Last Friday, the people of Sandown held a Town Meeting, attracting 160-190 residents who were concerned enough about the Sandown town council to attend.
At the meeting, the Sandown residents called for six councillor’s resignations in vote of No Confidence.
Refusal to distribute
OnTheWight has now been told by an experienced town clerk who took the formal notes at the meeting (in full below) that staff at Sandown Town Council (STC) have decided they:-
- will not be circulated to the STC councillors,
- will not be referred to a council meeting for consideration, or
- will not be presented to the Annual Town Meeting for approval either.
Note taker – 15 years experience
Bob Blezzard, who took the notes, tells OnTheWight that he was asked to take the notes by the Chair of the meeting, as STC hadn’t sent their own personnel to take notes. Bob has over 15 years as a Town Clerk, having his first role at Wootton Parish Council in 1985.
Blezzard: “Heads in the sand”
He told OnTheWight:
“I emailed the notes to them on Monday, but didn’t get an acknowledgement. I called them to make sure they’d received them – that’s when they told me they were refusing to distribute the notes as I’d requested. You can send them yourself to the councillors if you like, I was told.
“I think the council’s still got their heads in the sand.”
STC held a meeting the Monday (12th March) after the Town Meeting, but only four councillors turned up to it.
OnTheWight has emailed the Sandown Town Clerk, Tina Bailey, asking for an explanation of the decision and who made it. At the time of publishing we hadn’t heard back.
The notes they won’t distribute
