SB chair looking into recent public comments

In response to concerns raised by a resident at the July 25 Select Board meeting regarding the expectations of board members’ conduct in public settings, Select Board Chair Tom Theodore said he plans to ask another member to look into the complaints and report back to both the board and the individual who lodged the complaint.

Theodore said he will ask for a formal letter from the resident, Christine Smith, and also confer with Town Counsel Paul DeRensis. Smith had voiced concerns about a recently circulated video that captured Select Board member Chris Albert making inappropriate comments to a female patron at a downtown bar and expressing his thoughts on the murder case against Karen Read, who has been charged in the death of her boyfriend, Canton resident John O’Keefe. Smith noted during her remarks last week that the Select Board had previously indicated that they would not be making any public comments about the case.

Theodore said while the purpose of the public comments section of the meeting is to hear resident comments only, a person can request to have an open dialogue with board members, as long as the request is made in advance and included on the agenda. This can be done by contacting Laurie Bogue of the Select Board’s office or by emailing Theodore at ttheodore@town.canton.ma.us. “We are listening, and we do take this seriously,” said Theodore. He praised the civility of the residents who spoke during the public comment section at last week’s meeting. “Everything they said was recorded and we are going to address it,” Theodore said.

Another resident who spoke at the July 25 meeting raised questions about police body cameras, and Police Chief Helena Rafferty said she plans to address this at the next board meeting on Tuesday, August 8.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Aug 3 2023. Filed under News, Police & Fire, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.