Procedure in place now for electing Region One rep

SHARON — Voters quickly approved a new law that makes the Region One board representative an elected, not appointed, position. The vote was held Friday night at Town Hall at a sparsely attended meeting.

Last August, town residents approved the plan in principal. The Region One representative had always been chosen by members of the Sharon Board of Education.

Falls Village, Salisbury, North Canaan, Kent and now Sharon elect their representatives. Cornwall is now the only town that still appoints a representative.

The regional board member votes on issues relating to Housatonic Valley Regional High School (including the budget), the regional superintendent’s office (including salaries and pay raises for staff there and for principals at all seven regional schools) and the Pupil Services office (which oversees special education for all the regional towns).

Sharon’s representative to the Region One board is Judge Manning. He is the regional board’s chairman. He is also the husband of Sharon Center School Principal Karen Manning.

The regional rep’s term will be two years. The first time the position appears on the ballot will be November 2011, when the town holds elections for all municipal  offices.

The vote passed unanimously. Approximately 20 people attended the meeting, including Judge Manning.

The Sharon Board of Education will have the right to appoint an alternate representative for the regional board. That representative will attend meetings if the elected rep is unable to do so.

Also at the meeting, an ordinance was approved which will allow the Board of Finance to have two alternate members. First Selectman Bob Loucks explained that sometimes in winter it is hard to get a quorum for finance board meetings because some members travel to warmer spots.

The town renewed the lease at 67 Main St. for radio station WHDD-98.1FM (robinhoodradio.co). The new agreement runs from March 15, 2010, to March 14, 2013. Rents will increase over the three-year period from $16,200 this year to $18,600 in 2013.

The annual report was approved unanimously. Copies are available at Town Hall.

Voters also approved an ordinance that allows the town to print abbreviated versions of legal notices in local newspapers. Judge Manning expressed concerns. He said that, for one thing, he lives in a location that does not have high-speed Internet access. Even though the full language of the legal notices will be published online at the town’s Web site, he will not be able to access them.

He also noted that this is a difficult time for newspapers and the town should support its local publications if it wants them to still be around in the future.

There were two votes opposed to the ordinance. All others at the meeting voted in favor of it.

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