by Jay Lawson
The Town of Webb Board’s December 8th meeting was its last monthly meeting of the year, so its members took the opportunity to offer acknowledgments and reflective thoughts to each other and the public.
Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore will be leaving the board at the end of the month, so she took time to say thank you and recap her time on the Board.
Councilwoman Moore chose to not seek reelection, as her husband Robert Moore was running this year for town supervisor.
Though not town business in the strict sense, Moore said she wanted to thank CAP-21, which was instrumental in securing a sizable grant to finish construction of the Mission Boutique at Niccolls Church.
She also thanked the Community Foundation for is efforts.
“It is going to be finished in the springtime,” she said.
“And I just wanted to reflect on a couple of the accomplishments that this board made—the town made—over the last four years,” she said.
“We worked hard on making improvements to McCauley Mountain and making some infrastructure improvements, such as the rebuilding of Lock and Dam.
“Also the TOBIE Trail, which was finally completed after years of planning and effort by many people. Although it may have a few detractors, I see it as a real enhancement to the town,” she said.
“Of course, most near and dear to my heart is the establishment of a Senior Center for the Town of Webb, which is also including some people from Inlet… It’s a wonderful thing, and I hope to see it grow and flourish in the coming years.”
“I just want to say it was an honor and privilege to serve on this board with these people. The Town of Webb has been my home for many years, and I care about it and its future. I hope to see it continue on a path of prosperity, as it balances healthy growth and good stewardship of its natural resources,” Moore said.
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Councilwoman Kate Russell said that an individual has stated his belief to her that the Board makes all its decisions behind closed doors, not in public.
“I don’t agree with that statement at all,” Russell said.
She said the board has acknowledged that a particular discussion in executive session could have, and maybe should have, been conducted in open session, but as a matter of typical practice, the Board properly conducts business before the public.
“I guess I’m asking that people, if they want information about what is really going on with the town, and the town board, and the politics of town, that they can come to [our] meetings,” Russell said.
Russell noted how few audience members attend, as compared to years past.
“So, where are all these people that are so concerned about what is happening with the town and what’s going on in it?” she said.
“They are not attending these meetings, and they are not coming and asking us the questions they have. They are getting answers in places that may or may not have the real facts.
“I think it would be nice to see more people come and participate in our meetings and attend our meetings and get information first hand,” Russell said.
“People here [in the Town of Webb] are very passionate about our community. I would love it if they would come and be with us and talk to us in open meeting and share with us. I think it would be really positive for everybody,” she said.
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Councilman J.B. Herron was participating in his last monthly meeting as a board member, having come up short in his reelection bid.
He took the opportunity to address the voters and his fellow board members with his term ending of the close of the month.
“First of all, I would like to thank everybody sitting here: Mary, Kate, Mike, Nanci, Mr. Frye, and Ted. Also the previous boards that I’ve served with. It has been an honor to be here,” Herron said.
Though he did not retain his seat on election day in November, Herron thanked the taxpayers for honoring him with two winning elections previously.
He admitted that there is emotion involved when you lose an election, but compared it to losing your first girlfriend.
“You get over it,” he said.
Still, Herron said he is proud of his time on the board, and its many achievements.
“We have done a lot. We’ve had a lot of controversial issue, and some things do divide the town. And some things bring the town together,” he said.
Herron spoke to the necessity of the executive session privilege, stating that the board invokes it for legitimate purposes.
“It’s not to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes,” he said.
And Herron said that perceptions are not always going to be accurate, and he accepts that.
“The rumor mill happens, it’s just the way small towns are. [Even so] we have one of the best towns in the world, I think; and I was honored to have served. And even though I lost, I did have around 185 people that believed in me. That is considerable in my opinion. I am happy to be here,” he said.
“I want to congratulate Dave Berkstresser, Barb Green and Robert [Moore] on their wins in the election. It was a good election, and I enjoyed it. It was well done,” he said.
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Councilman Mike Ross also thanked the the outgoing board members for their years of service to the community.
“I think we all take [serving on this board] extremely seriously, and I believe the new board will [also],” Ross said.
“Decisions have to be made, and sometimes they aren’t popular. But I think, as a board, we have discussion on these decisions, and we try to come out with the best decision for the community and the people of this community,” he said.