Weston governance committee plans press release on three-to-five select board question

WESTON — May 16, 2024 — Weston Town Governance Study Committee weighs accelerating its three-to-five select board recommendation. At the May 16 meeting, Chair Harvey Boshart said Select Board Chair Tom Palmer is awaiting the committee's recommendation before acting on the 2022 citizens petition, which passed by roughly 80 percent but is advisory only. Member Kara Fleming, the town's former public information officer, attributed public frustration to communication failures and will draft a press release with Palmer. Fleming flagged potential staff workload impacts from a five-member board — a concern Town Moderator Rip Hastings said had not surfaced in Milton, Sudbury or Duxbury studies. Preliminary survey returns were called "really, really bad," with respondents citing "community vitriol" as a top barrier to volunteering. A follow-up meeting is set for May 23 ahead of a May 30 hybrid public listening session at the Weston Public Library.