Howell Chosen As Select Board Chair

 HARWICH – The select board Monday elected longtime member Donald Howell as the new chair. 
        He replaces Jeffrey Handler, who made it clear at the board’s May 27 meeting that he would not accept nominations to be the next chair, vice chair or clerk.
 “June 2 will be my last day as chair,” Handler said at that session.
 “I am convinced I will be a more effective board member holding no office position,” Handler explained in an email. “I hope to hold the vice chair and chair positions in the future.” 
 After then-select board chair Juile Kavanagh announced in January that she was stepping down as chair of the board and would not seek re-election, Handler, who was vice chair, stepped in as interim chair and shortly thereafter was voted to serve as chair. He served in the post for four months.
 In Monday’s session select board member Anita Doucette nominated Howell as chair. 
 Select Board member Peter Piekarski asked Howell what his thought process and approach would be as far as communication from the board to the town administrator and from the town administrator’s office to the board.
“I’ve done this before,” Howell said. “I don’t view this as a pyramidal thing. The job of the chair is to actively facilitate and gather what the board members want and try to make sure it gets advanced. I also feel very strongly the board members have access to the town administrator’s office for their personal questions. No one should be shut out, even a minority opinion.”
Howell was voted chair on a 4-1 vote with Handler dissenting. 
Piekarski was voted vice chair and newly elected Select Board member Mark Kelleher was selected as clerk. Both votes were unanimous.
Handler and Doucette will serve on the board’s interviewing  subcommittee