How the Ashland Select Board Has Systematically Supressed Public Participation in Town Government

At Monday night’s Select Board Meeting in Ashland, Select Board Chairman Jeanette Stewart announced that the board would no longer allow public comments at their meetings.  Instead, the public must submit questions and comments in writing two weeks in advance.  This action is the board’s latest attempt to suppress public discussion.  I was ejected from the meeting as I was trying to explain the other actions this board has taken to exclude the public commentary and public participation in town government. 

Since Jeanette Stewart became chairman, the board has removed one of two public discussions from their agenda.  Before that, the public was allowed to make comments prior to and after the business portion of the agenda.   Up until Monday night, the public could speak but only after the board made its decisions.  Immediately after the last election, the board moved the work sessions from Monday night to Monday mornings, effectively excluding many members of the public from attending.  They also changed the location of the meeting to the conference room in the town hall, a  room with very limited space and access.  Furthermore, the board announced that they would no longer allow public comments at the work sessions.  The board promised that no votes on important issues would take place during the work sessions and that they would provide a recap of the discussions at the Monday night meetings.  In fact, the opposite is true – we hear little about their work session discussions, and votes on important issues are routinely taken.

Complex and difficult issues are rarely discussed at Monday night meetings.  As an example, the decision to prohibit public comments was made at the last work session.  The topic was not even included on Monday night’s agenda.   Instead, the board decided to announce their decision at the end of the meeting after the public comments were concluded.  However, the issue came up earlier than they planned when a member of the public said that she understood the board had made a decision at the work session to exclude public comments.  Jeanette Stewart replied, “How do you know?  You weren’t at the work session!”  Stewart then said she planned to announce her decision after the public comments.  When I tried to continue this discussion, I was ejected from the meeting.

It is my understanding that the board decided to eliminate public comments because they have received comments from individuals outside of Ashland indicating that the perception is that our Select Board Meetings are “a circus.”   Apparently, Ms. Stewart, Mr. Preston, and Mr. Golden believe that the problem lies solely with the public and thus, the best way improve their meetings is to do away with public discussion.  I would submit that the board is often responsible for this environment.  If you watch Monday night’s meeting on Public Access television, you will see how the board treats the taxpayers in the town of Ashland.  They do not set a good example for civil discourse and are often rude and dismissive.  Sometimes they erupt in anger, make false claims and accusations, provide incorrect information, and goad the public to anger.  Their decision to exclude public comments is an example of their negative attitude towards the public.  

Had I been allowed to continue speaking Monday night, I was going to propose that we as a town develop ground rules for public discussion, and that the town moderator facilitate the discussions.  That would allow the public to speak without having the board control the discussion.  Ironically, I agree that some of the meetings get overly contentious.  Part of this is simply the nature of the democratic process.  John F. Kennedy said, “The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion.”   Solving the problem by excluding public comments only exacerbates the underlying tensions that are at the heart of problem.  Ashland, like many towns, is in the position of having to face serious economic problems that can only be solved by facing the issues, and working together to solve them.