Post by Poor Richard on Jan 10, 2022 9:49:25 GMT -7
A BIG Thank You to the GLFPC
In 2014 a group of Glastonbury landowners gathered together and formed what became known as the Glastonbury Landowners for Positive Change (GLFPC). They met weekly in the home of Chris and Ia Williams. Over the course of the next year, they created a website, wrote a mission statement, held many neighborhood meetings and explored options for how the GLA could better serve the community. The GLFPC was the first group to create a 5-year road plan and explore Montana State funding options via an RSID to take of the roads. They attended all GLA board and most committee meetings. The GLFPC created Meeting Summaries which were widely distributed to landowners shortly after each board meeting. At that time official, GLA Minutes took months to finish. The GLFPC advocated for Term Limits which was finally approved by the landowners in 2020.
The GLA was adamant in its opposition to the GLFPC. One sitting Director even stated that "no GLFPC member will ever be allowed on the board". Rigid rules were created that strictly limited what information directors could share with landowners. Photographing directors was prohibited and backed up with a phony and expensive opinion from a local hack attorney. The vise of entrenched power tightened but the GLFPC held strong. They were a vocal opposition with a well-thought-out plan that was approved of by a majority of landowners. They could not lose but like most people, they grew tired. They ran candidates for the board but shady election practices always prevented them from winning a seat. Exceptionally qualified GLFPC candidates were routinely turned down for open board set appointments. Eventually, the group slowly dissipated. Some moved away from Glastonbury. Others moved on to different ventures. But the ideas of Term Limits, an RSID, and two GLA Boards remained in the landowner's collective imagination. Good ideas are powerful and never die. They have a life of their own and often reappear when the time and conditions are favorable.
In 2019 the unthinkable happened. A former member of the GLFPC, Tim Brockett, was surreptitiously elected to the GLA Board. He ran a stealth campaign and collected more proxy votes than any other candidate in the history of the GLA. Shock and awe were the reactions of the GLA board. This was never supposed to happen. The board led by Directors Newman Brozovsky and Andrea Sedlak tightened the vise more. They quickly created Rule 2.01 to ensure that the former GLFPC member would have no access to any board documents lest he share them with landowners. He was a known advocate of 100% transparency and held other unsavory democratic ideas. The board demanded that he cease writing for the Forum as well. Over the course of the next few months, the GLA Board tried to censure him twice. With the assistance of Directors Andrea Sedlak, Newman Brozovsky, and Charlotte Mizzi the last censure, for writing on the Forum, was approved. Brockett persevered; he refused to resign.
The GLA was adamant in its opposition to the GLFPC. One sitting Director even stated that "no GLFPC member will ever be allowed on the board". Rigid rules were created that strictly limited what information directors could share with landowners. Photographing directors was prohibited and backed up with a phony and expensive opinion from a local hack attorney. The vise of entrenched power tightened but the GLFPC held strong. They were a vocal opposition with a well-thought-out plan that was approved of by a majority of landowners. They could not lose but like most people, they grew tired. They ran candidates for the board but shady election practices always prevented them from winning a seat. Exceptionally qualified GLFPC candidates were routinely turned down for open board set appointments. Eventually, the group slowly dissipated. Some moved away from Glastonbury. Others moved on to different ventures. But the ideas of Term Limits, an RSID, and two GLA Boards remained in the landowner's collective imagination. Good ideas are powerful and never die. They have a life of their own and often reappear when the time and conditions are favorable.
In 2019 the unthinkable happened. A former member of the GLFPC, Tim Brockett, was surreptitiously elected to the GLA Board. He ran a stealth campaign and collected more proxy votes than any other candidate in the history of the GLA. Shock and awe were the reactions of the GLA board. This was never supposed to happen. The board led by Directors Newman Brozovsky and Andrea Sedlak tightened the vise more. They quickly created Rule 2.01 to ensure that the former GLFPC member would have no access to any board documents lest he share them with landowners. He was a known advocate of 100% transparency and held other unsavory democratic ideas. The board demanded that he cease writing for the Forum as well. Over the course of the next few months, the GLA Board tried to censure him twice. With the assistance of Directors Andrea Sedlak, Newman Brozovsky, and Charlotte Mizzi the last censure, for writing on the Forum, was approved. Brockett persevered; he refused to resign.
Today Director Brockett released a statement thanking the GLFPC for their hard work, time-tested, and proven ideas. Brockett stated to the GLA Board:
In 2014 a dedicated and hard-working group of landowners asked the simple question; should Glastonbury have two boards instead of one? They also asked for Term Limits and explored an RSID for taking care of the roads. The response from most landowners based on multiple neighborhood meetings was overwhelmingly positive.
Fast forward to 2022 and the same question is before the court. How will they decide? Who knows? But in 7 years the question of Term limits was resolved favorably via the ballot box. It may turn out that the best way to have two boards is via a community-wide vote. Clearly, separation is an idea whose time has come. How we get there still remains to be seen.
Thanks to all the members and supporters of the GLFPC for their hard work and perseverance throughout the years. They reached out to neighbors and truly initiated positive changes for our community.
Sincerely,
Tim Brockett
Proud GLFPC Member
Fast forward to 2022 and the same question is before the court. How will they decide? Who knows? But in 7 years the question of Term limits was resolved favorably via the ballot box. It may turn out that the best way to have two boards is via a community-wide vote. Clearly, separation is an idea whose time has come. How we get there still remains to be seen.
Thanks to all the members and supporters of the GLFPC for their hard work and perseverance throughout the years. They reached out to neighbors and truly initiated positive changes for our community.
Sincerely,
Tim Brockett
Proud GLFPC Member