Thank you, Jay Raybalid, Dolores’ new town manger, who at the Feb. 11 board meeting shared the importance of teamwork, mutual respect and positive acknowledgment of board members and citizens. All are important to remember when the public is present to witness the function of any board.
To witness disrespectful behavior between members of a board or toward an attending citizen during a board meeting, begs one to reconsider the ability of a board to maintain integrity and objectively to arrive at fair and educated decisions.
I am choosing to use this venue to suggest that when any member of any board has personal issues with another member or attending citizen, or vice versa, they respect everyone by addressing those personal issues elsewhere. Consciously or unconsciously devaluing, dismissing, or invalidating the character of a member of any board or any attending citizen in front of the public at any meeting is, in my opinion, far beneath what is rightfully to be expected of those who are representing our town, our citizens, our children and our rights.
Couldn’t it create a more positive, trustworthy atmosphere and outcome to offer up a higher use of one’s position as a board member and citizen by keeping attention on what is most important?
Thank you, again, Jay, for having stepped up! We can all choose only to do better.
Sheila Wheeler
Dolores