Dear WFVA Members and Friends,

Thank you to everyone who attended Monday evening’s Select Board meeting to support Article 18. Advocacy can be exhausting, but seeing residents pay attention and show up when it matters makes the effort worthwhile.

Unfortunately, the vote did not go as we had hoped. Rather than endorsing Article 18, the Select Board voted unanimously to recommend “indefinite postponement.” To be clear, this recommendation does not remove Article 18 from the warrant or determine the future of the parcels. The article to transfer the care, custody, and control of the parcels at 0 W Fal Hwy to the Conservation Commission will still be presented and voted on at Town Meeting on October 26. An endorsement from the Select Board would have made that process easier, but the final decision belongs to Town Meeting.

The confusion during Monday’s discussion was evident. Questions were raised about the current status of the land and the effect of the November 2024 Town Meeting vote. Because those questions appeared to remain unresolved, we were disappointed that the Board chose to issue a recommendation. We would have preferred that the Board make no recommendation without the clarity needed to cast a well-informed vote.

Since the meeting, I have written to Town management seeking three important clarifications: an accurate explanation of Article 18 in the warrant; a clear statement of what the November 2024 vote authorizing a potential conveyance and RFP did—and did not—do; and answers about whether placing the land with the Conservation Commission would require any additional Article 97 process. The Town should answer these questions clearly before Town Meeting votes so there is no continued confusion.

Linked below are two documents for those who would like additional information:

• My letter to the editor,, scheduled to appear in Friday’s edition of The Enterprise, provides additional detail about the 2024 vote, the RFP process, the Select Board’s subsequent vote not to award the property, and Monday’s discussion.
• The September 12 letter from McGregor Law Group, prepared at residents’ request and submitted to the Select Board, addresses many of the questions raised during Monday’s discussion. We encourage everyone to read it, particularly Town Meeting Members who will be voting on Article 18.

Now, on to Town Meeting, where 243 elected representatives from all nine precincts will consider the record and determine the proper course forward. I am honored to participate for the first time as a newly elected Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member and look forward to being part of this important discussion.

Thank you again for your continued attention and support.

Warmly,

Tammy Gilbert

on behalf of the WFVA Board of Directors