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Meeting Posted: Yes
Place: Ritter Memorial Building, 960 Massachusetts Avenue
Time: 7:00PM
Present: Jaime Toale (Selectmen), Katey Adams (School Committee Representative), Mark Erickson (Finance
Committee), Michael-Ray Jeffreys (Planning Board), Michael Mackin (School Committee Representative), Terri
Burchfield (Finance Committee), Nancy Gray (Community Representative), Bob Ebersole (Selectman), Steve
Archambault (Community Representative)
MINUTES APPROVAL
14 March = Minutes accepted by All members; All aye.
PUBLIC HEARING ON DRAFT CHARTER
A. Charter Committee Report
The existing Charter requires a committee to meet every 10 years to review and make recommendations to amend
the Charter. Members were assigned to committees and groups and in most cases there were no changes
recommended. The committee employed surveys and held open meetings since August, 2017. Major changes
include (1) changing the name of the Board of Selectman to Select Board, (2) manner of selection of the Town Clerk
from elected to appointed, (3) providing that persons appointed to town committees be resident registered to vote in
town, (4) providing for a second Town Meeting in the fall, (5) providing that conduct of town meeting to be
governed by "Town Meeting Time," (6) clarify and confirm the appointment powers of the Select Board and Town
Manager, (7) clarifying the duties of the town manager relating to the personnel management, (8) providing more
specifics in the process for removal and suspension of the town manager, (9) make certain other grammatical and
phrasing changes that do not alter the meaning or intent of existing provisions.
B. Minority Report
The task of the committee was to review the Charter and it's entirely possible to review the document and leave it
unchanged. The language changes will run the government more like a business than like a government. The default
should be to not make changes; the Town Manager is given more control and citizens may lose their voice.
C. Comments by remaining committee members
T. Burchfield - agreed to put everything in the charter knowing that some things may be voted down and that we
could come back in the fall with adjustments. Did not believe that representative town meeting should be pursued
without aggressively pursuing participation in Annual Town Meeting. Believes that adding an additional town
meeting in the fall would make it better for residents to plan to attend with the goal of increasing participation.
When first moved to Lunenburg found the format of Town Meeting to be fascinated and was alarmed by the amount
of people that leave the meeting mid-day. Supported the Town Clerk change because it's a full-time job without a
support mechanism within the organization of town government. Didn't have strong feelings about Board of
Selectman or Select Board.
M. Jeffreys - believes the committee took a conservative approach to drafting changes. Supported changes for the
Planning Board, adding in a second annual town meeting, creation of facility manager, and changing name of Board
of Selectman to Select Board to be more inclusive to women. Did not support changing the town clerk position from
elected to appointed, but we hoped the committee could reach consensus on a passable draft.
D. Read written comments on draft Charter into record
Library Trustrees - request to change paragraph to to read, "The town manager shall, with the input of the library
director, be responsible for hiring and removal of all fibrary employees except the library director."
Carl Luck - requiring candidates for elected positions for which no candidate is printed on the RECETVED & FILED
the amount of votes equal to the amount of signatures required to have been on the ballot.
JUN 1 4 2018
LUNENBURG TOWN
CLERK OFFICE
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Richard Mailloux - Chair of Library Board - what was suggested was adopted almost in its entirety. Did not believe
that the existing Charter reflects what is done. The Library is not like the other departments - more similar to the
Library. The Library Director is not hired by the Town Manager and is hired by the elected board of Trustees. Could
not find any other Library in which the Town Manager hired Library Trustees (i.e Athol, Groton, Littleton,
Westford, Wyoming, Iowa). Requests for the charter to reinstate the language recommended by the Board of
Carl Luck - Believes that when the proposal (to create minimum voting thresholds for open elected positions
without a candidate printed on the ballot) was presented, the wording was very different than what was proposed.
Would like to see a change more reflective of state law. Stated that "broad policy guidelines" is too vague and "day
to day" cannot be taken out of context and cannot be separately defined. Supports the addition of a second town
meeting. Does not support the change to Select Board... it's "much ado about nothing." Would like to see language
of "Road Commissioner" defined. Believes that this public hearing should have happened in February and that the
commission needs more time to continue its work.
David W. Rodgers- Does not support a name change for the Board of Selectman. Section 2-3 under "committees"
is language allowed by the Freedom of Information Act. Believes that it should be easier for the public to be able to
convey their thoughts to the public through two scheduled meetings, not harder. Believes that voter petitions are the
purest form of democracy - such as with Wallis Park, which was not supported by three boards. Suggested that in
Section 3-1 - voter elections should be any mark that indicates the vote of selection. Section 3-2 Board of Selectman
- should be the chief policy makers- questions whether this allows the Board of Selectman to trump the elected
boards with policy making duties. Section 3-2 — Selectman's appointed positions - the Town Clerk should be
elected and not appointed. Reterence to the Director of Facilities - should get more study and needs more
information. Section 3-4 — Board of Assessors / the Town Manager should not be involved in the Assessors. Thinks
the role of the Town Manager has been expanded upon and that "there are 8 people who run this town." Thinks that
elected officials should not have their actions preempted by town employees. Section 3-5 Cemetery commission -
read the duties of the cemetery commission. Board of Sewer Commission - "you're elected to do something, but
you can't do it." Section 4-2 - residency requirement on appointed positions.
"Thinks we're getting further and
further removed from the people we're supposed to be working for, which is the taxpayer."
Matthew Woodward - Doesn't support change from Board of Selectman to Select Board; supports two town
meetings; would like to keep the Town Clerk elected.
Bill Tyler - Does not believe that there has been enough time to review the proposed changes. M.G.L. clearly states
the roles of the Sewer Commission. Believes that the additional language added to the section takes away from the
addition of the word "sole" that was added to the duties of the commission.
Dave Passios - Does not support the verbiage added to the end of the sections for boards. Read added verbiage into
record. Believes that the checks and balances are being systematically removed. The outreach was to ask for
suggested changes but were not approached with suggested changes made by the board.
Paula Bertram - Does not support changing the name of Board of Selectman to Select Board; believes that the Town
Clerk should remain elected; supports the addition of a second town meeting; does not support the additional
language for personnel and the additional language added to most boards and commissions.
Tom Alonzo - Thanked the board for their work. Believes that the speed of the board's work seems to be governed
by the schedule of Town Meeting. Supports changing the Town Clerk's job to being appointed and not elected given
that it's the only elected official that has a salary. Against adding a second annual town meeting in the Charter and
does not believe there is evidence that a schedule will increase participation. The appointment of the Town
Accountant is changing from the Board of Selectman to the Town Manager and believes that the presumable idea of
the current structure is to an independent view and not the view of the person who hired them. The added paragraph
for boards of committees goes from "murky to cloudy" and that it's difficult to define.
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supports that there sauce dill best do crete boars. vote nine to keep me brecica lown bick
elected. Would like clarification on what "day-to-day" means.
Dave Passios - Strongly support keeping Town Clerk's position elected.
Seth Mayer - Don't support changing the name of Board of Selectman. If it works, it can stay the same.
Anna Lockwood - How well can we run the town. "Powers corrupts people, both ways." Believes there should be a
barrier - doesn't believe that elected officials should go unchecked. Believes employees have a vested interest in
doing a good job.
F. Close Public Comment Period
Ended at 8:47PM
DISCUSSION
M. Jeffreys - did not support aiming for Town Meeting and still doesn't
M. Erickson - would like to reflect on comments; weather got in the way of the timeline
M. Mackin - concurs that more time is needed to get it right
K. Adams - believes the final draft should be ready before Town Meeting
B. Ebersole - does not believe that this can be published tomorrow to meet Town Meeting; would like more
feedback on major items; believes we should allow for messy government; delineate Town Manager duties
T. Burchfield - would like to wait to work on the charter and not aim for Town Meeting in May; would like to
clarity that Special Town Meetings should occur
J. Toale - supports doing more work even if it means that we miss Town Meeting. Thinks that the wording "broad
policy guidelines" should be workshopped through committees. Binary issues should have articulation with both the
S. Archambault - accountant; check & balances
VOTE
S. Archambault - motion to not approve changes to Charter, Second by N. Gray; All Aye
MEETING SCHEDULE & FURTHER PUBLIC OUTREACH
Members will be contacted by the chair to coordinate a schedule for future meetings
ADJOURNMENT
S. Archambault - motion to adjourn, Second by M. Mackin; All aye at 9:05PM