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Residents press Select Board to resolve African Meeting House truck and keep working group in place; committee reports selection of investigator via RFP
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Select Board Aug. 20 to address an abandoned truck bearing signage related to the African Meeting House; Select Board members discussed the working group's selection of an investigative firm through an RFP and asked staff to place a formal agenda item about extending the working group's term.
Several residents urged the Select Board on Aug. 20 to move toward a resolution over an older truck parked near the African Meeting House that displays signage connected to the 2018 incident at the historic site, and the board discussed the future of the working group that has led the town’s response.
Public commenters called the vehicle an “eyesore” near a busy intersection and asked that the town consider alternatives for commemoration that do not require the truck to remain on the street. Jen Burrett, who identified herself as involved with museum properties at the African Meeting House, said the vehicle’s presence, trash and graphic signage were distressing to residents and children walking by.
Multiple speakers, including longtime neighborhood residents, urged the board to separate the underlying historic incident from the truck‑signage issue and to consider a more dignified, permanent memorial within the Meeting House or on town property.
Select Board member Malcolm reported that the African American House Working Group went through an RFP process and “have come up with one” investigative organization, but he did not state that a contract had been executed at the meeting. He asked the board to consider extending the working group’s term so it could coordinate with any investigator and continue outreach. Town administration said it would put the working‑group‑extension request on a future agenda and look up the working group’s original setup and term limits.
Board members emphasized that if a contract with an investigator is approved, coordination will be needed between the investigator, the working group and town administration. Select Board members also said they would work to find a resolution that balanced respect for the historic event, legal constraints and neighborhood concerns.
No binding decision to remove the truck or to approve a contract was documented at the meeting; the board directed staff to add the working‑group term extension to a future agenda and indicated they will return with formal options once the investigative firm and coordination plan are established.
