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Town staff preview 'Make Waves' awards program; board weighs folding citizen recognition into new program
Summary
Town staff presented 'Make Waves,' a new recognition program to honor employees, board members and community nominees. The Select Board discussed whether to fold the traditional citizen‑of‑the‑year into the program, voting thresholds and award categories, and asked for criteria to prevent popularity‑contest outcomes.
Town staff presented a draft recognition program called Make Waves, which would include categories for employees, select board members and community nominations. Staff said the program would be administered by the manager’s office and include multiple award categories rather than a single 'citizen of the year.'
Board members asked how the program would interact with existing citizen recognition processes (current policy references a 3-of-5 select board vote for some awards) and sought clarity on criteria to avoid turning selections into popularity contests. Staff said nominations would be open to the public and that department heads would help the manager’s team vet and recommend recipients; a town staff member noted the program could recognize both long-service contributors and specific acts of service.
Board members asked staff to present the Make Waves materials in draft form at the evening meeting; staff said they would show an art installation and draft award categories later in the day. No formal adoption occurred at the workshop.
Next steps: staff will present the Make Waves draft at the full Select Board meeting and provide clearer award criteria and governance process for board consideration.
