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Hopkinton Select Board
How the Hopkinton Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. John Coutinho served as Chair and Claire Wright as Vice Chair. The board was then called the Board of Selectmen. MassVoter has loaded this board’s minutes from January 16, 2018 on. The start date is a placeholder. Covers 17 meetings, January 16 to May 8, 2018.
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 Hopkinton ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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Members
Brian HerrMember · At-large · at 17 of 17 meetingsBrendan TedstoneMember · At-large · at 17 of 17 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: Hopkinton Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until spring 2019) from January 16, 2018 through September 15, 2026: 278 meetings and 2,338 votes. The town keeps the board’s minutes in its Laserfiche public portal back to 2002 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on); they are typed documents with searchable text. Not here: executive-session minutes, except on 8 dates where the town has posted only the released executive-session minutes and no open-session minutes (May 9, June 6, July 20, September 5 and December 5, 2023; February 8, April 16 and May 21, 2024; shown with a note); about 20 meetings since 2023 that have a posted agenda but no minutes (for example January 2, January 16 and March 19, 2024, September 4, 2025 and March 26, 2026; some may have been cancelled); and meetings after September 15, 2026 (not posted yet). Most votes are recorded as a count (“Vote to Approve: Yes-5, No-0”), and since 2020 often with a roll call naming each member (“ROLL CALL: Amy Ritterbusch-Yes, Shahidul Mannan-Yes, Brian Herr-Yes, Joe Clark-Yes, Matthew Kizner-No”); split votes name who voted each way. We show each member’s vote as recorded. Where only a count is given, a count that matches the members present with no one voting no is shown as every member present voting yes; when the minutes say a member arrived late, left the room, stepped off the board or did not vote, and the count matches the members still voting, that member is left out with a note. Where a roll call lists a member twice, names a member the minutes do not show as present, or does not match its stated count, or a split count does not name who voted no, we show the count only, with a note. Town Meeting article recommendations made under a standing motion are listed one by one. At joint meetings, only the Select Board’s own votes are shown; where both boards voted together (for example to fill a vacancy), we show the Select Board members’ votes and give the combined count in a note. Motions that were withdrawn or got no second, with no vote recorded, are not listed. 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 7Approve the PILOT Agreement with Clean Energy Collective for…Motion: to approve the PILOT Agreement with Clean Energy Collective for property…Passed 4–0 · see note
May 7, 2018: Approve the PILOT Agreement with Clean Energy Collective for property at 147 Lumber Street
To approve the PILOT Agreement with Clean Energy Collective for property at 147 Lumber Street
Yes: Cestari, Coutinho, Tedstone, WrightThe minutes say Brian Herr had not yet arrived or had left the room when this vote was taken; the count (4-0) matches the members in the room, so this member is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“MOVED by Mr. Cestari and SECONDED by Ms. Wright to approve the PILOT Agreement with Clean Energy Collective for property at 147 Lumber Street. Vote to Approve: Yes-4, No-0..” (Motion: Cestari, second: Wright)
Apr 24Recommend Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog bylaw…Motion: Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog:Failed 0–2 · see note
April 24, 2018: Recommend Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog bylaw (first vote)
Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog:
The minutes record this as “Vote to Approve: 0-2 (Wright, Tedstone)”, then further discussion and a second vote on the same article (next entry). They do not say how the other members voted, so we show the count only. The minutes do not name who voted no. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog: Vote to Approve: 0-2 (Wright, Tedstone).”
Apr 24Recommend Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog bylawMotion: The Board discussed the draft bylaw and its purpose, which is…Passed 3–1 · No: Wright · Abstained: Coutinho
April 24, 2018: Recommend Article 39 - Nuisance and Dangerous Dog bylaw
The Board discussed the draft bylaw and its purpose, which is to bring the Town into conformance with the state laws regarding nuisance and dangerous dogs and how to handle them, as recommended by Town Counsel
Yes: Cestari, Herr, TedstoneNo: WrightAbstained: CoutinhoThe minutes record “3 (Herr, Tedstone, Cestari) - 1 (Wright) - 1 (Coutinho abstaining)”.
From the minutes
“The Board discussed the draft bylaw and its purpose, which is to bring the Town into conformance with the state laws regarding nuisance and dangerous dogs and how to handle them, as recommended by Town Counsel. Vote to Approve: 3 (Herr, Tedstone, Cestari) - 1 (Wright) - 1.”
Apr 10Recommend that the annual town meeting vote to accept…Motion: to recommend that the annual town meeting vote to accept Cobblers…Passed 4–0 · see note
April 10, 2018: Recommend that the annual town meeting vote to accept Cobblers Way as and for a public way and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase or…
To recommend that the annual town meeting vote to accept Cobblers Way as and for a public way and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase or eminent domain any land or interest in land necessary for such laying out
Yes: Cestari, Coutinho, Tedstone, WrightThe minutes do not name Brian Herr in this vote; this member is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“MOVED by Mr. Cestari and SECONDED by Mr. Tedstone to recommend that the annual town meeting vote to accept Cobblers Way as and for a public way and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase or eminent domain any land or interest in land necessary for such laying out. Vote to Approve: 4 (Coutinho, Cestari, Wright, Tedstone) - 0.” (Motion: Cestari, second: Tedstone)
Apr 10Place a ballot question on the May, 2018 annual…Motion: to place a ballot question on the May, 2018 annual town…Failed 2–3 · No: Cestari, Coutinho, Tedstone
April 10, 2018: Place a ballot question on the May, 2018 annual town election to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 ½ the debt for the artificial turf fields project
To place a ballot question on the May, 2018 annual town election to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 ½ the debt for the artificial turf fields project
Yes: Herr, WrightNo: Cestari, Coutinho, Tedstone
From the minutes
“MOVED by Mr. Herr and SECONDED by Ms. Wright to place a ballot question on the May, 2018 annual town election to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2 ½ the debt for the artificial turf fields project. Vote to Approve: 2 (Herr, Wright) - 3 (Coutinho, Tedstone, Cestari)..” (Motion: Herr, second: Wright)
Apr 3Recommend Article - Sidewalk Master Plan Phase 2Motion: Article - Sidewalk Master Plan Phase 2 - Mr. Westerling noted…Failed 1–4 · No: Cestari, Herr, Tedstone, Wright
April 3, 2018: Recommend Article - Sidewalk Master Plan Phase 2
Article - Sidewalk Master Plan Phase 2 - Mr. Westerling noted the article would fund the following sidewalks: 1) on Hayden Rowe from EMC Park to Chestnut St.; 2) on West Main St. from Lumber St. to Downey St.; 3) on Wood St. from Proctor St. to Walker St.; 4) on Wild Rd. from #11 Wild Rd. to Briarcliff Dr. The Board discussed the issues, including the need for sidewalks on the same side of Hayden Rowe as the Marathon Elementary School, pedestrian safety and the tight budgets this year
Yes: CoutinhoNo: Cestari, Herr, Tedstone, Wright
From the minutes
“Article - Sidewalk Master Plan Phase 2 - Mr. Westerling noted the article would fund the following sidewalks: 1) on Hayden Rowe from EMC Park to Chestnut St.; 2) on West Main St. from Lumber St. to Downey St.; 3) on Wood St. from Proctor St. to Walker St.; 4) on Wild Rd. from #11 Wild Rd. to Briarcliff Dr. The Board discussed the issues, including the need for sidewalks on the same side of Hayden Rowe as the Marathon Elementary School, pedestrian safety and the tight budgets this year. Vote to Approve: 1 (Coutinho) - 4 (Herr, Cestari, Wright, Tedstone)..”
Apr 3Recommend Article - Pratt Farm WellfieldMotion: Article - Pratt Farm Wellfield - Mr. Westerling stated the article…Passed 4–1 · No: Cestari
April 3, 2018: Recommend Article - Pratt Farm Wellfield
Article - Pratt Farm Wellfield - Mr. Westerling stated the article would fund testing and permitting, but not construction. The Board discussed whether to defer the project another year. Mr. Westerling stated that adding the new wells would help with the blending to treat manganese
Yes: Coutinho, Herr, Tedstone, WrightNo: Cestari
From the minutes
“Article - Pratt Farm Wellfield - Mr. Westerling stated the article would fund testing and permitting, but not construction. The Board discussed whether to defer the project another year. Mr. Westerling stated that adding the new wells would help with the blending to treat manganese. Vote to Approve: 4 (Coutinho, Herr, Wright, Tedstone) - 1 (Cestari)..”
Mar 27Approve and execute the PILOT Agreement between the Town…Motion: to approve and execute the PILOT Agreement between the Town of…Passed 4–0 · see note
March 27, 2018: Approve and execute the PILOT Agreement between the Town of Hopkinton and MA Solar Highway Phase 2 LLC
To approve and execute the PILOT Agreement between the Town of Hopkinton and MA Solar Highway Phase 2 LLC
Yes: Cestari, Coutinho, Tedstone, WrightThe minutes say Brian Herr had not yet arrived or had left the room when this vote was taken; the count (4-0) matches the members in the room, so this member is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“MOVED by Mr. Cestari and SECONDED by Mr. Tedstone to approve and execute the PILOT Agreement between the Town of Hopkinton and MA Solar Highway Phase 2 LLC. Vote to Approve: 4-0..” (Motion: Cestari, second: Tedstone)
Jan 30Approve the seasonal population estimate of 15,048Motion: to approve the seasonal population estimate of 15,048Passed 4–0 · see note
January 30, 2018: Approve the seasonal population estimate of 15,048
To approve the seasonal population estimate of 15,048
The count (4-0) does not match the 5 members shown at the meeting, and the minutes do not say who did not vote. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“MOVED by Mr. Tedstone and SECONDED by Ms. Wright to approve the seasonal population estimate of 15,048. VOTE to Approve: Yes-4, No-0..” (Motion: Tedstone, second: Wright)
Jan 29For Mr. Coutinho to Chair the joint meetingMotion: for Mr. Coutinho to Chair the joint meetingPassed 4–0 · see note
January 29, 2018: For Mr. Coutinho to Chair the joint meeting
For Mr. Coutinho to Chair the joint meeting
Yes: Cestari, Coutinho, Herr, WrightThe minutes say Brendan Tedstone had not yet arrived or had left the room when this vote was taken; the count (4-0) matches the members in the room, so this member is not shown as voting.
From the minutes
“MOVED by Mr. Herr and SECONDED by Ms. Wright for Mr. Coutinho to Chair the joint meeting. Vote to Approve: 4-0..” (Motion: Herr, second: Wright)
From the Hopkinton Select Board’s official minutes in the town’s Laserfiche document archive (Agendas & Minutes). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Hopkinton Independent (photos by John Cardillo): Brian Herr and Joe Clark (May 2024), Shahidul Mannan and Matthew Kizner (May 2025); Amy Ritterbusch, Hopkinton Independent candidate questionnaire (June 2020).
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