HAMPDEN, Maine — A contentious debate during a workshop session on courtesy and decorum resulted in one councilor walking out, leaving the Town Council without a quorum and unable to have a meeting Monday night.
Shelby Wright grew frustrated with the tone of Monday’s finance committee meeting while debating proposed rules regarding cellphone and computer use as well as mandatory participation in training programs for first-time councilors.
“I left the meeting because I was discouraged by the tone and direction I saw it taking,” said Wright. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get even the most basic functions of Town Council business accomplished at these meetings.”
Wright and Councilor Kristen Hornbrook, who exchanged words before Wright left, both said they wouldn’t call it an argument.
“We were talking about a section in the new rules proposing limits on cellphone usage because it’s poor manners and distracting to use one during council business, and Kristen was protesting and interrupting people as they were talking,” said Councilor Tom Brann. “Kristen kept insisting on dominating the floor and talking about it being her First Amendment rights.”
“The only thing I can tell you is it was during discussion of proposed council rules. I don’t recall her saying anything as far as discussion,” said Hornbrook. “I don’t know what precipitated it, but it was not an argument between the two of us.”
With Councilor Jeremy Williams out of town and Councilor Andre Cushing attending to business in Carmel, the other five councilors — Hornbrook, Wright, Brann, Jean Lawlis and Janet Hughes — needed to be present to form a quorum and conduct council business.
Wright decided to leave about 25 minutes into the council’s finance committee meeting, which began at 5:30 p.m. The council meeting was scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
“Councilor Wright exchanged words with Councilor Hornbrook and Councilor Wright left the finance meeting upset,” said Hughes, who is also the town’s mayor. “We were doing a review and update of council rules that we’ve been doing before the last several council meetings.”
The lack of a meeting puts the council behind the eight ball as it heads into a crucial period of the year which will be dominated by town budget discussion and negotiations.
“The council has had some struggles with councilors refusing to come to meetings, or people busy with work and vacations. Are we behind? Yes, we are behind. Significantly? No, but we are a little behind,” said Hughes. “The lack of a quorum today put us back. Some of these items have been on the agenda for three straight council meetings now.”
It also further delays an already behind-schedule effort to replace longtime Town Manager Sue Lessard, who announced her resignation in August and agreed to stay on in a part-time capacity through 2011 to ease the transition to a new manager.
“The council is very split on the candidates we chose as finalists, and the first candidate we chose to talk with didn’t accept our offer,” said Hughes.
The last time the council met, Feb. 6, a vote was expected on the finalist, but no action was taken.
“At the last meeting, we didn’t have a quorum. We spent more than an hour waiting for a quorum and during that time, things didn’t go well, and the candidate decided not to entertain the offer of working for the town,” Hughes said. “He didn’t elaborate on a reason for his withdrawal as a candidate, but I think it was more from a general frustration with the process.”
Hughes and Brann both said they hope the full council will vote on a new town manager next week.
“The current finalist has requested to meet with the full council and that hasn’t occurred in the last month for various reasons, so I’ve requested we meet with him Monday or Wednesday next week,” Hughes said.
That has got to be the headline of the year right there. :-)
Yeah, BDN blunders again. Mis-reported on nearly all of this. Geesh.
Sounds like a 3 ring circus to me, Who would want to work in this enviroment.
a fight about civility? OMG
Guess we understand why your top choice backed out and you expect your 2nd & 3rd choices to want to come work for you? Get your act together you owe your voters that much. I pity the employees who are probably caught up in this cluster. Must be a great work environment.
Seriously Hampden Town Council??? You guys are like a bunch of 3rd graders who can’t apparently seem to play well in the sand box with one another…..RIDICULOUS!
That would actually be an insult to third graders who have not yet fully learned to be as spoiled and unsocialized as many of their parents.
Good point….my apologies to the 3rd graders…
Wait a minute, is this the same Shelby Wright of the now Defunct and Disgraced so called Maine Green Energy Alliance?
Well Now I’m starting to understand her methods.
Yes, it is. She is also the same person who is the State Director for re-elect obama.
Walking out of a meeting? Guess you would lose my vote if you can’t even stand up for yourself in a meeting, but want to go sulk in the hall or something.
Making Hampden proud…….1 Council meeting at a time !!!
The cell phone addiction strikes again. She is unable to put down her phone and get to businiess. Yes, we have freedom of speech, but I believe we also have freedom from speech, se should not be forced to listen to someone elses phone converstaion.
Right to free speech ???? Sure, abuse it and this is what happens !!! What about the work you are supposed to be doing for the people that voted you in. Exercising rights ??? Well, Hampden residents, exercise that “right to vote” the next election (or before) … BOOT HER OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!
Boot them ALL OUT! It’s called term limits.
No, it’s called actually having candidates worth bothering to vote for…all we ever see are people worth bothering to vote against.
I understand banning voice calls in meetings, but does this extend to checking email, or texting? Both of those activities are common features of modern smartphones, and can be done unobtrusively.
Thats exactly whats happening too. If this is the problem then the rest of the councilors should put away their “town issued” lap tops also.
IMO, nothing should be done on a cell phone in a meeting. It is rude to be communicating with someone else when your focus should be on the people you are with.
Cell phones teach us to be rude, televisions teach us to be inattentive, and automobiles teach us to be impatient.
As a Hampden town resident, I ask that you put aside your difference and get the job done. That is why you were elected. This is bad for business as well as costly for us taxpayers. Time to stop walking out of meetings.
As a Hampden resident I ask that you all SHOW UP to the meetings occasionally and see for yourself what’s happening. Geesh. Talk about getting one side of the story.
How do you know I do not SHOW UP at the town meetings??!! I also watch them on cable. Time to stop making assumptions.
Jokes on you. Committee meetings are not on cable. Geesh.
“lovethebdn” obviously eats their fair share of Brann flakes.
Check Channel 7 cable news for yourself or better yet the town of Hampden website for broadcast information. I don’t understand your referance but I understand you must have a taste for crow.
I thought they were on the public access channel? I don’t have cable(directtv), so it’s just a question.
It is on the public access channel and I watch them all the time.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE NOT TELEVISED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Calm down there Mr. or Mrs. Constitution. I never said I watched committe meeting and put in my post I only watched town meatings and sometimes other special meeting they have. Breath in, breath out.
Council and Planning Board meetings only. The CCPC was also televised but they are no longer meeting.
Since you do not believe me, please check the town’s web-site and you will find there that “The Town of Hampden broadcasts Town Council, Planning Board and other important meetings and informational shows on Cable Channel 7.” I watch them quite a bit. I can only guess Shelby Wright is quite close to you or you would not react in such a manner. The apple does not fall far from the tree.
lovethebdn…it has nothing to do with believing you. Geesh. Check out the meetings yourself. COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE NEVER TELEVISED. PEROD. The only way you would know that is if you had actually attended one. Hence my first comments. You CAN’T watch Committee meetings on tv…THEY AREN’T THERE.
Hence MY FIRST COMMENT WHEN I POSTED I WATCH TOWN MEETINGS!! Read the comments a few times and let in sink in your head!!!
lovethebdn, the finance meetings are not, nor have ever been televised. I think you are refering to council meetings.
Time for a recall vote on every one of these chuckleheads. They obviously can’t represent anyone at this point.
Seriously? You argues 1st ammendment to use a cell phone during a meeting? You keep a candidate for a job waiting an hour or more for an interview? It seems that this Council needs to put on their big boy pants. Whatever happened to common courtesy and decency? Put the phone down and pay attention. Arrive on time for appointments. This is basic stuff, folks. Basic! Andd they thought Eastport was bad. Shhesh.
Can’t we all just get along? Not really, there are some real problems here, most of which are rooted in control. All of us have rights, and those rights should not be relinqished in any meeting. The self annoited chairman of the board has spent his whole life studing the forests, only to find himself lost in the thickets of local politics. No man/woman shall cut any trees in this town, and I am going to personally create zone to tell you what you can do with your property! Bull….mr funk! You may get away with this in the ivory tower, but in the real world we will find a place for you…it’s just a matter of time for you to figure it out. This in development is colonial democracy! What a show…priceless!
Can the BDN please find another reporter to comment on Hampden……..I’ve read too many articles by Mr. Neff that are far from fair and balanced. Should I expect anything less though??
Wow, it seems the same arrogance and self-serving attitudes that dictate “debate” amongst our Federal and State elect have filtered their way down into local town politics…….but then again, they were “discussing” something as difficult and controversial as “courtesy” and “decorum”…..Crazy…
It really is sad how people are so willing to believe HERESAY printed as ‘news’ in a paper. Sad. This reporter was not even at the Finance Committee meeting (it was not a ‘courtesy workshop’, that guy is really digging the bottom of the barrel for headlines) when this Councilor walked out after first swearing and having a little temper tantrum.
He is reporting on heresay. Period. Since when is that news? He can’t even be bothered to show up, then when he misses what he obviously thinks is a juicy ‘cat fight’ he gets his ‘facts’ from the council chair who lies to him. Nice ‘reporting there Andrew.
First, it’s “hearsay” not “heresay.” Unless you were attempting to make an ideological pun on “heresy,” in which case I don’t think it quite works.
Second, I fail to see how your information is not also hearsay. You’re commenting about what other people said, the same as this reporter. If you believe your sources are more credible, then identify them. Otherwise you have presented no coherent argument as to why your position should be believed over that of any other person commenting on the topic.
As someone without an intimate working knowledge of what is going on, I would like to be better informed on the situation. But when the counter-arguments are made with the same sort of divisive, ad hominem attacks that they accuse the reporter of making, it defeats the purpose.
You should run for town office in Hampden, you’d fit right in.
You could make your mission to reinstate the missing “p” in how the town’s name is pronounced.
It was taped.
Grow Some Rocky Mountain Oysters and represent the people of Hampden. Be Professional! Walking Out of Meetings doesn’t resolve issues. Bangor has the same problem. Stand up and discuss the issues as you were elected to do. If you can’t handle the job “Get Out”.
Its hard to represent Hampden when they don’t even know what town meeting to attend. Hampden Town Councilor Andre Cushing attended the Carmel town meeting last night. People of Carmel, BEWARE this guy always leaves with something!
Unreal!! I did not know that. Thanks!
He was there in Carmel campaigning and getting signatures for his run for Senate.
Does anyone know where the ‘honorable’ Andre Chsuing was last night? He was NOT in Augusta tending to the state’s business. He was in Carmel campaigning for the Senate seat he is running for…maybe Mr. Neff should call Mr. Cushing and confirm where he was last night. LIARS.
You forgot to ask where your buddy Jeremy Williams was, who has yet to come to more than 1 meeting since he was elected. Was there a tea party that he and you went to last night instead?
Obviously someone is completely oblivious to the reasons and details of the current situation.
Re-posting. Does anyone know where the ‘honorable’ Andre Chsuing was last night? He was NOT in Augusta tending to the state’s business. He was in Carmel campaigning for the Senate seat he is running for…maybe Mr. Neff should call Mr. Cushing and confirm where he was last night. LIARS.
Why would Mr Neff do that when he can get all the information he needs for his agenda by slithering around the council chambers after the fact.
So true! Sad…….
He was not even there. He’s reporting hearsay as if it is fact.
What about the rookie Jeremy Williams who just got elected, and has yet to consistently attend meetings? Has he even made one?
But you probably don’t want to bring that up, since you are probably in the tea party club with him and Hornbrook?
When one attends the meetings, one gets to see, hear and speak to the councilors in person. One may also converse with other concerned residents and learn their viewpoints first hand. In doing so one would understand councilor Williams’ personal situation and realize that it is justifiable and right.
But then that would require that a person make the effort to be involved.
It is my understanding that Councilor Williams told the Mayor and Town Manager that he would be on vacation for the March 5th meeting…well in advance. I was told he told them all at least two weeks prior.
By the tone of some of the posts here; there seem to be some facts which are missing from the story. It does seem that there are some issues to be agreed upon:
#1: Cell phones stay at home for these meetings. If you can’t live without it then resign and let someone with the courtesy to conduct the peoples business, and not their own, serve on the council.
#2 Conduct your meeting formally using Roberts Rules of Order until such time as informal meetings can be conducted efficiently and cordially.
#3 Have the courtesy to hear from people who have been invited to attend or have business before the council in a quick and timely fashion, they have lives too and it will not change the amount of time which councilors must spend at any given meeting.
#4 State your point of view courteously and distinctly. Do not whine , cry or otherwise attempt to dominate any meeting and make the Chair step on you. The Chair doesn’t want to do it and you don’t want it done. It only makes for hard feelings.
#5 When one steps through the door of local govt. and holds an office, all personal issues must remain outside the door. There is no room for personal gripes to be brought into community business.
These are simple rules of conduct which any adult can understand, please act accordingly.
About cell phones in a public meeting or for that fact any meeting. It is rude to have your phone on when meeting with people and or conducting the business of the people. If the person that thinks it is first ammendment material get off the board and go sit in tim hortons and talk on your phone all night about nothing. Give the citizens your full attention that you signed up to do.
If there was actually someone talking on their phone during a meeting I would agree with you. But the truth is, there is not. Relying solely on the BDN for information is dangerous at best.
When I am wrong I will admit it. Therefore I must retract my statement above. Apparently our esteemed Councilor Wright does or has received phone calls during council meetings in the past. She does not sit there and gab on the phone however. She simply gets up and runs out of the room.
I’d love to know how many people who complain about kids being disrespectful brats now-a-days behave as inanely childish as these people have.
My bet’s a LOT.
Those who do not know of what they speak should refrain from passing judgement on others.
…and Councilor Wright slammed the door and stomped off to his room, pouting. It’s hard to believe Hampden wants these people to conduct their town business.
He is a she…just saying
Wow, this is getting confusing. He’s a she and she’s a she but she is not he.
He’s a her. Do you have any idea what your talking about?
Actually, Councilor Wright is a woman.
Soccer Moms!!!
Its funny how Mayor HUghes points out they are a little behind because of the lack of a quorum. Wasn’t it Mayor HUghes who went on vacation for the whole month of February. Where was Councilor Andre Cushing? Oh thats right he went to the CARMEL town meeting last night.
lol it’s pure mayhem!
Its also interesting that Mayor HUghes complains waiting an hour for a quorum at a meeting where she let the number 1 candidate for manager slip from her grasp. Perhaps mext time it would be in her best interest to invite the whole council to the meeting. Maybe if they were invited they would come.
Hmmm, I wonder if “Ms” Wrights vicious tirade last night was a planned show. It all seemed to flow to well leading to the cancelation of the meeting. I wonder what they did not want to talk about this time.
Could be the ‘rulings’ that were to be ‘handed down’ by the judge, oops, I mean the town’s lawyer regarding silencing the public and other town officials who talk too much (aka, yapping).
Or it could have been the possible election fraud from the 2011 election that the Attorney General’s office of Maine is currently looking into.
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaawwww…couldn’t be that.
Here’s an idea. Enjoy a mass walkout like Newburgh had which allowed for replacements.
Out with the old and in with the new with fresh idea’s and a commitment for better town government. Sort of like ” The Halo’s meet “The Fixers.
Does anyone else see the irony in this?
Who’d want to work with an adult crying about having to be without a cell phone for a couple of hours. Wow…………good luck. P.S. No one is that important. Get over yourself.
Just waaaay too much estrogen involved in running the town.
Out going Town Manager, the Mayor, half the council……..sheese, no wonder nothing gets done.
When in a Town Council meeting all cell phones should be off, public and Town Councilors. It is unprofessional to have your cell phone go off during a meeting. have a clue about common sense. For a Town Councilor to walk out of a meeting and then say they were not arguing…..ya right, then why did you walk out? You are there to serve the people and not walk out. if you can not do that…then step down from the Council seat. the Town Council has town business (for the people) to do and if you can not make the meetings….step down.
Who would run for council in this town? After a while this defective government will push away top talent in the varoius deapartments- including the schools.
Since when did the Finance Committee become a “Courtesy Workshop”? I’m surpirsed this article hasn’t been pulled since Andrew Neff did not attend. He raced in after the meeting was canceled, sat down and only talked to Janet Hughes and Tom Brann. Quite frankly this whole thing was staged. You can’t blame Councilor Wright for stomping off mad and swearing her pretty little head off. After 12 minutes of listening to Janet whine i would too. And then the Deputy Mayor Andre Cushing found it more important to go to Carmel’s town meeting so poor Hampden didn’t have a quorum. Maybe that’s a good thing. I mean, “Silencing the Public” was a hot item on the agenda. The citizens of Hampden have two more weeks to speak their mind before the next town council meeting when Tom Russell, the town’s attorney, or whatever he is will give his ruling on silencing the public.
It may very well be pulled yet. The meeting was taped.
I would never call it “a pretty little head”
Time for the council to play “Captain Grownup”. The last town council meeting mayor Hughes threw her eyeglasses and ink pen in frustration while throwing around the F Bomb. Sorry folks – we don’t have top shelf councilors. They can’t even fake it. Come on down to the next town council meeting (if there is one) , bring your own pop corn and 3-D glasses. This is one show you won’t want to miss. And I bet you, if Cushing isn’t out politicking and remembers he’s the Deputy Mayor in Hampden – he will be wearing the color purple. Shirt, socks and tie – all purple – every day.
FINALLY Hampden is waking up and realizing the chaos and games that Hornbrook, and the rest of the tea bagger gang have been causing. You can go on Hampden’s website and see how Hornbrook is just a puppet of her more vocal friend that sits in the audience, in a game that she doesn’t even know the point of. You had been warned last year about their games, but now you see the damage they have done, and how much they will do. You can tell who the gang is if you go to the meetings, and even by seeing the comments of her gang with the more “patriotic” or “conservative” names. And by the way, why is Williams even a councilor? He hasn’t made it to hardly any meetings since he was elected! (Also a member of Hornbrook’s teacup gang).
You are funny vincent. Your rediculous comments don’t hold any water. I say, hooray for Hornbrook and the ‘chaos’ the residents are creating because of her. GOOD FOR HER! I hope she runs for re-election!!
Is the Hampden town council playing GOP again ?
Was Mr. Neff even at the Finance committee meeting? I don’t believe he was! People have to stop reading and possibly believing what he writes and actually go to a town meeting. His extensive conversation with Mayor Hughes and Councilor Brann last night I’m sure was not about the fact that they are looking for legal ways to silence the residents of Hampden who may respectfully disagree with them. Maybe Mr. Neff should start doing some real reporting and look in to their behaviors before he takes them at their word. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwgINGn0jNM&feature=email and see for yourself. NO evidence was ever produced for Hughes, Brann, Lawless and Cushing to vote at a later meeting to spend the taxpayers’ hard earned money on having the attorney “look in to” this. If you have time watch this one and see what attitude the taxpayers are up against when the Mayor laughs at having to increasing taxes!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uPxofESnw0&feature=email There is more going on with this council then you read in the paper. Trust me, I have been attending meetings for some months now and have been floored by all that has been going on. Some of it you can’t believe until you see it first hand! The “we know better then you” attitude is alarming. Hopefully people will become educated and the elections in the future will place people on the board that are actually FOR the residents’ best interest and not their own personal agendas.
Tom Brann landlord of Diva’s, Tattoo Shop, Diamonds, Spectrum bar.
What, Hampden doesn’t want such quality establishments? These would look great right around Hughes Blvd. or Town Farm Rd.
Was Mr. Neff even at the Finance committee meeting? I don’t believe he was! People have to stop reading and possibly believing what he writes and actually go to a town meeting. His extensive conversation with Mayor Hughes and Councilor Brann last night I’m sure was not about the fact that they are looking for legal ways to silence the residents of Hampden who may respectfully disagree with them. Maybe Mr. Neff should start doing some real reporting and look in to their behaviors before he takes them at their word. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwgINGn0jNM&feature=email and see for yourself. NO evidence was ever produced for Hughes, Brann, Lawless and Cushing to vote at a later meeting to spend the taxpayers’ hard earned money on having the attorney “look in to” this. If you have time watch this one and see what attitude the taxpayers are up against when the Mayor laughs at having to increasing taxes!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uPxofESnw0&feature=email There is more going on with this council then you read in the paper. Trust me, I have been attending meetings for some months now and have been floored by all that has been going on. Some of it you can’t believe until you see it first hand! The “we know better then you” attitude is alarming. Hopefully people will become educated and the elections in the future will place people on the board that are actually FOR the residents!
The record needs to be set straight concerning the cell phone usage for Town Councilors. The only one abusing cell phones at a town council meeting was Councilor Wright. I witnessed this several times when I could make the meetings. Councilor Wrights cell phone would ring and Councilor Wright would fumble around trying to find her cell phone and then answer it while running out of council chambers. How inappropriate. How unprofessional.Maybe this was what Mayor Hughes was trying to do when instituting a plan to take away cell phone usuage during town council meetings. Not once did I witness any other councilor’s cell phones ringing during a meeting. I do know that Andre Cushing and Shelby Wright have their lap tops opened and are sending emails. People in the audience are receiving these emails. Cushing and Wright are also on FACEBOOK and posting comments on FACEBOOK during council meetings. Maybe these two little bloggers need to step down if they can’t represent the citizens in Hampden in a more professional manner. Mayor Hughes needs to put the kibosh to all FACEBOOKING and EMAILING too. Mayor Hughes (aka Kane007) needs to clean up her act as well and stop throwing the F Bomb around as well as throwing her glasses and ink pens during her temper tantrums. And watch it with that gavel – she’s going to hurt someone the way she swings that around.
Maybe that is why Wright got mad and left in a neff. She had some serious facebooking to do for Obama. After all she showed up and collected her $30 for attending and created a scene on que. That was the end of her script. It was up to the mayor and councilor hughes to finish the movie.
I wouldn’t blame wright solely for the cancelation of the council meeting though. After all if Deputy Mayor Andre Cushing had chosen to attend the Hampden meeting, instead of the Carmel meeting, it would of saved the town of another embarassing fiasco.
Councilor Wright stomped out of the Finance Committee meeting because Mayor Hughes was trying to implement a “No Cell Phone” policy on the town council. I mean come on – it’s common courtesy to turn your phones off whenever to you to a meeting. The people in the audience don’t even misbehave like Councilor Wright. And swearing her foul head off as she stormed out was classless. Come on Hampden – can’t you do better than that? And then you have Councilor Cushing who happens to be the Deputy Mayor who took a wrong turn and ended up at the Carmel Town Council meeting to do alittle campaigning. This Cushing charactor won’t represent the people in Hampden. How in the world is he going to represent the people in Carmel? The BDN looks like fools, reporting that Cushing was in Augusta doing the peoples work. WOW – who lied to who? This plot keeps getting thicker and thicker.