How the Shirley Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide for three-year terms. On July 8, 2024 the board chose Debra Flagg as Chair, Brian Hildebrant as Vice Chair and Andree Jean Jacques as Clerk (each vote recorded 2-0 with three members present). Andree Jean Jacques was re-elected at the May 6, 2025 town election (309 to 178 over Joseph Sheldon LeBlanc Jr.). Covers 24 meetings, July 8 to July 7, 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.
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 Shirley, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Annual Town Meeting · May 11, 2026 26 votes: 22 passed, 1 passed as amended, 3 no action
Not here yet: No Shirley Town Meeting after May 11, 2026 is posted yet; Shirley's fall Special Town Meeting is usually in mid-November (November 18, 2024; November 17, 2025).
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
"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: Shirley Select Board minutes from January 5, 2022 through September 8, 2026: 105 meetings and 1,266 votes. The town’s Agenda Center has Select Board minutes from January 2022 on; nothing earlier is online (the Archive Center and Document Center hold annual town reports, warrants and Town Meeting minutes, but no Select Board minutes). Minutes from 2022 to mid-2024 are typed files; most minutes since August 2024 are scanned images of the signed minutes, which MassVoter read with text recognition and checked where names or counts were unclear. Not here: executive-session meetings; votes of the Planning Board, Sewer Commission, Recreation Commission, War Memorial Trustees, Board of Assessors, Cemetery Committee and other boards at joint meetings (the minutes record each board’s vote separately); meetings with an agenda but no posted minutes, among them July 14 and July 25, 2022, September 11 and 14, 2023, June 16 and September 22, 2025, and May 20 and July 14, 2026 (the file posted for May 20, 2026 is a second copy of the March 23, 2026 minutes; the July 14, 2026 agenda includes the board’s reorganization); and meetings after September 8, 2026 (the September 24, September 28 and October 5, 2026 minutes are not posted yet). Shirley’s minutes name the mover and seconder and give a count (“Ms. Flagg made a motion to appoint Traci Bateman to the STAC. Ms. Jean Jacques seconded, Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous”), with abstentions named (“Motion passed, 2-0, Mr. Hildebrant Abstained”). A count equal to the members present, or unanimous wording, is shown as every member present voting yes; a named abstention is shown that way, with the other members present voting yes. Several minutes list fewer members in the attendance line than the votes show (for example, a member who called the meeting to order but is missing from the list, with votes recorded 3-0); on a three-member board a 3-0 vote means all three voted, so those members are counted present, with a note. Where the count is lower than the members present and the minutes do not say who did not vote (most often the board’s own officer elections, recorded 2-0 with three members present), we show the count only (10 votes); where the minutes give no count or names we show the result only (2 votes, both from the February 10, 2025 minutes, which are written as a narrative summary). Bryan Sawyer served on the board until May 2024 and has been Town Administrator since June 2024; as Town Administrator he does not vote. A motion with no recorded outcome, or one that died for lack of a second, is not counted as a vote. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Feb 10Appoint Marie Elwyn, Pamela Nichols, Paulette Holbein, Melody-Ann Fetik…Motion: Mr. Hildebrant introduced a motion for the appointment of Marie Elwyn,…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note
February 10, 2025: Appoint Marie Elwyn, Pamela Nichols, Paulette Holbein, Melody-Ann Fetik and Meredith Strang to the Senior Work-Off Program
AppointPassed · Unanimous, 2 present
Mr. Hildebrant introduced a motion for the appointment of Marie Elwyn, Pamela Nichols, Paulette Holbein, Melody-Ann Fetik, and Meredith Strang to the Senior Work-Off Program. The motion was seconded and subsequently received unanimous approval from the board members present.
The minutes do not say who seconded.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hildebrant introduced a motion for the appointment of Marie Elwyn, Pamela Nichols, Paulette Holbein, Melody-Ann Fetik, and Meredith Strang to the Senior Work-Off Program. The motion was seconded and subsequently received unanimous approval from the board members present..” (Motion: Brian Hildebrant)
Feb 10Suspend Roux's Market license effective the close of business…Motion: Mr. Hildebrant motioned for the suspension of Roux's Market license effective…Passed · see note
February 10, 2025: Suspend Roux's Market license effective the close of business on February 18, 2025, pending payment of all outstanding dues
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
Mr. Hildebrant motioned for the suspension of Roux's Market license effective the close of business on February 18th pending payment of all outstanding dues. The motion was duly seconded and carried by the assembly.
The minutes say the motion “carried” with no count or names. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hildebrant motioned for the suspension of Roux's Market license effective the close of business on February 18th pending payment of all outstanding dues. The motion was duly seconded and carried by the assembly..” (Motion: Brian Hildebrant)
Feb 10Commit the Town of Shirley to take part in…Motion: Mr. Hildebrant introduced a motion, subsequently carried, validating the Town of…Passed · see note
February 10, 2025: Commit the Town of Shirley to take part in the 2025 Armed Forces Day event
ApprovePassed · No count or names in the minutes
Mr. Hildebrant introduced a motion, subsequently carried, validating the Town of Shirley's commitment to participate in the Armed Forces Day event scheduled for 2025.
The minutes say the motion was “carried” with no count or names and do not name a seconder. Showing the result only.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hildebrant introduced a motion, subsequently carried, validating the Town of Shirley's commitment to participate in the Armed Forces Day event scheduled for 2025..” (Motion: Brian Hildebrant)
Feb 10Approve the January 27, 2025 meeting minutesMotion: Mr. Hildebrant formally moved the approval of the meeting minutes from…Passed Unanimous, 2 present · see note
Mr. Hildebrant formally moved the approval of the meeting minutes from January 27, 2025. The motion received a second and was unanimously ratified.
The minutes do not say who seconded.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hildebrant formally moved the approval of the meeting minutes from January 27, 2025. The motion received a second and was unanimously ratified..” (Motion: Brian Hildebrant)
Sep 23Appoint Brian Hildebrant to the Devens Jurisdictional Framework CommitteeMotion: Ms. Jean Jacques made a motion to appoint Brian Hildebrant to…Passed 2–0 · see note
September 23, 2024: Appoint Brian Hildebrant to the Devens Jurisdictional Framework Committee
AppointPassed · 2–0
Ms. Jean Jacques made a motion to appoint Brian Hildebrant to the Devens Jurisdictional | Framework Committee. Ms. Jean Jacques seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous.
The minutes give the count as 2-0, “unanimous,” but 3 members were at the meeting (Debra Flagg, Brian Hildebrant and Andree Jean Jacques) and the minutes do not say who did not vote. Showing the count only. The minutes name Andree Jean Jacques as both the mover and the seconder, so no seconder is shown.
From the minutes
“Ms. Jean Jacques made a motion to appoint Brian Hildebrant to the Devens Jurisdictional | Framework Committee. Ms. Jean Jacques seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous..” (Motion: Andree Jean Jacques)
Jul 8Make Ms. Debra Flagg the Select Board ChairMotion: Ms. Jean Jacque made a motion to make Ms. Debra Flagg…Passed 2–0 · see note
July 8, 2024: Make Ms. Debra Flagg the Select Board Chair
ApprovePassed · 2–0
Ms. Jean Jacque made a motion to make Ms. Debra Flagg the Select Board Chair. Mr. Hildebrant seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous.
The minutes give the count as 2-0, “unanimous,” but 3 members were at the meeting (Andree Jean Jacques, Debra Flagg and Brian Hildebrant) and the minutes do not say who did not vote. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Ms. Jean Jacque made a motion to make Ms. Debra Flagg the Select Board Chair. Mr. Hildebrant seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous..” (Motion: Andree Jean Jacques, second: Brian Hildebrant)
Jul 8Make Mr. Brian Hildebrant the Select Board Vice ChairMotion: Ms. Jean Jacque made a motion to make Mr. Brian Hildebrant…Passed 2–0 · see note
July 8, 2024: Make Mr. Brian Hildebrant the Select Board Vice Chair
ApprovePassed · 2–0
Ms. Jean Jacque made a motion to make Mr. Brian Hildebrant the Select Board Vice Chair. Ms. Flagg seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous.
The minutes give the count as 2-0, “unanimous,” but 3 members were at the meeting (Andree Jean Jacques, Debra Flagg and Brian Hildebrant) and the minutes do not say who did not vote. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Ms. Jean Jacque made a motion to make Mr. Brian Hildebrant the Select Board Vice Chair. Ms. Flagg seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous..” (Motion: Andree Jean Jacques, second: Debra Flagg)
Jul 8Make Ms. Jean Jacque the Select Board ClerkMotion: Mr. Hildebrant made a motion to make Ms. Jean Jacque the…Passed 2–0 · see note
July 8, 2024: Make Ms. Jean Jacque the Select Board Clerk
ApprovePassed · 2–0
Mr. Hildebrant made a motion to make Ms. Jean Jacque the Select Board Clerk. Ms. Flagg seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous.
The minutes give the count as 2-0, “unanimous,” but 3 members were at the meeting (Andree Jean Jacques, Debra Flagg and Brian Hildebrant) and the minutes do not say who did not vote. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“Mr. Hildebrant made a motion to make Ms. Jean Jacque the Select Board Clerk. Ms. Flagg seconded. Motion passed, 2-0, unanimous..” (Motion: Brian Hildebrant, second: Debra Flagg)
From the Shirley 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 (the town’s website has no Select Board photos): Lowell Sun / Nashoba Valley Voice — Andree Lourdes Jean Jacques (May 2025, courtesy of the candidate). Debra Flagg and Brian Hildebrant show initials (no named photo found). Cropped by MassVoter. Former members show initials.