The mayor of Flower Hill has refused to answer a question posed regarding disclosure of possible conflict of interest in awarding Metricom Corp. the right to install electronic equipment on village light poles. Not only was there an indignant refusal, but all mention of it was omitted in the minutes of the trustees' meeting in Jan. 1999, omitting as well the expression of concern relative to dangers posed by possible explosion of the number of wireless modem installations in the village. The idea of the challenge of disclosure so perturbed the mayor that any mention of the matter was ruled out of order.

While radio wave emission pollution prompted a fair attendance at the December 1998 trustee meeting, the follow-up January 1999 meeting had but two residents in the audience. The dual questions of the dangers of multiplicity (see NY Times Feb. 8 pages C1 and C2) and the possibility that Metricom may effectively achieve a monopoly in the wireless modem access for Flower Hill, should be brought to the attention of our residents.

The mayor and the trustees have an obligation to forthrightly respond as to whether or not, they, or any other village official, have any financial interest whatsoever in Metricom. Village residents should have the right to inquire and get answers. Minutes of monthly trustee meetings should not be censored to eliminate all mention of challenges to the integrity of their proceedings.

Jerome G. Lipton