Traffic and Sidewalk Committee chair resigns

Traffic and Sidewalk Committee Chair Daniel Patnaude resigned Monday, March 9, citing issues with other committee members as the reason for quitting the board.

Patnaude wrote in his resignation letter that although they were not violating any laws,  certain members of the committee were not declaring conflicts of interest and were not working in the best interest of Weston.

“It is the belief of this citizen that these members were installed principally to obstruct or otherwise slow down ongoing town improvement projects, and are acting in their own best interest, rather than the interest of the town,” he wrote. “Frankly, I do not have the energy to fight against a rising tide of NIMBY-ism.”

In an interview, Patnaude declined to state which committee members were of concern or which projects he believes are being obstructed.

“My feeling as a citizen of Weston is that people are not operating in the town’s best interest,” he said, emphasizing that he did not believe any members of the committee were violating conflict of interest laws.

Patnaude moved to Weston two years ago. The Select Board appointed him to the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee in February 2025 for a three-year term. He said he joined to help move the town forward on projects such as the Route 30 reconstruction and look toward multimodal transportation.

Patnaude said that constant emails from members about their opinions on projects that should have been discussed during meetings contributed to his decision to resign.

“I’m stepping down and walking away from a position where I feel that I don’t have the energy to fight against louder voices when it comes to certain issues,” Patnaude said. “I just don’t have that energy. I wish I did.”