Select Board signals support for $30,000 WayCAM contribution, defers vote

WAYLAND — August 7, 2023 — Wayland Select Board signals support for a $30,000 WayCAM contribution but defers a formal vote. Executive Director Jim Mullen told the board WayCAM has lost roughly $70,000 since 2018 as cable subscribers decline, even as program output grew from 484 in 2012 to 1,141 in 2022 and web views hit 62,000 this year. Town Manager Michael McCall proposed framing the payment as an archival and streaming fee rather than a per-employee "internet fee." Member Christopher Reynolds backed maintaining services but warned, "Once you do that once, it's really hard to say no next time." Chair Carol B. Martin said she wants the schools to split the cost. Separately, the board voted 3-0 to release $43,085 from a town center gift fund to pay outstanding BETA invoices on the Route 20 corridor project, and unanimously appointed Greg Dale to the Historic District Commission and Eugenie Brown to the Conservation Commission.