Weston Governance Committee Launches Outreach to Peer Towns on Board Size

WESTON — September 5, 2024 — Weston's Town Governance Study Committee approved a plan to email roughly 20 peer communities about their experiences changing select board size, with interviews to follow. Chair Harvey Boshart and members Michael Pappone, John Thompson, and Kara Fleming agreed the outreach will come from the committee's own email address and begin with a short cover letter — drafted by Pappone — asking each recipient to identify the best person for a follow-up conversation. Town Manager Leon Gaumond said he will contact the Massachusetts Municipal Association to find a comprehensive list of towns that have acted on board-size changes in the past 10 to 15 years. Fleming reported she had already called two peer towns and found select boards "don't all operate the same," with one town running only 10 appointed committees because its board handles all studies internally. The committee also faces an imminent vacancy after member Glenn Cross signaled he can no longer serve, and Boshart urged colleagues to identify potential replacements sooner rather than later.