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Charter review committee forms survey and forum task groups to gather public input
Summary
The committee set July–September as its data‑gathering window, canceled the July 8 meeting, and created two task groups to develop a resident survey and public forums; a member volunteered to draft the survey and the committee discussed distribution options including town website verification and mailers.
The Bridgewater Charter Review Committee on June 29 laid out a plan to gather resident input for its charter review, forming two task groups to develop a resident survey and public forums and setting July–September as the principal data‑gathering period.
Committee members discussed multiple outreach methods: an online survey hosted on the town website (with verification to limit responses to residents), mailings or bill inserts, QR codes with caution about security, and in‑person forums at the senior center, library and a weekend option. Members noted tradeoffs of cost, reach and response quality and underscored the need to centralize responses in one place for analysis.
James volunteered to draft the first survey: “I can I can I'm happy to take a to stab at that,” he said, and committee members asked that initial drafts be submitted in time to include them in the agenda packet for review at the July 22 meeting. The committee set July 15 as an internal deadline for packet inclusion ahead of the July 22 meeting.
Members recommended a mixed approach to outreach: targeted online tools routed to the town site to ensure residency verification, mailed notices where feasible, and in‑person forums with short educational presentations on the charter and forms of government to help residents understand the issues before providing input. The committee cautioned that public forums should be structured to avoid repetitive comments and to capture themes usable for later analysis.
Two task groups were formed: one to draft the resident survey and implementation options, and another to plan public forums and communications. A third planning effort was assigned to coordinate interviews with town officials and department heads. The committee also voted to cancel the July 8 meeting and concentrate work toward the July 22 session.
During public comment, Evelyn Ellenburg urged the committee to include a direct question asking whether residents want to return to open town meeting, saying the public should decide the form of government. Committee members said such a question could be included in outreach materials if phrased with explanatory context.
Next steps: the survey task group will prepare draft questions for the July 22 packet; forum logistics and a communications plan will be returned to the full committee for approval.
