MassVoter.com← GrotonMunicipal votes · 2023–2024 Board
Groton Select Board
How the Groton Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On June 12, 2023 the board chose Peter Cunningham as Chair (four members for him, one, Alison Manugian, for John Reilly), John Reilly as Vice Chair and Alison Manugian as Clerk (all five in favor). The same five members served all year. Covers 30 meetings, June 12 to April 22, 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 budgetBoard years
Coming up
MassVoter can’t read Groton’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Members
ChairPeter CunninghamChair · At-large · at 29 of 30 meetings
Vice-ChairJohn ReillyVice Chair · At-large · at 27 of 30 meetings
Becky PineMember · At-large · at 28 of 30 meetingsMatt PisaniMember · At-large · at 30 of 30 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: Groton Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until the 2018 Spring Town Meeting renamed it) from January 16, 2018 through August 31, 2026: 315 meetings and 2,132 votes. The town’s meeting portal holds the board’s minutes back to June 2001; MassVoter has loaded 2018 on. Nearly all the minutes are typed documents with searchable text; five files are scans, which we read with text recognition. Not here: executive-session minutes; about 100 dates on the portal that have an agenda but no minutes (many are executive-session-only sessions, Saturday budget sessions with the Finance Committee, joint meetings in neighboring towns and meetings held at Town Meeting); the December 15, 2025 file, which holds only the meeting’s attachments; the April 4, 2023 file, which holds the School Committee’s minutes; and meetings after August 31, 2026 (the September 14 and 28 and October 3, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Groton’s minutes give the mover, the seconder and the result. About two votes in five are roll calls by name (“Roll Call: Pine-aye; Degaitas-aye; Reilly-aye; Cunningham-aye; Pisani-aye”), most of all during the remote meetings of 2020 and 2021; other votes read “The motion carried unanimously,” shown as every member present voting yes, or give the count and name the member who voted no or abstained (“4 in Favor, 1 Against- Manugian”), shown member by member when the count matches the members present. Where the count does not match the members present or a split names no one, we show the count only, with a note (5 votes); 11 votes record the result only (“The motion carried”). When members chose between two nominees for Chair or Vice Chair, we show the result only and quote who chose whom. Members who stepped aside (recused) or left the room are not shown as voting. At joint meetings (the Finance Committee, School Committee, Park, Planning and other boards) only the Select Board’s own votes are shown; when the Select Board voted together with another board to fill a vacancy, only the Select Board members’ votes are shown. Select Board positions on Town Meeting articles that the minutes list without a motion are not shown as 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 11Place Mr. Edmonds's name on the nomination papers for…Motion: Mr. Cunningham made a motion to place Mr. Edmonds's name on…Passed Unanimous, 5 present · see note
March 11, 2024: Place Mr. Edmonds's name on the nomination papers for the Park Commission vacancy. Mr. Brian Edmonds to the Park Commission with a term to expire on April 23, 2024
Mr. Cunningham made a motion to place Mr. Edmonds's name on the nomination papers for the Park Commission vacancy. Mr. Brian Edmonds to the Park Commission with a term to expire on April 23, 2024.
This was a joint vote with another board (to fill a vacancy or as a joint meeting); only the Select Board members’ votes are shown.
From the minutes
“Mr. Cunningham made a motion to place Mr. Edmonds's name on the nomination papers for the Park Commission vacancy. Mr. Brian Edmonds to the Park Commission with a term to expire on April 23, 2024. Mr. Pisani seconded the motion. Roll Call: Eliot-aye; Mahoney-aye; Jennings-aye; Pine-aye; Manugian-aye; Reillyaye; Cunningham- aye; Pisani aye.” (Motion: Cunningham, second: Pisani)
Feb 26Mr. Reilly then made a motion to leave the…Motion: Mr. Reilly then made a motion to leave the meeting start…Passed 4–1 · No: Pine
February 26, 2024: Mr. Reilly then made a motion to leave the meeting start time to 6:00 p.m
Mr. Reilly then made a motion to leave the meeting start time to 6:00 p.m.
Yes: Cunningham, Manugian, Pisani, ReillyNo: Pine
From the minutes
“Mr. Reilly then made a motion to leave the meeting start time to 6:00 p.m. Mr. Pisani seconded the motion. Motion approved by a majority vote, 4 in favor, 1 Against- Pine..” (Motion: Reilly, second: Pisani)
Jan 29Appoint Jennifer Moore to the Board of Assessors until…Motion: Ms. Pine moved to appoint Jennifer Moore to the Board of…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
January 29, 2024: Appoint Jennifer Moore to the Board of Assessors until the April 23, 2024, Annual Town Election
Ms. Pine moved to appoint Jennifer Moore to the Board of Assessors until the April 23, 2024, Annual Town Election.
This was a joint vote with another board (to fill a vacancy or as a joint meeting); only the Select Board members’ votes are shown.
From the minutes
“Ms. Pine moved to appoint Jennifer Moore to the Board of Assessors until the April 23, 2024, Annual Town Election. Mr. Pisani seconded the motion. Role call: Pine-aye; Manugian-aye; Cunningham-aye; Pisani- aye; Boles- aye.” (Motion: Pine, second: Pisani)
Jan 22Change the 2024 Spring Town Meeting from April 27th…Motion: Ms. Pine made a motion to change the 2024 Spring Town…Passed 4–1 · No: Manugian
January 22, 2024: Change the 2024 Spring Town Meeting from April 27th to March 26, 2024
Ms. Pine made a motion to change the 2024 Spring Town Meeting from April 27th to March 26, 2024.
Yes: Cunningham, Pine, Pisani, ReillyNo: Manugian
From the minutes
“Ms. Pine made a motion to change the 2024 Spring Town Meeting from April 27th to March 26, 2024. Mr. Reilly seconded the motion. Mr. Reilly expressed concern that the timeline looks rushed, but he hoped the school would get the information out there. Mr. Pisani said they have a partner to work with and suggested that they vote on the same date as Dunstable. Ms. Manugian disagreed, saying that it would be detrimental to adjust the schedule because they want to align with Dunstable. Ms. Pine stated they had very little time to put together the Special Town Meeting held in September of 2022, which was the most heavily attended meeting. Mr. Haddad said the $5.5 million was presented in September by the Tri-Comm Committee, and it is not the first time this amount was discussed. The motion carried 4-1, Manugian opposed..” (Motion: Pine, second: Reilly)
Jan 22Call for a Special Override Election on April 2,…Motion: Ms. Pine made a motion to call for a Special Override…Passed 4–1 · No: Manugian
January 22, 2024: Call for a Special Override Election on April 2, 2024, to consider an override of Proposition 2 ½ and provide additional funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and to issue a…
Ms. Pine made a motion to call for a Special Override Election on April 2, 2024, to consider an override of Proposition 2 ½ and provide additional funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and to issue a ballot question as follows: "Shall the Town of Groton be allowed to assess an additional $5,500,000 in real estate and personal property taxes to fund the operating budget of the Town and the Assessment of the Groton Dunstable Regional School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024?"
Yes: Cunningham, Pine, Pisani, ReillyNo: Manugian
From the minutes
“Ms. Pine made a motion to call for a Special Override Election on April 2, 2024, to consider an override of Proposition 2 ½ and provide additional funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and to issue a ballot question as follows: "Shall the Town of Groton be allowed to assess an additional $5,500,000 in real estate and personal property taxes to fund the operating budget of the Town and the Assessment of the Groton Dunstable Regional School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024?" Mr. Pisani seconded the motion. Ms. Manugian wanted to clarify that she supported the reality of needing an Override but not the accelerated timeline. The motion carried 4-1, Manugian opposed..” (Motion: Pine, second: Pisani)
Dec 11Send a letter supporting the Affordable Housing Trust's CPA…Motion: Mr. Pisani made a motion to send a letter supporting the…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Pine
December 11, 2023: Send a letter supporting the Affordable Housing Trust's CPA Application for the second installment of the plan to build up cash reserves to respond to properties coming on the market
Mr. Pisani made a motion to send a letter supporting the Affordable Housing Trust's CPA Application for the second installment of the plan to build up cash reserves to respond to properties coming on the market.
Yes: Cunningham, Manugian, Pisani, ReillyAbstained: PineThe minutes give the count of members in favor (4) and name Becky Pine (abstained); together they match the 5 members present.
From the minutes
“Mr. Pisani made a motion to send a letter supporting the Affordable Housing Trust's CPA Application for the second installment of the plan to build up cash reserves to respond to properties coming on the market. Mr. Reilly seconded the motion. The motion carried 4 in favor- Pine abstained..” (Motion: Pisani, second: Reilly)
Nov 20Start the Select Board meetings at 6:00 p.m. on…Motion: Ms. Manugian made a motion to start the Select Board meetings…Passed 4–1 · No: Pine
November 20, 2023: Start the Select Board meetings at 6:00 p.m. on a three-month trial basis
Ms. Manugian made a motion to start the Select Board meetings at 6:00 p.m. on a three-month trial basis.
Yes: Cunningham, Manugian, Pisani, ReillyNo: Pine
From the minutes
“Ms. Manugian made a motion to start the Select Board meetings at 6:00 p.m. on a three-month trial basis. Mr. Pisani seconded the motion. Motion approved by a majority vote, 4 in Favor, one AgainstPine..” (Motion: Manugian, second: Pisani)
Oct 30Authorize the Town Manager to write a letter of…Motion: Ms. Pine made a motion to authorize the Town Manager to…Passed 4–1 · No: Manugian
October 30, 2023: Authorize the Town Manager to write a letter of support to the ZBA for a Variance Request for 25 Station Ave
Ms. Pine made a motion to authorize the Town Manager to write a letter of support to the ZBA for a Variance Request for 25 Station Ave.
Yes: Cunningham, Pine, Pisani, ReillyNo: Manugian
From the minutes
“Ms. Pine made a motion to authorize the Town Manager to write a letter of support to the ZBA for a Variance Request for 25 Station Ave. Mr. Pisani seconded the motion. The motion was approved by a majority vote, 4 in Favor, 1 Against - Manugian ON-GOING ISSUES No Updates Approval of Minutes from October 16th and October 25, 2023 M..” (Motion: Pine, second: Pisani)
Sep 11Approve the installation of a four-way stop sign at…Motion: Ms. Pine made a motion to approve the installation of a…Passed 4–1 · No: Cunningham
September 11, 2023: Approve the installation of a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Mill Street, Arlington Street, and Gratuity Road
Ms. Pine made a motion to approve the installation of a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Mill Street, Arlington Street, and Gratuity Road.
Yes: Manugian, Pine, Pisani, ReillyNo: Cunningham
From the minutes
“Ms. Pine made a motion to approve the installation of a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Mill Street, Arlington Street, and Gratuity Road. Ms. Manugian seconded the motion. Mr. Reilly asked if there were stop signs there currently. Mr. Delaney said there were stop signs on Arlington Street and Gratuity Road but not on Mill Street. Roll Call: Cunningham-nay; Reilly-aye; Manugian-aye; Pisani-aye; Pine-aye.” (Motion: Pine, second: Manugian)
Sep 11Ratify the Town Manager's appointment of Mason Bergeron as…Motion: Mr. Pisani made a motion to ratify the Town Manager's appointment…Passed 3–0 · see note
September 11, 2023: Ratify the Town Manager's appointment of Mason Bergeron as Grounds Staff and Ryan Merrill and Jack Young as Golf Shop Staff at the Groton Country Club
Mr. Pisani made a motion to ratify the Town Manager's appointment of Mason Bergeron as Grounds Staff and Ryan Merrill and Jack Young as Golf Shop Staff at the Groton Country Club.
Yes: Manugian, Pine, PisaniThe roll call does not list Peter Cunningham and John Reilly, who were at the meeting; they are not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“Mr. Pisani made a motion to ratify the Town Manager's appointment of Mason Bergeron as Grounds Staff and Ryan Merrill and Jack Young as Golf Shop Staff at the Groton Country Club. Ms. Pine seconded the motion. Roll Call: Pisani-aye; Manugian-aye; Pine-aye.” (Motion: Pisani, second: Pine)
From the Groton Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town’s public meeting portal (Select Board). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Town of Groton, Select Board page (Peter Cunningham, Becky Pine, John Reilly).
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