I encourage Harvard voters to attend the upcoming Annual Town Meeting and to stay for the entire meeting. A group of Harvard residents, including members of the Devens Committee, have submitted two articles about the status of Devens. Article 30 supports Harvard governing Devens. Article 31 supports Devens becoming a separate town. These articles appear near the end of the warrant and thus will likely arise near the end of the meeting.
I understand that some Harvard residents just want to get this question settled. However, I question the usefulness of placing these articles on the warrant. No new facts have been introduced since the last vote. The Joint Boards of Selectmen are gathering new information, but it will not be ready until after Town Meeting. The proponents of these articles have not held any public meetings to educate voters or gain consent for either proposal.
I have no objection to discussing these two warrant articles, but I see no useful purpose in taking a vote. We are not ready to resolve the Devens question, and the outcome of the vote is not binding upon the selectmen. I suggest that the meeting simply pass over them.
Without an up-to-date set of facts and careful analysis, Harvard is in almost the same place it was two years ago when it resoundingly defeated the proposal to make Devens a separate town. Let’s continue to gather facts and opinions, analyze the data, propose a solution, and gain the consent of the public. The process is working. Let’s give our selectmen the time to do the job the right way.
Paul Green
Old Littleton Road
