WNDTC Minutes • April 4, 2024

Thirteen Committee members met via Zoom for the annual reorganization meeting. 

• Chair David Belsky called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm and gave a meeting preview. 
• The first order of business was the election of officers for, as stated in our by-laws, one-year terms. The Chair suggested we might want to consider changing that to two-year terms.
• David asked member Jim Sperelakis to run the election portion of the meeting. Jim asked for nominations for Chair. Jeanne Pucci moved and Pat Skibbee seconded the nomination of David Belsky for Chair. There were no other nominations, and David was re-elected unanimously
• Incumbent Vice Chair Rebecca O’Brien was nominated to continue in that position by David Belsky and seconded by Jeanne Pucci. She was the only nominee and was re-elected unanimously. 
• David Belsky nominated Barry Fogel, incumbent Treasurer, to continue in that job; the nomination was seconded by Becc O’Brien. Barry was the only nominee and was re-elected unanimously.
• Pat Skibbee, incumbent Secretary, was nominated to continue by Barry Fogel, seconded by David Belsky. There were no other nominations, and she was re-elected unanimously.
• A discussion ensued around the election of an Outreach Advisor. That job’s responsibilities include providing opportunity for under-served populations to join the Committee and become involved in Democratic actions. Hearing no nominations, member David Seaton volunteered and was chosen. David Belsky and Becc O’Brien volunteered to work with David to establish a subcommittee. 
• Jim Sperelakis spoke about the May 11 3T&2C Breakfast to be held in Amesbury at the St. Andre church. This is the first time the event will be held outside of Newburyport. Tickets are available through Act Blue and vary in price between $40 and $500, the latter figure for the highest-level sponsorship. So far there are 13 confirmed speakers for the event. 
• David Seaton explained that he is running to be a delegate for the Democratic National Convention. The electing caucus will be held in Peabody at the high school on Lowell Street on April 27 at 1 pm. All were encouraged to attend and vote for David. David is 19 and has been a Democratic activist for several years, having worked on about 50 elections in various locations across the country. He is Chair of the Young Democrats in Ipswich (where he attended high school) and is working on making absentee ballots accessible there for any senior voter upon request. He is encouraging Whittier High School and Pentucket to work toward that same goal. David will be presenting an article at Town Meeting to lower the voting age to 16 for local (West Newbury) elections. 
• New member Janet Schucter who moved to West Newbury from Wakefield last June introduced herself. She announced a gathering in support of our Congressional Representative Seth Moulton at her house on June 15. 
  
• Ideas for actions to be taken leading up to the November election were offered:
  
  • door to door canvassing in New Hampshire
    
  • donations/work in support of our State Rep Adrianne Ramos and our neighboring State Rep Kristin Kassner
    
• Becc O’Brien will share NH canvassing opportunities very soon. 
  
• Jeanne Pucci offered to drive people to the April 27 caucus. Contact her via email.
  
• Lisa Forbush-Umholz explained the “right to farm” by-law that she and others are working on in West Newbury. The purpose of it is to forestall conflicts between agricultural establishments in the town and new residents who may be unaccustomed to agricultural sounds and fragrances.
  
• A poll will be sent around to establish a meeting date in May. 
  
• It was moved by Paul McCarthy, seconded and voted to adjourn the meeting at 8:27 pm.

​Respectfully submitted,
​Patricia Lang Skibbee, Secretary