Scituate Select Board Bids Farewell to Long-Serving Members, Approves Key Contracts
Two members recognized for years of service as board approves new naming policy and renews shellfish licenses
SCITUATE - May 27 - The Scituate Select Board recognized two departing members with congressional honors and approved several key items during its May 27 meeting, including a new naming policy for public spaces and the renewal of shellfish aquaculture licenses.
Karen Canfield and Karen Connolly, who served on the board for eight and six years respectively, received flags flown over the U.S. Capitol and congressional recognition presented by a representative of Congressman Bill Keating.
"It's been an honor to serve in such a way," Connolly said during her farewell remarks. "We're not going anywhere, right Karen?"
Canfield, who joined the meeting remotely due to illness, delivered an emotional farewell speech highlighting her eight years of service since September 2017.
"I'm filled with gratitude for the privilege of having served this town," Canfield said. "Together, we have been good stewards of our community, and I'm very proud of this work for all the years."
The board approved a new naming policy for public spaces, unofficially dubbing it the "Karen Canfield Naming Policy." The policy includes provisions that allow the Select Board to require petitioners to contribute to a maintenance fund at the board's discretion.
"We desperately need to keep, we don't want to see some of these things get named for someone and then have the family come to us eight years later and say the place is a mess," Connolly said, advocating for the maintenance fund provision.
The board also renewed three shellfish aquaculture licenses for farmers operating off Bassin Beach. The licenses, held by Jamie Davenport and Gregory Wallingford (license 23-01), Michael Cotter (license 23-02), and Lawrence Trowbridge (license 23-03), were renewed for five years.
Following the license renewals, the board approved amendments to the shellfish aquaculture license regulations, reducing the annual reporting fee from $1,000 to $200 and the annual inspection fee from $200 to $100.
"These are three stewards of the community and town," said the shellfish constable. "I don't think they're going to do anything nefarious or to attack the environment."
The constable noted that even with the reductions, Scituate's fees remain among the highest in the state, with other towns charging between $24 and $200 for similar permits.
In other business, the board approved a contract for fiber optic cabling at municipal facilities in an amount not to exceed $257,842.26. The project, funded primarily through a $250,000 grant, will connect water and sewer locations to enable remote monitoring and control.
"They can remotely monitor the different wells, remote control the wells in the sewer pump stations, so they're saving labor, more real-time information," explained IT Director Mike Minchello. "They can get rid of some of the expensive lines that they have now that are monitoring it."
The board also approved the Knights of Columbus' application for their annual carnival, which will run from July 8 to July 12 on Cole Parkway. This marks the 68th year for the event, which was first approved by the town on February 21, 1956.
"We hope to do some spit and polish this year on the carnival as we're trying to improve it every year and then really do something special in a couple of years for the 70th," said Carl Moore, Grand Knight and co-chair of this year's carnival.
The board also approved three-year employment contracts for Town Administrator James Boudreau and Finance Director Nancy Holt, extending their service through fiscal year 2028.
"I always say there's nobody that's irreplaceable, but if there's anybody close to irreplaceable, it'll be our finance director, Nancy Holt," Boudreau said.
The meeting concluded with the board entering executive session to discuss shellfish aquaculture strategy.
Chair Andrew Goodrich praised the departing members for their service, particularly highlighting Canfield's focus on policy development.
"You're looking not at the now, but those are permanent things," Goodrich said. "What you've worked on are the permanent policies that we can have from years and years and years to come."