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Select Board names representative to Land Use Working Group; At‑Large seat left for further review
Summary
The Select Board appointed Select Board member Mary Hartman as the board’s representative to the Land Use Working Group and discussed candidate interviews and committee composition for the At‑Large seat; the group will begin work after town meeting with liaison and schedule decisions planned for late June and July.
The Town of Concord Select Board voted May 19 to appoint Select Board member Mary Hartman as the board’s representative to the Land Use Working Group and agreed to move forward with launching the working group after town meeting.
Mary Hartman nominated herself for the seat and received the board’s support; several board members said they expected regular reporting from the representative to keep the full board informed as the group proceeds. The board discussed the group’s immediate priorities, including “Phase 1” work to develop recommendations for locations of new municipal facilities such as public works, police and fire.
The At‑Large member slot for the working group is still under review. Candidates noted in the meeting included Jennifer Braceras (noted as bringing DEI expertise), Todd Benjamin (commercial and residential real-estate background), Susan Myers (extensive town committee experience) and Terri (candidate with municipal administration and public‑safety planning experience). Select Board members said they would follow up with additional interviews and hoped to reach board consensus before finalizing that appointment. The board affirmed it wants a nine‑member working group and expressed concern about growing the membership beyond that number because of quorum and scheduling constraints.
Board members also discussed the working timeline and the town calendar: leaders and liaison assignments are expected to be addressed after town meeting, with a June 30 meeting flagged for leadership work and a July 14 meeting identified for finalizing liaison assignments and adopting FY26 goals. The board noted some members will travel immediately after town meeting, which could create short-term quorum issues in June and affect scheduling.
Members of the public and commissioners raised the importance of including natural‑resource and ecological expertise in the process; the Select Board said liaisons and non‑voting participants could provide that perspective if a formal voting seat is not added.
