Local news for the towns of Buzzards Bay
and the lower Taunton River
34°ClearNew Bedford, Oct. 19, 7:50 a.m.Top stories
What the boards in the 15 South Coast towns take up next: select boards, planning and zoning boards, school committees, town meetings and their warrants, budgets, elections and road work. Each story comes from the posted agenda, notice or warrant and says when the meeting is. When a board acts, the outcome is reported in News.
Town HallFreetown
Happy Trails Farm LLC wants a special permit for commercial composting on 5.27 acres of Beech Bluff Farm off Chace Road. The Freetown Planning Board resumes the hearing Oct. 20, after ordering a town engineering review of the plan.
Town HallMattapoisett
Mattapoisett's Planning Board takes a first look Oct. 19 at a two-phase housing plan at Nicky's Lane. On Oct. 28, at Old Rochester Regional High School, the Conservation Commission hears a plan to rebuild seven homes on Mahoney's Lane.
Town HallWareham
Wareham's Board of Sewer Commissioners is reviewing the 1996 equivalent dwelling unit schedule that sets most sewer bills, while the treatment plant works through a $27.7 million Phase II upgrade. The board meets next Oct. 22.
Town HallDighton
Dighton's Stormwater Committee holds a public hearing Oct. 21 on amending the 2008 stormwater bylaw. The draft names the committee, not the Board of Health, as the permit and enforcement board and moves the permit trigger from 35,000 square feet of disturbed land to one acre.
Town HallRehoboth
Rehoboth's draft 2026 Open Space and Recreation Plan counts 6,837 acres of permanently protected land against 20,160 acres with little or no protection. It calls for an open space residential development bylaw, stronger subdivision rules and a permanent open space committee. The Conservation Commission discusses it Oct. 20.
Town HallDartmouth
Besides borrowing, Dartmouth's Oct. 20 Town Meeting takes up bylaws that would require sidewalks cleared within 24 hours, set $300 fines for animal, tobacco and water violations, and license police tow companies.
Town HallFairhaven
Fairhaven's Budget Working Group returns Oct. 20 to the operation of the town's wastewater plant, after an Oct. 6 agenda set out to study privatizing it. Town forecasts show gaps of $1.16 million to $1.66 million in fiscal 2028, rising to as much as $4.18 million by fiscal 2031.
Town HallFall River
Fall River's Traffic Board meets Oct. 21 on requests for four-way stops at Ray and Weetamoe streets and Robeson and Maple streets, school-hour parking limits on London Street, and changes on Carver and Eddy streets.
Town HallMarion
The Marion Planning Board takes up a site plan Oct. 19 for Heron Cove Estates, up to 57 townhomes on Wareham Street (Route 6). The Conservation Commission takes up the board's request for comment Oct. 21.
Town HallNew Bedford
New Bedford's Finance Committee meets Oct. 19 on a request for a full accounting of $713,441.91 in state winter aid and on state rules for spreading last winter's snow and ice deficit over three years.
Town HallWestport
Westport's Town Hall Annex is running on a temporary bulk water system under a state do-not-drink order. The Select Board takes up the annex and a possible move of offices to the former high school on Oct. 19.
Town HallMarion
The Marion Select Board will open its Tuesday, Oct. 20, meeting with a 6 p.m. public hearing on the transfer of an all-alcohol off-premises liquor license.
Town HallDighton
Dighton's draft Nov. 9 Special Town Meeting warrant would use $1.19 million of the town's $1.92 million in free cash, with $692,370 going to savings and $175,000 to Pleasant Street Bridge engineering.
Town HallFairhaven
A citizens petition to ban automated license plate readers is one of nine articles in Fairhaven's draft Nov. 17 warrant, with $168,628 in blizzard repair money and $540,323 in sewer transfers.
Town HallFreetown
Freetown's selectmen are scheduled to vote Oct. 19 on closing the Nov. 9 Special Town Meeting warrant. The draft lists 17 articles, including a fire command truck, a highway truck and new data center zoning.
Town HallMattapoisett
Early voting for the Nov. 3 state election runs at Mattapoisett Town Hall, 16 Main St., through Oct. 30. The registration deadline is Saturday, Oct. 24, and mail ballot applications are due Oct. 27.
Town HallMattapoisett
Mattapoisett's Select Board and Finance Committee meet Oct. 20 to vote recommendations on Nov. 9 Special Town Meeting articles. The warrant was not on the town website as of Oct. 18; bylaws require it by Oct. 26.
Town HallNew Bedford
The Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech School Committee votes Oct. 20 on its 2026-27 weighted lottery admissions policy, which decides who gets 625 freshman seats, and on letting the treasurer borrow against incoming revenue.
Town HallRehoboth
Rehoboth's selectmen meet Oct. 19 on Special Town Meeting articles and a cannabis dispensary host agreement. The Planning Board holds a hearing, with a possible vote, on data center zoning Oct. 28.
Town HallRochester
Rochester's revised plan for its town electricity program is open for comment through Oct. 31. The town's default price is 13.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, against Eversource's 17.323 cents for homes.
Town HallRochester
The Rochester Select Board will discuss and possibly vote Oct. 19 on holding a Special Town Meeting on Jan. 25, 2027. No warrant or article list has been posted, and 100 registered voters can petition to add an article.
Town HallSomerset
The Somerset Berkley Regional School Committee meets Oct. 20 to consider a $50,000 donation from Breaking Bread for the YouScience program, a transportation revolving fund and a life-threatening allergy policy.
Town HallSomerset
A Taco Bell planned for 721 G.A.R. Highway is back before the Somerset Planning Board Oct. 20 and the zoning board Oct. 22. A battery storage project at 1606 Riverside Ave. is on zoning agendas through Nov. 12.
Town HallWestport
Paving of the northern half of Sanford Road, Briggs Road to Route 6, is set to start Oct. 26, the next step in Westport's Sanford Road Pedestrian Safety Improvements project. Weather may shift the dates.
Town HallAcushnet
Early voting places and this week's hours in Acushnet, Dighton, Lakeville, Seekonk and Wareham, plus the Saturday, Oct. 24, voter registration deadline.
Town HallWareham
Wareham's Oct. 26 Town Meeting takes up $1 million in CPA money toward a $4.1 million project to protect about 348 acres, mostly bog land, plus a police radio system, a beach dog rule and the Decas School.
Town HallFall River
Fall River's state election ballot has two cards. Mail voters must seal both and sign the envelope. Early voting runs Oct. 17 to 30 in the Government Center atrium.
Town HallMarion
Front Street sidewalk reconstruction starts Oct. 19 and should finish by Thanksgiving. Crack sealing on 14 Marion roads runs Oct. 20 to 22.
Town HallNew Bedford
Ward 5, Precinct C now votes at St. Teresa of Calcutta School and Ward 6, Precinct F at New Life Southcoast Church, after the Moose Home closed. Early voting runs Oct. 17 to 30 at the Main Library.
Town HallDartmouth
Dartmouth's state election warrant lists nine precinct polling places, open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Early voting runs Oct. 17 to 30; register by Oct. 24.
Town HallDartmouth
Dartmouth's Oct. 20 Town Meeting is asked to approve up to $11,264,796.39 in borrowing, spending and transfers, by our count of the warrant the town posted online. Article 7 would borrow up to $5.5 million for wastewater plant upgrades.
Votes taken, firings, lawsuits and budgets passed are in News.