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The board advertised the hearing in two legal notices, on September 6 and September 13, for a zoning amendment prohibiting the siting of data centers in every zoning district in town. It voted to open the hearing, and Chair Kevin Reilly said the board was sponsoring the article rather than a petitioner, pointing to Mansfield as a town that had moved first, to a recent decision in Salem, and to a state executive order signed within the past few days.

What followed was testimony that the board’s own article was the weaker of the two bylaws in the room. Katie Sheridan, a resident who had drafted an alternative told the board it was retrofitted from Mansfield’s bylaw, said the town’s version allowed exceptions with no limits, no guardrails and no oversight. A total prohibition, the resident said, might not clear Attorney General review, which would leave the town with no protection at all. The alternative sets conditions on noise, air pollution, power and water, and leaves the Planning Board with final approval over any project that qualifies.

Resident Hester Reid asked the board to at minimum firm up the definition of a data center, arguing that the definitional language is what makes a prohibition hard to engineer around. Lindsey O’Connell, who moved to town two years ago for its right-to-farm status, backed the added water and pollution language, citing drought.

The chair set out three options: move the article as town counsel prepared it, try to amend it on the town meeting floor, or back up and return in the spring with a finished bylaw.

Member Diane Phillips said the article was not safe enough and not comprehensive enough, and asked whether an amendment could be assembled before town meeting. Brian McSweeney, the town’s Water Superintendent, had already floated a 12-month moratorium at an earlier working meeting said a pause would signal that the town was still deciding, not that East Bridgewater was closed, and named water supply as the first concern. Amending on the floor carried a risk, the chair said, that town counsel and the moderator would rule the change outside the scope of the advertised article.

Number one is to request that the Select Board act to put in place a moratorium on the citing of any data centers in the community for the period of 12 months.
— Chair Kevin Reilly [52:13]

The motion that followed asked for that moratorium and, based on the result, that the Town Meeting article be passed over. It carried on a voice vote the chair declared unanimous. A moratorium of that kind goes nowhere for approval, the chair said. It commits the town only to declining applications.

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More than 250 registered voters signed the petition, which is enough to force a special town meeting on its own. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig told the board the article will appear in the warrant as filed, and that the board has no intention of amending it from the floor. Town counsel is reviewing whether parts of it are enforceable — a local bylaw cannot override state law — and that opinion is due by the board’s Sept. 28 meeting. Whatever town meeting passes then goes to the attorney general, who has 90 days to approve it, strike sections of it, or reject it outright.

“We don’t have the power. That was a petition article. We don’t have the power to change. We wouldn’t anyways, but I mean, even if we wanted to, we couldn’t.” — Chair Carole Julius

Residents can still amend it on the floor, and Seelig urged that anyone planning to come with an amendment in hand, in writing. The board also offered to meet with the petition group once counsel’s opinion lands.

The petition was filed with the town clerk, starting a 45-day clock that expires Oct. 8, so the meeting could not be pushed past that week. All three members had conflicts with Oct. 5; Peter Spagone will attend on the 7th. The warrant carries 21 articles, which Spagone called a lot for a special.

Residents pressed on whether the Flock camera on West Street is actually off. Seelig said the contract was canceled Aug. 21, the last image was recorded Aug. 25, and the camera has been inactive for about three weeks, though it is still physically mounted. One resident said she did not doubt the police chief but had read of cameras being reactivated elsewhere after contracts ended, and asked that this one be covered. Julius said residents are free to call the chief and ask him directly. Whether the town owes Flock anything for ending the contract early is still unresolved, and counsel is working on it.

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Convening for a brief special session, the Planning Board acted swiftly on growing regional concerns surrounding the expansion of high-density computing infrastructure. Town Counsel drafted the proposed bylaw text following an earlier board consensus in favor of either an outright prohibition or severe restrictions on such facilities.

The proposed bylaw defines data centers as facilities or buildings primarily engaged in digital data storage, processing, cloud hosting, cryptocurrency mining, or artificial intelligence operations. Crucially, the measure explicitly excludes standard accessory IT hardware—such as standard server rooms and computers used by schools, municipal offices, hospitals, and routine commercial operations—as well as standard public utility and telecommunications facilities, unless those facilities are leveraged for commercial data hosting or cryptocurrency mining. Under the draft language, commercial data facilities would be designated an expressly prohibited use across every zoning district in East Bridgewater.

Planning Board Chair Kevin Reilly explained that the vote served two specific administrative functions: establishing board sponsorship of the zoning article and scheduling the required statutory public hearing. Board Vice-Chair Myles Heger moved to sponsor the article and schedule the hearing for September 21, 2026, at 7:15 p.m., which passed with unanimous support from all five members present.

“Town Counsel, in the meanwhile, has facilitated the preparation of an article, a potential article, which would amount to a ban town-wide on data centers as they’re defined in that text.” — Kevin Reilly, Planning Board Chair

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Select Board member Katherine Mullen requested the agenda item to discuss the perception and value of securing independent outside counsel for legal issues tied to the town’s June 1, 2026 wire transfer. Mullen noted that while existing town counsel Clifford & Kenny is capable, independent representation could bolster public trust and independence—particularly in the wake of a recent public records request.

Vice Chair Carole Julius highlighted several practical hurdles to retaining a new firm. Julius stated that evaluating public records requests follows legal standards regardless of subject matter and is handled internally by a dedicated attorney within Clifford & Kenny rather than John Clifford. She explained that after the town initially withheld certain emails, an appeal to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Public Records Division resulted in guidance requiring the town to provide more detailed, legal justification for withholding documents rather than a generic statement.

Julius also pointed to fiscal and timeline constraints, noting the town has already committed more than $10,000 toward the investigation and faces a 10-day deadline to respond to the state’s public records determination. Sourcing, vetting, and onboarding outside counsel unfamiliar with town files would add expense and potential delays.

Chair Peter Spagone Jr. agreed, emphasizing that the town had already engaged outside independent personnel to review how the wire transfer occurred and recommend internal controls to prevent future incidents. Spagone stated that local officials and police are collaborating with outside agencies and that once the investigation wraps up, relevant findings will become clear to residents. Mullen concurred with the feedback, noting the discussion achieved its goal of exploring options openly, while Julius added the board could revisit the question if new legal circumstances arise.

“I think once this information is brought out, it will be very clear to the citizens of East Bridgewater that, you know, what happened and then, and then, you know, they can see what was potentially recovered if there’s any recovery of this situation.” [06:53] — Peter Spagone Jr.

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District leaders and committee members covered a broad range of operational and personnel developments as East Bridgewater Public Schools prepares to open its doors for the new academic year. Superintendent Gina Williams outlined opening schedules, reporting that new staff orientation and the district-wide welcome luncheon take place next week before all educators return Tuesday, August 25. Assistant Superintendent Jennifer McPartland announced the district’s “Start Strong” acclimation program, offering incoming kindergarten, third-, and seventh-grade students a three-hour transition visit across school buildings.

Staffing across the district is nearly complete for the upcoming year. Williams confirmed that all certified professional teaching positions have been filled, with the district seeking only a handful of instructional support assistants across Central School, Mitchell School, and the Junior/Senior High School. On the administrative front, Josh Cavanaugh was appointed as Technology Director, while interviews for a permanent Athletic Director are scheduled with a seven-member interview panel. In addition, Director of Special Education John Phelan announced his intention to retire in December 2026 after leading summer extended school year services for 102 students; the district plans to explore an interim appointment in the fall to finish out the school year.

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The department had begun installing four Flock automated license plate reader, or ALPR, cameras under a three-year, roughly $38,000 agreement paid for with federal drug asset forfeiture funds rather than municipal tax dollars. Only one camera was ever mounted, and Jenkins said the system had not become fully operational before he paused the rollout to allow for further review and public discussion.

“ALPR technology can be a valuable public safety tool, and we believed this system could help our officers investigate crimes and locate people in danger,” Jenkins said in a statement released through the department. “However, any technology we use must have the confidence of the community. Residents have raised legitimate questions about privacy, access to data, oversight and the safeguards needed to prevent misuse. After listening to those concerns and taking a closer look at the issue, I believe ending our agreement with Flock is the right decision for East Bridgewater.”

The department said it has not identified any misuse of the system or its data by an East Bridgewater officer or employee.

How It Got Here

The Select Board authorized the contract in June, and it was signed July 1. The first camera went up Aug. 5 on West Street without advance public notice — a sequence that became the central grievance at the board’s Aug. 10 meeting, where a standing-room-only crowd questioned third-party access to the data, the adequacy of the department’s audit provisions, and the possibility that plate records collected in East Bridgewater could be queried by federal immigration authorities through Flock’s national sharing network.

Jenkins defended the system at that meeting, telling residents it had already assisted in an armed robbery investigation and that the cameras capture license plates and vehicle attributes — not drivers or occupants — with unflagged data purged after 30 days. Residents countered that the objection was to the database itself. One told the board there is “a significant difference between a police officer seeing my vehicle” and “the government having a database capable of determining where my vehicle has been.”

The board had agreed to take up a formal pause at its Sept. 14 meeting and to consult town counsel on cancellation options. Friday’s announcement moots that timeline.

Jenkins said any future consideration of ALPR technology would include a review of the technology, its policies and safeguards, and an open discussion with the community. “This decision is not a judgment on the potential value of ALPR technology,” he said. “It is an acknowledgment that we need to weigh that value against the concerns surrounding its use.”

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Why It Matters

East Bridgewater joins a growing list of Massachusetts communities backing away from Flock. Salem terminated its contract and removed its cameras in July, and Cambridge, Watertown, Framingham, Natick and Brookline have all declined or ended deployments. Rockland’s board tabled a six-camera proposal this month pending contract renegotiation. The regional network remains substantial — Quincy operates roughly 50 cameras, Weymouth 34, Pembroke six — meaning East Bridgewater drivers will still pass through Flock coverage on surrounding roads even with the town’s own camera gone.

Beacon Hill has yet to settle the question. The pending Driver Privacy Act (H.3755) would cap retention at 14 days, bar tracking tied to First Amendment activity, and require warrants for cross-agency access — leaving individual police chiefs and select boards, for now, to set the rules town by town.

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This story is about ALPRs, see the in depth South Shore News article about this topic here.

The Full Story

The Monday meeting turned into a nearly three-hour public debate centered on mass surveillance, constitutional liberties, and government transparency. The controversy follows the police department’s procurement of four solar-powered Flock Safety ALPR cameras, funded through a three-year, $38,000 contract paid entirely with federal drug asset forfeiture funds.

Police Chief Michael Jenkins defended the technology as an essential investigative asset, stating that LPR data from neighboring towns had already helped local detectives solve major cases, including a recent armed robbery. He explained that the cameras capture only still photos of license plates and vehicle attributes—not individual driver identities—and that data automatically purges after 30 days. He added that no municipal tax dollars were spent.

“It’s an investigative tool... It’s to see what’s coming in your town, and if it’s somebody that shouldn’t be in your town and they’re committing crimes in your town, we have a better tool to help prosecute that person. It’s not to track anybody.” (01:09:57) — Police Chief Michael Jenkins

Residents voiced deep anxiety regarding third-party vendor access, federal overreach, cybersecurity breaches, and potential civil rights violations. Several speakers cited national reports of Flock systems being hacked or misused by officers in other states, while others criticized the town’s policy of relying solely on an internal annual audit of just ten random searches.

“Mass government surveillance should never be allowed. It’s already a thing to the point that it already is. We shouldn’t be okay with allowing it to continue. There has to be a point where communities have to say enough is enough.” (01:42:54) — Aaron Cook, Resident

“My son’s shooting taught me how quickly an ordinary family’s life can change. It also taught me that safety matters. But so does our freedom, so does privacy, and so does the kind of community we want East Bridgewater to remain. I want my son to be safe... But I also want them to grow up in a community where being safe doesn’t mean being watched every day.” (01:51:30) — Stephanie Mahoney, Resident

“The bigger issue happens when thousands of these photographs are collected, retained, and made searchable over time. There’s a significant difference between a police officer seeing my vehicle drive down the road and the government having a database capable of determining where my vehicle has been throughout a community. That is where the Fourth Amendment concerns become much more serious.” (02:06:58) — Robert Cadigan, Resident

In response to public demands for a vote, Select Board members and Town Administrator Charlie Seelig noted that while department heads maintain operational authority over specialized grant/forfeiture funds, the town will consult with legal counsel to review contractual cancellation terms, options to pause activation, or potential warrant articles for the upcoming Town Meeting. Chief Jenkins agreed to consult further with the board and explore options to temporarily cover or deactivate installed equipment while discussions continue.

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The Select Board convened an emergency 9:00 a.m. session specifically to evaluate a scope-of-work proposal from Custom Online, a consulting group previously engaged by the local school district. On June 1, 2026, the Town of East Bridgewater was targeted in a data breach resulting in $425,000 being fraudulently wired to individuals impersonating town litigation counsel. While law enforcement maintains an active criminal investigation, municipal leaders scheduled an independent administrative review to determine internal policy gaps and email vulnerabilities.

Upon reviewing the vendor’s submitted proposal, board members noted that the draft focused heavily on forward-looking cybersecurity protocols rather than auditing the specifics of the June 1 incident. Board members emphasized that any third-party engagement must follow a distinct two-phase structure: first, conducting a thorough investigation to identify where email security or internal controls broke down; and second, establishing corrective measures based on those findings.

“What I think this board wants to know is how did this happen in the first place? Where was the breach in email? What were the red flags that could have been caught? ... I want them to be able to talk to you, I want them to talk to Rebecca, see what failed.” — Select Board member Carole Julius

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The East Bridgewater Police Department briefed the Select Board on a new public safety initiative utilizing $30,000 received from federal asset forfeiture. The funds were secured through the department’s multi-year involvement with the FBI Boston Metro Gang Task Force and the investigative work of Detective Peralta. Because these are federal law enforcement funds, the technology comes at zero cost to the town’s local budget.

The department will deploy four Flock Safety cameras at key traffic chokepoints. According to police representatives, the cameras capture broad images of passing vehicles along with a close-up of the license plate, logging the data with a date and timestamp. The system uses artificial intelligence to identify vehicle make, model, and color, but does not track driver demographics, facial recognition, or personal identification data. Data is automatically purged after 30 days unless flagged for an active investigation.

The system integrates with the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), enabling real-time alerts for stolen cars or missing person cases, such as Silver Alerts. East Bridgewater will also share data seamlessly with surrounding communities like Hanson, Weymouth, Abington, and Bridgewater, which already deploy or are planning similar networks.

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The meeting room filled quickly as neighborhood residents gathered to protest a formal letter of interest from a wireless developer aiming to lease municipal land for a new cell tower on Washington Street. Before opening the floor for public feedback, Select Board Chair Peter Spagone Jr. requested a comprehensive report from Director of Public Works John Haines to ground the evening’s conversation.

Haynes revealed that the targeted municipal site hosts two primary drinking water wells installed in the mid-1960s. The location represents 25% of East Bridgewater’s total water infrastructure network. Haines explained that cell tower construction could permanently compromise the wells’ “cone of influence” and limit the town’s ability to drill vital satellite wells in the future. Furthermore, federal protections tightly govern the site for safety and anti-sabotage security. Sharing site perimeter access with commercial telecommunications crews posed an unacceptable risk to the town’s water security.

“There is significant security measures that are taken to secure our quality and safety of our drinking water... we would need significantly more information about what’s actually being proposed before we would be comfortable.” [34:33] — DPW Director John Haines

The board’s posture shifted swiftly upon listening to the technical assessment. Vice Chair Carole Julius stated the water risk pushed her firmly to the “no” side of the equation. Board member Katherine Mullen, who was absent, submitted written correspondence indicating she also strongly opposed moving forward with the project lease.

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The East Bridgewater School Committee entered a new legislative chapter during its May 19, 2026, session. Acting as the first order of business following the town’s annual election cycle, the committee executed its formal reorganization process. Outgoing Chair Dan Picha opened the floor for leadership nominations. The committee voted unanimously to elect Ellen Pennington as the new School Committee Chair, while Dan Picha was selected by a matching unanimous vote to serve as Vice Chair.

With the leadership transition finalized, the committee immediately tackled pressing operational business. The fiscal cornerstone of the meeting arrived with the formal re-certification of the Fiscal Year 2027 School Department operating budget. Working closely with School Business Manager John Shea, the committee locked in the final budget figure at $27,612,488. This re-certified amount reflects minor line-item refinements requested to align with town parameters, balancing level-service academic support with strict municipal financial guidelines.

Academic policy modernization had been addressed at the prior May 5 session, when Assistant Superintendent Jennifer McPartland and the district’s building principals presented a comprehensive overhaul of student-parent handbooks across all grade configurations, including updates to Title IX policies and state-aligned non-discrimination language. The committee voted unanimously to accept the handbooks for the Central School, Mitchell School, and Junior Senior High School at that meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Gina Williams also delivered a series of programmatic and facilities updates at the May 19 meeting. As part of the ongoing Central Elementary School field workflow, Dr. Williams confirmed that crews successfully salvaged and relocated historical campus memorials — specifically the Mark Connors and Mikayla Kingman memorials. These have been moved safely to the junior-senior high school grounds to be integrated into upcoming field construction projects.

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The meeting, held at the Junior/Senior High School, was standing-room-only as residents gathered to address 20 Annual Town Meeting articles and eight Special Town Meeting articles. Town Moderator Robert Looney, marking 22 years in the role, presided over the session, which immediately pivoted from routine financial transfers to the town’s ongoing struggle with the Massachusetts “3A” zoning requirements.

The “Main Event”: Article 6 Defeat

The most contentious issue was Article 6, the proposed North Bedford Street Housing Overlay District (NBSHOD). The district aimed to bring the town into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act by allowing multi-family housing as-of-right on approximately 116 acres. Despite the Planning Board’s unanimous recommendation and warnings from the Finance Committee regarding potential litigation and the loss of discretionary state grants, voters defeated the measure in a lopsided hand count of 149 in favor and 220 opposed. This marks the third time the town has rejected the mandate.

Zoning and State Mandates

While voters rejected the MBTA overlay, they did approve Article 17, which updates the town’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaws. Planning Board Chairman Kevin Reilly explained that the update was necessary because the Attorney General refused to approve a version that limited ADUs to a single residential zone. The vote initially passed but was subjected to a formal recount after more than 10 residents stood to challenge the voice vote; the recount confirmed the passage with 192 in favor and 125 opposed.

Conversely, Article 18, which sought to rezone several B-4 business districts to B-2 districts to allow for smaller-scale business and residential mixes, was defeated. Opponents argued the change was “deceptive” and would open the door to unwanted high-density housing developments.

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In a procedural “meeting before the meeting,” Moderator Robert “Bob” Looney led the Select Board through a line-by-line review of the Special and Annual Town Meeting warrants. The primary focus of the evening was Article 6 of the Annual Town Meeting, which seeks to bring the town into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act—a state law requiring multi-family zoning districts near transit stations. [10:13]

East Bridgewater is currently one of several towns being sued by Attorney General Andrea Campbell for failing to meet the July 2025 deadline. Despite two previous rejections by voters, the town is bringing a revised 13-page article and map to the floor. [11:15] Town Administrator Charlie Seelig informed the board that the administration does not plan to use a slide deck or formal presentation this time, believing that the community’s familiarity with the topic is already high. [11:35]

“We’re not planning on a formal presentation at all. I think the belief is that for most people who are going to be at this town meeting, they have sufficient knowledge—maybe erroneously, but whatever they’ve got—they’re ready to vote.” [11:35] — Town Administrator Charlie Seelig

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The primary focus of Tuesday’s session was the necessary adjustment of the district’s financial roadmap for the 2027 fiscal year. John Shea, Director of Business Administration, presented a revised budget worksheet that accounted for several shifts in expenses and revenue since the initial certification. [05:20]

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The meeting opened with a marathon public hearing featuring seven local establishments applying for full liquor or expanded beer and wine licenses. The applications come in response to the state granting the town additional licenses aimed at boosting economic development. Applicants included Crocetti's Oakdale Packing, Sophie’s Italian Food, One Stop Food Mart, Country Convenience, Tritown Express, Joppa Market, and T-Square.

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