The Select Board during its meeting Tuesday night approved by a 4-0 vote a budget message that stressed frugality to town departments when making their fiscal year 2025 budget requests. The town is bracing for a challenging budget season, with a current projected...
Hopkinton Select Board
Select Board sets dates for November’s Special Town Meeting, election
At a 10-minute meeting Tuesday night, the Select Board voted 4-0 to set the date for the Special Town Meeting for Monday, Nov. 13, and the Special Town Election for Tuesday, Nov. 28. The primary goal of this Special Town Meeting (STM) is to vote on the proposal for a...
Select Board members respond to criticism after vote to delay police promotions
In the wake of a surprise 4-1 vote to delay the promotion request for two Hopkinton Police Department officers to the rank of sergeant at the Select Board meeting on Sept. 5, one Select Board member explained his rationale for his decision to the Hopkinton...
Select Board puts police promotion requests on hold, discusses timeline for Special Town Meeting
The Select Board at its meeting Tuesday night voted 4-1 to delay consideration of the promotion of two Hopkinton police officers to the rank of sergeant until a departmental review is complete, provoking angry outbursts from some audience members. Detective Gregg...
Commission on Disability seeks to educate community, businesses on importance of accessibility, equity
Nancy “Punky” Drawe is a lifelong Hopkinton resident. She is well known in town because of her outgoing personality and love of volunteering. She is the chair of the Council on Aging, the chair of the board of commissioners of the Hopkinton Housing Authority, and a...
Select Board votes to endorse $158 million budget proposed for new school building
The Select Board at its two-hour meeting Wednesday night voted 4-0-1 to endorse a budget recommendation not to exceed $158,427,494 for a proposed replacement building for Elmwood School. This figure was approved by the Elementary School Building Committee the night...
Select Board roundup: UCTC to remain as separate but restructured committee; legislators provide update
After months of speculation about the future of the Upper Charles Trail Committee, the Select Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to keep it separate from the Trail Coordination and Management Committee, but with both committees modifying their structures and charges....
Select Board discusses priorities for upcoming fiscal year
The Select Board met for nearly two hours on Thursday night to discuss members’ most pressing priorities, reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and brainstorm about overarching town goals. Select Board chair Muriel Kramer led an icebreaker exercise over pizza...
Select Board roundup: New DPW director, first economic development manager approved
The Select Board at its four-hour meeting Tuesday night voted unanimously to approve the appointment of Conservation Commission co-chair Kerry Reed as the town’s new Department of Public Works director and Julia Chun as the new sustainability, economic development and...
Select Board continues suspension of Upper Charles Trail Committee pending review at Aug. 1 meeting
The Select Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to continue the suspension on the Upper Charles Trail Committee until Aug. 1, when the board will continue to discuss the results of a recently released survey on residents’ goals for the committee and the trail. The...
Trails Committee discusses charge, communication with Select Board
The Trail Coordination and Management Committee met with Select Board members Wednesday night to discuss its charter and goals for the Upper Charles Trail in an effort to improve communication about a situation that has generated some controversy over the past several...
Select Board roundup: Water rates to rise 17.5% while sewer rates will fall by 5%
The Select Board during its nearly four-hour hybrid meeting Tuesday night approved a 17.5% water rate increase, which will be somewhat offset by a 5% sewer rate decrease, by a 4-0 vote. Town Manager Norman Khumalo explained that adjusting the water and sewer rates is...
Schools Notebook: Select Board supports SOI for Elmwood
Select Board supports SOI for Elmwood The Select Board approved the Hopkinton Public Schools’ intention to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in a bid to be accepted into the MSBA’s reimbursement program for a new...
Town Meeting to address potential future use of Center School
Town Meeting voters this spring may be asked to bring in design consultants to help shape the future of Center School. The consultants would be asked to present a feasibility study to determine options to convert the school to municipal use. Several potential...
News Briefs: Hopkinton K9 Titan lauded for rescuing woman
Scouts honored Hopkinton K9 Titan lauded for rescuing woman The Hopkinton Police Department’s K9, Titan, was commended at the Jan. 7 Select Board meeting for his work rescuing a woman in Milford. Hopkinton Police Chief Edward Lee shared a letter from his counterpart...
Main Street Corridor project heads back to voters
Select Board approves Special Town Meeting for Dec. 9 Those who oppose the Main Street Corridor project will get their chance to take their case back to the town, as the Select Board unanimously approved a Special Town Meeting for Dec. 9. Members of the Main Street...
Alliance forms against downtown project
Jackie Potenzone has a warning for fellow Hopkinton residents. Potenzone, who has lived on Wood Street for two decades and run a hair salon there for the past 18 years, said the Main Street Corridor Project should scare everyone in Hopkinton, due to the town forcing...
Hopkinton High-Five: Coutinho an ever-present volunteer
Editor’s note: This is a new feature in the Independent called “Hopkinton High-Five” where we salute a resident who has made contributions to the town. John Coutinho has spent a lifetime trying to emulate his parents’ spirit of volunteering. Coutinho, who serves as...
Proposed Main Street bike lane raises safety concerns
The bike lane scheduled to be constructed as part of the Main Street Corridor Project to upgrade the town center will pose safety hazards to bicycle riders, insists town resident Ed Harrow. The work includes the addition of a two-way bike lane on one side of the road,...
Select Board lauds town manager, police chief, fire chief
The downtown project was on everyone’s minds when the Select Board met on Oct. 8 and discussed the annual performance evaluations of Town Manager Norman Khumalo, Police Chief Edward Lee and Fire Chief Steve Slaman. In the end, all three received annual ratings of...