Bourne Select Board Meeting - October 3, 2025
Bourne Select Board Meeting - October 3, 2025
The Bourne Select Board met on October 3, 2025, to discuss a range of topics including a temporary parking lot license, preparation for the fall town meeting, the library building committee charge, consent agenda items, a letter of endorsement for Mass Coastal Railroad, and the critical development of watershed permit applications for two nitrogen-sensitive harbors. The board also recognized community achievements and received updates on grants and waste diversion.
Community Shout-Outs
- Board members recognized Barry Johnson for receiving the Open Space Professional Excellence Award from the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trust for 50 years in municipal government.
- Congratulations were extended to the Canalmen sports teams and the Bourne Public Library staff for their 100th story session.
- Select Board Chair was honored by the Massachusetts Women's Advocacy Coalition for trailblazing leadership as the first Indigenous woman to serve on the select board.
Consent Calendar
- Temporary Open Air Parking Lot License: Approved (5-0) a temporary license for Liberty Warehouse Liquors at 21 St. Margaret Street to allow parking for Mass Maritime Academy students during a job fair from October 8-10, 2025. The permit requires charging a fee to cover costs.
- Consent Agenda Items: Approved (5-0) items A, B, C, F, and G (excluding D and E pending term details):
- Bourne Youth Council use of Buzzards Bay Park for the annual Thriller Flash Mob and Main Street Trick-or-Treating on October 18th, with a one-day entertainment license.
- McNammy appointed to the Capital Outlay Committee for a term ending June 30, 2028.
- R. Everett appointed to the Capital Outlay Committee for a term ending June 30, 2028.
- A donation of $15 to the library.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided comments on non-agenda items.
Discussion Items
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Preparation for Fall Town Meeting (October 20, 2025): Town Administrator Marlene provided an update on Article 3 (Access Host Community Fee), noting a decrease in receipts due to 800 fewer tons of C&D waste in FY25 compared to FY24. The board confirmed that the emergency date replacement project was not submitted for capital outlay because no motion was made to move forward.
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Library Building Committee Charge: The board engaged in a line-by-line review of proposed amendments to the charge. After extensive discussion:
- Rejected most redline changes, keeping the original draft except for specific modifications.
- Agreed to add language requiring the committee to make every effort to record meetings and make them accessible to the public.
- Retained the library director as a voting member.
- Removed the facilities manager as an ex-officio member.
- Referred the topic of 100% building commissioning to the Policy Subcommittee for future consideration.
- Approved the charge as amended via a 5-0 vote, with a clean copy to be presented at the October 20th meeting.
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Letter of Endorsement for Mass Coastal Railroad: The board voted unanimously (5-0) to send a letter to DOT, changing the wording from "endorse" to "accept" the efforts of Mass Coastal Railroad in addressing a long-standing issue.
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TMDL Watershed Permits Development: The board discussed the ethics commission advice for members owning property in the targeted watersheds (Phinney’s Harbor and Megansett/Squeteague Harbor). Members Anne Marie and MJ confirmed they will recuse themselves from all deliberations and voting due to potential financial impacts. The remaining board (Peter, Jean, Melissa) discussed next steps with the Town Administrator:
- The Town Administrator is applying for an additional $100,000 DEP grant (on top of $200,000 already allocated) to fund engineering work, but cautioned that total costs will far exceed that.
- The board agreed to have the Town Administrator, DPW Director, and Health Director draft a scope of work for engineering services.
- Decided to use a public procurement process (Chapter 30B) for selecting a consultant.
- Will use a mix of dedicated workshops (likely virtual) and regular meeting check-ins, with flexibility for in-person sessions as needed.
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Town Administrator’s Report:
- Bourne Police Department received $37,268 in municipal road safety grant funds.
- As of September 30, 2025, the ISOM facility had diverted 16.65 tons of food waste from the landfill in 2026.
- Federal grants for the Hen Cove Stormwater Project are temporarily frozen due to the federal government shutdown, but funds are not jeopardized and the contractor is honoring the contract.
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Minutes Approval: Approved minutes from September 9 and September 11, 2025, via a 5-0 vote.
Key Outcomes
- Votes:
- Temporary parking license approved 5-0.
- Consent agenda (partial) approved 5-0.
- Library building committee charge approved 5-0, with amendments.
- Mass Coastal letter approved 5-0, with wording change.
- Minutes approved 5-0.
- Recusals: Anne Marie and MJ recused themselves from all future watershed permit discussions and votes.
- Next Steps: Town Administrator to draft scope of work for watershed permit engineering consultant; board to schedule workshops as needed.
- Policy Referral: 100% building commissioning policy referred to the Policy Subcommittee.
- Future Meetings: October 20 (Town Meeting), October 28 (Sewer Commission), November 4 and 18, December 2 and 16 (Select Board).
Meeting Transcript
This meeting to order. Note this meeting is being televised, streamed, or recorded by Bourne TV. If anyone in the audience is recording or videotaping, they need to acknowledge such at this time. Owen, Bourne Enterprise is here. Please refrain from using flash photography. If anyone from the public wishes to access the meeting, they can do so by calling the following conference line. 1929-205099. Zoom meeting ID 897-1229-3538 password all caps born. The Zoom chat will not be monitored. Participants who wish to speak must raise the hand icon until the chair asks them to unmute. All items in the meeting agenda are subject to deliberation and votes. I will note that select board members Mastrangelo and Meyer are joining us virtually this evening. So all votes will be roll call. I know I do roll call anyhow. Okay, so let's start with a moment of silence to recognize our troops and our public safety personnel. The United States of America to Republicans. Okay. We have somebody that can take the select board vision. I can read the vision. Okay. Bourne is a proud community that embraces change while respecting the rich heritage of the town and its villages. It is a municipality based on strong fiscal government with a durable economy that recognizes the rights of all citizens, respects the environment, especially the coastal areas of the community and the amenities that it affords. Born embraces excellent education and offers to citizens a healthy active lifestyle. All right. I'll do the mission. Bourne will maximize opportunities for social and economic development while retaining an attractive, sustainable, and secure coastline and environment for the enjoyment of residents and visitors through responsible and professional leadership and in partnership with others. Bourne will strive to improve the quality of life for all residents living and working in the larger community. Thank you, Dean. Thank you, Anne Marie. Okay. So we have the community shout-out is next on our list. I do my best with these, so if I do forget anyone, please forgive me. I did want to, I know I mentioned this last week, but I want to be sure I do say it again so everyone at home hears it. I just wanted to note the compact of conserv uh the compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trust did give out an award recently at their annual meeting. I was very honored to be there to witness that to our very own Barry Johnson. So Barry was issued and uh had received that evening the Open Space Professional Excellence Award for his 50 years in municipal government and his conservation work during that time. So I wanted to be sure that I um I wanted to let the people at home know that. Um just a couple quick updates maybe on some of our sports that I read. This is courtesy of Bourne Enterprise, honestly, but I did want to congratulate the Canalmen 19 and oh, Kelly Coelho, Jones, Fox, McLean, and Beals, um, and the girl volleyball's winning number one team in the division, Timo Russell, Hackman, Rosignald, McCarthy, Moral, great work, all of you. And then I do want to make sure I mentioned the Born Um Bourne Public Library staff for their hundredth year, hundredth uh story session they had. That was really wonderful, and I was also honored to be present there with Jean. And um, it was great. So that's my shout out. Does anyone else have any shout-outs this evening? Go ahead, please. I do. Um recently the uh Massachusetts Women's Um Advocacy Coalition, uh, women of color coalition had a 10th anniversary gala. And our Madam Chair was honored as an advocacy leadership and was given that award for her trailblazing leadership and um inspirational advocacy as not only a Herring Pond Wampano woman, golden dragonfly, but also as the first indigenous woman to serve on the select board. So congratulations. Well, thank you for that.
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