hopkinton-independent-logo2x
Hopkinton, MA
loader-image
Hopkinton, US
6:28 pm, Tuesday, November 5, 2024
temperature icon 65°F
Humidity 72 %
Wind Gust: 3 mph

SIGN UP TODAY!
BREAKING NEWS & DAILY NEWSLETTER





Letter to the Editor: How can Town Meeting improve attendance?

by | May 8, 2022 | Letter to Editor

I attended all three nights of Hopkinton’s Annual Town Meeting from beginning to end. The first two nights ended early and the third night started late because we could not maintain a quorum of 128 people. For months, Town Hall staff and various volunteer board and committee members work to prepare and present important articles for Town Meeting. They give up tons of time away from their families to make Hopkinton a wonderful place for our families. The least we can do is show up and vote.

I encourage the Select Board and Town Hall to survey residents to learn why people are not attending. Instead of major changes to our bylaws, are there small adjustments that would make it easier for more people to attend? Are there ways to streamline the meeting and allow for an appropriate amount of deliberation? How can we ensure we’ll have 128 people at 7 p.m.?

In the meantime, I want to help people understand their importance at Town Meeting and will do whatever I can to encourage my friends and neighbors to attend in 2023. An easy way to get involved or interested in attending Town Meeting is to simply pay attention to the happenings in town. I do this by reading the Hopkinton Independent when it arrives in the mailbox, following @HopkintonMA on Twitter and subscribing to eHop’s weekly newsletter (ehop.org). I hope through conversation, creative thinking and decisive action we can have a successful and well-attended Town Meeting in 2023.

— Janice Barry, Hopkinton

Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.

0 Comments

Related Articles

Letter to the Editor: Civil for Governor’s Council

I am writing to ask for your support for Tamisha Civil for Governor’s Council in this year’s election. As many of you know, Tamisha and I were competitors in the primary, and it was my privilege to get to know Tamisha in that process. She is smart, dedicated and...

Letter to the Editor: Bring back old Main Street

OK, guys, let’s end this engineering and construction practice downtown and give us our old Main Street back! Also, are the light structures going to need repainting every two years? (Lowest bid, I guess.) — Bill and Alice Hamilton, Hopkinton Editor’s note: The...

Letter to the Editor: Town must balance character, finances

Every time a potential zoning change comes before the town, I see a letter or two accusing town officials of “catering to developers” and “destroying the character of our town.” Our town does have an idyllic rural character that we would like to preserve. Our...

Letter to the Editor: No gas station in area zoned agricultural

We are writing in opposition to the 290 West Main Street project, which proposes a gas station at the intersection of West Main Street and School Street. The character of our neighborhood is at stake as well as the character of the town! Consistent with the...

Letter to the Editor: Town committees shouldn’t cater to developers

Since 1965, the zoning at Main Street and School Street as well as Hayward and South Street has remained unchanged, preserving the character of these areas. Yet, recent actions by the Board of Appeals and the Zoning Advisory Committee suggest that they cater to...

Key Storage 4.14.22