Select Board — September 10, 2026

The Fairhaven Select Board met on September 10, 2026, to address public hearings, municipal appointments, traffic regulations, infrastructure concerns, and administrative business. The board began by approving a petition from Eversource Energy to install a new utility pole on Green Street to upgrade electric service to 26 Green Street without removing any trees. Following public comment regarding vehicle and motorcycle exhaust noise along Main Street, the board voted unanimously to appoint Rui Pereira, the current director of assessing in Bourne, to fill a vacancy on the Board of Assessors for a three-year term. The board also approved the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative's (SMEC) 8th annual walkathon scheduled for October 24, 2026, as well as an author talk in the Town Hall Auditorium requested by the Millicent Library for October 22, 2026.

Police Lieutenant Swain presented three traffic and parking control requests, all of which were approved unanimously: installing a handicap parking sign at 41 Hedge Street, adjusting parking and warning signage along Ash Street at Adams Street, and creating an enforceable no-left-turn sign exiting 240 Bridge Street onto Route 6. Resident Jennifer Cardoza presented a proposal to form a volunteer Fairhaven Tourism Committee modeled after Middleborough's Discover program; after discussing how this role might overlap with or distinguish itself from the Economic Development Committee, the board voted to table the proposal indefinitely to allow further coordination. The board also voted to move public correspondence from future meeting agendas directly to the town website to enhance accessibility.

Following an executive session regarding AFSCME collective bargaining and Atlas PAC, Public Works Director Vinnie Furtado presented a union contract amendment creating new Senior Mechanic (grade 9) and Senior Working Foreman (grade 10) positions to retain skilled in-house staff capable of advanced vehicle diagnostics. The board unanimously approved the reclassifications. Additionally, the board approved an initiative led by Select Board Member Rick Cioppillo to reach out to state legislators Senator Mark Montigny and Representative Mark Sylvia to organize a regional summit of South Coast municipal officials to seek federal funding for impending regional wastewater and sludge disposal challenges. The board concluded by approving previous meeting minutes and entering an executive session regarding an ABCC matter involving Fourth and Long Inc.

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