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My Goals as Moderator

FACILITATING TOWN MEETING

The Town Moderator’s most visible effort is managing Town Meeting itself – a multi-night process where hundreds of town residents debate the merits of proposed legislation.

 

This requires multiple critical skills:

  • expertise at facilitating complex and often divisive civic meetings.

  • detailed knowledge of the issues that can come before town meeting.

  • the doggedness required for working for many weeks with town staff and motion proponents to craft an efficient and informative event.
     

I have these skills and the required knowledge. I have been a Town Meeting member for decades. I know how these meetings go well, and how they hit snags. I am ready to build on the good work of the past and fix the occasional problems we have witnessed.
 

I have also been a chair/member of many essential town boards/committees:

  • Select Board (member/chair, 12 years)

  • Warrant Committee (member 6 years)

  • Capital Budget Committee (member)

  • Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee (member)

  • Financial Task Force I (chair) / II (member)

  • Council on Aging Board (chair)

  • Senior Tax Relief Working Group (member)

  • Traffic Advisory Committee (chair)

  • Belmont Women’s Club (member)
     

I know the issues the town faces. And I have the leadership experience to ensure a fair, well-run, respectful, productive Town Meeting.
 

I want to build on the successful legacy of our current Moderator, Mike Widmer, and will continue to develop the office so that it meets our current needs. Here are some ideas.  
 

  • Establish an Ad Hoc Moderator Advisory Committee comprised of Town Meeting members from each of the Precincts to provide recommendations to the Moderator on all Town Meeting matters.

  • Develop a formal application process for appointments to the Warrant Committee, Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee, and other Committees where the Moderator has appointing authority. 

  • Continue to broaden participation and diversity for both the Warrant Committee and Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee.  

  • Continue to foster an environment at Town Meeting that will encourage more Town Meeting Members to participate in the debate on Warrant articles.

  • Continue to support and advocate for Hybrid Town Meetings.

MAKING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

The Town Moderator is also responsible for appointing interested and qualified residents to both the Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee (CCBC) and the Warrant Committee, Town Meeting’s advisory committees.
 

Making appointments takes skill, deep knowledge of the issues facing the town, and extensive experience.  I have all of these.
 

As a member of the Belmont Select Board for 12 years, I appointed hundreds of residents to many volunteer committees in town, including: 

  • Planning Board

  • Zoning Board of Appeals

  • Conservation Commission

  • Economic Development Committee

  • Human Rights Commission

  • Historic District Commission

  • Energy Committee

  • Housing Trust

  • Recreation Commission

  • Transportation Advisory Committee

  • Vision 21 Implementation Committee

  • Council on Aging Board

  • Cultural Council

  • Disability Access Commission

  • Community Preservation Committee

  • and many more
     

For each appointment, I researched the needs of the committee and worked hard to identify qualified and enthusiastic members that could best serve the needs of the town.
 

To enhance the appointment process, I helped to formalize it – providing a website where candidates could fill out applications and submit resumes online and encouraging candidates to provide detailed information about why they wanted to serve – and why they were qualified for the role.
 

As Moderator, I will apply these experiences – and my extensive financial background – to enhance the CCBC / Warrant Committee appointment process to ensure diverse, knowledgeable voices join these committees.

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