Town of Pittsfield, New Hampshire
Ethics Committee
85 Main Street
Pittsfield, New Hampshire 03263
ETHICS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES – !draft!
Date/Time : Thursday March 14, 2007 7:00pm
Location : Town Hall, Small meeting room
Attending : G. Amnott , M. Bahr, R. Vien, H. Sanborn
Members of Public : D. Schroth, D. Keeley, L. Firstenberger, H. Fitzgerald, A. Morse
Excused Absence : H. Vogt
Unexcused Absence : none
Quorum? : Yes
MINUTES OF MEETING
1. Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm
2. The Prehearing for Mr. Schroth’s complaint regarding Mrs. Keeley was begun.
3. M. Bahr recused herself from the prehearing.
4. The Committee reviewed the contents of the complaint.
5. The Committee considered the criteria necessary to continue with the complaint.
A. Jurisdiction – Unanimous agreement
B. Other means exhausted – Unanimous agreement.
C. Merit –
a) The Committee opened discussion on this issue. It was clarified by Mr.
Schroth that He felt that since Mrs. Keeley recused at the first event, it was an
ethics violation to not do this at the second event. A question was raised as to
whether the two events in the complaint were the same “matter in question”
required by the Ethics Policy.
b) Mr. Schroth’s position is that because it was the same person being nominated
for the same position, it is the same “matter in question” and thus an earlier
recusal must be repeated. Mrs. Keeley’s position is that they were two
different events, for two different openings on that committee and thus recusal
should be considered separately at each event. The Committee unanimously
agreed to dismiss this complaint based on the fact that these were separate
events and not the same “matter in question”.
6. Meeting was adjourned.
NEXT MEETING : WEDNESDAY APRIL 11 7PM TOWN HALL
Respectfully submitted by Secretary M. Bahr