Wayland Select Board elects Whitney chair, advances opioid settlement spending plan

WAYLAND -- May 15, 2023, Wayland Select Board elects new leadership and unveils a $451,505 opioid settlement spending plan. William Whitney was unanimously elected chair and Carol B. Martin vice chair at his first meeting back, after member Tom Fay declined both posts, joking that he would "never be chair of this board." Youth Services Director Jason Berhuski walked the board through a staff working group's draft allocation of the $94,952 already received, recommending a full-time social worker housed at the police department at roughly $63,700 annually, $8,000 for a speaker series featuring former Celtic Chris Herren, $3,500 for 10 Naloxone boxes in public buildings, and $5,000 to expand elementary wellness instruction. The board also created a gift fund for the May 21 Multicultural Festival, co-sponsored a DOJ-facilitated SPIRIT program with HRDEIC, and adopted electronic signatures. Assistant Town Manager John Bugbee reported town meeting cost about $228 per attendee.