Bellingham Board forms new Celebration Committee
Select Board · Meeting of October 5, 2026
Bellingham creates a Celebration Committee and hears a consultant's call to restructure HR without new hires. The Select Board voted unanimously Monday to form the committee after Chairman Mike Hennessy proposed it to help coordinate Fourth of July and other town events. Collins Center consultant Marianne O'Cardi told the board the HR department's processes are "paper-heavy" and recommended a dedicated HR director and payroll administrator, created through reallocated duties rather than new positions, saying "there's no proposed increase in FTEs," per Town Administrator Joe Layton.
The board also approved a National Grid utility pole 3-1 with one abstention, abated a $105 disposal fee, and signed a conflict-of-interest disclosure for an attorney whose firm represents a local developer. Officials estimated a new town financial management system could cost $500,000 or more, and one board member raised concerns about locking roughly $13 million into a transportation financing fund headed to town meeting.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,746 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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