The Town of Wayne Select Board voted 5-0 on July 15 to offer Andrew Goral a temporary appointment to fill the remaining two years of a vacated planning-board term, subject to Goral’s agreement to serve. The board discussed longer-term appointment policy changes and formed a small working group to draft a townwide appointments policy.

Board members said leaving the shorter (two-year) slot filled while the board develops a formal appointments policy would maintain planning-board continuity without committing to longer five-year appointments before policy changes. “That seems expedient and logical and reasonable all the way around,” said Lloyd (Select Board member) during the discussion. The Select Board delegated Tom (Select Board member) to speak with Goral and then made a formal motion to offer Goral the position; the motion passed 5-0.

Separately, the board asked Shannon (Town Manager) and Tom to serve with the chair (the mover) as a small committee to draft and return a proposed appointments policy at the next meeting. The policy discussion will address questions raised at this meeting, including whether incumbents should receive preference, how alternates should be used to fill vacancies, and whether different boards should use the same appointment process. The motion and subcommittee were intended to allow the planning board to operate with a full membership while the policy is developed.