New Marlborough meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

New Marlborough boards meet on cemetery, broadband, and conservation; no decisions yet

Over the past two weeks, New Marlborough boards met on a range of items, from septic permits to a proposed cemetery preservation restriction. None of the meetings have published minutes yet, so no decisions or votes are confirmed. The most consequential items were on the Select Board's Aug. 17 agenda.

Select Board

The Select Board met Aug. 17 to take action on several items, including:

• A state preservation restriction for the New Marlborough Village Cemetery (Old Center Cemetery)
• An amendment to the collective bargaining agreement with the Highway Union
• A draft Town Hall renovation program
• Selection of a board member for the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization caucus
• A Police Department clerical position

The board also reviewed cemetery surplus equipment, signed off on senior work-off program hours, and considered appointments and administrative warrants. No minutes have been published, so the outcomes of these items are not yet known.

Conservation Commission

The Conservation Commission held two meetings. On Aug. 13, it conducted site visits to seven properties, including locations on Campbell Falls Rd, 98 Norfolk Rd, 395 Brewer Branch Rd, 1779 Hartsville NM Rd, and 164 Woodleigh Ave. No formal decisions were listed.

On Aug. 20, the commission reviewed a Notice of Intent for new home construction at 26 Lakeside Rd (Map 105, Lot 65), an enforcement order at 1277 Hartsville Mill River Rd (Map 104, Lot 6), and a request for determination for bank repairs at 0 Lakeside Rd (Gibson Grove). It also considered renewing a peer reviewer contract for David Cameron and a proposed bylaw for charging fees.

Other boards

• **Board of Health** (Aug. 11): Reviewed septic design, well permits, Title 5 inspection/perc updates, and regional public health updates. Routine regulatory items.
• **Board of Assessors** (Aug. 13): Reviewed motor vehicle and real/personal property abatements, approved the annual report, and discussed town email logins with Town Clerk technical help.
• **Cultural Council** (Aug. 13): Discussed the budget for 2027 grants and approved minutes from July 9.
• **Cable Advisory and Broadband Committee** (Aug. 14): Discussed the NM Net Umpachene expansion, a strategy for replacing the Digital Navigator position including potential grant funding, and an update on battery backup distribution.
• **Library Trustees** (Aug. 20): Routine business only, including the Library Director's report and setting the next meeting date. No specific decisions or financial items were listed.

Coming up

The Conservation Commission will meet Aug. 25 at 4 PM (hybrid) to act on two town projects on Campbell Falls Rd: a Certificate of Compliance (237-0213) and a Notice of Intent (237-0255). The commission will also discuss changing its regular meeting time from 4 PM to 3:30 PM. The agenda is otherwise procedural.

Town Hall renovation, school placements top recent New Marlborough meeting agendas

Over the past two weeks, New Marlborough's boards and committees met on a range of items, from a Town Hall renovation contract to out-of-district school placements. As of this writing, minutes have not been published for any of these meetings, so no outcomes are available.

Select Board

The Select Board met twice. On July 27, the agenda included approving a contract with EDM Design for architectural and design services for the Town Hall renovation, reclassifying the grade scale for the full-time Firefighter/EMT position, and reviewing payroll and vendor warrants. On August 3, the board considered an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement with the Highway Union, one-day alcohol licenses for the New Marlborough Fire Company and Field and For LLC, and signing the election warrant for the 2026 State Primary.

School Committee

The Southern Berkshire Regional School District School Committee held two meetings on July 29. One was a workshop on ethics and open meeting law, facilitated by MASC Field Director Liz Lafond and District Counsel Joshua Coleman, held at Mt. Everett Library. The other was a regular meeting with agenda items including a vote to approve out-of-district placements for five preschool students, accepting grants and gifts, budget transfers, an E&D proposal for Education Finance Services, LLC, and a review of the Student & Families Handbook.

Other boards

The Planning Board met July 28 to discuss an ANR plan on Hayes Hill Road (Figueiredo, Stewart, Kronzon), next administrative steps for adopted bylaw changes, and priorities for the third quarter of 2026.

The Library Trustees met July 30 with a director's report and routine items.

The Agricultural Commission held its first meeting August 4 to elect a chair and vice chair and discuss goals and next steps.

The Designer Selection/Design Review Committee met August 4 to review Town Hall renovation plans with the project manager and architect.

The Cultural Council met August 6 to approve minutes from July 9, hear the treasurer's report, discuss grants, and plan an August 8 community event.

Coming up

The Cultural Council will meet August 13 to discuss the budget for 2027 grants.

New Marlborough Weekly Roundup: Boards Tackle Bridge Contract, Town Hall Renovations, and School Placements

Town boards and committees met across late July to weigh infrastructure contracts, labor agreements, and school district business. Because minutes have not yet been published for most recent meetings, this roundup reflects what was on each agenda — not confirmed outcomes.

Select Board

The Select Board met twice in the past two weeks. On July 20, the agenda called for votes on a contract with MassDOT for the Campbell Falls Road small bridge construction and on an amendment to the collective bargaining agreement with the Highway Union. The board was also scheduled to review an ADA Self-Evaluation and Assessment Plan presented by James Mazik, consider a contract with EDM Design for Town Hall renovation architectural and design services, and review a sign construction item at Cassilis Farm.

On July 27, the board was set to act on the EDM Design contract for Town Hall renovation services, take action on a grade scale reclassification for the full-time Firefighter/EMT position, and review payroll and vendor warrants. No vote tallies or dollar amounts are available, as minutes have not been published.

Town Hall Renovation Effort

The Designer Selection/Design Review Committee met July 21 to discuss direction and next steps for the Town Hall renovation project. The committee is scheduled to meet again August 4 with the project manager and architect to review renovation plans. The Select Board's July 20 and July 27 agendas both included the EDM Design contract, indicating the project is moving through multiple town bodies.

SBRSD School Committee

The Southern Berkshire Regional School District School Committee held three sessions. A July 23 workshop focused on governance training led by MASC Field Director Liz Lafond and Executive Director Glenn Koocher, with a break to recognize Bonnie Silver's 14 years of service.

A July 29 workshop at Mt. Everett Library, 491 Berkshire School Rd, Sheffield, covered ethics and open meeting law, facilitated by Lafond and District Counsel Joshua Coleman. No votes were scheduled at either workshop.

A separate July 29 meeting agenda included a vote to approve out-of-district placements for five preschool students, votes on accepting grants and gifts, budget transfers, review of the Student & Families Handbook, and review of an E&D proposal for Education Finance Services, LLC. The agenda also listed public comment periods and an executive session.

Planning Board

The Planning Board met July 28 to discuss an ANR plan on Hayes Hill Road involving Figueiredo, Stewart, and Kronzon. The board also planned to outline next administrative steps for recently adopted bylaw changes and set priorities for the third quarter of 2026.

Library Trustees

The Library Trustees met July 30 at 1 Mill River. The agenda included procedural items, old and new business, a director's report, and setting the next meeting date. No specific decisions or dollar amounts were listed.

Coming Up

• **Select Board — August 3:** Agenda includes an amendment to the Highway Union collective bargaining agreement, one-day alcohol licenses for New Marlborough Fire Company and Field and For LLC, and review and signing of the election warrant for the 2026 State Primary.
• **Agricultural Commission — August 4:** First meeting, including election of a chair and vice chair and discussion of goals. Open to the public at Town Hall and via Zoom.
• **Design Review Committee — August 4:** Review of Town Hall renovation plans with the project manager and architect.
• **Cultural Council — August 13:** Review of treasurer's report and discussion of the 2027 grant budget.