Hybrid Panel's Forum Motion Fails On 6-2-1 Vote
The Natick Hybrid Town Meeting Committee voted 6-2-1 against shelving plans for a public forum, leaving outreach undecided as it unveiled its first full draft report.
Hybrid Town Meeting Committee · Meeting of July 9, 2026
NATICK — The Natick Hybrid Town Meeting Committee voted 6-2-1 against shelving plans for a public forum, leaving outreach undecided as it unveiled its first full draft report. Chair Grace Keeney set a mid-September internal deadline ahead of an October 20 Town Meeting, with Finance Committee and Select Board presentations still to come. Member Josh Ostroff called hybrid meetings "the most fundamental change to Town Meeting since the 1950s," while member Saul Beaumont argued the panel has "nothing to sell" and should focus on writing "the final report properly." Member Patricia Demeo called a forum "self-serving." The committee will review its draft section by section starting July 15, with cost estimates for technology still pending input from town IT staff and a possible vendor RFP.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,030 words
Source: the Hybrid Town Meeting Committee meeting of July 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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