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Dog licensing for 2019 is ongoing through March 31, 2019.
- You may license your dog by mail, provided you include a copy of a current rabies certificate and a self-addressed stamped envelope. If you are licensing your dog for the first time, proof of spay or neutering is also required.
- Licenses will be valid from January 1, 2019 until December 31, 2019.
- You may license your dog online by going to the following link: https://www.doglicenses.us/MA/Westwood/
- You must license your dog on an annual basis.
- If you own more than 4 dogs this is considered a “Personal Kennel” per MGL c. 140 §136A.
- You must go through a special permit application process through the Zoning Board of Appeals to license a kennel.
- Failure to license your dog on or before March 31, 2019 may result in a fine of $25.00, per town bylaws §184-10,B.(1)
- Any person 70 years of age or older, upon proof of age, shall be exempt from the annual fee for one dog, per household, per year. The owner of a kennel license, age 70 years of age or older, shall be excluded from this exemption. Dogs must still be licensed on or before March 31 of any given year per Town Bylaws § 184-10C (1).
Licensing Fees are as follows:
- Dogs not Neutered or Spayed: $15.00
- Dogs Neutered or Spayed : $10.00
- Kennel fees-please contact the Town Clerk’s office
Please be sure to include the correct licensing fee. If you are unsure, Please contact the Town Clerks office at 781 326-3964.
The Annual Town Census
If you have not returned it please do so; Failure to return the Census may cause a voter to be designated as inactive on the voting list (M.G.L, Ch.51, § 4). If your household did not receive a 2019 Annual Town Census form please contact the Town Clerk’s office or you may download a form at the following link: http://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/gov/depts/town_administration/tclerk/atcensus.htm
Upon completion it may be either returned by mail or scanned and emailed to: census@town.westwood.ma.us
If you did not receive a census form or misplaced the one sent to you please click here to print a new one.
The Annual Town Election will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Nomination papers are available at the Town Clerk’s office, Westwood Town Hall, 580 High Street until, Friday,
March 8th at 5:00 pm , for those registered Westwood voters who wish to run for Town positions.
Please contact the Town Clerk at dpowers@townhall.westwood.ma.us or 781-326-3964, if you have any questions regarding the Election process.
The following Elected offices will appear on the Ballot:
Board of Assessors - 1 Seat - 3 Year Term
A board of assessors of 3 members shall be elected for 3-year overlapping terms. Members may receive such compensation as may be appropriated by the town meeting (4-2-1).The board of Assessors is responsible for the assessment and Administration of all local taxes provided for by Mass.General Laws. The primary function is to determine the value of all real and personal property located the Town of Westwood.
Housing Authority-1 Seat- 5 Year Term
Housing Authority-1 Seat-2 year Term (to fill a vacancy)
A board of 5 members, 4 shall be elected for 5 year overlapping terms; 1 shall be a state appointee. Members shall serve without compensation. The board shall be responsible for exploring various financing alternatives for the development of affordable rental housing units, identify sites for redevelopment of affordable rental units, develop and manage affordable rental housing owned and operated by the Westwood Housing Authority and the WAHA.
Library Trustee - 2 Seats - 3 Year Terms
A board of 6 library trustees shall be elected for 3-year overlapping terms. Members shall serve without compensation.
The board shall be responsible for the administration and operation of the town library, including staffing, acquisitions, maintenance and the promulgation of library rules and regulations (4-5-1,4-5-2).
Moderator - 1 Seat - 1 Year Term
A Moderator shall be elected for a term of 1-yearand shall preside at all sessions of the town meeting; shall serve without compensation (138-13)
Planning Board - 2 Seats - 3 Year Terms
A planning board of 5 members shall be elected for 3-year overlapping terms. Members shall serve without compensation.
The board shall meet regularly and shall maintain a public record of its proceedings, resolutions and determinations. It shall be responsible for the general, physical, economic and environmental planning of the town under the general laws, town charter (4-4-1, 4-4-2) and town by-laws.
School Committee - 2 Seats -3 Year Terms
A school committee of 5 members shall be elected for 3-year overlapping terms. Members shall serve without compensation. The committee shall have general charge of all public schools in the town, under the General Laws, town charter (4-1-1,4-1-2)and town by-laws.
Selectman - 1 Seat - 3 Year Term
A board of selectmen of 3 members shall be elected for 3-year overlapping terms. Members may receive such compensation as may be appropriated by the town meeting. The board shall have the power to establish, in the performance of its duties, rules and regulations not otherwise governed by the General Laws, town charter (3-1-1-3-6-1) and town by-laws.
Sewer Commission - 1 Seat - 3 Year Term
A board of sewer commissioners of 3 members shall be elected for 3-year overlapping terms. Members may receive such compensation as may be appropriated by the town meeting. The board of sewer commissioners shall be responsible for the development of general goals and long-term plans for the town's sewer system and shall also establish the fees, user charges or rates necessary to fully fund the sewer system operations (4-3-1, 4-3-2).
2019 Annual Town Election Candidate Preview
Important dates for candidates to remember:
Tuesday, January 15, 2019-Nomination papers available in the Town Clerk’s office.
Friday, March 8, 2019, 5:00 p.m.-Last day to obtain nomination papers. (MGL.ch.53§.9A)
Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 5:00 p.m.-Last day to submit nomination papers to Registrar of Voters for certification.
Thursday, March 28, 2019, 5:00 p.m.-Last day to object or withdraw nomination papers.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019- Last day to register new voters for Town Election and Town Meeting.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019-Annual Town Election, 7:00AM - 8:00PM
Monday, May 6, 2019-Annual Town Meeting-Check-in: 7:00PM, Meeting Begins: 7:30PM
Learn more about the Roy London Award and past recipients from the following video
credit to Westwood Media Center
 For more information about the R.A.Y. award, please click here
The Select Board is co-sponsoring an article with the Westwood Environmental Action Committee for the spring Town Meeting that aims to offer residents lower, more stable electricity rates and renewable energy options while reducing reliance on carbon-producing fossil fuels.
Working with the Town’s Energy Manager, Tom Philbin, this article will authorize the Town through its Select Board to select a company to aggregate electricity for its residents and businesses which will encourage the supply of electricity produced by renewable energy. Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA) is a state-approved program that allows towns to purchase energy in bulk and pass savings along to residents. Over 125 Massachusetts communities already use CEA. Communities in this area include Dedham, Ashland and Holliston. CEA costs the town nothing and does not raise taxes on residents.
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For additional information, please visit: www.bit.ly/ceaww
Did You Know that the Westwood Board of Health inspects and licenses summer camps held in Westwood? Summer will soon be here and families are in the process of choosing summer programs for their children. The Health Department would like to inform parents that summer camps, including day, residential, sports, travel and trip camps, are governed by 105 CMR 430.000 of the State Sanitary Code, Chapter IV, Minimum Standards for Recreational Camps for Children.
In order to protect campers and ensure that they have a fun, safe experience, camp operators are required to do the following:
- Conduct criminal background checks on all staff and volunteers;
- Hire a health care consultant to approve a medical plan and standing orders;
- Hire a health supervisor who is overseen by the health care consultant, to care for injured or ill campers and staff, to dispense medication, to follow the approved medical plan and to review camper and staff medical records;
- Hire enough staff to ensure proper ratios of campers to staff;
- In programs with high-risk activities, such as swimming, boating or horseback riding, the camp has to ensure that all staff is trained appropriately and that all precautions have been taken;
- Provide written policies on discipline, abuse and neglect, disaster, lost swimmer, lost camper, transportation, care of mildly ill or injured campers, to name a few.
If you would like more information regarding summer camps, please contact the Westwood Health Department at 781-320-1027. The goal of the Health Department is to ensure a safe summer for all.
The Town of Westwood, like all communities in the Commonwealth, are now subject to the MS4 Stormwater permit. In an effort to keep our water bodies clean, here are a few reminders to all residents.
Catch basins are meant to collect storm water ONLY. They are not intended to collect any discharge from any house. No sump pumps are allowed to be emptied into a catch basin in the street.
Another increasing problem is pet waste. Pet waste CANNOT be thrown into a catch basin. A catch basin is not connected to the sewer system. Please ensure your picking up after your dog and disposing of it properly and not into any catch basin.
We ask that all residents help on these efforts to keep the towns costs down. If these issues are not resolved, increased costs/fines could be imposed, which would impact all residents.
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