From the Southern Pines Pilot (8/24/11): Sometimes it's no fun conducting the public's business while that pesky entity known as the public is breathing down your neck.
That seemed to be the dilemma that at least a couple of the five members of the Moore County Board of Commissioners wrestled with last Thursday – and publicly, at that.
At issue, among other matters aired at a (public) session was the need to get off dead center and work out some kind of agreement with the town of Robbins over a complicated joint water arrangement.
“I think we’d all like to go to Robbins and go in a room and not come out till we have a solution,” said a frustrated Nick Picerno, the board’s chairman.
“It will be impossible to do it in public [there’s that word again] session,” complained Commissioner Jimmy Melton, who compared holding such conversations in front of open doors, as opposed to behind closed ones, to “negotiating in the newspaper.”