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<br />Select Board <br />Minutes <br />May 18,2026 <br /> <br />Chair Wyman-Colombo stated, “we cannot and will not discuss personnel matters involving <br />sta? or volunteers in an open meeting. Instead, if this Board agrees, we can ask the town <br />manager to facilitate an external and impartial review and present findings to the Select <br />Board in executive session. <br />The letter and response also highlighted a larger issue-the need to clarify the State’s and <br />Town’s changing and often very complex regulations and bylaws that protect water quality. <br />As we all know, the Town is under state mandate to reduce nitrogen in its watersheds by 75% <br />within the next 20 years. Mashpee voters have consistently supported clean water <br />measures, and the town is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to restore water quality <br />at a significant cost to taxpayers. <br />Given the magnitude of the town’s investment, it is the Select Board responsibility to ensure <br />that every applicable bylaw and regulation is applied stringently, universally and consistently <br />across regulatory boards and commissions who have the responsibility of protecting the <br />town’s wastewater investment. <br />There was discussion about whether to request an independent legal review of Town Bylaws <br />and regulations through KP Law, particularly as they relate to water quality, wastewater <br />planning, and environmental protection. The discussion also included development of <br />guidance for regulatory language to ensure consistent interpretation and application of <br />bylaws and regulation across regulatory boards, commissions and committees and a Select <br />Board policy to adhere to the most stringent applications of bylaws and regulations as they <br />relate to water quality. <br />Several members supported the idea of professional development and training sessions for <br />sta? and boards, potentially led by KP Law’s environmental practice group, with the sessions <br />to be recorded for public access and educational purposes. Others expressed concern <br />about cost, scope, and whether the Town should proceed with policy review before training, <br />or vice versa. <br />11 <br /> <br /> <br />