The week in government

Here are the posted open, public Southborough committee and board meetings for this week* along with my selected highlights from the agendas.

As always, be aware that changes to the meeting schedule (and agendas) are known to happen throughout the week. (Scroll down for details on any meetings that popped up after last Monday’s post.) For an updated list of meetings, visit the Town website.

These days, most (but not all) meetings, can be participated in, watched live, and replayed from home.)**

Monday, October 20, 2025

• Library Board of Trustees Meeting, 11:00 am @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Removal of Asphalt Pathway; Disaster/Emergency Plan; Preliminary FY27 Budget
• Housing Authority Meeting, 5:30 pm @ Colonial Gardens (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Discuss CPC Funds/Realty Trust and Collaboration with Affordable Housing Trust; FY26 Budget; approve FY25 Top 5 Compensation Form and Certification, Financial Statements, and Accounts Receivables Data; approve Certification of Compliance with Notification Procedures for Federal and State Lead Paint Laws; acknowledge Public Housing Notices 2023-03 and 2019-16 – Wage Match for State Housing Program Tenants; approve the Gardening and Recreational Activity Policy
• Advisory Committee Meeting, 6:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Committee letter to Special Town Meeting
• Planning Board Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda with packet) Agenda Highlights: Hearings on proposed zoning bylaws (Special Town Meeting Articles 1 –  “Add Highway Major Retail Use” and 9 “Update ADU”) and 2 E. Main St (Multi-Family Bldg); Discuss updating Subdivision Rules and Regs, and bylaws for  55+ Housing and Industrial Park uses; Update on proposed Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles, MWRC-MetroWest Project Participation, and Clean Energy Regs
• Recreation Commission Meeting, 7:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Updates on dept & programs; Discuss/vote on Capital; Fayville CPC Project; Fayville Hall Parking; Fall Town Meeting Discussion
• Capital Improvement and Planning Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm @ zoom only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Presentations for Southborough schools & Algonquin capital; Pre-K to 8 School Building Committee Update; FY26 Timeline; Elect officers

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

• Board of Assessors Meeting, 4:15 pm @ DPW Meeting Room (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Monthly taxes and abatements; Review Tax Classification Hearing presentation; Final comments on certification and update on recap preparation; 
• Select Board Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda with packet) Agenda Highlights: Tricentennial Committee update; MetroWest RECC update; Finance Update & FY27 budget guidelines; Approve Golf Course project funding request; Assign OML complaint to Town Counsel; Prep for Special Town Meeting; 2026 Annual Town Meeting date
• Joint Meeting of Policy Development Subcommittees of Combined School Committees, 7:00 pm @ webinar only (agenda) Agenda Highlights: First Review of Policies (K-12 – School Immunization Requirement, Athletic Concussion, and Wellness; K-8 – Teaching of Controversial Issues, Middle School Pathway Exploration, and School Enrollment; ARHS – Competency Determination); Recommend rescinding ARHS’ Class Standing policy; Discuss policies for AI and Cell Phone

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

• Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds Meeting, 8:00 am @ Town House Hearing Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Potential vote on applicant
• Community Preservation Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm @ Public Safety Training Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Review application for transfer to Affordable Housing Trust Fund; Discuss signage for Rec projects and Golf Course; Discuss Special Town Meeting Article on Golf Course revolving fund

Thursday, October 23, 2025

• Master Plan Implementation Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm @ Public Safety Training Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights: Elect officers; Updates; Transition of goal tracking database to Town
• Conservation Commission Meeting, 7:00 pm @ zoom only (agenda with packet) Agenda Highlights: Hearings on 118-120 Request for Amended Order of Conditions, and MBTA Commuter Rail resource boundaries; Discuss Breakneck Hill Conservation Land with Stewardship Committee; Request for Certificate of Compliance – 229 Parkerville Road
• Wastewater Study Committee Meeting, 7:00 pm @ Public Safety Training Room and zoom (agenda) Agenda Highlights: One Stop grant application status; impact of project at Dell/EMC property; Discuss financing options, other towns’ experiences, potential sites and users; plan worksteps; Violation – 5 MacNeill Dr (clearing DCR property); Elect officers

Looking Back:

Below are meetings from last week that were posted after I ran last week’s list:

Friday October 17, 2025

• Personnel Board Meeting, 8:00 am (agenda, video) Agenda Highlights: IT Request for professional development funding; Review of Special Town Meeting related Articles; Timeline for FY27 SAP updates

*I don’t list meetings that are only closed Executive Sessions unless the agenda indicates the possibility of some action in an open public session at the opening or closing of the meeting.

**Details on watching meetings remotely:

• Town Committee/Board Meetings:
  • If in-person meetings don’t also advertise a zoom option, assume that it won’t be broadcast or captured on video.
  • To remotely participate in meetings that allow zoom, click here.
  • To live stream (or view later) remote or hybrid meetings (even those covered by Southborough Access Media) over the internet, use the Town’s YouTube Channel for Remote Meetings. (The meetings covered by SAM can also be streamed on their website here, and eventually on SAM’s YouTube Channel.)
  • Cable Access — Southborough Access Media broadcasts the regular evening meetings for the Select Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals that take place in the Town House Hearing Room. (Those meetings will still allow zoom participation.) View SAM’s live and replayed broadcasts via their Government cable access channel (Verizon-37 and Charter-194).
• School Committee Meetings:
  • Subcommittee meetings and some special meetings are only available to attend/view live (in person or by “webinar”) with no later rebroadcast.
  • Regular Southborough School Committee meetings are generally broadcast live by Southborough Access Media here and on Verizon-37 and Charter-192. (Video replays are also usually made available through their YouTube channel within a couple of days.)
  • Regular Regional School Committee meetings (or Combined meetings based at Algonquin) are live broadcast by Northborough Cable Access here and on Southborough’s Education Channel (Verizon-29 and Charter-194). The meetings are also eventually rebroadcast and available through NCAT’s VideoOnDemand player and YouTube channel (though that can take several days).
• Other:
  • Southborough does participate in some regional collaboratives hosted in other towns. Those committees follow their own rules and may not offer a way to re-watch zoom meetings.