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Residents press Select Board for clearer agenda access, call out listserv as poor substitute for official answers
Summary
At a packed Select Board meeting, multiple residents urged clearer, published procedures for getting items on the agenda and criticized use of the town listserv as a substitute for official communications; speakers requested that staff publish an agenda-request form and that officials provide clearer timelines for outstanding water-billing and infrastructure questions.
A crowd of residents on March 19 pressed the Woodstock Select Board for clearer routes to influence town business and quicker answers on water billing and infrastructure. ‘‘I have heard that some of you on the select board feel there's great community support because nobody comes to meetings,’’ resident Peggy Fraser said, asking the board to make it easier for citizens to have agenda items included and to follow up on water-billing questions.
Other commenters described frustration with the listserv and asked for a formal avenue to request agenda items. Mary Anne Sweeney urged the board to post a template from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns outlining who may request agenda items and how requests are submitted. ‘‘If you want citizens to participate in local government, you need to give them the tools to do so,’’ Sweeney said.
Select Board leaders acknowledged the frustration but reiterated the constraints of open-meeting rules. Chair Susan Ford said the board's agenda is set two weeks ahead of meetings and that email addresses for the chair, vice chair and staff are on the town website. Vice Chair Laura Powell asked residents to bring questions to meetings or submit them by email so staff can follow up; she said the town had conducted a recent public-education campaign and would publish additional guidance and office hours online.
The public-comment exchange also included sharp critiques of the manager's pay and town responsiveness. Nancy Barr of South Woodstock said she felt the town was ‘‘a mess’’ and objected to an advertised manager raise and vacation terms. Residents asked for published timelines for answers and for a clear process the town will use to respond to frequently raised concerns.
The board told the public it will post meeting protocol guidance and consider the VLCT template for agenda requests; officials said dedicated public-feedback sessions are part of the planned outreach for some agenda items.
