Select Board Votes 4-1 Against Surveillance Bylaw
Select Board · Meeting of September 22, 2026
Cohasset Select Board closes Special Town Meeting warrant, splits 4-1 against surveillance oversight bylaw. Chair David Farrag, Vice Chair Ellen Maher, Clerk William Ashton, and members Paul Grady Jr. and Gregory Watts recommended up to $2 million for a middle-high school feasibility study and a $232,051 townwide telephone system. The board voted 4-1, with only Ashton dissenting, to not recommend a citizen petition creating a surveillance technology oversight bylaw, after Watts called it "overly prescriptive" and Farrag warned it would invite costly attorney's-fee litigation.
Ashton countered that "this bylaw isn't about misuse, it's about knowing what's collected and who gets it." The board also unanimously appointed Marcia Bohinc as financial consultant and welcomed new Public Works Director J.R. Frey, and reorganized its Parking Taskforce to seat two additional members.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,324 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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