Rockland Select Board Approves Three-Year Contract Extension for Town Administrator Doug Lapp
ROCKLAND - November 18 - Following an executive session, the Rockland Select Board voted 4-1 on Tuesday to approve a new contract for Town Administrator Doug Lapp, extending his tenure through June 30, 2029, with annual raises and enhanced retirement benefits.
The Full Story
The new contract, which begins July 8, 2026, upon expiration of Lapp’s current agreement, includes a 2.5 percent salary increase for each year of the two-year and 51-week term. Additionally, the town will defer 2 percent of Lapp’s salary annually into a compensation plan for retirement. The contract term was structured to align with the beginning of the fiscal year, Select Board Chair Michael O’Loughlin explained.
Select Board member John Ellard cast the sole dissenting vote, though he clarified his opposition was not directed at Lapp’s performance. “Doug’s doing an excellent job,” Ellard stated. “My objections to this is solely based on some of the provisions in the contract. I’m not going to bother getting into it because what’s the point? But anyways, so I’m a no.” Ellard later indicated he would be willing to discuss his concerns privately with residents who reached out to him.
The contract approval comes as Lapp approaches his seventh year leading Rockland’s municipal operations. By the end of the new contract term, he will have served nearly ten years as town administrator. Following the vote, O’Loughlin thanked Lapp and expressed the board’s anticipation for his continued leadership. “We’re glad we were able to get this done. Doug, we’re looking forward to another three years with you,” O’Loughlin said. Lapp responded, “I thank the board for my contract extension. I appreciate it very much. I enjoy working here, and glad to continue in this role.”
The contract required review by town counsel for minor language modifications agreed upon by both parties during the executive session. These technical changes will be incorporated into the final document.
In other significant business, the board heard an update from Town Planner Allyson Quinn on a remarkably successful series of grant awards totaling more than $1.2 million. The largest award was a $800,000 Community One Stop for Growth grant through the Housing Works Infrastructure Program to support a feasibility study for potential sewer capacity upgrades in areas adjacent to the MBTA communities zoning district. Quinn explained the study would examine an area “identified in a previous sewer commission report that is adjacent to the MBTA communities or mud zoning as we adopted it.”
Additionally, Rockland secured a $350,000 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant in partnership with Abington for a project titled “Nature-Based Stormwater Resilience.” Quinn said the project “supports the collaborative regional approach between Rockland and Abington to manage stormwater resiliency and take preventative action against flooding.” The grant will fund watershed assessments addressing “several system vulnerability factors tied to wet weather outfall” in both communities.
The town also received $50,000 in refundable tax credits through the Massachusetts Vacant Storefront Program to support occupancy of long-vacant storefronts along the Union Street corridor, and $25,000 to support the Housing Production Plan and Open Space and Recreation Plan through a “cultural lens” for enhanced community engagement. Quinn indicated she is pursuing an additional $20,000 land conservation grant and has applied for technical assistance from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
Vice Chair Lori Childs praised Quinn’s grant-writing efforts. “You’re kicking butt. This is awesome that we got all this grant money,” Childs said. “I talk to other towns and town administrators at times, and they are kind of lost because they don’t have a team like you and Courtney [Bjorgaard] to coordinate this. So kudos to both of you.”
The board met Lorena Rocha, Rockland’s new regional social worker hired through a Public Health Excellence Grant for which Rockland serves as the lead community. Rocha, who speaks both Portuguese and Spanish, will serve Rockland, Hanover, Norwell, Pembroke, and Marshfield. She outlined her community outreach efforts, including meetings with the fire department, police department, school social worker, senior center, and veterans services. “I’ve been around. I’ve been trying to see... how I can use my language to help the folks and to break some barriers,” Rocha said. She noted plans to assist the police department until they hire their own clinician and to collaborate with the health department on opioid education and Narcan distribution. Rocha will participate in the upcoming holiday stroll, distributing information about available services.
Lapp announced significant staffing and office reorganization changes. The town has filled the Planning and Zoning Project Liaison position, previously called the Land Use Coordinator, with the new hire starting December 1. In a series of connected moves, Town Planner Quinn will relocate to share office space with the new liaison, freeing her current office for the Veterans Agent, who will move from the Senior Center back to Town Hall. The Community Development Block Grant consultant will transition from a dedicated office to using the downstairs conference room during weekly visits, providing additional file storage space for Veterans Services. “We’re very pleased about that, and I think it will give not just the Veterans Agent, but it will give, most importantly, the clients that he serves a more appropriate space than the space that he had at the Senior Center,” Lapp said.
Lapp provided an update on the Fire Station Owner’s Project Manager procurement process. The town received ten proposals, narrowed the field to four firms, and conducted all-day interviews the previous Friday. “These firms are excellent. We have four top-quality firms, so we really can’t go wrong,” Lapp reported. He anticipated selecting the winning firm the following week. Initial tasks for the chosen firm include contract execution, reviewing the architect’s proposed fee, overseeing Lincoln School demolition, and coordinating final design work.
The board unanimously approved annual license renewals for numerous alcohol establishments, with two notable exceptions. Mineiros Steakhouse on Union Street chose not to renew its license, and The Banner’s renewal application was held pending resolution of compliance issues. “They did submit a renewal application on the ABCC form,” Lapp explained. “We’re holding that back because their license is an inn-holders license, and as the board knows, they’re not operating an inn, and we haven’t seen any evidence that they’re actively improving that space to make it an inn.”
The board approved one-day liquor licenses for two holiday season events: the November 29 Holiday Stroll featuring Players Sports Bar, Abington Depot, and Three Sips Brewery from Cohasset, and a November 30 Sip and Shop at Rockland Garden Center. O’Loughlin recused himself from voting on the Garden Center application due to his business relationship with the venue.
Select Board member Steve O’Donnell delivered extensive remarks on men’s mental health as part of his participation in the Movember campaign, for which he has been growing a mustache for 13 years to raise awareness. O’Donnell challenged residents to engage in compassionate political dialogue during Thanksgiving gatherings. “Instead of fighting back with talking points of your own, dig deeper. Ask why they hold these beliefs. Do it with compassion and love with the goal of understanding,” O’Donnell said. He argued that anger “clouds our judgment” and “causes fear in others and fosters hate,” connecting political polarization to broader mental health challenges.
Multiple board members congratulated Rockland High School’s fall sports teams, particularly highlighting the boys varsity soccer team’s advancement to the state championship game scheduled for Friday afternoon in Leominster. The team defeated their opponent 4-3 in penalty kicks after two scoreless overtime periods in a semifinal game played in Watertown, with goalkeeper Jason Hennessey making two crucial saves. O’Loughlin noted that Athletic Director Dan Kimball was organizing fan buses to support the team. The varsity cheerleading squad also advanced to the state championship, and all three levels of Rockland youth cheerleading won their OCYCA championships.
Why It Matters
The contract extension provides Rockland with leadership continuity through fiscal year 2029, maintaining stability in town administration as major projects advance, including the new fire station construction and significant infrastructure improvements funded by the recent grant awards. The more than $1.2 million in secured grants will fund critical stormwater management, housing feasibility studies, and downtown revitalization without requiring taxpayer funding. The addition of a regional social worker expands mental health and social services support for residents, particularly Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking populations, while the Veterans Agent’s return to Town Hall promises improved service delivery for veterans and their families.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve minutes from November 4, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 3-0 (O’Loughlin and Ellard abstained). (Timestamp: 0:01:26)
Motion: Appoint Matthew Finnell and Rick Snee to Community Preservation Committee. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:02:10)
Motion: Approve annual alcohol license renewals (excluding Mineiros Steakhouse and The Banner). Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:11:20)
Motion: Approve one-day liquor license for Holiday Stroll on November 29, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:12:25)
Motion: Approve one-day liquor license for Sip and Shop at Rockland Garden Center on November 30, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0 (O’Loughlin abstained due to business relationship). (Timestamp: 0:13:35)
Motion: Approve new contract for Town Administrator Doug Lapp for term July 8, 2026 through June 30, 2029. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-1 (Ellard opposed). (Timestamp: 0:21:02)
Motion: Adjourn to executive session not to reconvene. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous by roll call. (Timestamp: 0:36:44)
Public Comment
No public comment period was held during this meeting.
What’s Next
Town counsel will finalize language modifications to Town Administrator Lapp’s contract. The Owner’s Project Manager selection for the fire station project is expected within one week. The Planning Department will finalize its contract with Metropolitan Area Planning Council for the Open Space and Recreation Plan and Housing Production Plan. The Veterans Agent office relocation to Town Hall will proceed following completion of necessary equipment installations. A Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for the following evening. The Conservation Commission will hear the Bicentennial Track Project application. Town Administrator Lapp will attend the Massachusetts Municipal Managers Association fall conference on Thursday and Friday. Rockland High School boys soccer team will play for the state championship on Friday afternoon in Leominster.