Town of Pelham

Pelham

Massachusetts

Town of Pelham
351 Amherst Road
Pelham, MA 01002
Town Clerk: (413) 253-7129 ext 4
Collector: (413) 253-7129 ext 3
Assessor: (413) 253-7129 ext 2
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Notice from the Select Board: Slate & Town Meeting Warrant

October 28, 2025

A Note to Pelham Residents,

We know you received the fall edition of The Slate newsletter and the Special Town Meeting warrant after the October 15th meeting had already taken place. We want to explain what happened and share our thoughts for future communications.

What Happened

We personally delivered all mailing materials to the bulk mail section of the Amherst Post Office on October 3rd—timing that, based on our experience, should have ensured delivery well before the October 15th Special Town Meeting. Unfortunately, a series of postal processing errors delayed the mailing until October 17th, two days after the meeting. The Postmaster has acknowledged the mistake and apologized, and we share your frustration with this situation.

Official Notification Requirements

It's worth noting that Massachusetts law requires Town Meeting warrants to be posted on official bulletin boards—in Pelham, these are located at the Rhodes Building and the Police Station in the Community Center. The practice of mailing warrants and newsletters to every household and posting to our town website for easier access goes well beyond these legal requirements. We've maintained this practice at considerable expense because we believe in keeping everyone informed and encouraging robust Town Meeting participation.

Looking Ahead

This experience has prompted us to reconsider how we can most reliably reach you. We're exploring a hybrid approach that would include:

  • Mailing postcards to every household with the date, time, and location of Town Meetings, plus a link to The Slate and the warrant on the town website
  • Providing printed copies at the library and Rhodes Building for those who prefer hard copies
  • And, of course, we will continue to meet the legal requirement of posting information on the official bulletin boards at the Rhodes Building and Police Station

This approach would cost about one-third of our current practice while reducing our environmental impact—and most importantly, it would be less vulnerable to postal delays because the postcards would be sent via first class mail.

We remain committed to keeping you informed about the important work of town government.

Warmly,

Pelham Select Board

Bob Agoglia, Tara Loomis, Jessica Barr

Posted: to Town of Pelham News on Tue, Oct 28, 2025
Updated: Wed, Nov 5, 2025