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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 5, 2023 the board chose Michael Connor as Chairman and Sahan Sahin as Vice Chairman (all members voting in favor). Kelly Grant resigned in the summer of 2023 (her last meeting was August 14, 2023). Ann Odabashian won the August 29, 2023 special election for Cynthia McNulty’s seat (first meeting September 18, 2023). The board chose not to hold another special election, so it served with four members until the June 2024 town election. Covers 28 meetings, June 5 to May 20, 2024.
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
"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.
Mar 18Set Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 7:30 PM in…Motion: On an Odabashian/Hennessy motion the Board set a date for the…Passed · see note
March 18, 2024: Set Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 7:30 PM in the High School Auditorium as the date for the Special Town Meeting to hear the petition
On an Odabashian/Hennessy motion the Board set a date for the Special Town Meeting to hear the petition for Wednesday May 1° at 7:30PM in the High School Auditorium.
The minutes record the result only, not a count or how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On an Odabashian/Hennessy motion the Board set a date for the Special Town Meeting to hear the petition for Wednesday May 1° at 7:30PM in the High School Auditorium..” (Motion: Odabashian, second: Hennessy)
Mar 18Not offer voting by mail prior to the Municipal…Motion: On a Hennessy/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor with…Passed 3–1 · No: Odabashian
March 18, 2024: Not offer voting by mail prior to the Municipal Town Election set for Tuesday June 4, 2024
On a Hennessy/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor with Ms. Odabashian opposing to not offer voting by mail prior to the Municipal Town Election set for Tuesday June 4, 2024.
Yes: Connor, Hennessy, SahinNo: Odabashian
From the minutes
“On a Hennessy/Connor motion the Board voted 3 in favor with Ms. Odabashian opposing to not offer voting by mail prior to the Municipal Town Election set for Tuesday June 4, 2024..” (Motion: Hennessy, second: Connor)
Nov 6Recommend the Charter changes proposed by the Charter and…Motion: On an Odabashian/Connor motion to move the changes to the Charter…Failed 2–2 · No: Hennessy, Sahin
November 6, 2023: Recommend the Charter changes proposed by the Charter and Bylaw Review Committee
On an Odabashian/Connor motion to move the changes to the Charter as proposed by the Charter and Bylaw Review Committee, the Board voted as follows: Mr. Connor - aye Mrs. Odabashian - aye Mr. Sahin - nay Mr. Hennessy - nay The vote resulted in a 2-2 vote and therefore the changes were not recommended by the Selectboard.
Yes: Connor, OdabashianNo: Hennessy, SahinA 2-2 tie, so the Board did not recommend the changes.
From the minutes
“On an Odabashian/Connor motion to move the changes to the Charter as proposed by the Charter and Bylaw Review Committee, the Board voted as follows: Mr. Connor - aye Mrs. Odabashian - aye Mr. Sahin - nay Mr. Hennessy - nay The vote resulted in a 2-2 vote and therefore the changes were not recommended by the Selectboard..” (Motion: Odabashian, second: Connor)
Oct 30Appoint Steven Sette as the next Town AdministratorMotion: Mr. Hennessy made a motion to appoint Steven Sette as the…Failed 2–2 · No: Connor, Odabashian
October 30, 2023: Appoint Steven Sette as the next Town Administrator
Mr. Hennessy made a motion to appoint Steven Sette as the next Town Administrator seconded by Mr. Sahin. The vote was as follows: Hennessy - aye Sahin - aye Connor - nay Odabashian - nay
Yes: Hennessy, SahinNo: Connor, OdabashianA 2-2 tie, so the motion did not pass.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hennessy made a motion to appoint Steven Sette as the next Town Administrator seconded by Mr. Sahin. The vote was as follows: Hennessy - aye Sahin - aye Connor - nay Odabashian - nay.” (Motion: Hennessy, second: Sahin)
Oct 30Start a new search for a Town Administrator with…Motion: Mr. Connor made a motion to reinitiate a new search to…Failed 2–2 · No: Hennessy, Sahin
October 30, 2023: Start a new search for a Town Administrator with a salary of about $225,000
Mr. Connor made a motion to reinitiate a new search to find a Town Administrator but this time with a salary +/- $225,000 seconded by Mrs. Odabashian. The vote was as follows: Connor - aye Odabashian - aye Sahin - nay Hennessy - nay
Yes: Connor, OdabashianNo: Hennessy, SahinA 2-2 tie, so the motion did not pass.
From the minutes
“Mr. Connor made a motion to reinitiate a new search to find a Town Administrator but this time with a salary +/- $225,000 seconded by Mrs. Odabashian. The vote was as follows: Connor - aye Odabashian - aye Sahin - nay Hennessy - nay.” (Motion: Connor, second: Odabashian)
Aug 14Appoint Christopher Remillard to the Housing Authority until June…Motion: Mr. Paulhus made a motion to appoint Mr. Christopher Remillard to…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
August 14, 2023: Appoint Christopher Remillard to the Housing Authority until June 2024 (joint vote with the Housing Authority)
Mr. Paulhus made a motion to appoint Mr. Christopher Remillard to the Housing Authority to fill the vacant position until June 2024. Mr. Fitzpatrick seconded the motion and a roll call vote was made as follows: Mr. Paulhus aye Mr. Fitzpatrick aye Mr. Connor aye Mrs. Grant aye Mr. Sahin aye Mr. Hennessy aye
A joint roll call of the Select Board and the Housing Authority; the motion and second were made by Housing Authority members (Mr. Paulhus and Mr. Fitzpatrick). Only the Select Board members’ votes are shown.
From the minutes
“Mr. Paulhus made a motion to appoint Mr. Christopher Remillard to the Housing Authority to fill the vacant position until June 2024. Mr. Fitzpatrick seconded the motion and a roll call vote was made as follows: Mr. Paulhus aye Mr. Fitzpatrick aye Mr. Connor aye Mrs. Grant aye Mr. Sahin aye Mr. Hennessy aye.”
Aug 14Appoint Mr. Richard Gilberti to the Board of Health…Motion: On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board unanimously voted 3-0-1 with Mr.…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Hennessy
August 14, 2023: Appoint Mr. Richard Gilberti to the Board of Health for a 3 Year term
On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board unanimously voted 3-0-1 with Mr. Hennessy abstaining to appoint Mr. Richard Gilberti to the Board of Health for a 3 Year term.
Yes: Connor, Grant, SahinAbstained: Hennessy
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board unanimously voted 3-0-1 with Mr. Hennessy abstaining to appoint Mr. Richard Gilberti to the Board of Health for a 3 Year term..” (Motion: Grant, second: Sahin)
Jun 26Award Contract 2023-WMIV, Water Main Improvements Various Streets to…Motion: On a Sahin/Grant motion the Board voted to award Contract 2023-WMIV,…Passed · see note
June 26, 2023: Award Contract 2023-WMIV, Water Main Improvements Various Streets to the low bidder Celco Construction Corp., of Pembroke, MA for a total of $1,082,769.75
On a Sahin/Grant motion the Board voted to award Contract 2023-WMIV, Water Main Improvements Various Streets to the low bidder Celco Construction Corp., of Pembroke, MA for a total of $1,082,769.75.
The minutes record the result only, not a count or how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On a Sahin/Grant motion the Board voted to award Contract 2023-WMIV, Water Main Improvements Various Streets to the low bidder Celco Construction Corp., of Pembroke, MA for a total of $1,082,769.75..” (Motion: Sahin, second: Grant)
Jun 26Recommend adding Mr. Art Campbell as an additional Veteran's…Motion: On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board voted 3-0-1 with Mr. Hennessy…Passed 3–0 · Abstained: Hennessy
June 26, 2023: Recommend adding Mr. Art Campbell as an additional Veteran's Service Officer for the Town of Bellingham
On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board voted 3-0-1 with Mr. Hennessy abstaining to recommend adding Mr. Art Campbell as an additional Veteran's Service Officer for the Town of Bellingham.
Yes: Connor, Grant, SahinAbstained: Hennessy
From the minutes
“On a Grant/Sahin motion the Board voted 3-0-1 with Mr. Hennessy abstaining to recommend adding Mr. Art Campbell as an additional Veteran's Service Officer for the Town of Bellingham..” (Motion: Grant, second: Sahin)
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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