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Select Board discusses forming inclusion committee and survey follow-up
Summary
Board members revisited the town’s Declaration of Inclusion and reviewed a 2024 state survey designed to guide municipal inclusion efforts; members asked for a clearer committee charge and to place the survey in the next packet for public review.
Board members raised the town’s Declaration of Inclusion (adopted in 2022 or 2023) and a 2024 state survey intended to translate declarations into concrete actions. A board member (speaker 5) said the town adopted the declaration but did not follow through and proposed creating an Inclusion Committee to review policies, ordinances and programs for implicit bias.
Members discussed whether the group should be a Select Board subcommittee or a standalone community committee and emphasized the need for a clear charge, membership, and expected deliverables. The select board asked that the survey and supporting documents be included in the next meeting packet so the public can review and volunteers can be recruited.
Why it matters: Adoption of a declaration without implementation yields limited outcomes; forming a committee with a clear charter would allow the town to review ordinances, municipal contracts and school partnerships for institutional bias.
What’s next: The board agreed to place the survey and a draft committee charge in the next packet and to return with a proposal that addresses membership, responsibilities and measurable goals.
