The Town of Manchester by the Sea's official municipal informational mailer was sent out via US Postal delivery to every home and business in Manchester. It features the official town seal, encouraged voters to attend a Special Town Meeting and offered informational resources on proposed changes to the zoning bylaw that are endorsed by the Select Board.
A little more than a week later, every home and business in Manchester received this mailer, also featuring the official Manchester town seal, town colors, same formatting, and it was delivered via the US Postal service to voters.
The back of the official Manchester town mailer asked "How do I learn more about proposed zoning changes? and provided details on a public open house and a QR code linked to a webpage with all background information for voters.
The back of the fake mailer asked "How do I protect my home from the proposed zoning changes? and featured a QR code linked to a private Facebook group page of the anonymous special interest group, Manchester Matters, run by "Katherine Merck," which appears to be an alias account on Facebook.
WHICH IS THE FAKE? A “look-alike” postcard designed to mimic a recent municipal mailer was sent last week by an anonymous special interest group to every home and business in Manchester ahead of November’s Special Town Meeting vote. It's what the US Postal Service calls a "look-alike government mailer," which according to the federal agency's regulations is not allowed and, in some cases, is illegal. Use of a municipal seal without permission is also against Massachusetts law.
