To be honest, I haven’t managed to watch last night’s full Board of Selectmen meeting yet. But I did pick up a tidbit and Southborough Wicked Local filled me in on other highlights.
The website also reported an update on the alleged attempted sabotage of a candidate’s bid for a seat on the board.
At the top of Tuesday’s meeting, BOS Chair Daniel Kolenda made an announcement about the “ongoing Gulbankian matter”:
all parties have agreed to resolve all pending litigation the terms of which are expected to be released at the end of the week.
From there, the board moved on to discussing their positions on Warrant Articles for Annual Town Meeting.
SWL reports that members unanimously supported the bylaw for medical marijuana zoning:
While Chairman Daniel Kolenda and member Bill Boland said the zone is a bit larger than they’d like, they agreed it’s better than not having anything at all.
“It would be far better to accept this than to have it all go down in flames and have no district whatsoever,” Boland said, since then a dispensary could go just about anywhere in town under state law.
In a split vote, selectmen recommended the Advisory Committee’s article asking for state approval to “enact a special act” to shift supervision of police, fire and DPW chiefs from selectmen to the town administrator.
They will wait until Town Meeting to voice their position on two other articles – appointment of the Town Clerk and adoption of Barn Hollow Open Space. (To read SWL’s story on the meeting, click here.)
In news unrelated to the meeting . . . SWL posted about the incident reported by BOS candidate David Parry.
As I shared on Monday, Parry claims that someone grabbed clipboards with a set of his official papers signed by 180 voters. He publicly hoped that the Transfer Station’s security video captured the incident.
According to SWL, the Department of Public Works says that Parry’s table wasn’t in view of the camera. Now Parry is hoping a witness will come forward. (To read SWL’s story, click here.)
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Actually, I was there at the time. I did not see the papers being taken, but I did overhear Parry talking to a DPW employee about the papers being stolen. I believe the papers were in front of the closed garage door and not actually in the Swap Shop. That’s why the incident was out of range of the camera. Camera aside, I am outraged that someone tried to interfere with democracy. This kind of low-life politics has no place in town. I was glad to hear that Parry did manage to get on the ballot. My personal opinion is that I will sign anyone’s nomination papers. It doesn’t mean I will vote for the candidate, but he/she should have a right to run and let the voters decide.
I don’t understand why everyone is jumping to the conclusion that this is “low-life politics” or some kind of sabotage. We have absolutely no evidence that this is foul play. There is the possibility that something bad happened, but there are many possible other explanations as well. It could have been an honest mistake someone made. It could have been the wind. (And for those who dismiss that, why would wind that’s enough to blow down branches in town this weekend not be capable of lifting up a very light clipboard?)
JMO, I totally agree with you. Perhaps the most sane thing I have seen in the comments on this matter. Thank you.
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Glade to see the Gulbakian’s might be getting some type of ending to this.
Absolutely.