Wellesley puts out call to join Medical Reserve Corps

Forget Netflix: Binge on Wellesley town government live streams

Wellesley Town Election 2020—POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS

Wellesley candidates Q&A round-up—ELECTION POSTPONED

Wellesley Merchants argue against fur ban bylaw, cite slippery slope

Wellesley election postponed from March 17, 2020 to a date TBD

Meet Wellesley candidate for Board of Selectmen, Beth Sullivan Woods

We’ve seen the signs — Wellesley votes on March 17th

Meet Wellesley candidate for Board of Selectmen, Tom Ulfelder

The Advisory Bunch

Dirty Jobs

More COVID-19 news

Links to Candidates Question & Answer posts:

What about absentee voting dates?

Can I mail in my absentee ballot?

Voting on Tuesday, March 17th — it’s on

Here’s a list of polling places in Wellesley

But which one is my polling place?

Who’s running for office?

What is the referendum question?

Signing on

March 23, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley town officials are in the awkward position of not wanting to diminish volunteer efforts by residents to help one another immediately during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, but also seeking to increase control over responses to the situation as it intensifies. This is particularly true of medical-related efforts.

The town has made a renewed call for those interested in helping to join the Wellesley Health Department Medical Reserve Corps.

The Corps, which is part of a regional Norfolk County effort, has about 100 members and new inquiries are coming in, according to the Health Department’s Cheryl Lefman.

The town is emphasizing that those medical and non-medical volunteers included in the Corps are “vetted by Health Department staff, credentialed (CORI/SORI forms) and receive training for specific tasks. For COVID-19, duties may involve assisting the Health Department staff, helping coordinate volunteer teams, working with families and children, and other community support roles.”

As of Friday, volunteers had not received specific training related to COVID-19, but do receive just-in-time training based on the town’s Incident Command System. We asked about which skills are most needed, but that was still in the brainstorming phase when we asked.

The town says the Medical Reserve Corps. played an important role in the H1N1 flu pandemic 10 years ago. “The Health Department ran 59 clinics in two months, in which vaccine for H1N1 was offered to children and adults. MRC volunteers were key to the success of these clinics, as it would not have been possible for the Health Department’s staff of five full-time employees and a few per-diem nurses to canvas the entire town. Volunteers helped to fill each role/responsibility at large and small clinics, and helped to allay fears of the townspeople when there was a shortage of vaccine. They demonstrated skill, diplomacy, empathy and willingness to assist with all tasks. Several new volunteers joined as a result of the response.”

To volunteer for the Corps, contact Cheryl Lefman at [email protected]

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March 20, 2020 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

The spring line-up of Wellesley live-stream programs zoomed onto computers and smartphones this week, and the viewing has been compelling. That is, in light of sports, in-theatre movies and plays, visiting friends, eating out at restaurants and bars, concerts, and most other forms of traditional entertainment being on hold.

The blockbuster pilot episode of the Wellesley Board of Selectmen Live! on March 16 kicked off with a bang: the Town Election was being postponed after a court order went through!

Where could this show go after a start like that? We’re not going to spoil the cliffhanger for you, but let’s just say this jam-packed 42-minute episode swung from serious to feel-good (a teen texting one board member with an offer to pick up her groceries) to shocking (one selectman walking by a social distancing-challenged handful of late teenage boys playing beer pong). Yes, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll multitask.

The dialogue among the ensemble cast of Meghan Jop, Marjorie Freiman, Beth Sullivan Woods, Lise Olney, Amy Frigulietti, and Tom Ulfelder sparkled.

We can’t help but think a delicious plot twist will involve Ulfelder, who was bathed in streams of Godlight throughout the meeting.

bos livestream — BoS livestream: Call us intrigued by that Godlight over Tom Ulfelder.

If the BoS might seem too heavy for you, we recommend lightening things up with the Advisory Committee.

This tidy sub-hour program featured all the yucks you’d expect when this zany crew gets together on a live YouTube stream to discuss Town Meeting articles and the stuffing of envelopes.

One member got spooked when Ralph Tortorella’s close-up mug popped onto her screen and another was hidden behind what first appeared to possibly be a privacy screen. Another member described the group as “The 3 Stooges X 5,” as they fidgeted to get their devices working. Classic slapstick.

And leave it to John Lanza to get the obligatory Brady Bunch reference out of the way early in reference to the windows featuring members moving heads. A fellow member playfully suggested he would be “Alice” — “A place of honor as far as I’m concerned,” Lanza quipped.

advisory livestream

This “quarantine” edition of Advisory, as Chairman Todd Cook called it, revolved around discussion of such matters as a Special Town Meeting article involving firefighter retirement age, a topic that should be a big winner with first responders and the patriotic crowd. Rusty Kellogg even waved an American flag.

This collective even included versatile crossover stars Meghan Jop and Marjorie Freiman, known best for their leading roles in BoS meetings.

For you Dirty Jobs fans, the Department of Public Works might be more to your taste. DPW Director Dave Cohen takes a star turn, explaining what the organization is doing to protect the health of citizens and employees. This could easily be mistaken for a cop show.

Cohen calmly shed light on steps his team is taking to adhere to social distancing while doing their jobs, learning for example if customers are sick before deciding to enter a home for a routine call. Workers are also coming in on staggered shifts to lessen close interactions with each other, and the Recycling & Disposal Facility is taking steps to encourage people to keep their space (though participants cited some uncomfortably close moments they’ve had themselves recently at the dump).

The DPW is also going full-steam ahead into technology, including online permitting and getting employees geared up in case more of them need to work from home. This is the show for you if you’re concerned about what, if any, impact the coronavirus outbreak could have on the town’s infrastructure. Or if you want to hear about a citizen’s email about worries that landscapers are blowing coronavirus around with their leaf blowers.

DPW

The scariest line from Cohen: “My hope is that we’ll be able to keep the RDF open…”

Though there was other scary talk too, including how the DPW would handle coronavirus-infected sewage pipes. Cohen assured that the crew is prepared. “We’ve got Tyvek suits, we’ve got goggles, we’ve got gloves…we’ve got lots of disinfectant, we’re in that business.” As we all are these days.

The most disappointing aspects of these ratings sweep-week shows were the costume and set design. Most participants went with business very casual, which perhaps was fitting under the circumstances. These were no English period dramas.

And while not all participants were streaming in from Wellesley homes, many were. Not an indoor pool, priceless painting or elaborate conservatory to be seen. They need to work on that.

Coming attractions: School Committee meeting live-streaming on March 24!

More: Movies filmed in Wellesley

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March 16, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley’s Tuesday, March 17th Town election has been postponed, as announced in the town’s first virtual government meeting held on Monday (see Wellesley Media video embedded below).

In the meeting led by Executive Director of General Government Services Meghan Jop, and attended by the Board of Selectmen, Jop announced that the Registrar of Voters held an emergency meeting and voted 2 – 1 to seek a court order to postpone the election.

The Norfolk County Superior Court granted the order based on the need to protect the community by slowing the advance of corona virus (see court order below).

“Effective immediately, the court order gives the Board of Selectmen, the Town Clerk, and the Town Executive Director of Government Services the authority to reschedule the Town election for a later date sometime before June 30, 2020,” Jop said.

All absentee ballots already cast will be counted on the rescheduled election date.

Any elected official whose term would have expired on March 17, 2020 will remain in that position until the new elections are held and a successor has been elected and sworn in.

The news had candidates and referendum proponents and opponents alerting their supporters by email with talk of “rebooting” and “being back in touch as soon as we receive news about the new election date.” As one email opened, “This isn’t the election eve email we expected to be writing….”

The town has updated its COVID-19-related information, including that 7 COVID-19 cases have been identified among residents (1 confirmed, 6 presumed positive) and that playgrounds are off-limits. The RDF, with some restrictions, remains open for residents.

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March 15, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

UPDATE: Wellesley’s Town Election has been postponed from Tuesday, March 17, 2020 to a date to be determined, but on or before June 30, 2020.

Many of the candidates running for office to serve on the Town’s 11 Boards and Committees took the time to answer questions from Swellesley. Those Q&A posts have been running for the past couple of weeks. For your convenience, below is a round-up of all the candidates and a link to their Q&A’s if they responded.

This Wellesley Town Election 2020 post is sponsored by the Put Wellesley Students First Committee.

The position for moderator is a contested race; vote for not more than one:
Candidate for moderator, Ronald Alexander
Candidate for moderator, Mark Kaplan

The position for Board of Selectmen is a contested race; vote for not more than two:
Candidate for Board of Selectmen, Ronald Alexander
Candidate for Board of Selectmen, Elizabeth Sullivan Woods
Candidate for Board of Selectmen, Thomas Ulfelder

The position for Board of Assessors is an uncontested race; vote for one:
Candidate for Board of Assessors, Stephen Burtt

The position for Board of Health is an uncontested race; vote for one:
Candidate for Board of Health, Shepard Cohen

The position for Library Trustees is an uncontested race; vote for not more than two:
Candidate for Library Trustees, Ann-Mara Lanza
Candidate for Library Trustees, Ann Rappaport

The position for Natural Resources Commission is an uncontested race; vote for not more than two:
Candidate for Natural Resources Commission, Martin Jay McHale
Candidate for Natural Resources Commission, Allison Burson

The position for Planning Board is an uncontested race; vote for one:
Candidate for Planning Board, Thomas Taylor

The position for Board of Public Works (3-year term) is an uncontested race; vote for one:
Candidate for Board of Public Works, 3 years, Jeffrey Wechsler

The position for Board of Public Works, 1-year term, is a contested race; vote for not more than one:
Candidate for Board of Public Works: Thomas Skelly
Candidate for Board of Public Works: Scott Bender

The position for Recreation Commission is an uncontested race; vote for one:
Candidate for Recreation Commission: Nathalie deFontnouvelle

School Committee is a contested race; vote for not more than two:
Candidate for School Committee: Lauren Duprey
Candidate for School Committee: Melissa Martin
Candidate for School Committee: Catherine Mirick

The position for Housing Authority is an uncontested race; vote for one:
Candidate for Housing Authority: Renee Spencer

March 15, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Nearly two months ago we interviewed a Wellesley College professor and town resident about a citizen petition she filed to ban fur sales in Wellesley. At the time, the Wellesley Square Merchants’ Association was staying neutral on the proposed bylaw, and word about what would become Town Meeting warrant article 46 hadn’t spread throughout Wellesley’s retail community.

But this past week at the Wellesley Advisory Committee meeting focused on Town Meeting articles, the Wellesley Square Merchants’ reps spoke out against the proposed bylaw, saying it would give retailers in neighboring communities an edge. This sentiment arose at a recent merchants meeting, said Association President Demian Wendrow of London Harness. He expressed concern that a ban on fur sales would limit individual choice by buyers and merchants, and could open the door to prohibitions on other products, from leather to steaks.

“We are fighting a serious battle with online and the ‘A’ word, Amazon,” Wendrow said during citizen speak remarks. “By preventing us to sell products within a single town deepens that gap that we cannot afford. Lastly, now’s not the time, with everything going on…we would prefer for the state to make this decision.”

Neither Wendrow nor fellow retailer Kelly Leisman of Gretta Luxe said fur contributes greatly to their revenue. In the case of London Harness, the store carries a hat with a fur pom-pom. But the retailers say not having the choice to sell such products would have an impact on their customers and relationships with suppliers. Then there’s also the issue of faux fur being made of plastic, another bad word these days, Leisman said. The retailers didn’t discount the value of educating the public about animal treatment, but said a bylaw wasn’t the way to do it.

Advisory voted 7-6 against recommending the article after Chairman Todd Cook broke a 6-6 tie. But he said his report to Town Meeting would indicate that the vote was really split. “I’m torn on this,” Cook said. “I’d rather it be more of a grassroots effort on the part of merchants or perhaps others to make a statement themselves rather than have the town pass a bylaw change…”

The petition is spearheaded by Wellesley resident, Wellesley College Professor and Humane Society of the United States volunteer Liza Oliver, who defended her proposal at the committee meeting. She cited the fact that big name luxury retailers from Prada to Versace and mainstream chains from Talbots to The Gap have committed to being fur-free, and that laws banning fur sales are in the works across the country. She argued the majority of people in Massachusetts and beyond are eschewing fur and that the nation’s moral compass is always changing. “Legislation should reflect that,” she said.

California has a fur ban going into effect in 2023, led by efforts in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Wellesley would be the first Massachusetts community to ban fur sales if the article is approved and other steps are taken. (More details of her proposal are available on the Fur-Free Wellesley site.)

The idea that Wellesley would be the first community in the state with such a ban concerned some Advisory members. Rusty Kellogg said Wellesley already has challenges enforcing existing rules, so asked why institute another regarding something that isn’t a big problem in town in the first place? Another Advisory member questioned how much Wellesley wants to get into adding bylaws about global or national issues (a phenomenon we discussed in our recent post “Wellesley citizen petitions: Keeping Town Meeting lively, current, worldly.”)

You can review the discussion during the first 45 or so minutes of the Wellesley Media recording of the Advisory Committee Meeting embedded below. Town Meeting is slated to begin March 30, so Town Meeting members will have its say on Article 46 then.

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March 13, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

UPDATE: Wellesley’s Town Election has been postponed from Tuesday, March 17, 2020 to a date to be determined, but on or before June 30, 2020.

The Town of Wellesley depends on the active participation of its citizens in governance of the Town. Wellesley has 11 Boards and Committees on the ballot at the Annual Town election each year in March.

The 2020 local election for Wellesley will be held on Tuesday, March 17, as scheduled.

This Election 2020 post is sponsored by Lauren Duprey for School Committee. Lauren Duprey says, “I will bring a fresh perspective to the School Committee and focus on engaging openly with people. As a business and HR leader, I have experience managing large budgets and leading change. I look forward to serving our amazing community!”

The Town Clerk’s office is offering Absentee Voting over the counter at Town Hall, 525 Washington St., on the following
days and times:
 Friday, March 13, 8am – 5pm
 Saturday, March 14, 8am – noon
 Monday, March 16, 8am – noon

The Clerk’s office will closed for all business at noon on Monday, March 16 to prepare for the March 17 Election Day.

Voters may mail in their absentee ballots. Absentee ballots are also available via mail. Requests using the Absentee Ballot Request Form may be emailed to [email protected]. As all ballots requested by email must be mailed through the US Postal Service, the clerk’s office encourages these email requests to be sent in by Friday, March 13.

Mail-in absentee ballots may be dropped off at the Payment Drop Box outside of Town Hall or returned directly to the Town Clerk’s Office by Tuesday March 17, 8pm.

Although the Wellesley Public Schools and the Tolles Parsons Center currently are closed to regular daily programming, school buildings and the Tolles Parsons Center WILL BE OPEN from 7am to 8pm on Tuesday March 17 for the election.

Voters will be restricted to the polling areas only.

All polling places will be disinfected prior to opening on March 17, 2020. In addition, high traffic areas and surfaces will be disinfected throughout the day.

Black-ink pens will be available at the polls; voters are welcome to bring their own black-ink pens. Voters are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer.

Precinct A, Bates School, 116 Elmwood Rd.
Precinct B, Sprague School, 401 School St.
Precinct C, Upham School, 35 Wynnewood St.
Precinct D, Schofield School, 27 Cedar St.
Precinct E, Fiske School, 45 Hastings St.
Precinct F, Dana Hall School, Shipley Center, 142 Grove St.
Precinct G, Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington St.
Precinct H, Tolles Parsons Center, 500 Washington St.

We’ve looked a lot of “services” that offer to help you find your polling place. Generally, these supposedly easy tools are run by some big-dawg campaigns looking to mine your email and other personal data. (No Wellesley candidates use such techniques.)

The best and easiest way we know of if you need to find out where to vote in Wellesley is the State of Massachusetts page. You just plug in your address, and your polling place pops up. You don’t get re-directed to some sketchy place on the web, and there’s a lot of helpful info such as who your elected officials are and how to get in touch with them.

Here’s the list of who’s running for Wellesley office. Four of the races are contested: Moderator; Board of Selectmen; Board of Public Works; School Committee.

There is one non-binding referendum question. It reads as follows:

Do you believe the Town of Wellesley should keep our current 7 neighborhood elementary school model by rebuilding and/or renovating the Hardy, Hunnewell and Upham Elementary Schools instead of closing one school and redistricting all our elementary students into 6 schools? Please vote YES or NO.

A YES vote would advise the Town of Wellesley to retain our current neighborhood school model by renovating and/or rebuilding the Hardy, Hunnewell and Upham Elementary Schools.

A NO vote would advise the Town of Wellesley to close either Hardy Elementary School or Upham Elementary School, without voter input on which school to close, and to re-district all our town’s elementary students into six schools.

Please get out the vote on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

March 12, 2020 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Beth Sullivan Woods is running as a candidate for the Board of Selectmen, which serves as the chief executive board of the Town, and as such, oversees all matters affecting the interest and welfare of the community. The 5-member Board exercises the authority vested in the Town not specifically assigned by law to any other board or office.

Beth Sullivan Woods, Wellesley candidate — Beth Sullivan Woods, candidate for Board of Selectmen.

There are three candidates running for the two open 3-year positions. We invited the candidates to answer a few questions about their qualifications and priorities for the Town of Wellesley. Candidate Beth Sullivan Woods’ Q & A is below. Q & As from candidates Tom Ulfelder and Ron Alexander have already run.

The Swellesley Report: Should it be Board of Selectmen or Select Board or something different?
Beth Sullivan Woods: We have a long history in Wellesley of having had very smart, thoughtful and committed women who have served the town on the Board of Selectmen; I have to assume that they, like me, did not view the name of the Board as an impediment to serving the Town.

SR: What is your background and what qualifies you for this position?
Beth Sullivan Woods: I have both very deep Wellesley roots and a passion for using my time and talent to help lead the Town as we make decisions that impact our future. I grew up in Wellesley with my seven siblings, and was educated at Perrin, Upham, Wellesley Junior High and Wellesley High, as well as Brown University. My husband and I chose Wellesley as the town to raise our family and have a son currently at Wellesley High. I also have several siblings currently living in Wellesley and have nieces currently attending Schofield and Bates.

I have an appreciation for and an understanding of the Town budget and finances, as well as strong working relationships with our Town departments. In 2009, I was elected to the Wellesley Free Library Board of Library Trustees and served continuously through 2017. At the end of my Library Trustee term in 2017, I made the decision to run for the Board of Selectmen and was elected. As a Selectman, I currently serve as the liaison to the Council on Aging, the Recreation and Playing Fields Taskforce, the Board of Health, the Veterans community, and the business community. I have been a Town Meeting Member since 2009.

Professionally, my background is in marketing research and strategic planning. After leading this functional area at both Hill Holliday and Arnold Communications, I founded my own business in 2001. The critical thinking, listening, problem solving, and visioning skills that I leverage with my clients every day are extremely relevant to supporting the Town as a member of the Board of Selectmen, particularly in light of the challenges that we face.

SR: If elected, what do you hope to accomplish during your three-year tenure on the Board of Selectmen?

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March 11, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

This Wellesley Town Election 2020 post is sponsored by Mirick for School Committee. Catherine Mirick says, “The School Committee needs experience, balanced leadership to move forward with implementing the new strategic plan and to get schools built. As a leader, I bring people together, listen to all viewpoints, collaborate, build consensus and then move forward to get projects done.”

As the March 17th date for the annual Wellesley Town Election moves closer, we’d like to issue a public service announcement to play nice with the political yard signs. As in no sign stealing and no defacing of signs. If you think Wellesley is far too civilized for such shenanigans, well all I can say is that it’s happened before.

This time around, let’s play nice, voters.

Here are the hometown rules:

Under the Town of Wellesley Sign Bylaw, signs are not defined or regulated by their message (ex. real estate sign, political sign, etc.) but rather by their type (ex. wall sign, ground sign, temporary sign, etc.). In the Town, signs commonly referred to as political or campaign signs fall under the category of standard informational sign. Each property in Town is allowed to display one (1) standard informational sign throughout the year, and an unlimited number of such signs beginning 30 days before and ending 5 days after any federal, state or local election, ballot initiative and/or referendum. These signs are restricted to a maximum size of six (6) square feet per side (ex. 2’ x 3’) and a maximum height of three (3) feet (a maximum height of six (6) feet for “post and arm” style signs). In addition to the above, all signs are prohibited from being located within the right-of-way of a street or on Town-owned property without the permission of the Board of Selectmen.

This means political signs should not be placed on street islands, corners, park land or other public property. Residents who wish to display signs should place them well back from the street line for sight line safety of motorists and pedestrians. On election day signs at polling places must be attended at all times.

Now doesn’t that sound simple?

Win or lose, the Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility encourages all candidates and their supporters to recycle all political signs once the Wellesley town election is over.

Remember to vote in Wellesley’s Town Election on Tuesday, March 17.

Here’s how to find out where to vote in Wellesley.

« April 2020 »

March 10, 2020 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Tom Ulfelder is one of three candidates running for the two open 3-year positions on the Board of Selectmen (BOS) The BOS serves as the chief executive board of the Town, and as such, oversees all matters affecting the interest and welfare of the community. The 5-member Board exercises the authority vested in the Town not specifically assigned by law to any other board or office.

Tom Ulfelder, Wellesley Board of Selectmen — Tom Ulfelder, candidate for Board of Selectmen

We invited all the candidates to answer a few questions about their qualifications and priorities for the Town of Wellesley. Candidate Tom Ulfelders’s Q & A is below. Ron Alexander‘s Q & A has already run, and Beth Sullivan Woods‘ Q & A will run in a subsequent post.

The Swellesley Report: Should it be Board of Selectmen or Select Board or something different?
Tom Ulfelder: I support the change to Select Board and voted to put forward Articles 37 and 38 on the Warrant for the 2020 Annual Town Meeting. These Articles propose changing the term “Board of Selectmen” to “Select Board” and offer accompanying changes within the Town General and Zoning Bylaws. An increasing number of communities within Massachusetts have made this change, which is consistent with gender neutral terms for other political positions (e.g., President, Senator, Governor, Representative), and recognizes the longstanding tradition of women serving in elected and appointed positions throughout Town government in Wellesley. Through this simple change, the Board is affirming the importance of gender neutrality, equality, and respect.

The Swellesley Report: What is your background and what qualifies you for this position?
Tom Ulfelder: I am presently completing my first term on the Board of Selectmen. I am the current Vice Chair of the Board and of the School Building Committee, and I served as the Board’s appointee to the Sustainable Energy Committee. I have developed excellent working relationships with individuals throughout our many Town departments, boards and committees. During the past three years, I have had an opportunity to work on numerous issues and projects including developing balanced annual budgets and five year financial and capital plans, the feasibility studies for the Hunnewell and Hardy-Upham school building projects, and sustainable municipal building guidelines. I negotiated the use of beneficial electrification for the Wellesley Office Park residential housing project, which will result in a significant reduction in carbon emissions, and worked on developing and securing approval of Wellesley’s Housing Production Plan and the Unified Plan.

My professional experience as a trial attorney, hospital administrator, senior healthcare consultant solving complex cost and service delivery challenges, and business owner gives me a breadth of experience and skills that are directly applicable to the challenges of serving on the Board of Selectmen. I have an undergraduate degree from Harvard, a Master of Public Health from Yale, and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

I have been a resident of Wellesley for 21 years. In addition to serving on the Board of Selectmen and as a Town Meeting Member, I served on the Wellesley Town Government Study Committee, the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative Parish Council and as a board member of Wellesley Friendly Aid.

The Town Government Study Committee provided me with in depth understanding of Wellesley’s government and finances. I also served as a Trustee of the Vincent Memorial Hospital Corporation, a foundation related to the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and as a Commissioner of the Town Planning and Zoning Commission in Glastonbury, CT. Public service is a privilege and has been a consistent focus of my professional and personal life.

SR: If elected, what do you hope to accomplish during your three-year tenure on the Board of Selectmen?
Tom Ulfelder: I hope to build off of prior accomplishments from my first term and one such goal is the need for continual evaluation and improvement of our approach to budgeting and municipal financial management. Whether it is the quality of education in the Wellesley schools or Town services generally, our residents and commercial base expect a high level of service. At the same time, the Board of Selectmen bears the responsibility to balance service with the resulting tax impact of the operating budget and long-term capital plan.

The Board has invested considerable time and resources in the Housing Production Plan and recognizes that we must find opportunities to develop housing for our older population, for residents seeking to downsize, and for our middle-income work force, as well as increasing our housing diversity.

Sustainability and a commitment to the environment has been one of the most significant issues within Wellesley as it is throughout the world. There has been a rapidly expanding awareness that successfully addressing these issues makes economic sense and makes us better citizens within the larger community beyond Wellesley. Reductions in carbon emissions and the use of fossil fuels through beneficial electrification are two important measures of our success. To this end, transportation remains the most challenging and stubborn factor. The Board of Selectmen must continue to support and participate in ongoing efforts to address this single greatest contributor to carbon emissions.

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