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By Christopher Haraden

At a special meeting called just for the purpose of discussing how the board would articulate its position to the state Legislature regarding Article 40, the town meeting-approved change in management of the light plant, members of the select board ultimately decided to send two letters expressing opposite viewpoints.

During a 26-minute Zoom on Tuesday morning, the board remained split, 3-2, on whether to support removing the town manager as the light plant manager. Two consecutive town meetings have approved the change, which was enacted in 1993, and now is on the state Legislature’s docket as House Bill H.5654.

Members Jerry Taverna, Brian McCarthy, and Susan Short Green support the concept and agreed to sign a letter drafted by Taverna expressing the select board’s position in favor. Members Irwin Nesoff and Greg Grey are opposed and initially sought to have the board’s letter express both the majority and minority opinions, but now will send a separate letter with their minority opinion on the select board’s letterhead.

“Respectfully, I thought we discussed this, and we made a clear decision to write two separate letters, one support and one in opposition,” Taverna said. “Feedback I have received from my contacts in the Legislature have made very clear that combining two opinions with one letter will just provide additional confusion.”

Nesoff sought to have a statement included in the board’s letter that said he and Grey “do not see any benefit to the ratepayers” from the management adjustment.

“I received a number of letters from residents that were urging me to vote to support the bill,” Nesoff said. “I appreciate the fact that people are concerned enough to take the time to send an email. However, I still have some concerns about this change and whether or not it will provide a benefit to ratepayers.”

Although they disagreed on the topic, the board was unanimous in its vote to send two letters to the state.

House Bill H.5654 is now before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, and the committee is soliciting written testimony until September 28 at 5 p.m. Residents are encouraged to send letters to House Chair Jack Patrick Lewis and Senate Chair Becca Rausch by email at muni.committee@malegislature.gov with “H.5654 Testimony” in the subject line.

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