Select Board approves late reappointment to Human Rights Committee after optics debate

The Select Board approved, by unanimous voice vote on Jan. 7, a consent-calendar motion that included a reappointment to the Human Rights Committee that had been added to the agenda after 5 p.m. Staff said the reappointment was a technical correction formalizing service that had already been ongoing.

Why it matters: board members debated whether acting on the appointment before a special election could be perceived as political. Some members urged delaying the appointment to avoid optics concerns; others said postponement would itself appear political and that the item simply corrected an oversight.

No change in candidate status. According to staff, the individual served on the committee in an unformalized capacity because a reappointment had been missed; the motion before the board was to formalize a prior, existing appointment rather than to add a newly selected person.

Outcome. After discussion the board voted in favor of the consent and appointments calendar (voice vote); the chair recorded the result as unanimous.