Pepperell Board Votes 2-1 to Keep Departing Selectman on Emergency Task Force

PEPPERELL — April 23, 2018 — Pepperell's Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 to appoint departing Selectman Melissa Zinedakis to the Regional Emergency Communications Center task force at its April 23 meeting, her final night on the board after three years. Zinedakis, who had been participating in the ad hoc committee since the fall of 2017 at the invitation of Town Administrator Mark Andrews, was appointed as a non-voting advisory member to maintain continuity ahead of a state-level RECC meeting scheduled for April 25 with Massachusetts 9-1-1 official Frank Posniak and representatives of Ashby and Townsend. The meeting also surfaced a continuing impasse over two unsigned town contracts — the treasurer-collector and town administrator agreements, both expiring June 30 — with one selectman refusing to sign until a newly elected board member is seated. A public records dispute over a $40,000 Peter Fitzpatrick school study remained unresolved, with a reporter from The Candle citing contact with the Secretary of State's office. The board then adjourned into executive session under Purpose 5 of the Open Meeting Law to investigate potential criminal misconduct.