Select Board appoints two new associate members

Select Board · Meeting of July 6, 2026

Hamilton Select Board adds associate members to fincom and Planning Board. The board voted unanimously to appoint Jenna Pell, a chartered financial analyst, as an associate, non-voting member of the Finance and Advisory Committee, and Valerie Peck of Miles River Road as an associate member of the Planning Board, a role that can vote when a regular member is absent. Peck's appointment followed praise from board members for her conduct during the lengthy Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary development review, with one member calling her "one of the most reasonable people to talk to." Earlier, a Department of Public Works representative reported a 4 percent contamination rate under the town's new Casella hauling contract, calling it "very, very low," and said neighboring towns changing haulers this year, including Manchester, North Reading and Beverly, have faced bigger service disruptions than Hamilton.

A board member pressed for a faster process letting horse farm owners request additional recycling barrels for daily shavings disposal.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,096 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.