Westampton Township should:
- Allow us to request use of public space as anyone else would. There’s no need for any committee to review each request individually. That’s inefficient. Furthermore, government advisory committees advise on establishing policy; they don’t implement it. As long as we’re having an educational event of the type that we’ve had for the last 7 years, there’s no legitimate purpose for committee review. It’s perfectly reasonable to establish rules regarding the number of participants, parking arrangements, a certificate of insurance with Westampton Township as additional insured, etc.; but to say the Township Administrator can’t give permission, and will refer inquiries to private citizen via her private email and or cell phone is inconsistent long standing policies and procedures in municipal government.
- Consult the historical society before scheduling an event that will visit the cemetery owned by the historical society to avoid scheduling conflicts.
- Refrain from offering the advisory committee as a technical resource in issues like curriculum development and historic preservation. People reasonably assume reliable expertise from a municipal government; that is not the case here. Put simply, there is one person with some expertise on a committee of nine seats that does not represent himself as an expert on most of what the Timbuctoo Historical Society does.