Select Board warns Finance Committee over treatment of department heads

WESTON — March 4, 2021 — Weston Finance Committee gets formal warning from Select Board over conduct toward department heads. Chair Lisa opened the March 4 meeting by relaying that Select Board member Harvey Bossert had described one Finance Committee member as "significantly unprofessional and borderline rude" to Public Works Director Tom Cullen, and that the Select Board could route future department-head testimony through liaisons if behavior is not corrected. Member John McDonald called the threat "outrageous," citing state law and town bylaw authority to question town employees. The committee then heard school business administrator Sherry present a recommended FY22 school budget of $43,817,917 — a $911,108, or 2.12 percent, increase — with general fund FTEs reduced to 409.7 and 17.359 additional FTEs funded by $1.3 million in federal and state grants. School Committee member Alex previewed a draft warrant article for feasibility studies covering the middle school pool, high school locker rooms, auditorium, music wing and discretionary items including a field house, which the committee signaled it may strip out.