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Tenant raises voter-registration concern at Melendy Pond; Selectboard cites lease residency restrictions
Summary
A Melendy Pond tenant told the Brookline Selectboard he cannot register to vote or serve on the Melendy Pond Management Committee because his lease requires annual affidavit of residency elsewhere; the board said leases were drafted with legal counsel and deferred legal opinion.
During the March 31 meeting, Peter Rondeau, who identified himself as a Melendy Pond tenant, told the Selectboard he had hosted a community conversation and was concerned that Melendy Pond tenants cannot register to vote in Brookline or serve on the Melendy Pond Management Committee. He said he reviewed voter rules and viewed restrictions as potentially coercive.
Selectboard Chair Eddie Arnold responded that tenant leases limit the ability of tenants to claim Brookline residency and that tenants must sign an affidavit each year declaring residency in another town; he said leases were prepared with legal counsel and declined to offer additional comment until consulting counsel.
Separately, the board voted to create a Melendy Pond Planning Committee and accepted appointments; Selectboard member Stephen Dolfini said Susan Holroyd may volunteer and asked the Conservation Commission to appoint a representative to the committee.
The board did not reach a policy decision about tenant voting eligibility during the meeting and flagged the matter for legal review. The exchange occurred during the Public Input portion of the agenda; the Selectboard did not indicate it would change lease language without counsel and formal process.
