Weekly RoundUp – 11/10/19

Special Town Meeting Set for December 9 • New Tax Relief Program for Seniors Implemented • New Firefighters Hired Thanks to a FEMA Grant • Planning Board Actions Taken 10/24/19 • Accessory Family Living Unit at The Trails • Town of Hopkinton AAA Bond Rating • Winter Parking Ban Begins 11/15 and Reminder about Snow Rules

Special Town Meeting Set for December 9

The Select Board opened a Special Town Meeting Warrant on November 5, in response to a citizen’s petition with more than required number of 200 signatures. The citizen’s petition requested two specific warrant articles in opposition to the downtown corridor project, however the warrant will remain open until November 21, so there may be additional articles put forth by boards, committees or citizen petitions. The Special Town Meeting will be held on Monday, December 9 at the Middle School. Stay tuned for more information.

Read the Details, Links and Reference Information

New Tax Relief Program for Seniors Implemented

On November 5, the Town of Hopkinton Select Board approved limited tax relief for a small group of qualifying senior citizens by a unanimous 5-0 vote. The relief takes the form of a partial exemption of property taxes for 2020, of up to $2,200. Exemptions totaling $66,600 were granted under the program. Implementation of the law was approved by Hopkinton Town Meeting in 2019, and the Hopkinton Board of Assessors managed the process to collect and evaluate applications.

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New Firefighters Hired Thanks to a FEMA Grant

Hopkinton Fire Chief, Stephen Slaman talked with HCAM News about the FEMA “Safer Grant”. Hopkinton was one of the few communities to receive the grant totaling $548,000. The funds from the grant will go towards hiring 4 new Firefighters.

Video and Press Release

Planning Board Actions Taken 10/24/19

Hopkinton-Ashland Eversource LNG Transfer Line Replacement approved. Lumber Street Tennis Club discussed and continued until 11/25/19. Wood Street/Mechanic Street Solar Farm discussed and continued until 11/25/19. Elmwood Farm not discussed, continued until 11/25/19.

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Accessory Family Living Unit at The Trails

The Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at 7:00 P.M. at the Town Hall. The Applicants seek relief from the Hopkinton Zoning Bylaws to allow an accessory family living unit at 25 Clubhouse Lane, Hopkinton, MA within the Trails at Legacy Farms.

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Town of Hopkinton AAA Bond Rating

The Town of Hopkinton is pleased to announce that Standard and Poor’s assigned its highest credit rating, “AAA”, to its General Obligation Bonds to be used for various municipal purposes. The Triple A Bond rating, as designated by credit rating agencies like Standard & Poor’s, represents the highest level of creditworthiness a municipality can achieve and allows the town to borrow money at the lowest commercial interest rates possible.

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Winter Parking Ban Begins 11/15 and Reminder about Snow Rules

The DPW wishes to remind all Hopkinton residents of By-Laws pertaining to the parking of motor vehicles during the winter months. Traffic Rules and Orders, Town of Hopkinton, Article lV, Section 8 “It shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle, other than for an emergency, to park said vehicle on any street between the hours of 1:00am to 6:00am from November 15 through April 1.

Read the Full Notice