Norwell Town Hall Relocates, Select Board Reorganizes Leadership
Town offices move to Longwater Circle as board appoints new chair, vice chair and clerk
NORWELL - May 28 - Norwell's town offices are moving to a new location at 93 Longwater Circle this week, with the facility set to open to the public on Monday.
Town Administrator Darleen Sullivan announced the relocation during Tuesday's Select Board meeting, explaining that the move will take place Thursday and Friday, with town hall closed to the public on those days.
"We are moving to the new town halls tomorrow so the movers are coming in the morning," Sullivan said. "We have put a message out on the website that basically our servers will be down for a bit and our phones could be impacted as well."
Sullivan noted that while the new location will be operational Monday, some finishing touches remain.
"We still have some punch list items to do so we'll do a grand opening when all of that stuff is done, I would say in maybe two weeks or so," she said.
Assistant Town Administrator Kim Roy emphasized that during the move, town staff will have limited communication capabilities.
"Our internet will be limited as Darleen stated, so emails will not be responded to. Our computers are legitimately getting packed up at 8 a.m.," Roy said.
For urgent matters during the closure, officials recommend phone calls or in-person visits to the new location once it opens.
The Select Board also conducted its annual reorganization during the meeting, appointing Peter Smellie as the new chair, Brian Greenberg as vice chair, and Lorenda Layne as clerk.
Smellie accepted the position "with humility and honor," acknowledging he faces some health challenges but is "up for the challenge" of leading the board.
"As I alluded to, I do have some medical stuff, so I will be, a lot of hands make light work, so I'll be calling on all of you," Smellie told fellow board members.
The reorganization marks a leadership transition following the recent town election that brought new members John McGrath and Lorenda Layne to the board.
In other business, the board:
- Appointed Greg Matthews to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a term expiring June 30, 2028
- Appointed members to the School Building Committee
- Discussed implementing a new financial planning and analysis system for the town
The board heard a detailed presentation from McGrath about implementing a more sophisticated financial planning system for the town. McGrath, speaking as a resident rather than in his Select Board capacity, proposed exploring software options that would streamline budget processes and improve financial reporting.
"One of my key pieces about getting onto the select board was around the idea that we need to provide our town with some better information, automated reporting," McGrath said. "And so to equip our leaders with a financial and operational planning tool that is much more data and driver-based."
McGrath identified several challenges with the current system, including antiquated technology, manual processes that enable human error, and limited long-range planning capabilities.
Town Accountant Christine McCarthy expressed cautious interest in the proposal while noting implementation concerns.
"Clearly, this is a beautiful project. Anybody would want to do this, but my concern is I've seen these presentations. I've seen what these products can be and what they can do for you, but when you take a step back and you figure out how to actually make it work, sometimes it's not worth it, time-wise," McCarthy said.
Sullivan added that while she's open to exploring options, any new system would need to integrate well with existing software.
"If it could link, it might be worth it. I would ask for patience and implementation with the number of staff that we have and the year that we have," Sullivan said.
The board voted to request proposals for financial planning software by September 1, with McGrath abstaining from the vote.
The board also heard from Stephanie Carrara, the interim town clerk, who thanked officials for the opportunity to serve Norwell as she prepares to begin a new position as Assistant Town Clerk in East Bridgewater on June 11.
"The people of Norwell have been so welcoming to me being an outsider and it was my pleasure to have served the town," Carrara said.
The Select Board's next meetings are scheduled for June 11 and June 25 at the new town hall location.