The Bedford Citizen (https://www.thebedfordcitizen.org/tag/boards-and-committees/)
At their January 20 meeting, the Planning Board held a public hearing on the proposed Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), heard information on the Hosmer Way planned residential development off Springs Road, increased fees to the Planning Board, and proposed changes from the Board to the Town Charter.
Town Offices and Bedford schools will be closed on Monday, January 20 in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Trash and Recycling pick-up will be delayed until Tuesday. Starting on January 21 Town Boards and Committees will resume their work.
Boards and Committees will be busy in the coming week discussing the process for selecting a new School Superintendent, the Schools’ proposed budget for FY2021, and the 2020-2021 school calendar. There will also be discussions of ADUs, and a Volunteer Training Session for board and committee members.
At their January 6 meeting, the Selectmen reviewed updates on the business plan of the long-discussed History Museum and heard progress on the Police Station’s Net Zero progress.
Pamela Carakatsane was confirmed as Bedford’s interim Town Clerk during the Selectmen’s meeting on Monday, January 6, 2020. She stepped in after Doreen Tremblay retired on December 31, 2019, ending a 27-year career as Bedford’s Town Clerk.
Finding a qualified Town Clerk to pick up the reins is a legal requirement. Bedford’s annual census returns are beginning to come in; the January 7 Town Caucus will kick off the Town’s election season this week; the Massachusetts Presidential Primary election is scheduled for March 3; and the Town Election will take place on Saturday, March 14. With additional important contests on the calendar in September and November 2020 is set to be a very busy year for elections.
An experienced Town Clerk, Carakatsane served as Town Clerk in Ipswich for 14 years, until her retirement in July 2019. Before her Ipswich appointment, she served for several years in Lynnfield. With strong family connections in Ipswich, Carakatsane applied for their position as soon as it was announced in 2005.
The Town Clerk’s position is posted on the Bedford web site.
Bedford’s boards and committees are back to work after the winter holidays, with an interesting complement of meetings in the first full week of 2020. Budget discussions in preparation for Annual Town Meeting will be at the forefront of board and committee meetings for the next several weeks.
If an agenda is not posted for a particular meeting, or to confirm any updates, check the Public Meetings calendar on the Town web site.
I am excited to announce that I will be seeking a caucus nomination on Jan. 7th for a seat on the Bedford School Committee. I will soon complete a three-year term on the Bedford School Committee and hope to be elected March 14 for another three-year term.
I have lived in Bedford with my husband and 3 children for 10 years. Since I moved in, I have been connecting people to one another in this wonderful town we live in. I started by coordinating playgroups for the BFC and then helping the families living at the Bedford Plaza Hotel feel connected to the community. As a member of the School Committee, I have helped establish different policies and programs in the Bedford Public Schools to enable different parts of the community to succeed in different ways.
I am seeking a second term as a member of Bedford’s Board of Health.
My first term included several accomplishments, including:
The completion of Bedford’s new Keeping of Animal’s Regulations. My involvement with the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation opened up resources that allowed us to finalize regulations that balance farming and homesteading rights of Bedford residents with appropriate public health concerns. Our current regulations are serving as a model for other communities.
The Bedford Citizen began publishing on June 30, 2012, with a story about the departure of School Superintendent Maureen LaCroix. Since then, thanks to scores of writers and volunteers, we have published more than 7,800 stories (incorporating a staggering 16,000+ images).
Thank you to our readers, our writers, our donors, and YOU as The Bedford Citizen heads into a new iteration of the Roaring Twenties.
The Citizen watches Town board and committee meeting agendas to determine the most interesting/important meetings, but with New Year’s Day on Wednesday, there are no board or committee meetings scheduled for the coming week.