How the Brewster Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Ned Chatelain joined the board after the June 23, 2020 town election; John Dickson left. On June 24, 2020 the board chose Mary Chaffee as Chair, Ben deRuyter as Vice Chair and Cynthia Bingham as Clerk. Most meetings this year were held remotely. Covers 52 meetings, June 24 to May 24, 2021.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
In Brewster, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Annual Town Meeting · May 4, 2026 29 votes: 27 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 indefinitely postponed
Art. 12Acquire land at 0 W.H. Besse Cartway: $275,000 from CPA open space reserves (reconsidered; eminent domain struck)Passed as amended“Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
Art. 8Acquire a conservation restriction on about 20-22 acres at 379 Main Street, Harwich: $300,000 (eminent domain struck)Passed as amended“Adopted by a unanimous vote.”
Art. 18Petition: fund a town-wide Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (estimated $300,000)Indefinitely postponed“Adopted to Indefinitely Postpone.”
Art. 19Petition: non-binding resolution supporting Medicare for All legislationAdvisory“Adopted by a majority vote.”
Art. 20Approve a Nauset Regional School District Special Education Stabilization FundPassed“Adopted by a majority vote.”
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: every Select Board meeting from January 2018 through August 31, 2026 whose minutes are posted in the town’s online records archive (Laserfiche), 338 meetings in all, including 29 closed (executive session) meetings from 2020-2021 whose minutes the board has since released. Not here: 50 meetings since January 2018 that have an agenda but no minutes in the archive (including September 14, 2026 and September 28, 2026), and separate executive-session minutes for meetings whose open-session minutes are loaded (the vote to go into executive session is in the open-session minutes). Brewster’s minutes are scanned paper copies with a computer-read text layer; we read that text (and, for five files with a missing or unreadable text layer, our own text recognition), and checked split votes against the page images. The minutes name the mover and seconder of each motion and give the result as a count (for example 5-0); from 2020 to 2024 most votes are also roll calls with each member’s yes or no by name. When the count equals the number of members present and no one voted no, or the minutes say all members voted in favor, we show every member present as voting yes; when the minutes give a roll call, or name the members who voted no or abstained, we show each member’s vote as recorded. Where the minutes give only a count with no names (for example 4-1), or the count does not match the members present, or a roll call lists a member the minutes show as absent or lists a member twice, we show the count only and add a note. Votes where the minutes give no count and no names are shown as result only. Members who had not yet arrived, had left, or stepped aside (recused) are left out of that vote. Votes by other boards at joint meetings (Finance Committee, Board of Health, Planning Board, Conservation Commission and others) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
May 24Adopt the policy as drafted (joint vote with the…Motion: Adopt the policy as drafted (joint vote with the Board of…Failed 2–3 · No: Bingham, Chatelain, deRuyter
May 24, 2021: Adopt the policy as drafted (joint vote with the Board of Health)
ApproveFailed · 2–3
Adopt the policy as drafted (joint vote with the Board of Health)
Yes: Chaffee, WhitneyNo: Bingham, Chatelain, deRuyterJoint vote with the Board of Health on the policy. The Select Board voted 2-3; counting both boards the vote was 5-4. Only the Select Board members' votes are shown.
From the minutes
“Selectperson deRuyter moved the policy as drafted ,Selectperson Bingham second .For the Board of Health Penny Holeman moved to accept the policy as stated ,Jean Kampas second . A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson deRuyter-no, Selectperson Bingham -no, Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -no, Chair Chaffee -yes .Select Board vote, 2 -yes, 3 -no ..” (Motion: deRuyter, second: Bingham)
Mary Chaffee stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Selectperson Bingham moved the NEPBA Local 78 Agreement ,Selectperson Whitney second . A roll call vote was taken ,Selectperson Whitney" es ,Selectperson Bingham -yes, Vice Chair deRuyter-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes ,The Board vote was 4-yes, 0- No.” (Motion: Bingham, second: Whitney)
Mary Chaffee stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Selectperson Bingham moved the MassCOP Local 332.Agreement ,Selectperson Whitney second .A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Bingham -yes, Vice Chair deRuyter-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes .The Board vote was 4-yes, 0- No.” (Motion: Bingham, second: Whitney)
May 3Accept the Short-Term Rental Policy as presentedMotion: to accept the Short-Term Rental Policy as presentedPassed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
May 3, 2021: Accept the Short-Term Rental Policy as presented
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
To accept the Short-Term Rental Policy as presented
Mary Chaffee stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Selectperson Bingham moved to accept the Short-Term Rental Policy as presented .Selectperson Whitney second ,A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Bingham -yes ,Vice Chair deRuyter-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes .The Board vote was 4-yes, 0- No.” (Motion: Bingham, second: Whitney)
“Selectperson deRuyter moved to add Article 16, Police Sergeant Union Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Warrant .Selectperson Bingham second .A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Bingham yes) Selectperson deRuyter-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair Chaffee -abstain , The Board vote was 4-yes 0- No 1- Abstain.” (Motion: deRuyter, second: Bingham)
Apr 5Article 8, Item 4A Dog Park Development Committee in…Motion: Article 8, Item 4A Dog Park Development Committee in the Annual…Passed 4–1 · No: Chatelain
April 5, 2021: Article 8, Item 4A Dog Park Development Committee in the Annual Town Meeting Warrant
ApprovePassed · 4–1
Article 8, Item 4A Dog Park Development Committee in the Annual Town Meeting Warrant
“Selectperson deRuyter moved Article 8, Item 4A Dog Park Development Committee in the Annual Town Meeting Warrant ,Selectperson Bingham second .A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Bingham -yes, Selectperson deRuyter-yes, Selectperson Chatelaln -no, Chair Chaffee-Yes .The Board vote was 4-yes 1 -No.” (Motion: deRuyter, second: Bingham)
Apr 5Defer,recommendation on Articles 15 &16 until Town Meeting. iMotion: to defer,recommendation on Articles 15 &16 until Town Meeting. iPassed 4–0 · Abstained: Chaffee
April 5, 2021: Defer,recommendation on Articles 15 &16 until Town Meeting. i
ApprovePassed · 4–0
To defer,recommendation on Articles 15 &16 until Town Meeting. i
Yes: Bingham, Chatelain, Whitney, deRuyterAbstained: ChaffeeThe roll call as written does not list Cynthia Bingham; the count (4-0-1) shows this member voted yes.
From the minutes
“Selectperson deRuyter moved to defer,recommendation on Articles 15 &16 until Town Meeting. i Selectperson Bingham second .A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Bingham - BoS 04-OS- 21 Do6ID :cf6f66eedd9097797e33Oc242a04106bb2blcabO C oft`Ir" 9 Town. Of Brewster Office of: yes, Selectperson deRuyter-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair Chaffee-abstain .The Board vote was 4-yes 0 -No 1- abstain.” (Motion: deRuyter, second: Bingham)
Apr 5Article 21 In the Annual Town Meeting WarrantMotion: Article 21 In the Annual Town Meeting Warrant ,SelectpersonFailed 0–5 · No: Bingham, Chaffee, Chatelain, Whitney, deRuyter
April 5, 2021: Article 21 In the Annual Town Meeting Warrant
ApproveFailed · 0–5
Article 21 In the Annual Town Meeting Warrant ,Selectperson
“Selectperson deRuyter moved Article 21 In the Annual Town Meeting Warrant ,Selectperson ,Bingham second .A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-no, Selectperson Bingham -no, Selectperson deRuyter-no, Selectperson Chatelain -no, Chair Chaffee- no .The Board vote was 0-yes 5 -No.” (Motion: deRuyter, second: Bingham)
“Selectperson Bingham moved Article 25 as printed in the Warrant .Selectperson Whitney second .A roll call vote was taken .Selectperson Whitney-no, Selectperson Bingham -yes, Selectperson deRuyter-no, Selectperson Chatelain -no, Chair Chaffee -no ,The Board vote was 1 -yes 4- No.” (Motion: Bingham, second: Whitney)
From the Brewster Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s online records archive. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Brewster (Select Board and Staff Biographies page).