Advisory backs postal-mail opt-out for its report
Advisory Committee · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Wellesley Advisory Committee votes 12-1 to end mandatory postal mailing of its Advisory Report and hears a contested pitch to let school bus contracts run 10 years instead of five. Secretary Doug Wilkins said the U.S. Postal Service mailing is "the single greatest logistical challenge" before every town meeting; the amended motion, seconded by Dan Weinger, sends new language to Town Counsel and the Bylaw Review Committee ahead of a public hearing.
Member Penny Rossano objected that the committee acted "without doing research and speaking with town meeting." Separately, Assistant Superintendent David Jordan and Superintendent David Lussier pitched extending the school bus contract cap from five to ten years to attract competitive bids and enable electric-bus phase-ins, citing Belmont's $0.32-per-mile electric cost versus $1.15 diesel. Member Jay Bock pushed back hard, warning the town would lose "the balance of power that exists currently between town meeting and schools." The committee also heard $14,200 and roughly $15 million MSBA-related Select Board articles and a Bylaw Review Committee presentation on simplifying open-meeting-law bylaws.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,611 words
Source: the Advisory Committee meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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