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. (Most, but not all, can be participated in, watched live, and replayed from home.)**
As always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule (and agendas) are known to happen throughout the week. (Scroll down for details on meetings that popped up after last Monday’s post.) For an updated list of meetings, visit the Town website.
Monday, March 13, 2023
- Planning Board Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda, hearing materials) Agenda Highlights: Public Hearings on 241-245 Turnpike Rd project, Ken’s Warehouse Sound Barrier, Petition Article to Rezone 3 properties (84 and 88 Turnpike Rd, and 2 Woodland Rd), Tree Protection & Scenic Road Warrant Articles, and Conservation’s Articles; Discuss 82 Middle Rd Accessory Apartment, 206 Turnpike Rd Change of Use Minor Site Plan Approval, St. Mark’s Street relocation & Road Discontinuance, St. Mark’s School MOU-Planning Board Contingency, St. Mark’s Street Park/Trees/Stonewall status, and Citizen’s Petition Article to Amend Public Works Planning Board bylaw and Appointment Authority
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
[Editor’s Note: Given the forecast, I’m skeptical that all of the in-person meetings below will take place.]
- Cancelled — Trails Committee Meeting, 8:30 am @ 251 Boston Rd (agenda, bid notice) Agenda Highlights: Pre-bid site visit for Peninsula Trail Construction Invitation
- Southborough Public Access Committee Meeting, 9:00 am @ Town House Hearing Room (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Earmarks for State Budget; Discuss requests for Peninsula Trail Project; Proposed St. Marks Park plan
- Board of Health Meeting, 11:00 am @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Variance Request for 6 Cherry Street; Revision of Summer Camp Applications; Scheduling Employee Narcan Training; Pool and Camp Fees; Citizen’s Petition Article on Public Works Planning Board Appointing Authority; State Capacity Assessment; Ideas for the Borough’s 2024 Budget
- Southborough Housing Authority Meeting, 5:30 pm @ Colonial Gardens Community Room, 49 Boston Road (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Discuss grant funded Community Garden; Policy Revision plans; Tenant/public concerns; Change orders for housing capital projects (bathroom upgrades and heat pumps)
- Scholarship Advisory Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Follow Up on projects in process; Scholarship goals and process; fundraising ideas
- Cancelled — Select Board Meeting Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Public Safety Complex, 32 Cordaville Road (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Closed Executive Session that allows “Open Session may follow”.
- Southborough Youth Commission Meeting, 7:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda and packet) Agenda Highlights: Update on operating budget and donation account; Strategic plan progress; Mental Health Awareness Month Update
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
- Southborough Housing Opportunity Partnership / Capital Planning Subcommittee Meeting, 8:30 am @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Review/Comment on Revised Draft of Report on 21 Highland Street Affordable Housing
- Regional School Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Algonquin Regional High School Library, 79 Bartlett St, Northborough (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Public Hearing on FY24 budget; World Languages Department Presentation; Ratify teachers union agreement; Vote on Athletic Complex Project; Warrant Articles
Looking Back:
Below are meetings from last week that were posted after I ran last week’s list:
Thursday, March 9, 2023
- Taxation Aid Committee Meeting, 4:30 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Any update on bank submissions for donations; New year of applications
- Master Plan Implementation Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Updates from Liaisons
- Economic Development Committee Meeting, 7:15 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Grant update; Route 9 Business Corridor Initiative grant; Review EDC’s projects from the Master Plan & status; One Stop grant application/expression of interest
*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:
- Town Committee/Board Meetings:
- If in-person meetings don’t also advertise a zoom option, assume that it won’t be broadcast or captured on video.
- To remotely participate in meetings that allow zoom, click here.
- Cable Access — Southborough Access Media has resumed broadcasting the regular evening meetings for the Select Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals that take place in the Town House Hearing Room. (Those meetings will still allow zoom participation.) View SAM’s live and replayed broadcasts via their Government cable access channel (Verizon-38 and Charter-194).
- To live stream (or view later) remote or hybrid meetings (even those covered by Southborough Access Media) over the internet, use the Town’s YouTube Channel for Remote Meetings. (The meetings covered by SAM can also be streamed on their website here, and eventually on SAM’s YouTube Channel.)
- School Committee Meetings:
- Subcommittee meetings and some special meetings are only available to attend/view live (in person or by “webinar”) with no later rebroadcast.
- Regular 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 couple of days.)
- Regular Regional School Committee meetings (or Combined meetings based at Algonquin) are live broadcast by Northborough Cable Access here and on Southborough’s Education Channel (Verizon-29 and Charter-194). The meetings are also eventually rebroadcast and available through NCAT’s VideoOnDemand player and YouTube channel (though that can take several days).
- Other:
- Southborough does participate in some regional collaboratives hosted in other towns. Those committees follow their own rules and may not offer a way to re-watch zoom meetings.
Updated (3/13/23 2:14 pm): The Select Board and Trails Committee have already cancelled their meetings for tomorrow (I assume based on the forecast). Though, I expect more cancellations to follow, I won’t continue to update the listed meetings. Instead, I’ll just advise to double check any agenda posting before trying to head to a meeting tomorrow.
