[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6397570,"mediaKeyId","2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93","parentId",2091908,"title","Developer raises open‑records concerns, asks Select Board to press planning officials for communications","audioSeconds",173,"startMs",48000,"endMs",221000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93&start=48&end=221","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93/thumbnail_48000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6397570/Town-of-Southborough/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Developer-raises-openrecords-concerns-asks-Select-Board-to-press-planning-officials-for-communications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397570-c8a1ec740fd37f558971ed067f7ca459/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206261&Signature=Fe3jyAxl~JODExHZrORPGvW00NQAXR~plNrPcDnJ3YB8cD5G5Z4pNfkLQbmdbpYoIaCMG7BkrmG1Sza4HfpMghtpPzjI-ck0boWeajYAbBjVa2aQJImGWNCDhkUe4zZB93CrWhQ1dAQHtKGrpQcFwgIe7NcvVfS18FR9zIyTL1OSj6g0Aw49trJ9uUByEiC5HmVzoBnTzdcuWP4jw7mzQcwhFQHYT8afmHVRKKvtrSsbOXN7G4ZGyLYHts6dpJjNviPDGAKUy5xGuLySVZx332mC1QZ3qIwS274FLMcWFCIVmMJWWzQwb5rdl10fXyTBgn6tJTyeIvEzizmQutadBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Southborough, MA","date","2025-01-09T00:00:00Z","article","David Farris of 118 Turnpike Road told the Select Board during public comment on Jan. 7 that his firm has unsuccessfully sought records of communications between the town planner and the planning board chair and that a state order to produce records has not been fully complied with.

\"We started to ask questions and wanted more transparency in government, and we sought several FOIA requests around, specifically the town planners communication and the chairs communication,\" Farris said. He said the town records officer initially told him no such records existed; a litigation‑hold letter prompted one board member to produce partial group‑chat disclosures. Farris said the partial disclosure contradicts the records officer’s original claim and that a state order to produce records still has not been fully satisfied.

Why it matters: Farris framed the request as a transparency concern affecting how development proposals have been handled by the planning board; he asked the Select Board for assistance in obtaining compliance from a town employee and an elected board chair. The Select Board did not respond during the public comment period (the chair stated the board does not respond to public comment during the meeting), and Farris provided the board copies of the documents he described.

What Farris said on the record

- \"We felt that the town planner, in addition to the chair of the planning board, have been very obstructionist to our efforts to advance projects...We started to ask questions and wanted more transparency in government, and we sought several FOIA requests around, specifically the town planner's communication and the chairs communication.\"

- \"We were told when we received that disclosure that it was a partial disclosure...it became very clear that the answers that the town records officer got are inconsistent with the documents that were disclosed by 1 board member showing that there had been communications.\"

Farris asked the Select Board to consider \"some sort of cooperation\" or a formal response — written or by phone — to help obtain the records and to look at cell‑phone records covering roughly the past 18 months to identify communications between the town planner and the planning board chair.

The board’s reaction and next steps

Select Board members did not comment during public comment. Staff took the packet of documents Farris provided. The board’s procedures for handling public comment were reiterated: Select Board members do not respond to public comment during the meeting. The transcript does not show further action or a formal follow‑up directive from the board that evening.

Ending: Farris said he would welcome a written or phone follow‑up; the town records officer and the Select Board will need to decide whether to pursue further production under state public records procedures or proceed with administrative or legal follow‑up.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Southborough: Select Board Meeting 1/7/25","oneSentenceSummary","Developer David Farris used public comment at the Jan. 7 meeting to accuse the town planner and a former/planning board chair of withholding communications responsive to public records requests and asked the Select Board to intervene so the records required by a state order are produced.","taxTitle","Town of Southborough, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",56453,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6397571,"Select Board approves NANS Market on‑premises beer & wine license; approves personnel, stipend and trust appointments",323,440000,763000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93&start=440&end=763","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93/thumbnail_440000.jpg","/articles/6397571/Town-of-Southborough/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Select-Board-approves-NANS-Market-onpremises-beer-wine-license-approves-personnel-stipend-and-trust-appointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397571-c21ce0ed6d8c06f2ad171d5e382dc332/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206261&Signature=EQH2Fh0qK3LtfPsFQT1mancKh2f1iCdvsMo~lPnUolTPw6us2MHXKd8BfaSnNA368-GsvBCzQMePvoExtp7MyCURJbVVlNFh~Sp7KnsGj7~PTeYP5BmjZg9PoutniOQ4Y~MJunXEfiS479W76Bz6tztyNBcJqsjZKdhr~~W4Cm6kIdQMQdQSc16mLMkO3HYhVI50~OZgycrpl7kbrc86BAdyDbvC6fmZV1drv2lcmmPqePhTKp12PipY6EqEMOKmisdcryMbfZ9CclxPphu9KWYp0Cf8r6P6RvtoV9crYM2ZZjLblYPVOl46v4wfuszGoIGXHR-90~AAVW8NQYfEWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Southborough Select Board on Jan. 7 voted to approve several procedural items and personnel adjustments, including an on‑premises beer and wine license for a new restaurant applicant and a set of personnel and governance appointments.

NANS Market liquor license

The board opened a public hearing for NANS Market South LLC — doing business as NANS Market at 359 Turnpike Road — for an annual on‑premises Section 12 (restaurant) wine and malt beverages license. The applicant, Jordan Mackie (identified in the meeting as manager), explained the change: NANS has sold beer and wine to go and now seeks permission to allow consumption inside after adding roughly 38 seats in about 3,500 square feet of restaurant space.

After brief questions about the applicant entity and the legal form (discussion noted the applicant entity listed as \"NANS Market South LLC\" and a referenced entity called \"Mostly Vegetables PBC\"), the board voted to approve the license application. The board noted final issuance is contingent on the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) review and state procedures; the ABCC has a four‑ to six‑week review timeline before final local issuance.

Personnel and staffing votes

The board approved multiple staffing adjustments in the Department of Public Works (DPW): reclassifying the existing transfer‑station position to a new assistant transfer station operator grade and adding an additional truck‑driver role to the DPW roster, with the expectation that hiring at low steps would keep near‑term costs modest. The board recorded the department head’s estimate that hiring all four affected positions at step 1 would produce a net salary saving compared with higher step hires, although benefits costs for any new position were estimated separately and could add roughly $20,000–$30,000 annually per new hire.

Tree warden stipend

Select Board members voted to increase the annual stipend for the tree warden position from $4,000 to $8,000, effective July 1, 2025. DPW Superintendent Bill Cundiff told the board the workload for the tree warden has grown and historically the position has included part‑time assistance; the higher stipend is intended to reflect increased administrative and field demands.

Affordable Housing Trust appointments

The board appointed three non‑Select Board trustees to the newly reconstituted Affordable Housing Trust (the former SHOPC structure was reorganized by a special town meeting amendment and later approved by the Attorney General). Appointments made Jan. 7:

- Jesse Stein, trustee (term to June 30, 2025)
- Doug Mantz, trustee (term to June 30, 2026)
- Paul Desmond, trustee (term to June 30, 2026)

The Select Board also appointed Select Board member Al Hamilton as the board’s representative to the Affordable Housing Trust for a term to June 30, 2025.

Consent agenda and minutes

The board approved the consent agenda items and made technical corrections to meeting minutes from Dec. 17, 2024 before approving them.

What the board recorded

- Motions to approve the liquor license and personnel changes were made and seconded on the record; the board voted \"all in favor\" on those items. The license remains subject to ABCC approval before final local issuance.
- The tree warden stipend change will require incorporation into the FY26 budget and related personnel approvals before it takes effect.

Ending: The board took no final votes on capital articles; most major capital questions remain pending as the Capital Improvement Planning Committee returns with prioritized recommendations.","At the Jan. 7 meeting Select Board members approved an on‑premises beer and wine license for NANS Market South LLC, approved several personnel actions in DPW, raised the tree warden stipend and appointed trustees to the town’s Affordable Housing Trust.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6397576,"Southborough capital committee flags culverts, water mains and field upgrades in FY26 request",2149,885000,3034000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93&start=885&end=3034","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2091908-6f0ed66f090a95acf674c6b8eb48ec93/thumbnail_885000.jpg","/articles/6397576/Town-of-Southborough/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Southborough-capital-committee-flags-culverts-water-mains-and-field-upgrades-in-FY26-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397576-07f96db951b886bf74901d01fc71c1f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206261&Signature=C~-QQtwm9ZtLQx1AY46KaP1QmV5Pna2Zmb6QkiEVnaKOloeupolq1e8HLi4AYLQth6LeLO0sfBty9TrdhnRVgr-Q9ot0EhqALQ-4ufD~vZ3ywRJ8rsnOERRB1sU3p6hmR-v5EsQ-XNfyvrkp-Tx7JB0KgZKb4NIRdzB7iai5nNzRujuiP~uqfjRL5-z0M-T7ccas9TRUIoQ8q6FWt-OM99s3IFoHgtahVUgp5WKeJPaiTT9rHT68NDOwfizws84K68A6YtEm9fmOFBopp6Gc8Az6HHSV512Sg~idvtnNqzdiu5O-e1YrXL2tT6If87gE7BUZ8Kd8V0f6VIoZ6crZUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Oskie, chair of the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, told the Select Board and Advisory Committee on Jan. 7 that the committee is presenting an unusually large slate of FY26 capital requests and wants guidance on which projects to dig into further.

\"ARPA has significantly dampened the need for us to make tough decisions in prior years as a capital committee,\" Oskie said, summarizing why the number of proposals now looks much larger as federal pandemic relief winds down and more traditional capital funding is required.

The committee presented a long list of proposed appropriations and bond candidates that included water‑system work, stormwater and culvert repairs, a multi‑site crosswalk flashing‑beacon program, vehicle replacements for public works, and recreational improvements including a proposed turf conversion at Chote Field.

Why it matters: capital requests in Southborough are clustered now because of deferred maintenance and the end of one‑time federal funding. If the town funds multiple large projects at once, debt and annual debt service will rise. The committee emphasized that voters, the Select Board and Advisory Committee must weigh operational tradeoffs and whether to bond larger packages or appropriate pay‑as‑you‑go sums.

Most urgent items

- Culverts and sinkholes: DPW Superintendent Bill Cundiff described a run of failing underground drainage and culvert infrastructure that has produced sudden, costly problems. \"Back in the fifties sixties, towns were putting in corrugated metal pipe. And it's that time of the season when these things are starting to go,\" Cundiff said. Two recently identified culvert/sinkhole sites are now priced at the scale that the committee expects will require bonding.

- Pipe camera and stormwater compliance: Cundiff told the group the town is an MS4 community subject to EPA and DEP permit requirements and needs better mapping and condition assessment. The committee proposed purchasing a pipe camera kit (grant match expected) to inventory at‑risk culverts and identify candidates for relining versus full replacement.

- Water system work: The water division submitted several mains and loop improvements and vehicle replacements. Capital deferred judgment pending the town's water‑rate analysis so that the committee can measure rate impacts before recommending appropriations or bonds.

- Crosswalk safety program (RRFBs): Capital included site improvements for seven candidate flashing‑beacon crosswalks (RRFBs). The state would provide the beacons through a grant, but the committee estimated roughly $300,000 for required site work across the seven locations if the town receives the equipment.

- Chote Field turf proposal: Recreation submitted a turf conversion and related site work; the committee reported a conservative fully‑loaded estimate in the millions. Recreation told capital it plans private fundraising and suggested much of the cost could be funded outside the general fund; the committee asked for direction on whether to advance the full project or pursue phased/partial approaches.

- Trotter School roof: The Trotter roof project is in MSBA feasibility; the committee estimated a roughly $5.8 million fully‑loaded cost with an expected MSBA reimbursement around 36 percent. Timing of feasibility and the MSBA process will control whether any town appropriation can appear at the upcoming town meeting.

Process, priorities and debt posture

Oskie asked the Select Board and Advisory Committee to give the capital committee limits and priorities—e.g., a target appropriation ceiling—so staff and departments can return with an ordered list the boards can defend to voters. Several board members noted that while Southborough’s bonded debt picture is favorable now (Algonquin school debt has largely rolled off), adding several large projects at once would raise the town's annual debt burden.

Committee members and elected officials urged two near‑term actions: prioritize an inventory (pipe camera) so the town can triage culverts, and review bonding policy (thresholds and minimums) so the town avoids bonding small items that could be paid from operating or capital maintenance funds.

Quotes from participants

- John Oskie, Capital Improvement Planning Committee: \"We have a lot of requests in front of us in the immediate term...we are going to need some guidance of how far we wanna ring fence this.\"

- Bill Cundiff, DPW superintendent: \"The federal government, EPA and the DEP have stringent requirements as to what Ms. 4 communities, municipal separate storm sewer system, Ms. 4 communities have to adhere to every year.\" (describing MS4 permit obligations and mapping needs)

- Kristen LaValle, Recreation Commission (speaking as a private citizen): \"I'm a little disappointed that this conversation didn't include more CPC and Recreation Commission involvement. I'm glad to hear that you're electing representatives to meet with the commission, and I would hope that future conversations would ensure that we have representation from all committees involved.\"

Next steps and uncertainties

The capital committee will return with refined costings, water‑rate impacts, and phasing proposals. The committee set February presentation dates for water projects and intends to bring prioritized articles to the Select Board and Advisory Committee ahead of town meeting. Several members urged exploring a line‑of‑credit or targeted multiyear bond to manage recurring culvert/underground‑infrastructure needs rather than year‑to‑year emergency appropriations.

Ending: The committee characterized FY26 as a year in which Southborough must make deliberate choices about which capital needs to fund now, which to defer, and how to restructure policy around bonding thresholds and capital article flexibility.","At a joint Select Board/Capital Improvement presentation Jan. 7, Southborough officials described a larger-than-usual FY26 capital wish list — driven by deferred maintenance, new regulatory stormwater requirements and multiple school‑related projects — and asked elected boards for guidance on priorities, funding and phasing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Developer raises open‑records concerns, asks Select Board to press planning officials for communications

Select Board approves NANS Market on‑premises beer & wine license; approves personnel, stipend and trust appointments

Southborough capital committee flags culverts, water mains and field upgrades in FY26 request