Select Board pauses utility pole hearing pending Conservation Commission review

Select Board · Meeting of January 20, 2026

Shutesbury Select Board continues National Grid pole hearing after vernal pool concern surfaces. The board voted unanimously at its January 20 meeting to table action on a National Grid and Verizon petition to install nine new jointly owned poles and relocate eight others on Pratt Corner Road, after a Conservation Commission representative identified as Matteo told the board he had notified the project in December that a certified vernal pool reported by an abutter may fall within 10 feet of one proposed pole location — and that the project never responded with a site-visit request or permit application. South Laurel MLP Manager Gail Hondras warned that a similar prior upgrade along seven miles of Leverett Road cost the town's broadband network approximately $188,000 in fiber relocation costs under its third-party attacher contracts with National Grid and Verizon.

The board also signed a contract with Police Chief Devin Pelletier, approved the appointment of Christopher O'Neill as library custodian for four hours per week, appointed Eduardo Reyes to the Recycling and Solid Waste Committee, and accepted the promotion of Richard Trimble to deputy fire chief.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of January 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.