The Annual Town meeting takes place at Hopkinton Middle School on Saturday May 2nd and starts at 9am. The meeting will also air live on HCAM-TV and our Youtube page!
View live updates from Hopkinton Annual Town Meeting below!
View annual Town Meeting warrant HERE!
-Consent Agenda – Articles; 2,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,19,39 – Passed Unanimously
-Article 1:Acceptance of Town Reports – Passed Unanimously
-Article 3: Unpaid Bills from Fiscal Years – Passed Unanimously
-Article 6: Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget ($138,486,663) – Passed Unanimously
-Article 12: PILOT Agreement, Frankland Road Solar – Passed Unanimously (Pilot = Payment in liu of taxes) -Agreement for Personal Property with Frankland Road Solar, LLC, for a period of twenty-five (25) years.
-Article 13: Capital Improvements – Passed Unanimously
-$2,000,000 (TWO MILLION DOLLARS) – purchase of land at 280 Cedar Street (Parcel R4-17-0)
-$8,149,356.59 – (specified in the table below titled Re-Appropriation of Surplus Capital to supplement costs for the following capital purchases and projects.)
-Item 26: Grist Mill Dam (North Mill St.) Rehabilitation – $1,450,000 raised some questions and debate but passed with article.
-Article 14: One-Time Expenditures – Passed Unanimously
-Article 15: Water Enterprise Capital Improvements – Passed Majority
-Motion 1: $738,368.70 (Rehabilitation of Well #1, Vehicle W9 Supplemental Expense, Portable Generator, Dump Truck, Truck Replacement W1). – Passed Unanimously
-Motion 2: $12,305,000 (Construction for Grove Street Tank, Water Main Replacement: East Main St. Area, Water Main Replacement: Briarcliff Dr. Area (Design, Permitting & Bid Support)
-Article 16: Sewer Enterprise Capital Improvements – Passed Unanimously
-vote to transfer from Sewer Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings $820,000 for below;
-Sewer Meter Station Upgrade: Westborough Connection
-Fruit Street Waste Water Treatment Facility: Safety and Control
Upgrades
-Sewer System Evaluation Survey: West Main St. Pump Station
Tributary
-Article 17: Costa Bros. Masonry Litigation Settlement – Passed Unanimously
-Article 18: Authorization of Drainage Improvements for Hawthorne Lane Area – Passed Vote Count: 152-23
-Citizens Petition, Simple Majority Required
-Authorize the Department of Public Works to design and install drainage improvements, include a French drain system tied into the existing culvert, in the Hawthorne Lane area to mitigate recurrent flooding and to appropriate such funds as may be necessary, or take any other action relative thereto.
-No Committed Funds
-Amendment to Article 18 – Allocate Funds in Fiscal Budget 2028 – Passed Unanimously
-Article 20: Community Preservation Recommendations – Passed Majority
Motion #1 – Passed Majority
A. Amend Uses of Cricket/Basketball Field Grant
-Funded from $1,000,000 Grant
B. Headstone Preservation at Town Cemeteries
-$25,000
C. Phase 1 of Rehabilitation of 11 Ash St. Building
-$2,400,000
D. Beaches & Picnic Tables at Various Parks & Recreation facilities
-$25,000
E. Lighting at Pickleball/Tennis Court at Fruit Street Fields
-$250,000
F. Restoration of the Floor in the Library’s Ellworth Conference Room
-$25,000
G. Restoration of the Limestone Entrance at Town Hall
-$10,000
Motion #2 – Passed Majority
H. Land Purchase – Winter Street
-$35,000
I. Land Purchase – 280 Cedar Street
-$225,000
-Motion to consider item E separately – Clicker Vote: Fails 81-85
(E. Lighting at Pickleball/Tennis Court at Fruit Street Fields – $250,000)
-Article 21: Amend MBTA Communities Multi-Family Overlay District (MCMOD) Bylaw – Passed Majority
-To comply with MBTA Communities Act
-Multifamily hosting in accordance with Section 3A of the zoning act
-50 acres (750 unit capacity)
-Article 22: Fees-in-Lieu of Affordable Housing Unit – Passed Vote Count: 90-13
“difference between the median single-family home sales price in Hopkinton for the most recent calendar year and the purchase price of a three-bedroom home that is affordable to a qualified affordable housing unit purchaser…”
-Article requires developer to either build the units in housing projects or pay extra fees.
-Developers required to make at least 10% of housing development affordable housing units.
–“Article does not desensitize affordable housing, it just increases fees if developer chooses to not build units and instead pay the town fees.”
-Article 23: Amend Fire Alarms Bylaws – Passed Unanimously
-Article 24: Amends Driveways Bylaw – Vote Count: Passed 69-50
-Requires driveway permit from DPW for construction of a new driveway on a public way or modifying an existing driveway with access within the public right-of-way.
-“Design and construction of driveways shall be in compliance with publicly available driveway specifications issued by the DPW, Fire Department, and the Town’s subdivision rules & regulations.”
-Article 25: Amend bylaw to expand uses of Police Revolving Fund – Passed
-Article Creates additional revenue stream for cruiser replacements, currently funded with free cash.
-Article 26: Amend Bylaw to Establish Revolving Fund for Municipal Aggregation Fund – Passed Majority
-$60,000
-Article 27: Amend Bylaw to establish revolving fund for municipal electric vehicle charging – Passed Majority
-$25,000
-Authorizes new revolving fund for use by certain town departments, boards, committees or officers
-Revolving Fund specifically for Municipal Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
-Article 28: Adopt of New Bylaw – Use of Trails & Shared Use Paths – Passed Vote Count: 93-34
-Allow & Regulate use of vehicles, electric mobility devices, on certain Town trails in a manner that promotes safety, accessibility, and equitable use while protecting trail & environmental resources.
-Sets Speed Limit of 10 MPH
-Article 29: Require Civil Fingerprinting for Common Victualler Licenses – Under Discussion
-Select Board recommends “No Action”