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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Select Board Meeting - September 24, 2026

Select Board — Thursday, September 24, 2026

BodyBourne, Massachusetts

SessionSelect Board

DateThursday, September 24, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:15:39

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

7 p.m.

0:00

I will call this meeting to order, September 29th, 2026.

0:06

Zoom webinar ID 893 9750 4683.

0:14

Password Bourne, all caps.

0:17

Recording, maybe recording streamed by Bourne TV.

0:21

Audience members recording must notify the chair.

0:25

I don't know.

0:26

Okay, our friend at Bourne Enterprise is here tonight.

0:30

No flash photography, please.

0:32

Remote access as a courtesy.

0:34

The meeting will not be delayed or suspended due to technical issues.

0:38

We know it's been dropped, things have happened, so we apologize if that happens.

0:43

All items within the agenda are subject to deliberation and votes.

0:47

And let's have a moment of silence to recognize our troops and our public safety personnel.

0:55

Salute to the flag.

Speaker 2

1:09

Thank you so

Unassigned speaker

1:10

much.

Speaker 1

1:11

Next we have public comment on non-agenda items.

1:15

Max 12 minutes, three minutes per speaker, per open meeting law board members are unable to deliberate or respond.

1:23

Do we have anyone here for public comment on non-agenda items here in the room?

1:28

Do we have anyone online raising their hand?

1:31

Okay, looking good.

1:32

We're moving

Unassigned speaker

1:33

on.

Speaker 1

1:35

So next on our agenda number four is a public summary of the town administrator's annual evaluation.

1:43

As we do every year, the select board has completed the annual performance review of the town administrator.

1:52

The summary is available in our public meeting materials, and I will read it for the record now.

1:58

So I will just read it aloud.

2:01

Each year, the select board shall conduct a formal performance evaluation of the town administrator as outlined in her contract.

2:09

This is a summary of town administrator Marlene McCollum's fourth year evaluation dating July 1st, 2025 to June 30th, 2026.

2:20

The six evaluation areas are summarized below, which I will read with a summary of comments provided.

2:28

Overall, town administrator Marlene McCollum scored 3.18 out of a possible four, which falls in the category of strong performance.

2:37

Below, we can find a breakdown of the summary of each evaluation area.

2:43

Board support in relations.

2:48

Strong performance comments.

3:01

Next we have financial management.

3:07

Again, strong performance.

3:09

The comments there are financial management is one of Marlene's strengths.

3:14

She has a high level understanding of municipal finance and how the different pieces work together.

3:23

Um next, and she scored 3.4 out of four.

3:28

Um again, strong performance.

3:30

And the comments here are although the day-to-day operations are not typically observed by select board members.

3:38

Marlene has been successful in negotiating several difficult labor contracts while keeping the organization moving, efficient, and focused.

3:52

She scored 3.4.04 out of four.

3:58

Marlene represents the town with professionalism.

4:00

She has a respectful working relationship with other communities and state agencies, and board members encourage Marlene to continue her commitment to respectful communications and accessibility with the community.

4:13

Other municipalities and state agencies.

4:36

Marlene has clear principles of service and a strong command of operational details that keep things functioning well.

4:51

This is the last one of scoring.

4:54

Marlene scored again 3.14 out of four.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Marlene is a highly professional, logical and focused leader with a steady presence and a strong work ethic.

Speaker 1

5:04

She is consistent in handling challenges and the complex issues.

5:12

Town administrator Marlene McCollum continues to perform at a high level across core responsibilities.

5:19

Opportunities for on growing growth include strengthening community accessibility and responsiveness, refining conflict management strategy, strategies, and further developing internal leadership modeling.

5:33

Marlene's leadership supports stable governance, thoughtful planning and consistent progress towards the town's goals.

5:41

And then the last, and that's that is the final.

Speaker 3

5:44

Thank you.

5:45

So thank you.

5:45

Does

Speaker 1

5:46

the select board have any comments, thoughts related to that?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural██████████████14%

Historic Preservation████████████12%

Public Engagement████████████12%

Personnel Matters███████████11%

Public Safety██████████10%

Land Use Planning█████████9%

Budget Capital Planning█████████9%

Education Funding█████5%

Water And Wastewater Management█████5%

Summary of Proceedings

Select Board Meeting - September 24, 2026

The Bourne Select Board convened on September 24, 2026, to address a wide range of town business, including the annual evaluation of the Town Administrator, a proposal to redesign the town seal, approval of a construction access request, betterment assessments for road improvements, and review of fall town meeting articles. The board also discussed goals for the Town Administrator, a response from Upper Cape Tech regarding student residency errors, and voted on several other items.

Consent Calendar

The board approved the consent agenda as presented (motion by Peter, second by Jean, unanimous roll call).

Public Comments & Testimony

Sue (last name not provided) commented on Article 12 (donation of property to MassDOT), expressing concern about donating land rather than selling it and the loss of revenue from eminent domain takings.
John York expressed concerns about donating property to the state for no compensation, suggesting the town should negotiate for in-kind benefits or compensation. He also noted the value of vacant landlocked property for conservation restrictions.
Ken Shepland (via Zoom) suggested the board consider asking the Commonwealth to remove the federal secondary rail line as part of MOU negotiations.
John Izo, Development Director for Anna's Palace, provided an update on the Hoxie School project, including fundraising progress, in-kind donations, and a planned partnership with Cape Cod Tech students.
Judy (last name not provided) commented on setting goals for the Town Administrator, emphasizing the need to prioritize and set realistic, attainable objectives to avoid burnout.

Discussion Items

Annual Evaluation of Town Administrator: The board reviewed and read the public summary of Town Administrator Marlene McCollum's fourth-year evaluation (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026). She scored 3.18 out of 4, categorized as strong performance. Comments were read for each of six evaluation areas. No further discussion or action was taken.
Historical Commission Report – Town Seal Redesign: Steve Philbert, Chair of the Historic Commission, presented a proposal to redesign the historically inaccurate town seal. He requested the formation of a public committee to lead the effort, including representation from historical groups, tribal input, public, and students. The board discussed the need for transparency and a clear committee charge. No vote was taken; the board agreed to follow up after receiving more details.
Indian Trail Access Request for Construction: The board considered a request to use the Sagamore Beach ramp for construction access. With no public comment from the homeowners group, the board voted unanimously to approve the request with conditions (motion by Peter, second by Anne Marie, roll call all yes).
Picassin Woods Betterment: Tim Lyden from the Engineering Department provided an update on road paving scheduled for October. The board voted to order and assess betterments of $602,250 for Spinnaker Lane and Daniel Webster Lane, pursuant to May 4, 2026 town meeting authorization (motion by MJ, second by Peter, roll call all yes).
Library Building Committee Charge Amendment: The board amended the charge of the Jonathan Bourne Public Library Building Committee to add authority to prepare and submit MBLC grant applications and to monitor/manage awarded grants. Motion by Anne Marie, second, passed unanimously.
Fall Town Meeting Articles Review: The board discussed and voted on articles 1 through 14:
- Articles 1-5, 7-11, 13-14: All recommended approval unanimously (roll call votes as indicated).
- Article 6 (Police pistols): Chief Brady explained the need for red dot sights, two holsters, and 70 pistols. After discussion, the board voted unanimously to recommend approval.
- Article 8 (IceWM Transfer Facility): Recommended approval, funded by IceWM's own revenue.
- Article 12 (Donation of property to MassDOT): After public comments and board discussion, the vote was 3-2 in favor (Anne Marie yes, Jean no, Peter yes, MJ no, Chair yes).
- Essential articles designated: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 (motion by Peter, second by Jean, unanimous).
Upper Cape Tech Response to Select Board Request: The board discussed the response from Upper Cape Tech regarding student residency errors. Anne Marie expressed disappointment with the response, noting lack of clarity on the October 1 list and a line-item budget that was insufficient. Marlene McCollum confirmed the town is still reviewing the list and has identified non-Bourne addresses. The board agreed to meet with Upper Cape Tech for further discussion. Marlene will complete the review and report back.
Setting Annual Goals for Town Administrator: The board considered suggested topics from Marlene McCollum. Discussion highlighted concerns about workload and the need for prioritization. The board decided to defer setting goals to a future meeting to allow more thought and to prioritize given current demands.
Watershed Permit Consulting Services: The board voted to authorize Marlene McCollum to negotiate and enter into a contract with GHD for updated watershed permitting consulting services. Motion by Jean, second by Peter, passed 3-0 (with one member abstaining? Actually roll call: Jean yes, Peter yes, Melissa yes).

Key Outcomes

The board approved the consent agenda and all recommended fall town meeting articles except Article 12, which passed 3-2.
The board authorized betterments for Picassin Woods roads and amended the library building committee charge.
The board deferred setting goals for the Town Administrator to a later meeting.
The board directed staff to continue review of Upper Cape Tech's student list and arrange a meeting with the school.
The board authorized a contract with GHD for watershed consulting services.

Meeting Transcript

7 p.m. I will call this meeting to order, September 29th, 2026. Zoom webinar ID 893 9750 4683. Password Bourne, all caps. Recording, maybe recording streamed by Bourne TV. Audience members recording must notify the chair. I don't know. Okay, our friend at Bourne Enterprise is here tonight. No flash photography, please. Remote access as a courtesy. The meeting will not be delayed or suspended due to technical issues. We know it's been dropped, things have happened, so we apologize if that happens. All items within the agenda are subject to deliberation and votes. And let's have a moment of silence to recognize our troops and our public safety personnel. Salute to the flag. Thank you so much. Next we have public comment on non-agenda items. Max 12 minutes, three minutes per speaker, per open meeting law board members are unable to deliberate or respond. Do we have anyone here for public comment on non-agenda items here in the room? Do we have anyone online raising their hand? Okay, looking good. We're moving on. So next on our agenda number four is a public summary of the town administrator's annual evaluation. As we do every year, the select board has completed the annual performance review of the town administrator. The summary is available in our public meeting materials, and I will read it for the record now. So I will just read it aloud. Each year, the select board shall conduct a formal performance evaluation of the town administrator as outlined in her contract. This is a summary of town administrator Marlene McCollum's fourth year evaluation dating July 1st, 2025 to June 30th, 2026. The six evaluation areas are summarized below, which I will read with a summary of comments provided. Overall, town administrator Marlene McCollum scored 3.18 out of a possible four, which falls in the category of strong performance. Below, we can find a breakdown of the summary of each evaluation area. Board support in relations. Strong performance comments. Next we have financial management. Again, strong performance. The comments there are financial management is one of Marlene's strengths. She has a high level understanding of municipal finance and how the different pieces work together. Um next, and she scored 3.4 out of four. Um again, strong performance. And the comments here are although the day-to-day operations are not typically observed by select board members. Marlene has been successful in negotiating several difficult labor contracts while keeping the organization moving, efficient, and focused. She scored 3.4.04 out of four. Marlene represents the town with professionalism. She has a respectful working relationship with other communities and state agencies, and board members encourage Marlene to continue her commitment to respectful communications and accessibility with the community. Other municipalities and state agencies. Marlene has clear principles of service and a strong command of operational details that keep things functioning well. This is the last one of scoring. Marlene scored again 3.14 out of four.

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