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Select Board approves pole relocation, officer appointment, year-end transfer and grant; several committee appointments OK'd
Summary
At its July 13 meeting the Northborough Select Board approved a National Grid/Verizon petition to replace two utility poles with one, appointed Daniel Hanley as a police officer effective July 27, approved a $128,006 year-end transfer from health insurance to cover snow-and-ice costs, accepted a $58,300 MassTrails feasibility grant and confirmed three committee appointments.
The Town of Northborough Select Board on July 13 voted on several items of town business, including utility infrastructure, personnel and budget housekeeping.
In a public hearing the board approved full petition 31293397 from Massachusetts Electric Company (doing business as National Grid) and Verizon to remove two existing poles near Bartlett Street and install a single jointly owned pole and associated overhead and underground facilities. Planning staff described the request and noted one existing pole (Pole 12) appeared to have sustained significant damage; Josh Van Abdi, assistant director of public policy, said that Pole 12 “might have been struck by a car or truck. It's in pretty bad shape.” After questions from board members about setbacks, replacement size and removal of the old poles, a motion to approve the petition passed on a roll-call vote.
The board also voted to appoint Daniel Hanley as a police officer, effective July 27. Police staff introduced Hanley and cited his prior experience and academy training; in presenting the candidate the chief said it was “an exciting night whenever you can introduce a new police officer.” The motion to appoint Hanley passed by roll call.
On year-end finance business the board approved a transfer of $128,006 from the health-insurance account to the snow-and-ice line to close a FY26 deficit. Finance staff summarized the year-end position, saying total remaining transfers under discussion were about $243,000 and noting that employer Medicare/benefit pressures accounted for some of the shortfalls. The motion referenced the legal mechanism for year-end transfers under Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 44, section 33B, and the board approved the transfer by roll-call vote.
The Select Board accepted a MassTrails grant award of $58,300 to fund a feasibility study for a 1.3-mile section of the Boston Worcester Air Line Trail (BWALT) through the Route 9/Route 20 corridor. Staff described the grant as supporting route planning and easement work for the Northborough segment, noted a local in-kind staff match of roughly $15,331 would be provided, and the motion to accept the grant (pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 44 §53A) passed.
Finally, the board approved appointments recommended by its review subcommittee to several town boards and committees (Traffic Safety Committee, Community Affairs Committee, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion/Belonging Committee) by roll-call vote.
The board moved on to other agenda items and then recessed to executive session to discuss litigation and contract strategy; the executive session was held in accordance with Massachusetts open-meeting law provisions.
