Hingham Convenes First All-Committee Chairs Meeting to Improve Communication and Advance Master Plan Goals
HINGHAM - October 23 - In an unprecedented gathering of town leadership, the Hingham Select Board hosted more than two dozen committee and commission chairs on October 23 to share information, coordinate efforts, and measure progress toward goals outlined in the town’s 2021 master plan. The meeting, which brought together representatives from bodies ranging from the School Committee to the Bathing Beach Trustees, addressed everything from major infrastructure projects to beautification efforts.
The Full Story
Select Board Vice Chair Julie Strehle, who organized the meeting, explained that the gathering was itself a recommendation from the 2021 master plan—Policy 1.5, which called for semi-annual meetings of chairs of all boards, commissions, and committees to share information and measure progress. “The goal of this meeting is to improve communication and information sharing among all of our town committees, both elected and appointed, not checking up but checking in with each other,” Strehle said.
Select Board Chair William Ramsey outlined the board’s priorities for the year, which include investing in infrastructure, particularly the Center for Active Living and resolution of the town pool issue. The board is also focused on economic development through the possible sale of unused town buildings to create additional revenue sources that don’t rely on property tax increases. “We are committing to try to find ways to raise revenue that do not include property tax increases,” Ramsey said.
Perhaps the most significant updates came from committees managing major capital projects. Ray Estes, vice chair of the 2017 School Building Committee, reported that the new Foster School opened for students on January 3, 2025, four months behind schedule but on track to come in under the $113 million budget. The project achieved net zero carbon emissions with no fossil fuels—running entirely on geothermal energy from 82 or 83 underground wells. “We are net zero carbon emission. There are no fossil fuels going into this property, no gas, no oil, it’s all electric,” Estes explained. The committee expects to have approximately $3.1 million remaining in contingency funds when the project completes.
Tom Carey, chair of the Center for Active Living Building Committee (formerly the Senior Center Building Committee), announced that the committee anticipates having a warrant article for spring 2026 town meeting with a specific design, location, and bid in hand for the new Center for Active Living. The project addresses a long-standing need in a town where 32% of the population is 60 or older, and 44% is 50 and over.
Infrastructure improvements dominated many committee reports. Clark Frazier, chair of the Hingham Sewer Commission, described the ongoing replacement of the aging force main on Route 3A, a project utilizing approximately $3.2 million in ARPA federal funds. “The significant thing for the town was that we ended up with about 3.2 million dollars of the ARPA money and federal money. We spent about half of it. We have to spend the rest of it by the end of 2026,” Frazier said. The district, founded in the 1950s, faces significant end-of-life infrastructure challenges, with three breaks occurring in the old force main during the current project.
Judy Sneath, chair of the Route 3A Task Force, reported that the 100% design for the Route 3A safety improvement project—extending from Otis Street to the intersection of George Washington Boulevard and Rockland Street—is targeted for submittal on November 3. The $32 million project, nearly 10 years in development after the Select Board first conducted a safety review of the Rotary, includes lane reductions, crosswalks, sidewalks, turn lanes, and a 10-foot wide recreational path along the waterfront. The project remains on the 2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and is expected to break ground by July 2027, with construction lasting approximately two years.
Michael Reive from Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant (HMLP) outlined the utility’s major initiatives, including implementing joint billing with Weir River water system and working toward a transmission project that will require a bonding warrant article at next year’s town meeting. HMLP is also converting all customer electric meters to smart meters to provide greater visibility and control over power usage. The utility recently completed a ribbon-cutting for three electric school bus charging stations, with the buses expected to arrive in approximately six months.
Housing remained a significant focus for multiple committees. Brigid Ryan from the Hingham Affordable Housing Trust reported that the trust has conveyed eight affordable homes over the last five years and is currently in the lottery phase for a one-bedroom condominium in Beals Cove. In the coming 18 months, the trust plans to renovate one single-family home and construct two more. Irma Lauter, vice chair of the Hingham Housing Authority, announced exciting progress on approximately 65-68 units of low-income affordable senior housing off Beale Street, with the RFP awarded to Peabody Properties. However, she cautioned that the project will take approximately five years to complete due to extensive state permitting requirements.
Planning Board Chair Tracy Shriver discussed the board’s work on residential development issues, noting that houses in Hingham “aren’t getting smaller” and “aren’t getting cheaper.” The board formed a Residential Compatibility Standards subcommittee that has held nine meetings to examine potential dimensional standards, including FAR (floor area ratio) or lot coverage amendments. However, after determining they needed more time for community outreach, the subcommittee will not bring forward zoning amendments for this year’s town meeting. “We realized we didn’t have enough time to move forward with any zoning amendment for this year,” Shriver said. “It’s going to take quite a bit of community outreach to make sure that we’re trying to address a problem that exists and we’re not just hearing from kind of a loud minority.”
Several committees reported on environmental initiatives. Brad Moyer, chair of the Hingham Climate Action Commission, described progress toward the town’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040. The commission is working to meet Climate Leaders program criteria, which would make Hingham eligible for $150,000 in technical grants and $1 million in carbon deceleration grants. The town already participates in the Green Communities program and has received over $500,000 in grants since 2018. “Buildings is our biggest source of emissions in the town, 69%,” Moyer explained, “so we’re always very focused on what we can do to improve that, and again, our first focus is how can we do it cost-effectively.”
Mark Engel from Cleaner Greener Hingham (officially the Long-Range Waste Reduction and Recycling Committee) reported that the committee is working on a proposed bylaw to ban plastic utensils and possibly straws, which they hope to present to the Select Board and the 2026 town meeting. The committee previously drove bylaws eliminating plastic bags and single-use water bottles. While efforts to establish a central composting drop-off location at the transfer station have “hit a brick wall,” the committee continues working with schools to increase composting.
Michelle Ayer, vice chair of the School Committee, provided updates on the school district, noting that new Superintendent Katie Roberts—a Hingham resident who has built her career in the district—has brought “incredibly capable, caring and steady leadership” after several years of disruption. The committee welcomes a new director of student services, Dr. Christine Panarese, and enrollment is increasing at elementary schools after a couple of years of decline. However, the district faces significant work ahead: Foster School principal Matt Scheufele has announced his retirement, requiring a new principal search, and a permanent principal must be found for the high school. A new school building committee has been established to work on roof projects for the high school, South School, and Plymouth River School, with the district expecting to hear from the Massachusetts School Building Authority on November 3 regarding potential funding.
Several committees emphasized financial pressures and creative funding solutions. Nancy MacDonald, chair of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), reported receiving eight applications for CPC funds this year, with six moving forward after two withdrawals, totaling just north of $2.4 million in requests. However, with an estimated budget of just over $1.8 million (based on last year’s revenues from the 1.5% real estate surtax and state match), the committee faces nearly $600,000 more in requests than available funds. Projects include contributions to the Affordable Housing Trust opportunity fund, Housing Authority roof replacement, Plymouth River basketball court upgrades, Community Center capital improvements, a new elevator at GAR Hall for Veteran Services, and restoration of the Iron Horse Memorial. The committee will continue debt payments on the Lerner property through 2030.
Randy Winters from the Board of Assessors shared that Hingham’s total assessed real estate value stands at $11 billion—$9.5 billion in residential properties and $700 million in commercial properties—with the average single-family home assessed at $1.3 million. The board’s biggest program is the senior means-tested exemption for residents 65 and older who meet income, asset, and residency criteria. Last year, 90 of approximately 100 applications were approved, providing about $173,000 in tax relief, with individual applicants receiving up to $2,700 annually. “We want the members of our community to be able to remain in their homes as long as they possibly can,” Winters emphasized.
David Anderson, recently appointed chair of the Citizens Advisory Board for the Water Company, announced that the board will undertake a rate hearing process and potential rate increase process in the coming weeks, with a public meeting scheduled for December or January. The six-person board—with three representatives from Hingham, two from Hull, and one from Cohasset—serves as a conduit for ratepayers to communicate with the water company and water commissioners.
Steve Leary, chair of the relatively new Hingham Human Rights Commission (established in 2022), described the commission’s work supporting the rights of all residents. The 13-member commission includes representatives from the Police Department, School Committee, Center of Active Living, Commission on Disabilities, Affordable Housing Trust, Housing Authority, and Recreation Commission, among others. The commission developed a land acknowledgment with the Hingham Historical Society and the Wampanoag Tribe, sponsored statements on Black History Month leading to a Select Board proclamation, and held a well-attended June meeting on immigration and “Know Your Rights” featuring Police Chief Jones and immigration attorneys. “We had 110 people attend, not all in person but probably about 50-60 split online and present,” Leary said. The commission is now developing a bystander-upstander program to help community members respond to racist comments, bullying, or other inappropriate behavior.
Ali Koskina, representing the Harbor Development Committee, outlined plans for wharf rebuilding focused on safety and resiliency. The committee, now in its 10th year of planning, proposes raising wharves by approximately four feet on average—from current heights around seven feet to about 11 feet, matching Whitney Wharf. With costs and permitting expenses having “skyrocketed,” the committee expects to go to town meeting in 2027 or 2028 to propose funding for Town Wharf, Barns Wharf, and a revetment adjacent to Whitney Wharf. Potential dredging is scheduled for 2029 or 2030, with requests possibly extending beyond the inner harbor to address boats hitting bottom at low tide.
Several smaller but vital committees also reported. Vicki Donlan from the Recreation Commission highlighted the successful completion of the new playground behind Town Hall, which opened July 3, and an accessible pathway spanning almost half a mile around the area, made possible by a state grant. The commission manages programs serving over 4,200 summer camp slots and oversees fields and courts maintenance throughout town. Laura Spaziani from the Beautification Commission, which maintains about 12 traffic islands around town, noted the commission’s ongoing battle with mugwort at the library traffic island and its need for three additional members—the commission currently has six of nine possible positions filled.
Gordon Carr from the Master Plan Implementation Committee clarified that his committee is “much more sort of a tracking committee” rather than an implementation body. With 156 recommendations in the master plan, Carr emphasized, “This room I view as the Master Plan Implementation Committee. There’s a little something for everybody in there.” He expressed support for more than semi-annual meetings and offered the committee as a resource for all chairs seeking information about recommendations relevant to their work.
Doug Farrington from the Audit Committee reported that the committee is currently hard at work on the town’s June 30, 2025 financial statements, with auditors having mostly completed fieldwork and begun preparing reports. The committee expects to present audited financial statements to the Select Board at a December meeting. Matt McGonagle from the Scholarship Fund Committee noted that the fund, valued at $8.5 million as of September, distributed $375,000 to the Class of 2025 and has distributed $4.5 million over the last 20 years across 81 individual scholarships. The committee seeks to expand membership to ensure continuity as long-serving members prepare to transition.
Town Engineer JR Frey, representing the Traffic Committee, described recent completion of a Complete Streets Prioritization Plan outlining about 20 projects to enhance roadway usability for all modes of users—an important step toward securing state funding for sidewalk construction and improvements, bike lanes, and accessibility standards. The committee recently completed recommendations for 25 mph speed limits on local roads, which the Select Board endorsed, and will evaluate whether to recommend a townwide 25 mph limit.
Several committee chairs emphasized the need for additional volunteers. Pat Kirk, first-year chair of the 4th of July Parade Committee, noted that the committee, which manages the town’s “biggest party,” dropped from 14 members to nine this year and needs help. The Cultural Council, which funds about 20 of 40 annual requests for arts programming, seeks to expand from six to eight members. The Audit Committee recently filled vacancies after turnover.
At the meeting’s conclusion, Select Board Chair Ramsey reminded all committees that each has a designated Select Board liaison and asked that committees work through their liaisons when issues need to be addressed. “We do take a lot of time to divide up the committees and a lot of effort into assisting the different committees out there,” he said. Strehle indicated the board would follow up with any committees uncertain about their liaison assignments.
Why It Matters
This inaugural all-committee chairs meeting represents a significant step toward coordinated governance in Hingham, potentially preventing duplicated efforts and identifying opportunities for collaboration. With major capital projects totaling hundreds of millions of dollars underway or planned—from the Center for Active Living to Route 3A improvements to school roofs—coordination among committees becomes increasingly critical. The meeting revealed both the breadth of volunteer engagement sustaining town operations and mounting financial pressures as requests for CPC funds, capital expenditures, and operating budgets increasingly exceed available revenues. Residents will see direct impacts through property tax decisions at the 2026 town meeting, where multiple warrant articles for major projects will require voter approval, potentially affecting tax rates in a town where the average single-family home is already assessed at $1.3 million.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Motion to adjourn the meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous voice vote. (Timestamp: 1:41:59)
Public Comment
This was not a public hearing but rather a meeting of committee chairs. No formal public comment period was held. However, the meeting was recorded by Harbor Media for public viewing and broadcast.
What’s Next
The Select Board indicated that future all-committee chairs meetings may occur more frequently than semi-annually, potentially three times per year (fall, winter, and spring), and may include a remote participation option. Multiple committees indicated they will bring warrant articles to the Spring 2026 Annual Town Meeting, including: the Council on Active Living Building Committee (Center for Active Living construction), the Historic District Commission (bylaw updates), the Recreation Commission (CPC funding for Plymouth River basketball courts), the Energy Action Committee (disbanding and folding into Climate Action Commission), Cleaner Greener Hingham (plastic utensils ban), the Water Transition and Evaluation Committee (governance structure report due 2027), and the School Building Committee (roof projects for high school, South School, and Plymouth River School, pending MSBA decision expected November 3). The Community Preservation Committee will hold hearings on six funding requests totaling over $2.4 million. The Harbor Development Committee will continue planning for wharf rebuilding with potential town meeting articles in 2027 or 2028. The Route 3A project is expected to submit 100% design on November 3, go out to bid in fiscal year 2027, and break ground by July 2027. The Citizens Advisory Board for the Water Company will hold a public rate hearing in December or January regarding a potential rate increase.