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Welcoming Community Policy

At a glance

  • What: a Welcoming Community recommendation from the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee asking the town to adopt a statement or policy.
  • Where it stands: the Select Board discussed the request at its August 4, 2026 workshop and asked that an item be placed on the August 25 agenda. No decision is recorded in these minutes.

The recommendation

  • Presented by Luis Rodriguez at the July 14 semi-annual DEIB update: the policy would bar collecting or acting on immigration or citizenship status, bar detaining people for suspected immigration violations, and bar using town resources to assist federal civil violations, except when required by law or lawful judicial orders.
  • A July 6 email from Rodriguez for the committee, a "Welcoming Community Policy Recommending Letter", was on the July 14 correspondence; Flynn said the board would take the letter under consideration.

Workshop discussion (August 4)

  • Richards reviewed the statement the committee produced and asked the board to adopt it. The board discussed whether the town would want to adopt it, asked for an item on the August 25 agenda, and discussed the committee's charge.
  • Related: DEIB Committee 2026-2027 Priorities.

Sources

Log

2026-08-04 - Select Board Workshop

Workshop discussion; item requested for the August 25 agenda.

2026-07-14 - Select Board

DEIB update included the recommendation; letter under consideration. The committee said the proposal grew from an email in December 2024, followed a records request to the police and town manager, and would bar collecting immigration status or using town resources for civil immigration enforcement except where required by law; it said this is not a sanctuary policy (from auto-captions).

  • 2026-09-14 - DEIB Committee - Committee members reported the Select Board voted 2 to 3 against acting on the recommendation; the town manager suggested a resolution on equal access to services instead. The committee will consider a second, differently framed recommendation in October.
  • 2026-08-25 - Select Board - Public comment in favor from four residents; board debated and rejected the DEIB Committee's recommendation to develop a policy by a 2 to 3 vote (from auto-captions).