At its Monday, October 19 session, Town Meeting moved $3,040,544 from free cash into the Capital Expenditure Fund, moved $150,000 into the General Stabilization Fund and $250,000 into the Pension Stabilization Fund, appropriated $900,000 and $450,000 for roof studies at Fred Miller and Placentino Elementary, and approved the Groundwater Protection District bylaw changes by a vote of 123 to 25. The Board of Health takes up those groundwater protection bylaw changes on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. on Zoom, and the Zoning Board of Appeals deliberates on the Lowland Street comprehensive permit the next evening, Wednesday, October 28, at 6 p.m.

Decisions

Town Meeting, Monday, October 19 (from the meeting recording)

Articles 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, consent agenda: approved Articles 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 together as a consent agenda: a new Permitting Coordinator title in the town’s job classification plan and five amendments to the Consolidated Personnel Bylaw (unanimous). Recording, 0:11:54
Article 1, General Stabilization Fund: transferred $150,000 from free cash to the General Stabilization Fund (passed). Recording, 0:37:01
Article 2, Pension Stabilization Fund: transferred $250,000 from free cash to the Pension Stabilization Fund (passed). Recording, 0:37:39
Article 3, capital expenditure fund: transferred $3,040,544 from free cash to the Capital Expenditure Fund, after amending the motion to name that fund in place of the General Stabilization Fund (passed). Recording, 0:39:12
Article 7, personnel bylaw vacation sections: indefinitely postponed Article 7, the amendment to sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Consolidated Personnel Bylaw (passed). Recording, 0:41:29
Article 11, capital budget: appropriated $1,272,030 from the Capital Expenditure Fund, $100,000 from Water Enterprise retained earnings and $1.8 million from the Water Enterprise infrastructure account for vehicles, equipment, building work and water mains. Recording, 0:45:17
Article 12, Community Preservation projects: transferred $219,000 from the CPA General Reserve and $115,000 from the CPA Historical Preservation funds for the Stoddard Park engineering study, central fire station window and stucco work, and senior center sensory garden (passed). Recording, 0:50:43
Article 13, fire station solar array: transferred $421,500 from Article 22 of the May 2024 Town Meeting to buy, temporarily relocate and reinstall the Central Fire Station solar array and repair the roof (passed). Recording, 0:55:28
Article 14, Miller and Placentino roof studies: appropriated $900,000 for a feasibility study and design of a partial roof replacement at Fred Miller Elementary and $450,000 for the same at Placentino Elementary (passed). Recording, 0:58:06
Article 15, opioid settlement fund: dissolved the Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund and moved the remaining money to a special revenue account (unanimous). Recording, 1:00:41
Article 17, Groundwater Protection District bylaw: approved the Groundwater Protection District zoning bylaw amendments as printed in the handout (123–25). Recording, 1:06:16
Article 18, Constitution Village streetlights: requested that the Select Board work with the Town Manager, rather than the Finance Committee as first moved, to identify a funding source and financing plan for streetlights on Constitution Village roads (passed). Recording, 1:45:44

Zoning Board of Appeals, Wednesday, October 21 (from the meeting recording)

Special use permit, 1286 Washington Street: approved a special use permit for Martins Cleaning and Painting, Inc. at 1286 Washington Street for administrative office use and indoor storage, with added conditions of no parking in the rear of the building and no outdoor storage (unanimous). Recording, 0:07:27

Planning Board, Thursday, October 22 (from the meeting recording)

Scenic Road application, Prentice Street: approved the scenic road application to move part of the stone wall and remove two small trees for a driveway entrance, with the brush cleared from the wall and the moved stones used to fill gaps or extend the wall (unanimous). Recording, 0:14:51
South Street 40Y zoning work plan: appointed the town planner to lead the South Street 40Y zoning district project and prepare a more detailed work plan and schedule for the board’s November meeting (unanimous). Recording, 0:43:01

School Committee, Thursday, October 22 (from the meeting recording)

ESL literature course at the high school: approved a new ESL literature course at Holliston High School, taken alongside regular English classes and starting in the second semester (unanimous). Recording, 1:14:43

Election Day

Holliston votes in the state election on Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Holliston High School gymnasium, and today, Saturday, October 24, is the deadline to register to vote in it, according to the town’s notice.

Early in-person voting is at Upper Town Hall, 703 Washington Street, through Friday:

Saturday, October 24, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, October 26, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 27, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 28, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 29, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday, October 30, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The town has posted a ballot questions cheat sheet that it asks voters to print and bring to the polls, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth posts the 2026 ballot questions on the state’s election site. You can check your registration online, and the Town Clerk’s office takes questions at (508) 429-0601.

Coming Up

Saturday, October 24

Sunday, October 25

HNN’s Great Pumpkin Trail Walk fundraiser, for ages 0 to elementary school, runs 10 a.m. to noon

Monday, October 26

Early voting at Town Hall weekdays through Friday, October 30, from 8:30 a.m.; open until 7 p.m. Tuesday
School Communications Subcommittee votes on newsletter at 7:30 p.m. Zoom meeting Agenda

Tuesday, October 27

Board of Health weighs groundwater protection bylaw changes at 7 p.m. Zoom meeting Agenda
Envisioning Future Holliston Committee, 7 p.m.: 1999 Master Plan and FY27 strategic plan items on agenda Agenda
Conservation Commission, 7:30 p.m. on Zoom: 100 Linden Street spillway and park hearing at 8 p.m. Agenda

Wednesday, October 28

Fire Chief Cassidy reads at fire-themed story time, Children’s Room, 10:15 a.m.
Zoning Board deliberates on Lowland Street comprehensive permit at 6 p.m., remote only Agenda
Opportunities Night for Grade 8 and high school families is at the HHS Auditorium, 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 29

Registration is open on the Advantage App for Patriot Place trick-or-treating, 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Sunday, November 1

Monday, November 2

Small business owners can meet SBA and state officials at Town Hall, 5 to 7 p.m.

The Holliston Ledger reports from posted agendas, minutes and meeting recordings. Items marked “from the meeting recording” were written before the board approved its minutes and may change when it does. If something here is wrong, reply to this email, and the correction will run at the bottom of the post and in next week’s edition.

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