Kenny Largess was voted in as a first-time Select Board member in March. The Swellesley Report reached out to him after that to propose doing monthly updates on what it’s like becoming a Select Board member, with the idea of giving others who might be inclined to serve in public office a better sense of what such a commitment entails.
Kenny Largess
From the “moment of real shock” at seeing the final tally on Election Night to hunkering down at Town Meeting for multiple nights to taking on assorted liaison assignments, first-time Wellesley Select Board member Kenny Largess has been going all out over the past month.
A corporate attorney by day and a family man throughout the week, Largess has come up to speed quickly on what some in Wellesley refer to as “nighttime government”—most meetings of elected bodies take place at night, while town employees do the bulk of their work during the day.
Not that Largess hadn’t already had a taste of nighttime government as an appointed member of the Advisory Committee, which ramps up its work heading into Town Meetings (he has since stepped off that Committee in light of his Select Board election).
“Advisory Committee experience was a really valuable in getting me up to speed on the Select Board,” says Largess, who moved to Wellesley with his family about 15 years ago. During their time in town, Largess has been very involved in school volunteering and sports coaching, giving him visibility into some of the areas that make Wellesley tick.
‘Grassroots, against-the-odds victory’
Largess’s victory in the March 4 election came as a surprise to many, as opponent Michael Tauer had support from more of the established political movers and shakers in town. But Largess credited his team for their door knocking, event organizing, sign installations, and taking part in “lots of one-on-one conversations.”
Largess says he felt like his campaign had momentum heading into Election Day, but that it was hard to say how things would go until votes started to come in. “It felt like a grassroots, against-the-odds victory,” he says.
His first Select Board meeting as an official member took place at March 11, and marked the Board’s return to the Great Hall in Town Hall after months of renovations.
The agenda featured a “moving and meaningful” swearing in of newly promoted firefighters, plus important updates from the Human Resources Department.
“Do we know what the full cost of implementing this [HR] plan is?” Largess asked, digging right in. He also asked about the impact of the plan in light of upcoming union negotiations, and fellow member Tom Ulfelder piggybacked on that remark.
Also during a first-month Board meeting, Largess and fellow Board members got to dive in deep with the police and fire chiefs, who shared departmental updates.
“I have huge respect for their professionalism and the quiet, essential work they do every day to keep Wellesley safe, and how they treat our residents,” Largess said.
Part of the early learning experience for Largess has been getting to know his fellow Board members.
“[We’ve got] different perspectives, but shared commitment to the town,” he says, adding thanks to town staff who he described as “smart, dedicated, and incredibly helpful in getting me up to speed.”
Select Board work
It’s always worth reminding the public that Select Board members are volunteers—who do a lot of work. It goes way beyond what you see during their typically weekly meetings, plus occasional “retreats” (those aren’t as glamorous as they sound: they involve high-level planning and are not held in exotic locales).
Largess has been spending five to ten hours per week doing Select Board work. Plus there’s the time for reading through a packet of materials shared over the weekend ahead of meetings—the March 11 meeting packet featured 185 pages on everything from a change in ownership at a restaurant to Town Meeting prep.
meeting as a member (Wellesley Media screenshot)
“There is also some time spent each week speaking to residents, other board members, people on other committees, and staff,” Largess says. “Overall, it is a lot of work, but certainly not unmanageable and well worth the time and effort. This number does not include Town Meeting attendance!”
What’s more, Select Board members divvy up liaison assignments to other town bodies and the Board’s own subcommittees. Liaison assignments for Largess are the Climate Action Committee, Audit Committee, Board of Assessors, Select Board Policy Subcommittee, and Board of Trustees of Wellesley Free Libraries. Quite a variety.
Largess has started to attend liaison group meetings, and is now a voting member of the Climate Action Committee (he squeezed in the first meeting, on March 7, while in his car).
No Select Board member can be an expert in all of the issues they deal with, but they do their best to come up to speed on subjects.
Largess, for example, says “I’m working to deepen my understanding of the granular details of sustainability initiatives. There’s a lot of well-meaning information out there—but also competing claims. I’m focused on developing the ability to sort fact from fiction and identify what truly moves the needle. My goal is to approach sustainability issues with a balanced lens—weighing environmental impact against real-world costs and benefits.”
The school air conditioning issue is one such topic. Town Meeting just voted to approve $182,000 in spending on a feasibility study about bringing air conditioning to the town’s older schools.
“School air conditioning involves intersecting priorities: climate goals, student health and comfort, upfront costs, and long-term value. I want to make sure we’re thinking through all of it, not just reacting to slogans or pressure,” Largess says.
You can now support Swellesley through tax deductible donations
