HARVARD — With three new members, there’s a full, five-member Board of Selectmen at the table for the first time in months.
In its first post-election meeting held April 8, the board appointed new officers. Newcomer Leo Blair is now the Chairman, replacing Lucy Wallace. Timothy Clark is the Vice Chairman. Retired town fire chief Peter Warren is the clerk. The third new member is Ronald Ricci.
Before she yielded her chair, Wallace publicly thanked former Selectman Robert Eubank, who lost his bid for a one-year seat to Warren. Noting his skills as a facilitator, she said he provided stability when it was needed.
“He set a high standard for us,” she said.
During the selectmen’s reports, Warren spoke first. He congratulated Lucy Wallace for receiving an “unsung heroine” award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. State Sen. Pamela Resor, D-Acton, nominated her, he said.
Citing her 10-plus years as a selectmen and many committee memberships and services, Warren said Wallace has been — and still is — a “dedicated person in town.”
In addition to her seat on the board, Wallace serves on a raft of selectmen subcommittees and is a member of the Harvard Affordable Housing Trust. She also volunteers as a driver for Harvard Help, a grass-roots group that does what its name suggests without fanfare.
Warren, too, helps ferry folks around town. He pilots a Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) van for the Council on Aging. But because there’s a small salary attached to the on-call job, he sought guidance from the Ethics Commission before running for the selectmen.
According to the rules for a town with a population under 10,000, he must submit a disclosure form signed by the selectmen, he said.
Warren commended all of the candidates who ran in the election for the “friendly, cooperative” spirit that prevailed at campaign events.
“I hope they stay involved ” he said.
Ronald Ricci thanked the townspeople for his win and re-iterated a campaign promise.
“I will be a selectman for everyone,” he said.
He encouraged people to share idea, issues and concerns, and said he’s accessible.
“Please call me,” he said. “I’m in the phone book.”
Blair used his turn to quiz Clark on details of the Town Center Sewer Task Force status report the other selectman had just given. Since the group’s project recommendations were accepted at the March 29 Special Town Meeting, it needs a new name and a fresh charge, he said.
Clark, who acts as chairman of the group, agreed that would be the way to go after its current work wraps up at the next meeting.
Blair, who served on the task force, said he has stepped down. The other member, Chris Ashley, said he’d stay, as will Clark.
Like Ricci, Blair said he wants to encourage public input. He said he likes the idea of posting a survey on the town Web site that would provide a conduit, not just for budget suggestions but any issue.
Resident Joe Hutchinson suggested the plan and offered to help set it up.
Resident Don Green asked the board to consider moving the public comment segment of the meeting to the top of the agenda.
But another resident, Bruce Leicher, suggested a later schedule, say 8 p.m., so people can make it to the meetings after work.
The board agreed to think about it.
