Weekly News Roundup – 09/13/2020

Covid-19 Updates & Precautions • Town Meeting Results 2020 (Unofficial) • Hopkinton Town Meeting to tackle impact of solar projects • Town Meeting delays vote on solar, supports taking of Legacy Farms Road North • Legacy Farms Road North street acceptance hits another snag • District, teachers to meet again as agreement not yet approved • Superintendent: District has tentative agreement with teachers union • Main Street Corridor Project: Bid Opening Begins Contractor Selection Process

Covid-19 Updates & Precautions

This page provides information, maps and resources about the coronavirus response in our local area.

Visit Hopkinton, MA – Coronavirus Response Hub

As of 9/4/20, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 140 total confirmed COVID-19 cases; 0 of those cases are active, with 127 recoveries and 13 deaths. You can see historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard

The most recent update from Sep 11th includes:

• Annual Town Meeting – Reminder

The update from Sep 9th includes:

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 weekly Public Health Report
• Annual Town Meeting – Reminder

Town Meeting Results 2020 (Unofficial) 

All Articles in Town Meeting 2020 on September 12th passed votes including Article 19 Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Installations with Motion for No Action and Article 21 Street Acceptance, Legacy Farms North.

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RELATED NEWS:

Hopkinton Town Meeting to tackle impact of solar projects

Future commercial solar panel developments in town may soon be restricted to certain areas if a Planning Board-sponsored warrant article earns Town Meeting approval on Saturday.

Town Meeting delays vote on solar, supports taking of Legacy Farms Road North

The citizens group Save the Forest pushed for a vote to support the Planning Board’s solar overlay map (Article 19), despite the Planning Board suggesting residents take no action, a recommendation made in an effort to limit attendance and discussion at the meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Legacy Farms Road North street acceptance had widespread support when it was introduced last year, and it received a positive vote at a Special Town Meeting in December.

Legacy Farms Road North street acceptance hits another snag

“I’m happy to report the entire punch list is complete,” Department of Public Works director John Westerling told the Select Board at Tuesday’s meeting. “We are satisfied that they have met all the requirements for the construction of the roadway — just the construction.”

However, the pesticide issue is proving to be a sticking point. After some back-and-forth discussion, the board decided to let town counsel and MacDowell’s attorney try to come to an agreement that is satisfactory to town administrators and the Select Board.

District, teachers to meet again as agreement not yet approved

A memorandum of agreement between the school district and the Hopkinton Teachers Association was not approved by the HTA, but superintendent Carol Cavanaugh said talks will continue and she remains optimistic about a resolution with less than a week before school is to reopen.

The School Committee scheduled an additional meeting for Monday night. School is scheduled to reopen next Wednesday.

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RELATED NEWS: 

Superintendent: District has tentative agreement with teachers union

A tentative memorandum of agreement has been reached between the Hopkinton Teachers Association and the Hopkinton school district, superintendent Carol Cavanaugh announced Tuesday on HCAM’s Hopkinton Hangout Hour program.

A newly scheduled meeting of the School Committee has been set for Thursday for committee members to vote on the deal.

Main Street Corridor Project: Bid Opening Begins Contractor Selection Process

Bids for Hopkinton’s Main Street Corridor project were opened by MassDOT on September 1, marking the beginning of the process that will result in the selection of the project’s contractor. Early good news is that the first and second lowest bidders were within $500 and the apparent low bidder was $500,000 lower than the engineer’s estimate.

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