Andrea Peraner-Sweet Named Board of Selectmen Chair, Selectmen Look Back at Town Meeting

8:59 p.m. - Board of Selectmen chairman Kelly Ross resigns as chairman. Hands over nominations to Town Manager Jodi Ross. 

Kelly nominates Selectman Andrea Peraner-Sweet. Selectman Valerie Wormell nominates Jim Sullivan since he is not here. Kelly says that due to his travel schedule, Sullivan does not feel comfortable with the chairmanship.

9:00 p.m. - "I hand over the 11th best town in America, the 8th best school system in the state and the Red Sox being up 3 games to 2"

9:02 p.m. - Wormell nominates Sullivan for vice chair, jokingly withdraws the nomination after Kelly says Sullivan would be willing to have it. Selectman Scott Hazelton named clerk. 

9:03 p.m. - Kelly says that the board will need to take another look at the fire station issue after Town meeting. 

Andrea Peraner-Sweet asks whether there was enough information sent out to the public, saying that the first time many residents heard about things was on the floor of town meeting, saying that a look needs to be made on how the public can be better educated.

9:04 p.m. - Wormell is frustrated by lay people acting as experts on the fire station. 

She also says the Selectmen failed on this issue.

9:05 p.m. - Jodi says there are multiple meetings, a presentation with the League of Women Voters, a television show, a newsletter and a mailing.

She's unsure if there are other ways to get more interest or if people just want to learn at Town Meeting. Also she noted that perhaps a seven minute presentation at Town Meeting was not long enough. 

She continues that it is unusual to sell a fire station on the first try, saying that the Selectmen did not fail, also saying that there were several complex issues and that Town Meeting was a success, saying it provided feedback.

"It's not over, but we need to do our homework and go back to the drawing board"

9:08 p.m. - Hazelton says the presentation should have shown why the fire station couldn't have gone elsewhere. 

9:09 p.m. - Kelly agrees with Jodi's assessment that it was useful information rather than a failure, Peraner-Sweet hopes the information can be used for a new strategy.

9:10 p.m. - Keith Wortman of Carlisle Road says that people in the know were aware, but agrees that people in the general public were not aware of the work that Permanent Town Building Committee chairman Tom Mahanna did. 

9:11 p.m. - Wormell is frustrated over misunderstandings that the Parker Village satellite station's location, particularly that it will be on a hilly part of the Jack Walsh Fields rather than a flat area of the park.