All Board Report
August - September 2018
The Select Board completed a busy two months by approving the Elm Street Sidewalk contract, finalizing the first Complete Streets project in town and securing 800 feet of sidewalk using state grant funds. This project will begin in mid-October and conclude before Thanksgiving.
In other highlights, the Select Board finalized a three year contract with CM Geeks for Information Technology Services and a contract with Nault Architects to oversee the Library Roof project. To see all Select Board contracts, follow this link. The Board also signed an inter municipal agreement with the Montachusett Public Health Network to regionalize Health services and provide greater public nursing services to the Town.
Important to town efforts this year is a creating an environment of goal-driven progress. To that end, the Select Board joined departments and peer boards in finalizing their goals for Fiscal year 2019.
Finally, the board initiated a review of its permit fees, completed the six-month review of the new Town Administrator and approved the FY20 Budget Planning Calendar.
To see videos of Select Board meetings, follow this link.
We have a lot going on!!!!
Past Events:
The First Annual Dinghy Dash, held on August 25th at Brigham Pond, was a great success. The USS Battenkill took 1st, The Patriot took 2nd and SS Time Machine took 3rd. Most creative vessel was Moo-Duck-Kwan and Blue Bayou won best Sink. Thank you to everyone who braved Brigham Pond for this unique and fun opportunity.
Field Day on September 15th at the Rec Field was also very successful. Hubbardston Lions Club hosted this event and did a great job! Lots of family fun!
Upcoming Events:
Hubbardston Haunted Hayride will be 2 nights this year! October 19th & 20th at Rietta Ranch from 4:30-9:30, hosted by Hubbardston Lions Club. $4 per person for either Haunted Walk or Hayride. Lions will be debuting their new food truck!
Horribles Parade! October 28th at 1pm. Meet at Fire Station on Main st. Kids will march down to the HCS where they will have snack ready and be able to enjoy some kid friendly entertainment. This event is put on by Flo Pervier and volunteers.
Trick or Treat - Halloween Hoedown on October 31st from 5-7 at Hubbardston Police Dept sponsored by Bill Shea.
Harvest Breakfast is on November 18th at 8am @ the Rod & Gun, hosted by Hubbardston Scholarship Committee. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, ham & bacon... plenty of coffee! Yum!
Brunch with Santa on December 8th 10-noon at HCS. $10 donation per family to enter, bring your camera and take all the pictures you’d like. Activities for kids and Chinese Auction. Plenty of food to choose from for brunch, and lots of coffee!
It’s never too early to sign up for our 2nd Annual Hubbardston Light Fight! December 7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th & 16th. 5-8pm. First prize is $300! Entries due by December 1st.
The Council is still working hard on our Senior Center Renovations, revamping the main entrance and continuing to update the kitchen area. If you have not seen the new look inside, we welcome you to come and take a tour!
Candidate’s Night at the Senior Center will be held October 18th @6:30pm. Many officials have agreed to come speak and answer resident questions.
We are preparing and excepting donations for the fall rummage sale. This will be held October 20-21st at the Senior Center. We have contacted Quabbin Regional High School to see if any students need community service hours. We would like their help us with the Rummage Sale
Every Friday there will be a Christmas Crafts being make for the Christmas Fair. This program will take place from 10am until 12pm.
During the August/September period, committee members continued our year-long efforts to maintain the trail networks at the Mt. Jefferson and Malone Conservation areas, including controlling the flooding of parts of the Mt. Jefferson trails caused by this area’s industrious beavers’ blockage of culverts on the Canesto Brook and Old Cross trails, as well as the abnormally high rainfall this Spring and Summer. To do so without danger to the beavers, several configurations of beaver ‘deceivers’ were used, including a solar-powered one designed and built by committee members Bob Hatch, Mark Kresge, and Stephanie Frend at the intersection of these two trails that has successfully eliminated the flooding.
Committee members also removed years of overgrown brush to open up the Dotty Rock Trail vista to enable a view of Mt. Wachusett for those who venture onto the Malone Conservation area. Also, a small native wildflower garden was started near the Malone area parking lot as an initial step to the creation of a friendly environment for pollinators.
As part of our Open Space Plan, we began exploring the creation of an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) trail using the existing trail footprint at Malone Conservation area. Towards this end, we have been communicating with other organizations, primarily the North Quabbin Trail Association for assistance in the planning process. One of their exciting initiatives is the use of the MIT student-developed Freedom Chair to allow access to our trails for physically handicapped, including certification by the VA for the chair’s use by disabled veterans.
With the advent of fall weather and the change of seasons, we invite everyone to visit these conservation areas and other trails for hiking, mountain biking, horse-back riding, hunting or picnicking. Please note that use of our trails by motorized off-road vehicles is prohibited.
The Board of Assessors met on August 6th to discuss the Solar Negotiation Committee. Albert Afonso agreed to be the member that represents the Board during PILOT discussions with Borrego Solar. The Board also approved at this meeting 18 Motor Vehicle Excise Abatement and signed off on the 2018-04 Motor Vehicle Commitment and Warrant.
The Assessors met again on September 10 to discuss the Assessment Software; VISION. An updated version of this software is necessary for the Assessor’s Office because the software will no longer work in the near future. At this meeting the Board approved 10 Motor Vehicle Abatements.
October Meeting:
The Assessors have a meeting scheduled for October 15th. At this meeting they will sign off on the 2018-05 Motor Vehicle Commitment and Warrant, approve any pending Motor Vehicle Abatements, and approve a list of 2019 Statutory Exemption Recipients.
Board of Assessors FY19 Goals:
Building better communication between the Assessors and the other boards/offices
Have newest member Jeffrey Young complete the required Assessors Course 101.
The Board of Health voted unanimously in August to recommend contracting with the Montachusett Public Health Network for Public Nursing . This will allow us to have access to a Nurse for tracking in the MAVEN system which will keep us in compliance with the reporting and tracking of infectious diseases. The Select Board approved this IMA in September.
The Board of Health is also very happy to announce the hire of Health Agent Jennifer Susen-Roy. Jennifer has come to us with great experience in her field and we look forward to working with her. She is currently the Public Health Director in Gardner and will be assisting the BOH with inspections and health services in Hubbardston.
And finally, Kate Saab, our newest member to the board, completed her ServSafe Course and is ready to start inspections.
In August, the Finance Committee held a joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen, at which FinComm member Joshua Lerner presented his analysis of Hubbardston’s tax levy rates and spending as compared with those of other cities and towns.
The Finance Committee will begin its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings in October and is actively looking for two interested residents to join us in working closely with the Town Administrator as we start preparing for the coming fiscal year budget season.
The Parks Commission initiated a "carry in carry out" trash policy that has been very successful and we are appreciative of the communities cooperation with keeping the Park clean.
The Commission also approved a horseback trail ride and a running club event up at the Mt Jefferson Conservation Area and supported an initiative from 2 local High School teenagers to make improvements to the Skate Park that included cleaning and painting the skate ramps and installing a new skate rail. This was done with volunteers from the community as well as donations from the Lions Club, The Country Hen, The Parks Commission and private citizens. This community effort was recognized with a dedication of the new skate rail on Field Day.
Curtis Recreation Field has been very busy this past season with over 90 children participating with the Baseball program from April - June, and the Park has seen weekly use of different soccer teams ranging from preschool age teams through an adult league running from April - August and winding down with the Fall leagues that will end in Late October.
The PARK was the place to be for Movie Night that was held in late August before the kids went back to school. It also was the scene for 2 local fundraisers. The Lyme Disease Awareness Walk was held in May and the The ROTC Lock In fundraiser was held 9/22/2018. Both fundraisers were very successful and well received and attended by the Hubbardston Community.
Field Day was moved to a new weekend this year and held on September 15. It was a beautiful day and was a great day full of fun, food and entertainment for all. Many Thanks to the Lions Club for putting on another great event for the Hubbardston Community.
COMING this Fall there will be 2 new additions to the PARK with 2 Adirondack chairs being made by a Local Eagle Scout to be placed under the Maple tree by the walking path.
The Park will close down and remove all services on November 2.
The Hubbardston Cultural Council will begin to review applications for 2019 grants at our upcoming October 2nd meeting.
Our budget for FY 2019 is $4,800 which is a 7% increase over FY 2018. To see previously approved projects, click here.
Representatives from the local Cultural Council will make a presentation at the Oct 1 Select Board Meeting. The subject is the results of our survey regarding what the people of Hubbardston are looking for regarding cultural activities.
About Us
Email: admin@hubbardstonma.us
Website: www.hubbardstonma.us
Location: 7 Main Street, Hubbardston, MA, USA
Phone: 978-928-1400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TownofHubbardston/
Twitter: @hubbardstonma