Wayland Select Board confirms Berman as permanent police chief, 5-0
WAYLAND — December 4, 2023 — Wayland confirms Edward Berman as police chief after 21 months as acting. The Select Board voted 5-0 Monday to confirm Town Manager Michael McCall's appointment of Berman, subject to contract negotiations, capping a search that included consultant Badge Quest and a department-head screening panel. Member Adam Gutbezahl called Berman "the embodiment of community policing" and "the easiest decision I've ever had to make." The board also said it will formally oppose the only article at Wednesday's citizen-petitioned special town meeting, with member Thomas J. Fay serving as principal opposition speaker; Vice Chair Carol B. Martin said the issue is "process and precedent," not employees. Officials are preparing the high school auditorium for up to 587 voters, with check-in at 6 p.m. and secret-ballot voting. Finance Director Brian Keveney reported a $112 million budget, a 5.9 percent tax-levy increase and a $15.52 rate. Gutbezahl announced he will not seek re-election, citing family matters.
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WAYLAND — The Select Board voted unanimously Monday night to confirm Town Manager Michael McCall's appointment of Edward Berman as Wayland's next police chief, ending nearly 21 months in which Berman had served in an acting capacity.
The 5-0 vote, subject to successful contract negotiations, came after McCall described a months-long search that included an outside consultant, Badge Quest, a screening panel of department heads, an assessment center and personal interviews. McCall said the process "validated" his judgment that Berman, who has worked in the department for more than two decades and rose from lieutenant to acting chief, was the right choice for the town.
"Acting Chief Berman is the embodiment of community policing," Select Board member Adam Gutbezahl said, calling it "the easiest decision I've ever had to make on the Select Board." Vice Chair Carol B. Martin, who chaired the meeting in person while Chair William Whitney participated remotely, said calls from residents about Berman had been uniformly positive. Whitney made the motion and asked that a formal swearing-in ceremony be scheduled later.
The board also signaled it will formally oppose the only article on the warrant of Wednesday's special town meeting, a citizen petition tied to collective bargaining for town employees. Whitney said Select Board member Thomas J. Fay had agreed to serve as the principal opposition speaker at the procedural microphone, an unusual posture for a board that is typically the proponent of warrant articles. Martin said the board's concern is process and precedent, not opposition to employees or to collective bargaining, and noted that any negotiated raises would be paid retroactively if the article waited until annual town meeting in May.
Town Moderator Miranda Jones said the meeting will be held in the high school auditorium with check-in beginning at 6 p.m. and the session called at 6:45 p.m. Town Clerk Trudi Reed said voters will check in using electronic poll pads and vote by secret ballot, a first in recent Wayland history. McCall said officials are planning for up to 587 attendees and expect roughly 250. Martin called the projected turnout "really disappointing" as a measure of democratic participation, saying the town should reconsider moving to representative town meeting or a city council form of government.
In other action, the board unanimously approved a new flag policy governing the town's municipal flagpoles, modeled on policies developed in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision involving the city of Boston. McCall said the policy was prompted in part by a recent request to fly a flag at town offices. The board also authorized McCall and Sustainability Manager Abby, in consultation with Gutbezahl, to sign documents and permit limited use of the town seal for the four-town Electrifying Community Outreach program with Natick, Framingham and Acton.
Finance Director Brian Keveney presented the fiscal 2024 tax recap, reporting a total budget of roughly $112 million, up about 6 percent, with a $99.7 million town operating budget that is 7.6 percent larger than last year. State aid rose 16 percent, an unusual jump driven by special education costs, Keveney said. The tax rate is set at $15.52, with overall assessed values up 13 percent, or $655 million.
Gutbezahl announced at the end of the meeting that he will not seek re-election, citing family medical and child care matters. He said he intends to serve out the remainder of his term.
The special town meeting is set for Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. at the high school. The board next meets Dec. 18, when it expects to open the annual town meeting warrant.