Weekly News Roundup – 11/01/2020

Covid-19 Updates & Precautions • Hopkinton COVID-19 update for Oct 29: Town surges to 13 active cases • 2021 Boston Marathon will not be held in April. It has been moved to a yet-to-be-determined date in the fall • Presidential and State Elections 2020 – 3 ways to vote • Independent Thoughts: An election like no other worth effort for town clerk • Solar zoning issues dominate ZAC public forum • Public Informational Meeting – Asset Management Program (ZOOM Meeting)

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 10/29/20, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 172 total confirmed COVID-19 cases; 13 of those cases are active, with 146 recoveries and 13 deaths. You can see historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard

The most recent update from Oct 29th includes:

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 weekly Public Health Report
• Small Business Grants Now Open
• Election Stress
• Hopkinton Public Library Collecting Pandemic Experiences
• CDC Updates “Close Contact” Guidance
• COVID-19 Community Impact Survey Deadline Extended
• 2021 Boston Marathon will not take place in April

RELATED NEWS: 

Hopkinton COVID-19 update for Oct 29: Town surges to 13 active cases

2021 Boston Marathon will not be held in April. It has been moved to a yet-to-be-determined date in the fall.

The 2021 Boston Marathon will not be held in April, and local officials believe it is the correct call.

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced Wednesday afternoon the 125th Boston Marathon, traditionally held on the third Monday in April — Patriots’ Day — will be postponed until at least the fall 2021.

When town clerk Connor Degan scheduled his wedding for Oct. 3 he couldn’t have imagined what was in store. Not only is the entire world in the midst of a pandemic the likes of which has not been seen in over a century, Americans are participating in an election unlike any in the nation’s history.

Degan and assistant town clerk Lynn Kelly have been logging some long hours of late, primarily trying to keep up with a steady stream of early in-person and mail-in ballots.

Solar zoning issues dominate ZAC public forum

During Monday night’s Zoning Advisory Committee meeting there was a public forum for zoning proposals and ideas. Not surprisingly, the conversation was focused on commercial solar zoning and how the town can better control the situation.

At a previous ZAC meeting Moran had suggested adding specifics to the wording of the bylaw, including restricting the percentage of the lot that can be used for solar as well as grade restrictions.

Added Moran: “I think it’s going to take some work to come up with some congenial language that would meet all of the needs of not only the private property owners and the abutting neighbors but also the town, and what our town wants ourself to look like. So I think this is going to be a much bigger project than what the ZAC is anticipating. … I think we have to have some concrete language that backs up why the map is what the map is.”

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Public Informational Meeting – Asset Management Program (ZOOM Meeting)

The Hopkinton Department of Public Works will present its Asset Management Program (AMP) for the Town’s water, wastewater, and stormwater system on November 5, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.  The DPW worked with the IT Department and Weston and Sampson over the past year to complete this AMP. Funding came from a combination of Town funds and a grant received from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust and MassDEP. The Asset Management Program will allow the DPW to promote the sustainability of its water, wastewater and stormwater systems.

View Notice with Meeting Details