In keeping with a tradition, the Select Board used its meeting of Sept. 18 as an annual retreat with which to “touch base, look back on the previous year,” said Chair Jennifer Constable.
Board members also used the occasion to set goals for the coming year and, in Constable’s words, to “take the retreat as an opportunity to touch base with each other.”
After the board viewed a TED Talk on leadership, Town Manager Philip Lemnios presented a review of the year just passed.
He noted that many services had moved online, making it more challenging for town employees to stay engaged with the public.
“That challenge in terms of deliver for the public was a bit daunting, but I think we navigated that,” Lemnios said.
He singled out as one major upcoming challenge “climate change and the condition of the capital infrastructure … continuing to fortify the community as best we can.”
Some projects still underway after their launch in the past year include a partial renovation of the Hull Public Library and the town’s pickleball courts.
Lemnios praised town staff members, saying he is “very, very proud of our staff because they were challenged by what happened in the last year and what has continued to happen.”
Board members discussed various concerns and ideas for the upcoming year, ranging from parking and a lack of engagement by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to increasing meetings with other committees and involvement in transportation.
In other business, the board agreed to issue a license to Sunnyside Up to allow the corporation to do business as a lodging house, pending the completion of a background check, a signoff of premises, and a verification that the premises and owner are up-to-date on dues owed to the town. The issuance of the license will be conditioned on purchase of the premise. The vote was unanimous.
Lemnios made a presentation on the submission of preliminary projects under the Community Preservation Act. The projects include the construction of multiple playgrounds and work on the Village Firehouse.
The Knights of Columbus was granted a temporary liquor license for a birthday party.
