does great work and I would like the issues between us to be resolved. His company does the best that it can with the resources that they have. Leading up to the Memorial Day Weekend, it did rain a lot and there was limited time to mow when it wasn't sunny, and I understand that. It had been about two weeks since it was mowed and had rained heavy then would be sunny, so it grew fast.
I appreciate the residents feeling confident in me that they knew they could contact me and I would help with the problem. Even though the townspeople pay half the costs for the Cemetery maintenance, the Selectmen have no control over the Cemetery, who is hired to mow it or how the money is spent.
The Cemetery Association has a competent board of directors for that and I have encouraged anyone who contacted me to contact them with future concerns. The Selectmen have a town to run and many pressing issues, the last thing we need is every week to be discussing this.
My comments were just that, MY COMMENTS.
I appreciate the hard work that Gilpatrick Property Services does for the community and I apologize to anyone who misconstrued my personal comments as anything of a collective statement from the Board of Selectmen.
Both Mr. Gilpatrick and I are elected officials, he is an elected Budget Committee Member and I am an elected Selectmen. We need to work towards the better of the Town, not a personal conflict between us. I welcome sitting down with Mr Gilpatrick at anytime and moving past the constant feud so that everyone can continue to make Lebanon a great place to live, work and play in.
- Selectman Jason Cole
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