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Rochester Select Board
How the Rochester Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide. Paul Ciaburri was re-elected in May 2024. On June 3, 2024 the board chose Bradford N. Morse as Chair, Adam C. Murphy as Vice Chair and Paul Ciaburri as Clerk. Covers 33 meetings, June 3 to May 12, 2025.
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 Rochester ballot: 14 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
No upcoming meeting is posted yet. Check the official calendar →
Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
What Town Meeting decided
In Rochester, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Rochester 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: Rochester has not posted official results for any Town Meeting since January 2024: its new website has only a draft warrant for the May 13, 2024 Annual Town Meeting and bylaw texts for 2024 meetings, its newest Annual Town Report online is for 2023, and its old website (townofrochesterma.gov), which had the Clerk's May 13, 2024 Annual Town Meeting minutes, is offline.
Members
"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: every Select Board (Board of Selectmen) meeting with minutes on the town website from January 2020 through September 8, 2026 (from the town's Document Center and Agenda Center). Not here: minutes before 2020, executive-session minutes, a few meetings whose minutes are not online (for example February 24, 2026, where the town posted the 2025 minutes by mistake), and minutes the town has not posted yet. Rochester's minutes are scanned paper copies, which we read by computer text recognition and checked by hand where the scan was unclear. They usually say "All members of the Board are in favor" or give a count ("Motion carries, 3-0"); in 2020 and at some later meetings they also give a roll call by name. When the minutes say all members were in favor, or give a count equal to the members present with no one opposed, we show every member present as voting yes. When a roll call names each member, or a split count names who voted no or abstained and the numbers add up, we show each member's vote. When a split count does not say who voted which way, or the count, the roll call and the members listed as present do not match, we show the count only and add a note. A member who makes or seconds motions but is not listed as present is not counted as present. Votes by other boards at joint meetings (Finance Committee, School Committee, Board of Assessors) are not included; where the board voted together with another board, only the Select Board members' votes are shown. 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 5Grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Snipatuit Pond…Motion: to grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Snipatuit Pond Cedar…Passed 2–0 · see note
May 5, 2025: Grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Snipatuit Pond Cedar Forest off of Neck Rd
To grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Snipatuit Pond Cedar Forest off of Neck Rd.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Snipatuit Pond Cedar Forest off of Neck Rd. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Ciaburri. Motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Ciaburri)
May 5Grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Paul Property…Motion: to grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Paul Property on…Passed 2–0 · see note
May 5, 2025: Grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Paul Property on New Bedford Rd
To grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Paul Property on New Bedford Rd.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Paul Property on New Bedford Rd. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Ciaburri. Motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Ciaburri)
May 5Grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Sippican East…Motion: to grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Sippican East off…Passed 2–0 · see note
May 5, 2025: Grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Sippican East off Cranberry Highway
To grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Sippican East off Cranberry Highway.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to grant the conservation restrictions as presented for Sippican East off Cranberry Highway. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Ciaburri. Motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Ciaburri)
Mar 17Approve the Buzzards Bay Coalition Annual Watershed Ride schedule…Motion: to approve the Buzzards Bay Coalition Annual Watershed Ride schedule for…Passed 2–0 · see note
March 17, 2025: Approve the Buzzards Bay Coalition Annual Watershed Ride schedule for October 5", 2025, and authorize the necessary signatures
To approve the Buzzards Bay Coalition Annual Watershed Ride schedule for October 5", 2025, and authorize the necessary signatures.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to approve the Buzzards Bay Coalition Annual Watershed Ride schedule for October 5", 2025, and authorize the necessary signatures. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Morse. Motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Morse)
Feb 3Support the Rochester Land Trust in its pursuit of…Motion: to support the Rochester Land Trust in its pursuit of grant…Passed 2–0 · see note
February 3, 2025: Support the Rochester Land Trust in its pursuit of grant funding from MassTrails
To support the Rochester Land Trust in its pursuit of grant funding from MassTrails.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to support the Rochester Land Trust in its pursuit of grant funding from MassTrails. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Morse. The motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Morse)
Feb 3Appoint Sydney Lewis as a member of the Rochester…Motion: to appoint Sydney Lewis as a member of the Rochester Historic…Passed 2–0 · see note
February 3, 2025: Appoint Sydney Lewis as a member of the Rochester Historic District Commission for a term to end April 30, 2028
To appoint Sydney Lewis as a member of the Rochester Historic District Commission for a term to end April 30, 2028.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to appoint Sydney Lewis as a member of the Rochester Historic District Commission for a term to end April 30, 2028. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Morse. The motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Morse)
Jan 21Appoint Select Board Chair Morse to the Town Planner…Motion: to appoint Select Board Chair Morse to the Town Planner and…Passed 2–0 · see note
January 21, 2025: Appoint Select Board Chair Morse to the Town Planner and Town Accountant Search Committee
To appoint Select Board Chair Morse to the Town Planner and Town Accountant Search Committee.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Murphy to appoint Select Board Chair Morse to the Town Planner and Town Accountant Search Committee. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Ciaburri. The motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Murphy, second: Ciaburri)
Jan 21Appoint Select Board Member Murphy to the Police Captain…Motion: to appoint Select Board Member Murphy to the Police Captain search…Passed 2–0 · see note
January 21, 2025: Appoint Select Board Member Murphy to the Police Captain search committee
To appoint Select Board Member Murphy to the Police Captain search committee.
The minutes give a count of 2-0, but 3 members are listed as present, so we show the count only.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Ciaburri to appoint Select Board Member Murphy to the Police Captain search committee. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member: Morse. The motion carries, 2-0.” (Motion: Ciaburri, second: Morse)
Jan 6Not exercise the Right of First Refusal for the…Motion: to not exercise the Right of First Refusal for the Chapter…Passed 2–0 · Abstained: Morse
January 6, 2025: Not exercise the Right of First Refusal for the Chapter 61A, Section 14 property located on a portion of Map 19 Lot 5 and Map 16 Lot 13, further identified…
To not exercise the Right of First Refusal for the Chapter 61A, Section 14 property located on a portion of Map 19 Lot 5 and Map 16 Lot 13, further identified as Lot 1, 2,3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, as approved by the Planning Board on November 5%, 2024.
Yes: Ciaburri, MurphyAbstained: MorseThe minutes give the count as 2-0 and say Bradford N. Morse abstained.
From the minutes
“Motion: Select Board Member Ciaburri motions to not exercise the Right of First Refusal for the Chapter 61A, Section 14 property located on a portion of Map 19 Lot 5 and Map 16 Lot 13, further identified as Lot 1, 2,3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, as approved by the Planning Board on November 5%, 2024. : The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Murphy. Motion carries, 2-0. Select Board Chair Morse abstains from the vote..” (Motion: Ciaburri, second: Murphy)
Dec 16Approve the Class III License Renewal for Murphy's Auto…Motion: to approve the Class III License Renewal for Murphy's Auto Salvage,…Passed 2–0 · see note
December 16, 2024: Approve the Class III License Renewal for Murphy's Auto Salvage, Inc
To approve the Class III License Renewal for Murphy's Auto Salvage, Inc.
Yes: Ciaburri, MorseAdam C. Murphy stepped aside (recused) and is not counted in this vote.
From the minutes
“Motion: A motion is made by Select Board Member Ciaburri to approve the Class III License Renewal for Murphy's Auto Salvage, Inc. The motion is seconded by Select Board Member Morse. The motion passes, 2-0. Select Board Vice Chair Murphy recuses himself of the vote..” (Motion: Ciaburri, second: Morse)
From the Rochester Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Document Center and Agenda Center. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials.
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