Tom Beals

Select Board Notes: July 6, 2026

July 11, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks 13 School Street Hearing Following a brief review of updates to the project plan, primarily concerning changes to the parking arrangement, and after receiving approvals from the Conservation Commission and Historic District commission, the Board unanimously approved the Site Plan Special Permit. An excerpt from the…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: June 15, 2026

June 20, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: 46 Taylor Road acquisition update: Acton Conservation Trust President Susan Mitchell-Hardt and Treasurer Hart Millett presented a ceremonial oversize check to the Town as a contribution for the purchase of 46 Taylor Road. 103 donors contributed a total of $116,620. The Board voted to accept the…

Bulletin Board: June 13, 2026

June 13, 2026

Tom BealsandThe Acton Exchange Team

For volunteer opportunities and other announcements not tied to a single specific time and date, you are in the right place here at the Bulletin Board. Please email your Bulletin Board announcements to bulletinboard@actonexchange.org. (Please email Calendar events to calendar@actonexchange.org.) Recent government communiques Acton’s Economic Development director provides…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: June 1, 2026

June 6, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Select Board Goal Setting Listening Session: The Select Board renews its annual goals list after the Town election, and invites public suggestions for those goals. Letters to the Select Board, made available in the meeting materials, expanded on issues that were mentioned in person at the…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board notes: May 18, 2026

May 23, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Select Board Chair Alissa Nicol relayed Acton Water District updates: all three treatment plants have completed conditioning and, as of the end of April, are delivering water at PFAS “non-detect” levels. Outdoor watering restrictions are at “Level 3”, allowing outdoor watering 1 day per week. Independence…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: May 11, 2026

May 16, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Select Board reorganization: Following the recent election, the Board voted unanimously to appoint Alissa Nicol as Chair; David Martin as Vice-chair; and Fran Arsenault as Clerk. Buy Recycled Policy update: Director of Public Works Cory York presented a proposed Environmentally Preferred Procurement Policy to replace the…

Articles 6 and 7: Borrowing for major capital projects

May 9, 2026

by Tom Beals

Article 6: Authorize Borrowing for Town Hall HVAC and Emergency Power Replacement Project (two-thirds majority vote). Replacement of the Town Hall heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) had provided one of the more dramatic discussions — and multiple votes — at last year’s (2025) Town Meeting, where it…

Badge icon representing Elections and Town Meeting

Article 12: Appropriations to Stabilization and Trust Funds

May 9, 2026

by Tom Beals

This Article transfers funds into several defined purpose accounts, each briefly described in the Town Meeting Warrant. Those defined purpose accounts are as follows. The Finance Committee recommended Article 12. Residents’ questions were answered by Select Board clerk David Martin. One resident asked about the Town’s free cash…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: April 27, 2026

May 2, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Select Board (Board) Chair Dean Charter opened the April 27, 2026 Board meeting by introducing Interim Police Chief Douglas Sturniolo, who honored Officer Stephen McCarthy for his swift, life-saving response to a choking emergency earlier this month. With many uniformed officers in attendance, Chief Sturniolo praised…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: April 6, 2026

April 11, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Natural gas pipeline replacement: At a lengthy May 19, 2025 Select Board hearing on gas line replacement, residents and some Board members objected to engineering details of the replacement plan, and questioned whether the system should be maintained at all. At the present meeting, departing Board…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: March 16, 2026

March 21, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: A resident marveled at the rapidity and effectiveness of the response to a request made to Department of Public Works Director Corey York. Recognition of Police Chief Cogan: The Board, town manager, and the audience applauded Chief Cogan as the Board recognized his service on the…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: Mar. 2, 2026

March 7, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks License plate readers and surveillance technology At the Dec. 1, 2025 Select Board (Board) meeting a resident had asked about use of automated license plate readers in Acton. At the present meeting, Ms. Nicol related residents’ requests for the Board to provide guidance for the use…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: February 23, 2026

February 28, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks Revised Fiscal Year 2027 Recommended Budget Mr. Mangiaratti, noting the requirement for the Town Manager to transmit a budget to the Finance Committee before Annual Town Meeting, presented a revised Fiscal Year 2027 Recommended Budget and Capital Plan. In a Memo, and in remarks to the…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: February 2, 2026

February 7, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks Fireworks over fireworks At the December 15, 2025 Select Board meeting the Board voted not to expend the $40,000 that was authorized for July 4, 2026 fireworks at the May 2025 Town Meeting. Board members spoke of strong public reactions to the decision, including an allegation…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: January 12, 2026

January 18, 2026

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Glenn Cote, School Committee liaison to the Select Board, called attention to the School Committee’s January 8 meeting and its discussion of district restructuring. The final vote on elementary school reorganization is scheduled for January 22, and public comments will continue to be reviewed until that…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: December 15, 2025

December 20, 2025

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Select Board Chair Dean Charter noted the passing of Ms. Carol Lake, recalling her role as the first director of the Acton Senior Center. Town Manager John Mangiaratti and Assistant Town Manager Thom Begin displayed two celebratory over-sized $25,000 checks, “earmarks” from the state legislature, for…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: December 1, 2025

December 6, 2025

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks Zoning and housing MBTA Inclusionary Zoning: The Planning Board and the Acton Community Housing Corporation (ACHC) joined the Select Board to discuss possible next steps in the MBTA overlay zone that was adopted at the May 2024 Town Meeting. Planning Director Kaila Sauer opened the discussion…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes – November 17, 2025

November 22, 2025

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks Hearing: Marcus Lewis Racquet Club permits It was standing room only in Town Hall’s Faulkner Room as the Board returned to the application of Marcus Lewis for permits to build racquet sports facilities at 45 Nagog Park and 62 Nonset Path. The Acton Exchange previously reported…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: November 3, 2025

November 8, 2025

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: A caller highlighted unreasonably long delays at traffic lights and questioned the rationale for left-turn lanes on Mass. Ave. at Kelley’s Corner. Select Board Chair Dean Charter responded that the project is ongoing and changes are planned for winter into spring.Town Manager John Mangiaratti described further…

Badge icon representing Boards and Committees

Select Board Notes: October 20, 2025

October 25, 2025

by Tom Beals

Opening remarks: Resident Derek Price again appealed to the Board regarding traffic at the intersection of Chadwick and River Street. He noted the ongoing absence of official response to concerns expressed by his neighbors and himself, and raised broader questions regarding the advancement of projects past the initial…