03/09/2026
COHASSET ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS FOUR CAPITAL ITEMS, DECLINES TO RECOMMEND WATER-BOTTLE REPEAL AND LEAF-BLOWER ARTICLE; SURVEILLANCE VOTE DELAYED
The Cohasset Advisory Committee reviewed a still-evolving Special Town Meeting warrant Wednesday night and took several important—but not final—votes.
The committee unanimously recommended four capital expenditures. It declined, by separate 3–6 votes, to recommend repealing Cohasset’s single-use plastic water-bottle restriction or adopting the proposed seasonal noise restrictions on fuel-powered leaf blowers.
The committee postponed its vote on the proposed surveillance-technology bylaw until after the Select Board and Town Counsel review it.
These are Advisory Committee recommendations. Cohasset voters will make the final decisions at Special Town Meeting on Monday, October 26.
MEETING INFORMATION
Board: Cohasset Advisory Committee
Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Location: Virtual meeting conducted through Zoom
Present:
• Chair Mark Cameron
• Vice-Chair Diane Kennedy
• Courtney Murphy
• Isaac Lowenthal
• Jason Szatmary
• Mark Maggi
• Mike Flaherty
• Thomas Callahan
• Vince Thornton
All nine members answered the roll call. No absences were announced.
Town Manager Michelle Leary also participated and led the committee through the draft warrant.
FOUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES RECOMMENDED, 9–0
The committee unanimously recommended four capital projects for Special Town Meeting:
• $31,705 for a replacement Police Department fingerprint-scanning system.
• Up to $45,000 for replacement police handguns.
• $49,356.82 for replacement of the Fire Department’s malfunctioning Zetron station-alert and intercom system.
• $163,824 for replacement of the Jacobs Meadow tide gate, including a stainless-steel door, guides, stem, hardware and installation.
The fingerprint equipment currently used for police bookings will no longer receive technological support.
Police are also proposing to replace their current handguns approximately one year ahead of the normal 10-year replacement cycle because of documented accidental-discharge concerns associated with the current model. The expenditure covers the complete replacement package, including new holsters, and anticipates trade-in of the existing weapons. During questioning, officials clarified that the request does not include new ammunition.
The Fire Department’s Zetron equipment dates to approximately 1996 and has been malfunctioning.
The tide-gate proposal discussed Wednesday was the more durable stainless-steel alternative with two lifting points.
Diane Kennedy initially moved to recommend all capital expenditures contained in Article 3. She withdrew that motion after Town Manager Leary explained that several projects had not yet completed the Capital Budget Committee’s review.
Kennedy then made a narrower motion covering only the fingerprint scanner, handgun replacement, Zetron system and tide gate. Thomas Callahan seconded it.
Vote: 9–0 in favor.
Voting yes: Cameron, Kennedy, Murphy, Lowenthal, Szatmary, Maggi, Flaherty, Callahan and Thornton.
The motion passed.
WATER-DEPARTMENT PROJECTS STILL UNDER REVIEW
Three additional Water Department proposals were discussed but were not included in Wednesday night’s Advisory Committee vote:
• Borrowing of up to $8 million for granulated activated-carbon lagoon construction.
• Borrowing of up to $2 million for a two-year pilot program required before the Town can proceed with engineering a future water-treatment plant.
• An additional $300,000 from Water Department retained earnings for change orders connected with the Route 3A water-main project near Shaw’s.
Town Manager Leary said the current water-rate schedule already anticipates the lagoon and pilot-program costs. The Water Department is expected to present these projects directly to Advisory.
A preliminary proposal for a townwide telephone system was also discussed. The current estimate was approximately $240,000, but officials expect it to come down. The project was not ready for a recommendation and could be deferred until Annual Town Meeting if acceptable pricing and specifications are not obtained.
PUBLIC-SAFETY-BUILDING PLAN IS BEING REDUCED
The warrant’s public-safety-building article remains a placeholder. No vote was taken and no final project cost was presented.
Chair Mark Cameron reported that the project team has been attempting to reduce the overall size of the proposed King Street facility.
The option now being developed would eliminate the entire addition previously proposed on the fire side of the building, including the contemplated spare fire-apparatus bays. The plan would retain an addition on the police side, with the number of bays and corresponding cost still being evaluated.
The Public Safety Facilities Committee is scheduled to present revised options to the Select Board on Tuesday, September 8. The Select Board’s direction will help determine what, if anything, is placed in the warrant.
OTHER WARRANT ITEMS REMAIN UNFINISHED
The draft warrant remains subject to additions, deletions and revised financial figures.
Among the items reviewed:
• School stabilization funds: Article 1 would return the unused balance from the school-roof project to the School Capital Stabilization Fund after final Massachusetts School Building Authority reimbursements are calculated. The amount remains undetermined.
• Prior-year bills: Advisory postponed its vote because additional bills could still arrive. The largest currently identified bill is approximately $63,900 owed to Woodard & Curran for wastewater-treatment-plant maintenance costs. It would be paid from sewer retained earnings.
• Middle-High School feasibility study: A placeholder article proposes $2 million from the School Capital Stabilization Fund. Superintendent Patrick Sullivan is expected to present the proposal at a future meeting.
• Fiscal 2027 budget adjustments: One proposed transfer would move a position and its salary from the Town Manager’s office to the Facilities Department. Another would accept and transfer a school-related state earmark believed to be approximately $70,000. The exact amount remains under review.
• Snow-and-ice deficit: The draft proposes $98,764.92 from free cash toward the deficit. Officials said this is only part of the total and that the emergency declaration allows the remaining deficit to be amortized.
• Parking regulations: A placeholder article will probably be removed from the Special Town Meeting warrant and considered at Annual Town Meeting after the Select Board’s new parking task force completes more work.
• Cohasset Historical Society: The Community Preservation Committee voted 7–0 to recommend $140,000 for building repairs. Advisory requested a presentation explaining the work, the complete project cost and any matching funds before taking its own vote.
• Zoning amendments: Three proposed zoning-bylaw amendments were still awaiting Planning Board action. They may be deferred to Annual Town Meeting if the Planning Board does not advance them.
WATER-BOTTLE REPEAL FAILS TO RECEIVE ADVISORY RECOMMENDATION
Article 14 is a citizen’s petition seeking to repeal Cohasset’s restriction on the commercial sale of certain single-use, noncarbonated plastic water bottles.
Diane Kennedy opposed repeal. She noted that the restriction was adopted relatively recently, after extensive discussion and implementation work, and said its purpose—reducing single-use plastic—remains worthwhile.
Jason Szatmary asked whether the Town had data showing that the restriction reduced plastic waste. Town Manager Leary said the Recycling Transfer Facility manager had reviewed the relevant category of plastic containers and found “no reduction or no change” during the past two years.
Supporters of repeal argued that bottled water remains important for convenience and accessibility, particularly given residents’ concerns about Cohasset’s drinking water. They also noted that people can simply travel to another town to buy cases of water.
Opponents argued that alternatives—including canned, boxed and larger handled containers—are available and that Cohasset should not reverse an environmental measure so soon after adopting it.
Courtney Murphy moved to recommend the repeal petition. Isaac Lowenthal seconded the motion.
Vote on recommending repeal:
YES: Courtney Murphy, Isaac Lowenthal and Mark Cameron.
NO: Diane Kennedy, Jason Szatmary, Mark Maggi, Mike Flaherty, Thomas Callahan and Vince Thornton.
Result: 3–6. The motion to recommend repeal failed.
This vote does not dispose of the citizen’s petition. Town Meeting voters will decide whether the existing water-bottle restriction remains in place.
LEAF-BLOWER ARTICLE ALSO FAILS TO RECEIVE RECOMMENDATION
Article 13 is a revised citizen’s petition addressing noise from gasoline-, diesel- and other fuel-powered leaf blowers.
The proposal would prohibit their use outdoors in residential districts from Memorial Day through Labor Day, while exempting fuel-powered blowers carrying manufacturer labels certifying compliance with specified lower ANSI noise levels.
A similar proposal at the May 2026 Annual Town Meeting failed by a 141–145 hand vote.
The Advisory Committee engaged in a lengthy and occasionally pointed discussion.
Thomas Callahan supported the proposal. He distinguished between a mere annoyance and a legally recognized nuisance, arguing that property ownership does not create a right to impose unreasonable noise on neighbors.
Mark Maggi opposed it, describing the proposal as an attempt to legislate an annoyance out of existence. He argued that battery-powered blowers are less powerful, extend the time required for yard work and could increase costs.
Mike Flaherty raised questions about who would enforce the restrictions and whether landscapers have fully considered the operational and financial consequences.
Diane Kennedy said she was inclined to support the proposal because the previous vote was extremely close and the petitioners had narrowed the restrictions. She nevertheless wanted more information about enforcement and the practical effect on the Department of Public Works.
Courtney Murphy and other opponents questioned whether commercial landscapers could keep batteries charged throughout a working day without using generators and whether the added equipment and labor costs would ultimately be passed to customers.
The committee did not resolve whether every property discussed—including the golf club—would fall within the affected residential zoning districts.
Town Manager Leary reported that DPW would need to replace approximately $1,700 worth of equipment and would require additional work time. The department had not yet calculated the additional hours or whether overtime would be necessary.
Thomas Callahan moved to recommend the article. Isaac Lowenthal seconded the motion.
Vote on recommending the noise-control article:
YES: Thomas Callahan, Isaac Lowenthal and Diane Kennedy.
NO: Mark Cameron, Courtney Murphy, Jason Szatmary, Mark Maggi, Mike Flaherty and Vince Thornton.
Result: 3–6. The motion to recommend the article failed.
Again, this was an Advisory Committee recommendation vote—not the final Town Meeting decision.
SURVEILLANCE BYLAW: NO VOTE PENDING LEGAL REVIEW
The committee did not vote on Article 15, the citizen-proposed Surveillance Technology Oversight Bylaw.
Several members supported establishing public review, transparency and guardrails for municipal surveillance technology but questioned whether the current citizen-drafted language is legally and operationally appropriate for Cohasset.
Diane Kennedy said she supports creating a review process but expressed concern about adopting a complex legal document that was not developed with the Select Board, Town Counsel, Police Department, School Committee and other affected departments. She suggested exploring whether the petitioners might agree to postpone the article while the Town develops language collaboratively.
Mark Cameron agreed that guardrails are needed but questioned whether the current draft is properly “right-sized for Cohasset.”
Isaac Lowenthal asked about alternatives to Flock Safety, including systems offered by Motorola and Axon, and said he was concerned that local officials might not yet fully understand every available feature.
Town Manager Leary reported that the Select Board had voted to terminate the current Flock contract because its automatic-renewal provision did not comply with the Town’s municipal procurement requirements.
She emphasized, however, that the Town could still negotiate a new Flock agreement if it ultimately determines that Flock is the appropriate system. The Town will also examine competing technologies. No moratorium on surveillance-equipment purchases was confirmed during the meeting.
The Select Board is expected to review the citizen’s petition on September 8 with Town Counsel and the petitioners present. Advisory agreed to wait for that discussion and the resulting legal guidance before voting.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ADJOURNMENT
The committee approved its May 20, 2026 meeting minutes.
Vote: 7–0–2.
Voting yes: Cameron, Kennedy, Murphy, Maggi, Flaherty, Callahan and Thornton.
Abstaining: Lowenthal and Szatmary.
The motion passed. The maker and seconder could not be identified reliably because speakers overlapped in the recording.
A motion to adjourn was then made and seconded. Multiple members spoke simultaneously, so the maker and seconder could not be established reliably.
Vote: 9–0 in favor. The motion passed.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Advisory expects to meet again September 9 and September 16 to continue reviewing the warrant.
At the end of the meeting, members referred to September 22 in connection with completing the warrant process. The Town’s separately published Special Town Meeting calendar lists October 9 as the formal warrant deadline.
Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
Residents may review the official September 2 meeting agenda and the official Special Town Meeting calendar.
Residents may watch the complete meeting and evaluate the discussion for themselves here:
Watch the full September 2 Advisory Committee meeting onutube
