Scituate leaders opened Tuesday’s update with a somber tribute to former select board member Karen Connley, who recently passed away. Highlighting her extensive service to the community, Select Board member Nicoeno shared that Connley was instrumental in several town projects and served as PTO president at Jenkins School, noting, our thoughts are with Karen's family. Town Administrator James Boudreau also offered his sympathies, describing Connley as a great member of the select board and an even better person. School Committee Vice Chair Maria Fenwick joined the tribute, stating that the committee very much appreciated working alongside her for the many years that she served on the select board.

The meeting transitioned to major financial news regarding the Hatherley Cushing School project. Maria Fenwick announced that the school committee has officially voted to hire Great Builders out of Marshfield as the general contractor. Notably, the school project is now $16.4 million under the original budget estimate, which means that when it comes time for the town to borrow money for the project, we can borrow less than projected, Fenwick explained. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the morning of October 6, where students from both Hatherly and Cushing schools will perform songs to celebrate the milestone. Construction is on track for a Summer 2027 completion.

James Boudreau provided an update on town infrastructure and public health, noting that the reservoir is currently at 19 inches below capacity. He also issued a warning regarding mosquito-borne illnesses, as West Nile Virus has been detected in local samples and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) was found in nearby Norwell. Turning to DPW projects, James Boudreau mentioned that cured-in-place pipelining is underway to repair aging sewer pipes without excavation, though he cautioned residents to keep their toilet seats down during the work because activity from the equipment of the street can cause back pressure and splashing in the toilet bowl. He also urged residents to license their dogs before fees double on October 1.

In other community news, the Dana Farber mammography van will be visiting St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on September 18, and the Friends of the Scituate Library will host their fall book sale starting September 5. Beachgoers were also reminded that lifeguards have finished their seasonal shifts as of Labor Day. Nicoeno concluded the session by noting a light week for government meetings, with the Cole Parkway Redevelopment Committee and the Waterways Commission being the primary groups convening this week. With that, we hope everyone has a wonderful week, Nicoeno said to close the update.