The Select Board on Tuesday reviewed several proposed general bylaw amendments. These issues will be discussed at Annual Town Meeting on May 2.

The board received the most feedback on a proposed speed limit of 10 mph for e-bikes and other electric mobility devices on shared-use paths. The measure was proposed by the Trails Committee.

Trails Committee chair Peter LaGoy told the board that the speed limit would be more for public awareness and education than for enforcement purposes. Also, 10 mph would be “a relatively safe speed,” even if it is exceeded by 5 mph.

“The issue really comes down to most users are good, responsible users,” he stressed. “But this is a way to start with the education with folks who maybe aren’t going to be quite so responsible, as in typically the teenage group.”

“I think the communication with the public is a really important piece of this,” said Select Board member Amy Ritterbusch. “And once we have a rule, we can post the signs and we can spread the word about what the rule is.”

Select Board member Matthew Kizner said the speed limit could be perceived as a “nuisance law” that could be interpreted differently by the Hopkinton Police Department.

He added: “That is a recipe for bad feelings in a community that is already struggling with trust issues and the applicability of law.”

LaGoy disagreed. He said the speed limit would give HPD a tool to “at least have some means of reining those folks in.”

Nicole Simpson advocated for the speed limit, calling it an important safety measure that she helped draft. She said it would provide “clear guidance” to the community. Also, it would give e-bike riders an alternative to sharing the road with cars, where more accidents occur.

Simpson, a Sustainable Green Committee member, noted that she is an e-bike rider.  A speed limit would support people of all abilities seeking “healthy and sustainable transportation choices.”

Scott Knous, vice chair of the Trails Committee, shared as a public citizen that his children were nearly knocked off their bicycles by e-bike riders. He stressed that it gives HPD “the ability to enforce” the reckless riding he described.

Open Space Preservation Commission member Ed Harrow countered that the proposed speed limit is unenforceable.

HPD Chief Joe Bennett said that, if approved, policies would have to be crafted around enforcement and penalties.

“We would be out looking for particular problems, not necessarily patrolling trails,” he added.

Civilian fingerprinting issue raised

Another hot topic was requiring civilian fingerprinting for common victualer license applicants. The debate focused on providing a supportive environment for businesses versus impacting people’s civil liberties. A background check is part of the bylaw amendment.

Brian Herr spoke to both points of view. He said he would be supportive of fingerprinting CV applicants “on a local level” but not the owners of corporate entities.

He was told that no other community in Massachusetts has a CV civilian fingerprinting policy,

Said Herr: “There’s a reason for that.”

Ritterbusch noted that the public has expressed an interest in the policy. Fingerprinting is required for some professions, such as working in school buildings, she said.

Vice chair Shahidul Mannan, who chaired the meeting in the absence of chair Joe Clark, said the board was “recognizing the voice from the residents about the policy and process for approval.”

“We have spent many sessions discussing how to improve it,” he stressed.

Police revolving fund structure scrutinized

Cindy Johnston, the town accountant, spoke about her efforts to reconcile the Hopkinton Police Department’s account for police details. She began digging into this fund last spring in an attempt to create “more transparent accounting.”

Her inquiry showed that money for other purposes was “intermingling” with this fund “for a very long time,” which she said “wasn’t the best accounting.”

Other funds included administrative and police cruiser fees, Johnston added. The administrative fees should have been put into the town’s revolving fund. Revenue from cruiser rentals should be going into a fund to purchase cruisers, she said.

In discussions with HPD leaders, Johnston recommended two actions. One is to raise cruiser rental fees. The other was to cut down on the number of exemptions for cruiser fees.

“I really appreciate you taking the time to figure this out,” said Ritterbusch. “It needs to be done differently.”

Municipal aggregation revolving fund receives support

The Select Board expressed approval for a general bylaw amendment it sponsored to create a municipal aggregation revolving fund.

“The new revolving fund would hold the operational funds that are received by the town from the municipal aggregation program,” said Town Manager Elaine Lazarus.

She added that this would keep the money from going into the town’s general fund.

Municipal aggregation is a process through which a municipality purchases electricity in bulk from a competitive supplier on behalf of its residents, according to the state website. Communities also can join together to procure electricity in an effort to reduce cost.

“We’re essentially just ensuring the clean transfer and use of the funds and not necessarily altering or enhancing allocations,” said Kizner.

“It’s accounting,” added Mannan. “But it’s also nice to see that we are moving forward with the aggregate plan. That’s certainly a positive thing.”

Geoff Rowland, chair of the Sustainable Green Committee, said the group approved of the proposed bylaw.

EV charger revolving fund discussed

Along the same lines, board members discussed a new municipal electric vehicle charger revolving fund. Lazarus said the town intends to install EV chargers next year. The fund will be used for repair and maintenance expenses.

Rowland explained that this would fund chargers spread throughout town. They are funded “mostly by grants.”

Kizner said the board is being “overly prescriptive” by establishing multiple revolving funds.

Mannan called it “a balancing act.”

Final CV license renewals approved

The board approved 4-0 the final two outstanding common victualer license renewals. They were for Aramark at Dell at 176 South Street and 228 South Street. All inspections have been satisfactorily completed.

“Hopefully this exercise will help us move faster the next time,” said Mannan.

The board implemented a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check of all business owners and managers. The approval process had been slated to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. Inspection delays also hindered quicker approvals.