The Marshfield Board of Public Works entered the new year by finalizing its leadership team, officially signing a contract for Superintendent Ken Ryan and appointing Matt Kinlin as the new Town Engineer. While the board was unanimous in its praise for Ryan, the appointment of Kinlin saw a split vote. Member Bob Galvin expressed reservations regarding the hiring process, stating, I think that in fairness to the town of Marshfield, we need to go through a procurement process to find out what kind of talent out there is. However, Chair Anne Marie and member John Shaughnessy favored internal promotion. Shaughnessy noted Kinlin’s performance on recent projects like the playground resurfacing, telling him, Any questions that I've asked or the board's asked, you've come up with the answer without stumbling through. Anne Marie added, It's really important to value the people that you have that you know are good that do the job well.

The board also tackled the complexities of the state's new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) laws with input from Building Commissioner Andrew Stewart. Stewart warned that current local bylaws might conflict with state mandates, noting, We cannot create any regulations, local bylaws or policies that basically single out ADUs or restrict them further than any other structure. The board ultimately approved a new policy requiring ADUs to connect to existing sewer and water lines through the principal dwelling's meter. Superintendent Ken Ryan explained the need for flexibility in the policy via a variance clause, stating, If that is going to cause so much hardship, you wouldn't make it feasible, then you can petition the board to see if they would give you relief.

Tensions rose during a discussion regarding Couch Cemetery, where resident Zeller Fona questioned why Section 4 has more restrictive headstone rules than older parts of the cemetery. Fona expressed frustration over the lack of public information, saying, I’m here because I’m trying to figure out... this has turned into kind of a little bit of a kerfuffle. The board maintained that the 2-by-3-foot limit was a necessary compromise for maintenance. Meanwhile, Tom Whan of the Historical Cemetery Commission requested permission to utilize $113,000 in Community Preservation Committee (CPC) funds for the restoration of the Chapel Cemetery, noting that nothing's been done there for seven years. The DPW agreed to research the legal mechanism to allow the commission to manage those funds directly.

In other business, the board awarded a $104,350 contract for earth materials to local vendor JGB Recycled Aggregate Materials and approved an $11,110 drainage-related change order for the high school ballfields. Looking ahead to the budget, the board discussed shifting toward direct charges for enterprise fund expenses to increase transparency. The meeting concluded with a sobering update on the snow budget, which is already facing a deficit. Addressing historical cost-accounting concerns, Galvin remarked, The rate payers have been paying for the snow plowing for I can say for about 10 years.

Motion Made by Anne Marie to vote on the contract for Ken Ryan for superintendent. Motion Passed 3-0

Motion Made by Anne Marie to vote on the ADU policy. Motion Passed 3-0

Motion Made by Anne Marie to execute the order of takings by eminent domain for the Willow Street bridge based on the legal documents and what was presented at town meeting. Motion Passed 3-0

Motion Made by Anne Marie to award contract 2026-34 Earth Materials to the lowest qualified bidder JGB Recycled Aggregate Materials LLC of Marshfield in the sum of an estimated annual amount of $104,350. Motion Passed 3-0

Motion Made by Anne Marie to approve the ball fields upgrade agreement contract number 2026-04A change order number three for Northeast Sportsfield and Recreation for a total of $11,110. Motion Passed 3-0

Motion Made by Anne Marie to appoint Matt Kinlin as town engineer. Motion Passed 2-0-1 (Bob Galvin abstaining)

The meeting was adjourned at the conclusion of the final vote.