Speakers urge action and clarity on African Meeting House working group process

Several speakers at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting raised concerns about delays and lack of clarity in the process to form a working group for the African Meeting House matter and asked the board to address conflict‑of‑interest concerns and begin the group’s work.

Barbara Virgo, who said she has followed the process for nearly a year, told the board she had submitted concerns about potential conflicts of interest among people asked to serve and said she received little feedback. “Do I feel my voice is being silenced? Yes, a bit,” she said, and described constituent frustration that the working group had not yet met a year after the town voted to begin a process.

Another commenter urged the board to reassign a member the speaker viewed as conflicted and to proceed promptly; presenters said a first working-group meeting may be rescheduled to April 17 and the African Meeting House Committee will meet on April 17.

Board members and staff did not take immediate action to reassign members during the meeting; the matter remains under the committee scheduling and selection process with forthcoming meetings noted by board members and staff.