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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 June 6, 2022 the board chose Don Martinis as Chairman and Kelly Grant as Vice Chairwoman (all members voting in favor). At the May 2023 town election Don Martinis was not re-elected and Michael Hennessy was elected; Cynthia McNulty resigned on May 8, 2023. That night the four members tried to choose a new Chair, but each nomination (Michael Connor, Sahan Sahin and Kelly Grant) failed 2-2, so Vice Chairwoman Kelly Grant ran the meetings until June 5, 2023. Covers 26 meetings, June 6 to May 22, 2023.
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.
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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
ChairDon MartinisChair · Elected townwide · at 24 of 24 meetings · until Apr 2023Vice-ChairKelly GrantVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 26 of 26 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.
May 22Award the 2023 contracts to the SERSG annual bid…Motion: On a Connor/Sahin motion the Board voted to award the 2023…Passed · see note
May 22, 2023: Award the 2023 contracts to the SERSG annual bid for DPW Services to the low bidder Cape Sealing with Random Crack Sealing to Indus of Braintree, MA (contract total $342,395)…
On a Connor/Sahin motion the Board voted to award the 2023 contracts to the SERSG annual bid for DPW Services to the low bidder Cape Sealing with Random Crack Sealing to Indus of Braintree, MA (contract total $342,395) and Catch Basin Cleaning with debris disposal to Roadway Maintenance Service, Inc. of Plymouth, MA (contract total $85,500).
The minutes record the result only, not a count or how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On a Connor/Sahin motion the Board voted to award the 2023 contracts to the SERSG annual bid for DPW Services to the low bidder Cape Sealing with Random Crack Sealing to Indus of Braintree, MA (contract total $342,395) and Catch Basin Cleaning with debris disposal to Roadway Maintenance Service, Inc. of Plymouth, MA (contract total $85,500)..” (Motion: Connor, second: Sahin)
May 8Choose Michael Connor as Chair of the SelectboardMotion: Mrs. Grant made a motion to nominate Mr. Connor as Chair,…Failed 2–2 · see note
May 8, 2023: Choose Michael Connor as Chair of the Selectboard
Mrs. Grant made a motion to nominate Mr. Connor as Chair, seconded by Mr. Connor. … Mrs. Allie called for a vote for Mr. Connor's nomination, and he received two in favor, two opposed.
The minutes give the count (two in favor, two opposed) but not how each member voted. The minutes give only the count (2-2), not who voted no or abstained.
From the minutes
“Mrs. Grant made a motion to nominate Mr. Connor as Chair, seconded by Mr. Connor. … Mrs. Allie called for a vote for Mr. Connor's nomination, and he received two in favor, two opposed..” (Motion: Grant, second: Connor)
May 8Choose Sahan Sahin as Chair of the SelectboardMotion: Mr. Hennessy made a motion to nominate Mr. Sahin as Chair,…Failed 2–2 · see note
May 8, 2023: Choose Sahan Sahin as Chair of the Selectboard
Mr. Hennessy made a motion to nominate Mr. Sahin as Chair, seconded by Mr. Sahin. … Mrs. Allie called for a vote for Mr. Sahin's nomination, and he received two in favor, two opposed.
The minutes give the count (two in favor, two opposed) but not how each member voted. The minutes give only the count (2-2), not who voted no or abstained.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hennessy made a motion to nominate Mr. Sahin as Chair, seconded by Mr. Sahin. … Mrs. Allie called for a vote for Mr. Sahin's nomination, and he received two in favor, two opposed..” (Motion: Hennessy, second: Sahin)
May 8Choose Kelly Grant as Chair of the SelectboardMotion: After some discussion, Mrs. Grant nominated herself as Chair seconded by…Failed 2–2 · see note
May 8, 2023: Choose Kelly Grant as Chair of the Selectboard
After some discussion, Mrs. Grant nominated herself as Chair seconded by Mr. Connor. Mrs. Allie called for a vote and Mrs. Grant received two votes in favor and two votes opposed.
The minutes give the count (two in favor, two opposed) but not how each member voted. The board did not reorganize that night. The minutes give only the count (2-2), not who voted no or abstained.
From the minutes
“After some discussion, Mrs. Grant nominated herself as Chair seconded by Mr. Connor. Mrs. Allie called for a vote and Mrs. Grant received two votes in favor and two votes opposed..” (Motion: Grant, second: Connor)
Apr 27Extend a conditional offer of employment to Mr. Kenneth…Motion: On a Martinis/Grant motion the Board voted 3 in favor with…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: McNulty, Sahin
April 27, 2023: Extend a conditional offer of employment to Mr. Kenneth J. Fitzgerald, Jr
On a Martinis/Grant motion the Board voted 3 in favor with 2 abstentions from Mrs. McNulty and Mr. Sahin to extend a conditional offer of employment to Mr. Kenneth J. Fitzgerald, Jr. with said offer subject to the successful passage of a medical exam, psychological exam, background and CORI check and agreement on mutually acceptable terms of an employment contract to be negotiated by the Interim Assistant Town Administrator with the ratification of the Selectboard.
Yes: Connor, Grant, MartinisAbstained: McNulty, Sahin
From the minutes
“On a Martinis/Grant motion the Board voted 3 in favor with 2 abstentions from Mrs. McNulty and Mr. Sahin to extend a conditional offer of employment to Mr. Kenneth J. Fitzgerald, Jr. with said offer subject to the successful passage of a medical exam, psychological exam, background and CORI check and agreement on mutually acceptable terms of an employment contract to be negotiated by the Interim Assistant Town Administrator with the ratification of the Selectboard..” (Motion: Martinis, second: Grant)
Apr 26Approve extending the beer, wine and malt beverage license…Motion: On a Grant/Martinis motion the Board voted 2 in favor with…Passed 2–1 · No: Connor
April 26, 2023: Approve extending the beer, wine and malt beverage license for Vohn's Restaurant to cover outdoor dining and patio service
On a Grant/Martinis motion the Board voted 2 in favor with Mr. Connor opposing approving the extension of the Beer & Wine and Malt Beverage License for Vohn's Restaurant for outdoor dining and patio service per the Governor's executive order.
Yes: Grant, MartinisNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Martinis motion the Board voted 2 in favor with Mr. Connor opposing approving the extension of the Beer & Wine and Malt Beverage License for Vohn's Restaurant for outdoor dining and patio service per the Governor's executive order..” (Motion: Grant, second: Martinis)
Apr 10Approve the petition of Verizon and National Grid to…Motion: On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board voted 4-0-1 with Mr. Connor…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Connor
April 10, 2023: Approve the petition of Verizon and National Grid to go forward with the work described in plan number 30726530
On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board voted 4-0-1 with Mr. Connor abstaining (he was absent during the public hearing discussion) to approve the petition of Verizon and National Grid to go forward with the work described in plan number 30726530.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNulty, SahinAbstained: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board voted 4-0-1 with Mr. Connor abstaining (he was absent during the public hearing discussion) to approve the petition of Verizon and National Grid to go forward with the work described in plan number 30726530..” (Motion: Grant, second: Sahin)
Apr 10Confirm the Town Administrator's appointment on March 31, 2023,…Motion: On a Grant/Connor motion the Board moved to confirm the Town…Passed · see note
April 10, 2023: Confirm the Town Administrator's appointment on March 31, 2023, of William Miller as the new Bellingham Fire Chief effective June 15, 2023
On a Grant/Connor motion the Board moved to confirm the Town Administrator's appointment on March 31, 2023, of William Miller as the new Bellingham Fire Chief effective June 15, 2023.
The minutes record the result only, not a count or how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Connor motion the Board moved to confirm the Town Administrator's appointment on March 31, 2023, of William Miller as the new Bellingham Fire Chief effective June 15, 2023..” (Motion: Grant, second: Connor)
Mar 20Reappoint to Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission and…Motion: On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor…Passed 4–1 · No: Connor
March 20, 2023: Reappoint to Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission and to Steven Joanis to the Historical Commission both for 3 Year terms
On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to reappoint to Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission and to Steven Joanis to the Historical Commission both for 3 Year terms.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNulty, SahinNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/McNulty motion the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to reappoint to Neal Standley to the Conservation Commission and to Steven Joanis to the Historical Commission both for 3 Year terms..” (Motion: Grant, second: McNulty)
Nov 28Accept a residential factor of .89 for FY23 tax…Motion: On a Grant/McNulty motion, the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor…Passed 4–1 · No: Connor
November 28, 2022: Accept a residential factor of .89 for FY23 tax classification purposes
On a Grant/McNulty motion, the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to accept a residential factor of .89 for FY23 tax classification purposes.
Yes: Grant, Martinis, McNulty, SahinNo: Connor
From the minutes
“On a Grant/McNulty motion, the Board voted 4-1 with Mr. Connor opposing to accept a residential factor of .89 for FY23 tax classification purposes..” (Motion: Grant, second: McNulty)
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.
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