Yes, those gorgeous white flakes shimmering in the morning sun are one of nature's gifts.  But I am writing about a snow job I witnessed last night at the Rockport Select Board meeting.

1) the Select Board did not know when the members came to meet and discuss the tentative plan formulated by a hard working Comprehensive Plan Committee had already been submitted to the State of Maine by the Town Planner.

2) the Board also did not know what the ramifications of making changes in it at this point might be.

3) the first snowflakes started to fall with our most recent town vote regarding ordinance changes submitted by the Select Board and the Planning Committee, which contained language defining vacation rentals. Finding the information prior to the vote on these ordinance changes was quite the hunt.  Vic and I found a copy of the proposed wording thumbtacked to a bulletin board in the Town Office.

4) The recording or minutes from a workshop held by the Planning Board to compose their response to the proposed Comprehensive Plan was never made or written up, according to the Town Planner.

5) Although the Select Board meeting of Feb. 10 contained a review of the proposed Comprehensive Plan on the announced agenda, when it was discovered that the plan had previously been submitted to Augusta and might have to go through additional reviews by the state if it is changed, they decided to deal with it next month.

6) The multiple letters received by the Select Board from citizens prior to this meeting on the topic of vacation rentals in Rockport was never even mentioned.

7) The record of all the past input by townsfolk on the question of vacation rental issues (and it was voluminous) is no longer in evidence on the Town website.

Unfortunately, residents won't see any of these details, the minutes from Select Board meetings contain only who voted on what issues.Get on those snowsuits and winter underwear folks! 

Marsha Steinglass lives in Rockport