MassVoter.com← BellinghamMunicipal votes · 2021–2022 Board
Bellingham Select Board
How the Bellingham Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On May 17, 2021 the board chose Cindy McNulty as Chair and Don Martinis as Vice Chairman (all members voting in favor). Daniel M. Spencer resigned as of November 30, 2021 because he was moving out of state; the board voted to stay a four-member board until the May 2022 town election. Sahan Sahin joined the board after that election (first meeting May 9, 2022). Covers 21 meetings, May 17 to May 25, 2022.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budgetYour Bellingham ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
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Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
Members
Vice-ChairDon MartinisVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 21 of 21 meetings"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Bellingham Select Board (the town writes “Selectboard”; earlier called the Board of Selectmen) minutes from January 25, 2021 through August 24, 2026, from the town’s Agenda Center, which holds the board’s minutes from 2021 on, plus six meetings from January 22 to April 23, 2018 kept in an archived copy of the town’s old website. Not here: minutes from May 2018 through December 2020 and for January 2021 before January 25, which are not online (MassVoter is asking the town for them); the April 11, 2023 meeting (the file posted for it is a copy of the April 11, 2022 minutes); the February 16, 2022 and May 15, 2023 meetings (agenda only); and meetings after August 24, 2026 (the town usually posts minutes about six weeks after a meeting). Most minutes from 2021 to early 2026 (128 files) are scanned images, which MassVoter read with text recognition and checked by hand; 17 are typed files. Bellingham’s minutes give the mover and seconder of each motion (“On a Spencer/Altomonte motion”) and usually a count (“the Board unanimously voted 5-0”), naming any member who votes no or abstains (“voted 3-1 with Mr. Martinis opposing”); some votes are roll calls by name. When the count matches the members present, each member is shown voting as recorded; when the minutes say “unanimously” without a count, every member present is shown voting yes. Where a count does not match the members present, or a split count does not say who voted which way, we show the count only and add a note; where the minutes give no count at all, we show the result only. Joint votes with the Planning Board, Housing Authority or Library Trustees show only the Select Board members’ votes. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where members disagreed
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Apr 11Reappoint Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission for a…Motion: On a Grant/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor with…Passed 3–1 · No: Connor
April 11, 2022: Reappoint Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission for a 1-year term ending March 2023
On a Grant/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor with Mr. Connor opposing the reappointed of Mr. Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission for a 1 year term with an expiration date of March 2023.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNultyNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor with Mr. Connor opposing the reappointed of Mr. Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission for a 1 year term with an expiration date of March 2023..” (Motion: Grant, second: Connor)
Mar 7Reappoint Vincent Forte to the Board of Health for…Motion: On a Grant/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor and…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Connor
March 7, 2022: Reappoint Vincent Forte to the Board of Health for a 3 year term
On a Grant/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor and 1 abstention (Mr. Connor) to E reappoint Vincent Forte to the Board of Health for a 3 year term.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNultyAbstained: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor and 1 abstention (Mr. Connor) to E reappoint Vincent Forte to the Board of Health for a 3 year term..” (Motion: Grant, second: Connor)
Mar 7Designate the Board of Health as a special municipal…Motion: On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 3 in favor and…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Connor
March 7, 2022: Designate the Board of Health as a special municipal employee
On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 3 in favor and 1 abstention (Mr. Connor) to designate the Board of Health as a special municipal employee.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNultyAbstained: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 3 in favor and 1 abstention (Mr. Connor) to designate the Board of Health as a special municipal employee..” (Motion: Grant, second: McNulty)
Mar 7Approve Vincent Forte to acquire a new contract (as…Motion: On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 3 in favor and…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Connor
March 7, 2022: Approve Vincent Forte to acquire a new contract (as the fill in health agent) and be paid for such contract
On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 3 in favor and 1 abstention (Mr. Connor) to approve Vincent Forte to acquire a new contract (as the fill in health agent) and be paid for such contract.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNultyAbstained: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 3 in favor and 1 abstention (Mr. Connor) to approve Vincent Forte to acquire a new contract (as the fill in health agent) and be paid for such contract..” (Motion: Grant, second: McNulty)
Feb 7Extend Brian Norton's membership on the Conservation Commission until…Motion: Mrs. Grant made a motion to extend Mr. Norton's membership on…Passed 3–1 · No: Connor
February 7, 2022: Extend Brian Norton's membership on the Conservation Commission until June 1
Mrs. Grant made a motion to extend Mr. Norton's membership on the Conservation Commission until June 1st. The motion was seconded by Mr. Martinis and the motion carried with a 3-1 vote with Mr. Connor opposing.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNultyNo: Connor
From the minutes
“Mrs. Grant made a motion to extend Mr. Norton's membership on the Conservation Commission until June 1st. The motion was seconded by Mr. Martinis and the motion carried with a 3-1 vote with Mr. Connor opposing..” (Motion: Grant, second: Martinis)
Dec 22Set the ABCC 2022 Seasonal Population Increased Resident estimate…Motion: On a Grant/Martinis motion, the Board voted 3-1 with Mr. Connor…Passed 3–1 · No: Connor
December 22, 2021: Set the ABCC 2022 Seasonal Population Increased Resident estimate by 500
On a Grant/Martinis motion, the Board voted 3-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to set the ABCC 2022 Seasonal Population Increased Resident estimate by 500,
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNultyNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Martinis motion, the Board voted 3-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to set the ABCC 2022 Seasonal Population Increased Resident estimate by 500,.” (Motion: Grant, second: Martinis)
Nov 22Stay a four-member board from November 30, 2021 until…Motion: Therefore, on a Connor/Grant motion the Selectboard will remain as a…Passed · see note
November 22, 2021: Stay a four-member board from November 30, 2021 until the May 2022 town election (no special election)
Therefore, on a Connor/Grant motion the Selectboard will remain as a four member Board effective November 30, 2021 until Town Election in May 2022.
The minutes record the result only, not a count or how each member voted.
From the minutes
“Therefore, on a Connor/Grant motion the Selectboard will remain as a four member Board effective November 30, 2021 until Town Election in May 2022..” (Motion: Connor, second: Grant)
Oct 4Appoint Joseph Woodman as a voting member to the…Motion: On a Spencer/Martinis motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor…Passed 4–1 · No: Connor
October 4, 2021: Appoint Joseph Woodman as a voting member to the Cultural Council for a 3 year term
On a Spencer/Martinis motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to appoint Joseph Woodman as a voting member to the Cultural Council for a 3 year term.
Yes: Daniel M. Spencer, Grant, Martinis, McNultyNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Spencer/Martinis motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to appoint Joseph Woodman as a voting member to the Cultural Council for a 3 year term..” (Motion: Daniel M. Spencer, second: Martinis)
Sep 20Appoint Terri Graham as a voting member to the…Motion: On a Spencer/Martinis motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor…Passed 4–1 · No: Connor
September 20, 2021: Appoint Terri Graham as a voting member to the Cultural Council for a 3 year term
On a Spencer/Martinis motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to appoint Terri Graham as a voting member to the Cultural Council for a 3 year term.
Yes: Daniel M. Spencer, Grant, Martinis, McNultyNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Spencer/Martinis motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to appoint Terri Graham as a voting member to the Cultural Council for a 3 year term..” (Motion: Daniel M. Spencer, second: Martinis)
Jun 7Award Contract 2021-NMGR, North Main Street Sewer Pump Station…Motion: On a Connor/Martinis motion the Board voted to award Contract 2021-NMGR,…Passed · see note
June 7, 2021: Award Contract 2021-NMGR, North Main Street Sewer Pump Station Generator Replacement, to the low bidder Jasco Electric, Inc. from Franklin MA in the amount of $177,000
On a Connor/Martinis motion the Board voted to award Contract 2021-NMGR, North Main Street Sewer Pump Station Generator Replacement, to the low bidder Jasco Electric, Inc. from Franklin MA in the amount of $177,000.
The minutes record the result only, not a count or how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On a Connor/Martinis motion the Board voted to award Contract 2021-NMGR, North Main Street Sewer Pump Station Generator Replacement, to the low bidder Jasco Electric, Inc. from Franklin MA in the amount of $177,000..” (Motion: Connor, second: Martinis)
From the Bellingham Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials.
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →