Town Manager Weekly Update - July 2, 2025
Elaine Lazarus
I hope you are enjoying the summer so far! This week’s update includes a few local events, but there is definitely more going on in Hopkinton, so please check out the Hopkinton Parks & Recreation Department, the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, and other local organization websites for additional events and information.
Free Outdoor Movies on the Town Common
An evening under the stars with family-friendly movies on the Town Common, brought to you by Hopkinton Parks & Recreation! Movies will begin at dusk, around 8:30 pm. Don’t forget your blankets, lawn chairs, and favorite snacks!
July 10th Moana 2
July 24th Inside Out 2
August 7th Mufasa: The Lion King
Hopkinton Fire Department Blood Drive - July 17
From the Hopkinton Fire Department: An important reminder about the upcoming Hopkinton Fire Department Blood Drive, hosted by the Hopkinton Senior Center. This event comes at a critical time, as the American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for blood and platelet donations to address an extremely low summer blood supply.
Over the past several months, blood donations have fallen far short of what hospitals require — with approximately 39,000 fewer donations than needed. As a result, the Red Cross is experiencing a significant draw down of its overall blood inventory.
“Right now, blood products are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in, which is why we are making this emergency request for donations,” said Nick Gehrig, Communications Director, Red Cross Blood Services. “If you’ve thought about giving blood and helping to save lives, now is the time to do it. It’s the blood donations on the shelves that help save lives when an emergency occurs.”
There are still numerous appointment slots available, and we encourage all eligible individuals to consider donating. There is truly no better time than now to make a difference — your donation can help save a life.
Event Details:
Date: July 17th, 2025
Time: 10 AM - 3 PM
Location: Hopkinton Senior Center, 28 Mayhew Street
Thank you for helping us support this life-saving mission. Please share this message with friends, family, and neighbors who may also be able to contribute.
Trails Day Celebration - July 19
The Hopkinton Trails Club is marking its 20th anniversary this year with a Trails Day Celebration on Saturday, July 19 at the Hughes Farm property (192 Hayden Rowe), from 10AM to 1PM. There will be guided trail & nature walks, a scavenger hunt, trail information & advice, and more. As a group or individual with an interest in the trails, the Trails Club invites you to join them in celebrating Hopkinton’s trails and precious open spaces.
The Hughes Farm property is owned by the Town of Hopkinton and is preserved in perpetuity. It was expanded in 2024 with the Town’s purchase of the adjacent Colella property. The property includes a portion of the old railroad bed, and a stream that is the headwaters of the Charles River. The acquisition of both properties were funded by the Town with Community Preservation Act funds, which were approved by Town Meeting.
Important Notice - Municipal Water Customers
There was a dramatic increase in water use last week and especially during the recent heat wave. DPW crews out canvassing the town found a large number of lawn sprinklers running. The Town would like to remind everyone that there is no lawn watering or non-essential outdoor use at this time. It is imperative that everyone immediately adheres to the restrictions. With the current demand, all the Town’s sources are barely maintaining tank levels and extended pump times are stressing the wells, contributing to increases in water discoloration. The tanks need to be filled to allow our wells time to recharge and to have water available for firefighting. The current demand is not sustainable with our available infrastructure and your cooperation is requested as we try to ensure safe, reliable drinking water for the community.
Keep up to date on water restrictions via the DPW website: Water and Sewer
Thank you for your attention to this very important matter.
Hopkinton Farmers Market - Every Sunday from Noon to 4 p.m on the Hopkinton Town Common. Check out the weekly schedule of vendors on their website: Hopkinton Farmers Market
Hopkinton Power Choice And Your Electric Service
In a December update, I noted that the Town had filed a request with the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) for approval of a municipal aggregation plan pursuant to G.L. c. 164, § 134, which authorizes a municipality to procure electric supply on behalf of consumers within its borders through a municipal aggregation program. The Town had retained MassPowerChoice to serve as its consultant in this proceeding and to assist in the implementation of the Program, and a public hearing on the program was held in January.
Since then, the program was approved by the DPU, and the Town undertook the required procurement process. The Town has engaged Direct Energy to provide 24 months of stable electricity supply prices as well as cleaner electricity for program participants. All residents should have received a mailing within the last few weeks with information about Hopkinton Power Choice, which will be launched in September. We’ve received several calls asking if the mailing residents received from the Town of Hopkinton, with the Town seal, ℅ Direct Energy, from a non-Hopkinton address is really from the Town, and it is. The envelope also has a time-sensitive notice. Your vigilance and your questions are appreciated! We’re happy to continue fielding these and other calls regarding this program, so please visit, call or email with questions. To reach the Town’s consultant customer support, please call 1-800-538-8435.
There are two public information sessions scheduled where you can learn more about the program, ask questions, and get answers:
Wednesday July 16, 2025
2:30 pm at the Hopkinton Senior Center, 28 Mayhew St. AND
6:00 pm at the Hopkinton Public Library, 13 Main St.
The program details are available at this website, HopkintonPowerChoice.com, and more detailed information about the program is below.
Hopkinton Power Choice changes the price used to calculate the supply charge on Eversource’s electric bills. Participants will automatically receive an additional 15% of their electricity from clean, renewable sources for 14.590 ¢/kWh, which is a savings compared with Eversource’s residential price of 14.884 ¢/kWh that takes effect on August 1. Eversource remains responsible for delivering electricity to Hopkinton without interruption, addressing power outages, and handling all electricity billing. Hopkinton Power Choice impacts only Eversource’s electricity supply charge. Eversource’s delivery charges will not be impacted.
Two additional program options will be available by request. Participants can choose to receive electricity that is 100% from renewable sources for 16.840 ¢/kWh or to receive just the minimum amount from renewable sources required by law for 13.970 ¢/kWh.
All Hopkinton Power Choice prices are fixed and will not change from September 2025 until September 2027. In contrast, Eversource’s price will be in effect from August 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026, and future prices are not known.
Like all similar programs across the state and in accordance with state law, Hopkinton Power Choice will use an automatic enrollment model. Electricity accounts with Eversource’s Basic Service, meaning accounts that do not have a private electricity supply contract, will be eligible for automatic enrollment in Hopkinton Power Choice in September and will see the program price on their October Eversource bill.
Account holders eligible for automatic enrollment received a notification by mail but can choose to opt out if they do not wish to participate. There is no fee or penalty to opt out. Electricity accounts with a private electricity supply contract will not be eligible for automatic enrollment, but they can be enrolled in Hopkinton Power Choice by request.
Electricity customers who receive solar credits and/or solar incentive payments on their bill will continue to receive those credits or payments with no change. Electricity customers who receive fuel assistance or a low-income discount from Eversource will continue to receive that benefit with no change.
Participation in Hopkinton Power Choice is not required. Those with accounts eligible for automatic enrollment can choose to opt out before being automatically enrolled if they do not wish to participate. Any customer who does participate in Hopkinton Power Choice has the freedom to opt out at any time in the future with no fee or penalty.
The Town of Hopkinton has a new Senior Tax Exemption available for Fiscal Year 2026
The Town has a new means-tested senior citizen property tax exemption for school building construction projects. For seniors that qualify, a property tax exemption equal to or less than the actual cost of borrowing in any fiscal year (including principal and interest) for a specific school building construction project, is available starting in Fiscal Year 2026. The application deadline is August 1. The Board of Assessors will administer the program and determine the exemption amount annually. The qualifications are similar to the existing Means-Tested Circuit Breaker Exemption.
The application is available here: NewSchoolConstructionExemptionFY2026.pdf
To see the full menu of similar property tax exemptions and related information, visit the Assessors page: Town of Hopkinton Assessors
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