Outgoing Board of Selectmen closes term with unresolved governance questions

The Woodbridge Board of Selectmen met on December 10 for its final regular meeting in the current Board’s term, with two members departing on December 31 and a newly constituted Board to be seated in January. The session included cybersecurity planning, charter revision discussion, proposed tax ordinance amendments, and several administrative and financial matters. While much of the agenda involved routine year-end business, several items revealed procedural uncertainty and differing views among board members.

The meeting opened with a presentation by consultants from Novus Insight on municipal cybersecurity preparedness, framed within the state’s Regional Performance Incentive Program (RPIP). The discussion focused on assessing cyber risk, strengthening internal controls, and positioning the Town to pursue regional funding support. The Board took action to advance continuation of this work under the RPIP framework.

Charter revision: motion defeated

The Board again considered a motion to establish a Charter Revision Commission (see October BOS meeting summary for prior consideration and vote on this matter). After discussion, the motion failed, meaning no commission was created at this time and the formal charter revision process did not advance at this meeting. The deadlock on action leaves open the question of whether — and how — charter revision will proceed in 2026 to the incoming Selectmen to decide.

Public hearings on tax relief and exemptions

Public hearings were held on proposed amendments to the Town Code addressing tax relief for elderly and/or totally disabled homeowners and property tax exemptions for veterans (see November BOS meeting summary for details). No members of the public spoke at either hearing. Following the close of the hearings, and while noting that the record would contain no public testimony, the Board discussed the proposed ordinance changes and took action to approve both.

The meeting’s Public Comment agenda item included remarks from a resident on matters of town governance (see this week’s Community Voices column for details), as well as a joint statement from the two outgoing Board of Selectmen members, who read into the record their reflections and recommendations on improving the Board and Commission appointment process for consideration by the incoming Board.

The Selectmen voted to approve the consent agenda, which included meeting minutes, a resignation, and the schedule of regular Board of Selectmen meetings for 2026.

The Board then voted to appoint an alternate member to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a two-year term to fill a vacancy created when a newly-elected member resigned due to his appointment to TPZ.

The Selectmen also considered a motion to terminate the Ad Hoc Housing Committee. During discussion, disagreement emerged over whether such a vote was necessary at all. It was noted that all committee members’ terms had expired in September, meaning the committee had already lapsed under parliamentary rules and technically should not have continued meeting. Despite this, the Board proceeded with action to formally disband the committee, clarifying the record and closing the matter.

Funding requests included public safety equipment replacement

During the Administrative Officer and Director of Finance report, the Board considered a funding request from the Woodbridge Fire Department to replace failing gas meters used for emergency response. Discussion acknowledged that the equipment was aging and beginning to fail and that replacement had been planned for a future budget cycle but was being requested earlier as a transfer from contingency due to operational concerns. Rather than deferring the request, the Board approved a procedural path with a motion to approve that allowed replacement of this equipment to move forward with the support of the BOS while avoiding delay and preserving the Board of Finance’s ability to further review and adjust the amount if necessary once additional information was provided.

In addition, the Board approved a bid waiver to lock in fuel and gas pricing, adopted an animal control donation policy, and approved a negotiated contract with American Medical Response (AMR).

Additional funding request for POCD consultant

The Board discussed a funding request related to consultant costs for revisions to the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), the state-mandated planning document that the Board of Selectmen formally rejected in September as inadequately drafted and containing inaccurate material.

During discussion, Selectmen noted that while they understood the Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ) had since voted to finalize and submit a revised POCD to the state, the Board had received no update, revised draft, or explanation following its rejection of the draft version (see September BOS meeting summary for details). Questions arose about what consultant work had been undertaken, at whose direction, and whether that work aligned with the Board’s prior action and feedback. Concern was also raised about whether some consultant work may already have been completed without prior funding authorization, as required under the Town Charter. Given the lack of clarity regarding scope, timing, communication, and fiscal authorization, the Board tabled the funding request pending additional information.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:45 p.m. to conclude this iteration of the Board’s term in office. The incoming BOS’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Central Meeting Room. An additional meeting may also be scheduled in early January to consider appointments to boards and commissions as well as other matters. As usual, a meeting notice will appear in advance, as a listing on the town website’s Agenda Center page. BOS meetings are open to the public and streamed live on the Town’s YouTube channel, WGATV79. Click below to watch the full meeting recording.

Editor’s note: This recap is written by Sheila McCreven in her role as editor of the Chronicle. Sheila is also an elected member of the Board of Selectmen (her term ends December 31, 2025). See the Editorial Note on Government Coverage on our About page to learn more.