The week in government

Here are the posted open, public Southborough committee and board meetings for this week* along with my selected highlights from the agendas.

These days, some meetings are over zoom, some in-person, and others are hybrids that allow both participation through both options.**

As always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule (and agendas) are known to happen throughout the week. For an updated list of meetings, visit the Town website.

Monday, January 23, 2023

• [Note: The Town’s website had shown that there was a Council on Aging Meeting at 8:30 am today. However, the agenda showed that it was actually on January 13th. I confirmed it didn’t taking place this morning, and the posting is being fixed. (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Budget and program updates]
• Southborough Cultural Arts Council Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Public Safety Building Training Room at 32 Cordaville Road (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Plan Grant Reception; Review application guidelines
• Planning Board Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda, hearing materials) Agenda Highlights: Public Hearings on adding Downtown District to Sign Bylaw Regs, 200 Turnpike Rd site plan and permit, 325 Turnpike Rd (Ken’s Warehouse) Sound Barrier Wall, Tree protection and Scenic Road bylaw Articles; Finalize action plan for MBTA Communities; St. Mark’s street relocation and trees/stonewall; Planning Board contingency in MOU for St Mark’s and Town land swap

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

• Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds Meeting, 8:00 am @ Town House Hearing Room (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Update on direct assistance – oil financial aid; Discuss changing funds and donor outreach
• Board of Assessors Meeting, 4:15 pm @ Town House Hearing Room (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Approve motor vehicle abatements; Discuss performance appraisal/evaluation process; Sign 3-year contract for personal
  property appraisal services and contract for annual tax map maintenance services
• Trails Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Town grant writer proposal from EDC; DCR trails agreement status; Mass Trails grant next steps; draft bid for project manager, bridge, boardwalk

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

• Taxation Aid Committee Meeting, 4:00 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Updates on Community Fund decision  making, new year of applications; Process applications for selected banks
• St. Mark’s Street Park Working Group Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Plans for Park Design with presentations
  • Southborough Public Accessibility Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Town House Hearing Room (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Joint meeting with St. Marks Park Committee to discuss ADA compliance
    of park design
• Advisory Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Update on FY24 budget

Friday, January 27, 2023

• Southborough School Committee Operational Budget Subcommittee Meeting, 7:30 am @ webinar (agenda) Agenda Highlights: FY24 Recommended Budget

Saturday, January 28, 2023

• Joint Meeting of Select Board and Advisory Committee, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm in person   — Meeting on FY24 budget [Note: Although they haven’t posted agendas yet, the Select Board and Advisory Committee have publicly been planning this all day session to to jointly question representatives of several departments and committees about their proposed budgets. (A draft schedule discussed on Jan 3rd referred to the Public Safety Building Room as the venue – but if the Library’s agenda below is correct, it has been moved to the Town House with remote access.)] Look for agendas to be posted here.
  • Trustees of Southborough Library Meeting, 4:00 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights:Joint meeting with the Advisory Committee on the Library’s FY24 Budget

*I don’t include closed Executive Sessions unless the agenda indicates the possibility of some action in an open public session at the opening or closing of the meeting.

**Details on watching meetings remotely:

• Southborough School Committee meetings are generally broadcast live by Southborough Access Media here and on Verizon-37 and Charter-192. (Video replays are also usually made available through their YouTube channel within a day or two.)
• If I don’t specify a location for Town committees and boards, they will be held on zoom (details here). Zoom/hybrid meetings are also streamed live and saved for replay via the Town’s YouTube Channel for Remote Meetings. (Though, occasionally there are glitches.) If in-person meetings don’t also advertise a zoom option, assume that it won’t be captured on video