I have become aware that there is a lot of current discussion in town about 40B projects, and suggestions are being made for people to attend the Board of Selectmen meeting tomorrow evening to seek to discuss 40B. While I am delighted to see my fellow residents at our meetings, just so that you are not disappointed, I wanted to share with you my plans to address the current concerns, as well as what I expect will happen tomorrow evening at the meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
Tomorrow night, I plan to ask my colleagues on the Board of Selectmen to support setting up an informational meeting for residents, to be held at a later date, at which we as a town can all hear from and discuss with knowledgeable experts who can tell us how 40B operates and just what towns can and cannot accomplish in response to proposed 40B developments.
Some people seem to think that such a discussion should happen at tomorrow evening’s Board of Selectmen meeting. While I absolutely agree that we as a town should have a meeting to discuss 40B’s, and the West street proposal in particular, however, tomorrow evening does not appear to be the optimal time to do so where no arrangements have been made to make it a successful meeting. Therefore, I do not want people to be disappointed by thinking that an extended discussion is intended to happen at the Board of Selectmen tomorrow evening.
How Did We Get Here
Last Wednesday evening at Denise Garlick’s event there was a lot of discussion of the proposed 40B, and at that time both Mike Sullivan and I agreed that we would seek to set up such a meeting at a later date.
Why Have No Arrangements Been Made for a Successful Meeting on 40B Tomorrow Night
I am but one member of a three member Board of Selectmen, and therefore I need my colleagues involved (neither were at Denise Garlick’s meeting) – and I also think it is both important and better for the town if all our selectmen are involved. So it is my hope to get our other two selectmen involved when we meet on Tuesday evening. Because of the Open Meeting Law I am only allowed to speak with them at our meetings, so as I write this I am not even aware as to whether they have any idea so much discussion is occurring.
What arrangements are needed
For any meeting about 40B to work best, we need to make some basic appropriate arrangements –
• to have the right agenda,
• to have the right presenters, and
• to have the right location that accommodates all interested residents.
In other words, some minimal planning is needed. Mike Sullivan says that the town counsel Mark Cerel has been asked and has agreed to present. Others may be appropriate to ask too, and I want to discuss that tomorrow night. We especially need the right location, as the Board of Selectmen meeting room accommodates a limited number, and I do not want people to be shut out. Mike also mentioned to me that Mark Cerel may want time to pull together some materials.
Current Sources of Information
Information is essential to people making correct decisions, and the planned meeting will go a long way to providing that information. For those who want more information right away, I have posted at my blog (https://medfield02052.wordpress.com/) some links to resources that I have gather over the years from having been an attorney, from having been on the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Medfield, from having written a decision that permitted a 40B (the one on Dale Street next to the railroad tracks), and also from ones I specifically tracked down last Friday afternoon in my effort to assist people who are currently trying to figure out how 40B works and how to deal with what has been proposed.
Conclusion
I think people seeking information about 40B would be much more satisfied, and in the end better informed, if they opted to attend the informational meeting on 40B’s at a date yet to be determined, than to attend the Board of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday evening. However, people are always welcome at our selectmen meetings, as all our meetings are always open to anyone, and I will be happy to discuss what I know of 40B. Also, our meetings are usually broadcast live via Medfield TV. I am writing in detail because I prefer that people know in advance what to expect will happen and what will not happen at our Tuesday meeting, so that people can make their own informed decisions about whether to attend. As a selectman I make a commitment to attend lots of meetings in town on your behalf, but I also recognize that the town government cannot expect residents to attend multiple meetings as a regular course. I welcome you to join us tomorrow night, but if you can only spare time to attend one meeting and want to get the biggest return on your time, opt for the later meeting.
Medfield02052's Blog 