UPDATED: Sudbury Residents to Have Their Say at Selectmen Meetings

When Len Simon and Chuck Woodard were campaigning earlier this year for the two new seats on Sudbury's Board of Selectmen, both expressed a desire to let the public be heard during the Board's meetings.

On Aug. 20, they got their wish.

After years of complaints from residents, the Board finally voted to allow residents to speak during its meetings. The public will be allowed to speak during a public comment section of the agenda. The Aug. 20 meeting was live streamed on Sudbury TV.

Those wishing to be heard will have to sign up prior to the start of the meetings.

"This is a great idea," Simon said. "Hearing the residents' input will be helpful."

During a goal-setting meeting on Aug. 21, which included Town Manager Maureen Valente, four of the five Selectmen, and other high-ranking town officials, the group also discussed about the proposed Town Forum which will also help better communicate with the public.

"You’re going to have to think how to plan it," Valente said. "When it was first proposed, my thinking was a head table with heads of committees, each giving a report, five minutes, then have it be a free session with a moderator."

"I think something like an open meeting or citizen comment with some general ground rules (is good)," Simon said. "You don’t need signup sheet. Have it out before the forum, here’s how we’d like to conduct it with formal protocol. If people want to come, they will have specific questions to ask."

Selectmen Larry O'Brien said he thought it would be best not to rush in creating the forum.

"This will take time and development," he said. "The Lincoln Board of Selectmen come up with agenda, and that's what drives the meeting. What sets this apart, what makes it beneficial, to make it worthwhile for everybody?"

The forum will be on the Selectmen's next agenda on Sept. 3.

On Aug. 22, The Town of Sudbury posted the following on its website:

The Board of Selectmen invite residents to comment on the draft Citizen’s Comment procedure. Please review the draft procedure by clicking here and send any comments or suggestions to Selectmen@sudbury.ma.us. Comments must be received by 12pm on Thursday, September 12.

The Board will schedule a discussion and vote on the final procedure at their regular meeting on Sept. 17, 2013.