Med-Care Board Criticized

[C]

These statements are quoted from the Rumford Falls Times- 11/26/08. I found them to be a bit paradoxical....

Med-Care Board Criticized

Belanger: "one of the concerns I have with Med-Care is that the board (members) is so familiar with each other that they can't be objective."
Belanger: "It's really hard when you're fighting against a group of people that want what they want?"
Boivin: "So you're saying there's quite an old boys' club in there?"
Belanger: "Yes"
Belanger: "But when you become friends on a board, it's hard to be objective all the time because you don't want to vote for something against your buddy"
Belanger: "In my opinion, the director is involved in every step of the planning, so there's no separation between the director and the board."
Belanger: "There's some issues there I find troubling."

then to top it all off....

"Diconzo then noted that he would like to serve as a Rumford representative on the Med-Care Board, filling the vacancy left by Cheryl Dickson."

[Timeout]

That's so cool. Maybe Arthur can serve on the Park Commission.

[Admin]

Does anyone know how much Mark's actually attended the Medcare meetings?

[Admin]

You would think he was talking about himself and his two selectmen buddies, wouldn't you?

"Diconzo then noted that he would like to serve as a Rumford representative on the Med-Care Board, filling the vacancy left by Cheryl Dickson."

These guys just want to run everything. Isn't their a rule about Selectmen serving on to different boards. There should be.

[Z]

Why does he want to fight against them?

[Z]

And isn't Mark Belanger now on the Board of Directors at Med-Care?

[Timeout]

Yes Belanger is already on the Board. It reminds me of the letter to the editor written last year that suggested the three selectmen could get together, make all the important decisions and then head out the next morning in the town truck to take care of business...lol...some people actually thought the letter writer was serious...

[Z]

Did Mark Belanger fill someone else's position, or did he fill Cheryl Dickson's position?

[Timeout]

Cheryl's position is still open

[Z]

Thank you.

[Timeout]

I think Belanger took John Wolfe's spot. Cheryl Dixon and Duane Phelps had/have terms that continue until 2010.

I believe selectmen can serve on the quasi-municipal board. I think selectman are encouraged to serve on one committee or another beside fulfilling their requirement as selectman. There are other committees...why do we need two selectmen on one board?

I am wondering if DiConzo applied for the position, what the vote would be? He obviously can't vote for himself and so would have to get three of the other four selectmen to appoint him.

[Z]

Belanger: "one of the concerns I have with Med-Care is that the board (members) is so familiar with each other that they can't be objective."

How can you meet regularly and not become familiar with others on a board? Do the board of selectmen not know each other? They must be a little familiar with each other.

[Z]

Belanger: "In my opinion, the director is involved in every step of the planning, so there's no separation between the director and the board."

What is Mark Belanger's background in EMS? Does he propose to plan the needs of an ambulance service without input from one who has knowledge of the business?

[KevinNSaisi]

I think Belanger took John Wolfe's spot. Cheryl Dixon and Duane Phelps had/have terms that continue until 2010.

I believe selectmen can serve on the quasi-municipal board. I think selectman are encouraged to serve on one committee or another beside fulfilling their requirement as selectman. There are other committees...why do we need two selectmen on one board?

I am wondering if DiConzo applied for the position, what the vote would be? He obviously can't vote for himself and so would have to get three of the other four selectmen to appoint him.

Selectmen can serve on any quasi-municipal board. I believe that legally, he can vote for himself to be on the board. The question of conflict of interest pertains to a situation where there is a financial benefit. If it were a paid position, he couldn't vote. I was speaking with someone about this procedure earlier and didn't remember this aspect of the law. I suggest that interested persons review the right to know laws and Roberts' Rules of Order.

[Timeout]

Z- This is just Mark-speak. He is always "concerned", "troubled" and "uncomfortable". We just have to accept him for what he is.

I wonder if Eddie Shurtleff is still the indefinate Alternative and whether they would keep him in the position until spring. It seems likely that if Greaney does not become permanent town manager, he would want to resume his avid interest in Med-care. I believe he spent an incredible amount of time trying to negotiate with them on behalf of the town...

[Timeout]

Thanks for the info Kevin.

[KevinNSaisi]

Belanger: "In my opinion, the director is involved in every step of the planning, so there's no separation between the director and the board."

What is Mark Belanger's background in EMS? Does he propose to plan the needs of an ambulance service without input from one who has knowledge of the business?

I extend that question to our other board members... What EMS knowledge do Mr. Phelps and Ms. Dickson have? They were new on the board at one time too.

[Timeout]

I think that was Z's point - that new members might be expected to receive input from the director.

[KevinNSaisi]

If it were a town board, Mr. Shurtleff's position would have expired within three years of his last appointment. However, where this is a quasi-municipal board, appointments are bound by the agreement, not the Charter. I believe Mr. Shurtleff is an alternate until he chooses to resign (or dies, whichever comes first).

[KevinNSaisi]

I think that was Z's point - that new members might be expected to receive input from the director.

Please define "input". If that means that they are too ignorant to make their own decisions and must do whatever the director says, I would disagree. My thought is that an unexperienced member would do well to seek information and guidance from impartial prople with such experience.

[Timeout]

No, not ignorant at all...I agree with you completely. I think Belanger doesn't give people credit for having minds of their own in the Rumford Falls Times article. To answer your question directly about defining input, I simply think they listen to his point of view.

[Guest]

Kevin Thanks for the call tonight, I had already Inquired from Tri County EMS when the next class would be so, I'm all payed for and enrolled, So maybe one day you and I will be working off the same Ambulance. NIGHT NIGHT........HAPPY THANKSGIVING

JASON

[Z]

Z wrote:

Belanger: "In my opinion, the director is involved in every step of the planning, so there's no separation between the director and the board."

What is Mark Belanger's background in EMS? Does he propose to plan the needs of an ambulance service without input from one who has knowledge of the business?

I extend that question to our other board members... What EMS knowledge do Mr. Phelps and Ms. Dickson have? They were new on the board at one time too.

The impression I get from Mark Belanger's comment is that he does not believe that the director should be involved with any planning that the Board of Directors do. That is what prompted my question. I am "concerned" that Mark Belanger might want to plan things with no knowledge of the business.

I am "uncomfortable" that Frank Diconzo wants to be on the Board of Directors for Med-Care. He seems to have a penchant for conflict with public safety.

It "troubles" me that Mark Belanger and Frank Diconzo were among the most outspoken against Med-Care's new facility.

What is their reasoning for being on that board? To keep Med-Care from trying to move to better quarters? Med-Care took a severe, unecessary, and unfair beating over their plan for a new facility.

[Z]

"A River Valley citizen" has me a little confused. Is she talkiing about the Board of Directors at Med-Care, or Mr. Milligan? She seems to keep going back and forth on that.

[Timeout]

Z - I'll bet you five hundred bucks I don't have that the author of the LTE on TRR saying something about Med-Care Board owes it to the Community is the tm. By glory, I hope he isn't foolish enough to post anonymously on TRR after denouncing anonymity:

"I have a question for Med-Care director Dean Milligan. My question is this – why does Med-Care’s management refuse to accept the kindness and generosity of the local voters? Something is wrong. When an organization is offered many options, has people vote against one project while stating their intention to support a new, more economically sound project, and yet the director of Med-Care not once has come out with an offer to get those groups involved in the process then, by glory, something is wrong with that organization." Taken from TRR LTE

Maybe I'm wrong but it totally sounds like Len...he either wrote it or he dictated it...I've heard him use the phrasing, "I have a question for (fill in the blank)...my question is this....."

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