Above: These days, meetings could be in-person, over zoom, or both. Check the agendas for details.
Here are the posted committee and board meetings for this week along with my selected highlights from the agendas. Unless agendas note otherwise, meetings are open to the public.
Last Monday, I noted that the Town’s ability to hold public meetings via zoom was expiring that night. The lapse didn’t last long.
As of last Wednesday night, a bill was signed into law allowing municipalities to hold meetings by zoom until next April. Unlike under the state of emergency, public meetings can also be held in-person. (You can find the updated Open Meeting Law guidance here.)
Basically, each board/committee can decide to hold meetings only in-person, only remotely via zoom*, or through hybrid means. Which means that paying attention to the agendas is more important than ever.
Further complicating it in Southborough are technical issues that Southborough Access Media encountered when they prepared to flip back to broadcasting meetings live over the cable access channel last week. (They are working on a fix. But for now, any broadcasts will have to rely on zoom equipment instead of SAM’s hearing room cameras and mics.)*
As always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule are known to happen throughout the week. (Last week, a couple meetings popped up that I didn’t list last Monday – scroll down for those details.) For an updated list of meetings, visit the town website.
Monday, June 21, 2021
- Planning Board Meeting, 7:00 pm @ remote meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Approval Not Required for 192 Woodland Rd and 3 Atwood St; Discuss 28 Boston Road Proposed Changes, Proposed SHOPC/Capital Subcommittee; Appointments to other committees and subcommittees; Master Plan Committee appointments and charge
- Capital Planning Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm @ remote meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: DPW Yard Tractor repairs; Fire Dept Rescue Boat Request; Update on request related to oversight; Updates on School Research Subcommittee, SHOPC South Union Subcommittee, and DPW Capital Planning; Review of Space Needs RFQ
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
- Board of Health Meeting, 11:00 am @ Board of Health Meeting Room, 9 Cordaville Rd (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Discussion concerning admin’s hours worked at BOH/Assessor; Vote on Contracts for Sanitary Inspector, Contracted Service for Inspections as needed, Public Health Director, and Public HealthNurse; IT Update; Noise Bylaw; Discuss RFP for Communication Consultant; Shared Services grant; Reporting Structure for BOH Functions/Operations; Document for Programmer
- Economic Development Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Attend Board of Selectmen meeting on Downtown Initiative zoning article
- Board of Selectmen Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda) Agenda Highlights: IT Update; Downtown District bylaw initiative; Charge for Noise Bylaw Ad Hoc Committee; New charge for Capital Planning Committee; Discuss use of zoom for board/committee meetings; Date for Special Town Meeting; Discuss Counsel appointments (Town, Special, Labor); SHOPC & Capital Planning Committee Affordable Housing Subcommittee Charge and appointments
- Trails Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ remote meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Aqueduct Connector Trail Construction; Updates on Troop 92 Spring Community Service Projects, Peninsula Trail, CPA Funding and next steps, Trails Maintenance, and Choate Grant next steps
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
- Personnel Board Meeting, 12:00 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Section 11 Benefits review, Self-evaluation form; Update on IT hiring; Updated FMLA policy from Town Labor Counsel; Vote FY21 increases eff. July 1, 2021; Request for increases for Election Workers & Wardens; Discuss distinction between positions and classes; MEPA Analysis from Town Labor Counsel
- Advisory Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ remote meeting (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Vote on reserve fund transfers for Town Clerk and fire department replacement boat; Advisory By-Law changes; Update on use of federal/state funds to offset pandemic related expenses
- Southborough School Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ webinar (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Before-and After-School Extended Day Program Selection for next school year – Presentation of process for selection, Audience Sharing, and Vote on recommendation***
Thursday, June 24, 2021
- Board of Assessors Meeting, 4:15 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Act on requests to write-off uncollectable FY20 personal property taxes and abate uncollectable 2018 motor vehicle excise tax; Review and sign FY22 preliminary real estate, personal property, septic betterment, and CPA tax commitments, plus FY21 Omitted and Revised Assessment Report and the LA13A amended new growth form for the Mass Dept of Revenue, Division of Local Services that will be submitted electronically
- Conservation Commission Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Hearing Room, Town House, 17 Common St (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Hearings on septic system replacements for 18 Bigelow Rd and 10 Pearl St; Request for 3-Yr Extension for Breakneck Hill, Invasive Management; Requests for Certificate of Complaince from 74 Deerfoot, 40 Southville Rd, 31 Lynbrook Rd, 35 Lynbrook Rd, 37 Lynbrook Rd, and Leeds Way; Violations at 1 Lynbrook Rd (stockpiling & grading) and 155 Main St (clearing of debris); Potential Violation – Fisher Road/Chestnut Hill Road; SMP Regulations Update – review and/or vote of acceptance of proposed revisions by Pare Corporation for compliance with MS4 permit to the SMP Regulations; Halloran CR & Revocable License
Looking Back:
Below are meetings from last week that were posted after I ran last week’s list. (None of these in-person meetings videos posted):
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
- Municipal Technology Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm (agenda)
- Community Preservation CommitteeMeeting , 7:00 pm (agenda)
- Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting, 7:00 pm (agenda)
Thursday, June 17, 2021
- Historical Commission Meeting, 6:00 pm (agenda)
- Economic Development Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm (agenda)
*For meetings that offer remote/virtual interaction, The Town has a dedicated zoom account. To find those details, click here.
**In normal days, some of Southborough Access Media broadcasts some meetings live and/or delayed via cable and YouTube. Stay tuned to find out when they will be able to resume that function. In the meantime, if a meeting agenda doesn’t note a virtual means of watching, best presume there won’t be one.
***For school committee meetings — Agendas for remote meetings include links to zoom webinars for pre-registration.
