While code violations have certainly occurred, we don’t need them to tell us the harbor expansion process has been extremely flawed. Common sense tells us this clearly. We wouldn’t have this uproar if the public, and the borough groups – planning, parks and recreation and tourism – had been properly included from the beginning.  At the recent town hall meeting, I heard, more than once, Brad Ryan, Bill Seward and Shawn Bell identify the borough assembly as the boss of us (my words, not theirs). The elephant in the room is that power players are actually running this expansion show, and many in our government – whether out of love, respect or intimidation – have allowed them to maintain control. So who is the boss of us regarding the harbor expansion, the power players or the assembly? The assembly has the legal authority. I’m writing to ask everyone who’s not totally in love with the current expansion plan to write to these four members and to ask them to change their vote: Ron Jackson, Margaret Friedenauer, Diana Lapham and Mike Case. We need two vote changes minimum to shift the balance; four would be awesome. (Imagine a unanimous vote in this small town to get our wonderful Small Boat Harbor right for all of us!) People who want zero change will lose here. Most all of us want a livable-for-all expansion plan. Please write to these four and copy members George Campbell and Tresham Gregg, and Mayor Jan Hill and clerk Julie Cozzi.

Evelyna Vignola

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