Above: These days, most meetings that usually take place in the Town House Hearing Room or other public facilities are being run by video/audio conference calls accessible to the public.
Here is a selection of the committee and board meetings for the week along with my selected highlights from the agendas. (For late June, there’s a lot going on this week.)
The Town intends to make each of its meetings available for viewing/listening via streaming live (and saved) video and audio on YouTube with some available for public comment by zoom.* Live streaming of school committee meetings is only available for viewing via webinars.**
There is one exception to the virtual meetings this week. The Board of Assessors will meet in person outdoors this week. (The majority of that meeting is closed Executive Session, but a couple of items are in the public portion of the agenda.)
As always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule are known to happen throughout the week. For an updated list of meetings, visit the town website.
Monday, June 22, 2020
- Taxation Aid Committee Meeting, 4:00 pm @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Approve applicant communication letter draft and amounts to be awarded
- Planning Board Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Master Plan Committee update:ANRs for Northborough Rd (107 Simarano Drive, Marlborough) and 19 Ward Rd; Discuss Open Space inspections FY20; status of EDC’s Village Mixed Use District bylaw (Click here for recent post on Planning reopening process for ANRs.)
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
- Capital Planning Committee Meeting, 7:30 am @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Update on Town House Engineering and Next Steps; Transfer Station Analysis; Next Steps for Fall Special Town Meeting; Review of Capital Plan after Initial Meetings with Departments
- Board of Selectmen Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Virtual Meeting (agenda packet, materials on outdoor dining) Agenda Highlights: DPW on Transfer Station FY21 rules & regs, and MassDOT Shared Streets & Spaces grant program; Alcohol license alteration for outdoor seating for Hola! and New Rose Garden; Discuss outdoor seating policy & approval authority; Update on operations under Covid-19; Request from EDC to reduce members from 9 to 7 and change structure to add members of BOS, Advisory, and/or Planning Board (See recent posts on Outdoor Dining, Shared Streets grants, and EDC request)
- Municipal Technology Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: COVID-19 risk mitigation via technology; Tech status updates, strategy, & budgets; MTC processes; Strategic tech plan; Tech surveys & Town-wide combined survey
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
- Board of Assessors Meeting, 4:15 pm @ Picnic Table Outside of Town House, 17 Common Street (agenda) Agenda Highlights: elect new Chair and Vice Chair, review & sign minutes
- Southborough, Northborough, N-S Regional School Committee, N-S Superintendency Union #3 – Combined Special Open Meeting, 6:00 pm @ Virtual Meeting, (agenda) Agenda Highlights: School Committee’s statement on Justice & Equality; Audience Sharing; Reappointment of School Physician; Approval of NRT Bus Transportation contracts; School Start Time Presentation and Recommendation; Strategic Plan Presentation; Superintendent’s evaluation – Click here to register to participate in zoom webinar** (See recent posts on School leadership’s statement on racism and School Start Time)
- Trails Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Status updates on Choate Grant project, spring trails clean-up, SRT Trail Makings, post installation near Fayville athletic fields, interactive online regional trails map opportunity, and Peninsula Trail/Boroughs Loop Trail
Thursday, June 25, 2020
- Board of Health Meeting, 10:00 am @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Budgets (including shortfalls & grants); Covid-19 & Future of Board of Health -Immediate needs (public health nurse, possible help from Advisory Committee, contract with ESRI to add info to Town website, possible 1-day drive thru testing in town), Future needs (discuss 3-5 yr staff plan, narrative restructuring and developing Strategic Plan), Southborough Covid-19 status; Impact of state reopening phases on Southborough; Sanitary Bid submission and contract award; EEE survey and immediate contact person; Board conditionally approved Public Health Director contract; Antibody Testing; Revise state guidance on Tobacco Control
- Advisory Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm @ Virtual Meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Approve all outstanding minutes; Discuss results of ATM and final estimated budget for FY21; Reserve Fund Transfer Request from Town Clerk
*There is the caveat that there could be technical glitches that force the Town to take backup actions:
No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time, via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so, despite best efforts, we will post on Southborough’s website an audio or video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting.
**The school committees provide their own links for virtual participation. Click here to participate in the combined school committee meeting webinar. The meeting is likely to eventually be shared via Northborough Cable Access and possibly Southborough Access Media.
Updated (6/22/20 12:16 pm): I inserted links to stories relevant to several of the above agenda items.
