Government - Page 10

Four options to replace the Concord Rotary: What you need to know before the June 24 hearing

June 13, 2026

The clock is ticking. On June 24 at 6:00 p.m., residents will have their first formal opportunity to weigh in on how one of the most frustrating bottlenecks in the region gets fixed. The public comment hearing will be held at Concord Middle School auditorium, 835 Old Marlboro Road in Concord – and, if you drive Route 2, this meeting is worth your time. Last month, the Acton Exchange reported on the growing momentum to overhaul the Concord Rotary. Since then, I’ve obtained the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) presentation from the May 11 legislative site visit meeting organized by…

Select Board Notes for June 17, 2024: Review of Town Meeting alternative models, sewer financing, and ideas for goals

June 21, 2024

by Tom Beals

The air conditioning was on in the Acton Town Hall Faulkner Room as the Select Board met on the warm late-spring evening of June 17, 2024. Noting prediction of an upcoming heat wave, Board Chair Fran Arsenault relayed Town cooling center information. Board members noted a current Habitat…

A cavernouse metal shed (the Acton Water District headquarters) where the audience is seated on the left, and various town officials (Finance Committee, Water District Commission) are seated at the tables on the right.

Voters authorize $2.5 million in additional borrowing at Acton Water District Special Meeting

June 21, 2024

by Kim Kastens

The equipment garage at the Acton Water District (AWD) Headquarters was the setting for the June 13 Special District Meeting, at which voters authorized $2.5 million, above and beyond the $7.82 million authorized at a previous District meeting, to install bedrock wells and a PFAS treatment system at…

A group of people stand in a room with blue and silver balloons in the background. A woman stands in the middle of the group holding a large certificate from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A small boy is beginning to leave the crowd and walk towards the photographer.

Acton Housing Authority’s executive director retires

June 14, 2024

by Nancy Kolb

Kelley Cronin, Acton Housing Authority’s Executive Director retired June 7 after 19 years with the Authority. In recognition of this milestone, Nancy Kolb, chair of the Acton Housing Authority, shared these recollections with the Acton Exchange: Kelley first worked for the City of Boston Mayor’s Office and then…

Town of Acton Hazard Mitigation Plan Open House: Public input needed

June 7, 2024

by Karen Herther

On May 15, the Acton community gathered to provide input on the upcoming Town Hazard Mitigation Plan. Organized by the Acton Hazard Mitigation Planning (HMP) Working Group, the event was led by Andrea Becerra, Sustainability Director and Corey York, Director of Public Works,with support from Elizabeth Montgomery, Environmental…

Graph with X-axis years from 2004 - 2020. Y-axis is Volume of Water (mgd [millions of gallons per day). The Water Management Act permit shows as a straight red line at 1.94 MGD. A second line shows maximum daily demand. It ranges over the years from a high of about 2.7 MGD to very close to the 1.94 permit line, with a steady downward trend beginning in 2016. The third line shows average daily demand, which hovers between about 1.5 and 1.9 MGD.

Water District Commissioners vote to renew outdoor water use restrictions

June 7, 2024

by Ron Parenti

Outdoor water use restrictions for the summer of 2024 were unanimously approved by the Acton Water District commissioners at the regular meeting of the commissioners on 29 April. District Manager Matthew Mostoller noted that Acton’s aquifers are currently in very good shape, but indicated his intention to impose…

Select Board Notes, June 3, 2024: State saves sewer project

June 7, 2024

by Tom Beals

Residents’ Concerns and Board Members notes: The June 3, 2024 Acton Select Board meeting opened with a resident’s inquiry regarding the recent murder-suicide in Acton; he requested the Board inquire as to how the suspect (who was reported to be out on bail, GPS-monitored, and subject to a…

A brick building with a large metal silo attached.

UPDATED: Acton Water District calls Special District Meeting to request an additional $2.5M for PFAS treatment

June 1, 2024

by Kim Kastens

At their meeting on the evening of May 28, the Acton Water District (AWD) Board of Commissioners set a Special District Meeting to ask voters to authorize additional borrowing, beyond what was previously appropriated, to design and install PFAS treatment infrastructure and bedrock wells at the Central Acton…

Select Board Notes 20 May 2024: Changing of the Guard

June 1, 2024

by Tom Beals

Residents concerns: The May 20, 2024 meeting of the Acton Select Board began as usual with resident concerns. A resident described his attempt, via internet search, at finding bus service in Acton; he found references to Acton Rides, Cross-town Connect, and others; and he likened his search to…

A police detective and a woman stand near a large stack of sealed boxes. The officer is opening one box that has been moved to a desk.

Hand Recount Confirms Override Passage

May 24, 2024

by Franny Osman

On Tuesday morning, May 21, in Room 204 of Town Hall, Acton Town staff and volunteers gathered to recount the votes of the April 30 Town Election, specifically for question 1 about the tax levy override, as the results of the original balloting were close (3191 yeses (49.94%),…

A man wearing a button-down shirt with rolled=up sleeves stands in front of the Acton Senior Center Bistro 30 sign. He is speaking to an audience of older citizens.

“Java with John” lets you see over walls and around corners

May 24, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

When I was a kid, I had a toy periscope that enabled me to “see over walls and around corners.” Well, on Friday, May 17, 2024, I had a feeling of déjà vu as I sat in the back of the dining room at the Acton Senior Center…

Select Board honors volunteers of the year

May 24, 2024

by The Acton Exchange Team

Town Manager John Mangiaratti and the Select Board hosted a May 16th ceremony at the Acton Memorial Library where each Select Board member announced the honoree that they had nominated as a 2024 Colonel Francis Faulkner Sr. Exemplary Volunteer of the Year. This year’s honorees were: Janet Adachi,…

A grey-haired man in a suit jacket stands at a podium. A large screen is behind him with a page from his presentation on leaf blowers.

More on Acton’s Annual Town Meeting 2024

May 16, 2024

Jeff BrownandRon Parenti

Boxborough Annual Town Meeting passes school budget The Town of Boxborough passed the Acton Boxborough Regional School District budget on May 13 at their Town Meeting. For more information, please see the Boxborough News coverage. Town Meeting votes to require special permit for car dealerships on Great Road…

A printed booklet from the Secretary of State that contains the rules for election recounts.

UPDATED: May 21 recount of override vote

May 16, 2024

by Franny Osman

UPDATE May 21, 2024: The recount of the override vote occurred as scheduled on May 21. The final tally following the hand count was Yes: 3205 and No: 3161 and Blank: 41, for a total of 6407 ballots. Following a very close ballot vote on April 30 on…

Board of Health continues consideration of battery energy storage system

May 16, 2024

by D.K. Halley

Chairman Conoby opened the continuation of the hearing for the Boardwalk School’s hazardous waste permit pertaining to their proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Public Health Inspector Matthew Dow provided an update noting that the health division still has concerns with the information that was provided by the…

The AB upper gym is packed with voters for the first night of Town Meeting.

Acton Town Meeting approves school budgets: Articles 7 and 8

May 7, 2024

by Diane Baum

The Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Assessment and Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School District Assessment were both approved at the May 6 town meeting. Article 7 On May 6, Acton Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved Article 7, which permits the Town to fund Acton’s portion of the Acton-Boxborough Regional…

The auditorium filled with people, viewed from the stage.

Acton sets a new record for Town Meeting participation

May 7, 2024

by Greg Jarboe

On Monday, May 6, 2024, a total of 2,579 residents participated in Acton’s Annual Town Meeting. This set a new record for Town Meeting participation. On a percentage basis,16.7% of registered voters – roughly one out of six eligible voters – struggled to find parking and a seat…

a pie chart with colored segments; the segments are labeled with town department names

Acton Town Meeting: Town Budget articles pass with ease

May 7, 2024

by Tom Beals

Article 4: Town Operating Budget The Town Operating Budget, as its name suggests, pays the town’s expenses for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. Those expenses include familiar town services such as the Fire Department, Police, and libraries; those services, and their proportions, are shown in the ‘pie’…

Map of South Acton Village showing new zoning overlays.

Acton Town Meeting: Zoning articles pass by a wide margin

May 7, 2024

Kim KastensandPeter J. Berry

The Acton Exchange covers three of the four Town Meeting zoning articles this week. The Planning Division’s presentation of the zoning articles to the Planning Board on March 19 as well as an open house on the Powder Mill Corridor project (related to Article 11) were previously reported…

A man and a woman holding award plaques at Town Meeting.

Hawthorne and Hutchings receive Joseph A. Lalli Merit Awards

May 7, 2024

by Tom Beals

The second evening of the Acton Town meeting on May 7, 2024 opened with recognition of the Joseph A. Lalli Merit awardees. Town manager John Mangiaratti, briefly described Joseph A. Lalli and the Steinberg-Lalli Charitable Foundation, and said that this award is given each year to a public…

Government - Page 10

Four options to replace the Concord Rotary: What you need to know before the June 24 hearing

Select Board Notes for June 17, 2024: Review of Town Meeting alternative models, sewer financing, and ideas for goals

Voters authorize $2.5 million in additional borrowing at Acton Water District Special Meeting

Acton Housing Authority’s executive director retires

Town of Acton Hazard Mitigation Plan Open House: Public input needed

Water District Commissioners vote to renew outdoor water use restrictions

Select Board Notes, June 3, 2024: State saves sewer project

UPDATED: Acton Water District calls Special District Meeting to request an additional $2.5M for PFAS treatment

Select Board Notes 20 May 2024: Changing of the Guard

Hand Recount Confirms Override Passage

“Java with John” lets you see over walls and around corners

Select Board honors volunteers of the year

More on Acton’s Annual Town Meeting 2024

UPDATED: May 21 recount of override vote

Board of Health continues consideration of battery energy storage system

Acton Town Meeting approves school budgets: Articles 7 and 8

Acton sets a new record for Town Meeting participation

Acton Town Meeting: Town Budget articles pass with ease

Acton Town Meeting: Zoning articles pass by a wide margin

Hawthorne and Hutchings receive Joseph A. Lalli Merit Awards

Other Town Meeting articles

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