With less free cash on hand this year, and without some of the one-time money the town has used to fund budgets in the past, Southborough Finance Director Brian Ballantine told selectmen last week there’s little chance of avoiding a tax increase next year. Read the full article → from Finance director warns of another tough budget year
In effort to help residents get a handle on extensive changes being proposed to the town’s zoning code, the Planning Board earlier this month released a document that compares the new zoning code to the existing code. It’s a document the Advisory Committee has been pressing the Planning Board to provide for several months now. Read the full article → from Planning Board releases zoning comparison document
A list of department and committee meetings for the week. Read the full article → from The week in government (9/24/12 – 9/28/12)
Earlier this summer, residents living near Chestnut Hill Farm complained to the Board of Health about a strong odor of manure coming from the farm. The board had little sympathy at the time, saying the odor was not a public health risk, but Public Health Director Paul Pisinski said recently the two sides have worked together to reach a compromise. Read the full article → from Odor issue at Chestnut Hill Farm resolved
State Representative Carolyn Dykema will hold office hours at Mauro’s Cafe (2 Main Street) on Friday, and she invites Southborough residents to stop by. It’s your chance to meet Dykema and discuss anything that might be on your mind. Dykema will be at Mauro’s from 8:00 to 9:00 am. Read the full article → from Rep. Dykema to hold office hours in Southborough on Friday
Above: Pipes extend from a culvert on Wood Street that is partially blocked by a beaver dam Beavers are nothing if not persistent. Last year a family of the critters built a dam inside a culvert under Wood Street. The town trapped the beavers and broke up the dam, but a new family has moved Read the full article → from The beavers are back, but not for long
Lawmakers, along with state and local officials, visited Chestnut Hill Farm in Southborough on Monday as part of a tour of farms in the 8th Middlesex District to discuss agricultural issues. On hand were Rep. Carolyn Dykema and Senator Jamie Eldridge, among others. Read the full article → from Local lawmakers tour Southborough’s Chestnut Hill Farm
A list of department and committee meetings for the week. Read the full article → from The week in government (9/17/12 – 9/21/12)
The green 2012 Transfer Station stickers expire on Saturday, September 15, so if you haven’t gotten a new one yet, it’s time to do so. You can purchase stickers online or by mail, but they’ll take 2 to 3 weeks to arrive, so at this point you may want to head on over to the DPW office instead. Read the full article → from Go pink: 2013 Transfer Station stickers required next week (UPDATED)
Southborough’s Board of Health voted today to suspend outdoor activities and close town facilities between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am, effectively immediately. The vote, which comes on the heels of similar decisions in neighboring towns, is a response to the heightened risk of mosquito-borne illness like West Nile and EEE in our area. Read the full article → from Breaking news: Southborough suspends outdoor activities due to mosquito threat (UPDATED)
Southborough’s new town administrator Mark Purple is scheduled to start work on October 18, Interim Town Administrator Vanessa Hale said yesterday. Purple was singled out by Selectmen after a multi-month search to replace Town Administrator Jean Kitchen who retired in June. Read the full article → from Southborough’s new town administrator to start on October 18
A list of department and committee meetings for the week. Read the full article → from The week in government (9/10/12 – 9/14/12)
The Town of Southborough is searching for a new administrative assistant to work in the Building and Zoning Departments. The vacancy comes after current assistant Jeanne Survell resigned to take a new position with the town of Sterling, Interim Town Administrator Vanessa Hale said this week. Read the full article → from Job opening: Town of Southborough looking for administrative secretary
In a primary election in which most contestants ran unopposed, it’s probably no surprise that only a small number of Southborough residents turned out to vote yesterday. According to the Town Clerk’s office, a mere 540 ballots were cast, which makes for a turnout of only 7.84%. Read the full article → from Few Southborough residents voted in state primary