Weekly News Roundup – 06/20/2021

Main Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update • Frustrated but thankful, longtime gas station owner Lazzaro calls it quits • Fire Chief Slaman announces plans to retire • Hopkinton Public Library Foundation donation sponsors ‘library of things’ • Select Board roundup: Juneteenth flag to fly at Town Hall; Pride Parade June 26; water/sewer rates set • Photos: Juneteenth flag raising • Openings and Updates on Boards and Committees • Hopkinton Planning Board Vacancy Announcement • Covid-19 Update • Mosquito Control Project – Spraying Dates: Public Notice • Select Board Actions Taken 06/15/21

Main  Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update

What to Expect for the Week of June 21, 2021

• Continuation of the Drainage Installation along Main Street, from the 85/135 intersection to East Main Street (in front of 22 Main Street, 14 Main Street, 10 Main Street, and 52 Main Street)
• Continuation of the Drainage Installation along West Main Street (from 1 West Main Street to 111 Main Street)
• MassDOT Survey Crews to continue to locate limits of easements within the corridor from Ash Street to Wood Street
• Delivery of Drainage Materials

https://hopkintonmainstreet.com/

Frustrated but thankful, longtime gas station owner Lazzaro calls it quits

After 38 years of operating the most prominent gasoline station and automotive repair shop in Hopkinton, Jerry Lazzaro is throwing in the towel. His story is the tale of a hard-working blue-collar businessman who was loved by his dedicated customers.

During Lazzaro’s tenure in Hopkinton, the service station has changed ownership on several occasions. The property and his lease has been bought and sold by some of the nation’s largest refiners, including Exxon/Mobil and Conoco/Phillips. The location currently is owned by Petroleum Marketing Group. The lease requires Lazzaro to purchase 100 percent of his gasoline from his landlord, who sets the price.

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Fire Chief Slaman announces plans to retire

Tuesday’s Select Board meeting started with a surprise, as Fire Chief Steve Slaman took the microphone during the public forum to announce that he planned to resign after five years leading the department.
“I have known this day was coming for a while, which made a transitioning plan easy to talk about early on with my officers. I can proudly report to you that the organization is ready.”

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Hopkinton Public Library Foundation donation sponsors ‘library of things’

To celebrate its 10th anniversary of support to the local library, the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation (HPLF) is donating $10,000 to expand library borrowing capabilities by launching a “library of things” scheduled to open this fall.

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Select Board roundup: Juneteenth flag to fly at Town Hall; Pride Parade June 26; water/sewer rates set

“This year will mark the first year that Massachusetts recognizes Juneteenth as a holiday. And there’s also a really strong push to make it a federal holiday. So, Hopkinton Freedom Team would like to recognize not only Juneteenth, but just take it as an opportunity to reflect on what freedom means to us in this country and just racial injustice in general. So, we’d like to have a Juneteenth flag fly from June 19th to July Fourth. And we have activities planned … just to educate the community and to make it an interactive learning experience for us all.”

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Photos: Juneteenth flag raising

The Juneteenth flag, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in America, was raised at Town Hall on Thursday afternoon. Members of the Hopkinton Freedom Team were joined by two Select Board members and town executives for the ceremony. The flag will fly until July 4.

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Openings and Updates on Boards and Committees

Please note that all current board and committee members interested in reappointment MUST apply online via the link above.  Appointments would be made at an upcoming meeting of the relevant appointing authority.  For questions, please contact Elaine Lazarus at 508-497-9701.

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Hopkinton Planning Board Vacancy Announcement

The Planning Board currently has one vacancy and the Town is seeking candidates for the position. The term of office will expire at the May, 2022 annual town election. Interested parties must be a registered voter in the Town of Hopkinton and should apply online by June 22, 2021.

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Covid-19 Update

As of 6/14/21, Hopkinton’s Health Department is reporting 1,065 total confirmed COVID-19 cases; 0 of those cases are active, with 1,048 recoveries and 17 deaths.  You can see historical tracking and updates on Hopkinton’s Community Impact Dashboard. 

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Mosquito Control Project – Spraying Dates: Public Notice

Click on the notice below to view tentative dates for June/ July

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SELECT BOARD ACTIONS TAKEN 06/15/21

4. i. MINUTES – The Select Board will consider approving the Minutes of the 5/28/21 & 6/1/21 meetings.
ii. AMBULANCE FUND GIFTS – The Select Board will consider accepting the following Ambulance Fund gifts in memory of Lawrence Tedstone: 1) $100 gift from James Bartlett; 2) $50 gift from Claire Wright; 3) $250 gift from Daniel & Eileen McIntyre; 4) $20 gift from Elaine Mullen.

• The Select Board approved the Minutes of the 5/28/21 and 6/1/21 Select Board meetings. (5-0)
• The Select Board accepted the gifts to the Ambulance Fund in memory of Lawrence Tedstone. (5-0)

6:45 PM 2021 BOSTON MARATHON – PARADE PERMIT APPLICATION
5. The Select Board will consider approving a Parade Permit for the B.A.A. for the 125th Boston Marathon, being held on October 11, 2021.
The Select Board approved a Parade Permit for the 2021 Boston Marathon on October 11, 2021. (5-0)

6:50 PM APPOINTMENTS – ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE #2
6. The Select Board will consider the following finalist candidates recommended by the Town Manager and School Superintendent for the Elementary School Building Committee #2. Recommended finalists will be moved forward for Select Board appointment. Finalists are Jagrut Jathal, Jonathan Graziano, Mike Shepard and Tiffany Ostrander.

The Select Board appointed the following members of the Elementary School Building Committee #2, for the life of the project: (5-0)

• Mike Shepard, as the member of the community knowledgeable in educational mission and function of facility & MSBA school building experience;
• Tiffany Ostrander, as the at-large member of the community;
• Jagrut Jathal, as a member with architecture, engineering and/or construction experience;
• Jonathan Graziano, as a member of the community with Communications/PR/Marketing/or Facilitator experience.
• Brendan Tedstone, Select Board Member
• Joe Markey, School Committee Member
• Lya Batlle-Rafferty, Alternate School Committee Member
• Bill F. Flannery, Appropriation Committee Member
• Norman Khumalo, Town Manager (non voting member)
• Dr. Carol Cavanaugh, Superintendent of Schools (non voting member)
• Susan Rothermich, Hopkinton Public Schools Director of Finance (non voting member)
• Anne Carver, Principal, Elmwood School (non voting member)
• Tim Persson, HPS Director of Facilities (non voting member)

7:00 PM ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS
7. The Select Board will consider making the following appointments:
i) Reappoint Constable: Barry Sims, to a term expiring 6/30/2024;
ii) Appoint new Traffic Constables, to terms expiring 6/30/2024:
Dispatcher Rob Savolt
Firefighter Paul Finneran
Firefighter Patrick Rahill
iii) Appoint members to the following Boards and Committees: Board of Appeals, Community Preservation Committee, Conservation Commission, Council on Aging, Cultural Council, Historical Commission, Marathon Committee, Sustainable Green Committee, Trail Coordination and Management Committee, Upper Charles Trail Committee, Woodville Historic District Commission, Youth Commission.
No applications have been submitted for vacancies on the following boards and committees: Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, Hopkinton Historic District Commission (Resident of District), Marathon Fund Committee, Permanent Building Committee, Personnel Committee, Tax Relief Committee, Veterans Celebration Committee.

• The Select Board appointed Barry Sims as Constable, to a term expiring 6/30/2024. (4-0)
• The Select Board appointed Rob Savolt, Paul Finneran and Patrick Rahill as Traffic Constables, to terms expiring 6/30/2024. (5-0)
• The Select Board appointed the following members of boards and committees to the terms indicated: (5-0)
  • Al Rogers to the At-Large position on the Community Preservation Committee, term expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Kerry Reed, Janine LeBlanc and Jeffrey Barnes to the Conservation Commission, terms expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Patricia Srodawa to the Council on Aging, to a term expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Mike Roughan to the Historical Commission, to a term expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Charles Wallace, Craig Gormley, Judith Pitasi, Jane Goodman, Jacques Leduc and Jean Cann to the Marathon Committee (at-large), terms expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Olivia Sward and Robert Gilbert to the Sustainable Green Committee, terms expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Peter LaGoy to the Trail Coordination & Management Committee, term expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Eric Sonnett to the Upper Charles Trail Committee, to a term expiring 6/30/2024;
  • Craig Nation to the Woodville Historic District Commission, term expiring 6/30/2024.
• The Select Board appointed Mike DiMascio as a full member, and Kevin K. Baxter as an associate member of the Board of Appeals, to terms expiring 6/30/2026. (5-0)
• The Select Board appointed Kathy Yang to the Cultural Council, to a term expiring 6/30/2024. (5-0)
• The Select Board appointed Carly Grant, Eva Bennet and Kelly Karp to the Youth Commission, to terms expiring 6/30/2024.

7:30 PM MUNICIPAL BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES APPROVAL
10. The Select Board will consider approving bond anticipation notes (BAN) financing to support $5,297,502 approved for capital projects at the 2019 and 2021 Annual Town Meetings.

The Select Board approved bond anticipation notes financing to support $5,297,502 approved for capital projects at the 2019 and 2021 Annual Town Meetings. (5-0)

7:35 PM WATER AND SEWER RATES
11. The Select Board will consider setting Water and Sewer Rates for FY22.

The Select Board set water rates for fiscal year 2022 with an increase of 6.5% effective July 1, 2021, as follows: (5-0)

• 0-1000 cubic feet $28.97 dollar minimum
• 1001-8000 cubic feet at $3.53 per 100 cubic feet
• over 8000 cubic feet at $7.33 per 100 cubic feet

The Select Board set sewer rates for fiscal year 2022 with an increase of 2% effective July 1, 2021 as follows: (5-0)

• 0-1000 cubic feet at $11.77 per 100 cubic feet.
• 1,001-8000 cubic feet at $13.96 per 100 cubic feet.
• Over 8000 cubic feet at $17.26 per 100 cubic feet

The Select Board voted to implement a $200 per year Sewer bill discount for Sewer Enterprise residential customers who receive property tax exemptions from the Hopkinton Board of Assessors under clauses 17, 22, 37, and 41 of section 5 in chapter 59 of the Massachusetts General Laws, for FY2022 effective July 1, 2021. (5-0)

7:50 PM TOWN MANAGER REPORT
12. i) Main Street Corridor Project Update
ii) Announcement of the release of executive session minutes.
7:55 PM LIAISON ASSIGNMENTS & REPORTS/BOARD INVITES
13. The Select Board will approve the FY22 Liaison Assignments and appoint Select Board members to the Irvine-Todaro Properties Advisory Group, Pratt Farm Master Plan Team, Marathon Fund Committee, and Open Space Preservation Commission.

The Select Board approved the FY22 Liaison Assignments and appointed Select Board members to the following boards and committees: (5-0)

• Muriel Kramer to the Irvine-Todaro Properties Advisory Group, to a term for the life of the project,
• Muriel Kramer to the Pratt Farm Master Plan Team, to a term for the life of the project,
• Brendan Tedstone to the Open Space Preservation Commission to a term expiring 6/30/2026,
• Muriel Kramer to the Marathon Fund Committee, to a term expiring 6/30/2022.