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Selectmen membership study committee hears two consultant proposals, delays selection
Summary
The Board of Selectmen Membership Size Study Committee heard presentations from two consulting teams on May 13 proposing different research approaches and timelines — a 4–5 month survey‑focused study and a 2–3 month interview‑based review — and deferred selecting a consultant until May 19, 2026.
The Board of Selectmen Membership Size Study Committee on May 13 heard presentations from two consulting teams proposing different methods and timelines to study the town’s Selectmen/Select Board membership size and voted to defer selecting a consultant until its next meeting.
Anthony Wilson of the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass Boston proposed a study that would emphasize subjective experiences, including a targeted survey of current Selectmen/Select Board members and town administrators in comparable communities. Wilson said that approach would take about 4–5 months and conclude with a final report and presentation to the committee.
Representatives from Capital Strategic Solutions — William Keegan and Jennifer Thompson — outlined an alternative that centers on interviews with current and former Selectmen, meetings with town leadership, and research into other Massachusetts communities that have considered similar changes. Keegan said CSS’s approach would likely take 2–3 months and produce a report with recommendations.
Committee members asked both teams about drivers of board size decisions, prior experience in comparable communities, how independent boards factor into outcomes, and whether current and former Selectmen would be interviewed as part of the work. The transcript records questions from committee members but does not include verbatim answers beyond the consultants’ high‑level timelines and method descriptions.
The committee did not select a consultant at the meeting and deferred that decision to the next meeting, scheduled for May 19, 2026 at 6:30 PM in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room at the Town House. Earlier in the meeting the committee unanimously approved the March 3, 2026 meeting minutes; Laverne Lovell moved to accept the minutes and Charles DeBevoise seconded. The meeting adjourned at 3:56 PM following a motion by Lovell, seconded by DeBevoise, which also passed unanimously.
Next steps: the committee will revisit consultant selection at the May 19 meeting, giving members time to compare the proposals and ask follow‑up questions.
