How the Wellesley Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Marjorie Freiman returned to the board after the March 5, 2024 town election; Ann-Mara Lanza left. Thomas Ulfelder stayed Chair until June 30, 2024. On June 3, 2024 the board chose Colette Aufranc as Chair, Marjorie Freiman as Vice Chair and Thomas Ulfelder as Secretary, effective July 1, 2024. Covers 42 meetings, March 12 to February 25, 2025.
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.
Dec 17Co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article…Motion: To co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to…Passed 4–1 · No: Woods
December 17, 2024: Co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to establish an Affordable Housing Trust
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to establish an Affordable Housing Trust
Yes: Aufranc, Freiman, Olney, UlfelderNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (4-1) to co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to establish an Affordable Housing Trust. Aufranc -Aye Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - No Ulfelder - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Freiman)
Dec 17Co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article…Motion: To co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to…Passed 4–1 · No: Woods
December 17, 2024: Co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to rezone the property at 156 Weston Road
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to rezone the property at 156 Weston Road
Yes: Aufranc, Freiman, Olney, UlfelderNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (4-1) to co-sponsor the Wellesley Housing Development Annual Town Meeting Article to rezone the property at 156 Weston Road. Aufranc -Aye Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - No Ulfelder - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Freiman)
Dec 3Support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting article…Motion: To support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting article to…Passed 4–1 · No: Woods
December 3, 2024: Support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting article to transition the WHDC to an Affordable Housing Trust
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting article to transition the WHDC to an Affordable Housing Trust
Yes: Aufranc, Freiman, Olney, UlfelderNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (4-1) to support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting article to transition the WHDC to an Affordable Housing Trust. Aufranc -Aye Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - No Ulfelder - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Freiman)
Dec 3Support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting zoning…Motion: To support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting zoning article…Passed 4–1 · No: Woods
December 3, 2024: Support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting zoning article to rezone 20,000 square feet of land at 156 Weston Road to General Residence
ApprovePassed · 4–1
To support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting zoning article to rezone 20,000 square feet of land at 156 Weston Road to General Residence
Yes: Aufranc, Freiman, Olney, UlfelderNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (4-1 to support and co-sponsor a proposed Annual Town Meeting zoning article to rezone 20,000 square feet of land at 156 Weston Road to General Residence. Aufranc -Aye Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - No Ulfelder - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Freiman)
Oct 21Not support the amendment as proposed by Donald ShepardMotion: To not support the amendment as proposed by Donald ShepardPassed 5–0 · see note
October 21, 2024: Not support the amendment as proposed by Donald Shepard
ApprovePassed · 5–0
To not support the amendment as proposed by Donald Shepard
The minutes give the result as "Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (5-0) to not support the amendment as proposed by Donald Shepard.", but the roll call reads: Marjorie Freiman yes, Thomas Ulfelder yes, Beth Sullivan Woods yes, Lise Olney yes. Showing the count only. Colette Aufranc stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (5-0) to not support the amendment as proposed by Donald Shepard. Aufranc - Recused Freiman - Aye Ulfelder - Aye Sullivan Woods - Aye Olney - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Freiman)
Oct 8Indicate Select Board support for Article 16Motion: To indicate Select Board support for Article 16Passed 3–1 · No: Woods
October 8, 2024: Indicate Select Board support for Article 16
ApprovePassed · 3–1
To indicate Select Board support for Article 16
Yes: Aufranc, Freiman, OlneyNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Ms. Olney and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (3-1) to indicate Select Board support for Article 16. Aufranc -Aye Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - No.” (Motion: Olney, second: Freiman)
Oct 8Approve Select Board support for Article 17Motion: To approve Select Board support for Article 17Passed 3–1 · No: Woods
October 8, 2024: Approve Select Board support for Article 17
ApprovePassed · 3–1
To approve Select Board support for Article 17
Yes: Aufranc, Freiman, OlneyNo: Woods
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Ms. Olney and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board voted (3-1) to approve Select Board support for Article 17. Aufranc -Aye Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - No.” (Motion: Olney, second: Freiman)
Colette Aufranc stepped aside (recused) and did not take part in this vote.
From the minutes
“Upon a motion by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Freiman, the Board was polled and voted (4-0, 1 recusal) to approve the motions for Article 13. Aufranc -Recused Freiman - Aye Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - Aye Ulfelder - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Freiman)
Jun 3Elect Ms. Aufranc as chair of the Select Board,…Motion: To elect Ms. Aufranc as chair of the Select Board, effective…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Woods
“Upon a nomination by Mr. Ulfelder and seconded by Ms. Olney, the Board voted (4 Aye, 1 Abstention) to elect Ms. Aufranc as chair of the Select Board, effective July 1, 2024. Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - Abstained Ulfelder - Aye Aufranc - Aye Freiman - Aye.” (Motion: Ulfelder, second: Olney)
“Ms. Aufranc moved to nominate Ms. Freiman as vice chair. Mr. Ulfelder seconded the nomination and the Board voted (4 Aye, 1 Abstention) to elect Ms. Freiman as vice chair of the Select Board, effective July 1, 2024. Olney - Aye Sullivan Woods - Abstained Ulfelder - Aye Aufranc - Aye Freiman - Aye.” (Motion: Aufranc, 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).