October is replete with firm news, none of it scary. First, we congratulate and honor our founding father and mentor to us all, J. Raymond Miyares, on his retirement, effective the end of the month. Ray is well-known for his expertise in the municipal field, particularly in environmental matters. As many of you know, he was the leading drafter of the Water Management Act and has been a strong advocate for the protection of municipalities’ water registration rights. We have al

The meaning of the word “agriculture” has long been fertile ground for litigation and, in the recent case of Fleming v. Town of Oxford Zoning Bd. of Appeals, has been applied to yet another uncommon pursuit. In deciding cross-motions for summary judgment, the Land Court considered whether the possession of as many as 400 bearded dragons—a reptile native to Australia with a mature size of about 16-20 inches in length—for breeding and sale qualifies as agriculture under the To

In a recent Department of Labor Relations (DLR) decision, In re: Town of Chelmsford et al., MUP-7227 (consolidated with two other matters), the hearing officer found that private communications between Town Counsel and the management representative of the Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) panel handling a contract arbitration involving the Town and a police union constituted failure to bargain in good faith by the Town, in violation of the state’s labor law, Chapter 150

ARPA Panel Seeks Public Comments for Fund Allocation The Federal Funds Equity & Accountability Review Panel (ARPA Equity Panel) has drafted a proposal to assess how ARPA funds are appropriated in communities that were disproportionally affected by COVID-19. The ARPA Equity Panel will hold a webinar to seek public comment on these proposed allocations. It is scheduled for November 10 from 6:00pm- 8:30pm and can be accessed here using Passcode: 338542 Change to the Procuremen