News and events in Southborough, MA

Above: The Town’s website highlights openings on five Town Committees most of which were filled this week. But there are close to 20 other committees with vacancies that still need volunteers. (image from Town website)

Tuesday night, the Board of Selectmen made several more appointments to committees. That still leaves many openings for appointed positions. (Scroll down for the list.)

Communication issues over some of the recent appointments prompted the Town administration team to recommend a process. It was a policy that selectmen adopted as official.

The policy applies to candidates for committees that are appointed by selectmen. Some highlights:

• All candidates must submit a volunteer form to the Board of Selectmen (not the committee)
• New vacancies will be publicized through Town’s website and twitter, cable and any appropriate local media by two weeks prior to application close date
• New volunteers will be publicly interviewed by selectmen with some allowed exceptions: previous members of committees, candidates interviewed within the past year, or when selectmen vote to waive interviews (for instance based on recommendations by the committee)
• Though it provides clear guidelines, selectmen have the ability to waive rules if they interfere with best interest of the Town.

To read the full policy, click here.

An impetus for the new policies was related to last month’s interview of Michael Robbins for an alternate membership on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

This week, Selectman Brian Shea told fellow members that it was very uncomfortable not appointing a candidate they liked. Selectmen had chosen to instead delay and better advertise the opening. That was based on complaints they heard from people that were unaware of the vacancy.

Putting the word out wider failed to net any new candidates. On Tuesday night, selectmen appointed Robbins. 

Town Administrator Mark Purple said that coordinating recruiting for all of the openings on Town Committees has had them “chasing their tail”.   [click to keep reading…]

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