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The week in government

Select Board Hearing on Public Shade Tree Policy changes, Conservation Commission Hearings, and more

by Beth Melo on

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 any meetings that popped up after last Monday’s post.) For an updated list of meetings, visit the Town website.

Monday, October 23, 2023

  • Neary Building Committee Finance Subcommittee Meeting, 2:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Discuss process for approving invoices and change orders
  • Personnel Board Meeting, 3:30 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Approve pay rate above mid-point for Business Admin. I in Building Department
  • Joint Meeting of Policy Development Subcommittees of Northborough, Southborough, and Regional School Committees, 5:30 pm @ zoom webinar only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: 1st review of policies on “School Immunization Requirements” and “Child Abuse and Neglect”; Review policies on “Student Advisory Committee”, “Substance Use Prevention and Education”, and “Student Travel”
  • Historical Commission Meeting, 7:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Review research on Revolutionary War Veterans (in marked/unmarked graves); Review meeting on 21 Highland St; Updates on Historic signage installation, “Heritage Park”, 5 Cordaville Rd demolition delay expiration, and Planned review of 84 Main St Preservation Restriction; Community Preservation Act application for 21 Boston Road (Sawin Grist Mill/Grain Store)

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

  • Select Board Meeting, 6:15 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda and packet) Agenda Highlights: Appoint Police Sergeant; Public Hearing for proposed amendments to the Public Shade Tree Policy; DPW and Facilities updates; Appointments for Historical Commission and Community Preservation Committee; Update on Regional Dispatch; Job descriptions for Select Board staff; Update on ARPA expenditures and allocations; status of evaluation of sidewalks for ARPA allocation; Town Center/Old Burial Ground cleanup plan; Select Board letter of support to ZBA re: 120 Turnpike Road 40B application; South Union School study committee charge

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

  • Community Center Exploration Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Updates on Library Deed Research; Regroup with consultant on on Finn School documentation re: community center needs, including potential cost data and considerations; Discuss next steps and recommendations

Thursday, October 26 , 2023

  • Conservation Commission Meeting, pm @ zoom only (agenda and packet) Agenda Highlights: Hearings on 250 Turnpike Rd Stormwater management, St. Mark’s School parking lot at 0 Marlboro Rd stormwater management, and 20 Sears Rd wetland boundaries; Chestnut Hill Farm Management Plan & Update on Bobolink studies; 11b Bigelow Rd request for extension; Mitigation updates for 38 Presidential Dr violation; 84 Main St Restrictive covenant; Review Standard Conditions for Orders of Compliance & Stormwater Management Permits; Comments for ZBA on Park Central 40B permit; Breakneck Hill Farm Dump progress
Looking Back:

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

Thursday, October 19, 2023

  • Select Board Meeting, 8:00 am (agenda, video) Agenda Highlights: Appoint Bus. Admins to Treasurer’s and Building depts; Award contract for the St. Mark’s Street Park bid
  • Southborough Housing Authority Meeting, 2:00 pm (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Approve contract for Roof Replacement at Colonial Gardens
  • Cable Television Committee Meeting, 4:00 pm (agenda, video) Agenda Highlights: Elect officers; Prepare for renewal of cable licenses
  • Trails Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm (agenda, video) Agenda Highlights: Peninsula Trail status and next steps; Budget

Friday, October 20, 2023

  • Neary Building Committee – Communications Subcommittee Meeting, am (agenda, video not yet posted) Agenda Highlights: Organize subcommittee; Review communications plan

*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-38 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).
  • 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.

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