Don’t look a gift COW in the mouth.
Citizens of Woodside, or COW, a watchdog Web site, is circulating a testy account of being rebuffed in its efforts to donate money for one year of Webcasting service to the town of Woodside.
COW’s unnamed blogger trains a skeptical eye on Woodside town government, and the site has been raising money for Webcasting, in order to make videos of town meetings available online.
Currently, only meeting minutes and audiotapes of council meetings are available.
On Valentine’s Day, a courier attempted to deliver a $31,045 cashier’s check to Town Hall only to discover that Town Manager Susan George had some qualms about accepting a restricted donation from an anonymous source without permission from the Town Council.
The anonymous account on the COW Web site, headlined “What is wrong with our town?” says, “We are absolutely moo-less and can’t believe what Town Manager Susan George did yesterday … We brought a cashier’s check for $31,045 of your very generously donated money to the Town and we were turned away — that’s right the money was refused.”
Ms. George told the Almanac that she made a quick decision when the cashier’s check was placed on her desk.
“It would not be prudent to accept the money since the council never talked about Webcasting, to my knowledge,” she said. “I thanked the young man for the generosity of COW and told him I’m not in a position to accept, that it’s not up to me, it’s up to the council.”
While the COW Web site at CitizensofWoodside.com accuses Ms. George of refusing to accept even the letter that came with the check, she said that’s not the way it happened.
“(The courier) asked me specifically for his copy of the letter back,” Ms. George said.
According to COW’s version of events, “Susan George even refused to accept our letter to (the) Council explaining the need and desire for Webcasting in Woodside. Makes us wonder what other communications from citizens she keeps from the Council.”
This week’s Woodside Town Council meeting may provide some indication of what council members think about airing video of council, committee and commission meetings online. Ms. George’s report about COW’s offer is item No. 3 on the agenda for the Tuesday, Feb. 27, council meeting.
The Town Council meets in Independence Hall, at 2955 Woodside Road, at 7:30 p.m.; information about meetings is available by calling 851-6790 or by going to Woodsidetown.org.
