Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Sandisfield’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They review new development, protect the town’s wetlands and open space, weigh in on historic places, run the cemeteries, and guide services for residents. In a town of fewer than a thousand people these seats are how an ordinary resident, with no title at all, ends up with a real hand in a decision. Many seats sit vacant at any given time, which means a resident who volunteers is often welcomed rather than turned away.
Some of these bodies you vote for directly, and some you apply to. Sandisfield voters elect the Select Board, the Town Clerk, the Moderator, the Board of Assessors, the Board of Health, the Planning Board, the Constable, and the town’s seats on the regional School Committee. The rest are appointed, and the Select Board seats residents on most of them.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and the town’s zoning bylaws, including its work on solar, short-term rentals, and accessory dwelling units. Elected, five-year terms. Chaired by William Taylor.
- Board of Health handles inspections, septic and well permits, and public health. Elected, three-year terms.
- Board of Assessors sets property values and rules on abatements and exemptions. Elected, three-year terms, chaired by Roger Brown.
- Conservation Commission protects Sandisfield’s wetlands, rivers, and open space and issues wetlands permits. Appointed, chaired by Mary Turek.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Historical Commission works on the town’s historic places, of which there are many, and sponsors preservation projects.
- Cultural Council awards small state-funded grants for local arts and culture. Chaired by Jennifer Hibbins.
- Council on Aging, Cemetery Committee, Green Communities Team, and the Town Charter Committee round out the volunteer bodies that keep the town running.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see the town’s Elected and Appointed Officials page.
How to Serve
- Find an opening. The town’s Elected and Appointed Officials page lists every board and where seats sit vacant, and there are usually several.
- Submit a letter of interest to the Town Manager’s office or the Select Board. For an elected seat, take out nomination papers from the Town Clerk before the spring election.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment, or run and let the voters decide.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
You do not have to wait until you are eighteen to be useful here. Many appointed committees welcome residents, and showing up to a meeting to learn how a board works is the first step toward sitting on one.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Sandisfield.