MSA launches online Handbook for Massachusetts Select Board Members

At the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show in Boston this morning, the Massachusetts Select Board Association launched a new online version of its comprehensive guide for Select Board members.

The Handbook for Massachusetts Select Board Members, which covers the full range of roles and responsibilities for Select Board members as leaders of their towns, had previously been available only in print or as a PDF.

The new online version, publicly available on the MMA website, has its own navigation tools and built-in search function. The content has been fully updated to reflect changes to laws and regulations, and to include emerging issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion and climate change, both of which are covered in new chapters.

The MSA’s handbook, which goes back many decades, was last updated in 2014. The online version has the advantage of being updateable on an ongoing basis.

“As someone who would always choose a book over a Kindle, I was originally hesitant about an online-only format, but I am an enthusiastic convert!” said former Norwell Select Board Member Alison Demong, who served on the handbook committee. “The new handbook is a comprehensive resource that provides a wealth of information, and the format is very user-friendly and the information is easily accessible, so you can find just what you are looking for.”

The handbook committee also included Williamstown Select Board Member Andy Hogeland, who also serves as president of the Massachusetts Select Board Association; former Natick Select Board Member Josh Ostroff; and Adam Chapdelaine, who is now the Executive Director of the MMA.

Nearly two years ago, the handbook committee conducted a survey to ask the members about their use of the handbook. The committee recognized that the broad range of topics that a Select Board member must be familiar with grows all the time. And it was clear that a new edition should be more dynamic and accessible, searchable, and easy to update in real time.

“We also realized that this resource isn’t just relevant to Select Board members, and we should aim to make it available to a wider audience,” Demong said.

The handbook committee and editors sought out many municipal government experts for help with updating relevant content. Survey feedback led to the inclusion of more information and guidance on ethics, the open meeting law, affordable housing, codes of conduct, and maintaining decorum during public meetings.

The handbook is dedicated to the late Worthington Select Board Member and state Rep. Stephen Kulik, who was a loyal champion of local government and had served as president of the MMA (in 1993) and the MSA. Kulik served on the Worthington Planning Board and later the Select Board for 45 years. He served in the State House for 26 years, until his retirement in 2019.

The handbook committee also acknowledged the talent, record and contributions of Geoff Beckwith, who served as executive director of the MMA from 1992 through September of 2023. Beckwith’s “leadership, mentorship and stewardship at the MMA have contributed in countless ways to every city and town in Massachusetts, and to the public service careers of thousands of local leaders.”