The Duxbury Selectboard kicked off 2026 with a packed agenda featuring public safety celebrations and complex regulatory discussions. Acting Chair Amy MacNab presided over a meeting that began with Chief Michael Carbone introducing three new police officers—Abigail Claude, Thomas Delora, and Michael Curley—and celebrating the promotion of Sergeant Katie McElroy. Chief Carbone expressed his pride in the growing department, stating, it’s great, I love seeing these fresh new faces and fresh promotions; it means a lot to me. Board member Brian Glennon, attending remotely, shared his appreciation for the force, noting, I’d like to express my appreciation for all the municipal employees, DPW, police, and fire who worked on Christmas and New Year’s.

The board shifted focus to the waterfront, hearing from Shellfish Advisory Committee Chair Richard Brennan regarding aquaculture float renewals. Brennan explained the necessity of the 24 floats for processing oysters and preventing bacteria growth, remarking, they’re using those floats to bring them out of the water, put them in the floats, and sort them for size. Motion Made by Fernando Guitart that the select board approves the float license renewal application submitted by the following applicants: Arthur Bennett, William Bennett, Mark Booth-Higher, Christopher Burns, Brad Doyle, Scott Doyle, Michael George, Steven Gilbert, Joseph Grady, Robert Hatch, Benjamin Lloyd, Victoria Lloyd, Adrienne McGrath, Donald Merry, Gregory Morris, Christopher Phillips, Joseph Pierce, Ursula Pierce, Andy Popollo, Christopher Sherman, Luis Strong, Kevin Thompson, and Brian Zec, and as required by Mass General Law 130, section 57-68, grant permission to conduct activities as outlined by the Town of Duxbury Shellfish Aquaculture Grant Regulations Section 11 pending all federal, state, and local reviews and approvals. Motion Passed 5-0. The board also approved the license transfer for Osborne’s Country Store to the Patel family. Attorney Matthew Porter, representing the applicants, assured the board that there are no major anticipated changes to the business and that the experienced family would be on-site full-time.

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to referring three zoning bylaw amendments to the Planning Board, including a reorganization of the town’s bylaws and new regulations for battery energy storage systems. Planning Director Matthew Heins warned that state law limits how much a town can restrict battery storage, explaining, you can't go so far as, if you're only allowed in 1 or 2 percent; it seems clear that that's not allowed. Board members expressed concerns about the "recodification" of the bylaws potentially triggering a full legal review. Tag Carpenter of the Planning Board clarified the risk, noting, the concern from town council was that this would trigger a comprehensive review by the attorney general, potentially invalidating existing language. Selectboard member Michael Chiarelli emphasized the need for transparency, asking, how can the public take a peek at these and see redline versions or additions, particularly for a rewrite?

The session concluded with sobering news regarding local infrastructure. Town Manager René Read announced that the East Street Bridge closure has been extended through April 2026 due to design changes and asphalt plant winter shutdowns. Member Cindy Lad Fiorini encouraged residents to stay informed on municipal aggregation savings, noting, the bottom line being that we are continuing to save more money for those who didn't opt out. Motion Made by Fernando Guitart that the select board refers these articles as presented for proposed amendments to the zoning bylaw to the planning board so that the planning board can hold the required public hearings. Motion Passed 5-0. Fernando Guitart also took a moment to show off a new resource for the town, saying, I just want to thank the Plymouth County Commissioners; they have provided us with a booklet of county, city, and town officers for 2026.