Winthrop Town meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Firehouse project on schedule; Town Council to weigh $1.5M water main

The Fire House Building Committee approved the final gymnasium wall design and confirmed the project is on schedule and within budget, with bids due Aug. 17. The committee also voted unanimously to approve the previous meeting's minutes, with three abstentions, and agreed to draft a community newsletter. In other business, the Town Council's Aug. 18 special meeting agenda included a $1.5 million water main replacement, and the Zoning Board of Appeals heard a request to convert a hotel into apartments.

Fire House Building Committee

The committee approved the final gymnasium wall design and the minutes of its prior meeting. Project manager Dan Pallotta reported the project is on schedule and within budget. Bids are due Aug. 17. The committee also discussed debris removal and repurposing, and agreed to draft and distribute a community newsletter. The meeting adjourned unanimously.

Town Council

The Town Council held a public information meeting on Aug. 11 to discuss stormwater improvements for the Girdlestone Road and Pico Avenue neighborhoods. The proposal includes three new stormwater outfalls: one at Pleasant Park Yacht Club and two at Pico Beach. Public input was welcomed via direct outreach or future public hearings during permitting.

At a special meeting on Aug. 18, the council's agenda included a $1.5 million borrowing authorization for water main replacement on Winthrop Street, funded by a General Obligation Bond. The agenda also included discussion of deleting taxi fare ordinances, making Court Road one-way, and amendments to the use variance and tree ordinances. No votes were recorded in the agenda summary.

School Committee

The School Committee met on Aug. 10 with an agenda that included warrants totaling $319,421.79 (SVW27-2) and $260,194.40 (SPW27-2), resignations from a world language teacher and an educational support professional, and a proposed substitute nurse pay increase. The committee also planned to enter executive session for collective bargaining. No decisions were listed in the agenda.

Zoning and Planning

The Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on Aug. 20 on three items: a request to convert a hotel at 312 Shirley Street into a 30-unit apartment building (requiring a variance for parking and use in the B-A zone), a six-month extension of a variance at 54 Wilshire Street, and a permit to demolish and rebuild a single-family home at 17 Winthrop Street.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Aug. 24 for a proposed mixed-use building at 210 Capricorn Street with 19 residential units and 1 commercial unit. The board will also discuss a Tree Committee proposal to add a developer tree plan requirement to the zoning ordinance and amendments to the use variance ordinance.

Other Boards

The Conservation Commission continued public hearings on retaining wall and stair projects at 44, 50, and 58-60 Faun Bar Avenue, and considered new requests for a deck addition at 251 Court Road and a parking area at 1 Tafts Avenue.

The Commission for Diversity, Inclusion, & Community Relations discussed renaming the commission to remove the word "diversity" from its title, but took no action. Members planned to research other towns' commission names and scheduled volunteer participation in Accessible Adventures at Deer Island on Aug. 29.

The Affordable Housing Committee reviewed data and discussed possible recommendations to the town council, but no votes were recorded.

Coming Up

• **School Committee** – Aug. 24: warrants, personnel changes, facility use requests, and unfinished business on substitute nurse pay and school records.
• **Planning Board** – Aug. 24: public hearing on 210 Capricorn Street mixed-use building and zoning amendments.
• **Winthrop Housing Authority** – Aug. 24: routine agenda.
• **Tree Committee** – Aug. 24: public hearing on tree removal at 143 Morton Street and tree ordinance updates.
• **Winthrop Cultural Council** – Aug. 25: general business and Music on the Landing updates.
• **Board of Health** – Aug. 25: tattoo and permanent makeup license requests, Cottage Food regulations.
• **Winthrop Retirement Board** – Aug. 25: approval of Police Chief John Goodwin's retirement (effective Oct. 31, 2026) and FY27 appropriations.
• **Metro Boston Homeland Security Region** – Aug. 27: budget and status updates.

Winthrop boards weigh $1.1M water project, hazard plan; no decisions published

No formal decisions have been published from Winthrop's municipal meetings over the past two weeks; all agendas are marked as "minutes not yet published." The most consequential item on the docket was a proposed $1.1 million appropriation for the third year of the Water Meter & Valve Replacement Project, which the Town Council was scheduled to consider on August 4. Also prominent were multiple discussions and a scheduled vote on the 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan update.

Water infrastructure

The Town Council and the Finance Committee both met on August 4 to discuss the $1,100,000 appropriation for Year 3 of the Water Meter & Valve Replacement Project. The Town Council agenda also included a vote to adopt the Hazard Mitigation Plan, a continued public hearing on a taxi fare increase, and discussions of one-way traffic on Court Road and a stop sign at Lincoln St., Brookfield Rd. & Beal St. No vote results have been published.

Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Public Health & Safety Committee held two meetings on July 29 and two on August 4 to review and vote on the 2026 Winthrop Hazard Mitigation Plan update. Key items included:

• $13 million in Morton Street drainage improvements, with a funding discrepancy (assigned to the General Fund in the draft plan)
• Review of 153 repetitive loss properties and claim figures requiring reconciliation ($654,231 vs. $654,157)
• A proposed stormwater fee with mitigation incentives
• Evaluation of the Community Rating System (CRS) application and a $20,000 annual implementation cap
• Flood protection for the Senior Center, Middle/High School, and a power substation on Bayou Street

Vice President Suzanne Swope requested corrections to substantive discrepancies, funding sources, and typographical errors before the plan is sent to the Town Council for adoption. No formal decisions were reported.

Other notable items

• **Retirement Board (July 28):** Agenda included approval of the June 2026 Eastern Bank Statement and Reconciliation for $181,489.80, acceptance of Police Officer Vanessa LaFlamme ($67,218.33) and ESP Krystle DeCarlo ($35,203.00) into the retirement system, appointment of a fifth board member, and evaluation of the Retirement Coordinator's rate of increase effective September 15, 2026.
• **Housing Authority (July 28):** Special meeting to discuss project funding (EOHLC CFA) and a solar project on Overlook Drive.
• **Tree Committee (August 3):** Reviewed a $2,000 grant for tree purchases, updates on Revere St. planting, proposed ordinance language, a 250-year legacy tree plan for Metcalf Square, and planting approvals for the high school and Coughlin.
• **Conservation Commission (August 5):** Continued public hearings for retaining wall and stair projects at 44, 50, and 58-60 Faun Bar Avenue, plus new requests for a deck at 251 Court Rd. and a parking area at 1 Tafts Ave.
• **Board of Appeals (July 30):** Reviewed a permit request to demolish and construct a two-and-one-half story single-family home at 17 Winthrop Street.
• **Rules & Ordinance (July 30):** Reviewed edits to Town Council Rules and Procedures (Sections 1-9), a motion on resident parking stickers (Chapter 10.48), and committee appointment applications.
• **Listening Session (July 29):** Vice President Swope hosted a public listening session for resident input, including a vision for Winthrop in 2046. No binding decisions were scheduled.

Coming up

• **August 10, 6:00 PM – Fire House Building Committee:** Project update with Dan Pallotta and Architect Larry Trim, followed by open discussion and public comment.
• **August 11 – Town Council Public Information Meeting:** Proposed stormwater infrastructure improvements for Girdlestone Road and Pico Avenue, including three new stormwater outfalls (one at Pleasant Park Yacht Club, two at Pico Beach). Public input is welcomed.

Winthrop Roundup: Council Rules Updated, Planning Board Continues Key Items, Water Projects on Deck

The Winthrop Rules and Ordinance Committee updated Town Council procedures and tightened board appointment requirements at its July 20 meeting, while the Planning Board approved June minutes and pushed three substantive items to late August.

Rules & Ordinance Committee (July 20)

The committee approved meeting minutes from June 25, 2026, and made several corrections to Town Council Rules 1–7. Changes included correcting Rules 1–4 for return to council, applying a strike-through correction to Rule 6C, fixing grammatical errors in Rule 7, and modifying the order of business and definitions in Rules 5–7.

The committee also required that board appointment applications and resumes be submitted one week before meetings, and removed the word "may" from Section 2-10 regarding non-policy-making board appointments. A decision on small commercial vehicle parking stickers under Chapter 10.48 was deferred pending a parking study.

Planning Board (July 20)

The Planning Board approved minutes from its June 20, 2026 meeting. All other substantive items were continued: the 210 Winthrop Street project was continued to August 24, 2026; a Tree Committee motion to add Section G to the zoning ordinance was also continued to August 24, 2026; and review of Use Ordinance amendments regarding use variances was continued without a specified date.

Town Council — Proposed Actions (July 21, Agenda Only)

The July 21 Town Council agenda listed several items for consideration, though minutes have not yet been published. Proposed items included adoption of the Winthrop Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026 Update; appropriations of $1,666,000 for sewer main rehabilitation on Winthrop Street, $1,500,000 for water main replacement on Winthrop Street, and $1,100,000 for Year 3 of a water meter and valve replacement project; an electric bike and motorized scooter ordinance; a request for a comprehensive parking and traffic study; moving election polling locations back to the former middle school gym; and a motion to dissolve the Rules & Ordinance Committee and restructure standing committees.

The Finance Committee was scheduled the same day to discuss the $1,500,000 water main and $1,666,000 sewer main appropriations.

Other Recent Meetings (Agenda Only)

The Winthrop Housing Authority held its annual meeting July 20 to present and discuss the draft Annual Plan, with a public comment period. A July 28 special WHA meeting addressed EOHLC CFA project funding and the Overlook Drive solar project.

The Transportation Safety Advisory Committee met July 22 to discuss a possible 3-way stop sign at Lincoln St, Beal St, and Brookfield Rd, parking and traffic flow on Court Rd and Hillside Ave, recent bus service frequency changes, and Project Crosswalk Phase 2.

The School Committee met July 27 to review warrants, payroll warrants, and budget transfers.

The Winthrop Retirement Board met July 28 to consider approval of a June 2026 Eastern Bank Statement and Reconciliation for $181,489.80, acceptance of Police Officer Vanessa LaFlamme ($67,218.33) and ESP Krystle DeCarlo ($35,203.00) into the retirement system, appointment of a fifth board member, and the Retirement Coordinator's evaluation and rate of increase effective September 15, 2026.

The Public Health & Safety Committee met July 29 to review corrections to the 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan, including a $13 million Morton Street drainage project, 153 repetitive loss properties, a proposed stormwater fee, and a Community Rating System application capped at $20,000 annually.

The Board of Appeals met July 30 to review a permit request to demolish and construct a two-and-one-half story single-family home at 17 Winthrop Street.

Coming Up

• **Aug. 3 — Tree Committee:** $2,000 grant for tree purchases, proposed town ordinance language, and a 250-year legacy tree plan for Metcalf Square.
• **Aug. 4 — Town Council:** Public hearing and vote on $1,100,000 for Year 3 Water Meter & Valve Replacement Project; vote on Hazard Mitigation Plan adoption; continued public hearing on taxi fare increases; discussion of one-way traffic on Court Road and a stop sign at Lincoln St., Brookfield Rd. & Beal St.
• **Aug. 4 — Finance Committee:** Discussion of the $1,100,000 water meter and valve appropriation.
• **Aug. 4 — Public Health & Safety Committee:** Vote on Hazard Mitigation Update at 6:15 PM in the Harvey Hearing Room.
• **Aug. 5 — Conservation Commission:** Continued hearings on retaining walls at 44, 50, and 58–60 Faun Bar Avenue; new requests for a deck at 251 Court Rd. and a parking area at 1 Tafts Ave.
• **Aug. 10 — Fire House Building Committee:** Project update with Dan Pallotta and architect Larry Trim, followed by public comment.
• **Aug. 11 — Town Council:** Public information meeting on proposed stormwater improvements in the Girdlestone Road and Pico Avenue neighborhoods, including three new outfalls.

Winthrop government roundup: Board of Appeals took up 17 Winthrop Street petition; major water and sewer appropriations on deck

The Winthrop Board of Appeals held a special meeting July 7 to consider petition 2026-005 regarding 17 Winthrop Street, where the applicant requested a permit to demolish the existing structure and construct a two-and-one-half story single-family home on the 24,714 square foot lot. The provided official minutes do not specify the board's decision on the petition.

Recent meetings

Fire House Building Committee (July 7) — Agenda only; minutes not yet published. Items included a project update from OPM Dan Pallotta and Architect Larry Trim, approval of previous minutes, and a public comment period. No specific decisions or financial actions were listed.

Commission for Diversity, Inclusion, & Community Relations (July 8) — Agenda only. The commission planned to recap June events (Pride potluck, bike ride, pub crawl, Pride flag raising, Juneteenth flag raising), plan Accessible Adventures in August with the Commission on Disabilities, discuss social media outreach and member recruitment, extend a meeting invitation to council members, and review a letter to the Town Council regarding ICE protocols.

Council on Aging (July 9) — Agenda only. Largely procedural, with approval of minutes, program and outreach reports, and the director's report. No public hearings, ordinances, or financial actions were scheduled.

Metro Boston Homeland Security Region JPOC (July 10) — Agenda only. Remote meeting to discuss FY26 budget and operations, approve minutes from the May 28, 2026 meeting, and handle old and new business.

School Committee (July 13) — Agenda only. The committee planned to approve minutes from June 15 and June 29, process payroll warrants, and handle personnel updates including the resignations of Natalie FitzPatrick, Marissa Grieco, and Kayla Daniell. Job postings listed were WMS Mentor, WHS Fall Coaches, and GFB Science Teacher. The committee also planned to review home school applications.

Public Health, Safety and Public Works Committee (July 14) — Agenda only. The committee planned to discuss developing a policy balancing sidewalk accessibility, especially ADA requirements, with preserving healthy street trees. Items included criteria for saving versus removing trees, alternative sidewalk structures (ramping, flexible pavement, root barriers, sidewalk realignment), DPW cost estimates per repair method, a future street planting plan, and funding sources including capital budget, Chapter 90, and grants.

Board of License Commission (July 15) — Agenda only. The board planned to review and sign a liquor license transfer, brown bag license renewals, and a common victualler license resignation, followed by a public comment period.

Coming up

July 20 — Planning Board: Public hearing and recommendations to the Town Council on two proposed zoning changes: adding Section G (Developer Tree Plan) to Zoning Ordinance 17.44.060 for multifamily, commercial, and industrial projects, and amending Section 17.52.030 (Variances) to strike the words "use or" from the first sentence. The board will also review minutes from June 15, 2026.

July 20 — Winthrop Housing Authority: Annual meeting to present and discuss the draft Annual Plan, review minutes and financials, and accept public comment. Remote access is available.

July 20 — Town Council Rules and Ordinance Committee: Review of proposed edits to Sections 1–4 and Sections 5–7 of the Town Council Rules and Procedures, a motion to allow small commercial vehicles to obtain resident parking stickers under Chapter 10.48, and consideration of new and re-appointment applications for policy-making and non-policy-making committee members.

July 21 — Finance Committee: Discussion of two town-council appropriations: $1,500,000 for water main replacement on Winthrop St. and $1,666,000 for sewer main rehabilitation on Winthrop St.

July 21 — Town Council: Scheduled votes to adopt the Winthrop Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026 Update and to appropriate $1,666,000 for sewer main rehabilitation on Winthrop Street, $1,500,000 for water main replacement on Winthrop Street, and $1,100,000 for a Year 3 water meter and valve replacement project. Additional items include an electric bike and motorized scooter ordinance, a request for a comprehensive parking and traffic study, moving election polling locations back to the former middle school gym, and a motion to dissolve the Rules and Ordinance Committee and restructure standing committees.

July 22 — Transportation Safety Advisory Committee: Discussion of a possible 3-way stop sign at Lincoln St, Beal St, and Brookfield Rd; parking and traffic flow on Court Rd and on Hillside Ave between Crystal Cove Ave and Beacon St; recent changes to bus service frequency; and a potential discussion area for Project Crosswalk Phase 2.

July 29 — Town Council listening session: Hosted by Vice President Swope. Open floor for resident compliments, concerns, and brainstorming, plus discussion of a vision for Winthrop in 2046. No binding decisions or votes are scheduled.

July 30 — Board of Appeals: Review of a permit request to demolish and construct a two-and-one-half story single-family home at 17 Winthrop Street, and review of June 25, 2026 meeting minutes.

Winthrop Council Adopts FY27 Budgets, Approves 15-Year Massport PILOT Agreement

The Winthrop Town Council adopted the fiscal year 2027 budgets unanimously and approved a 15-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with Massport by a 6-3 vote, according to official minutes.

Town Council

The council adopted the FY27 General Fund, Revolving, Capital, and Enterprise Fund budgets, all by 9-0 votes. The council also appropriated funds to the Educational Stabilization Fund (9-0) and approved the minutes of June 2, 2026, unanimously.

The 15-year Massport PILOT agreement was accepted 6-3.

The council reappointed members to several committees, including Air Pollution, Board of Appeals, Board of Assessors, Council on Aging, Disabilities, Scholarship, and Memorials committees, all unanimously. Christian Buonopane was appointed to the Board of License, and Stephen Machinski was appointed to the Conservation Committee, both unanimously.

Separately, the council had agendas for June 30 to consider borrowing $1,666,000 for sewer main rehabilitation on Winthrop St and $1,500,000 for water main replacement on Winthrop St, as well as transfers of $250,000 and $800,000. Minutes for these items have not yet been published, so outcomes are not yet known. The agendas also listed a motion to require Board of Appeals candidates Jason Wright and John Young to appear before the council before a vote on their appointment.

Board of Appeals

The Board of Appeals held a special meeting to consider petition 2026-005 regarding 17 Winthrop Street. The applicant requested a permit to demolish the existing structure and construct a two-and-one-half story single-family home on the 24,714 square foot lot.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee had agendas to vote on transferring $250,000 from the General Stabilization Fund to the Snow & Ice Account, modifying General Fund budgets to close FY26, appropriating $110,000 of certified free cash, and moving $800,000 from Water-Sewer retained earnings to the Water-Sewer Capital Stabilization Fund. The committee also had an agenda to discuss taxi fee rates. Minutes for these meetings have not yet been published.

Other Meetings

The Fire House Building Committee was scheduled to receive a project update from OPM Dan Pallotta and Architect Larry Trim. The Commission for Diversity, Inclusion, & Community Relations planned to review recent community events, discuss an ICE protocol letter to the Town Council, and plan upcoming activities. The Council on Aging held a regular meeting with standard reports. The Metro Boston Homeland Security Region JPOC planned to discuss FY26 budget and operations.

Coming up

• **July 13 — School Committee:** Will review resignations of Natalie FitzPatrick, Marissa Grieco, and Kayla Daniell, and job postings for WMS Mentor, WHS Fall Coaches, and GFB Science Teacher.
• **July 14 — Public Health & Safety:** Will discuss developing a policy balancing sidewalk accessibility with preserving healthy street trees, including reviewing alternative sidewalk structures and repair methods.
• **July 15 — Board of License Commission:** Will review a liquor license transfer, brown bag license renewals, and a common victualler license resignation.
• **July 20 — Winthrop Housing Authority:** Will present and discuss the draft Annual Plan, with a public comment period.