Petitioners seek clearer publication of elected officials’ contact information; Select Board to refine language

A warrant article proposing that the town publish contact information for elected officials on the town website — including telephone and email — prompted discussion at the Sept. 30 Select Board meeting and was left for further refinement rather than immediate action.

Petitioner Regina Frawley, a town meeting member and constable, said the change would make it easier for residents to contact the officials they elect. “If you ask people for their vote, you should also be easily accessible to them,” she said, noting constables had been removed from a town website listing in recent years and urging a return to broader public listings for elected officials.

Board members and staff discussed whether the requirement should be a town bylaw change (which would rest in the town clerk’s statutory duties) or a nonbinding resolution. Select Board members noted that addresses for candidates already appear on ballots and that many elected officials’ contact details can be found on town pages; several asked the petitioner to specify which contact fields she wants posted (phone, email, office). The advisory subcommittee had suggested removing a requirement to post home addresses; the petitioner accepted that amendment but asked that phone and email remain.

Outcome: The Select Board held a public hearing and deferred a vote to allow staff to refine language and to consider whether a bylaw amendment would better secure long‑term compliance. The matter will return after the Select Board and petitioner agree on precise language and whether the town clerk’s responsibilities should be adjusted by bylaw.