Billerica Master Plan Committee Elects Secretary, Reviews 80-Percent Implementation Progress

BILLERICA — January 6, 2026 — Billerica's Master Plan Oversight Committee elected a new secretary and scored more than 80 percent of its implementation matrix at its January 6 meeting. Three of five members attended, with Bonnie Torrey and Mary McBride absent; the committee elected Dina Favreau as permanent secretary by acclamation, taking over from a temporary appointment. Members reviewed action items spanning historic resources, public facilities, and infrastructure using a consolidated scoring system — ones for implemented, 0.5 for partial, zeros for nothing done — placing the land use category at roughly 85 percent complete and natural resources at approximately 80 percent. The committee flagged Billerica Memorial High School as completed "with limited to no community center functions" and recommended the town examine why those promised amenities were never activated. On sewer expansion, members noted that only 418 of 1,340 surveyed property owners responded to a November 2025 mailing — a 31 percent return rate — with results still being compiled. Three energy-audit items remain unscored pending departmental outreach, and the committee set a tentative next meeting for January 29.