More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
Select Board vice chair Lise Olney will host office hours on Tuesday, May 25, 9am-10:30am.
Ask questions, give input, and share concerns via Zoom about Town operations, Town Meeting, Coronavirus, or other issues.
Reserve your 15-minute appointment in advance by sending an email directly to her at [email protected]
You will receive a response confirming your reservation, time, and the Zoom meeting information.
Wellesley High School students have been honored by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts for their prolific submissions to the organization’s Democracy Challenge student video content.
Wellesley’s Annual Town Election will take place on March 2, 2021. Here is The Swellesley Report’s guide on all you need to know about casting your vote.
Vote by mail: Completed mail-in ballots may be sent via USPS to the Town Clerk’s Office or brought to the drop box outside of Town Hall. Completed mail-in ballots must be received by the Town Clerk no later than Tuesday, March 2, 2021 by 8pm.
Note: applications to vote by mail are no longer being accepted (the last day to get an app to the Town Clerk was Feb. 24).
Vote in person at the polls:
The polls will be open 7am – 8pm.
Don’t know which precinct you’re in? Here’s how to find out where to vote in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Contested races (names are listed in the order on which they appear on the ballot):
Uncontested races:
Question #1: “Should the Select Board, with the understanding that since 1977 Indigenous people of our country have requested Indigenous Peoples Day as a recognition of their humanity, culture, and history and further, that our country was built on Native lands, proclaim the second Monday of October henceforth be commemorated as Indigenous Peoples’ Day and cease to recognize Columbus Day in Wellesley in recognition of the position of Indigenous Peoples as natives to these lands, and the suffering they faced during and after the European conquest? This question is not binding.”
Vote Yes or No
Links to The Swellesley Report’s candidate interviews for contested races:
Precinct B—11 candidates for 10 seats
Precinct C—13 candidates for 10 seats
Precinct E—11 candidates for 10 seats
Precinct G—13 candidates for 10 seats
Precinct H—17 candidates for 10 seats
See list of all Town Meeting candidates here.
The Wellesley Select Board on Monday met in part to tackle issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, and come up with strategies for how town government can approach a goal of racial equity. The definition of racial equity that the Board worked from said that it is achieved when race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes, and outcomes for all groups are improved.
After discussion, the Board voted unanimously on the wording for a newly created official Statement on Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias, which reads:
Wellesley is a town that highly values diversity, dignity and respect for all individuals. As the Chief Executive of the town, the Select Board recognizes its responsibility to make the following declarations:
The Board opposes unequivocally any expression of hate, prejudice, intolerance, or discrimination toward any individual or group;
The Board commits to engaging the Town on race, equity and inclusion through broad and collaborative public engagement; and
The Board denounces any form of racism, discrimination or intolerance as a threat to the safety and well-being of the public. We call upon the entire Wellesley community to welcome every resident, visitor, employee and resident student in the Town.
The town has since 2016 had a Tolerance Pledge. However, the Statement on Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias does not replace the Pledge. According to Board Chair Marjorie Freiman, the Statement is to be used as a foundation for diversity, equity and inclusion work going forward. “Its purpose is to make it clear to residents that anti-racist and anti-bias values are values that the Board espouses and holds very strongly,” Freiman said.
The Tolerance Pledge reads, “The Wellesley Board of Selectmen reaffirms its position that Wellesley is a town that highly values diversity, dignity, and respect for all individuals. Wellesley strives to be a welcoming town; therefore, the Board opposes expressions of hate, intolerance and discrimination.The Board encourages the entire Wellesley community to continue to exhibit caring and supportive actions in support of our diversity.”
During the Board’s discussions, there was some talk about doing away with the word “tolerance” in The Tolerance Pledge. Lately the word has been disparaged as outdated language when working toward diversity, equity and inclusion. We tolerate a head cold. We tolerate household chores, or a dull work-day duty. The question has been put forth—Can we do no better than tolerate each other?
The word is considered still helpful by the Board for now, and so it remains. Stay tuned for more changes in language as the Board moves forward.
Below, you can view the Feb. 22 Select Board meeting, recorded by Wellesley Media, as well as a Feb. 19 meeting during which the Board addressed recent racist incidents in town:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion update from Wellesley Public Schools
An ask for Wellesley Schools Diversity, Equity & Inclusion budget
Wellesley not selected for Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan grant
Sustainable Wellesley will hold a virtual Conversation with the Candidates via Zoom on Feb. 24, 7:30pm.
You will be able to access the Zoom meeting via Sustainable Wellesley’s website.
Meet the candidates running for open Board seats in Wellesley, and hear their thoughts on how sustainability should be woven into the fabric of those boards going forward.
Send questions in advance to [email protected].
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 2021 election will be held on Tuesday, March 2.
There are three candidates running for two open 3-year seats on the Select Board, 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.
The Select Board candidates are Colette Aufranc; Odessa Sanchez; and Ann-Mara Lanza. (Here’s a link to Aufranc’s Q & A and Sanchez’s Q & A,)
The Swellesley Report invited the candidates to answer a few questions about their qualifications and priorities for the Town of Wellesley.
The Swellesley Report: What is your background and what qualifies you for this position?
Ann-Mara Lanza: I have the financial expertise, town government experience, and collaborative leadership style to allow me to effectively address the complex issues that come before the Select Board. For over 15 years, I’ve served Wellesley: Library Trustee (13 years), Town Meeting Member (7 years), League of Women Voters Vice President (Board, 10 years), social action, racial justice, and education leadership at Temple Beth Elohim, Schofield PTO, Scouting and, most recently, advocate for housing affordability. I have a strong financial background, with a MBA from The Wharton School and a career in management consulting. My husband and I have lived in Wellesley for 25 years, raising two children. I got involved in town politics to work for all families. In 2006, I co-chaired a successful fundraising campaign to reopen the doors of our two branch libraries. Later, as a Library Trustee, I supported the creation of budgets, led strategic planning efforts, helped with the transition to a new library director, and secured town funding for the upcoming interior renovation of the main library, ensuring that patrons will effectively be served for the next 25 years. I was also the Library liaison to the School Building Committee and served on Wellesley’s Unified Plan Steering Committee. I co-founded Building a Better Wellesley, which advocates for policies and actions that will enable seniors, young families and our workforce to call Wellesley home.
TSR: The Wellesley business district has faced challenges recently, as evidenced by many empty storefronts. How can the Select Board and the Town further support existing businesses and encourage new ones to come into Wellesley?
Lanza: Revitalizing our downtown should be a town priority. There is no reason why Wellesley cannot have a thriving downtown, similar to our neighbors. We need good ideas and customers. I believe that the Select Board can assist our landlords and merchants through partnership and changes in regulation. We need to look to similar communities, such as Concord, for inspiration. We also need to listen to our residents to hear what establishments they would support. One resident recently posed the question to FaceBook users. The responses are a gold mine. One of the concepts most mentioned is a hang out spot with live music. Imagine the vibrancy that this would create! I support current efforts to loosen the town’s liquor laws to allow for smaller restaurants to serve alcohol through an article at this Annual Town Meeting. The Select Board should consider what additional changes in regulation might encourage entrepreneurs to choose Wellesley for their businesses. The Town also needs to consider ways of bringing more customers to our retail areas. I support the reimagining of our downtown, with the potential of adding housing options, public transportation, and safer biking and walking routes. I’m thrilled that the Newton-Needham Chamber will now support our Wellesley businesses, opening up a new partnership opportunity for the Select Board.
TSR: How can Wellesley more effectively engage in acting on the concerns of its residents of diverse backgrounds?
Lanza: The first step is to be ready to engage in dialog by educating ourselves. There are many important components to our human diversity. Race and racism can be particularly difficult for some to hear and discuss, and still we must have these conversations. As a leader in our community, I will continue my efforts to create opportunities for these difficult conversations. We must understand that addressing racial injustices, past and present, isn’t about blame or shame; it’s about understanding that we live together, in a society, with hundreds of years of systemic racism and oppression. If we are to be effective in addressing the concerns of residents of diverse backgrounds, we have to be willing to work hard to understand, and be open to change. I strongly believe in the value, b’tselem elohim, that all people are created in the image of God. We need to approach all of our neighbors from this perspective. Listening. And, responding. Last summer, BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of color) students courageously shared their difficult experiences living in Wellesley, and asked for support. This is an opportunity to show our better selves; to demonstrate what we value. Instead of turning away from these difficult stories, we need to turn in, acknowledge their experiences, and work hard as a community to ensure that Wellesley is a wonderful place for all families to raise their children.
TSR: How can Wellesley manage the financial implications of the pandemic going forward? Already a plan has been put into place to significantly cut Wellesley’s capital spending across the board. In addition, some Free Cash Reserves money has been tapped to cover items such as public safety and snow removal. What else can be done to manage the financial implications of COVID-19?
Lanza: I am a fiscally rational person. I believe in addressing challenges in the community in the most cost effective way possible. When creating an affordable, balanced budget, we need to make difficult choices. Sometimes, this requires that we put off investments that are important, but just not quite as important as other priorities. However, I also believe we have learned the hard way what happens when we fail to invest properly in our infrastructure: the current state of our elementary schools is a prime example. At the national and state levels, we are seeing targeted increases in spending to help citizens and the economy get back on its feet. Our residents are stressed. Our families are struggling after a year of limited time in school for our children. This isn’t the time to ask for further budget cuts. We have Free Cash Reserves for times like these. This is our “rainy day.” We need to understand that financial guidelines are guidelines, and prioritize the wellbeing of our citizens over extreme fiscal conservatism.
TSR: Is there anything else you would like to say that the above questions did not cover?
Lanza: One of Wellesley’s biggest challenges is housing affordability. Skyrocketing housing prices, and loss of starter homes, are changing the face of our community. Too many of our seniors have had to downsize to Needham and Natick, because there are simply no affordable options for them in Wellesley. We risk losing our neighborhood schools, due to our declining enrollment, because young families have been priced out of the Wellesley market. This isn’t just a housing issue, but also a climate issue, as we force our town workforce to drive long distances to reach their jobs in our schools, police force, fire department, local shops, and our homes. And, it is also an economic issue, because we cannot expect to have a thriving downtown, without more customers. In 2019, I founded the group Building a Better Wellesley to be the positive voice for thoughtful housing development in our community. I’ve spent 2 years building an understanding of Wellesley’s particular housing situation. I want to help our community figure out how to create appropriate and affordable housing to address these challenges.
I believe that my values, my experience in town government, my financial expertise, and my passion for problem solving are what we need in our town leadership. I ask for your Vote on March 2.
TSR: How should voters reach you if they want more information?
Lanza:
[email protected]
electlanza.com
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 2021 election will be held on Tuesday, March 2.
There are three candidates running for two open 3-year seats on the Select Board, 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.
The Select Board candidates are Colette Aufranc; Odessa Sanchez; and Ann-Mara Lanza. (Here’s a link to Sanchez’s Q & A and Lanza’s Q & A.)
The Swellesley Report invited the candidates to answer a few questions about their qualifications and priorities for the Town of Wellesley.
The Swellesley Report: What is your background and what qualifies you for this position?
Colette Aufranc: I am a current Select Board and Town Meeting member, former Audit Committee chair, an accountant, and have extensive experience in volunteering and civic engagement.
Now, more than ever, being a trained accountant with several years of in-depth review of the town’s financial statements through the Audit Committee is incredibly valuable. Much of the work of the Select Board involves pouring over budgets and fiscal policies and setting guidelines to make ends meet while maintaining services for our residents.
I have built an understanding of Wellesley’s unique and complex town government structure through my work on the Audit Committee, as an engaged TMM, as a neighborhood representative in the redevelopment of Linden Square and as an advocate for numerous issues affecting our schools over the years. This work has involved attending and engaging in Town Meeting, as well as with a number of town boards – Select, Advisory, Planning, Design Review, Zoning, and more. Understanding how Wellesley’s government structure works, and how all these boards interact with each other, is critically important to being an effective Select Board member as the Select Board is the executive body of our town.
I have the right personality and working style to be a successful Select Board member. I define my personal working style as persistent, reasonable collaboration, and it has been successful for me. I am a listener and a bridge builder, and I understand that compromise is often necessary to move forward.
Finally, I have experience sitting on the Select Board in a uniquely challenging time for local government. I have spent the past several months immersing myself in the details of the current fiscal climate and economic outlook. I have supported initiatives aimed at assisting local merchants. I continue to learn about municipal strategies to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. I have taken on committee assignments in mobility and transport at a time when the norms of mass transit are upended. I have advocated for Wellesley and built relationships with municipal organizations and peers throughout Metrowest. I would like to continue that work and leverage the momentum I have gained.
TSR: The Wellesley business district has faced challenges recently, as evidenced by several empty storefronts. How can the Select Board and the Town further support existing businesses and encourage new ones to come into Wellesley?
Aufranc: The economic impacts of the pandemic have indeed been challenging for our merchants. The town and the Select Board have engaged in several different initiatives aimed at supporting local businesses, including outdoor dining support like parklets, take-out liquor licensing, free parking, “shop local” media campaigns and more.
The Select Board was successful in our project request to Babson College’s Office of Experiential Learning. Starting in March, graduate student consulting teams at Babson’s Strategic Analysis Consulting Program will focus on finding innovative solutions and insights into some of the business challenges we are facing as a result of the pandemic, as well as changes in consumer behavior in areas such as e-commerce. We hope this project will provide insight into ways to address issues such as vacant commercial storefronts and high turnover rates, and to better understand what types of businesses would be successful in Wellesley. We have asked the student consulting team to aid us in identifying potential barriers to attracting new business and retaining existing ones. The Select Board has also sought out a business development summer internship in collaboration with Babson College.
The Select Board is currently considering changes to regulations on the minimum number of seats for a restaurant to obtain a liquor license. I am very interested in pursuing discussions with local restaurateurs and getting input from residents on this matter. Liquor licenses are considered an essential tool for economic development in communities, small and large, seeking to revitalize economically disadvantaged areas. Such changes could help bring new vibrancy to our business areas.
Wellesley recently joined the Newton Needham Watertown Regional Chamber of Commerce. This group is highly organized, financially strong and effective. The collective voices of businesses and not-for-profit organizations within the multi-town Chamber can be an effective advocate for local business interests. The Select Board can partner with the Chamber where appropriate as part of its work to support local merchants.
TSR: How can Wellesley more effectively engage in acting on the concerns of its residents of diverse backgrounds?
Aufranc: Recently, Wellesley applied for a grant through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to develop a Racial Equity Municipal Action Plan (REMAP). Unfortunately, our grant request was not approved. Instead, the town has begun exploring ways to embark on this process ourselves. We have approved funding for a consultant to aid in establishing a representative task force or working group. I was very supportive of the funding for this initiative. Building a strong foundation for this work and ensuring we begin the process in a thoughtful way is critical to long term success.
Wellesley is not alone in exploring ways to address racial inequity. We can learn from, and leverage the experience of, peer towns and community partners. The Select Board will soon hold a forum to learn more about the REMAP program and have invited an MAPC representative and a manager from a local town that is currently developing a REMAP plan. This is the first step in developing a strategic plan to engage with residents of diverse backgrounds, hear their concerns, and be responsive. Wellesley Public Schools (WPS) recently hired a director of diversity, equity and inclusion and she has spent her first year doing the foundational work necessary to build a strategic plan for the schools. As we go through this same process on the municipal side, forming a strong partnership with WPS will be a priority.
TSR: How can Wellesley manage the financial implications of the pandemic going forward? Already a plan has been put into place to cut Wellesley’s capital spending 25% across the board. In addition, some Free Cash Reserves money has been tapped to cover items such as public safety and snow removal. What else can be done to manage the financial implications of COVID-19?
Aufranc: Managing the financial impact of the pandemic takes a willingness to engage in discussions with all town boards about capital and operating expenses – what is necessary, what can be reimagined, what can be delayed and the impacts of delays and cuts. We need to think creatively about funding sources, write grants, perhaps bundle some moderate capital projects together for potential debt exclusions and keep an eye on what is funded inside the levy as debt service and cash capital expense. If we manage the next phases of the school building projects in an effective and timely manner, we have the ability to include feasibility and design expenses in the debt exclusion – thereby freeing up space within the levy to catch up on delayed cash capital expenditures. It will take thoughtful planning and communication with Town Meeting and residents to responsibly and successfully move these projects forward and pass debt exclusion votes.
Budgeting during this time is an exercise in managing many unknown elements. Since I joined the Board, we have slowly had confirmation of funding sources such as Chapter 90 Funding (for capital projects such as roads). The recently signed Governor’s budget included good news for Unrestricted Government Grants and Chapter 70 funding for education. We are waiting to hear more about further federal aid in the form of a second round of COVID relief for municipalities. At the same time we have made assumptions, such as the return to school in the fall, which will be dependent on several variables, not least the success of the vaccine roll out.
When all is said and done, it is fair to assume we will have drawn down on our reserves and will need to rebuild them. Our town’s long history of conservative planning and good fiscal policy prepared us well for the financial impacts of this pandemic. A period of reflection and review would be valuable to ensure we remain prepared for any future shocks.
TSR: Is there anything else you would like to say that the above questions did not cover?
Aufranc: I respectfully ask for your vote to continue to serve the Wellesley at this challenging time. I would like to leverage the momentum I have gained since joining the Select Board in September 2020, and to continue the important work I have begun.
TSR: How should voters reach you if they want more information?
Aufranc: I can be reached at [email protected]. I have a lot of information about my background, qualifications, current work on the Select Board and more—visit my website at www.electcoletteaufranc.com.
