HANOVER — Voters at the May 4 town meeting will consider seven initiative petitions submitted by citizens seeking to shift powers and responsibilities in town government, limit solicitation and plastic bag use and more.
The town meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. at Hanover High School. Most petitions require a simple majority in favor to pass.
Petition: Requesting Legislation to Eliminate the Plymouth County Government
Petitioner: Rachel Hughes
Rachel Hughes, a select board member since 2025, stipulates in this petition that the town should request the state legislature to “enact legislation to eliminate the governing structure of Plymouth County, including the office of County Commissioner.”
If the petition passes, Hanover’s request to the state legislature will include that any legislation would transfer the functions of county government to either state or local governments “so that services to residents continue without interruption.” Hanover would also have to notify the town’s state representative and senator, the speaker of the state house, the president of the state senate and the governor of its request for legislation abolishing Plymouth County government.
The petition argues that the state or local governments could “reasonably” take on the responsibilities of county government and that “streamlining government and reducing unnecessary layers of administration may improve efficiency and reduce costs to taxpayers.”
Elected officials who signed in support of the petition include Select Board Member Vanessa O’Connor and Library Trustee Pimhatai Koslowsky.
Petition: Appointing Authority for Committees
Petitioner: Mark Anderson
This petition proposes an amendment to the town by-laws to grant the select board power to appoint committee members, including advisory committee members. That power currently rests with the town moderator.
If the petition passes, the town must amend its bylaws to say that “all committees shall be appointed by the Select Board within sixty days of the conclusion of the Town Meeting” and “the Select Board shall appoint, from the citizens, three members of [the advisory] committee to serve for the term of three years.”
Anderson unsuccessfully ran for select board in 2018.
Petition: Recall of Elected Officials
Petitioner: Walter Dixon
This petition seeks to create a new bylaw describing a procedure for removing elected officials. There are five possible reasons to remove an elected official in this petition: an official is convicted of a felony or one of a few listed misdemeanors, admits to committing a felony or one of the misdemeanors, violates state laws on the conduct of public officials, misses greater than 50 percent of their board’s public meetings within twelve months, or repeatedly works less than 20 hours per week without just cause.
If at least 10% of registered voters sign a recall petition for a certain official, including 100 voters from each of the town’s precincts, the select board would have to order a proposition vote on the recall of that official. That ballot would also contain a list of candidates for the official’s replacement, and voters would vote for one of the candidates. The proposition would require a simple majority to pass, and if the official is recalled, the winning candidate would assume their position.
Dixon also submitted a similar petition proposing a recall process for elected officials for the special town meeting in December 2025, but then asked voters to pass over the article at the meeting so that he could revise and resubmit the petition. Dixon also submitted a similar petition proposing a recall process for elected officials for the special town meeting in December 2025, but then asked voters to pass over the article at the meeting so that he could revise and resubmit the petition.
Petition: Changing Tables in Public Establishments
Petitioner: Jennalee Coyne
If passed, this petition would require all establishments open to the public to have changing tables accessible to all genders, either by installing changing tables in all-gender restrooms or in both men’s and women’s restrooms. Establishments with existing public restrooms would have two years to install changing tables.
Enforcement of the bylaw would be the responsibility of the building commissioner, who would review compliance during already routine inspections or in response to a complaint.
“The purpose of this bylaw is to ensure equitable access to sanitary diaper-changing facilities for caregivers of all genders in any building with public restrooms in the Town of Hanover, promoting accessibility, equity, public health, and the well-being of families with young children,” the petition reads.
Establishments found to be in violation of the bylaw without a valid exception issued by the building commissioner would be subject to fines under $200. Exceptions could be granted if installation of a changing table would be “structurally infeasible” or would conflict with other legal requirements.
Petition: Liquor License Extension Hanover Crossing
Petitioner: Josh Donovan
This is another petition that seeks to make change beyond the town’s authority by directing the town to make a request to the state legislature.
In the Acts of 2020, the state legislature gave Hanover the power to grant 13 new liquor licenses to businesses by August 20, 2026. If this petition passes, it would require Hanover to request that the legislature extend that deadline to August 20, 2029.
Petition: Solicitation Bylaw Amendments
Petitioner: Robert Powers
This petition seeks to amend the bylaw limiting solicitation to create a No Solicitation List, a list of residents and businesses maintained by the police department. Solicitors would not be permitted to access the property of a resident or business on the No Solicitation List.
Residents and businesses could join the No Solicitation List via a written request to the police chief. Holders of solicitor licenses would “be required to examine the list daily.”
The petition also proposes that the police chief take on the responsibility of granting solicitation licenses, which is a power currently held by the select board. Under the petition, the chief may also revoke solicitation licenses for repeat violations of the bylaw. The current bylaw does not provide a mechanism to revoke solicitation licenses.
Petition: Plastic Bag Reduction
Petitioner: Lexie Schiller
If passed, this petition would require all retail establishments in Hanover to cease providing customers with single-use plastic bags at checkout. Establishments that wish to provide bags at checkout would have to use either 100% recyclable paper bags or reusable bags made of machine-washable fabric.
The petition argues that plastic bags are “detrimental to our environment, our waterways, and our wildlife” and that the cleanup of waste from plastic bags is a burden on taxpayers.
“Plastic bags jam single-stream recycling machinery, clog storm drains, and litter our sidewalks, trees, parks, and waterways,” the petition reads. “Single-use plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes but can last up to 1,000 years. Banning single-use plastic bags in Hanover is an important and easily implemented step towards meaningful change.”
Violators would receive a warning from the town’s health agent for the first violation, and additional violations could incur fees of $50 or $100. Only one penalty could be imposed within seven calendar days.
Schiller is a student at Hanover High School, and registered, adult voters lent their signatures to the petition.
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