In an attempt to create better communication with the public, the selectmen will try something new: engaging in actual, if brief, conversation with people who come to their meetings to ask questions or voice a complaint. On a trial basis, they agreed to set aside 15 minutes in every meeting to engage in verbal interaction with the public, as opposed to listening to public comments in polite silence as they do now.
The idea was proposed by board Chairman Stu Sklar and endorsed by his colleague Leo Blair, who called the public comment period “an odd moment when someone stands up and makes an impassioned statement and we sit here like we didn’t hear it.” Board members Lucy Wallace and Ron Ricci had reservations about having an open-ended discussion with the public in the middle of their regular business meetings but agreed it was worth a try if a firm time limit were set. If a speaker wants more time, he or she can ask to be on the agenda at the next board meeting.
