By Carol Britton Meyer

Following a previous presentation to the select board by the No Place for Hate Committee about the possibility joining the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Massachusetts Municipal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coalition and developing a DEI policy for the town, the committee asked the select board to adopt a related pledge at its meeting last week.

The following wording was approved: “The Hull Select Board believes in the strength and vitality of an inclusive, equitable, and diverse community. We will work to support and promote these qualities in Hull through the town’s policies and operations.”

“We fully support the work of the committee,” select board Chair Jennifer Constable said.

The town joining this coalition is among the committee’s key goals. DEI is based on the premise that diversity, equity, and inclusion are three distinct values “that municipal leaders should actively seek to understand, define, and incorporate into their daily practice.”

The committee is planning to do research on DEI and to prepare, with the select board’s support, an application to MAPC for a technical assistance grant to support facilitation, training and planning for communitywide engagement about this program.

The board asked the committee to draft a grant application to present to board members at an upcoming meeting.

In other business last week, planning board Chair Harry Hibbard notified the board that due to the election of Irwin Nesoff to the select board during the last town election, there is currently a vacancy on the planning board. The term of the current open seat ends in 2025.

HRA Chair Bartley Kelly also submitted a letter to the select board informing them of the recent resignation of Vice Chair Robert DeCoste, effective Oct. 17.

Kelly asked the board to schedule a time for a joint meeting with the HRA “to consider candidates to temporarily fill [this] seat until the next town election,” when the position will be filled for the remainder of DeCoste’s term, which expires in May 2026.

The select board will meet in joint session with the HRA and the planning board on Nov. 30 to discuss these vacancies.

Town Manager Philip Lemnios encouraged citizens interested in filling these positions to contact the select board office.