The week in government (Updated)

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

As always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule (and agendas) are known to happen throughout the week. (Scroll down for details on any meetings that popped up after last Monday’s post.) For an updated list of meetings, visit the Town website.

These days, most (but not all) meetings, can be participated in, watched live, and replayed from home.)**

Monday, November 18, 2024

• Council on Aging Meeting, 10:00 am @ Cordaville Hall (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Youth & Family Services proposal; Update on new school and possible senior center/community center changes; Changes to COA Policies and Procedures; Rebranding and renaming status; Outreach coordinator position status
• Library Board of Trustees Meeting, 11:00 am @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: FY26 Budget; Construction grant program update; Safe Child Policy; Library Director Contract
• Southborough School Committee and Operational Budget Subcommittee Meeting, 11:30 am @ webinar only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Draft FY26 Budget & Priorities
• 21 Highland Future Use Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ South Union School (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Discuss and tour building with Facilities Director; Mass Preservation Projects Fund grants overview; Fact Sheet and Next Steps
• Capital Improvement and Planning Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: DPW 10-year capital plan, FY26 requests, and overall FY26 Capital plan update
• Operational Budget Subcommittee of Regional School Committee  Meeting, 7:00 pm @ webinar only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Draft FY26 Budget & Priorities
• Capital Planning Budget Subcommittee of Regional School Committee Meeting, 8:00 pm @ webinar only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Review draft 5 yr capital plan

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

• Personnel Board Meeting, 8:30 am @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Elect Vice-Chair; Consider off-cycle pay & class study; Prepare FY26 salary adjustments grid; Board’s FY26 draft budget; Extend admin hours for ZBA/Conservation; Discuss constitution of Personnel Board; Town Administrator Bylaw – discuss whether changes should be pursued with Select Board related to personnel; Revisions to Health Business Admin’s job description; Regional Health Agent vacation request
• Municipal Technology Committee Meeting, 6:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Town web priorities; Wifi revamp for Town properties; Assessor software migration; Employee tech training and Dept tech updates
• Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda and packet) Agenda Highlights: MGL Chapter 44, Section 53G appeal for Beehive project at 250 Turnpike Rd; 40R Development at the MBTA Station; Wastewater Treatment; Dept of Revenue policy review and implementation plan; Review and approve Intermunicipal Agreement for inclusion in Metrowest Regional Emergency Communication Center (RECC); One Stop grant application for zoning on Route 9
• Recreation Commission Meeting, @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Updates on RAP (after school programs), Dog Park, Field/Playground Repair, 21 Highland Street Committee, Trails, and Playground inspections; Summer Event Series discussion
• Southborough Cultural Arts Council Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Senior Center Room B (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Preliminary grant application review; FY26 Budget

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

• Regional School Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Algonquin Regional High School Library (agenda with materials) Agenda Highlights: Arts Dept presentation; 2025-2026 School Calendar; Enrollments and projections; FY26 Budget Priorities
• Tricentennial  Meeting, 6:30 pm @ location and zoom or @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Storage of materials; Update on brick fundraiser; Community events; Fundraising status

Looking Back:

Below are meetings from last week that were posted after I ran last week’s list:

Thursday, November 14, 2024

• Neary Building Committee Finance Subcommittee Meeting, 1:30 pm (agenda, video) Agenda Highlights: Discuss all financial aspects of project

Friday, November 15, 2024

• Board of Health Meeting, 12:00 pm (agenda, video) Agenda Highlights: Conditional Offer/Appointment for Health Agent

*I don’t list meetings that are only 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.
  • 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.)
  • Cable Access — Southborough Access Media broadcasts 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-37 and Charter-194).
• 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).

Updated (11/19/24 8:36 am): I fixed the Select Board agenda link that was no longer working. (Thanks Tim Martel for pointing out in a comment that there was an issue.) While making that update, I revised the highlights to reflect the revised agenda.