MassVoter.com← SherbornMunicipal votes · 2020–2021 Board
Sherborn Select Board
How the Sherborn Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. The town’s posted Select Board minutes begin September 10, 2020, so this board year is partial. Eric Johnson was Chair, George Morrill Vice Chair and Jeff Waldron Clerk (as the October 2020 minutes list them), with Charles Yon and Paul DeRensis. Charles Yon’s last meeting was January 7, 2021 (the minutes say he was moving out of town); the board had four members until the June 15, 2021 town election. Most meetings in this period were held remotely. Covers 20 meetings, September 10 to June 10, 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.
Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budgetYour Sherborn ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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Coming up
No upcoming meeting is posted yet. Check the official calendar →
Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
Members
"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: Sherborn Select Board minutes from September 10, 2020 through September 10, 2026: 168 meetings and 1,336 votes. The town’s Agenda Center has no Select Board minutes before September 10, 2020, so nothing earlier is here; the board was already called the Select Board then. Included are the board’s own meetings held before or during other bodies’ sessions (Advisory Committee budget hearings, Town Meeting nights, Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board hearings) when the minutes record the Select Board opening its own meeting and voting; only the Select Board’s votes are shown. The May 4, 2023 minutes are loaded from the file the town posted in that meeting’s Agenda slot. Not here: executive-session minutes (including two released executive-session files posted as minutes, October 22 and December 3, 2020); the November 4, 2021 posting, when only two members came and the meeting did not take place; postings where the board only attended another body’s meeting and no Select Board minutes were posted; meetings with an agenda but no posted minutes (among them the January 16, 2024 joint meeting with the Zoning Board of Appeals, the August 7, 2025 meeting with Congressman Jake Auchincloss and the April 28, 2026 meeting before Annual Town Meeting); and meetings after September 10, 2026 (the September 24, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Five sets of minutes loaded (July 28, 2022; September 27, October 17 and December 7, 2023; March 21, 2026) are scanned images, which MassVoter read with text recognition, so quoted words may keep small reading errors; all other minutes are typed documents with searchable text. Nearly every Sherborn vote is recorded as a roll call that lists each member’s vote (“Vote: Tsai - aye; DeRensis - aye; Waldron - aye; Sichel - aye; and Neutra - aye”), and we show each vote as recorded; some give only a count (“Approved: 5-0-0”), shown as every member present voting yes when it matches the members present. Where a roll call leaves out a member who was present, that member is left out of the vote, with a note; where it lists a member twice, contradicts its own count, or a count does not match the members present, we show the count or the result only, with a note (9 votes show the count only and 16 the result only). Members who recused themselves, left the room or had not yet arrived are not shown as voting. A member who is not on a meeting’s attendance list is not counted present, even when the minutes name that member in a vote (six meetings, each noted). We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where members disagreed
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
May 27Deem the dog a nuisance dog and to have…Motion: Motion: Move to deem the dog a nuisance dog and to…Passed 3–1 · No: Morrill
May 27, 2021: Deem the dog a nuisance dog and to have the Animal Control Inspector do an inspection of the fencing of the properties and to determine if it is adequate to…
Motion: Move to deem the dog a nuisance dog and to have the Animal Control Inspector do an inspection of the fencing of the properties and to determine if it is adequate to contain the dog or prevent it from getting off of the property. Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Jeffrey Waldron Roll Call Vote: DeRensis - aye, Waldron - aye Morrill - nay; Johnson - aye
Yes: DeRensis, Johnson, WaldronNo: Morrill
From the minutes
“Motion: Move to deem the dog a nuisance dog and to have the Animal Control Inspector do an inspection of the fencing of the properties and to determine if it is adequate to contain the dog or prevent it from getting off of the property. Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Jeffrey Waldron Roll Call Vote: DeRensis - aye, Waldron - aye Morrill - nay; Johnson - aye.” (Motion: DeRensis, second: Waldron)
Apr 10Approve and support Article 17 as amended with the…Motion: MOTION: Move to approve and support Article 17 as amended with…Passed 3–1 · No: Morrill
April 10, 2021 (Special meeting): Approve and support Article 17 as amended with the step-up included in the motion
MOTION: Move to approve and support Article 17 as amended with the step-up included in the motion. Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Jeff Waldron Roll Call: DeRensis, aye, Waldron, aye; Johnson, aye Morrill, nay; 3-1-0
Yes: DeRensis, Johnson, WaldronNo: Morrill
From the minutes
“MOTION: Move to approve and support Article 17 as amended with the step-up included in the motion. Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Jeff Waldron Roll Call: DeRensis, aye, Waldron, aye; Johnson, aye Morrill, nay; 3-1-0.” (Motion: DeRensis, second: Waldron)
Apr 10Recommend no action on Article 28Motion: Motion: Move to recommend no action on Article 28 moved: Jeff…Failed 2–2 · see note
April 10, 2021 (Special meeting): Recommend no action on Article 28
Motion: Move to recommend no action on Article 28 moved: Jeff Waldron Second: Eric Johnson Motion Fails 2-2-0
The minutes give the count as 2-2-0 but do not say who voted no or abstained. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: Move to recommend no action on Article 28 moved: Jeff Waldron Second: Eric Johnson Motion Fails 2-2-0.” (Motion: Waldron, second: Johnson)
Apr 10Support Article 18Motion: Motion: Move to support Article 18 Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Eric…Failed 2–2 · No: Morrill, Waldron
April 10, 2021 (Special meeting): Support Article 18
Motion: Move to support Article 18 Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Eric Johnson Motion Fails 2-2-0 Roll Call: DeRensis, aye; Johnson, aye; Waldron, nay; Morrill, nay
Yes: DeRensis, JohnsonNo: Morrill, Waldron
From the minutes
“Motion: Move to support Article 18 Moved: Paul DeRensis Second: Eric Johnson Motion Fails 2-2-0 Roll Call: DeRensis, aye; Johnson, aye; Waldron, nay; Morrill, nay.” (Motion: DeRensis, second: Johnson)
Apr 10Take no actionMotion: Motion: Move to take no action. Moved: George Morrill Second: Eric…Failed 1–3 · No: DeRensis, Johnson, Waldron
April 10, 2021 (Special meeting): Take no action
Motion: Move to take no action. Moved: George Morrill Second: Eric Johnson Motion Fails 1-3-0 Morrill, aye; Johnson, nay, Waldron, nay, DeRensis, nay Roll Call: Morrill aye; DeRensis, nay; Waldron, nay; Johnson, nay
Yes: MorrillNo: DeRensis, Johnson, Waldron
From the minutes
“Motion: Move to take no action. Moved: George Morrill Second: Eric Johnson Motion Fails 1-3-0 Morrill, aye; Johnson, nay, Waldron, nay, DeRensis, nay Roll Call: Morrill aye; DeRensis, nay; Waldron, nay; Johnson, nay.” (Motion: Morrill, second: Johnson)
Apr 1Support the Authorization for Design and Construction of Laurel…Motion: Motion: Move to support the Authorization for Design and Construction of…Passed 3–1 · No: Waldron
April 1, 2021: Support the Authorization for Design and Construction of Laurel Fields
Motion: Move to support the Authorization for Design and Construction of Laurel Fields. Moved: George Morrill Second: Paul DeRensis Approved: DeRensis - aye, Morrill - aye, Waldron - no, Johnson - aye
Yes: DeRensis, Johnson, MorrillNo: Waldron
From the minutes
“Motion: Move to support the Authorization for Design and Construction of Laurel Fields. Moved: George Morrill Second: Paul DeRensis Approved: DeRensis - aye, Morrill - aye, Waldron - no, Johnson - aye.” (Motion: Morrill, second: DeRensis)
Apr 1Place on the Warrant with the following conditions: 1)…Motion: Motion: Move to place on the Warrant with the following conditions:…Passed 3–1 · No: Waldron
April 1, 2021: Place on the Warrant with the following conditions: 1) $3 million secured by the Recreation Commission; 2) no lights on fields; and 3) maintain proper funding for the abandonment of…
Motion: Move to place on the Warrant with the following conditions: 1) $3 million secured by the Recreation Commission; 2) no lights on fields; and 3) maintain proper funding for the abandonment of the turf field. Moved: George Morrill Second: Paul DeRensis Approved: DeRensis - aye, Morrill - aye, Waldron - no, Johnson - aye
Yes: DeRensis, Johnson, MorrillNo: Waldron
From the minutes
“Motion: Move to place on the Warrant with the following conditions: 1) $3 million secured by the Recreation Commission; 2) no lights on fields; and 3) maintain proper funding for the abandonment of the turf field. Moved: George Morrill Second: Paul DeRensis Approved: DeRensis - aye, Morrill - aye, Waldron - no, Johnson - aye.” (Motion: Morrill, second: DeRensis)
Oct 6Vote to terminate Chief Thompson's employment based upon the…Motion: Motion : I move that the Select Board vote to terminate…Passed 4–1 · No: Johnson
October 6, 2020 (Special meeting): Vote to terminate Chief Thompson's employment based upon the charges set forth in the Notice of Hearing being substantiated and providing just cause to terminate Chief Thompson's employment with...
Motion : I move that the Select Board vote to terminate Chief Thompson's employment based upon the charges set forth in the Notice of Hearing being substantiated and providing just cause to terminate Chief Thompson's employment with the Town of Sherborn ; and to further authorize that the Town's Counsel draft a decision consistent with the Select Board's vote and evidence introduced at the hearing. The Board votes to have the Chair of the Select Board work with the Town's Counsel in drafting the decision. Moved: Charles Yon Second: George Morrill Approved: 4-1-2020 (Chair Johnson, nay) Roll Call Vote: Morrill, aye; Yon, aye: Waldron, aye; DeRensis, aye; Johnson, nay
Yes: DeRensis, Morrill, Waldron, YonNo: Johnson
From the minutes
“Motion : I move that the Select Board vote to terminate Chief Thompson's employment based upon the charges set forth in the Notice of Hearing being substantiated and providing just cause to terminate Chief Thompson's employment with the Town of Sherborn ; and to further authorize that the Town's Counsel draft a decision consistent with the Select Board's vote and evidence introduced at the hearing. The Board votes to have the Chair of the Select Board work with the Town's Counsel in drafting the decision. Moved: Charles Yon Second: George Morrill Approved: 4-1-2020 (Chair Johnson, nay) Roll Call Vote: Morrill, aye; Yon, aye: Waldron, aye; DeRensis, aye; Johnson, nay.” (Motion: Yon, second: Morrill)
From the Sherborn Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center (Select Board). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. No member photos yet: the town’s website shows none, and MassVoter has not found a captioned photo of any current member.
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