Harwich Charter Commission Backs Mandatory Select Board Vision Statement Requirement

HARWICH — January 29, 2026 — Harwich Charter Commission moves toward requiring the Select Board to adopt and regularly revisit a formal vision statement. At the January 29 meeting, commissioners debated at length whether the new charter should mandate the Select Board create a vision statement, place it on the town website, and review it on a fixed cycle, with most members favoring a two-year interval. Commissioner Paul urged keeping the charter language simple — specifying who creates the statement and how it is approved without prescribing its content. Commissioner Richard cautioned that the Select Board's frequent turnover and a history of underused planning documents, including a Local Comprehensive Plan that cost approximately $250,000 and reportedly went unapproved at town meeting, make enforcement doubtful. The commission reached no formal vote but agreed to hand a skeleton provision — "The Select Board shall create and approve a vision statement, which shall be placed on the town website, and be revised every two years" — to its municipal governance consultants for formal drafting ahead of the February 5 session.