I am seriously concerned and disappointed that the Milton Town Meeting process has become inflexible to the degree it is on the verge of becoming irrelevant.

At Monday evening’s Town Meeting as an elected town meeting member from Precinct 6 I rose to speak in support of town meeting member Sheryl Fleitman’s presentation to the Town Meeting regarding the serious and dangerous condition of airplane noise and airplane jet pollution over Milton’s airspace as a result of the overuse of Logan Airport Runways 4 Left and 4 Right. However, I was denied the right to speak before the assembly.

This town is in effect a bulls eye for another disaster worse than the tragic incident of a body falling out of a wheel well of an approaching jet on to a street in Milton. Nonetheless, as an elected town meeting member and as important as this issue is to the entire Milton community I was not allowed to speak.

I am sure this was not a personal matter and I do not take personal umbrage to that denial. I am sure it is a result of some arcane procedure under Roberts Rules of Parliamentary Order which was instituted in the 19th century if not earlier. Clearly, the calcification of those rules has caused a critical degree of paralysis in this body when there is a need to move quickly to address immediately the critical problems of our day.

To the point. Anyone who lives in Precinct 6 does not need to be reminded that this area is greatly affected by airplane noise and airplane jet fuel pollution as planes make their final approach to Logan Airport on Runways 4 Left and 4 Right. Runway 4R is the biggest contributor to this problem because that is the runway used for all jumbo jets and it is the only runway at Logan which is fully implemented to accept instrument landing approaches.

Yet, even while the critical problem of airplane noise and airplane jet fuel pollution is infecting this community right over our heads we are subjected to an hour’s debate of the self absorbed and meaningless drivel of Warrant Article 2 which would instruct the schools to assist the town clerk in publicizing the semi-annual town meeting. What good is it to publicize what went on the other evening at the town meeting other than to totally disillusion students in our excellent school system who might wish to follow the activities of this body. Fiddling as Rome burns comes to mind quickly.

What I would have added in my brief remarks in support of Town Meeting Member Fleitman would have been a call to action in light of my personal and direct contact with MassPort’s office of Operations on Sunday morning October 6.

The planes on that Sunday morning began their final approach to 4R before 6 AM. When I called the Noise Complaint Line as directed by MassPort so that it can collect data on the incursions into this community I was met with a series of what are euphemistically called ” F-Bombs”. That was not the main problem although it definitely demonstrates a lack of training these individuals are given in dealing with the public. No, the main problem and one which affects us all whether we live in Milton or elsewhere is what that MassPort Operations employee said to his fellow employees when apparently he did not think I could hear him:

He said with a distinct and clear laugh in his voice, ” …tell them we have a ‘security emergency’ and put them back on hold and don’t get back to them. That should F’ing piss them off…”. Really, in this age of a terrorist attack at a road race and constant threats of terrorist attacks tell the public there is a “security emergency” at Logan International Airport when there is none.

We are not being well served and our lives are put in danger when civil – actually not so civil – servants lie about security emergencies to the public in order to duck their responsibility to log noise complaints no matter how many there may be. Their miss deeds must be exposed to the light of public scrutiny and dealt with accordingly and not swept under the proverbial rug or denied exposure by ancient forms of governmental procedure.

So, for this town meeting to continue to ignore this perilous issue under the restrictions of some ancient rules of procedure while they continue to argue how many angels can fit on the top of a pin makes no sense and does not serve the common good.

Frankly, it is a wonder any town meeting members show up any longer to what has become a gathering of those who meet to discuss and debate issues that rarely affect the daily lives of this community.

Failure to allow me to speak did a disservice not to me but to the precinct I was elected to represent.

Paul Yovino

Town Meeting Member

Precinct 6