Issues 
As a Select Board member and current Chair, I seek to hear diverse opinions and balance many factors when approaching key issues. Overall, it is important to maintain our community’s open space, rural, and historic character when absorbing new residential and economic growth. Our growing older population deserves excellent services, recreational, and social opportunities. As a parent of three, I support our excellent school system. I believe we should take proactive actions to protect our environment and develop plans to achieve state-wide sustainability goals. Also, I support key infrastructure projects that enhance the quality of life in our community.
All these investments come at a cost and require strong fiscal management and planning to maintain our strong financial position, bond rating, and adequate reserves. As a Select Board member with a well-rounded skillset, education, and professional background, I will continue to successfully balance all these factors in the management of our Town. As always, I will listen to the concerns and interests of residents when making decisions on the Select Board.
My priorities for Sudbury are outlined below.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING
Overall, I have maintained a cautious, science-based approach to the pandemic, seeking to balance safety with the need for adequate economic, social, educational, and recreational activities. I am committed to helping Sudbury successfully address current and future challenges due to Covid-19.
In these trying times, there has also been hope through the various efforts of Town staff, volunteers, and community members. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) program will provide an additional $5.9 million for Sudbury to address fallout from the pandemic and other public health initiatives/infrastructure. The Select Board has been involved in an extensive process to: gather staff and public input on project ideas, review proposals, and make decisions. The Board recently completed round one decisions. The Board approved $2.1MM for projects considered particularly urgent or time sensitive.
As Select Board liaison to the Board of Health, I understand the immense workload of the Town’s Health Department as it maneuvers the roller coaster of the pandemic. We must commit adequate resources to public health initiatives and our Health Department, including resources for our social work office to address the mental health and economic impacts caused by the pandemic. Recently, I voted to approve $406K in ARPA funds towards pandemic related needs including $170K for additional social work services, $20K for resident gift cards, $166K for a contracted mental health counselor, and $50K for at-home Covid tests.
I believe we must also support our public safety departments who protect our community’s health and well-being. Every day they work hard so we can be safe, and they need the necessary tools and appropriate workspaces in order to do their jobs well. Therefore, I supported the addition to the Fire Station 2 building on Rte. 20 approved at Town Meeting in May 2021. I also voted to approve $55K in ARPA funds for new Fire Station medical equipment including a stretcher, stair chair, and CPR machine.
The Select Board has nearly $4 MM remaining in ARPA funds to disperse. I will help the Board develop a process to continue to review project submissions and make decisions that will address the many needs of our community because of the pandemic.
MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND CAPITAL BUDGETING 
Drawing upon my education and financial services career, I enthusiastically served on the Select Board Policies & Procedures Subcommittee which undertook the large task of revising Sudbury’s Financial Policies. Financial Policies guide the financial and budgeting decisions of the Town and are utilized by the Select Board, Town Manager, Finance Department, and Finance Committee. I am extremely proud of this achievement and am grateful to the various Town staff members and committees that contributed input to create the policies.
The Select Board Financial Policies, which were voted on January 24, 2022, address municipal financial topics, including operating budget, revenue, expenditure, reserves and risk management, and debt management policies, among others. An area that has come into focus recently is Capital Budgeting and Planning Policy. In 2019, the Select Board enlisted the expertise of the Massachusetts Division of Local Services (DLS) to review Sudbury’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and policies and to recommend a roadmap for the future. DLS is part of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and serves as financial resource to municipalities through guidance, training, and oversight. Its recommendations were provided to the Select Board in April 2020, and the majority of the recommendations were incorporated into the new Financial Policies this past year.
When I began my first term on the Select Board, there were many needed improvements in the Town’s capital decision process including establishing sustainable funding sources and proper planning. However, the new Financial Policies, combined with the Town Manager’s recently redeveloped Capital Planning Process (recommended by DLS) have positioned Sudbury to be more successful in its capital planning through better organization and decision making. These new tools will be fully implemented in upcoming budget and capital planning cycles.
This past year has been a year of transition for the capital planning process with the Town Staff following the new policies and procedures. Recent discussions have highlighted necessary improvements, including the need for Town staff to share Annual Town Meeting capital articles with committees such as the Capital Improvement Advisory Committee (CIAC) earlier for proper review. Additionally, posting the full 5-year Capital Plan and related project submission sheets to the Town website each year by January 31st by Town Staff will provide all committees and town residents a better understanding of upcoming projects. I have requested a debrief between Town staff and key committees immediately following the May 2022 Annual Town Meeting to discuss strengths and opportunities of the new processes and to plan for additional future improvements.
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
I am an environmentalist with a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree focused on Sustainable Enterprise: helping businesses and non-profit organizations operate and grow in sustainable ways. I have applied these learnings to my work on the Select Board.
Under my leadership as Chair of the Select Board, there has been increased focus on sustainability and combatting climate change by the Board. Sustainability and Climate Change initiatives is one of the Board’s top priority goals for 2022. I was recently appointed the Select Board liaison to achieving this goal, and I look forward to advancing this critical work. In the past year, we have sought funding from our state and national legislators for sustainability initiatives, joined in a regional letter with comments for the Interim 2030 Clean Energy and Climate Plan, supported an effort calling for strong opt-in energy building stretch codes in Massachusetts, and approved study of a solar panel project at our Department of Public Works building. Individually, I advocate for enhanced sustainability measures at the new Fairbank Community Center and seek input from local environmental groups including Sustainable Sudbury.
The 2020 Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy legislation set aggressive targets for Massachusetts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 with important interim steps along the way. Massachusetts communities, including Sudbury, must act by developing plans to achieve these goals. The residents of Sudbury will have an opportunity at the upcoming Town Meeting to take action by supporting the Citizen Petition declaring a climate emergency and the hiring of a dedicated Sustainability staff member within Sudbury Town government.
BRUCE FREEMAN RAIL TRAIL
Throughout my time as a Select Board member and as a resident, I have been a strong advocate of the advancement of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT) project and supported this project as high priority goal for the Board. The BFRT will be a vibrant resource to Sudbury and the entire region. The BFRT will enhance our quality of life, including health and wellness. It will benefit our businesses and strengthen our local economy, particularly along Hudson Road and Route 20. It will help to protect the environment as more people opt for bikes over cars and may even reduce some traffic congestion on our roads. The town has supported development of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail over many years through Town Meeting votes, and Sudbury’s leaders should not only support this project but also actively work to advance it.
As Select Board Chair, I ensure that the Select Board has regular project updates and that we advance important decisions and actions rather than being roadblocks to progress. Fortunately, the BFRT is on a strong trajectory to begin construction within the next year. The many details of design and development are finally coming together, and I will continue to ensure that this project stays literally on track!
In 2020, I served as Select Board lead to acquire the former CSX corridor just north and south of Rte. 20 and to Framingham. The acquisition of this corridor will bring the BFRT to our commercial district on Rte. 20 and ultimately further south in our community. With my leadership and partnership with Town Staff, this initiative passed overwhelmingly at both Town Meeting and at the subsequent ballot. At the upcoming 2022 Annual Town Meeting, there will be important Articles related to both the BFRT and CSX Corridor. Together, as voters and neighbors, we can realize this important, long-awaited amenity.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The drive toward diversity, equity, and inclusion is an ongoing process and has been top of mind for so many communities these past few years. I believe in fixing social injustices, and I have been working in this area through my professional and volunteer experience for many years. One of the recent top accomplishments of the Sudbury Select Board has been the creation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission comprised of community members dedicated to exploring this topic. I am fortunate to serve as Select Board liaison to this group and enjoy helping to guide them as they approach this important work. The group is gathering information, providing outreach and education to the community, and forming recommendations for policies that will help make Sudbury a place where all residents, and future residents, feel welcome and can thrive.
Another critical achievement for the Town was the completion of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility report. I believe that all residents and visitors to Sudbury should be able to engage in our programs and services. A community that addresses the needs of individuals with disabilities is a community that cares for its residents. The IHCD report serves to identify the Town’s level of ADA compliance in programs, services, and activities in Town-owned facilities. It also provides recommendations for corrective action toward any gaps identified. The Town should aggressively address areas of non-compliance and factor the solutions into our broader capital and maintenance plans. Serving as liaison to the Commission on Disability for the past two years has been a privilege; I have learned about the challenges residents and visitors with disabilities face, further highlighting to me the importance of making our community accessible to all.
FAIRBANK COMMUNITY CENTER 
Throughout 2020, I worked to advance the Fairbank Community Center project as one of the lead proponents and as Select Board liaison. It was heartening to know that our community overwhelmingly supported this initiative at the 2020 Town Meeting and ballot. I support a modern and inclusive community center that will serve the recreational, health, educational, and social needs of our community. As the number of older residents increase, a vibrant, welcoming, and adequately sized Senior Center will provide vital services and keep Sudbury a place where people choose to stay and retire. Our community’s Park & Recreation Department and Sudbury Public School Administration currently operate in the oldest section of the deteriorating former 1950’s school building. This does not reflect the community’s dedication to recreation and our school system. A new Community Center will increase the appeal of Sudbury to new residents and positively impact home values.
The community center construction project now is in the hands of the Town Manager, Permanent Building Committee, and hired consultants. Unfortunately, like many building projects recently, the Fairbank Community Center budget has felt the weight of rising inflation, material costs, and supply chain issues. The water main identified on the Fairbank property needs to be removed, jeopardizing the already tight budget. The project team has adeptly mitigated these challenges through thoughtful value engineering and creativity while still incorporating extensive feedback from the primary user groups.
I never turn my back on a challenge, especially one that has the ability to positively impact so many. I continue to track the project very closely and am actively seeking alternative funding solutions from our legislators, grants, and through Town Meeting articles for further consideration by the Town. I will continue to work and advocate for the success of this critical project until Sudbury has the excellent community center that it deserves.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION 
We are lucky to live in a community that is rich in history. The historical assets of Sudbury contribute to the town’s charm and character. Historic preservation is an ongoing effort that requires time and resources. Fortunately, we have many committed individuals who work on various committees and groups that support historic preservation.
As a Community Preservation Act community, we have an established funding source for many historical investments. As the Select Board representative for the Community Preservation Committee, I actively review and support historical projects. Currently, the Town (Historical Commission and Historic Districts Commission) is working with an external consultant to create a Historic Preservation Plan. This plan will highlight key assets and develop preservation plans, policy, and strategy for the future. In particular, while serving on the Select Board and Community Preservation Committee, I have advocated for adaptive reuse of historic buildings and houses along our Route 20 corridor which would otherwise be replaced with new development.
SUDBURY SCHOOLS
As a parent of three in the Sudbury Public School system and a Town official, I am committed to the ongoing success of our schools. Sudbury schools are a key part of our town’s value proposition. They are the reason many families come to and stay in Sudbury. Their excellence enhances the lives of our children as well as our home values. We must support our schools and teachers and provide quality education to all students.
A 2022 Select Board goal is to analyze Sudbury’s vocational technical education offerings. Sudbury was once a member of the Minuteman Regional Vocational education system; however, the town made the decision to withdraw from Minuteman in 2016. The Town opted to pursue a flexible and less expensive approach with students attending a variety of schools as non-member students. Recent questions and concerns from both officials and parents necessitate the review of the state of vocational education for Sudbury students. It is my strong belief that Sudbury students deserve excellent vocational technical education opportunities, and I will make exploring the best way forward a priority in my next term.
TRANSPORTATION
In recent history, Sudbury has had extremely limited local public transportation. Many residents have struggled to get to work, perform routine shopping, and get to medical appointments without extra time, effort, and expense. Fortunately, strides are being made through the Senior Center van program and Go Sudbury! Taxi and Uber programs. I have been supportive of these ongoing initiatives as well as an upcoming 2022 Annual Town Meeting article to provide additional funding for transportation. Ultimately, we must consider systemizing transportation initiatives with reliable funding sources in the Town budget and from external sources, perhaps through regional opportunities.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY AND RE-DEVELOPMENT
I am committed to understanding the needs of our community and supporting our local businesses. Businesses provide vital services to the residents in our community and enhance our quality of life. Financially, commercial tax revenue contributes to our overall community tax base and can help reduce some of the financial burden for residential taxpayers.
My professional background and education in business give me an understanding the opportunities and challenges small to moderate sized businesses face. Prior to serving on the Select Board, I served as Co-Vice Chair of the Master Plan Steering Committee and suggested that the Town analyze our Route 20 corridor and hire a dedicated Town Economic Development staff member. These ideas became recommendations of the Master Plan. I have also served as Select Board liaison to the Chamber of Commerce and will be speaking to the Chamber on March 2, 2022, along with Representative Carmine Gentile, Senator Jamie Eldridge, and Town Manager Hayes to listen to and discuss ARPA funding ideas and opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for our local businesses; I am proud of our community efforts to support them through gift card programs and encouraging that we shop locally.
In my second term, as the grip of the pandemic hopefully wanes, I will focus even more of my efforts on our business sector. We need to assess the health of our business environment and our success in attracting the types of businesses we want in Sudbury. Beautification of aspects of Route 20 should be explored, and historic resources along the historic road should be preserved through adaptive reuse. We must seek the right balance of economic activity and protection of the community’s natural character and open space.
EVERSOURCE TRANSMISSION LINE
I have been a supporter of the effort to stop the implementation of the Eversource Transmission Line project on the former Mass Central Rail line. Unfortunately, Sudbury did not win recent appeals to the Supreme Judicial Court, however Town and resident efforts have been successful in moving the transmission line completely underground and developing stringent environmental protections through permitting of the construction of the line and the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail (MCRT). Recently, I was able to connect Senator Ed Markey’s office with the Sudbury Historical Commission who is advocating for high-quality review and preservation of historical and Native American aspects along the right of way.
SEWATARO/LIBERTY LEDGE PROPERTY
Sewataro has become a valuable Town asset, and it is my goal for it to benefit the whole community while also ensuring that it is managed in a fiscally responsible way. Currently, the Sudbury Select Board is in active negotiation for extension of the contract with the current Camp Operator/Property Manager. Therefore, I will limit my observations and comments on this arrangement during this negotiation period.
Do you have questions or comments on other issues in our community? Please email me at robertsforsudbury@gmail.com or join me at an upcoming virtual conversation!