Letters: Selectmen's Vote Prompted Resignations

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To the Editor:

Our recent resignations from the Williamstown Affordable Housing Committee, after a combined 30 years of service, were made with deep regret.

The Selectmen's April 15 vote not to follow the unanimous recommendation of the AHC to make full use of both town-owned sites for affordable housing, as called for in the RFP the Selectmen themselves sent out, was a decision we could not support. That vote, and other actions taken and not taken by the Selectmen, prompted our resignations.  

We hope that in the future, our Selectmen will show more resolve in addressing Williamstown's housing inequities.



Sincerely yours,

Charles Bonenti
Cheryl Shanks
Catherine Yamamoto


The signers were, respectively, the vice chairman, secretary, and chairman of the Williamstown Affordable Housing Committee.


Tags: affordable housing,   letters to the editor,   resignation,   

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Williamstown Charter Review Panel OKs Fix to Address 'Separation of Powers' Concern

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Charter Review Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to endorse an amended version of the compliance provision it drafted to be added to the Town Charter.
 
The committee accepted language designed to meet concerns raised by the Planning Board about separation of powers under the charter.
 
The committee's original compliance language — Article 32 on the annual town meeting warrant — would have made the Select Board responsible for determining a remedy if any other town board or committee violated the charter.
 
The Planning Board objected to that notion, pointing out that it would give one elected body in town some authority over another.
 
On Wednesday, Charter Review Committee co-Chairs Andrew Hogeland and Jeffrey Johnson, both members of the Select Board, brought their colleagues amended language that, in essence, gives authority to enforce charter compliance by a board to its appointing authority.
 
For example, the Select Board would have authority to determine a remedy if, say, the Community Preservation Committee somehow violated the charter. And the voters, who elect the Planning Board, would have ultimate say if that body violates the charter.
 
In reality, the charter says very little about what town boards and committees — other than the Select Board — can or cannot do, and the powers of bodies like the Planning Board are regulated by state law.
 
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