How the Wellesley Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Lise Olney joined the board after the March 5, 2019 town election; Ellen Gibbs left. Jack Morgan stayed Chair until June 30, 2019, and on March 25, 2019 the board chose Beth Sullivan Woods as Secretary (4-0). On May 21, 2019 it chose Marjorie Freiman as Chair, Thomas Ulfelder as Vice Chair and Jack Morgan as Secretary, effective July 1, 2019 (each 5-0). Jack Morgan moved away from Wellesley; his last meeting was May 27, 2020, and on June 8, 2020 the board chose Beth Sullivan Woods as Secretary again (4-0). The 2020 town election was postponed from March 17 to June 13 because of COVID-19. Covers 62 meetings, March 11 to June 8, 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.
From the agendas Wellesley posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
What Town Meeting decided
In Wellesley, 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. Town Meeting members are elected by precinct; counts are from the town’s electronic voting.
Special Town Meeting · May 11, 2026 3 votes: 1 passed, 1 no action, 1 advisory
Art. 1No motion was made under this article.No action“NO MOTION”
Art. 15 · motion 2Community Preservation: up to $750,000 (or 50% of cost) to dredge the Duck Pond and Reeds PondPassed“Passed unanimously by voice vote”
Art. 15 · motion 3Community Preservation: $450,000 for playgrounds at Sprague School, Hunnewell Field Tot Lot and Perrin ParkPassed“Passed unanimously by voice vote”
Art. 16Transfer $500,000 from Free Cash for Wellesley High School and Hunnewell Fields irrigation systemPassed“Passed unanimously by voice vote”
Art. 17Playground Reconstruction (title from the Town's scorecard; no motion made)No action“no motions”
Art. 18Great Plain Avenue Road Construction (title from the Town's scorecard; no motion made)No action“no motions”
Art. 6Set Town Clerk annual salary at $113,625 effective July 1, 2024Passed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 7 · motion 1Appropriate $400,000 from Free Cash for FY24 snow and ice removalPassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 7 · motion 2Transfer $2,500 from the Graves Officer stipend to the Celebrations CommitteePassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 7 · motion 3Transfer $190,000 from Town Hall interior design funds to the Town Hall interior construction contingencyPassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 8 · motion 1Appropriate $1,000,000 paid by the Municipal Light Plant to the Board of Assessors to reduce the FY25 tax ratePassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 17 · motion 1Community Preservation: $100,000 for CPC administration and FY24 reserves for historic resources and community housingPassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 32Accept M.G.L. c.44 s.53F3/4 to create a PEG Access and Cable Related FundPassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 33No motion was made under this article.No action“no motions”
Art. 34No motion was made under this article.No action“no motions”
Art. 35No motion was made under this article.No action“no motions”
Art. 36Amend General Bylaw 29.5 so the Board of Public Works can set stormwater utility rates and policiesPassed“Passed by voice vote”
Art. 37 · motion 1Amend General Bylaw 39.5 to set a term limit for the Veterans' Grave Officer and fix a statutory referencePassed“Passed by voice vote”
Not here yet: the October 2024 Special Town Meeting and the 2025 Annual Town Meeting (the Town Clerk's records for these are scanned pages in the 2024–2025 Annual Town Report), and the November 2025 Special Town Meeting. The May 2026 Special Town Meeting results come from the motions as voted and the electronic voting report, not the Town Clerk's minutes.
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 minutes (called the Board of Selectmen until November 2020) from January 8, 2018 through August 17, 2026, from the town’s online Agenda Center, which holds minutes back to 2014 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). Retreats, budget summits, short meetings held to go into executive session, and joint meetings with other boards are included; at joint meetings only the Select Board’s own votes are shown. Not here: the minutes of the board’s Policy Subcommittee and of the Bylaw Review Committee; the closed executive-session minutes themselves; 25 other meeting dates listed in the Agenda Center with an agenda but no minutes (mostly executive-session-only meetings, retreats, budget summits and workshops, sessions the board attended at another board’s meeting, and a few meetings in 2018, 2019 and 2021); and every meeting after August 17, 2026. The minutes are typed PDFs. Wellesley’s minutes give the mover and seconder and a count for almost every vote, such as “the Board voted (5-0)”. Split votes usually name the members who voted no or abstained (“(4-1; Sullivan Woods opposed)”), and from 2020 on polled votes, and since 2025 most votes, list each member’s vote by name (“Aufranc - Aye Freiman - Aye Largess - No”). When the count matches the members present, or the minutes say the vote was unanimous, we show every member present as voting yes; when the minutes name the members who voted no or abstained and the count adds up, everyone else present as voting yes. Where the minutes give only a split count without names, a roll call leaves out a member who was there or names one the attendance list does not show, or the count does not match the members present, we show the count only and add a note. At joint meetings the minutes often give one count for both boards (“the Boards voted (10-0)”); unless the Select Board members are listed by name, those votes show the result only. Votes with no count written down are shown with the result only. Members who stepped aside (recused), had not yet arrived or had left are left out of that vote. 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 19That the June 13th Election be held from 8…Motion: that the June 13th Election be held from 8 am to…Passed 4–1 · No: Woods
May 19, 2020: That the June 13th Election be held from 8 am to 12 pm at Babson College's Recreation and Athletic Complex located at Babson College
ApprovePassed · 4–1
That the June 13th Election be held from 8 am to 12 pm at Babson College's Recreation and Athletic Complex located at Babson College
Yes: Freiman, Morgan, Olney, UlfelderNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Board was polled and voted (4-1) that the June 13th Election be held from 8 am to 12 pm at Babson College's Recreation and Athletic Complex located at Babson College. Morgan - Aye Sullivan Woods - No Olney - Aye Ulfelder - Aye Freiman - Aye.” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
May 1That to facilitate the joint meeting between the Board…Motion: that to facilitate the joint meeting between the Board of Health…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
May 1, 2020 (Emergency meeting): That to facilitate the joint meeting between the Board of Health and the Board of Selectmen both Boards move to appoint Marjorie Freiman to act as Chair of the Meeting…
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 5 present
That to facilitate the joint meeting between the Board of Health and the Board of Selectmen both Boards move to appoint Marjorie Freiman to act as Chair of the Meeting and to appoint Shephard Cohen to act as Secretary
The minutes name Jack Morgan as both the mover and the seconder, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards were polled and voted (8-0) that to facilitate the joint meeting between the Board of Health and the Board of Selectmen both Boards move to appoint Marjorie Freiman to act as Chair of the Meeting and to appoint Shephard Cohen to act as Secretary. Sullivan Woods - Aye Olney - Aye Ulfelder - Aye Freiman - Aye Morgan - Aye.” (Motion: Morgan)
To convene a joint meeting with the Planning Board
Jack Morgan had not yet arrived.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Ms. Freiman and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Board was polled and voted (4-0) to convene a joint meeting with the Planning Board. Sullivan Woods - Aye Olney - Aye Ulfelder - Aye Freiman - Aye.” (Motion: Freiman, second: Ulfelder)
Dec 16Place the language on the citizen's petition on a…Motion: To place the language on the citizen's petition on a non-binding…Failed 1–4 · No: Freiman, Morgan, Olney, Ulfelder
December 16, 2019: Place the language on the citizen's petition on a non-binding referendum for the March 17, 2020 Town Election
ApproveFailed · 1–4
To place the language on the citizen's petition on a non-binding referendum for the March 17, 2020 Town Election
Yes: WoodsNo: Freiman, Morgan, Olney, Ulfelder
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Board voted (1-4, Ms. Sullivan Woods - Aye.) to place the language on the citizen's petition on a non-binding referendum for the March 17, 2020 Town Election..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
Dec 2Convene a Joint meeting with the Housing AuthorityMotion: To convene a Joint meeting with the Housing AuthorityPassed · see note
December 2, 2019: Convene a Joint meeting with the Housing Authority
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To convene a Joint meeting with the Housing Authority
A joint vote of the Select Board and another board: the minutes give one count (9-0) for both boards together and do not say how each Select Board member voted. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards voted (9-0) to convene a Joint meeting with the Housing Authority..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
Dec 2Elect Marjorie Freiman as chair of the joint meetingMotion: To elect Marjorie Freiman as chair of the joint meetingPassed · see note
December 2, 2019: Elect Marjorie Freiman as chair of the joint meeting
AppointPassed · No count or names in the minutes
To elect Marjorie Freiman as chair of the joint meeting
A joint vote of the Select Board and another board: the minutes give one count (9-0) for both boards together and do not say how each Select Board member voted. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards voted (9-0) to elect Marjorie Freiman as chair of the joint meeting..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
Dec 2Elect Maura Renzella as secretary of the joint meetingMotion: To elect Maura Renzella as secretary of the joint meetingPassed · see note
December 2, 2019: Elect Maura Renzella as secretary of the joint meeting
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To elect Maura Renzella as secretary of the joint meeting
A joint vote of the Select Board and another board: the minutes give one count (9-0) for both boards together and do not say how each Select Board member voted. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards voted (9-0) to elect Maura Renzella as secretary of the joint meeting..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
Dec 2Dissolve the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen…Motion: To dissolve the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and…Passed · see note
December 2, 2019: Dissolve the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Housing Authority 5
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To dissolve the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Housing Authority 5
A joint vote of the Select Board and another board: the minutes give one count (9-0) for both boards together and do not say how each Select Board member voted. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards voted (9-0) to dissolve the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the Housing Authority 5..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
Dec 2Approve the general approach outlined in Option 1 for…Motion: To approve the general approach outlined in Option 1 for the…Passed · see note
December 2, 2019: Approve the general approach outlined in Option 1 for the annex that does not add a basement and to bring the project for an appropriation at 2020 Annual Town Meeting
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To approve the general approach outlined in Option 1 for the annex that does not add a basement and to bring the project for an appropriation at 2020 Annual Town Meeting
A joint vote of the Select Board and another board: the minutes give one count (5-0) for both boards together and do not say how each Select Board member voted. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards voted (5-0) to approve the general approach outlined in Option 1 for the annex that does not add a basement and to bring the project for an appropriation at 2020 Annual Town Meeting..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
Nov 18Convene a Joint meeting with the Board of Public…Motion: To convene a Joint meeting with the Board of Public WorksPassed · see note
November 18, 2019: Convene a Joint meeting with the Board of Public Works
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
To convene a Joint meeting with the Board of Public Works
A joint vote of the Select Board and another board: the minutes give one count (7-0) for both boards together and do not say how each Select Board member voted. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Morgan and seconded by Mr. Ulfelder, the Boards voted (7-0) to convene a Joint meeting with the Board of Public Works..” (Motion: Morgan, second: Ulfelder)
From the Wellesley Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Wellesley (the Select Board page on wellesleyma.gov).