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Select Board nominates members to Tax Relief Task Force after public questions about APP 10 process
Summary
After public commenters pressed the Select Board to follow APP 10 appointment rules, the board discussed its nomination process and moved to nominate seven people to the Tax Relief Evaluation Task Force; formal appointments will occur at a later meeting.
The Town of Concord Select Board on Feb. 3 nominated seven people to serve on a newly formed Tax Relief Evaluation Task Force after a prolonged public discussion about the town’s committee appointment policy, APP 10.
During public comment, resident Mark Moody said he had found “20 residents who serve on two committees, 10 who serve on three committees, and one resident who serves on maybe four committees” and asked why the board did not follow APP 10. Gwen Acton and Elizabeth Moore echoed concerns, telling the board APP 10 is “a legal requirement” and urging more transparency around nomination and vetting.
Select Board members discussed the process the board agreed to in January, in which each member would nominate one or two candidates and the appointed staff liaison would vet and balance the slate. Wendy, a Select Board member who led the nominations process, explained she solicited nominees from the other members, recruited additional candidates when needed and reviewed nominees’ qualifications against the charter’s stated needs, including renters, real estate expertise and financial analysis experience.
After discussion about whether the board should delay nominations to review a full list of interested volunteers and the vetting process, a board member moved to place the following nominations for terms expiring April 30, 2026: Frank (Rich) Feeley of 347 Lexington Road; Cathy O'Neil of 171 Deacon Haynes Road; John Piper of 30 Oak Road; Lynn Salinger of 75 Pleasant Street; Ellen Quackenbush of 206 Prairie Street; Abby White of 851 Monument Street; and Shannon Sweeney of 1443 Main Street. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Board members clarified the action was a nomination and that formal appointments will be made at a subsequent meeting.
The board also discussed the governance rationale for including some nominees with prior committee experience to ensure the new task force could function under open-meeting and committee rules, and several members said they were not objecting to any particular nominee but wanted a transparent record of interested volunteers going forward.
Next steps: the nominations will be considered for appointment at a future Select Board meeting; the board advised staff to document the full list of volunteers and the vetting applied to nominations if members request it before appointments.
