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The Sudbury Select Board has called a Special Town Meeting for a to-be-determined date in May, and opened the warrant until noon on April 21. The vote was in response to a valid petition that was submitted on Monday, April 6. The petition includes just one article, calling for a vote of no confidence in the Sudbury School Committee. (More details here.)
During discussion with the Select Board, Town Manager Andy Sheehan explained that variations between local bylaws and State laws create a small window in which a Special Town Meeting can be scheduled.
As a result, the Special Town Meeting will have to happen sometime between May 16 and May 21 according to Sheehan.
Select Board Member Charlie Russo noted the difficulty the local timeline creates when forced to comply with State mandates.
“I smell a calendar update coming in the next round of bylaws to maybe tweak that 35 [days] and maybe alter it, maybe just for the case of special town meetings. It seems like that’s a flaw that we should try to remedy in the near future.”
Sheehan also explained that Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is not available on those dates, so an alternative location will need to be identified. Board members questioned the cost of the Special Town Meeting. Sheehan responded that a typical town meeting costs approximately $6,000. He added there was some uncertainty about the cost of this Special Town Meeting as the Town may need to rent seating, furnishings, and audio/visual equipment for a new location.
While the exact details of the petition were not debated in full, board members addressed the community tension surrounding it, noting that the petition is directed at the five-member School Committee as a whole.
Vice Chair Janie Dretler emphasized the purpose and limitations of a Special Town Meeting in relation to the grievances raised.
“The Town Meeting is not a court of law. It’s not a place where we adjudicate issues, it is a policy [and] legislative body.”
Chair Lisa Kouchakdjian expressed a desire to see concrete evidence regarding the claims circulating in the community, noting in agreement with Vice Chair Dretler that a complaint does not equate to a formal finding of misconduct.
“I would like to see what documents exist to substantiate the serious allegations that are being put forward against elected officials in the community.”
During the discussion, Dretler raised a concern about whether the Town could face legal repercussions for publishing the allegations made against individuals (the School Committee) within the citizen’s petition.
Sheehan assured Dretler that the Town is not liable. He explained that because the allegations and insinuations are generated entirely by the petitioners, not the Town itself, the Town does not bear responsibility for the statements printed in the warrant. Sheehan also noted that because the targets of the petition are public officials, the legal threshold for liability is exceptionally high, describing it as a position where one is “inviting rocks to be thrown at you.”
Based on tonight’s discussion, the Select Board intends to invite the lead petitioner, Jillian Kelton, to present the article at an upcoming meeting, likely on April 28 or in early May.