As you may be aware, the Board of Selectmen has decided to again sponsor a town-wide discussion separate from traditional Town Meetings.  Last year, this forum took the form of a "State of the Town" meeting, and provided an opportunity for leaders from certain boards and committees to update citizens on critical issues and to report on the progress on major goals and initiatives.  It was similar to a program was held on a Saturday afternoon in November 2004 and "selectmen's summits" on weeknights in June 2002 and June 2003.

This year, Selectmen have decided to modify the theme and the format of the meeting to actively engage citizens.  The Board is sponsoring a forum on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. to spark a dialogue on how we define ourselves as a community.  A frequently quoted descriptive of Wayland is a community having "semi-rural character".  The definition varies widely among different constituencies.  A second thread of discussion will be in response to the question "What qualities make Wayland a desirable place to live?"  We have invited citizens from a cross-section of the community to offer different perspectives to stimulate thought, after which citizens will break into small groups to discuss their own perspectives on the questions.  Members of the Master Plan Advisory Committee and the Board of Selectmen will fan out and sit at each table.  A member of the League of Women Voters will facilitate the discussions.  At the conclusion of the separate small group discussions, the LWV facilitator at each table will report to the audience the major points made during the small groups discussion.  There will be a time for general comment and discussion after all of the small groups have reported on their conversations to the forum moderator.

We hope you will join us on Wednesday evening to participate in what should be a lively discussion.

Submitted by Town Administrator Fred Turkington