Website: http://www.anneforwayland.com/

Candidate Statement:

I’m excited to introduce myself as a candidate for Select Board. As the owner of an alternative investment firm, a practicing attorney, and a financial professional I have been working on complex investment and real estate development projects for the last 20 years. My professional successes have relied almost exclusively on my ability to understand the financial repercussions between coming close to completing an initiative and actually executing on an initiative.  I am committed to seeing long sought after town initiatives be completed and look forward to offering my professional skills to the challenges that lay ahead.

Professional Skills I bring to the Position:

PFAS levels in our Water Supply:

Currently our PFAS levels are in compliance with the recommended MassDEP standards. However, as someone who is currently handling the remediation of a 17-acre brownfield site which includes high levels of PFAS, I am acutely aware that the existing standards may once again tighten.  This may move us out of compliance and force us onto the Mass Water Resources Authority’s system.  I have existing MassDEP relationships and have direct experience on this issue along with an active pulse on the trends within water standards.

Mill Creek Development Project:

I am deeply concerned about the proposed Milk Creek development project (172-unit residential development project on rte 20 in Wayland- old wholefoods site). As a result of my experience in land development and ground up construction projects, I understand the negative impacts that a project like this can have, including unexpected engineering, design, and traffic impacts, as well as devastating environmental and ecological impacts. I am opposed to this development not for its affordability component, but because I believe the space provides more of a town benefit as a commercial property.

Inclusion Concerns:

My commitment to human rights, diversity, and inclusion is defined not only by race but also socio-economic and thought diversity.  As an individual who has been overlooked many times professionally and personally, I see no reason to sidelining anyone.  Based on Wayland’s past, I will also actively support Wayland’s human rights focus on domestic violence.

Perspectives I bring to the Position:

As a woman and mother of a student at Wayland High, I believe I bring an underrepresented and vital perspective to the Board as I would be only the second active Select Board member with children in our schools and the second woman on the Board of five members.  I understand firsthand the impact of a school system beleaguered by vacant leadership positions and believe there are sound financial reasons to invest in the care of our schools, the students, and the faculty.

In addition, I will be the Select Board’s second attorney. As a community we have used costly legal services to guide us through complex, but also relatively easy problems.  I hope to reduce those costs and to better guide the board and other committees on when holding a strong and aggressive legal position is the right strategy.

Initiatives I Support:

• Community Center: We currently are paying interest on the loan for the build-out of the Community Center. An acceptable compromise as to the parking issue needs to be done and we need to get the renovation completed.  The Community Center will directly benefit:
• • Council on Aging members
  • After School programming
  • Recreation participants (all ages)
  • Veterans
• Equity Assessment: A review of our policies and procedures is a long time coming and the equity assessment will specifically make sure they align with our town’s commitment to equity across socio-economic and diversity groups
• St Ann’s Project (Good Shepard Parish): This project will help us reach the required 10% affordable housing threshold while also providing housing for some of our most vulnerable community members.

As a new candidate, I am hosting a “Meet and Greet” at the Local on April 20^th at 7:00pm with the hopes of meeting community members I have not met yet.  I look forward to finishing this campaign and getting to work.