Select Board tables police review committee pick

Select Board · Meeting of October 19, 2026

Paxton's Select Board discussed requiring town officials to use municipal email accounts after a resident's records requests exposed gaps in Finance Committee and Capital Improvement Planning Committee recordkeeping. Town Administrator Robert Birkbeck estimated the system would cost about $60 per user annually. Resident Dr. Erin Otmar said CIPC posted no minutes for any of its 10 meetings in 2026 and only seven of 18 in 2025, and said a committee member improperly sought police officers' W-2 forms.

Board member Peter Bogren, Jr. read a statement saying two committee members owe Birkbeck an apology after one called him "Skippy" in an email, writing that "I believe that these individuals should consider whether or not they wish to continue" serving. The board voted unanimously to table appointments to a police department review committee until an interim chief is hired, and approved Steven Rebesco to represent Paxton in a regional school-funding coalition.

In the full story:

• Consent Agenda
• Follow-Up on October 5 Public Comment
• Economic Development Committee: Mentor and Mentee Program
• Response to the Police Chief's Retirement
• Citizen Concern: Public Records and Open Meeting Law Compliance
• Select Board Response: Records Policy and Town Email Proposal
• Central Massachusetts School Funding Coalition
• Community Bulletin Board and Temporary Sign Policy
• Police Department Review Committee Appointments
• Correspondence
• Town Administrator's Update
• Citizens Speak
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,828 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of October 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.