Hingham Select Board votes to advance pickleball court warrant article to town meeting

HINGHAM — March 11, 2025 — Hingham Select Board advances pickleball court warrant article and narrows FY26 budget gap to $383,000. The board voted 2-0 — with member Bill Ramsey recused — to recommend favorable action on Article CC, the new pickleball courts proposal for Bear Cove Park, at its March 11 meeting. Chair Joe Fiser and member Liz Klein both cited the board's responsibility as the entity with "care, custody, and control" of the property to retain oversight over noise standards that fall outside the Planning Board's permitting authority. The board also approved a $137,500 contract with Mar Corporation for an odor control system at the Weir River sewer pump station, drawn from the FY25 Sewer Commission capital outlay budget. A citizen petition to tighten the town's commercial landscaping noise bylaw was held pending Town Counsel review and consultation with the Building Commissioner and Board of Health, with a revised version expected before the March 18 meeting. Finance Director Michelle updated the board that the FY26 budget shortfall has dropped to approximately $383,000, with the Board of Assessors potentially releasing up to $400,000 in overlay reserves to close the gap.