HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-18-CSCII-min-DRAFTAd Hoc Crematory Study Committee 11
Minutes, Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Fully Remote via Zoom
5:00-6:15 PM
The meeting was called to order by Joe Pato at 5:02 PM. The meeting was conducted remotely due to
illness -related accommodations.
Roll call was conducted, and quorum was confirmed.
Committee Members Present
• Joe Pato (SB Liaison and non-voting Chair pro -tem), Archan Basu, Mike Harris, Jyoti Puri, Joseph
Su, Jillian Tung, Judy Zola, Rabbi David Lerner (joined partway through the meeting)
Liaisons / Guests
• David Pinsonneault, Director of Public Works, Anil Ahuja, Appropriations Committee, Charles
Lamb, Community End -of -Life Committee (CEC)
1) Approve minutes for 1/7/26 meeting
The committee reviewed the January 7 meeting minutes,
• Motion: Approve minutes as presented
• Moved by: Mike Harris
• Seconded by: Archan Basu
• Vote: Unanimous approval
2) Review proposal for gathering community input via Zoom meeting — Mike Harris
Mike Harris presented a draft proposal for gathering qualitative community input regarding
potential construction and operation of a crematory at Westview Cemetery.
Key goals:
• Gather anecdotal and qualitative input only
• Avoid statistical or survey -based conclusions
• Complement (not replace) prior financial, environmental, and regulatory research
Proposed Format
• Public Zoom listening session (90 minutes)
• Advertised town -wide (Observer, listservs, word of mouth)
• Open to all residents
• Written comments accepted by email for those unable to attend
• Session to be recorded
• No voting or decision-making; listening only
Discussion Highlights
• Strong agreement that this is not a vote, poll, or referendum
• Emphasis on transparency about how input will be used
• Consensus to avoid surveys due to lack of statistical rigor
• Agreement that the session should clearly contextualize:
o Prior committee research
o Financial, regulatory, and environmental complexity
o Limitations of anecdotal input
Community Input Questions
• Agreement to use open-ended, neutral language
• Original wording "why this issue is important" was revised due to perceived bias
• Final preferred phrasing (working draft):
"Please share and describe your interest in this issue."
• A proposed question regarding "other end -of -life needs" was removed as out of scope
Process & Facilitation
• Mike Harris appointed to organize and facilitate the session
• Input and suggestions to be sent to Joe Pato and Mike Harris
• Speaking time to be limited if turnout is large
• Written submissions encouraged before and after the session
Motion
• Motion: Approve the proposed community input plan as discussed
• Moved by: Rabbi David Lerner
• Seconded by: Jyoti Puri
• Vote: Unanimous approval
3) Drafting a report
The Chair requested volunteers to synthesize prior written committee responses into a cohesive
narrative reflecting areas of consensus and divergence.
• Lead Author: Judy Zola
• Support: Archan Basu, Jillian Tung
Scope:
• Synthesize —4.5 pages of raw member input
• Identify themes, rationale, and minority views
• Inform (but not determine) final committee recommendation
Draft to be distributed with the agenda for the next meeting.
Timeline & Next Steps
• Community listening session to occur before the next meeting (target: early—mid March)
• Draft synthesis and raw community feedback to be reviewed at the next meeting
• Final report to be delivered to the Select Board (not Town Meeting)
4) Adjourn — 6:02pm
Next Meeting
Date: March 25
Time: 5:00 PM
Format: Hybrid (in-person with Zoom option)
Expected Duration: 60-75 minutes
Minutes submitted by Joseph Pato, chair pro -tem.
To be Approved 5/7/2026