Town Manager News and Updates

Welcome to the Town Manager News and Updates Web Page.  

Upton is very busy. At any given time, there are a large number of town projects, events, planning efforts that various departments and boards are undertaking. This page will provide residents and businesses an update on Town projects, important dates, and upcoming events in an effort to improve transparency of activities that are being undertaken by the Town. Each month, I provide the Board of Selectmen an update as part of my Town Manager's Report. Below are highlights from these reports and the full version of my Town Manager Reports are available as attachments to this page. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jlaydon@uptonma.gov. Sincerely Joe Laydon, Upton Town Manger

December 2023

The following are highlights of the December 5th  Town Manger Report.  Full version of the report is attached at the bottom of this page.

Town Manager Updates

• Fiscal Year 2025 – The Town Manager release the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Guidance Memo to Town Departments.  The memo provided departments with guidance in preparing their budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024. Budgets are due December 22, 2023 and the Town Manager's Budget Recommendation is anticipated to be available on February 5, 2024.
• 2023 Annual Reports - Annual Reports for 2023 are due January 12, 2024.
• Route 140 Transportation Projects -  Staff recently met with MassDOT officials to discuss four projects in the Rt 140 Corridor: the 140/Main Street TIP Project, Resurfacing of Rt 140, and the replacement of a culvert under Milford Street in the vicinity of Prospect Street.  The meeting was to coordinate activities being done by the state and the Town for the water/sewer infrastructure Project. Revised Rt. 140 TIP Plans will be provided to the Town in the next week or two to review with town officials and abutters.  A 75% design hearing is anticipated early 2024.

Department Updates

• Board of Health – The Board of Health is part of a regional consortium, with Northbridge as the host community, for professional and inspectional services.  As part of a regional grant, the consortium is planning to hire a social services coordinator to serve the towns in the consortium.  This would be an additional resource to support the Town and the ESS Department
• Department of Public Works – The department has completed its hydrant flushing program for the year. Parks Dept is completing cemetery clean-up operations for the season as well. The installation of new fencing is nearing completion with final installation of a gate for the generator and wooden slates around the air handlers occurring next week.  The Fiske Ave Water project is completed, and work will start on preparing contract and bid specifications for reconstruction next year. Staff is working on a draft Post Construction Regulations as part of the Town’s NPDES Permit. The draft regulations will be reviewed with the Conservation Commission for approval, and then sent to DEP.
• Elder and Social Services/ Council on Aging – Staff continues to be busy assisting residents with fuel assistance applications.  Many people who received assistance last year did not get recertification application this year and this has resulted in the need for more assistance that is typically required. The Senior Center Bus is currently in New Hampshire for repairs under warrant for a leak.  We are thankful to BVT for letting use us a bus to continue transportation services for our residents.
• Fire Department – The Fire Department partnered with the Upton Men’s Club for their annual Pancakes & Pictures with Santa event on December 3rd.  The event was very well attended. The Department has been busy working with Code Enforcement on issues at the Upton Inn, 135 Main Street. We continue to work on updated our policy and procedures and look forward to moving this effort to a cloud platform in the coming months. The Fire/EMS Association also participated in parades in Mendon, Uxbridge, and Milford over the weekend, and one awards in Mendon and Milford in the fire truck division.
• Police Department – Assessment for Re-Accreditation took place at on November 27-29th.  Three assessors and a facilitator from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission completed an assessment of our facility, policies, and practices to ensure that we are meeting Accreditation standards.  The assessment went very well, and the results will be reviewed by staff from the commission for a recommendation. We continue to be short staffed with two officers on active duty, one resignation, and one officer on FMLA leave.  We have a currently have an active recruitment for a Patrol Officer with the first review of applications set for after December 8th. The Police Association kicked of the Holidays with participation in parades in Mendon, Uxbridge, and Milford over the weekend.
• Recreation – Light Up Upton is underway. The deadline to participate is December 15^th.  After the sign-up deadline, a map will be compiled and made available on the Town’s website and social media pages. Staff is working with the WooSox to plan for an Upton Take Over day in the 2024 season.

October/November 2023

The following are highlights of the November 14th  Town Manger Report.  Full version of the report is attached at the bottom of this page.

Project Updates

• Fiske Ave Water Main Project – The Fiske Ave Water Main Replacement Project is nearly complete. A handful of connections will be completed next week.  The project will then shut down for winter and will pick up in the spring to complete punch list items and lawn/driveway restorations.
• Grove Street Bridge: The design and permitting of the bridge continues and is on schedule.  We are anticipating a mid to late winter bid date.
• Fall Clean-up and Winter Prep: The Parks Division has closed all fields for the year and is performing much needed late-season maintenance to ensure healthy fields for the spring. Irrigation systems around town have been shut-down and winterized.  Cemeteries are receiving winterization maintenance including removal of leaves, final loaming and seeding of graves, and steaking of roadways for snow plowing. The DPW completed snow & ice preparation last week. The salt shed is full, hired contractors are turning in their paperwork as we speak, and all equipment is ready to roll.
• Community Center – The ADA Ramp has been installed in the sidewalk adjacent to the Senior Center entrance of the Community Center.  Sealcoating the remaining portion of parking lot near the VFW along with re-striping and signage will commence in early spring.  We are also working with National Grid to acquire and install an electric car charger at the UCC. Public interest in renting the Community Center is increasing and we have seen a number of events, celebrations, and non-profit groups use the Great Room.
• Upton Apartments/ 40B at 45-51 MainStreet –The second public hearing for the Upton Apartments 40B is occurring Wednesday, November 15^th at 6:30 PM in the Great Room of the Upton Community Center.  The initial public hearing was held on October 18, 2023.
• Upton Library: Starting Monday, November 20^th, the Library will be open on Mondays from 9:00 am to 4:00 PM.
• Conservation: Sudbury Valley Trustees received an anonymous donation of $40,000 for the construction of a parking area and trails at the Mechanic Street property acquired by the Town in 2022.
• Town of Upton Staff has been very successful in applying for and receiving grants for various projects totaling $4,234,271.

September 2023

The following are highlights of the September 19th  Town Manger Report.  Full version of the report is attached at the bottom of this page.

Project Updates

• Fiske Ave Water Main Project – On Monday, September 18, 2023, work started on the Fiske Ave Water Main Project. The contractor is laying down temporary service before opening the road.  DPW Staff prepared a pamphlet that was hand delivered to each household in the project area.  The contractor estimated the project will take 120 days to complete but anticipates initial work being done by the winter and loam and seeding being completed in spring 2024
• EEE - West Nile Virus – The Town’s Board of Health has been fielding questions pertaining to EEE and West Nile Virus.  The State Department of Public Health has issued High Risk Warning of EEE in the towns of Sutton, Douglas, and Oxford.  The Towns of Grafton, Northbridge and Uxbridge have been identified at a Moderate Risk for EEE. While Upton is currently identified as low risk for EEE, Upton is identified as at moderate risk for West Nile Virus. Recognizing mosquitos do not respect town boundaries, the BoH recommends residents take precautions, such as to be aware of peak mosquito hours, use bug repellent, and wear protective clothing.
• Upton Apartments/ 40B at 45-51 MainStreet –The applicant has filed a Comprehensive Permit Application with the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Upton Apartments 40B. The hearing is scheduled for October 18, 2023, starting at 6:30 PM in the Upton Community Center Great Room.

August 2023

The following are highlights of the August 22nd Town Manger Report.  Full version of the report is attached at the bottom of this page.

Town Manager Updates

• Coffee with the Town Manager – I held “Coffee with the Town Manager” on August 18th at Millhaus to talk with residents on various issues. Topics that came up during the 1 and ½ hour session included cable/internet costs, electric aggregation plan status, completion of Hartford Ave TIP Project, pedestrian safety at Millhaus Crosswalk and Coach Road Crosswalk, speed of traffic in Town, and the new TIP Project
• Housing Production Plan – A presentation of the final draft of the Housing Production Plan occured at the August 22nd a joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen and Planning Board. Both the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board voted to approve the plan, which will be sent to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), formally DHCD, for approval.
• Electric Aggregation – I recently requested an update from our Aggregation Plan Consultant, Colonial Power, on the status of the Town’s Aggregation Plan with the Department of Public Utilities. Colonial Power confirmed that they do not know the status of the plan after they had submitted information back in May that was requested by DPU. They indicated that Upton was one of 23 municipalities that have a plan under review by DPU. I asked Colonial Power to come to our 2nd September or 1st October meeting to give the Board and update and they agreed they would attend a meeting.  I have also asked Representative Muradian and Senator Fattman for their assistance in moving the Town’s plan through DPU. 
• Municipal Fiber Grant – Work to connect all municipal buildings, including the beach and schools, is nearing completion. Switching gear had been backordered and was delivered to Town Hall yesterday.  Contractors will be working to install networking gear to complete the project in September.
• Police and Fire Paving – The paving contractor is currently repaving the Fire Department parking lot.  The Police Station lot will be paved next week. The paving work is being funded through the Town’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.

Town Department Updates

• Assessors – Staff is also working on mailing the annual Chapter Land Application to the owners of 59 parcels that participate in the State Chapter Land Program. The state revised the due date for submission to December 1st in 2022
• Town Clerk – Welcomed 3rd graders to Town Hall and the Upton Community Center on June 6th.  Coordinating employee and board member conflict of interest form collection.  Submitted Annual Town Meeting Certification paperwork to the Attorney General’s Office. 
• Treasurer Collector’s Office – Courtesy letters for outstanding taxes for 2021, 2022, and 2023 have been sent out. Department is getting a good response to the letters.  Assisting Finance Dir. with year-end.
• DPW – Fiske Ave Water Main Project contract has been signed and a pre-construction meeting was held on Friday, August 18th.  The contractor will be mobilizing the second week of September.  DPW Staff will prepare a pamphlet to be hand delivered to each household that is on or around Fiske Ave.  The contractor estimated the project will take 120 days to complete but anticipates initial work being done by the winter and loam and seeding being completed in spring 2024. DPW crew has been working to rejuvenate fields in preparation for fall sports.

July 2023

The following are highlights of the July 12th Town Manger Report.  Full version of the report is attached at the bottom of this page.

Town Manager Updates

• ADA Improvements - Work funded by a MOD Grant to complete ADA Access Improvements at the Police Station, Fire Station, and DPW Admin Trailer is nearing completion.  Police, Fire, and Town Hall improvements have been completed. The ramp at the DPW Admin Trailer has been removed and the new ramp is partially installed.  Installation will be completed on Friday, July 14th. Total value of work paid for by the Grant is nearly $40K.
• Upton Community Center– Slides are open and being used.  Our DPW Director continues to work with the project engineers to resolve HVAC code errors, but the list is dwindling. UCC Building Committee continues to meet to review final close out punch list. The Building Committee has retained the services of Nitsch Engineering to redesign the parking lot to add handicap parking spaces, make traffic one way, and adjust spaces to increase the total number of spaces.  The revised plan will need to be reviewed by the Planning Board before it can be implemented. We are scheduling training on using kitchen equipment.  ESS Staff and the Town Manager are coordinating a meeting with Tri-Valley to renew the contract for meals on wheels in preparation of moving to the UCC. 
• DPW – Fiske Ave Water Main Project is out to bid. Town was notified that it was awarded $110,000 to conduct the Service Line Inventory and LSL Replacement Plan.
• Kiwanis Beach Closure - On Monday, no algae was observed so the Board of Health Office reached out to the state to get the water tested.  Testing is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, July 13th.  If the test is negative, the water will be tested again one week later on the 20th.  Depending on the results, including speed of getting test results, the beach may be able to be open as early as the 21st for water activities.

June 2023

The following are highlights of the June 7th and 21st Town Manger Reports.  Full version of the reports are attached at the bottom of this page.

Town Manager Updates

• Town Website Redesign – Staff has been attending virtual training sessions for the last two weeks.  The sessions will be completed by June 26th.  Currently the “go live” date is scheduled for July 18th.  A screenshot of the website is included at the end of the June 21st memo.
• Route 140 TIP Project – Staff attended a meeting with project engineers and officials to review amended roadway cross-section plans for parking on one side of the street and a striped bike lane on the other. Plans will be revised and submitted to Upton to review with officials, emergency responders and businesses. 
• ADA Improvements – Work is occurring under a MOD Grant to complete ADA Access Improvements at the Police Station, Fire Station, and DPW Admin Trailer.
• Upton Community Center– Sod has been installed at the bottom of the “bowl” at the end of the slides.  Our DPW Director continues to work with the project engineers to resolve lighting and HVAC code errors. Staff is meeting internally to develop the exercise room policy to bring before the board at a future meeting. UCC Building Committee continues to meet to review final close out punch list.
• Housing Production Plan –.  Most recent meeting occurred on June 15th and they started to review the draft plan and implementation matrix

Town Department Updates

• Assessors – BoA voted to approve the senior means testing for the senior tax exemption.  This comes out of the Town’s overlay and is not reimbursable. This will only be applied to the 3rd and 4th quarter tax bills
• Town Clerk – Welcomed 3rd graders to Town Hall and the Upton Community Center on June 6th.  Coordinating employee and board member conflict of interest form collection.  Submitted Annual Town Meeting Certification paperwork to the Attorney General’s Office. 
• Human Resources – End of the fiscal year also means it is time for departments to conduct annual evaluations. I have met with direct reports to the Town Manager’s Office to set goals for the next year and to evaluation performance for the past year.  While formally this is an annual process, communications and discussions regarding goals occurs throughout the year.
• DPW – Street sweeping, Line painting, and hydrant flushing has been completed.  Catch basin cleanings will start soon and will be completed by the end of June.  has been completed. DEP came up with new regulations requiring an inventory of lead pipe, including homes.  The Dept. will first identify if there are homes that have lead pipes and give resources to allow the homeowner to conduct the inspections.
• Planning Department - The Director of Land Use & Inspectional Services submitted four grant applications last week.  The principal grant application was for the MassWorks Program where the Town is seeking $3.6M for the construction of water and sewer infrastructure on Route 140. The Developer will be contributing over $700K towards the project.  Grant applications for pre-permitting work of the Town’s gravel lot on Grove Street, site feasibility analysis for Holy Angels, and zoning assistance for inclusionary zoning and MBTA Communities were also submitted. The Town was notified it was awarded a $30K grant for zoning bylaw assistance for inclusionary zoning and MBTA Communities..

May 2023

The following are highlights of the May 2nd Town Manger Report.  Full version of the report is attached at the bottom of this page.

Town Manager Updates

• Annual Town Meeting Resources – In addition to the Town Manager’s FY 24 Budget Recommendation, the Finance Committee FY 24 Report and the Annual Report are available online. A Town Meeting Preview Video was recorded to be played on our access channel and our YouTube channel. 
• Town Hall Bathrooms – Replacement Toilets have been installed and waste lines were inspected and appeared to be clear.  An email went to town departments and boards/committees that the restriction of Town Hall has been rescinded.
• Town Website – A subcommittee of town staff recently reviewed a mock-up of the website and provided feedback to the consultant to revise the mockup for approval.

Town Department Updates

• Treasurer Collector - Employee Forward, the Town’s employee portal, is live and employees can get their paystubs electronically. Elected Official stipends were processed and sent out.  After Town Meeting, prior year stipends for five will be processed.  The Town is implementing electronic onboarding, starting with Recreation’s seasonal employees
• Town Clerk - Two vacant board positions are on the ballot; one Finance Committee and one Planning Board.  She heard of someone organizing a write-in campaign for the Planning Board vacancy.  The deadline for absentee voting is Monday at noon.  Third Graders will be visiting Town Hall on June 6th.  
• Board of Health:  Hazardous Waste Day scheduled for July 15th including shredding.    
• Police: The Dept. purchased 4 radar speed signs to be installed by DPW in June.  Two will be deployed at either side of Upton Center.  Officer Bianca graduated from the Lynnfield Police Academy and a swearing in ceremony will be scheduled for an upcoming Board of Selectmen meeting.