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Select Board hears working‑group plan to shift CMLP governance toward blended elected/appointed board
Summary
Jason Bolger, director of the Concord Municipal Light Plant, told the Select Board a working group recommends special legislation creating a five‑member ‘blended’ light board (three elected, two appointed) to resolve a statutory/charter discrepancy and reduce managerial liability. The proposal would return some authority to a statutory light board while preserving technical expertise via appointed seats.
Jason Bolger, director of the Concord Municipal Light Plant, laid out the legal and historical case for changing how the town governs the utility, telling the Select Board that the issue stems from a mismatch between Chapter 1 64 and Concord’s charter and administrative code. He said the working group’s recommendation is “a 5 member majority elected board,” explaining that would put Concord closer to the governance model used by most Massachusetts municipal light plants while keeping appointed seats for technical expertise.
Bolger warned the current structure places substantial enterprise‑level responsibility and legal exposure on the town manager, who appoints the board and also functions as general manager under the town’s charter and administrative code. “The light plant’s budget is nearing nearing $40,000,000 a year,” he said, arguing the scale and complexity of today's utility operations (power contracts, transmission compliance, distributed energy resources and workforce pressures) make clearer statutory footing desirable. Board members supported a public‑education effort if the town pursues special legislation: workshops, recorded materials and FAQs were suggested so voters can evaluate any warrant article.
Supporters said a blended board can protect ratepayers while preserving the ability to recruit technical talent — two appointed seats would allow the town to ensure engineering, power‑supply or utility‑finance experience on the board. Several Select Board members emphasized careful outreach and a measured timetable; the working group estimated the full process (town meeting, legislative approval and first elections) could take a year or two.
