Governance committee approves parallel survey-and-interview rollout for town boards

WESTON — April 18, 2024 — Weston's Town Governance Study Committee set a May 30 listening session and approved parallel outreach to roughly 34 town boards. Member Kara Fleming chaired in the absence of Chair Harvey Boshart, joined by Michael Harrity, John Thompson and Town Moderator Rip Hastings. Hastings reported a 34-tab inventory underway comparing Weston to Wellesley, Wayland, Natick, Lincoln, Lexington, Holliston, Dover, Concord, Carlisle and Amherst, the last cited for its town council form. Harrity pushed successfully to introduce the committee to each board before survey results return: "I just think we'll get better feedback if we do it directly," he said. The committee will appear before the newly seated Select Board on May 14 at 6:30 p.m. and target the library, capacity roughly 100, for the May 30 hybrid session. A resident urged hiring a consultant; Thompson reminded him the underlying three-to-five Select Board vote "was an advisory vote. It wasn't a binding vote."