WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE – 05/20/25

TOWN ELECTION RESULTS 

The results from yesterday’s annual town election are in! 

Select Board 

• The two Select Board seats went to Matthew Kizner (805 votes) and incumbent Shahidul Mannan (740 votes). Jeff Doyle trailed closely with 703 votes.

Board of Assessors 

• In the Board of Assessors race, incumbent Peter Mimmo (747 votes) held his seat against Frederick Mayer (416 votes).  

Town Election results: Kizner, Mannan take Select Board seats (Article by Nick Schofield, 05/19/25)

SELECT BOARD 

At its Tuesday meeting, the Select Board unanimously approved Hopkinton Police Chief Joseph Bennett’s presented department goals for FY26. These goals include a succession plan to train current officers for higher ranked roles, enhancing their management and leadership skills; collaboration with other town departments, including the HFD with whom the HPD intends to work on an enhanced active shooter response plan; and implementing a K9 program. Timelines were provided for these goals. 

The board also approved Fire Chief Gary Daugherty’s FY26 goals for the fire department which prioritize the active shooter training collaboration with the HPD, as well as training and hands-on exercises within the department. Additional goals include updates to the department’s standard operating procedures and integration into a database, and the development of a comprehensive wellness program for firefighters to include screenings for lung cancer and mental health support.

Finally, the meeting marked the end of board member Mary Jo LaFreniere’s 42 years of service in Town, as she has not opted to run for reelection. Town leaders expressed praise for her dedication, insight, and experience. 

Select Board reviews fire, police chief goals; LaFreniere thanked for 4 decades of service (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 05/14/25)

CONSERVATION COMMISSION

At its Tuesday meeting, the Conservation Commission addressed the latest violations at the Newbury Glen subdivision involving turbid water leaving off-site basins and silty runoff flowing downstream, apparently due to a pipe blowout. The consultant for developer Toll Brothers explained the issue, repairs, and preventable measures that will be taken per the new contractor at the site. The prior contractor on the project was fired following multiple violations at the site. While pleased that a new contractor is in place, the commission shared some frustration with the ongoing issues and voted 4-0 to withhold issuing any new building permits for the subdivision until the pending improvements are implemented. 

The commission also approved the utilities installation for the proposed Baypath animal shelter at 66-66B Fruit Street. 

Conservation Commission votes not to issue new building permits for Newbury Glen after latest violation (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 05/14/25) 

PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT 

At its Tuesday meeting, the Parks & Recreation Commission reviewed its list of ongoing CPC funded projects, including a Sandy Beach boat dock, dog park shade structure, and netting at several athletic fields, noting that many of the listed projects are at or nearing completion with none exceeding their budget. Certain items, including EMC bathrooms and a Pyne Street irrigation study, have been paused. The commission further discussed the Center School reuse project and expressed concerns over the majority of CPC funds that would go toward Parks & Rec projects being used solely to fund the Center School project in the upcoming years at the potential expense of other projects that will benefit the town. The commission agreed to bring the issue to the CPC at a future meeting. The commission also discussed projects to propose for the next CPC funding cycle. 

Parks & Rec discusses CPC projects, impact of Center School reuse plan (Article by Nick Schofield, 05/14/25)

WATER / SEWER ADVISORY BOARD 

At its Wednesday meeting, the WSAB heard a presentation of three proposed options for both the town’s water and sewer rates for FY26, based on a 10-year projection of revenue and expenditures, in order to determine its recommendation to the Select Board. The board will review the options more thoroughly and will meet again on May 21st to discuss its recommendation for the rate proposals. Recommendations are due by May 28th. The presentation also addressed the projected increase in the sewer rate in upcoming years, with three proposed models presented. 

Finally, the board discussed the MWRA connection as a factor in its rate decision, noting a potential hybrid option to use MWRA water as well as locally sourced water. The town currently purchases 40% of its water from Ashland. The board noted the necessity of moving forward to ensure that the town has enough water, particularly in light of the currently strained wells and drought conditions. 

WSAB gets initial look at proposed water, sewer rates (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 05/15/25)

Read more about the MWRA connection plan, the critical need for having a sustainable water source, and the viewpoints of town leaders on the issue here:  Town, resident water expert have diverging viewpoints on MWRA plan (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 05/19/25)

BOARD OF HEALTH 

On Wednesday night, the Board of Health held a public hearing to hear community comment and feedback on its proposed Nicotine-Free Generation (NFG) initiative, under which the sale of any tobacco and nicotine products will be prohibited to any individual born after January 1, 2005. 11 speakers offered support for the NFG initiative, including an Mass General Hospital oncologist and a Hopkinton High School senior, Neha Ninan. No one in attendance spoke in opposition. Following the hearing, the board unanimously voted to approve the NFG regulations and to have the polity take effect on July 1st.  

After public hearing, Board of Health approves Nicotine-Free Generation regulations (Article by Nick Schofield, 05/15/25)

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

At its Thursday meeting, the School Committee ratified three year contracts for the Hopkinton Teachers Association and new superintendent Evan Bishop, and accepted the $300,000 in CPC funds for the adaptive playground at Marathon School approved at Annual Town Meeting. The committee also reviewed the gas leak at Hopkins, addressing evacuation measures, student management, and the swift response time by the Fire Department. While the cause of the leak is under investigation, it was deemed unrelated to the construction. Finally, the superintendent reviewed the bullying and bias incident reports in the schools during the 2024-25 school year. 

School Committee approves teacher/superintendent contracts; gets update about Hopkins gas leak (Article by Susan Gonsalves, 05/16/25)

PLANNING BOARD 

At its Monday meeting, the Planning Board voted to approve a definitive subdivision plan for cul-de-sac Kathryn Drive, off of Ash Street, which will extend the roadway to access two other parcels and add a half-acre parcel in order to extend an infiltration basin. This approval was conditioned on a stormwater report being included and some revisions to the language in the plans. 

The board also heard a request from Trails Committee chair Peter LaGoy to remove several trees and turn a boulder on Ash Street to create a two-space parking area near 101 Ash Street to access a trailhead. The residents at 101 Ash Street and a board member expressed safety concerns with putting a parking area in that location, which LaGoy noted will be addressed in an upcoming meeting. The acting director of the Land Use, Planning & Permitting Department noted that the board’s decision concerns only the trees’ and boulder’s aesthetic value to the scenic road. A site walk was scheduled for May 27th and public hearing continued to June 2nd. 

Planning Board approves Kathryn Drive subdivision plan (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 05/20/25)

UPDATES FROM THE TOWN MANAGER 

Included in the most recent Town Manager Weekly Update – May 15, 2025 is information about the following: 

• The Person at Risk Program (a joint effort by the HPD and Commission on Disability to allow residents, or their caregivers, to provide voluntary information regarding any mobility challenges, cognitive impairments, chronic illness or other health issues, neurodiversity, or mental health diagnoses in order to help first responders have a more tailored and effective approach during emergencies); 
• The Blue Envelope Program (a statewide initiative to better interactions between law enforcement on drivers on the autism spectrum); 
• A May 29th webinar on Climate Action Planning in Hopkinton and link to register; and
• Hopkinton’s new means tested Senior Tax Exemption available for FY26.

Read the Town Manager’s weekly update in full HERE.