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False Allegations of Police Escorts Add Rancor to Division
After hours of debate, points of order, motions to amend and several votes in the hall, Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting defeated the Select Board’s proposed Firearms Safety Business Use Zoning Bylaw on Monday night. The Board was divided with three members in favor of, and two opposed to, the proposed bylaw heading into Annual Town Meeting. The division was on full display throughout the debate, and was mirrored by resident comments throughout the evening.
The path to defeat was long and winding. Charlie Russo presented the article, and fellow supporters Jennifer Roberts and Dan Carty left the stage where the Select Board sits to stand on the left side of the floor while the article was presented and debated. Things heated up with a motion to amend by Select Board Vice Chair, Lisa Kouchakdjian, who was a member of the minority of the Select Board that did not support the original bylaw. Here amendment succeeded, ultimately expanding the setbacks from sensitive uses from 250 feet to 500 feet and eliminating a provision of the bylaw that would give the Select Board the ability to make exceptions to certain requirements of the bylaw.
But members of the hall were vocal about their confusion on the motion to amend, while others voiced frustration that there wasn’t more debate before the vote was called. Eventually, a motion to reconsider was made, but it failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed. With tension rising in the room, Charlie Russo offered another motion to amend. This would reduce the setbacks from sensitive uses down to 225 feet from the 500 feet that were being considered in the amended article. That would also be 25 feet less than the originally-proposed 250 feet. Residents shared their frustration with the maneuvering. Former Select Board member Kirsten Roopenian commented to voice her dismay over the tactic of using a motion to amend to undo a successful motion to amend. Others in the hall commented to indicate that the will of the Town’s legislative body was being ignored.
Nonetheless, the second motion to amend succeeded, effectively undoing the first, only for the final amended article to fail; falling just a few votes short of the two-thirds threshold required to pass.
On Tuesday morning, things turned toxic and personal on social media when Select Board member Dan Carty accused the Select Board Chair and Vice Chair, Janie Dretler and Lisa Kouchakdjian, of orchestrating a “slippery” political stunt the night prior and receiving a police escort out of the building.
In case you missed night one of town meeting, it pretty much was a dumpster fire that ended up with the “leaders” of the Select Board, the Chair and Vice Chair, getting a police escort out of the building. I’ve seen a lot of slippery political stuff in my days but the stunt those two orchestrated last night absolutely takes the cake. I suspect they know it was slippery, hence the escort.
Dan Carty, Sudbury Select Board
Sudbury Weekly checked with Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix to see if the department provided a police escort. He responded emphatically and unequivocally that no such thing happened:
“Absolutely not. No one was escorted.”
Sudbury Police Chief, Scott Nix
Residents also took to social media to voice frustration with the Town Moderator’s efforts to run the meeting on Monday night. The proceedings were chaotic, with residents repeatedly standing up to clarify what exactly they would be voting on, and the effect of a “yes” or “no” vote. Though some of that is attributable to the tactics employed and motions made on the floor, as well as resident comments that appeared to extend beyond the four corners of the article and motions, the Sudbury community seemed to agree on at least one thing on Tuesday morning: they want to see a more orderly Town Meeting.
Annual Town Meeting continues on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.