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Meeting report · Select Board
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Select Board — April 7, 2025

Routine approvals dominated, but significant multi-year sewer fee hikes and off-agenda infrastructure topics drew limited public questions.

Date Monday, April 7, 2025 Public comments 2 Decisions 6 Lively
📄 Agenda 📄 Minutes

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Sewer rate increases

30% annual increases for three years Affected: All sewer users in Hopkinton
fee change

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approve Consent Agenda of April 7, 2025
Approved AP manifest ($89,197.62), payroll, abatements, yield tax, appointments to multiple committees, and other items.
4-0
00:00
Approve prior meeting minutes
Approved minutes of March 24, April 1, and April 4, 2025.
4-0
00:00
Approve sewer rate increases
Raise sewer rates 30% in 2025, 2026, and 2027 then reevaluate; public hearing to follow.
4-0
00:00
Authorize grant contract execution
Authorized Town Administrator to execute Forest Fire Tool Grant contract with NH DNCR.
4-0
00:00
Enter and conclude nonpublic sessions
Three nonpublic sessions held (RSA 91-A:3 II (e), (a), (c)); one minutes set sealed.
4-0
00:00
Adjourn meeting
Meeting adjourned at 8:43 p.m.
4-0
00:00

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
00:00 Call to Order and Administrative Items

Board called meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.; reviewed and approved Consent Agenda including AP manifest, payroll, abatements, appointments, and other items (4-0).

Speakers: Chair Dunlap, Mr. Donohoe, Ms. McKeon
00:00 Minutes Approvals

Approved Select Board minutes from March 24, April 1, and April 4, 2025 (all 4-0).

Speakers: Mr. Donohoe, Ms. McKeon
00:00 George Park Project Update

Reviewed 2018 conceptual plan progress; Phase 1 mostly complete, Phase 2 (bathrooms/baseball field) slated for 2025 with $200k CIP funding.

Speakers: Mr. Cass, Chair Dunlap
00:00 Roads and Infrastructure Updates

Discussed 2025 shimming/chip sealing ($584k budget), Briar Hill Road completion costs, and ongoing bridge/culvert engineering.

Speakers: Mr. Cass
00:00 Sewer Rates

Reviewed rate study; approved 30% annual increases for -2 followed by reevaluation (4-0), with public hearing scheduled.

Speakers: Mr. Cass, Mr. Donohoe, Chair Dunlap
00:00 Transfer Station Gate System

Discussed proposed RFID system ($37,100 shared with Webster); plan to invite staff in May for further review.

Speakers: Mr. Donohoe
00:00 Priorities List and Town Administrator Transition

Reviewed enforcement, tax deeding, and search committee timeline; interviews planned for April 23/25.

Speakers: Mr. Cass
00:00 Policy Updates and Grant Authorization

Presented Purchasing Policy changes for future vote; authorized Town Administrator for $1,700 Forest Fire Tool Grant contract (4-0).

Speakers: Mr. Cass, Mr. Donohoe, Ms. Bram
00:00 Public Forum and Committee Updates

Residents raised Transfer Station fence, sewer rates, and equipment questions; Housing Committee announced April 30 forum.

Speakers: Bonnie Christie, Norm Goupil, Ms. McKeon
00:00 Nonpublic Sessions

Entered three nonpublic sessions (legal, personnel, reputation matters) and returned to public session; one set of minutes sealed (4-0).

Speakers: Chair Dunlap, Mr. Donohoe

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Sewer rate increases

30% annual hikes for three years directly raise resident utility costs; one resident questioned fund allocation at the meeting
Board position: Approved increases with scheduled public hearing
medium concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Check status of temporary Transfer Station fence
Assigned: Mr. Cass
Hold public hearing on sewer rates at next meeting; invite Economic Development Committee
Assigned: Board · Due: Next Board meeting
Attend May Board meeting to discuss gate system
Assigned: Mr. Blanchette / Ms. Cochrane · Due: May meeting
Present interview recommendations in nonpublic session
Assigned: Town Administrator search committee · Due: Next Board meeting
Post announcement for April 30 Housing Committee forum
Assigned: Ms. McKeon · Due: April 30

Notable ⁠statements

Suggested George Park be placed on agenda in coming months with possible public hearing inviting student athletes. — Chair Dunlap · George Park discussion 00:00
Emphasized inviting Economic Development Committee members to sewer rates public hearing. — Ms. McKeon · Sewer rates motion 00:00

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
2
Total speakers
1
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Bonnie Christie
Partial
Bonnie Christie asked about the status of a requested chain link fence at the Transfer Station to prevent items from blowing into the wetlands. She also inquired about sewer rate increases and fund allocation, forest fire fighting equipment funded by the grant, and what would be done with extra green bags being delivered. Key concern
Transfer Station fence status and clarification on several operational/financial items (sewer rates, grant use, green bags)
Board response
Mr. Cass noted that chain link fence funding is not in the current budget but agreed to check on the status of the temporary fence that had blown down; other questions were noted without detailed responses recorded
Board committed to checking on the temporary fence but provided no immediate answers on the other questions raised
Norm Goupil
Addressed
Norm Goupil expressed appreciation for track maintenance but raised concern about areas damaged by mower cuts. He also complimented the outgoing Town Administrator and welcomed the two new Select Board members. Key concern
Mower damage to certain areas of the track
Board response
Referred to Athletic Director Dan Meserve for follow-up; compliments acknowledged
Speaker was given a direct referral to the appropriate staff person for the track concern

Accountability ⁠flags

Documented procedural gaps. Each item links to its source.

Agenda items not discussed

Topics discussed — not on agenda

Transcript vs. official minutes

Support coverage

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Report composed by grok-4.3, claude-opus-4-7 · analyzed 2026-05-27.