We want to express our frustration with the inaccessibility of Town Meetings for families.
Currently, meetings occur on Saturdays from 12–5 p.m. (or later)—a time when many parents, regardless of whether they work outside the home, are juggling youth sports, kids’ lessons, family events, and other weekend obligations. While childcare is technically offered during Town Meeting, we believe it’s unrealistic for parents to place their children—especially those still in diapers, taking naps, or who have never met the babysitters before—in childcare for five or more hours. The reality is that attending a full Town Meeting under the current schedule is nearly impossible for most parents of young children.
Because of this, we see an entire demographic of residents—parents with younger kids—is severely underrepresented in these important decision-making sessions and unintentionally skews the results of votes on issues that matter greatly to younger families.
As mothers of elementary school children, we care deeply about the issues at Town Meetings. Budgets for our town impact the schools our children attend. Decisions on town facilities and recreational areas affect the places we take our kids to play and do sports. Changes to commercial areas and zoning determine the spaces our families have to connect, shop, and enjoy our town together.
A few years ago, a request was made to Town Hall to consider moving the meeting to a weekday evening so more residents could participate. The response was, “likely no, because this is just how it’s done.” More recently, the explanation given was that the Select Board controls the schedule and that the topic would need to be brought to a board meeting. It’s true the town experimented with weeknight meetings back in 2017, but that was eight years ago. Low turnout then shouldn’t be used as proof that weeknights “don’t work”—especially when Saturdays continue to pose major barriers for families today. If Saturdays must remain, at the very least there should be no town-sponsored sports games or practices that day so more families can attend. Better yet, remote or proxy voting should be explored to ensure residents who cannot be there in person still have a voice.
Many of us chose to live in Harvard because of the community, the small-town feel, and the opportunity to meaningfully contribute. That spirit is lost when large segments of our population—particularly parents of young children—are unable to participate. We need to reimagine how and when Town Meetings are held so they work for all residents, not just those with the freest weekends.
Becca Kelley, Ann Lees Road
Stephanie Levin, Prospect Hill Road
Mattie Beard, Old Littleton Road
Rose Pacific, Park Lane
