HINGHAM - August 25, 2026 - The Hingham Select Board advanced multi-million-dollar schematic design packages for roof replacements at Plymouth River and South Elementary Schools while opening the Special Town Meeting warrant to seek 30-year bond legislation for the municipal electric plant.
The Full Story
In a dense and consequential session, the Select Board tackled substantial infrastructure decisions, municipal union contracts, traffic safety pilots, and capital projects.
The centerpiece of the evening was a detailed presentation by the 2025 School Building Committee outlining schematic designs for extensive roof system replacements and structural augmentations at Plymouth River Elementary School ($16 million total budget) and South Elementary School ($8.2 million total budget). Together, the two capital projects carry an estimated cost of $24.2 million, with the town anticipating a 36.89% reimbursement rate from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on eligible expenses.
Presenters noted that both schools suffer from significant water infiltration, aged materials, and flashing failures. Plymouth River requires a full roof deck replacement and structural steel reinforcement to meet modern snow load codes—structural improvements that also make the facilities solar-ready. Because project scopes exceed 30% of each building’s assessed value, mandatory accessibility improvements (such as entryway gradings, sidewalk sloping, and restroom upgrades) are incorporated into the overall plans. The board voted unanimously to sign and execute all required MSBA schematic design submittal documents.
The board also took action on the upcoming Special Town Meeting warrant. Representatives from the Hingham Municipal Light Plant (HMLP) announced that they are withdrawing their immediate request for a town bonding vote this fall while rate studies and Eversource tap station negotiations are finalized. Instead, the board voted to insert a warrant article petitioning the state legislature for special enabling legislation allowing HMLP to finance major projects over 30 years rather than the statutory 20-year term to lower annual impacts on local ratepayers.
“We have been working every week, working with our consultants to find ways to bring down the cost of this project to the rate payers... One of the proposals that we are pursuing is asking the legislature for a petition to allow us to bond the entire project for 30 years instead of 20 years, which will bring down the yearly cost of the project considerably.” [00:15:10]— Laura Burns, Hingham Municipal Light Board
Earlier in the evening, following an executive session, the board voted to approve a three-year collective bargaining Memorandum of Agreement with Teamsters Local Union 25 representing DPW supervisors (effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029). The settlement established 3% annual cost-of-living increases across the three years with minor stipend adjustments, settled in just two bargaining sessions.
