This week’s Wellesley Select Board meeting got off to a compelling start even before Board members began public discussion: A line-up of five residents during citizen speak shared examples of the negative impact that the accessible train station platforms in Wellesley Square have had on their lives since going live in February (see Wellesley Media recording of June 24 meeting for more).
To be clear, residents said they support improved accessibility at the station, and the platforms have been well received by accessibility advocates. It’s the location of the platforms near residences along Linden Street that is causing strife.
Christine Crowley was the first resident to speak of the impact that the train platform installations have had on Linden Gardens Condominiums dwellers. She said residents were not kept in the loop ahead of the installations.
“As the trains no longer stop or idle at the parking lots, and now idle behind our units, there is no longer a buffer to minimize extreme vibrations, noise and air pollution to family residences,” she said. Crowley shared that one resident closest to where the trains idle has seen cracks develop in her foundation, and that Crowley herself has a door that now rattles and has started to separate from its frame.
Neighbors have also cited increased noise when trying to sleep or conduct work calls. Those with hearing aids have had more difficulty hearing, she reported.
The town has relayed to us previously that the platforms, which are located a ways from station entrances, are situated for consistency across the train route, per the MBTA.
While the Select Board on June 24 was not able to dive into deep discussion on the topic, which was not on its agenda, Executive Director Meghan Jop did address the topic of the platform locations, about which she said “I agree is not optimal.” She described the mini-high platforms as being an interim solution until work on a triple track is done, perhaps some 10 years out. That would come with fully ADA-compliant platforms, including elevators. To address the more immediate situation, Jop said she and the town’s mobility manager have reached out to the MBTA for more information on how to address neighbor concerns.
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Town Meeting debrief
Mark Kaplan, who has served as Town Moderator for seven years, reflected on the most recent Annual Town Meeting in April as well as suggestions for possible improvements going forward. He noted that over the past year he has been meeting monthly to exchange information with the Select Board chair and vice chair, and has found this to be helpful in an effort to keep the town’s executive and legislative arms in sync.
Kaplan began by summarizing changes made coming out of the pandemic years to improve Town Meeting’s expediency (bundling more articles into a consent agenda that can be voted on in one fell swoop, for example).
Ideas for consideration include those focused on improving Town Meeting attendance among the 240 elected voting members. Kaplan said attendance typically starts off strong with 80% plus, but then drops off as Town Meeting goes along, except on nights where there’s a particularly hot issue. One way to address this, he suggested, would be to publish Town Meeting attendance, perhaps on the town website (this could also be something for Swellesley to take on). Note that the town does post data on who voted for what, but only on votes conducted electronically.
Making attendance records easily accessible ahead of March elections could help people make decisions on who to vote in for Town Meeting, Kaplan said.
Another idea Kaplan raised was making a boiled down version of the Advisory Committee report available before Town Meeting (this Moderator-appointed Committee vets articles ahead of Town Meeting). He also floated the idea of starting Town Meeting after school vacation week in April rather than at the end of March/start of April, to give Town Meeting members more time to prepare. Kaplan said he has also heard of some appetite for precinct meetings in advance of Town Meeting to potentially get questions answered early and streamline discussion at Town Meeting itself.
A motion was made at Town Meeting this year to consider the school budget separately from the rest of Wellesley’s big omnibus budget. Town Meeting didn’t vote in favor of this, but Kaplan suggested the Select Board might consider dividing the budget on “an experimental basis” next time around. He said it was unclear whether relatively moderate debate over the budget at Town Meeting could be attributed to the $225M budget being overwhelming or perhaps because Town Meeting members have faith in the current budget process.
Kaplan closed by encouraging the town to consider making moderator a 3-year term rather than 1-year term as many communities of Wellesley’s size have done. This would, he said, give the moderator more time during the year to devote to the very important appointment process.
Jop contract re-upped
Select Board Chair Colette Aufranc said “hiring and retaining the executive director is one of the most important and consequential actions that this board takes. We do not take it lightly…” The Board met three times in executive session (behind closed doors) to discuss the contract, which amounts to about $260K per year for three years, with opportunities for merit increases. The Board unanimously approved the contract.
Jop’s gross salary was listed as about $233K in the town’s 2024 annual report.
Jop began as executive director in 2019 after 16 years in other positions for the town and a brief stint in North Andover’s town government.
Aufranc and other Board members heaped praise on Jop. Marjorie Freiman, for example, touted Jop’s ability to relate different areas of town government work to each other. Tom Ulfelder cited leadership from Jop that is noted by boards and committees across Wellesley.
Strategic Housing Plan follow-up
The Select Board also followed up on its June meeting with the Planning Board during which the Strategic Housing Plan was presented and discussed by members of the Boards and the public. We’ve summarized that follow-up discussion (see “Select Board picks up on Strategic Housing Plan discussion”).
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