MassVoter.com← NorwoodMunicipal votes · 2023–2024 Board
Norwood Board of Selectmen
How the Norwood Board of Selectmen voted, from the Board of Selectmen’s official minutes. 5 Selectmen elected townwide. Michael Saad joined the board after the April 4, 2023 town election, and Matthew Lane was re-elected; Helen Abdallah Donohue left. On April 11, 2023 the board chose Matthew Lane as Chairman and Robert Donnelly as Vice Chairman. Covers 26 meetings, April 11 to March 26, 2024.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Board of Selectmen 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 Board of Selectmen, 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 Norwood’s meeting calendar automatically yet. See upcoming meetings on the official site →
Members
ChairMatthew LaneChair · Elected townwide · at 24 of 26 meetings
Vice-ChairRobert DonnellyVice Chair · Elected townwide · at 24 of 26 meetings
Amanda GrowMember · Elected townwide · at 26 of 26 meetingsWilliam PlaskoMember · Elected townwide · at 26 of 26 meetings
Michael SaadMember · Elected townwide · at 25 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: Board of Selectmen minutes from January 8, 2018 through July 14, 2026 (247 meetings). Some 2020–2026 files are scanned pages, which we read with text recognition. Not here: minutes after July 14, 2026 (August 11, September 8 and September 22, 2026 are not posted yet); no minutes at all from March 24 to September 15, 2020, although the town lists agendas for 17 meetings in that time; February 10, March 3, March 24 (approved April 28, 2026) and June 30, 2026, and December 16, 2025, which have agendas but no minutes; and about a dozen other dates since 2018 with an agenda but no minutes, some of them Town Meeting nights or executive sessions. The March 27, 2018 link opens the February 27, 2018 minutes, so that meeting is missing too. How votes were read: until early 2023 the minutes usually say only who made and seconded a motion and that the board “voted”, with no count; we show those votes as passed with no names, never as unanimous. When the minutes say a vote was unanimous we show every Selectman present as voting yes; when they give a count and name who voted no or abstained, and it adds up to the members present, we show each member’s vote. In early 2023 several minutes say only “Carried”, and we show the result only. From mid-2023 the minutes list each member under Aye, Nay, Abstain or Absent for almost every vote. Where a count does not match the members present, a mover or seconder is missing from the attendance line, or a roll call leaves out a member who was there, we show the count or result only and add a note. Motions written down with no vote after them 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.
Mar 26Deny – Submitting a request for a one day…Motion: Motion to deny.Passed 4–1 · No: Donnelly
March 26, 2024: Deny – Submitting a request for a one day liquor permit for
Motion to deny.
Yes: Grow, Lane, Plasko, SaadNo: Donnelly
From the minutes
“Motion to deny. Moved by: William Plasko Seconded by: Michael Saad Aye Amanda Grow, Matthew Lane, William Plasko, and Michael Saad Nay Robert Donnelly Carried 4-1.” (Motion: Plasko, second: Saad)
Mar 26Direct Selectman Grow to contact the legislature with the…Motion: Motion to direct Selectman Grow to contact the legislature with the…Passed · see note
March 26, 2024: Direct Selectman Grow to contact the legislature with the discussed modifications regarding the project list
Motion to direct Selectman Grow to contact the legislature with the discussed modifications regarding the project list, made by Selectman Donnelly, seconded by Selectman Plasko. The motion was carried.
The minutes say only “motion was carried”, with no count or names.
From the minutes
“Motion to direct Selectman Grow to contact the legislature with the discussed modifications regarding the project list, made by Selectman Donnelly, seconded by Selectman Plasko. The motion was carried..” (Motion: Donnelly, second: Plasko)
Mar 12Approve – Committee to insert a flier into an…Motion: Motion to approve.Passed · see note
March 12, 2024 (Joint meeting): Approve – Committee to insert a flier into an upcoming light bill
Motion to approve.
The minutes say only “Carried”, with no names or count.
From the minutes
“Motion to approve. Moved by: Robert Donnelly Seconded by; William Plasko Carried.” (Motion: Donnelly, second: Plasko)
Feb 27File 4.1 - 4.5 and 4.7 and to send…Motion: Motion to file 4.1 - 4.5 and 4.7 and to send…Passed · see note
February 27, 2024: File 4.1 - 4.5 and 4.7 and to send 4.6
Motion to file 4.1 - 4.5 and 4.7 and to send 4.6.
The minutes say only “Carried”, with no names or count.
From the minutes
“Motion to file 4.1 - 4.5 and 4.7 and to send 4.6. Moved by: William Plasko Seconded by: Michael Saad Carried.” (Motion: Plasko, second: Saad)
Feb 13Deny – Donnelly, William Plasko, and Michael SaadMotion: Motion to deny.Passed 3–2 · No: Grow, Lane
February 13, 2024: Deny – Donnelly, William Plasko, and Michael Saad
Motion to deny.
Yes: Donnelly, Plasko, SaadNo: Grow, Lane
From the minutes
“Motion to deny. Moved by: Robert Donnelly Seconded by: William Plasko Aye Robert Donnelly, William Plasko, and Michael Saad Nay Amanda Grow and Matthew Lane Carried 3-2.” (Motion: Donnelly, second: Plasko)
Feb 13Approve – Streets intersection, Walnut & Washington StreetsMotion: Motion to approve.Passed · see note
February 13, 2024: Approve – Streets intersection, Walnut & Washington Streets
Motion to approve.
The minutes say only “Carried”, with no names or count.
From the minutes
“Motion to approve. Moved by: Michael Saad Seconded by: William Plasko Carried.” (Motion: Saad, second: Plasko)
Jan 9Approve – Hometown Arcade submitting a request for a…Motion: Motion to approve.Passed 4–1 · No: Plasko
January 9, 2024: Approve – Hometown Arcade submitting a request for a one day liquor
Motion to approve.
Yes: Donnelly, Grow, Lane, SaadNo: Plasko
From the minutes
“Motion to approve. Moved by: Robert Donnelly Seconded by: Amanda Grow Aye Amanda Grow, Matthew Lane, Robert Donnelly, and Michael Saad Nay William Plasko Carried 4-1.” (Motion: Donnelly, second: Grow)
Dec 12Move the shift factor to 72% with the result…Motion: Motion to move the shift factor to 72% with the result…Failed 0–5 · No: Donnelly, Grow, Lane, Plasko, Saad
December 12, 2023: Move the shift factor to 72% with the result in the residential tax rate of 10.58 and commercial rate of 23.69
Motion to move the shift factor to 72% with the result in the residential tax rate of 10.58 and commercial rate of 23.69.
No: Donnelly, Grow, Lane, Plasko, Saad
From the minutes
“Motion to move the shift factor to 72% with the result in the residential tax rate of 10.58 and commercial rate of 23.69. Moved by: Robert Donnelly Seconded by: William Plasko : Aye Nay Amanda Grow, Matthew Lane, Robert Donnelly, William Plasko, and Michael Saad Denied 0-5.” (Motion: Donnelly, second: Plasko)
Dec 12Move the shift factor to 75% with the result…Motion: Motion to move the shift factor to 75% with the result…Failed 2–3 · No: Donnelly, Grow, Plasko
December 12, 2023: Move the shift factor to 75% with the result in the residential tax rate of 10.45 and a commercial rate of 24.11
Motion to move the shift factor to 75% with the result in the residential tax rate of 10.45 and a commercial rate of 24.11.
Yes: Lane, SaadNo: Donnelly, Grow, Plasko
From the minutes
“Motion to move the shift factor to 75% with the result in the residential tax rate of 10.45 and a commercial rate of 24.11. Moved by: Michael Saad Seconded by: Robert Donnelly Aye Matthew Lane and Michael Saad Nay Amanda Grow, Robert Donnelly, and William Plasko Denied 2-3.” (Motion: Saad, second: Donnelly)
Nov 14File all memorandaMotion: Motion to file all memoranda.Passed · see note
November 14, 2023: File all memoranda
Motion to file all memoranda.
The minutes do not say how this vote came out.
From the minutes
“Motion to file all memoranda. Moved by: Robert Donnelly Seconded by: Amanda Grow 5.1 ABCC Approval - Verahi, Inc. Submitting notification of approval for trans.” (Motion: Donnelly, second: Grow)
From the Norwood Board of Selectmen’s official minutes, posted on the town’s Board of Selectmen minutes page. We check every vote against the Selectmen present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: campaign websites (Robert Donnelly, Amanda Grow); The Norwood Record (Cheryl Doyle; Michael Saad, photo by Jeff Sullivan); Norwood Community Media (Matthew Lane, from “Fast Facts with Matt Lane”).
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