Pepperell Selectmen Reorganize, Set November Special Election After Chair Resigns

PEPPERELL -- August 28, 2019, Pepperell Board of Selectmen reorganizes after Chairwoman Lisa Feralito resigns effective immediately. The two remaining members held an emergency meeting August 28, unanimously electing member Bill Greathead as the new chair and voting to set a special town election for November 18, with alternate dates of November 12 through 14 pending confirmation of polling-place availability at Varnum Brook Elementary School. Nomination papers are due October 11. A resident pressed the board on whether an appointment could substitute for the costly election, given the winner would serve only about five months, but staff cited the town charter's explicit requirement for a special election when a Board of Selectmen vacancy falls outside the six-month window. Staff agreed to consult legal counsel and the state election commission before the board's next meeting on September 9, though the election machinery was set in motion to avoid missing the 64-day statutory deadline.