Letters to the editor: Expanded Select Board can be more efficient, representative of residents

Voice in favor of Select Board expansion

I’m writing to support increasing Select Board membership to five, based on my own experience.

I’m a 54 year resident of Weston currently serving on the Historical Commission (41 years, 4 as chair), Crescent Street Historic District Commission (32 years, all as chair), and Planning Board (23 years, 20 as chair), as well as the Friends of Josiah Smith Tavern and Friends of the Weston Depot boards.

I earlier served on the School Facilities, Open Space, and Long Range Planning Committees, Historic District Study Committee, HPP Steering Committee, and the Lands Sake and Weston Preservation Society boards.

Every one of them has had at least five members.

I’ve learned that boards invariably benefit from the different backgrounds, perspectives and expertise of their members. I have always found that members are earnestly committed to their board’s mission, and that differences of opinion are valued in a collegial effort to reach thoughtful outcomes. I have never experienced a tendency to form cliques or partisan alliances.

The major trend I’ve observed over the years is accelerating pressure for boards to address weighty and complex issues in increasingly compressed timeframes. I sense that the current three member Select Board is becoming overburdened trying to cope with these demands, so why not bring more hands on deck to ease the strain? I can’t imagine, for instance, that the Planning Board could possibly discharge its increasing duties and obligations with only three members. It would bury us.

As for recruiting new members, I’ve never had difficulty finding qualified volunteers. In my experience, people actually want to contribute their time and effort to preserving the life and character of this exceptional town, if they feel their efforts would be productive and appreciated.

Alfred L. Aydelott, Boston Post Road

Select Board member encourages expansion

I currently serve on the Select Board and write in strong support of increasing its size from three members to five. Our board oversees multiple major projects, manages the budget, appoints and interacts with many committees, along with handling numerous other agenda items. There are many important tasks facing the town that have languished for years, not because of any unwillingness of the Select Board, but because there is simply too little time for three people who meet twice monthly for a few hours to accomplish enough. Witness the Case Estate buildings, disposal of which has been a Select Board priority for more than a decade.

With more members, responsibilities and workloads can be shared more effectively, reducing the burden on individual board members, and allowing for greater focus on important issues.

Virtually all the town’s committees and boards have five+ members. Both the School Committee and the Planning Board have five members. They have never had a problem finding qualified candidates to run and nor would the Select Board. I served for 12 years on the nine-member Finance Committee, five years as chair. After productive debate, we were always able to achieve timely consensus.

Last, I believe a larger board will allow greater representation, giving more residents the opportunity to participate in leadership and ensuring a greater diversity of voices are heard. This change can foster more robust discussions and lead to decisions that better serve the interests of all constituents. I urge you to support this proposal for the benefit of our town’s governance and future.

The election is Jan. 13. Please vote on this important issue. We must not assume it will pass again, as it has twice at Town Meeting: We must vote again as required by state law.

John McDonald, Church Street

Vote to increase Select Board from three to five members

Ignore the naysayers and all their tales of the bogeyman and pitfalls awaiting the town if we vote to pass this change. Please look at our neighboring towns of Wayland, Wellesley and Sudbury for a reality check.

This is not an untested experiment.

Please vote to increase the Select Board from three persons to five to help our Board function more effectively and efficiently.

Susan Zacharias, Sudbury Road