Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Groton’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the town’s wetlands and open space, weigh in on historic places, and guide services for residents. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Who appoints them is a real question here, and Groton’s charter answers it. The Select Board appoints Town Counsel, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Conservation Commission, the Board of Registrars and the boards the charter does not assign elsewhere, while the Town Manager appoints the paid department heads, each confirmed by the board within fifteen days. But a striking number of Groton’s bodies are not appointed at all. Under charter section 3.1.1 the voters directly elect the Select Board, the Town Moderator, Groton’s seats on the Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee, the Planning Board, the Board of Health, the Board of Assessors, the Library Trustees, the Housing Authority, the Commissioners of Trust Funds, and the town’s own Electric Light, Water, Sewer and Park commissions. That is an unusually long ballot, and it means many of these seats are ones you can run for.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development. Elected.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits. Appointed by the Select Board.
- Conservation Commission protects Groton’s wetlands, rivers, and open space. Appointed by the Select Board.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, clinics, and public health rules. Elected, three year terms.
- Community Preservation Committee recommends how the town spends its Community Preservation Act money on open space, historic preservation, recreation and affordable housing, and Town Meeting votes each project.
- Historical Commission works on the town’s historic places and sponsors preservation projects.
- Housing Authority runs the town’s public housing. Elected.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see the town’s own Boards & Committees index.
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. The board advertises its openings on the town website and on social media, and it takes applications up to a stated meeting date.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
You do not have to be able to vote to serve. Many of Groton’s committees carry seats for residents at large, and the Select Board fills them from the applications it receives, so a resident who submits a letter of interest can end up in the room where a decision gets made.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Groton.