MassVoter.com← PepperellMunicipal votes · 2020–2021 Board
Pepperell Select Board
How the Pepperell Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. Tony Beattie joined the board after the June 22, 2020 election (first meeting July 13, 2020). On July 13, 2020 the board unanimously chose Bill Greathead as Chair and Margaret Scarsdale as Clerk. On July 27, 2020 the board voted to change its name from the Board of Selectmen to the Select Board. Bill Greathead died on February 28, 2021 (his last meeting was February 22, 2021); Margaret Scarsdale chaired the two-member board until the April 2021 election. Most meetings from spring 2020 into 2021 were held remotely. Covers 26 meetings, July 13 to April 12, 2021.
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 Pepperell ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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From the agendas Pepperell posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Members
Tony BeattieMember · At-large · at 25 of 26 meetingsMargaret ScarsdaleClerk · At-large · at 26 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: Pepperell Select Board minutes (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until it voted on July 27, 2020 to rename itself the Select Board) from January 8, 2018 through September 9, 2026: 282 meetings and 1,867 votes. The town’s Agenda Center holds the board’s minutes back to 2014; MassVoter has loaded 2018 on. Six sets of minutes loaded (April 17, December 3 and December 17, 2018; September 12, 2022; June 14 and September 25, 2023) are scanned images, which MassVoter read with text recognition, so quoted words may keep small reading errors; all other minutes are typed documents with searchable text. Joint meetings with other boards (Planning Board, Library Trustees, Finance Committee, North Middlesex Regional School Committee, Board of Health, Board of Assessors and others) are included, but only the Select Board members’ votes are shown; votes the other board took on its own are left out. Not here: executive-session minutes; notices that a meeting was cancelled or that executive-session minutes have not been released; the minutes of Town Meeting itself; meetings with an agenda but no posted minutes (among them January 20, 2022, the joint meetings of February 11 and May 1, 2023, and the joint School Committee appointment meeting of November 5, 2025); and meetings after September 9, 2026 (the September 23 and October 2, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Pepperell’s minutes give the mover and seconder and usually say “it was unanimously voted” or “The motion carried unanimously,” which is shown as every member present voting yes. When a member voted no or abstained, the minutes usually name that member (“Ms. Ferolito opposed,” “The motion carried 2–1, with Select Board Member Walkovich opposed”); with three members, the others present are then shown voting yes, with a note when the minutes give no count. Where the minutes say only “it was voted” with no count or names, we show the result only (104 votes); where a split count names no one, or a count does not match the members present, we show the count only, with a note (8 votes). Several 2022 minutes say both “unanimously voted” and that a member voted no, or that “All voted nay”; those show the result only, with a note. Members who stepped aside (recused) are not shown as voting. Two sets of minutes leave a member off the attendance list who made or seconded motions (July 16, 2018 and May 4, 2022); that member is counted present, with a note. Some 2018 minutes repeat paragraphs because of the page layout; each vote is counted once. 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.
Feb 22Appoint Margaret Scarsdale to represent the Select Board on…Motion: On a motion made by Mr. Beattie and seconded by Mr.…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Scarsdale
February 22, 2021: Appoint Margaret Scarsdale to represent the Select Board on the Local Rapid Recovery Planning grant advisory team
On a motion made by Mr. Beattie and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted to appoint Margaret Scarsdale to represent the Select Board on the Local Rapid Recovery Planning grant advisory team. Ms. Scarsdale abstained.
Yes: Beattie, GreatheadAbstained: ScarsdaleThe minutes say Margaret Scarsdale abstained and record the motion as passed; the other members present are shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Mr. Beattie and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted to appoint Margaret Scarsdale to represent the Select Board on the Local Rapid Recovery Planning grant advisory team. Ms. Scarsdale abstained..” (Motion: Beattie, second: Greathead)
Dec 14Appoint Jim Scarsdale to the Climate Council with the…Motion: On a motion made by Mr. Beattie and seconded by Mr.…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Scarsdale
December 14, 2020 (Joint meeting): Appoint Jim Scarsdale to the Climate Council with the term to expire on December 31, 2021
On a motion made by Mr. Beattie and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted 2-0 to appoint Jim Scarsdale to the Climate Council with the term to expire on December 31, 2021. Ms. Scarsdale abstained.
Yes: Beattie, GreatheadAbstained: Scarsdale
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Mr. Beattie and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted 2-0 to appoint Jim Scarsdale to the Climate Council with the term to expire on December 31, 2021. Ms. Scarsdale abstained..” (Motion: Beattie, second: Greathead)
Sep 28Appoint Renee D'Argento to the vacant Board of Health…Motion: Ms. Scarsdale made a motion and seconded by Mr. Beattie, to…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
September 28, 2020: Appoint Renee D'Argento to the vacant Board of Health seat (joint vote with the Board of Health)
Ms. Scarsdale made a motion and seconded by Mr. Beattie, to appoint Ms. D'Argento to the vacant Board of Health seat. Mr. Greathead, Ms. Scarsdale. Mr. Beattie voted Yay. Ms. LaFleur and Mr. Durno voted Nay. 3- 2 motion carries to appoint Renee D'Argento.
Joint vote with the Board of Health. The minutes say “Mr. Greathead, Ms. Scarsdale. Mr. Beattie voted Yay. Ms. LaFleur and Mr. Durno voted Nay. 3- 2 motion carries”; the three yes votes are the three Select Board members. Only the Select Board members’ votes are shown.
From the minutes
“Ms. Scarsdale made a motion and seconded by Mr. Beattie, to appoint Ms. D'Argento to the vacant Board of Health seat. Mr. Greathead, Ms. Scarsdale. Mr. Beattie voted Yay. Ms. LaFleur and Mr. Durno voted Nay. 3- 2 motion carries to appoint Renee D'Argento..” (Motion: Scarsdale, second: Beattie)
Jul 27Accept and release the meeting minutes of June 8,…Motion: On a motion made by Ms. Scarsdale and seconded by Mr.…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Beattie
July 27, 2020: Accept and release the meeting minutes of June 8, 2020 as written
On a motion made by Ms. Scarsdale and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted to accept and release the meeting minutes of June 8, 2020 as written. Mr. Beattie abstained.
Yes: Greathead, ScarsdaleAbstained: BeattieThe minutes say Tony Beattie abstained and record the motion as passed; the other members present are shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Ms. Scarsdale and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted to accept and release the meeting minutes of June 8, 2020 as written. Mr. Beattie abstained..” (Motion: Scarsdale, second: Greathead)
Jul 27Accept and release the meeting minutes of June 16,…Motion: On a motion made by Ms. Scarsdale and seconded by Mr.…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Beattie
July 27, 2020: Accept and release the meeting minutes of June 16, 2020 as written
On a motion made by Ms. Scarsdale and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted to accept and release the meeting minutes of June 16, 2020 as written. Mr. Beattie abstained.
Yes: Greathead, ScarsdaleAbstained: BeattieThe minutes say Tony Beattie abstained and record the motion as passed; the other members present are shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Ms. Scarsdale and seconded by Mr. Greathead, it was voted to accept and release the meeting minutes of June 16, 2020 as written. Mr. Beattie abstained..” (Motion: Scarsdale, second: Greathead)
Jul 13Approve both the Superior and the Patrolmen's Police Union…Motion: On a motion made by Mr. Greathead and seconded by Ms.…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Beattie
July 13, 2020: Approve both the Superior and the Patrolmen's Police Union Contract
On a motion made by Mr. Greathead and seconded by Ms. Scarsdale, it was voted to approve both the Superior and the Patrolmen's Police Union Contract. Mr. Beattie abstained since he had not had a chance to read the contract yet.
Yes: Greathead, ScarsdaleAbstained: BeattieThe minutes say Tony Beattie abstained and record the motion as passed; the other members present are shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“On a motion made by Mr. Greathead and seconded by Ms. Scarsdale, it was voted to approve both the Superior and the Patrolmen's Police Union Contract. Mr. Beattie abstained since he had not had a chance to read the contract yet..” (Motion: Greathead, second: Scarsdale)
From the Pepperell Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center (Select Board). We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Tony Beattie from his campaign website (Anthony Beattie for Pepperell Selectman); Mark Mathews from the Nashoba Valley Voice / Lowell Sun (April 30, 2021). No photo found for Chuck Walkovich.
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