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Municipal votes · 2018–2019 Board

Westford Select Board

How the Westford Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On October 23, 2018 the board chose Mark Kost as Chairman, Elizabeth Almeida as Vice Chairman and Tom Clay as Clerk (each 4-0; Tom Clay was absent). The minutes of the February 12, 2019 meeting are not online (the January 15, 2019 meeting was cancelled for lack of a quorum). Covers 15 meetings, October 23 to May 14, 2019.

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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MassVoter can’t read Westford’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →

What Town Meeting decided

In Westford, 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.

Annual Town Meeting · March 28, 2026 33 votes: 28 passed, 1 failed, 2 no action, 2 other

Sessions: Saturday, March 28, 2026

Source: Town Clerk: Annual Town Meeting, March 28, 2026, Minutes (Westford document archive, category "Town Meeting", type Minutes).

Special Town Meeting · October 27, 2025 20 votes: 18 passed, 2 failed

Sessions: Monday, October 27, 2025

Source: Office of the Town Clerk: Special Town Meeting Results, October 27, 2025 (Document Center PDF, linked as "Results for STM Oct 27 2025 - Copy").

Annual Town Meeting · March 22, 2025 28 votes: 23 passed, 2 failed, 2 no action, 1 advisory

Sessions: Saturday, March 22, 2025

Source: Town Clerk: Annual Town Meeting, March 22, 2025, minutes (Document Center PDF, linked as "March 22 2025 TM Minutes final").

Special Town Meeting · October 21, 2024 10 votes: 8 passed, 1 failed, 1 advisory

Sessions: Monday, October 21, 2024

Source: Town Clerk: 2024 Special Town Meeting, October 21, 2024, minutes (Document Center PDF, linked as "STM 10-24-24 final minutes").

Annual Town Meeting · April 27, 2024 24 votes: 19 passed, 2 passed as amended, 1 failed, 2 no action

Sessions: Saturday, April 27, 2024

Source: Town Clerk: Annual Town Meeting, April 27, 2024, Minutes (Westford document archive, category "Town Clerk", type Minutes).

Not here yet: All Westford Town Meetings held from January 2024 to October 12, 2026 are here; the 2026 Special Town Meeting is on October 26, 2026.

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

Tom ClayClerk · At-large · at 12 of 15 meetingsScott HazeltonMember · At-large · at 15 of 15 meetingsAndrea Peraner-SweetMember · At-large · at 14 of 15 meetings

"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: Westford Select Board minutes from January 9, 2018 through July 28, 2026: 262 meetings and 3,234 votes. The town’s document archive holds Select Board and Board of Selectmen minutes back to 1890 (typed, searchable files from 2003); MassVoter loaded January 2018 on. The board was the Board of Selectmen until the Legislature approved the Town Charter change on November 13, 2020; its minutes are headed “Select Board” from December 8, 2020. Most 2018–2019 approved minutes are signed scans, which MassVoter read with text recognition (where the archive also has the typed draft, the approved copy is used). Also loaded: joint meetings with the Finance Committee, School Committee and Town and School Safety Task Force that are filed with the board’s minutes; only the Select Board’s own votes are shown. Not online: the minutes of some meetings with posted agendas, among them March 13 and October 15, 2018; February 12, 2019; May 12 and June 9, 2020; January 14, April 8 and April 22, 2025; and the October 2025 goal-setting retreat. MassVoter is asking the town for them. Not here: executive-session minutes, cancelled meetings, and the votes of the Finance Committee, School Committee and other boards at joint meetings. Minutes after July 28, 2026 are not posted yet (the board approves them before posting, usually about two months later). The town also reposts each agenda the day after a meeting with “ACTION TAKEN” notes under the items; those are not minutes, and MassVoter does not use them. Westford’s minutes name the mover and seconder and give a count, naming any member who votes no, abstains, recuses or is absent (“VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED (Hazelton, Kost) TO RECOMMEND Article 11”); a count that equals the members present, with the members voting no or abstaining named, is shown as each member’s vote. Meetings with a member taking part remotely (2018) and the 2020 remote meetings add roll calls by name (“Clay - yes, Kost - no”). Members who arrived late, left, recused or were out of the room are not shown in the votes they missed. Where the count does not fit the members present or does not match the roll call, we show the count only (14 votes); where the minutes say the board voted by roll call but give no count, we show the result only (4 votes). A motion with no recorded outcome is not counted as a vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019 · Regular meeting9 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 5 members presentWednesday, May 8, 2019 · Regular meeting4 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAbsent: Andrea Peraner-SweetThursday, May 2, 2019 · Regular meeting3 recorded votes, 2 with disagreementAll 5 members presentTuesday, April 23, 2019 · Regular meeting14 recorded votes, 5 with disagreementAll 5 members presentTuesday, April 9, 2019 · Regular meeting9 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAbsent: Tom Clay

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 2Direct Town Counsel to write up an agreement with…Motion: It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and…Passed 3–0 · see note

May 2, 2019: Direct Town Counsel to write up an agreement with dog owner Haley Gallagher containing the following information: within 24 hours (by 11 am tomorrow) the dogs known as Windy and…

ApprovePassed · 3–0

It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 ABSENT (Clay, Hazelton) to direct Town Counsel to write up an agreement with dog owner Haley Gallagher containing the following information: within 24 hours (by 11 am tomorrow) the dogs known as Windy and Luca will be remanded into custody with Westford Animal Control, to be transported to the town of Groton's 24 hour kennel facility where they will be housed for the next two weeks, evaluated by an animal specialists, all associated costs to be the responsibility of the dog owner Haley Gallagher, with 50% being

Yes: Almeida, Kost, Peraner-SweetThe minutes list Tom Clay as absent for this vote (“VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 ABSENT (Clay, Hazelton)”), so Tom Clay is not shown voting. The minutes list Scott Hazelton as absent for this vote (“VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 ABSENT (Clay, Hazelton)”), so Scott Hazelton is not shown voting.

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 ABSENT (Clay, Hazelton) to direct Town Counsel to write up an agreement with dog owner Haley Gallagher containing the following information: within 24 hours (by 11 am tomorrow) the dogs known as Windy and Luca will be remanded into custody with Westford Animal Control, to be transported to the town of Groton's 24 hour kennel facility where they will be housed for the next two weeks, evaluated by an animal specialists, all associated costs to be the responsibility of the dog owner Haley Gallagher, with 50% being.” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Almeida)

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

Apr 23Approve the change of manager on Chipotle's Chapter 138,…Motion: It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and…Passed 4–0 · see note

April 23, 2019: Approve the change of manager on Chipotle's Chapter 138, Section 12 beer and wine license to Jeffrey Viering

ApprovePassed · 4–0

It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay) TO APPROVE the change of manager on Chipotle's Chapter 138, Section 12 beer and wine license to Jeffrey Viering.

Yes: Almeida, Hazelton, Kost, Peraner-SweetThe minutes list Tom Clay as absent for this vote (“VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay)”), so Tom Clay is not shown voting.

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay) TO APPROVE the change of manager on Chipotle's Chapter 138, Section 12 beer and wine license to Jeffrey Viering..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Hazelton)

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

Apr 23Approve the request to provide notice of the public…Motion: It was moved by Selectman Hazelton, seconded by Selectman Peraner-Sweet and…Passed 4–0 · see note

April 23, 2019: Approve the request to provide notice of the public charitable trust and its restrictions to Paul and Karen Tremblay and the Middlesex 4-H Fair, Inc

ApprovePassed · 4–0

It was moved by Selectman Hazelton, seconded by Selectman Peraner-Sweet and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (CLAY) TO APPROVE the request to provide notice of the public charitable trust and its restrictions to Paul and Karen Tremblay and the Middlesex 4-H Fair, Inc.

Yes: Almeida, Hazelton, Kost, Peraner-SweetThe minutes list Tom Clay as absent for this vote (“VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (CLAY)”), so Tom Clay is not shown voting.

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Hazelton, seconded by Selectman Peraner-Sweet and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (CLAY) TO APPROVE the request to provide notice of the public charitable trust and its restrictions to Paul and Karen Tremblay and the Middlesex 4-H Fair, Inc..” (Motion: Hazelton, second: Peraner-Sweet)

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

Apr 23Not TO EXERCISE their right of first refusal for…Motion: It was moved by Selectman Almeida, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and…Passed 4–0 · see note

April 23, 2019: Not TO EXERCISE their right of first refusal for 4 Sandstone Road, Unit 24-2

ApprovePassed · 4–0

It was moved by Selectman Almeida, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay) NOT TO EXERCISE their right of first refusal for 4 Sandstone Road, Unit 24-2.

Yes: Almeida, Hazelton, Kost, Peraner-SweetThe minutes list Tom Clay as absent for this vote (“VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay)”), so Tom Clay is not shown voting.

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Almeida, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSENT (Clay) NOT TO EXERCISE their right of first refusal for 4 Sandstone Road, Unit 24-2..” (Motion: Almeida, second: Hazelton)

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

Mar 23Recommend Article 18Motion: It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and…Failed 2–3 · No: Almeida, Clay, Kost

March 23, 2019: Recommend Article 18

ApproveFailed · 2–3

It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 2 IN FAVOR, 3 OPPOSED (Almeida, Clay, Kost) TO RECOMMEND Article 18.

Yes: Hazelton, Peraner-SweetNo: Almeida, Clay, Kost

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 2 IN FAVOR, 3 OPPOSED (Almeida, Clay, Kost) TO RECOMMEND Article 18..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Hazelton)

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

Mar 23Recommend Article 19 as presentedMotion: It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and…Passed 3–2 · No: Clay, Kost

March 23, 2019: Recommend Article 19 as presented

ApprovePassed · 3–2

It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED (Clay, Kost) TO RECOMMEND Article 19 as presented.

Yes: Almeida, Hazelton, Peraner-SweetNo: Clay, Kost

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Hazelton and VOTED 3 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED (Clay, Kost) TO RECOMMEND Article 19 as presented..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Hazelton)

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

Mar 23Appoint Eric Heideman Acting Town Manager during the Town…Motion: On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note

March 23, 2019: Appoint Eric Heideman Acting Town Manager during the Town Manager's upcoming absence with full hiring and appointing authority

AppointPassed · Unanimous, 5 present

On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN FAVOR TO APPOINT Eric Heideman Acting Town Manager during the Town Manager's upcoming absence with full hiring and appointing authority.

The minutes say the motion was made and seconded but do not name the mover or seconder.

From the minutes

“On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN FAVOR TO APPOINT Eric Heideman Acting Town Manager during the Town Manager's upcoming absence with full hiring and appointing authority..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 5 (PDF)

Mar 12Not recommend Article 16Motion: It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Kost

March 12, 2019: Not recommend Article 16

ApprovePassed · 4–0

It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSTAIN (Kost) TO NOT RECOMMEND Article 16.

Yes: Almeida, Clay, Hazelton, Peraner-SweetAbstained: Kost

From the minutes

“It was moved by Selectman Peraner-Sweet, seconded by Selectman Almeida and VOTED 4 IN FAVOR, 1 ABSTAIN (Kost) TO NOT RECOMMEND Article 16..” (Motion: Peraner-Sweet, second: Almeida)

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

Mar 12Appoint Warren Adam to the Nashoba Valley Technical High…Motion: On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note

March 12, 2019: Appoint Warren Adam to the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee as a representative from Westford (joint appointment with the School Committee)

AppointPassed · Unanimous, 5 present

On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN FAVOR by the Board to Selectmen TO APPOINT and 4 IN FAVOR, 1 RECUSE (Adam) by the School Committee to APPOINT Warren Adam to the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee as a representative from Westford with a term expiring March 31, 2022.

The Board of Selectmen and the School Committee voted separately; the count shown is the Board of Selectmen’s (“VOTED 5 IN FAVOR by the Board to Selectmen”). The minutes say the motion was made and seconded but do not name the mover or seconder.

From the minutes

“On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN FAVOR by the Board to Selectmen TO APPOINT and 4 IN FAVOR, 1 RECUSE (Adam) by the School Committee to APPOINT Warren Adam to the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee as a representative from Westford with a term expiring March 31, 2022..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 7 (PDF)

Mar 12Appoint Emanuel Manolopoulos to the Nashoba Valley Technical High…Motion: On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note

March 12, 2019: Appoint Emanuel Manolopoulos to the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee as a representative from Westford (joint appointment with the School Committee)

AppointPassed · Unanimous, 5 present

On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN FAVOR by the Board to Selectmen TO APPOINT and 5 IN FAVOR, by the School Committee to APPOINT Emanuel Manolopoulos to the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee as a representative from Westford with a term expiring March 31, 2022.

The Board of Selectmen and the School Committee voted separately; the count shown is the Board of Selectmen’s (“VOTED 5 IN FAVOR by the Board to Selectmen”). The minutes say the motion was made and seconded but do not name the mover or seconder.

From the minutes

“On a motion made and seconded, it was VOTED 5 IN FAVOR by the Board to Selectmen TO APPOINT and 5 IN FAVOR, by the School Committee to APPOINT Emanuel Manolopoulos to the Nashoba Valley Technical High School Committee as a representative from Westford with a term expiring March 31, 2022..”

Read it in the official minutes, page 7 (PDF)

From the Westford Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s document archive (“View all meeting minutes” on the Select Board page) and, for recent meetings, its Agenda Center. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos (the town’s website has only an unnamed group photo): League of Women Voters of Westford Voters’ Guides — Chris Barrett, Tom Clay and Elizabeth Sawyer (2026); Sean Kelly and Noëlle Donovan (2025). Cropped by MassVoter. Former members show initials.

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