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Municipal votes · 2019–2020 Board

Duxbury Select Board

How the Duxbury Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. On April 1, 2019 the board chose David Madigan as Chair, Ted Flynn as Vice Chair and Shawn Dahlen as Clerk. Shawn Dahlen is listed as absent from July 2019 on and resigned as of June 18, 2020; the board had two members until Amy MacNab was sworn in on September 14, 2020, after the delayed 2020 town election. Covers 50 meetings, April 1 to August 31, 2020.

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.

Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budget
Election Day · Tuesday, Nov 3

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Board years

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What Town Meeting decided

In Duxbury, 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 16, 2025 10 votes: 9 passed, 1 indefinitely postponed

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the FY2025 Annual Town Report.

Annual Town Meeting · March 8, 2025 28 votes: 21 passed, 1 failed, 5 indefinitely postponed, 1 no action

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the FY2025 Annual Town Report.

Special Town Meeting · March 8, 2025 7 votes: 6 passed, 1 indefinitely postponed

Sessions: March 8, 2025 (held during the Annual Town Meeting)

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the FY2025 Annual Town Report.

Special Town Meeting · November 18, 2024 9 votes: 7 passed, 1 failed, 1 indefinitely postponed

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the FY2025 Annual Town Report.

Annual Town Meeting · March 9, 2024 34 votes: 30 passed, 3 indefinitely postponed, 1 no action

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the FY2024 Annual Town Report.

Special Town Meeting · March 9, 2024 8 votes: 8 passed

Sessions: March 9, 2024 (held during the Annual Town Meeting)

Source: Town Clerk's certified record in the FY2024 Annual Town Report.

Not here yet: the March 14, 2026 Annual Town Meeting and any Special Town Meeting held after June 30, 2025 (Duxbury prints its Town Meeting votes only in its fiscal-year Annual Town Report, and the FY2026 report is not posted yet).

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).

Members

Shawn DahlenClerk · Elected townwide · at 17 of 41 meetings · until Jun 2020

"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 (called the Board of Selectmen until 2022) minutes from January 8, 2018 through July 20, 2026, as posted on the town website. Not here: minutes the town has not posted, including every meeting between April 14 and July 14, 2025 (the board met at least on June 9, 2025), between September 15 and October 27, 2025 (it met at least on October 6, 10 and 17, 2025), between March 30 and May 18, 2026 (it met at least on April 28, 2026) and after July 20, 2026, plus the June 26, 2018, April 22, 2022, May 2, 2022 and March 25, 2024 meetings, whose minutes the board approved; executive-session minutes; and sessions where members only attended another board’s meeting. The posted files for March 25, April 1, April 22 and October 7, 2019 and February 7, 2022 are missing pages, so some votes from those meetings are not shown. Most minutes from 2018 to 2024 are scanned copies; we read them with text recognition (OCR) and checked the odd cases against the page images. Votes the members took as Water & Sewer Commissioners are included. Duxbury’s minutes name the mover and seconder of every motion and give the vote as a count of yes, no and abstain (for example 4:0:1), usually naming any member who voted no or abstained; many votes, especially from 2020 to 2022 and in 2025 and 2026, are roll calls with each member’s vote by name. When the count matches the members present (for example 3:0:0 with three present) we show every member present as voting yes; when the minutes name who voted no or abstained and the count adds up, we show each member’s vote. Where the minutes give only a count without names, a roll call names a member the minutes list as absent, or the names and the count do not match, we show the count only and add a note. Members who stepped aside (recused) or had not yet arrived are left out of that vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.

Monday, August 31, 2020 · Regular meeting13 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, August 3, 2020 · Regular meeting5 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentSaturday, August 1, 2020 · Town Meeting meeting1 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, July 27, 2020 · Regular meeting6 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, July 20, 2020 · Regular meeting11 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members present

Votes where members disagreed

Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.

Feb 18Support 2020 ATM Article #29 ~ Amend General By-…Motion: that the Board of Selectmen support 2020 ATM Article #29 ~…Failed 0–2 · No: Flynn, Madigan

February 18, 2020: Support 2020 ATM Article #29 ~ Amend General By- laws - Proposed New Local Historic Districts, as presented

ApproveFailed · 0–2

That the Board of Selectmen support 2020 ATM Article #29 ~ Amend General By- laws - Proposed New Local Historic Districts, as presented

No: Flynn, MadiganEvery member present voted no.

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved that the Board of Selectmen support 2020 ATM Article #29 ~ Amend General By- laws - Proposed New Local Historic Districts, as presented. Seconded by Mr. Madigan. Vote: 0:2:0.” (Motion: Flynn, second: Madigan)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)

Feb 10Support 2020 ATM Article #22 - Citizens' Petition Amend…Motion: that the Board of Selectmen support 2020 ATM Article #22 -…Failed 0–2 · No: Flynn, Madigan

February 10, 2020: Support 2020 ATM Article #22 - Citizens' Petition Amend Zoning By-Laws - Abutter Notification for Residential Building Permits, as presented

ApproveFailed · 0–2

That the Board of Selectmen support 2020 ATM Article #22 - Citizens' Petition Amend Zoning By-Laws - Abutter Notification for Residential Building Permits, as presented

No: Flynn, MadiganEvery member present voted no.

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved that the Board of Selectmen support 2020 ATM Article #22 - Citizens' Petition Amend Zoning By-Laws - Abutter Notification for Residential Building Permits, as presented. Seconded by Mr. Madigan Vote: 0:2:0.” (Motion: Flynn, second: Madigan)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

Oct 7Motion listing four dates in October and November 2019…Motion: (the motion begins on page 4 of 5, which is missing…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note

October 7, 2019: Motion listing four dates in October and November 2019 (start of the motion is on a page missing from the posted file)

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 2 present

(the motion begins on page 4 of 5, which is missing from the posted file; the visible part lists Friday, October 25; Saturday, October 26; Friday, November 1; and Saturday, November 2, 2019)

The posted file has pages 1, 3 and 5 of 5; pages 2 and 4 are missing, so the start of this motion and its mover are not shown.

From the minutes

“Friday, October 25, 2019 Saturday, October 26, 2019 Friday, November 1, 2019 Saturday, November 2, 2019 Seconded by Mr. Flynn -- Vote: 2:0:0.” (second: Flynn)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

Aug 12Grant to Ms. Mandy Fariello (Duxbury Art Association): a…Motion: that Ms. Mandy Fariello, as a representative of the Duxbury Art…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note

August 12, 2019 (Town Meeting meeting): Grant to Ms. Mandy Fariello (Duxbury Art Association): a One-Day All Alcohol License to hold a reception on Friday, August 30, 2019 from 6:00PM to 9:30PM at the Ellison Center…

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 2 present

That Ms. Mandy Fariello, as a representative of the Duxbury Art Association, is granted a One-Day All Alcohol License to hold a reception on Friday, August 30, 2019 from 6:00PM to 9:30PM at the Ellison Center for the Arts, 64 Saint George Street, subject to the conditions of the license

Shawn Dahlen had not yet arrived.

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved that Ms. Mandy Fariello, as a representative of the Duxbury Art Association, is granted a One-Day All Alcohol License to hold a reception on Friday, August 30, 2019 from 6:00PM to 9:30PM at the Ellison Center for the Arts, 64 Saint George Street, subject to the conditions of the license. Seconded by Mr. Madigan Vote: 2:0:0.” (Motion: Flynn, second: Madigan)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

Aug 12Approve a common victualler license for The Brothers Marketplace…Motion: that the Board of Selectmen approve a common victualler license for…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note

August 12, 2019 (Town Meeting meeting): Approve a common victualler license for The Brothers Marketplace located on Depot Street, subject to satisfactory inspection by the Municipal Services Department, Board of Health, any application...

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 2 present

That the Board of Selectmen approve a common victualler license for The Brothers Marketplace located on Depot Street, subject to satisfactory inspection by the Municipal Services Department, Board of Health, any application requirements and payment of all funds/fees owed to the Town of Duxbury

Shawn Dahlen had not yet arrived.

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved that the Board of Selectmen approve a common victualler license for The Brothers Marketplace located on Depot Street, subject to satisfactory inspection by the Municipal Services Department, Board of Health, any application requirements and payment of all funds/fees owed to the Town of Duxbury. Seconded by Mr. Madigan Vote: 2:0:0.” (Motion: Flynn, second: Madigan)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

Aug 12Approve a common victualler license for Yummi Sushi, located…Motion: that the Board of Selectmen approve a common victualler license for…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note

August 12, 2019 (Town Meeting meeting): Approve a common victualler license for Yummi Sushi, located within The Brothers Marketplace on Depot Street, subject to satisfactory inspection by the Municipal Services Department, Board of...

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 2 present

That the Board of Selectmen approve a common victualler license for Yummi Sushi, located within The Brothers Marketplace on Depot Street, subject to satisfactory inspection by the Municipal Services Department, Board of Health, any application requirements and payment of all funds/fees owed to the Town of Duxbury

Shawn Dahlen had not yet arrived.

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved that the Board of Selectmen approve a common victualler license for Yummi Sushi, located within The Brothers Marketplace on Depot Street, subject to satisfactory inspection by the Municipal Services Department, Board of Health, any application requirements and payment of all funds/fees owed to the Town of Duxbury. Seconded by Mr. Madigan Vote: 2:0:0.” (Motion: Flynn, second: Madigan)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

Jul 29Appoint the individuals to the committees indicated and for…Motion: to appoint the individuals to the committees indicated and for the…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note

July 29, 2019: Appoint the individuals to the committees indicated and for the terms shown on the table below

AppointPassed · Unanimous, 3 present

To appoint the individuals to the committees indicated and for the terms shown on the table below

The minutes give the vote in a table, one row per appointee; every row reads "Mr. Flynn | Mr. Dahlen | 3:0:0".

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved to appoint the individuals to the committees indicated and for the terms shown on the table below. Second by Mr. Dahlen. VOTE:.” (Motion: Flynn, second: Dahlen)

Read it in the official minutes, page 4 (PDF)

Jun 24Execute the lease between Duxbury Beach Reservations, Inc. and…Motion: that the Board of Selectmen executes the lease between Duxbury Beach…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note

June 24, 2019 (Special meeting): Execute the lease between Duxbury Beach Reservations, Inc. and the Town of Duxbury with a term beginning July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2020 in the amount of…

ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 2 present

That the Board of Selectmen executes the lease between Duxbury Beach Reservations, Inc. and the Town of Duxbury with a term beginning July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2020 in the amount of $800,000

Shawn Dahlen stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.

From the minutes

“Mr. Madigan moved that the Board of Selectmen executes the lease between Duxbury Beach Reservations, Inc. and the Town of Duxbury with a term beginning July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2020 in the amount of $800,000. Seconded by Mr. Flynn Vote: 2:0:1.” (Motion: Madigan, second: Flynn)

Read it in the official minutes, page 3 (PDF)

May 20Approve the Change of Manager to Edward M. Lawson,…Motion: that the Board of Selectmen, acting as the Local Licensing Authority,…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Dahlen

May 20, 2019: Approve the Change of Manager to Edward M. Lawson, Executive Director of the Duxbury Bay Maritime School, located at 457 Washington Street, License #00037-CL-0300

ApprovePassed · 2–0

That the Board of Selectmen, acting as the Local Licensing Authority, approve the Change of Manager to Edward M. Lawson, Executive Director of the Duxbury Bay Maritime School, located at 457 Washington Street, License #00037-CL-0300

Yes: Flynn, MadiganAbstained: Dahlen

From the minutes

“Mr. Flynn moved that the Board of Selectmen, acting as the Local Licensing Authority, approve the Change of Manager to Edward M. Lawson, Executive Director of the Duxbury Bay Maritime School, located at 457 Washington Street, License #00037-CL-0300. Seconded by Mr. Madigan Vote: 2:0:1 (Mr. Dahlen abstained).” (Motion: Flynn, second: Madigan)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

From the Duxbury Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town website. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos of current members: stills from The Local Seen (Duxbury’s local cable) candidate videos (Amy MacNab 2022; Fernando Guitart and Cynthia Ladd Fiorini 2024; Brian Glennon and Michael McGee 2026). Former members show initials.

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