Norwell Bolsters Town Committees, Sets Sights on Budget Solutions
Select Board appoints new members with financial and housing expertise, discusses strategies to increase revenue and control expenses in coming years
NORWELL - June 25 - The Norwell Select Board appointed multiple new members to town committees and discussed significant budget pressures during their June 25 meeting at Town Hall. The board also received an update on a new town website set to launch this week.
The board appointed three new members to the Capital Budget Committee: Katherine Mulligan, Max Shipitco, and Kyle Fabrizio. All three candidates brought extensive financial and business experience to their applications.
Mulligan, who lives on Main Street, brings over 20 years of public service experience, including her current role as Vice President and Chief of Investigations at a nonprofit insurance fraud agency. She manages a multimillion-dollar budget and oversees a fleet of 46 vehicles.
"Line items are not just line items, these are investments for our town," Mulligan said. "We're talking about our school, we're talking about public safety, and I believe that we need to ensure that these expenditures are necessary, and that they're cost effective, and that they're aligned with the town's long-term goals."
Shipitco, a business owner with 10 years of home improvement experience who holds licenses in Massachusetts for both home improvement contracting and real estate, attended nearly every advisory board meeting since February to learn about the municipal budget process.
"I just want to be useful for our community," Shipitco said. "I want to do something. I feel like I have time."
Fabrizio, an employee benefits consultant with nearly 30 years of experience, works with major employers including JP Morgan Chase and Delta Airlines to optimize multimillion-dollar insurance programs.
"This involves analyzing multimillion dollar budgets, forecasting costs, aligning plans with business objectives and employee needs, which are often in opposition," Fabrizio said. "And I believe these are directly transferable skills to help me evaluate capital projects."
The board also appointed members to numerous other committees, including Tom Sullivan to the Historic Commission, Adrienne Fink to the Community Housing Trust, and Stephen Brake as an associate member of the Board of Appeals.
Town Administrator Darlene Sullivan presented a list of budget pressure areas requiring Select Board liaisons, including health plan design, economic development, zoning review, fees review, and Advisory Board and Capital Budget Committee coordination. Board members volunteered for specific areas, with Peter Smellie taking health plan design and Brian Greenberg selecting economic development and zoning review.
"I'm really excited to actually have selectable liaisons for each of these budget pressures," Sullivan said. "I'm looking forward to jumping right in with all of you."
The board received a presentation on the new town website from Health Agent Ben Margro, who also serves as the website developer. The site features improved navigation, a centralized agenda center, and enhanced accessibility features.
"The beauty of this website is all the agendas are on one page," Margro said, addressing previous complaints about difficulty finding meeting documents. The new system will allow users to easily access agendas, minutes, and video recordings from a single location.
The website includes a live search feature for services like the curbside collection schedule, where residents can type their street name and immediately see their pickup day. The site also offers both email and text message alerts for town news and emergency notifications.
"We're saving money, not just the overall design, but cost per year of operating the website," Margro said. The new site is expected to go live this week.
Fire Chief Dave Kean requested permission to auction a 1997 fire truck rather than accept a low trade-in offer from dealers. The board unanimously approved declaring the vehicle surplus, allowing the department to pursue online auction options that could yield significantly more revenue.
"$2,500, I think I can do better," Kean said of the dealer's offer. He cited examples of other municipalities receiving much higher amounts through specialized fire equipment auction sites.
The board accepted the collective resignation of the Athletic Fields Commission, whose members felt their work was complete. Chair Peter Smellie noted the commission members believe they no longer have significant contributions to make at this time.
Town Clerk Danielle Shepherd requested approval to increase dog license fees for the first time in over 20 years. The proposed increase would raise fees from $7 to $10 for spayed and neutered dogs, and from $10 to $15 for non-spayed or neutered animals, bringing Norwell in line with surrounding communities.
The board also discussed opposition to proposed state legislation that would dissolve the North River Commission. Representatives from the commission argued that eliminating the regional body would fragment oversight and create inconsistent enforcement across the six towns that share the North River.
"The river does not stop at town boundaries, and neither should its protections," said Steve Lynch, alternate North River Commission representative.
Other business included:
• Approval of a housing production plan update required every five years
• Discussion of water usage restrictions during recent heat waves
• Farewell remarks for departing Assistant Town Administrator Kim Roy, who received praise for her two years of service. Her position was not funded in the contingent budget in effect following the failed override vote.
• Plans to develop select board goals for the upcoming year focused on addressing budget challenges
The next select board meeting is scheduled for July 9, which will include a public hearing for Sparrow Roadside Market's application for a wine and malt beverage takeout license.