From the Moderator, Scott McDermott, by courtesy of Colleen Sullivan –

Town Meeting Brief #4, by Town Moderator, Scott McDermott

This is the FOURTH in a series of Town Meeting Briefs – Town Moderator, Scott McDermott suggests everyone bring PATIENCE and RESPECT.

Medfield’s Special Town Meeting on Sunday, Nov 7, 2021

An exercise in RESPECT and PATIENCE

Medfield is a community with a long heritage of respectful, civil, and thoughtful public dialogue. As the meeting unfolds, I will be leaning on the watchwords – RESPECT and CIVILITY.

• Please stick to the facts,
• Agree to disagree,
• No personal attacks will be tolerated,
• There is NO hate in debate,
• And, As Mary J. Blige might say, “leave your ‘situations at the door.”

Please join us and be a CITIZEN LEGISLATOR.

It is time to turn away from the substantive debate still raging on Facebook, and the procedural positioning still being debated, and for all of us to focus on one key factor – Sunday is about the composition of the legislative body convening on the high school campus. Each registered voter sitting within the Special Town Meeting when the question is called (not earlier than 1:30pm) will have the exceptional opportunity, serving as a citizen legislator, to cast a vote on this very important and strategic decision for the Town of Medfield.https://cd06748cb6ed04686dcf9b2ed4ef5f92.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Medfield has over 9,300 registered voters invited to join us in a time proven exercise of direct, participatory self-government.

Beyond a heavy dose of respect and civility, please bring your PATIENCE. The meeting begins at 12:00pm and bear in mind we “fall back” Saturday night We will hear first from some of the town and community’s most committed citizens – almost all volunteers who have dedicated enormous time and efforts to this issue. Ultimately, we will call the vote, no earlier than 1:30pm. The vote will take time – please be patient. The counting of the vote will take time – please be patient. We have dedicated ourselves to a process that cannot be rushed. The Voting Cards are a new process being tested with very heavy volume. We will be deliberate, but neither the voting nor the count will be quick – PATIENCE. Legislators may leave after voting.

Here is the MOTION we will be voting on. Please Read it. This is our proposition: One Special Town Meeting Article, one vote – YES or NO.

Here is the School Building Project Subcommittee of the Warrant Committee inventory of key information, documents, and videos.

This is a comprehensive inventory of important meetings, analysis, summaries, videos, and statements that was compiled through the dedicated effort of the Warrant Committee to provide the community with a central location for each Legislator to prepare for the meeting.

I look forward to a Civil and Respectful Special Town Meeting.

Scott McDermott, Town Moderator