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Public member urges code of conduct; Select Board considers warnings and chair training for advisory committees
Summary
Audience member Lynn Bruno urged the Select Board to adopt a code of conduct for advisory committees; board members discussed chair training, a warning-and-escalation process for problematic committee behavior, and clarifying committee charges to improve onboarding and reduce volunteer attrition.
At the workshop, audience member Lynn Bruno urged the board to consider a code of conduct for advisory boards, noting the finance committee recently adopted one after a difficult quarter. Lynn said a code can clarify standards of conduct for committee members’ interactions with staff and the public.
Board members and staff discussed options that would respect free-speech limits while giving chairs tools to manage their committees. Staff suggested a warning system where the chair would issue a first outreach and the board could consider removal or other steps if behavior did not improve; one staff member said the practice should begin with chair training and clear, written charges for each committee.
Members repeatedly raised gaps in onboarding and conflict-of-interest understanding among volunteers. One member said many volunteers are leaving early and that better-defined charges, training, and an expectation of preparedness would improve retention and committee performance. The board asked staff to include training and clearer charge language when they next revise committee materials.
Next steps: staff will consider whether to include a committee code of conduct in revised charges, create or update onboarding materials, and report back to the Select Board when charges are reviewed.
