Wellesley League of Women Voters to hold Candidate Forum

August 1, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Vote sign The League of Women Voters of Wellesley will hold a Candidate Forum on Aug. 6, 6pm, on local cable TV channels 8 and 40, or view at https://www.wellesleymedia.org/live-streaming.html.

The Forum is in preparation for the Sept. 1 election of a new member of the Board of Selectmen. A position is open because former Wellesley Board of Selectmen member Jack Morgan resigned his post in May, as he was planning a move out of town.

The League invites voters’ questions for the candidates by email in advance or during the event: [email protected].

Three Wellesley residents have announced their candidacy. They all submitted profiles to The Swellesley Report:

Colette Aufranc

Gwen Baker

Odessa Sanchez

Gwen Baker announces candidacy for Wellesley Board of Selectmen

July 22, 2020 by Deborah Brown 3 Comments

Wellesley will hold a Special Election on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen vacated by Jack Morgan, who resigned in May because he was moving out of town.

A new member will be elected in September for a term to expire at the next Annual Town Election on March 2, 2021.

In an email to The Swellesley Report, Gwen Baker has announced her candidacy for the seat. Baker says:

I am announcing my candidacy for the open Selectman seat on September 1 st .

I am a 27-year resident of Wellesley. I currently serve on Town Meeting and have served Town Meeting for Precinct A and served on the Celebrations Committee. I love and care about Wellesley.

I bring 25 years of business experience as an owner of an insurance and investment management company, a business based out of Wellesley since its founding 25 years ago that has grown into a national business. My two adult married sons are partners, running day-to- day operations. Prior to that I worked at Community Newspapers all over the western suburbs covering education and other town issues including The Townsman.

I feel like I have been part of the “silent majority” in Wellesley of people working, raising families and often too busy to participate in local government. I would like to engage more Wellesley citizens to share their concerns and thoughts about the town. Many people I spoke to had concerns that were not always reflected in Town Meeting or the in media.

As many others would agree, during the past four months of being “grounded” from COVID, home has become more important than ever. Like many Wellesley working professionals, I traveled all over the country prior to the shutdown. But in the end Wellesley is home and there is no place like home. Driving into Wellesley from Rte. 30 and Weston Road from the airport on many late nights I was always struck by the peace, quiet, tranquility, and beauty of our town with well-kept homes with beautiful lawns, trees and landscaping.

I have traveled extensively for business and I’ve seen how successful entrepreneurs and families have built their assets, spending time in some of the largest cities and visiting our clients in their homes and businesses all over the USA.

Managing a town, the size of Wellesley approximately 28,000 residents of all ages, and a budget of $181,579,453 (FY2021) requires business and life experience that I can bring.

I want to be able to maintain the town’s unique character, beauty and desirability, and sound property values. For most people their home is their most significant financial asset. They want to maintain their homes along with good schools through sound financial management and reasonable taxes.

As a Town Meeting member I observed several issues : the restructuring and renovation of the schools, decision of what to do with the North 40, and more affordable housing in Wellesley.

We have many Seniors in our town and many would like to age in place in Wellesley. We have many parents of school aged children.

Our struggling business district demands attention. Shops, restaurants, commercial office space and all the businesses in between serve both Wellesley and out of town residents. Businesses provide higher tax revenue.

Every constituency and their concerns must all be addressed.

Colette Aufranc announces candidacy for Wellesley Board of Selectmen

July 8, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

Wellesley will hold a Special Election on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to fill a seat on the Board of Selectmen vacated by Jack Morgan, who resigned in May because he was moving out of town.

A new member will be elected in September for a term to expire at the next Annual Town Election on March 2, 2021.

In an email to The Swellesley Report, Colette Aufranc has announced her candidacy for the seat. Aufranc says:

Colette Aufranc, Wellesley — Colette Aufranc (Photo credit: Maura Wayman Photography)

Wellesley faces unprecedented challenges as we navigate a period of continued uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, social change in response to racial discrimination, and ongoing climate disruption. In this difficult environment, Wellesley must manage its strategic initiatives, including building new elementary schools, developing new housing opportunities, and managing long term obligations in a fiscally, environmentally and socially responsible way. The skills I bring as an accountant, experienced town volunteer, involved resident, and a proven leader and collaborator leave me well suited to become an effective member of the Board.

I moved to Wellesley in 1998. My husband grew up here and we have two children, one at Wellesley High School and one a college freshman in the fall. I am a Chartered Accountant and worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers for twelve years in the UK and the US.

I currently serve as Chair of Wellesley’s Audit Committee and as a Town Meeting Member. Audit Committee has given me valuable experience with municipal financial reporting, the town’s financial position, capital plan, pension and other employee obligations. My Town Meeting experience is critical in understanding how our Town government works.

I have been very engaged in other civic activities. Since 2006 I have been a neighborhood representative in the redevelopment of Linden Square, working with town boards and executives, and the developers on lighting, traffic, noise, parking, pedestrian safety, and landscaping. I have supported our schools as treasurer of Sprague PTO (2010-2012), treasurer of Central Council of PTOs (2011-2015) and as Co-President of Wellesley High School PTSO (2018-2019). I also serve as the treasurer for Sustainable Wellesley, and have sat on interview committees for Wellesley Public Schools’ central office and guidance staff. I have a history of cooperative, constructive and respectful engagement with the people and organizations I have worked with.

As a Selectman I would always focus on the long-term benefit to the Town, and the interests of all community members. Visit www.electcoletteaufranc.com to learn more.

I respectfully ask for your vote on September 1st.

Colette Aufranc
Hill Top Road

More: Wellesley gets very fancy with Board of Selectmen special election ballot drawing

State Rep. Alice Peisch to speak at July Wellesley Rotary Club meeting

June 30, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

State Rep. Alice Peisch

The Rotary Club of Wellesley will meet via Zoom meeting on July 7, 6:30 – 8pm, with State Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch as the club’s speaker.

Peisch represents the 14th Norfolk District, which includes the towns of Wellesley, Weston, and Precinct 4 of Wayland. Prior to her service in the legislature, Peisch was active in Wellesley’s municipal government where she a member of and chaired the town’s Advisory (Finance) and School Committees, and was elected to serve as Town Clerk from 2000-2003.

Peisch was elected to the House of Representatives in 2002 and is currently the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education, a post she has held since 2011. In her role as Chair, Peisch works on matters relating to education from birth through grade 12. During her tenure, she has tackled a broad range of issues on topics such as special education, charter schools, school discipline, education collaboratives, curriculum, school finance, and virtual schools.

In 2016, U.S. Secretary of Education John King appointed Peisch to serve a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Most recently, Peisch has led efforts to enact the Student Opportunity Act, a landmark $1.5 billion investment in our public schools designed to close the achievement gap and direct greater resources to the students who need it most. Governor Baker signed this historic legislation in November 2019.

Peisch plans on discussing:

·        The Legislature’s actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
o    Legislation
o    Remote sessions
o    FY21 budget
·         Update on issues prior to the pandemic, including public education
·         FY20 district budget highlights

If you are interested in attending this Zoom meeting, send an email to [email protected] and the club will send you an invite.

The Rotary Club of Wellesley is one of Wellesley’s oldest community service groups and conducts local programs to benefit the Town of Wellesley. The public is always invited to any Rotary program. Please check the www.wellesleyrotary.org for times and location.

Wellesley Town Meeting—the budget; MLP opt-in/opt-out drama; 2nd Monday in Oct. petitioners kept waiting

June 23, 2020 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

wellesley town hall war memorials Wellesley Town Meeting (TM), conducted remotely via Zoom, ran until almost midnight on Monday as elected officials voted on the annual town budget and issues related to the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant Voluntary Renewable Energy program.

Finances came first, with the goal being to deliver a balanced budget of about $180M for FY2021, which starts in July. The COVID-19 crisis has presented challenges in ensuring that the town-wide financial plans goals be met. All decisions are based on what Wellesley identifies as the 5 P’s — PAY the full cost of current operations/services; PROACTIVELY address emerging issues; PROTECT the Town agains material risks; PRESERVE the Town’s assets; and PLAN for the long-term.

A sixth, unwelcome P has wormed its way into all current financial discussions, and it’s called PANDEMIC. Due to the coronavirus’ impact on the economy, new growth is down by about $500k; State aid is down $200k; and local receipts (building permits, motor vehicle excise taxes, and investment income) is down by about $1.6 million, for a total reduction of approximately $2.3 million.

A cross-departmental effort ahead of TM was put in place to cut Wellesley’s capital spending 25% across the board, leading to projects like the Town Hall Annex project being deferred. Bond refunding and soliciting the Community Preservation Committee to pick up an extra $200K in softball field refurbishment funds have been used to save the town on expenses in the new fiscal year. And TM overwhelmingly agreed with budget recommendations that it was time to dip into Free Cash reserves to help fund budget items such as pubic safety; winter maintenance (snow removal); special education costs and out-of-district tuition costs; and RDF equipment.

Some of the big-ticket items that were approved:

$10,078,359.00 was appropriated to the Water Enterprise Fund
$9,765,538.00 was appropriated to the Sewer Enterprise Fund
$2,750,000 was OK’d to be expended by the DPW, for engineering designs, bid documents, construction services and associated costs related to the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and repair of Great Plain Avenue

You can see all the Articles here.

Town Meeting members voted overwhelmingly to approve all items that were taken up. Scorecard here.

Just when you think you’re done

Six Citizens Petitions were also scheduled to be heard, however, it was thought that most of the petitioners would agree to have their petitions moved off until fall for discussion. Part of the reason for doing so is that given TM is being done remotely, an unprecedented situation, it seemed best to debate the petitions when TM is able to meet in person.

Not all the petitioners agreed to have their issues tabled, however. The petitioners for Article 44, led by Phyllis Theermann of Sustainable Wellesley, chose to bring forward their motion on the Voluntary Renewable Energy Program (VREP). The big point of debate: whether to automatically enroll all the Town’s electricity customers in the VREP.

Scott Bender, Board of Public Works, gave a brief presentation in which he noted that 1,000 residents currently participate in the VREP, which represents a 10% participation rate. By being a part of the program, participants agree to have a fee of 7% added to their electricity bill. That 7% collected then goes to fund projects such as community solar projects and electric vehicle charging stations.

Right now, residents who are interested in the program “opt-in”. Article 44’s premise is that with TM’s vote of approval, the opt-in enrollment model would be abandoned and replaced with an “opt-out” system.

TM member Chris Shedd said, “The irony of it is that it’s a voluntary program that we are forcing people to do.”

Others agreed, saying that opt-out systems by their very nature are “deceitful” and “a ploy” akin to sketchy marketing strategies put forth by those who want to separate the unsuspecting from their hard-earned money.

As the debate stretched out, TM member David Himmelberger tried to end things by making a motion to “lay it on the table.” With that motion, moderator Mark Kaplan was required to stop the discussion and take a vote. The motion, which required a 2/3 vote, did not pass, and debate continued. Had the motion passed, Article 44 would have been pushed off to fall, and petitioners would have been faced with the added chore of again having to collect signatures for the article to appear on the ballot.

So Article 44’s petitioners took their chances and came out ahead. That’s called gambling, Wellesley-style.

One TM member in support of Article 44 said, “sometimes laudable goals need a nudge,” and another member took exception to the idea of opt-out models being categorized wholesale as a ploy. “Elected officials make government decisions for our town. That’s not a ploy.”

Finally, disgusted when the arguments became repetitive, and the hour approached midnight, one TM member said, “Let’s get on with it.”

In the end, TM voted yes to enroll all the Town’s electricity customers in the Voluntary Renewable Energy Program. The vote came down 158 yes; 48 no; 1 abstention for the non-binding referendum.

But what about the second Monday in October?

Moderator Kaplan said that since the late hour was taking TM into “almost tomorrow”, it was time to wrap things up.

Town Meeting will resume on Tue., June 23, at 7pm.

The likely scenario: a debate and vote on Articles 42 & 43, which have to do with the second Monday in October.

Article 42 asks that in Wellesley the second Monday of October henceforth be commemorated as Indigenous Peoples Day and that the town cease to recognize Columbus Day.

Article 43 supports the observance of Italian American Heritage Day on the second Monday in October to coincide with National Italian-American Heritage Month and supports the observance of Indigenous Peoples Day on a to-be-designated day in the month of November to coincide with National Native American Heritage Month.

The meeting will be televised live on Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 40 beginning at 7pm and will be live streamed on Wellesley Media.

Wellesley Town Meeting on Mon., June 22: budget is main thing; Columbus Day articles may be debated

June 21, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Town of Wellesley will hold its remote Annual Town Meeting and Special Town Meeting beginning at 7pm on Monday, June 22, 2020, using the Zoom meeting platform.

The meeting will be televised live on Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 40 beginning at 7pm and will be live streamed on Wellesley Media.

Town Meeting’s main focus will be Wellesley’s budget, but it’s the outcome of Citizen’s Petitions 42 & 43 that many are watching closely.

Petition 42 asks that Town Meeting (TM) members vote to establish the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day and cease to recognize Columbus Day in Wellesley.

Petition 43 in its original version read that Town Meeting was being asked to adopt a resolution to establish the second Monday of October as Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.

Those putting forth Petition 43, however, have amended the language for that petition. The amended language for Petition 43, approved by Town Counsel in March, is broken into two parts. Part 1 asks Town Meeting to “support the observance of Italian American Heritage day on the second Monday in October to coincide with National Italian American Heritage Month.” The second part of the petition asks TM to “support the observance of Indigenous Peoples Day on a to-be-designated day in the month of November to coincide with National Native American Heritage month.”

On Monday the Board of Selectmen will announce that it is ready to take up the six citizens petitions (41, 44, 45, 46, 42 & 43 — in that order). It is likely that the petitioners of 41, 44, 45, and 46 will agree to have their petitions moved off until fall for discussion. The reason for pushing off the petitions is that right now the town is focused on the budget. Also, given that TM is being done remotely, an unprecedented situation, it seems best to debate the petitions when TM is able to meet in person.

Given that Petitions 42 & 43 are tied to a specific date — October 12, 2020 — TM may agree with the petitioners that the timely nature of the petitions requires immediate action.

Wellesley resident and proponent of Petition 43 Donna Maria Ticchi said, “Article 43 originally asked our Town to support a compromise — an inclusive observation of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October. We listened and learned that this is not an acceptable compromise and have amended the language on the petition. We have removed the name Christopher Columbus, which is offensive to some. The new language represents a further step toward a compromise that would recognize, honor, and respect both groups.”

World of Wellesley president and proponent of Petition 42, Michelle Chalmers, said, “Proponents of 43 now wants Columbus Day renamed to Italian Heritage Day. They say they’ve changed their motion to reflect their new-found views. I feel very good about Indigenous People’s Day passing. I think the people of Wellesley understand that it’s the right thing to do.”

You can find the wording of 42 & 43 here:
[Read more…]

Wellesley votes today—polls open 8am – noon

June 13, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley’s local election will take place today (Saturday, June 13, 2020). In-person voting for ALL precincts will be held 8am – noon at the Babson College Recreation and Athletic Center, 3 Babson College Dr.

Residents are being asked to vote for candidates to serve on the Town’s 11 Boards and Committees.

Four of the races are contested — Moderator; Board of Selectmen; Board of Public Works; and School Committee.

For your convenience, here is a link to a round-up of all the Wellesley candidates and their Q&A’s.

In addition, there is a non-binding referendum question on the ballot:

Non-binding referendum question:

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 of 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.

This Wellesley election post is sponsored by the Lauren Duprey for School Committee campaign.