Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Easton’s governing happens on volunteer boards and committees. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the wetlands and the roughly fifteen percent of the town held as conservation land, weigh in on historic places, and advise Town Meeting on what the budget can carry. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision, and Easton runs a lot of them.
Most members are appointed by the Select Board and serve fixed terms. The meetings are public, and seats open up regularly.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning & Zoning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development. Easton combines the two functions in one board.
- Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits.
- Conservation Commission protects Easton’s wetlands, waterways, and open space.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending, which makes it one of the most consequential volunteer seats in town.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, clinics, and public health rules.
- Community Preservation Committee recommends how the town spends its Community Preservation Act money on open space, historic preservation, housing and recreation.
- Historical Commission works on the buildings and places that carry the town’s history.
- Commission on Disability works on equal access across the town.
That is a short list of a long one. For every board, its current members, its vacancies and its schedule, see the town’s own Boards & Committees pages.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s boards and committees page.
- Submit a letter of interest or application to the Select Board office.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment by the Select Board.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Easton.