Wayland Council on Aging loses board seat in Springwell-Bay Path merger

WAYLAND — February 6, 2023 — Wayland Council on Aging loses dedicated board seat under new Springwell structure. Springwell CEO Trish Smith told the board Monday that its July 1 merger with Bay Path Elder Services has produced a 20-member regional board with no guaranteed slot for Wayland, a break from Bay Path's per-town representation model. Smith said the combined agency now serves about 4,000 home care clients, 4,000 SCOPE clients and delivers more than 1,200 meals daily, but technology integration with state systems has lagged and finance staff still bill in duplicate. Chair Betsy Soule said the board is "concerned about the fact that not every community has representation." Board member Bill Sterling separately reported the Select Board will file a Town Meeting warrant article as an inflation hedge on the $11 million COA community center, and the Friends have committed $100,000 to enhance the new building's welcome area.