MassVoter.com← NorwellMunicipal votes · 2025–2026 Board
Norwell Select Board
How the Norwell Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Lorenda Layne and John McGrath joined the board after the May 2025 election; Jason Brown and Bruce W. Graham left. On May 28, 2025 the board chose Peter W. Smellie as Chair, Brian M. Greenberg as Vice Chair and Lorenda Layne as Clerk. The town has posted agendas but no minutes for the Oct. 15, 2025, Dec. 22, 2025, Jan. 22, 2026, March 19 and 25, 2026, and April 16 and 28, 2026 meetings. Covers 30 meetings, May 28 to May 13, 2026.
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 Norwell’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
What Town Meeting decided
In Norwell, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Norwell has not posted official results of its 2024–2026 Town Meetings online, so they are not here yet. We will add them when the Town Clerk’s records are available.
What we checked: Norwell has not posted official results for any Town Meeting since January 2024: its Town Meeting page has only warrants, motions and a consent agenda (no Town Clerk minutes or certified votes) for the May 6, 2024 Special and Annual, December 2024 Special, May 5, 2025 Special and Annual, and May 4, 2026 Special and Annual Town Meetings, and its newest Annual Town Report online is for 2023.
Members
ChairPeter W. SmellieChair · Elected townwide · at 24 of 30 meetingsVice-ChairBrian M. GreenbergVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 26 of 30 meetings
Lorenda LayneClerk · Elected townwide · at 27 of 30 meetings
John McGrathMember · Elected townwide · at 24 of 30 meetingsT. Andrew ReardonMember · Elected townwide · at 29 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: Select Board open-session minutes from January 4, 2023 through September 16, 2026, as posted on the town website (the town’s online archive starts in January 2023). Not here yet: minutes before 2023, minutes after September 16, 2026, and meetings whose minutes the town has not posted, including January 18, 2023, October 18, 2023, December 18, 2024, October 15, 2025, December 22, 2025, January 22, 2026, March 19 and 25, 2026, and April 16 and 28, 2026. Executive session minutes are not included. Six sets of minutes are scanned images, read with text recognition and checked by hand. Norwell’s minutes name who made and seconded each motion. When they say “unanimously voted” we show every member present as voting yes, and when they list how each member voted (by name), we show each vote as recorded. A few votes give only a count (for example, 4 voting yes, 1 voting no) with no names; those show the count only. Six meetings’ minutes have no attendance list, so their unanimous votes show the result only. Where the minutes name a member in a vote who is not on the attendance list, we show the count only and add a note. Members who stepped aside (recused) are left out of that vote. Votes of other boards at joint meetings (Planning Board, Board of Assessors, Capital Budget Committee) and joint votes of the two boards together are not included. 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 15That the Select Board, on behalf of the town…Motion: That the Select Board, on behalf of the town of Norwell,…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
April 15, 2026: That the Select Board, on behalf of the town of Norwell, elects to engage in the process to change health insurance benefits under M.G.L., c.32B, sections 21 through 23
That the Select Board, on behalf of the town of Norwell, elects to engage in the process to change health insurance benefits under M.G.L., c.32B, sections 21 through 23
T. Andrew Reardon stepped aside (recused) from this item and is left out of this vote (the minutes list him as abstaining).
From the minutes
“Motion; made by John McGrath, seconded by Brian Greenberg, That the Select Board, on behalf of the town of Norwell, elects to engage in the process to change health insurance benefits under M.G.L., c.32B, sections 21 through 23. Greenberg-yes, Layne-yes, McGrath-yes, Smellie-yes. Mr. Reardon abstained as he recused himself from this topic.” (Motion: McGrath, second: Greenberg)
Apr 15Appoint the following members to the IAC: Tracy Simmons…Motion: to appoint the following members to the IAC: Tracy Simmons (EAN),…Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
April 15, 2026: Appoint the following members to the IAC: Tracy Simmons (EAN), Nancy Campbell (Teamsters, Local 25), Craig LaRocco (Norwell Police Association), Harry Merritt (Norwell Firefighters IAFF, Local...
To appoint the following members to the IAC: Tracy Simmons (EAN), Nancy Campbell (Teamsters, Local 25), Craig LaRocco (Norwell Police Association), Harry Merritt (Norwell Firefighters IAFF, Local 2700), Colleen Sampson (SEIU, Local 888), Sean Clancy (AFSCME, Local 1700), Rocco Canale (AFSCME, Local 1700), Scott Gorman (AFSCME, Local 1700), Nancy Dooley, Retiree Representative
T. Andrew Reardon stepped aside (recused) from this item and is left out of this vote (the minutes list him as abstaining).
From the minutes
“Motion; made by Lorenda Layne, seconded by Brian Greenberg, to appoint the following members to the IAC: Tracy Simmons (EAN), Nancy Campbell (Teamsters, Local 25), Craig LaRocco (Norwell Police Association), Harry Merritt (Norwell Firefighters IAFF, Local 2700), Colleen Sampson (SEIU, Local 888), Sean Clancy (AFSCME, Local 1700), Rocco Canale (AFSCME, Local 1700), Scott Gorman (AFSCME, Local 1700), Nancy Dooley, Retiree Representative. Greenberg-yes, Layne-yes, McGrath-yes, Smellie-yes. Mr. Reardon abstained as he recused himself from this topic.” (Motion: Layne, second: Greenberg)
Apr 1Appoint John McVarish to the Norwell Housing Authority Tenant…Motion: to appoint John McVarish to the Norwell Housing Authority Tenant Board…Passed · see note
April 1, 2026: Appoint John McVarish to the Norwell Housing Authority Tenant Board for a term expiring on 4/1/31
To appoint John McVarish to the Norwell Housing Authority Tenant Board for a term expiring on 4/1/31
The minutes say the vote was unanimous but do not list who attended this meeting, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“Motion; made by Andy Reardon, seconded by Brian Greenberg, to appoint John McVarish to the Norwell Housing Authority Tenant Board for a term expiring on 4/1/31. Unanimously voted.” (Motion: Reardon, second: Greenberg)
Apr 1Place the Articles on the 2026 Town Meeting Warrants…Motion: to place the Articles on the 2026 Town Meeting Warrants in…Passed · see note
April 1, 2026: Place the Articles on the 2026 Town Meeting Warrants in the order presented and amended
To place the Articles on the 2026 Town Meeting Warrants in the order presented and amended
The minutes say the vote was unanimous but do not list who attended this meeting, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“Motion; made by Joh McGrath, seconded by Lorenda Layne, to place the Articles on the 2026 Town Meeting Warrants in the order presented and amended. Unanimously voted.” (Motion: McGrath, second: Layne)
Apr 1Strike this question from the Annual Town Election ballotMotion: to strike this question from the Annual Town Election ballotFailed 2–3 · No: Greenberg, Reardon, Smellie
April 1, 2026: Strike this question from the Annual Town Election ballot
To strike this question from the Annual Town Election ballot
Yes: Layne, McGrathNo: Greenberg, Reardon, Smellie
From the minutes
“Motion; made by John McGrath, seconded by Lorenda Layne, to strike this question from the Annual Town Election ballot. McGrath – yes, Layne – yes, Smellie – no, Greenberg – no, Reardon – no. The motion fails to pass.” (Motion: McGrath, second: Layne)
Feb 4Draft a No Demolition restriction on the Stetson Ford…Motion: to draft a No Demolition restriction on the Stetson Ford housePassed 4–1 · No: Reardon
February 4, 2026: Draft a No Demolition restriction on the Stetson Ford house
To draft a No Demolition restriction on the Stetson Ford house
Yes: Greenberg, Layne, McGrath, SmellieNo: Reardon
From the minutes
“Motion; made by Brian Greenberg, seconded by John McGrath, to draft a No Demolition restriction on the Stetson Ford house. Greenberg, Layne, McGrath, Smellie voting yes, Reardon voting no. Motion carried.” (Motion: Greenberg, second: McGrath)
Feb 4Approve the Cross Street Flower Farm annual calendar of…Motion: to approve the Cross Street Flower Farm annual calendar of events…Passed 4–1 · No: Reardon
February 4, 2026: Approve the Cross Street Flower Farm annual calendar of events for 2026
To approve the Cross Street Flower Farm annual calendar of events for 2026
Yes: Greenberg, Layne, McGrath, SmellieNo: Reardon
From the minutes
“Motion; made by Lorenda Layne, seconded by John McGrath, to approve the Cross Street Flower Farm annual calendar of events for 2026. Greenberg, Layne, McGrath, Smellie voting yes, Reardon voting no. Motion carried.” (Motion: Layne, second: McGrath)
Jan 21Form a 7 member Ad Hoc committee known as…Motion: to form a 7 member Ad Hoc committee known as the…Passed · see note
January 21, 2026: Form a 7 member Ad Hoc committee known as the Town Hall Reuse Committee, with 5-7 members, 1 COA rep, 1 Recreation Commission rep, 1 CHT member rep and 4…
To form a 7 member Ad Hoc committee known as the Town Hall Reuse Committee, with 5-7 members, 1 COA rep, 1 Recreation Commission rep, 1 CHT member rep and 4 At Large members, appointed by the Select Board
John McGrath took part in this meeting but is not on the attendance list, so it is not known who voted. Individual votes are not shown; we will ask the town.
From the minutes
“Motion; made by Lorenda Layne, seconded by Andy Reardon, to form a 7 member Ad Hoc committee known as the Town Hall Reuse Committee, with 5-7 members, 1 COA rep, 1 Recreation Commission rep, 1 CHT member rep and 4 At Large members, appointed by the Select Board. Unanimously voted.” (Motion: Layne, second: Reardon)
Jan 21Set the date and time for the Special and…Motion: to set the date and time for the Special and Annual…Passed · see note
January 21, 2026: Set the date and time for the Special and Annual Town Meeting as May 4, 2026, 7PM, andthe date for the Annual Town Election as May 16, 2026
To set the date and time for the Special and Annual Town Meeting as May 4, 2026, 7PM, andthe date for the Annual Town Election as May 16, 2026
The minutes name John McGrath in this motion, but do not list John McGrath as attending. Individual votes are not shown; we will ask the town.
From the minutes
“Motion; made by John McGrath, seconded by Lorenda Layne, to set the date and time for the Special and Annual Town Meeting as May 4, 2026, 7PM, andthe date for the Annual Town Election as May 16, 2026. Unanimously voted.” (second: Layne)
Jan 21Open the Annual Town Meeting Warrantfor the 2026 Special…Motion: to open the Annual Town Meeting Warrantfor the 2026 Special and…Passed · see note
January 21, 2026: Open the Annual Town Meeting Warrantfor the 2026 Special and Annual Town Meeting on January 21, 2026, and close the Annual Town Meeting Warrant on February 18, 2026
To open the Annual Town Meeting Warrantfor the 2026 Special and Annual Town Meeting on January 21, 2026, and close the Annual Town Meeting Warrant on February 18, 2026
The minutes name John McGrath in this motion, but do not list John McGrath as attending. Individual votes are not shown; we will ask the town.
From the minutes
“Motion; made by John McGrath, seconded by Lorenda Layne, to open the Annual Town Meeting Warrantfor the 2026 Special and Annual Town Meeting on January 21, 2026, and close the Annual Town Meeting Warrant on February 18, 2026. Unanimously voted.” (second: Layne)
From the Norwell Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town website. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos of current members: Lorenda Layne and John McGrath from the South Shore Times candidate profiles (April 2025). Members without a photo show initials. Peter Smellie from his campaign Facebook page (“Peter D. Smellie for Selectman of Norwell, MA”).
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