MARLBOROUGH – At his first Community Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Marlborough High School, Mayor J. Christian Dumais provided updates on a number of topics, including road projects, the West Side Fire Station and the status of the feasibility study at Richer.
He began with an update on the city’s road projects. The city is in the early stages of updating its pavement management plan, and the final phases of the Route 20 project are in sight.
According to Dumais, the final phase is scheduled to be completed by the middle of 2025. In addition to repaving the roadway, about three miles of water main work has been done, along with the installation of new sidewalks.
According to the mayor, some neighborhoods may soon see temporary speed bumps to cut down on speeders.
“Traffic is a huge concern here,” said Dumais.
On the topic of capital projects, the mayor said that the dog park at Ghiloni Park is scheduled to be completed in November, the same time as the city accepts delivery of a new fire truck.
The West Side Fire Station Committee has identified several parcels of land that could house a new fire station. Dumais did not offer too many details, but said the city and committee are “being very methodical about it.”
The city is also in the process of digitalizing records currently stored in the basement of the Walker Building. The city’s website redesign is under way, and should go live in January.
The city recently formed its first municipal budget for fiscal 2026. Dumais said the budget is being formulated with an eye toward maintaining the city’s AAA bond rating and keeping the tax rate low.
Identified as one of his goals during his inauguration speech, Dumais was happy to bring back the Labor Day Festival, which drew an estimated 5,000 people. He said he wants to attract more businesses to Main Street.
School updates
Dumais also shared several updates regarding Marlborough schools. A large topic of debate is an increase in bullying incidents in Marlborough Public Schools. The school district is also dealing with a request from the Advanced Math and Science Academy charter school to raise its cap to allow more Marlborough students and large class sizes at the elementary school level.
Facing space issues, an owners project manager has been hired to conduct a feasibility study for Richer Elementary School. The study will include whether Richer could be renovated or rebuilt, and possible sites in case the city wants to build a new school.
Marlborough Public Schools recently put a bus contract out to bid; MPS is currently in its final year with NRT.
Given increasing costs in bus transportation, discussion has begun on whether to alter the bus routes so that more students walk to and from school.
Residents wishing to keep up to date on city happenings may subscribe to the mayor’s monthly newsletter, which appears on the mayor’s office page at https://www.marlborough-ma.gov/mayors-office
