Paul Richards introduces his citizen petition at the June 17 Board of Selectmen meeting.
(Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Though statements delivered to the selectmen during public commentary are common, the delivery of a petition signed by a substantial number of citizens is less so.
At Tuesday night’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, Westcott Road resident Paul Richards read and delivered a petition that he had circulated last week asking that the BOS bring the Town Hall Building Committee (THBC) back into the planning and design process for Town Hall renovations. It had been signed by 276 registered voters; its effect on the selectmen’s intent to move forward with Plan 1B was not obvious.
The current THBC is virtually defunct. Pete Jackson, Eric Broadbent and Chris Cutler all resigned from the committee during the past two weeks, leaving Town Administrator Tim Bragan, who stopped attending meetings last winter, and Tim Clark as the only members. Their appointments expire at the end of June.
Petition is outcome of civic forum
Richards drafted the petition following last Wednesday’s roundtable meeting in the Center on the Common, where residents voiced their opinions on the Town Hall process. (See “Citizens gather to express frustration with BOS Town Hall process”) The petition asked that the BOS appoint qualified members to a new building committee, and that the committee hold at least three public forums to keep voters informed and hear their input while developing four different schematic designs within the existing budget.
In their subsequent discussion of the Town Hall issue, the selectmen agreed that a new building committee should be appointed to carry the project forward. Board Chairman Stu Sklar said that committee should look at Plan 1B, decide whether all of the program needs are met, and evaluate alternatives. But board member Ron Ricci pointed out that the architect had already been given directions to prepare bid documents, and there was no mention of stopping that process. Selectman Leo Blair added that all of the schematic design money had been spent, and that any further design money would have to come either from the construction budget or from an additional appropriation at Town Meeting.
At that point, the board agreed to move forward with Plan 1B, possibly doing the exterior work first while they continue to explore moving the offices out of Town Hall and using it as the “town’s house,” as Wallace put it. They also agreed to come up with a charge for a new building committee at their next meeting and plan to make appointments to that committee sometime in August. Paul Richards left the meeting angry and frustrated. He told the Press he is not yet sure what his next step will be.
The petition
Richards and several others circulated the position last weekend at the Transfer Station, the General Store, the library, and the beach. He said he received responses ranging from “I don’t do petitions” to “I don’t want this project; I hope this kills it.” Richards told the Press that about seven out of every 10 people he approached signed the petition. According to Richards, only a handful of people he and his colleagues approached supported the BOS plan. He also said that some town employees and business owners expressed a desire to sign the petition, but feared repercussions from the BOS.
The petition was not the only piece of advice delivered to the selectmen on Tuesday night. Four other speakers addressed the board on the topic of moving town offices out of Town Hall permanently, three in favor and one opposed. Still River residents Paul and Wendell Willard and Peter Warren of Lancaster County Road recalled an earlier time when Town Hall was used almost exclusively for social events, plays, and public meetings; and all three agreed that there is merit to the idea of returning the building to that functionality. Historical Commission member Pam Marston also spoke, representing the commission’s view that Town Hall should remain the seat of town government.
Richards was the last to speak. His petition said that the undersigned voters “believe that the recent decision by the BOS to disregard the building committee’s input and take over all planning and decision-making regarding the Town Hall project will not result in a best value outcome for the Town Hall.”
