Municipal Matters

NEW TIMES: Rec & Parks seeks public input on future of Reynolds Field project
05 Oct

NEW TIMES: Rec & Parks seeks public input on future of Reynolds Field project

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Sports, Top Stories
Marblehead residents will have four opportunities next week to weigh in on what could be a major change in plans for Reynolds Field, as Recreation and Parks commissioners reconsider whether the long-planned project should include refrigerated outdoor ice. The commission has worked for years developing plans to develop some kind of refrigerated rink using roughly $3 million left to the town by the late Larz Anderson. But the landscape changed recently when Friends of Marblehead Hockey announced a $25 million fundraising campaign to build a…
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Light Board backs Green Community effort, winter rate discount
30 Sep

Light Board backs Green Community effort, winter rate discount

Leigh BlanderEnvironment, Municipal Matters, Top Stories
Marblehead’s effort to become a state-designated Green Community cleared a key hurdle Tuesday night when the Municipal Light Board voted to join a state renewable energy fund, a step officials said is necessary for the town to complete its application. The board also approved a new, temporary tiered electricity rate for residential customers this winter designed to lower bills while encouraging residents who heat with electricity to use more power during months when the Light Department has excess capacity. Both rate changes are expected to…
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Board of Health wields unusual power, expert tells members
29 Sep

Board of Health wields unusual power, expert tells members

Leigh BlanderHealth, Municipal Matters, Top Stories
Marblehead’s Board of Health has powers unlike virtually any other local board or commission in Massachusetts, a public health attorney told members Monday night — including the authority to adopt regulations that carry the force of state law. Michael Hugo of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards spent more than two hours walking the board through its legal authority, the Open Meeting Law, public records requirements and other rules governing local health boards. Hugo emphasized that he was providing legal education, not legal advice, and…
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200-year-old chair honors Marblehead’s missing service members
24 Sep

200-year-old chair honors Marblehead’s missing service members

Leigh BlanderLocal News, Municipal Matters
Marblehead Veterans Agent Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli and VFW Commander Ronald Knight unveiled a 200-year-old chair as the town’s first POW/MIA chair of honor. Veterans Agent Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli and VFW Commander Ronald Knight unveil the town's new POW/MIA chair. CURRENT PHOTOS / LEIGH BLANDER “I am coming before you to present the POW/MIA chair dedicated to those who never made it home,” Trionfi-Mazzuchelli told the Select Board Sept 23. More than 80,000 U.S. service members remain missing in action. “It's a chair of honor,” Trionfi-Mazzuchelli added. “No…
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DPW discusses road, sidewalk work — and what’s coming next
24 Sep

DPW discusses road, sidewalk work — and what’s coming next

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories
DPW Supervisor Amy McHugh tried to give residents a clearer picture Tuesday night of where Marblehead’s road and sidewalk money is going, outlining projects planned over the next several years and promising new tools to help the public track the work. McHugh’s Sept. 23 presentation to the Select Board came amid mounting frustration over the condition of Marblehead’s roads and questions about how the town is spending the $12.475 million voters approved in 2022 for road paving and sidewalk reconstruction. But the presentation did not…
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Town’s legal spending tops $3.2 million over eight years; schools’ costs nearly quintupled since ’18
22 Sep

Town’s legal spending tops $3.2 million over eight years; schools’ costs nearly quintupled since ’18

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Municipal Matters, Top Stories
The town of Marblehead’s spending on lawyers has varied widely from year to year, with the town and school district collectively spending more than $3.2 million on legal services over the past eight fiscal years, according to an analysis of the town’s ClearGov financial data. Townwide legal expenses totaled about $418,000 in fiscal 2018, fell to roughly $240,000 in fiscal 2021, and then climbed to nearly $780,000 in fiscal 2025. The town spent about $1.8 million on legal services from FY18 through FY25, including regular…
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NEWS IN BRIEF: Household hazardous waste, Fall Fair, Marbleshred
21 Sep

NEWS IN BRIEF: Household hazardous waste, Fall Fair, Marbleshred

Leigh BlanderHealth, Local News, Municipal Matters, News in brief
The Current accepts News in Brief submissions of 150-200 words at info@marbleheadnews.org.  Household Hazardous Waste CollectionThe Marblehead Health Department has scheduled the next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 4-7 p.m. at the Transfer Station.There is a long list of items that may be disposed of that evening, including oil-based paint, antifreeze, lighter fluid and furniture polish. For the full list, visit marbleheadma.gov/2026-october-household-hazardous-waste-day. Free parenting classesThe Board of Health is sponsoring a series of parenting classes, including a new prenatal program that…
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