As many of you are aware, this is the second consecutive year that the Town Manager has recommended that the Training Coordinator position, currently being held by Erin Barry, be removed from the LAC budget. The budget that I submitted as the Director of Cable was reduced by the cost of her salary and benefits. I was unsuccessful in convincing the Town Manager that this reduction would severely impact the citizens’ use of the LAC (Londonderry Access Center). If there is no training, there is no public access programming. Last year, it appeared that this result resonated with the Town Council. After the testimony of students, parents and community members, the Town Council decided not to eliminate the trainer position after all.
This year, the Town Council approved the Town Manager’s recommendation. I find this perplexing.
This year, the Town Council set improved communication as one of their goals. Local TV is a very effective method by which to achieve this goal. The Chairman actually made a comment during one meeting that even though the topic being discussed was difficult it was good for the community to see their government in action. Politicians frequently call this transparency in government and seem to know that this is what their constituents need to see in order to have trust and confidence in their elected leaders. In Londonderry, we call this government access television.
While no cutbacks of services have been requested by the Town Council, it only stands to reason that these must occur. The Town Manager has, in fact, informed the Town Council that he will create a new division of duties between the two remaining employees. In my opinion, this certainly implies that either one person has not been carrying his/her share of the workload or, as I believe, there will be a one third reduction in services.
It comes down to this: What is accomplished by taking this action? Since the LAC/Cable Department has always been self-funded via franchise fees from the cable operator, there has never been a cost to the town for salaries or operations. When the LAC had to finance their current building, there was a one time cost to the taxpayers because; at that time the LAC was not receiving the full amount of the franchise fees that were being paid to the town. The taxpayers agreed to the construction project and let the Town Council know that from that point forward; all revenues should be dedicated and not be used for any other purpose. The Town Council of 2000 heard and passed a resolution to that affect.
Fast forward to 2012. The Town Council is informed, by a taxpayer that the Cable Special Revenue Fund was not legally established. It takes a vote of the citizens to legally establish such a fund. Instead of simply drafting a Warrant article for that purpose, an action that could have maintained the status quo, the Town Manager tells the Council that the funds are no longer available to fund the LAC. That means that all of the LAC costs for staff, equipment, maintenance and all other operating costs must be placed in the Town’s Operating Budget and will in fact have a tax impact.
I urge you to ask questions and get answers. For example, since the LAC was fully funded without tax dollars, and had been doing so for quite some time, what purpose would it serve to cut one employee? And since the intent of the Special Revenue Warrant article that appeared year after year and was always supported by the taxpayers (remember it had no tax impact and even included the Sewer fund and Police Outside Detail) then why not simply establish the fund legally and do what was necessary within the law, to restore the money to it?
I urge you to check all the facts and then attend the Town Deliberative session on Monday, February 6, 2012. If you would like to maintain the status quo, I would suggest that you examine Warrant Article 12 which is a citizen’s petition. A yes vote will re-establish the Cable Special Revenue fund. If it is your desire to maintain the three staff persons at the LAC, you would need to amend the Operating Budget up by the cost of salary and benefits (approximately $63,000). Please be aware that the Operating budget is a bottom line budget so you would need to make your intentions very clear and ask the Town Council to honor the intent of your motion.
I know this was a long-winded explanation but I have been told lately that I talk a lot and I guess that crosses over to my writing as well! In closing, I would like to thank you for all the support you have shown to the Londonderry Access Center all these years. I would also like to assure you that it is not for my benefit that I write this letter – it is for yours. As you may have heard I plan to retire this year. I am writing this letter so that you will have a great staff at your disposal and the tax-free facility where you all have the right of Freedom of Speech.
Yes, Virginia, Freedom of Speech really does exist and in Londonderry you can find it at the Londonderry Access Center. If you find that hard to believe, stop by, you will be pleasantly surprised.
By the way I write this letter as a resident, a taxpayer, a citizen and a voter but, in the interest of full disclosure, I am currently employed as the Director of Cable Services for the Town of Londonderry. In other words, I work for you!
Dottie Grover
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Very simple Dottie, the town managers do not like dedicated funds. How dare LAC want to keep the monies that were allocated for their use.
What is perplexing Dottie? The funds were allocated illegally. What is really perplexing is that you created you own problem by stating that you were retiring. You seem to keep leaving that part out.
It is everyone else’s fault not mine.
I watched a town council meeting that Dottie stated she was retiring.I also read it again in her letter so George what is perplexing to me is that i guess you cant read or listen because she hasn’t left it out. All this comes down to is the town council doing what they want. If you ever watched a meeting the guy that sit’s all the way to the right pussyfoots around every topic and try’s to turn it around to be somebody’s else’s problem. The chairman just sits there and passes everything off on the other council. This town council does not like to be challanged in any way. VOTE YES ON ARTICLE 12
Rich it appears that you are a Cable Department lover and a Town Council hater. Good for you at least you expressed your opinion. Henry is right the sun will still come up tomorrow with two people in the Cable group.
George i am not a cable department lover but your comment was incorrect saying that dottie never mentions her retirement and i stated that she did as i pointed out on two occasions.
Dottie
Let’s look at it from a different angle.
I’m forced to pay a cable franchise fee, in order to have cable. I don’t like paying that fee, but I have to.
Now, if that fee can be used to reduce my tax bill, I’m all in favor of that, because otherwise its wasted. I say wasted because as another poster said, Manchester’s cable tv has two full-time employees. Londonderry has three. Why do we need three. I’m sure none of you are working other than 9 to 5, certainly not 24 hours/7 days a week. Point being, for two thirds of the day, and all weekend and holiday, cable is still on. I guess that means its on auto pilot. We don’t need three people.
Henry do you think for one moment its going to reduce your taxes. The town council will find a place for that money like funding overtime. So dont think your taxes are going down. Especially in Londonderry
Rich, Thank you for confirming you are a town council hater. If you read the last two stories on this site by Cindy & Dottie they fail to mention the fact that she announced her retirement as the deal she made to save the training position last year. Form this story “As many of you are aware, this is the second consecutive year that the Town Manager has recommended that the Training Coordinator position, currently being held by Erin Barry” Yes I can read, I can also cut & paste. Ms Dottie Grover outsmarted herself and is now playing on the sympathies of the community. You got sucked into her plan. So much for having your own opinion.
George you choose to live in londonderry a very expensive town to live in. so dont be fooled by the town council that your taxes are going down there only going up
I think everyone who knows me has heard me talk about retiring this year. It was never a secret. That being said, I actually reviewed every meeting where the topic of retirement came up and I never said I would be retiring in the FY12. All of those videos are available at the library if anyone would care to do their own research.
The situation is very simple. There was a desire to trim the department that was not based on affordability, necessity or performance. So what was the point? BTW, this decision was made long before the Town Manager did any research on the legality of the Special Revenue Fund.
I am happy to answser any questions. I have been intimately involved since the negotiation of the Harron Communications franchise in 1982.
I hope you will also consider that whatever you may think of me, there is no reason to elimminate the key position of trainer at the LAC. That action only serves to hurt the community by limiting access to the channels. You cannot “play” with the equipment. You must be trained.
Dottie your doing a great job. the town council seems like they are a bunch of bullies and dont like to be challenged.
After reading all of the comments and articles it appears that the cable group has been living the good life for many years. People like them, that is understandable. Everyone who uses the place is happy,the employees are overstaffed compared to Manchester. I would think that all three employees could train on the equipment so why is the sky falling. Unless they are all not qualified to train. One would assume such a small group not be all cross trained. So what is the big deal just do more with less. We are all being asked at work and home to perform the same jobs with less people for less money. Everthing cost 30 percent more, electric,oil,gas,food are all way up. Maybe the cable people can do more with 30 percent less. Or maybe you would prefer 30 percent less teachers,fire,police or 30 percent less trash pickup,30 percent less roads plowed, library open 30 percent less. Oh I think library is already open less. I think everyone gets my point. I feel bad for the cable people but can we get by with less? Probably.
Dottie, I was at the meeting in which you said you where going to retire and the TC took that and kept the position. Although you did not say the actual date and year you where going to retire but we where all taking about FY12 budget year. That is what I got out of the meeting.
You still havn’t said “What kind of empire are you going to build if you get to keep all the fee money?”
Are we going to see three cable studio employees with 100K salaries in a few years?
You did a great job in getting this started and equiped but you are leaving a bad taste in the mouth of Londonderry with your manipulation of your retirement. Too bad, Erin’s job will go because of you.
Now comes the hard question, what are you going to do on a daily basis if their is no training coordinator?
I am with using the fees to go to the general fund and the cable studio becomes a dept. like all others.
May be our cable rates would not be so high if we had better coopetition in town between two cable companies?!
Or purchase satellite and keep the competition alive
THATS A LIE!! Grover did not start cable access in Londonderry. As someone who saw it begun, I KNOW it started IN THE HIGH SCHOOL BY THE LIBRARIANS AND A TEACHER and it did a HECKOFALOT MORE THEN Than it Does now!!!! GRrover and her great big building/EMPIRE came MUCH LATER and does MUCH LESS!!! EDUCATE YOURSELFS!
Can you give us the names and when this was all started??
Ask Grover.
http://www.londonderrynh.net/2009/09/londonderry-access-television-is-25-years-old/12700