Weekly News Roundup – 08/08/2021

Weekly News Roundup – 08/08/2021

Main Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update • Hopkinton Select Board unanimously votes for Bill Miller to become fire chief • Select Board unanimously approves Bill Miller as fire chief • Select Board roundup: Carter new public health nurse, Schneiderman outreach coordinator • Select Board roundup: Carter new public health nurse, Schneiderman outreach coordinator • Are my kids’ classmates vaccinated? Here’s what the data shows in MetroWest communities • Hopkinton Youth And Family Services Offers New Online Behavioral Health Screenings • COVID cases rise, but high vax rate sparks optimism in town • Residents encouraged to apply for vacant seats on town boards • Select Board Actions Taken – 08/03/2021


Main  Street Corridor Project – Weekly Update

What to Expect for the Week of August 9, 2021

  • Continuation of the Drainage Installation along Main Street (from Claflin Ave to 89-91 Main Street)
  • Continue installation of Mast Arm Foundation for Traffic Signals along the corridor
  • MassDOT Survey Crews to continue to locate limits of easements within the corridor
  • Delivery of Drainage Materials

https://hopkintonmainstreet.com/

RELATED: Live Construction Video Feeds are available for the Main Street Corridor Project, check where crews are working and traffic / weather conditions before you leave your home or office.

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Resident files complaint against town related to Main Street project

A Marshall Avenue resident filed an open meeting law complaint with the Office of the Attorney General about what she sees as a lack of transparency regarding the storage of construction materials for the Main Street Corridor Project.

Lucia Lopez originally filed a public records request with the town that the discussion of storage materials was not on the agenda for the Select Board meeting on March 2 because Town Manager Norman Khumalo said he had been informed of the construction company’s request that afternoon.

 

Hopkinton Select Board unanimously votes for Bill Miller to become fire chief

Veteran Deputy Fire Chief Bill Miller has been promoted to lead the department.

The Select Board on Tuesday voted 5-0 to name Miller chief. He will replace the outgoing Stephen Slaman, who retires on Aug. 27.

Miller’s appointment is pending contract negotiations.

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Select Board unanimously approves Bill Miller as fire chief

At Tuesday’s Select Board meeting, Bill Miller was unanimously approved to be the town’s next fire chief, pending successful contract negotiations.

Miller, who has served as deputy fire chief the past five years, received the recommendation of outgoing Fire Chief Steve Slaman, who appeared at Town Hall in support of his successor.

 

Select Board roundup: Carter new public health nurse, Schneiderman outreach coordinator

New Public Health Nurse
Simone Carter was unanimously confirmed by the Select Board on Tuesday as the new public health nurse for the town. She replaces Kasey Mauro, who stepped down from her full-time role in June.

Schneiderman OK’d as outreach coordinator
Julia Schneiderman was unanimously confirmed by the board to be the new outreach coordinator at the Senior Center. She replaces Marlene Troupes.

Repligen eyes South Street location, seeks TIF
A representative from the drug company Repligen appeared before the board to discuss the company’s interest in taking over a vacant building on South Street and working on a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) agreement to provide incentive.

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Are my kids’ classmates vaccinated? Here’s what the data shows in MetroWest communities

Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe may be understating it a bit when he says he’s “pretty satisfied” with the number of young people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The town boasts one of the highest overall vaccination rates in Massachusetts. Generally, the youth vaccination rates in the MetroWest and Greater Milford are high.

According to the state Department of Public Health, 74% of 12- to 15-year-olds and 68% of 16- to 19-year-olds in Framingham have received at least one dose. Sixty-three percent of 12-to 15-year-olds and 59% of 16- to 19-year-olds have been fully vaccinated.

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Hopkinton Youth And Family Services Offers New Online Behavioral Health Screenings

Town Manager Norman Khumalo and Youth and Family Services Director Dawn Alcott Miller are pleased to share with community members Hopkinton Youth and Family Services’ new online behavioral health screenings.

Hopkinton Youth and Family Services has partnered with MindWise Innovations, a division of Riverside Community Care, to offer free, confidential online behavioral health screenings to Hopkinton community members in both English and Spanish.

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COVID cases rise, but high vax rate sparks optimism in town

First the bad news: Yes, the COVID situation is trending in the wrong direction, and that includes in Hopkinton.

Now the good news: As of late July, about 92 percent of eligible individuals in town had been vaccinated — ranking Hopkinton among the highest statewide — and that’s limited the local problems caused by this new wave.

“We’re starting to see cases,” Health Director Shaun McAuliffe acknowledged July 27. “Since our last board meeting on [July 21] we’ve had 14 cases come in. But because most of the people were vaccinated, they had very mild symptoms and the residents dismissed them as allergies or a cold — anything but COVID. So by the time we were alerted to their illness they were in their final days [of being monitored/quarantined].”

 

Residents encouraged to apply for vacant seats on town boards

Select Board Vice Chair Amy Ritterbusch noted that while the Select Board has appointed many people to town committees over the past few weeks, there are several boards and committees with vacancies for which no one has applied, and new openings occur frequently.

Among those with seats available are: Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board, Appropriation Committee, Board of Appeals, Council on Aging, Fence Viewer, Hopkinton Historic District Commission (one opening for a resident of the district and another opening for an architect). Marathon Committee, Marathon Fund Committee, Permanent Building Committee, Personnel Committee, Surveyor of Wood, Lumber and Bark, Sustainable Green Committee, Tax Relief Committee, Upper Charles Trail Committee and Veterans Celebration Committee.

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Select Board Actions Taken – 08/03/2021

CONSENT AGENDA
i. MINUTES – The Select Board will consider approving the Minutes of the July 6, 2021 and July 12, 2021 meetings.
ii. ACCEPT GIFT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT – The Select Board will consider accepting a $1,000 gift to the Police Dept. from the Hopkinton Cricket Club.
iii. RESIGNATION – The Select Board will consider accepting the resignation of Rory
Warren from the Board of Appeals.

The Select Board approved the Consent Agenda. (5-0)

APPOINTMENTS – NEW TOWN EMPLOYEES
The Select Board will consider confirming the following Town Manager appointments of new Town employees:

  • Simone Carter, Public Health Nurse
  • Shivani Raval, Procurement & Grants Manager
  • Donald Jazzerowski, Custodian
  • Julia Schneiderman, Outreach Coordinator

The Select Board confirmed the Town Manager’s appointment of Simone Carter, Public Health Nurse, Shivani Raval, Procurement & Grants Manager, Donald Jazzerowski, Custodian, and Julia Schneiderman, Outreach Coordinator. (5-0)

APPOINTMENTS – BOARDS/COMMITTEES; OFFICIALS
The Select Board will consider making the following appointments:

  • Scott Gonfrade, Constable, term expiring 6/30/2024
  • James Frederick, Traffic Constable, term expiring 6/30/2024
  • Board of Registrars of Voters, one of up to 3 nominees of the Democratic Town Committee, and one of up to 3 nominees of the Republican Town Committee, to terms running from 2/1/2021 – 1/31/2024
    • Democratic Town Committee Nominees: 1) Doris Early, 2) Nasiba Mannan, 3) Richard Duggan
    • Republican Town Committee Nominees: Pending

● The Select Board appointed Scott Gonfrade as Constable, to a term expiring 6/30/2024. (5-0)
● The Select Board appointed James Frederick as Traffic Constable, to a term expiring 6/30/2024. (5-0)
● The Select Board appointed Doris Early to the Board of Registrars of Voters, to a term expiring 2/1/2023. (5-0)

APPOINTMENT – FIRE CHIEF
The Select Board will interview William R. Miller for the Fire Chief position and consider appointing him Hopkinton’s next Fire Chief.

The Select Board accepted the Human Resources Director’s screening report and appointed William R. Miller to the position of Fire Chief for the Town of Hopkinton, subject to successful contract negotiations; and authorized the Town Manager and town legal team to commence negotiations. (5-0)

REPLIGEN – COMPANY INTRODUCTION
Representatives of Repligen will introduce the company to the Board and review the desire to negotiate a Tax Increment Finance Agreement with the Town relative to a new location at 99 South Street.

The Select Board authorized the Town Manager and the Town’s legal team to commence TIF negotiations with Repligen. (5-0)

MATERIALS FOR THIS MEETING:

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