SWAMPSCOTT — A resident called for Select Board Chair MaryEllen Fletcher to resign from her position during the board meeting on Wednesday night.
The meeting was injected early on with a harsh sense of resistance from the residents of Swampscott. They voiced concerns regarding a lack of transparency, citing an apparent habit of the committee to suddenly pivot into executive sessions, which are private meetings the public cannot attend, that affect the outcome of matters relevant to the whole community.
The first to speak regarding Fletcher’s lack of openness and transparency was resident Katie Arrington. “Prior to becoming Select Board Chair on May 29, you regularly expressed concern about the lack of transparency by the Select Board, and openly criticized your colleagues,” Arrington said.
“Yet, as chair, you have been even less transparent. I respectfully ask that you stop this immediately,” Arrington continued. “Since June 1, the committee has held practically no public discussion about the Hawthorne site, virtually no discussions about the Hadley Hotel, and virtually no public discussion about the Pine Street affordable housing for veterans and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) until tonight. Yet, since June 1, the Select Board has met in nonpublic executive sessions 18 times.”
Arrington noted how in 14 of the 18 nonpublic sessions, the public agenda references vague parcels of land that were left undetermined, expressing concerns that the subjects were only being discussed behind closed doors. “The Select Board has not released any minutes from the nonpublic executive sessions,” Arrington said.
Arrington cited that under the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, for the Select Board to discuss property in a nonpublic executive session, the chair must first determine that discussion in open minutes may have detrimental effects on the negotiation positions of the town.
“It is not believable, that in good faith, the Chair could make this determination in 14 nonpublic executive sessions relating to every property the board discussed since June 1,” Arrington said.
“There’s no excuse for this violation of trust,” Arrington added.
Afterward, Arrington said she filed an Open Law Meeting violation complaint against the Select Board and Fletcher last week. She said she demanded the secrecy stop, and that those involved are held accountable.
“MaryEllen, I ask you to practice what you preach, and choose transparency, and stop the secrecy,” Arrington concluded.
The next to approach the microphone for public comment was Craig Smith of Archer Street. Smith expressed his concerns that stem from the recent conversations of speculation regarding closed-door meetings. More specifically, discussions relating to the potential reversal of the decision to preserve the VFW Post in its present capacity. Smith added it was a promise made to veterans, and documented in past meetings.
“I am quite concerned about the seemingly excessive amount of closed-door sessions,” Smith said. “These styles of meetings deny the very people, for whom the board is tasked to represent, the transparency of process that is intended to serve as the primary function of the board and its elected officials.”
“If it is determined at any point in time that the Select Board has openly violated the Open Meeting Law, I am calling for the immediate resignation of Select Board Member MaryEllen Fletcher from their present Chairperson position, of which would be reassigned following a public vote of the remaining Selection Board members,” Smith said.
After public comment, the meeting moved forward with the rest of the agenda.
