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Raynham Select Board 12/16/2025
(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
Tonight’s agenda looks routine, but the ripple effects are real: clear rules for nonprofits to fundraise, a cleaner path for residents to join town boards, and practical public health resources you can pick up without questions. We open with the Board of Health’s year-end reminders—permit expirations, respiratory illness guidance aligned with CDC and Massachusetts DPH—and a serious, youth-centered push on opioid education. That includes free naloxone kits, fentanyl test strips, and sharps containers, plus age-appropriate materials and school partnerships designed to spark honest conversations at home.
We then walk through a draft update to the tag day permit policy that gives local nonprofits an early application window before opening dates to all groups on a first-come basis. It’s about fairness, predictability, and planning ahead. Next up is a straightforward, written process to fill vacancies on appointed boards and committees: public posting, a defined application period, timely review by the relevant chair, and a clear timeline for recommendations. Suggested edits tighten language with Robert’s Rules and carve out exceptions for elected boards that require joint votes, ensuring policy reflects how decisions actually get made.
On public safety and operations, the board reviews a draft animal control policy, aligning on a key principle: keep job duties in job descriptions and keep policy focused on how the work is delivered. We set a hearing date for a managerial change at the Ice Plex and move through an extensive slate of annual license renewals—restaurants, entertainment, and auto dealers—pending building and fire inspections. The town administrator confirms the state-approved tax recap and announces this year’s residential and commercial rates, then we share details on transfer station permits, including updated fees and senior rates, and outline upcoming regional school budget milestones so families and taxpayers can plan.
If you care about how small decisions shape daily life—where nonprofits can fundraise, how volunteers get appointed, which businesses keep operating safely, and how public health resources reach your neighbors—this meeting is a master class in steady, transparent governance. Subscribe, share with a neighbor who follows local policy, and leave a review telling us which change you want prioritized next.
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We're going to call the meeting to order on the Rainham Select Board at 7 o'clock p.m. during June 16th, 2025, at Veterans Memorial Town Hall at 558 South Main Street in Rainham. Please join our meeting in person. The meeting is open to the public. And it is also being broadcast live on the Rainham channel, on Comcast Channel 98, and Verizon Channel 34. It is also being recorded by Raycam or replay on the Rainham channel. Please join us with a Pledge of Allegiance. And undergo invisible liberty and justice order. Thank you. First order of business is the acceptance of the minutes. We have the regular session of December 9th, 2025, and the executive session of December 9th, 2025, with the executive session minutes withheld from public release at this time. We have a motion to accept the minutes as printed. So moved. Any discussion? Hearing none in favor. Any opposed? So voted. Department head reports. This evening we have our health director, Paula Rossi. Lapp. Welcome, Paula.
SPEAKER_00:Good evening, and to the board and the public, a very happy and healthy holiday season. Thank you. Quick updates for the Board of Health tonight. Reminder to businesses that the following annual permits will expire December 31st. Food service and retail, hotel, mobile home, septic installer, septic pumper, swimming pools, tobacco, trash hauler, beekeeper, and body works. Applications have all been mailed out to business addresses by Kim, and late fees will be applied if not received by December 31st. Respiratory illness is here. An update from the town nurse, Lindsay Miranda. We continue to follow the CDC and Massachusetts Public Health Department guidelines for isolation and care through your primary care facility. The opioid working group is concentrating on education for our younger population. This is our approach to spread facts on the long-term dangers of vaping and illegal opioid use. We are waiting to receive a large order of activity and reading books geared towards six to ten years of age, and we'll be working with elementary school, the elementary school to make these available to parents as a way of helping with communication on the subject. These materials will also be available to the public through the police, fire, recoa, board of health, and library departments. We recently provided funding for a speaker at RMS that reached the seventh and eighth grade students that has historically been well received by this age group. And on that same subject, the Board of Health Department still has overdose emergency kits and boxes of naloxone free to the public. If you or someone you know could be at risk for an overdose or an accidental home medication overdose, please stop by our office and ask for a kit. All information is anonymous, however, we do ask for data associated with age. In addition, we have a box full of fentanyl test strips and sharps containers free for public pickup located in the foyer entrance of the town hall. In your packet, you have, as far as for animal control, in your packet, you have the newly created animal control policy and procedures for the select board to review and for future consideration. That's all I have tonight. Thank you. Paula?
SPEAKER_01:Questions, comments, Mr. Pachin?
SPEAKER_03:None. Thank you. Mr. Comments? Yes, thank you.
SPEAKER_01:I have none, but again, thank you for all your efforts. I appreciate it. Thank you. All right, next on our agenda we have appointments. We have listed here the appointments for a constable. It's actually a reappointment for Lewis Gorges Jr. I think we may be missing the paperwork as far as the approval of uh please due so motion to table motion to table that second. Any discussion? Hearing on all in favor, re opposed, so voted. We do have a constable reappointment for Danielle Sullivan, and this does have the approval of the police due. Motion to approve. Motion is made and seconded to approve. Any discussion? Hearing on all in favor, reimposed, so voted. We have no public hearing scheduled this evening. Completion of old or continuing business. Do you have anything, Mr. Big?
SPEAKER_03:No, Madam Chair. Mr.
SPEAKER_01:Um Mr. Barnes, do you have something?
SPEAKER_02:Uh yes, just a clarification from last uh meeting. We uh the board voted a Super Bowl social uh for the Lions Club. Just to clarify, the date of that Super Bowl uh social is uh February 8th, 2026. The agenda had the incorrect date on it.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you, Ms. Franz. Um we go then to new business. We have a discussion and review of the draft amendment to the policy on our tag day nets. And this is for discussion and basically that.
SPEAKER_02:Um we had you may recall, uh I believe it was back in I think September we voted a tag day permit policy. Um there were some concerns with the board how to handle um uh in in uh nonprofits in in the town versus others uh based on somewhat what I we understand may have occurred before many years ago. We added items C and D. So C basically allows anyone who's in town, nonprofit, to apply by this year to January 15th, um, and um uh to uh have um uh consideration before any out-of-town entity can can apply. So the idea is after this year it'll be December 15th, will be the deadline, but due to the timing, obviously, this year we're gonna start at January 15th, and again, we uh we're asking that any nonprofit, local nonprofit uh submit their requests for calendar year 2026. Uh we will notify all the current entities that were aware uh local nonprofits of this of this date. And it's uh first come, first served. And then after we we have that uh selection, anyone can apply thereafter in and it's uh it's first come, first serve, whether you're an in-town nonprofit or out-of-town nonprofit.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, and basically that amendment states all local nonprofits are asked to submit their requests for the 2026 calendar year no later than January 15th and no later than December 15th for every year thereafter. The select board will consider the requested tag day dates and vote to approve them as soon as possible at a subsequent meeting. And thereafter, all requests for local in-town and out-of-town nonprofits will be accepted for consideration for the remainder of the year. Those requests should be submitted no less than 21 days in advance and no more than 60 days in advance to allow for adequate time for consideration by the board and determination at a regularly scheduled meeting. Um questions, comments, Mr.
SPEAKER_03:I have none, madam chair. I if we weren't waiting to um the process, I would be okay voted for the next one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, where it is an amendment, though, um I suppose we could vote on it next week.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I'm fine, though.
SPEAKER_01:Very good, thank you. So we'll put that on agenda for approval at next week's meeting. And next we have discussion and review of draft policy on filling a vacancy on appointed boards and committees. And basically, this is just a restatement of the policy that we have had but haven't actually put into writing. And there has, again, it's a draft, there has been some a little confusion about it. So basically, it states when a vacancy occurs on an appointed Tanegranium board, commissioner, or committee, it is the responsibility of the select board to fill the vacancy by making an appointment. In those instances, it is the policy of the select board to announce the vacancy, post appropriate notification on the town website, and accept letters of interest accompanied by resumes for a stated period of time that will be no less than two weeks. When the specified application period is closed, the board will forward the letters of interest and resumes to the chair of the particular board commissioner committee who will then schedule a meeting within 30 days if a meeting is not already scheduled within that time frame. At the aforementioned public, regularly scheduled or special meeting, the board commissioner committee shall review the application or applications and at its discretion interview any applicants or applicants considered to be qualified. After due consideration, the board commissioner committee should vote also at a public meeting to select the applicant it wishes to recommend and then forward its decision to the select board. If the particular board, commissioner, or committee cannot agree on an applicant, it should notify the select board that it recommends that the position be readvertised. Once the select board has received the board commissioner or committee's recommendation, it will be considered at a subsequent meeting and the select board, at its sole discretion, will vote to accept or deny the recommendation. If the select board receives no recommendation for a particular applicant from the particular board commissioner committee within 45 days and/or no recommendation to readvertise, then the select board may choose to move forward with the appointment. It should be noted that the final decision rests with the select board. Any input, Mr. Fox?
SPEAKER_02:I think this uh it's always good to have these things in a policy.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you. Questions, comments, Mr.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, thank you, manager. Largely I I I am more than okay with it. There's two particular things that I just want to call out. On um number two, where it starts with if. My suggestion would be if the board, commission, or committee cannot reach a majority vote, because we are governed by Robert's rules. So the way this reads, if it was a two to one vote, then they wouldn't be able to push it forward. Um and then the other thing I would suggest is we add um either a fourth section or uh add to number three, um, but this wouldn't apply to the vacancies on elected boards where there's a joint vote required. Um so I there's been years where we've had a bill of sets of vacancies, school committee vacancies, so I think just call that out as well.
SPEAKER_01:Sure. It also doesn't apply to the joint vote at the planning program, associate members. We need to uh formalize that policy. Yes. Yes, so thank you, Mr. Pachico, Mr. Collins.
SPEAKER_03:Congratulations on Mr. Pachico.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so um put this on the agenda for uh future vote as well. You make those um corrections. Thank you. Okay, uh moving forward. Next we have discussion and review of draft policy on animal control as referenced from our health director. Um Foller, is there anything you want to point out to us for a review?
SPEAKER_00:No, uh, just that uh today Greg and um actually and Kelly uh for another pair of eyes went through this final draft. We think we caught all the spelling errors, and um uh this was a policy that was David Um uh Chief, the chief LaPlantum had brought to me and um from another town, so we didn't you know reinvent the wheel. So uh I've just kind of inputted this uh what pertains to Rainham in specific. So it's for your consideration and any questions or any changes. I'm I'm ready to, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Not questions, but I do have some comments. I mean, I'm fine with having a policy, but what I don't support is the the sections that talk about um job duties and responsibilities, those should be in the job posting. Policy should be how the job is done, not the requisite skills and requirements. And what happens when you do that with a policy is job descriptions can change. Then you've forced to change not just the job description, but also the entire policy. So, I mean, for example, page two, which is really page one, I think 90% of that can be stricken. The only thing, Land, that I see, that is really worthwhile, is the call-in about wildlife issues or referrals from appropriate agencies. Those are things that should be spelt out as policy. Knowledge and skills and specialized requirements, I I look at those as standard operating procedures, not skills of specialized requirements. Um, so that I think should be refrained. The training and requirements, again, that's related to job onboarding, and then you get into the other stuff, page four and beyond, which I believe again is actual policy slash standard operating procedures. So uh I would only vote for it with those edits because again, you're merging two separate documents into one unnecessarily.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you, Mr. Pachico, Mr. Collins.
SPEAKER_03:So I have Mr.
SPEAKER_01:Barnes, anything you want to add?
SPEAKER_02:Uh we'll uh we'll consult more with uh Joe to obviously we want a policy that everyone can feel confident support.
SPEAKER_01:Sure. All right, thank you. Thank you. Okay, so no action at on that at this time. Next we have a change of manager for a facility management corporation during business as Radium Ice Clubs at 1568 Broadway. We need to set a hearing date.
SPEAKER_03:January 6th, Madam Chair.
SPEAKER_01:Motion for January 6th, second. Any discussion? That's January 6th. All in favor and opposed? So voted. And then we have discussion and vote on annual license renewals in accordance with the attached list.
SPEAKER_02:It's on your um the chance.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so first we have, and we'll take these as groups, the annual license permit renewals for alcohol, restaurant license, renewals contingent upon building and fire inspections. And they include Longhorn Steakhouse, Brick Stone Brew House Tavern, Rainham Derby Club, American Legion Post 405, Chili's Grill and Bar, Stoneforge Tavern and Public House, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, Courtyard by Marriott, Two Jokes Barbecue Kitchen and Bar, Tavern LLC, Sakana Hibachi, Ryan Family Amusements, The Jockey Club, Harry's La Kazamiya, Seafood and Cones, Barrels and Boards, Hokkaido, Sushi and Ramen. We have a motion to accept it. The list is printed. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Irene and all in favor? Any opposed? So voted. Next we have wine and malt beverage restaurant license renewals contingent upon building and fire inspections. They include the milk bottle, Ibachi Sushi Buffet, Asian Palace Incorporated, Rhenium Flea Market, and Rhenium Ice Plex. We have a motion to accept as red. So moved. Motion is made and seconded to accept as read. All in favor? Any posed? So voted. Farmer distillery pouring license renewals, contingent upon building and fire inspections, crew brew, brewery, and regret distillery LLC. Do we have a motion? So moved. Motion is made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing then all in favor. Opposed is so voted. The list is printed and is read. Next we have all alcohol package store renewals, contingent upon building and fire inspections. They include Greyhound Package Store Incorporated, Dubuca's Wine and Liquors Incorporated, Broadway Street Market, Greenham Mart's, Beacon, Wine and Spirits. We have a motion.
SPEAKER_03:So voted.
SPEAKER_01:Motion made and second to accept the list as read and printed. All in favor? Any opposed? So voted. Next we have wine and malt beverage package store renewals contingent upon building and fire inspections. They include Landy's Market, Walmart Stores East, Save More Gas and Convenience, Shaw's Coletti's Market, and Gas44.
SPEAKER_03:So voted.
SPEAKER_01:All in favor, any opposed, so voted. That is really giving me a work tonight. And then we have entertainment licenses, renewals, contingent fund building, and fire inspections. They include Longhorn Steakhouse, Brick Stone Brew House and Tavern, Derby Club, American Legion Post 405, Chili's Grill and Bar, Stoneforge Tavern and Public House, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, Courtyard Banariot, Two Jerks Barbecue Kitchen and Bar, Tavern LLC, Sakana Hibachi, The Jockey Club, Harry's Lakazami, Barrels and Boards, Hokkaido, Sushi and Ramen. Any opposed? So voted to accept as right. Class 1 dealers licenses, contingent upon building and fire inspections. They include Hutch Motorsports, M Greco Enterprises Incorporating, doing business as Greco Ford, Campers Inn of Rainham, Rainham Saturn, doing business as Maastria Mazda, Maastria GMC, Cadillac Incorporated, R.A. Mastria and Sons Incorporated, doing business as Maastria Volkswagen, Maastria Nissan Incorporated, Maastria Subaru of Rainham Incorporated, Ram Motors Incorporated, doing business as Maastria Kia, MRDLLC DB doing business as Route 44 Hyundai, Silco Motor Sales Incorporating, doing business as Silco Honda, Central Dodge Incorporating, doing business as Central Chrysler, Jeep Dodge Ram of Rainham, MBC Motors Incorporated, doing business as Central Mitsubishi, McKay Chevrolet, DMR Corporation, doing business as Route 44 Toyota, and Advantage Truck. Motion made and seconded to accept the list as Bridget and Fred. Next, we have Class 2 Dealer's License, contingent upon building and fire inspections. They include Harry's Auto Sales, the Truckstore, JA Auto Center, LLC, Silco Economy Sales, Madison Motors, Route 44 Auto Gallery, East Side Auto Sale. So voted. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? Any posed? So voted. And lastly, class three dealers license contingent upon building and fire inspections. We have Rose's Auto Pots. Joseph F. Costa III. Sotion is made and seconded. Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? So voted. I think I got lost in that one.
SPEAKER_03:Madam Chair, I do think that. Gee, I don't think we voted on it. We did we did have a motion in a second, but I don't think we actually didn't ask all in favor. Well, you know what?
SPEAKER_01:Just just just to make sure. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? So voted. Thank you. I will just say we are so fortunate in Ranium to have so many businesses, such a strong commercial base, and that is a real fuss for us for sure. Thank you. Town administrators report Mr. Barnes.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, I'm happy to report. At last meeting you voted the tax differential. After you do that, we then have to show the state we have a balanced budget, and they ultimately sign off on what's called the tax recap. That allows us to put the tax bills out. So that was approved for the town today. Both districts also have to be approved. I believe at least one district has yet to get approval, but assuming all will be quick there, we will be able to get the tax bills out, and the residential rate will be 1111 per 75 per thousand, and the commercial will be 1586 per thousand. And that is it for me.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you, Mr. Barnes. Any questions, Mr. De Chico? Mr. Collins, I know all our tax fees can't wait to get those bills right after the new year. Okay, so I have a couple things. The 2026 reigning annual transfer station trash permits are now available if you haven't already gotten yours at the locations below at Rainham Town Hall in the second floor, select board office, here at 558 South Main Street, also at the Rainham Highway Department, and they will be open on January 24th, January 31st, and February 7th on Saturday, on those Saturdays. Please note the highlighted changes. It's now$100 for the full-year permit, second permit, same address for an additional$10, and it is$50 for the half-year permit. Calendar year is not prorated, and senior permits for ages, those ages 65 and older, and you must show your license to prove that you are of that age.$90 for the full-year permit, second permit, same address, an additional$10, and$45 for the half-year permit. And payment may be made by check, credit, or debit card. There is a processing fee if you use your credit card. And resident verification is required for that. And also just received this today from the chairman of Ubridge Water Rain and Regional School Committee, Rachel King, that the school committee budget subcommittee will be reviewing Superintendent Ryan Powers' initial proposed budget at their meeting on January 14th. That's a budget subcommittee meeting. At the November School Committee meeting, the board voted to set the regular school committee meeting in January for January 28th to get closer to the end of the month and to hopefully have Chapter 70 figures from the state at that time for more concrete revenue numbers. Accordingly, the school committee has scheduled the joint meeting of the school committee and the towns of Bridgewater and Rainham for Wednesday, January 21st. That's 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the high school. This date would allow the budget subcommittee to review first and then have a week before our full school committee meeting if the towns have any revisions, questions, etc., on the budget before the budget presentation on January 28th. And that is all that I have at this time. Correspondence, we have none. Press time. Emergency business, Mr. Pachica. I have a chance. Mr. Barnes? I have none. All right. Citizen and community input, we have none. Performance of administrative duties. Just report that the finance director and I have uh reviewed and signed off on the town of Greenan invoice and payroll warrants on December 16, 2025. And with that, I am looking for a motion to adjourn at 7 25 p.m. So moved. Motion is made and seconded. All in favor? Aye. We all adjourn. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you here next week.