Roundup of Town news: Updated Main Street presentation, Town tax collectors may take titles, planned info hub and promoting mentors

Above: The DPW Director’s new presentation on Main Street shows a similarly laid out road and explains the difference between reconstructing vs repaving. (Image from Southborough Access Media’s video)

I can’t cover every mention of Southborough in the news as it breaks. So, I’ve queued up a few stories on Town government news.

With a new video out that should garner interest, it’s time to share them.

Update on the Main Street Project – Department of Public Works & Southborough Access Media:

DPW Director Karen Galligan talks about changes made to the Main Street Reconstruction Project based on resident and Working Group feedback. In the video, she also explains the difference between re-paving and rebuilding the road.

Galligan references a comment at the October Board of Selectmen meeting on the issue. The speaker referred to her past projection that the town could fix the road for $950,000.

In the video, she clarifies that was the answer to a specific question about how much it would cost to repave the road if they treated it like other road projects in town.

Here, she seeks to justify why the DPW believes the road requires more extensive work. She goes on to list other elements not included in that quote that the town believes are improvements.

Galligan ends the presentation asking people to send in their comments to selectmen before they vote on continuing to pursue the project. (That vote is scheduled for their November 18th meeting.)

click on the full screen icon [ ] in bottom right corner to expand or click here to see it in You Tube.

posted to You Tube by Southborough Access Media

Southborough to take tax titles on overdue properties – Southborough Wicked Local:

On Nov. 13, Southborough plans to foreclose on 15 tax titles after owners failed to pay thousands of dollars to the town.

The tax collector announced on Thursday [October 30] that Southborough will take the titles to 15 lots on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. in Town Hall unless the property owners pay back the taxes due. Most of the landowners owe the town at least $1,000 in property taxes, while others owe more in unpaid water or preservation taxes.

If a real estate tax is not paid within 30 days of the bill, the owner’s account gains interest at 14 percent per year. If the account is still unpaid after the last day of the fiscal year it was issued in, the town can issue a lien on the property- the first step in foreclosure. To prevent foreclosure, the property owner must pay all taxes, interest and any other fees to the town. (read more)

Southborough weighs online updates – Southborough Wicked Local: 

A jump into the digital age is ahead for Southborough as the town eyes a new website provider.

With nearly everything available at the click of a button, Southborough hopes to make its website more convenient for the public, Assistant Town Administrator Vanessa Hale said. The new site will be an information hub, Hale said, that lets residents conduct their town business from home. (read more)

Algonquin students mentor Southborough youngsters – Community Advocate:

Project Friend, sponsored by Southborough Youth and Family Services, originated in the early 1980s as an opportunity for students at Algonquin Regional High School to gain community service experience through the school’s Community Action Program. The volunteer-staffed program pairs students from Algonquin with those from Woodward and Neary schools to create unique friendships. . .

“We are looking for more participants on both sides. Anyone who wants to participate could reach out to me and let me know if they’re interested in the program. Even though it starts this Thursday we’d be more than happy to consider Big and Little friends who are interested in joining at any point during the year,” she added. “Although we can’t guarantee a spot because we might not have the right match, we’d encourage anyone who’s considering it to inquire so we can see if we can find them a spot.” (read more)