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To the Editor and Residents of Reading,
As the Recreation Committee representative to the Symonds Way Exploratory Committee (SWEC), an ad-hoc committee established by the Select Board, I was extremely disturbed by the actions taken by Select Board member and SWEC Chair Carlo Bacci at the 3/29/23 meeting. I urge residents to watch the meeting, recorded by RCTV.
At that meeting, two votes were taken at the urging and direction of Chair Bacci, on topics not on the agenda. The next day the votes were nullified, as they constituted an Open Meeting Law violation. Bacci has since apologized to the SWEC. Attached is the Daily Times Chronicle article, which explains what happened at the meeting. This is Bacci’s second Open Meeting Law violation in his three years on the Select Board.
http://homenewshere.com/daily_times_chronicle/news/reading/article_4c8c8256-cfda-11ed-9453-c3f0262bb18a.html
Pictured below is a drawing, which was shared with me by a resident, which I shared at the SWEC meeting. It is now part of the public record of the meeting. It is not one of the 4 drawings that were requested by the SWEC to conceptualize possible uses on the land acquired by the Town in 2019, which is the subject of the SWEC survey and the SWEC charge. This 5th drawing, which was not shared with SWEC members in our packet for the meeting, depicts pickleball courts in the parking lot behind Burbank Ice Arena, on land leased by the arena. How this drawing was shared with a member of the public and passed on to me has still not been determined. It has caused confusion amongst the public about what SWEC is doing, and how any changes suggested will affect the ice arena.
To be clear, the other members of the SWEC, representing their various boards and committees, have acted with utmost integrity in my belief, and want to fulfill the charge of the committee in a fair and open process.
Government transparency is critical, and a respect for the laws that govern how citizens can participate in decisions is also critical. I am disappointed with Mr. Bacci’s recent actions, and I hope to receive honest answers to unanswered questions at the next SWEC meeting.
Sincerely,
Angela Binda
Recreation Committee member
SWEC member
Town Meeting member, precinct 5
