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Select Board hears quarterly reports: Baldwinville school work, ADU interest, cloud‑permit rollout issues and TCTV funding
Summary
At its April meeting the Select Board received quarterly reports from development services, community services, TCTV, the senior center, veterans and finance; highlights included ongoing Baldwinville Elementary School work, strong interest in accessory dwelling units, problems with cloud permit rollout and a $50,000 Light Department gift to TCTV.
At the Select Board meeting the town’s department heads presented quarterly summaries of activity from Jan. 1 through March 31.
Development services reported continued work on the Baldwinville Elementary School project and steady permitting activity. The building, plumbing and electrical divisions issued routine permits; total permit value for the quarter was reported as about $1.607 million, with fees collected of $16,899 for building permits and additional fees for electrical and plumbing work. The department said cloud‑permit online permitting software implementation has been "a little rocky," requiring staff coordination with the vendor to resolve workflow issues.
Planning and conservation updates noted ongoing discussions about several projects including Bridal Oversight LLC and USA Auto Recycling, enforcement activity at 280 State Road, and that the Massachusetts Central Region drought designation had been elevated at the regional level. Conservation also attended multiple trainings on floodplain model bylaws and permitting for artificial turf.
Development services also said accessory dwelling units (ADUs) remain popular with many inquiries from residents.
Community services and the library reported steady program attendance. The library met state certification requirements for the year and story hour averaged about 15 children. The senior center reported 1,864 attendees for the quarter, averaging about 40 people per day; the center provided 289 rides and offered new programming including a sign language class and expanded lunches.
TCTV reported a $50,000 capital contribution from the Light Department to support cable operations and said it is pursuing digital equity grant work with MRPC (Montachusett Regional Planning Commission) and a potential Launchpad concept that could add free Wi‑Fi at the town commons. TCTV also noted increased volunteer involvement and produced a series of short videos and sponsored content.
The veterans agent reported approximately $15,149.39 expended for Chapter 115 benefits in the quarter and a reimbursement of $11,362.05. Finance staff reported finishing the town audit for the town side and continuing work on the sewer/water audit; payroll was moved from Paychex to Harper's to improve reconciliation. The treasurer highlighted ongoing problems with postal delivery that have affected bill delivery and urged residents to use the town drop box or online payments where possible.
Board members thanked staff for the reports and asked for follow‑up on cloud‑permit timing, Baldwinville project milestones and the draft Launchpad concept. The reports will be included in the meeting record.
