How the Chilmark Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide. On May 3, 2022 the board kept James Malkin as Chair for six months, with Bill Rossi as Vice Chair; Bill Rossi chaired the board from December 2022. Covers 34 meetings, May 3 to April 18, 2023.
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 Chilmark, 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.
Special Town Meeting · June 29, 2026 1 votes: 1 passed
Art. 1Appropriate $200,000 more for the FY2026 Reserve Fund ($100,000 available funds, $100,000 from June 2020 ATM Article 9)Passed“Article 1 carried unanimously.”
Art. 25AAmend zoning to allow Protected Use ADUs by right and remove guest house and accessory apartment sections (size amended to 900 sq ft)Passed as amended“amended, is passed, not unanimously.”
Special Town Meeting · July 15, 2024 1 votes: 1 passed as amended
Art. 1Transfer $403,831.63 from General Stabilization for listed items (reserve fund, computers, vehicles, repairs); Menemsha Beach item struckPassed as amended“Article 1, as amended, carried unanimously.”
Special Town Meeting · January 22, 2024 1 votes: 1 passed as amended
Art. 1Authorize a lease of up to 30 years of town land behind Chilmark School for a preschool; area amended from 3,000 to 4,500 sq ftPassed as amended“Article 1 is carried unanimously, as amended.”
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: Select Board (Board of Selectmen until 2021) minutes from January 5, 2021 through September 1, 2026, as posted on the town website. Older minutes back to 2017 are online but not loaded yet. Executive session minutes are not included. The minutes give the mover, the seconder and a tally such as “SO VOTED: 3 Ayes” or “SO VOTED: 2 Ayes, 1 Nay Jeffrey Maida”, naming any member who voted no or abstained. With three members, each member’s vote can be shown on nearly every motion. Votes taken by other boards at joint meetings (Finance Committee, Planning Board, Park & Recreation) are not listed. Where the tally does not match the members present, only the count is shown. 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.
Feb 8Approve new version pending town counsel reviewMotion: approve new version pending town counsel reviewPassed 2–0 · see note
February 8, 2023: Approve new version pending town counsel review
ApprovePassed · 2–0
Approve new version pending town counsel review
The minutes record “2 Ayes” but list 3 members present, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“Mr. Doty moved to approve new version pending town counsel review. Chairperson Rossi seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 2 Ayes , Jim Malkin recused himself. Up Island Regional School District ‐ reopening of.” (Motion: Doty, second: Rossi)
“Mr. Doty moved to approve as written. Chairperson Malkin seconded the motion. SO VOTED2 Ayes, 1 Abstain Bill Rossi not present at 7/14/22 Various Executive Sessions Draft Minutes: Tow.” (Motion: Doty, second: Malkin)
Aug 2Appoint Wendy Weldon an alternate for 6 monthsMotion: appoint Wendy Weldon an alternate for 6 monthsPassed 2–0 · Abstained: Malkin
August 2, 2022: Appoint Wendy Weldon an alternate for 6 months
AppointPassed · 2–0
Appoint Wendy Weldon an alternate for 6 months
Yes: Doty, RossiAbstained: Malkin
From the minutes
“Mr. Rossi moved to appoint Wendy Weldon an alternate for 6 months. Mr. Doty seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 2 Ayes, 1 Abstain James Malkin Mr. Rossi said whoever has been an alternate longest gets appointe.” (Motion: Rossi, second: Doty)
Aug 2Appoint Joan Malkin to Zoning Board as of September…Motion: appoint Joan Malkin to Zoning Board as of September 1 2022Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Malkin
August 2, 2022: Appoint Joan Malkin to Zoning Board as of September 1 2022
AppointPassed · 2–0
Appoint Joan Malkin to Zoning Board as of September 1 2022
Yes: Doty, RossiAbstained: Malkin
From the minutes
“Mr. Doty moved to appoint Joan Malkin to Zoning Board as of September 1 2022. Mr. Rossi seconded the motion. SO VOTED: 2 Ayes, 1 Abstain James Malkin 4 Fire Department ‐ Back Yard Bash Wednesday August 3 ‐ Food Truck.” (Motion: Doty, second: Rossi)
Jul 19Reaffirm Bill Rossi to the Molly Flender CommitteeMotion: reaffirm Bill Rossi to the Molly Flender CommitteePassed 2–0 · Abstained: Rossi
July 19, 2022: Reaffirm Bill Rossi to the Molly Flender Committee
ApprovePassed · 2–0
Reaffirm Bill Rossi to the Molly Flender Committee
Yes: Doty, MalkinAbstained: Rossi
From the minutes
“Mr. Doty moved to reaffirm Bill Rossi to the Molly Flender Committee. Chairman Malkin seconded. SO VOTED: 2 Ayes, 1 Abstain Bill Rossi. Warren Doty‐ Report on MVRHS conversation with the Superintendent o.” (Motion: Doty, second: Malkin)
From the Chilmark Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town website. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Member photos from The Martha’s Vineyard Times: Jeffrey Maida (April 2024 election story), Matthew Poole (June 2025 profile, photo by Sarah Shaw Dawson), Rebecca Haag (April 2026 candidate forum, photo by Nicholas Vukota). Former members show initials.