Budgetary matters were the main focus of Monday night’s Board of Health meeting, with the Health Department prepared to enter fiscal year 2027 operating on a budget consistent with the town’s guidelines. “The message was level service, level budget,” explained chair...
While officials at Town Hall refused further comment on the situation, more information has been learned about the First Amendment auditor who paid a visit last week, which led to a town employee pulling a fire alarm. Last Friday, so-called "First Amendment auditors"...
The release of a video by “First Amendment auditors” taken at Town Hall on Friday has town officials working to train staff on improving engagement with members of the public. The video, uploaded Monday to YouTube, shows public health nurse Simone Carter pulling a...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGF-dKVsidQ The town’s hour-long forum Tuesday night at the Hopkinton Public Library provided residents with information on efforts to keep per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS in the town’s water system below the current...
The town will host a community forum regarding PFAS chemicals and related substances next Tuesday. Representatives of the Department of Public Works and the Board of Health will give a presentation and discuss questions related to PFAS in drinking water. The forum...
The Board of Health on Monday spent time discussing the town’s capacity to continue providing immunization services in the wake of changes at both the federal and state levels. “We’re awaiting final guidance on all the vaccination schedules … how that’s changing, and...
During a brief meeting Monday night, the Board of Health discussed the current state of health care both statewide and nationally, along with the board’s options to address those issues. During its previous meeting in July, the Board of Health began drafting a...
Residents are advised to avoid contact and ingestion of water in the upper reservoir of Hopkinton State Park following a warning issued by the Department of Conservation and Recreation this week. Officials from the Department of Public Heath notified the Hopkinton...
Residents are expressing frustrations with what they believe are “inhumane practices” after beavers were removed from Bloods Pond last month. Between June 3-15, the Department of Public Works applied for an emergency permit and contracted a problem animal control...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1PY9K2NEKk Following a public hearing Wednesday night, the Board of Health unanimously approved new regulations prohibiting the sale of tobacco to individuals born after a certain date. The Board of Health held the public hearing to...
The Board of Health voted on Monday night to move forward with a public hearing on its nicotine-free generation proposal following presentations from advocates both for and against the regulation. The Nicotine-Free Generation (NFG) initiative is one of Health Director...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENDK_o9uMA&ab_channel=HCAM The Select Board heard the fiscal year 2026 budget requests from several town departments Tuesday night, and emphasis was placed on providing level service and asking for only the most urgently needed...
Health Director Shaun McAuliffe informed the Board of Health Monday night that the town’s budget tightening measures will force a reduction in health services. “We are told the hiring process is on hold,” he informed the board. “With the 1.3% increase, there’s a...
Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe and members of the Board of Health lauded public health nurse Simone Carter during Tuesday night’s meeting for her work and leadership in public nursing. “Simone deserves some praise,” said McAuliffe. He and the board...
There are a number of articles on the warrant for Monday’s Special Town Meeting that span everything from tax exemptions to rezoning. The Independent recently sat down with town officials to understand each of the articles on the STM warrant and their impact on...
The Board of Health spent its meeting Monday night focused on the Health Department’s budget for the next fiscal year. Health Director Shaun McAuliffe took the board through his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 and the changes he hopes to get approved. McAuliffe’s...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-lB75_FR0&ab_channel=HCAM The Select Board voted unanimously to set a Special Town Meeting date for Nov. 18, with the intended focus being a vote on the MBTA Communities zoning bylaw. Kyla LaPierre, the town’s chief financial...
Health Director Shaun McAuliffe walked members of the Board of Health through the Health Department’s new strategic plan Monday night. The plan, which was finalized in August, identifies five strategic priorities for the department. These center around data reporting,...
Board of Health members on Monday discussed a possible surge in West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes, which could impact the town. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe and public health nurse Simone Carter informed the board they would be putting an advisory out...
Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe announced Monday afternoon that the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation issued a cyanobacteria advisory for Hopkinton Reservoir, which is located in Hopkinton State Park. An email from the state's Department of...
