Recent actions by some on the Lewiston City Council have been hypocritical, callous and undemocratic.
First the Council decided to take away the public’s voice by reversing course on a referendum to establish a Charter Commission.
Then some members refused to vote in support of a highly qualified appointee to the Planning Board and remained silent on their reasoning, despite public calls for answers.
Next, some members set in motion plans for a moratorium on homeless shelters directly opposing a shelter and resource center Lewiston desperately needs. They ignored facts presented by those involved with the project, disregarded the will of their constituents, and insulted and belittled those in attendance.
Councilors accused people of shooting their mouths off, said no shelters existed in Auburn, Topsham and Brunswick — even though Brunswick has two and recently approved a 64-bed one — misled citizens about police presence at the wellness shelter, inferred those speaking against the moratorium were misinformed, and attacked the ability and integrity of those working toward this shelter.
Later during that meeting, those same councilors voted to suspend the rules and appoint their own candidate to the Planning Board. This was done without the whole council viewing the application and without public input or notice. Why do this after implementing a strict deadline for items to be added to the agenda?
I thank Mayor Carl Sheline and Councilors Linda Scott, Scott Harriman and Stephanie Gelinas for their empathetic voices of reason and listening to their constituents. It’s a shame not everyone can follow their thoughtful example.
Caleb Roebuck, Lewiston
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