The City Council strikes back (one of them, anyway)

I just got a copy of the order from Councilor Ives relating to the City Council engaging "independent counsel to review the legality of the Health Director's administrative order."

I found out some stuff yesterday about the City Council's objections, which include a weak deal the DEP and Attorney General will probably be making with Mr. Thibeault to facilitate the closing of the landfill.

They have to do that before he can resume dumping his crud here. There's still a DEP injunction in place.

Of course, I have not seen the proposed agreement (it's a secret), but I gather that there were many, many objections - and that was many moons ago. Who knows what it says now?

Which is why the mayor opted to circumvent that pesky City Council with the administrative order.

Let's all hope that the AG and DEP hold Mr. T's feet to the fire this time, because if they don't ... well, the mayor won't be able to run far enough away.

By the way, read the story in the Current tomorrow and see what Chip Nylen had to say about New Ventures breaking past agreements ... something along the lines of "let's not dwell in the past." (Of course, not dwelling in the past helps the city out, too ...)

It reminded me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, when the owner of the castle where Lancelot goes to rescue what he thinks is a damsel in distress says to wedding guests complaining about the slaughter Lancelot has wreaked, "Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who ..."

By the way, I couldn't help but notice that Thibeault has now broken his code of silence with the Newburyport press (at least the Daily News, although I believe the editor of the Current did speak with him) ... no doubt he's taking his final victory laps around the piles of stinky stuff that will soon be coming this way.

Hope he brought his clove-studded orange along ...