No person, unless licensed by the Select Board in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.7(b) of these bylaws, shall engage in the business of operating or otherwise set up, use or drive any hackney carriages, as defined in these bylaws, for the conveyance of persons for hire from place to place within the Town or from within the Town to places outside the Town. Any person who shall violate this provision may be punished by a fine not to exceed $20 for each time such carriage is used.
No person, unless licensed by the Select Board in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.7(a) of these bylaws, shall engage in the business of purchasing, selling or bartering junk, old metals or secondhand articles within the Town.
[1]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section to add "or the Select Board's designee" on 5/1/2025.
No person shall hawk or peddle newspapers, publications, ice, flowering plants, meats, butter, cheese, fish or such flowers, fruits, nuts and berries as are wild or uncultivated within the Town until and unless said shall have demonstrated compliance with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 101 and shall have recorded said person's name and resident with the Chief of Police, who may assign a registration number to such person.
No person, unless licensed by the Select Board in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.7(d) of these bylaws, and in possession of a current Fireworks Certificate of Competency issued by the State, shall discharge, explode or cause to be discharged or exploded any fireworks within the Town.
[1]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section to require a state fireworks certificate of competency on 5/1/2025.
No person, unless the person is the holder of a permit issued by the Board of Health and except in accordance with the terms and conditions of such permit, shall carry in or through any of the streets, sidewalks or public places in the Town any refuse, as defined in these bylaws.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
[1]
Article 17 of the 2007 Fall Town Meeting deleted this section, "Dumping or Using Pig Manure."
No person, unless the person is the holder of a permit issued by the Select Board in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.8(a) of these bylaws, and except in accordance with the terms and conditions of such permit, shall obstruct any street by placing therein any house or other building.
[1]
Article 3 of the 1983 Fall Town Meeting corrected the designation of Section 3.8(a) and (b). Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
No person, unless the person is the holder of a permit issued by the Select Board in accordance with Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.8(b) of these bylaws, and except in accordance with the terms and conditions of such permit, shall place an obstruction in any street or on any sidewalk within the Town and allow it to remain there, or allow tree limbs or shrubbery to overhang sidewalks so as to impede free passage of pedestrians and snow removal equipment.
[1]
Article 21 of the 1985 Fall Town Meeting added “or on Any Sidewalks” to the title of this section. Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024. Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section to add "tree limbs or" on 5/1/2025.
No person shall drive or draw any cart, wagon, sled or other vehicle (except wheelchairs or strollers) over or upon any sidewalk in the Town, provided, however, that bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks outside districts zoned for general business. A person operating a bicycle on the sidewalk shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.
[1]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025 to change "invalid's or children's hand carriages" to "wheelchairs or strollers."
No person shall stand on any sidewalk in such a manner as to obstruct the free passage of pedestrians after a request to move on is made to him by a police officer.
No person traveling on a street within the Town shall break or injure the surface thereof by the use of brakes, chains or other mechanism so applied to the wheels of any vehicle so controlled as to cause said wheels to slide, slip or coast on said way.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
No person shall in any manner cut or mutilate any tree, not owned by said person, standing in any street or public place in the Town.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024. Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025 to eliminate the prohibition on tying horses or other animals to trees.
No person shall maliciously or negligently injure, or permit or suffer any animal or vehicle of any kind under said person’s care to injure any grass borders or other ornamental borders upon the streets, parks or other public places in the Town.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
[1]
Article 17 of the 2007 Fall Town Meeting deleted this section, Livestock.
Every person owning or possessing land or having it under said person’s control whereon is located an abandoned well or a well in use shall provide a covering for such well capable of sustaining a weight of 300 pounds or shall fill same to the level of the ground. Any person who shall violate this bylaw shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500 for each violation.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
No person, except an officer of the law in the performance of said officer’s lawful duties, shall engage in the unlawful observation of another person in a private setting, whether through physical means or electronic devices, such as cameras, telephones or drones.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024. Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025 to change the title from "Window Peeping" to "Privacy" and to revise the text accordingly.
No person shall throw any object onto any street or way in a manner that endangers public safety within such street or way.
[1]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025.
No person shall engage in any amusement, game or exercise in any street in such manner as to interfere with the free, safe and convenient use thereof, unless otherwise permitted by law.
(a)
Except as otherwise set forth in Subsection (b) of this section, no person shall consume any alcoholic beverage, or possess an open container of any alcoholic beverage, as defined in M.G.L. c. 138, § 1, while in or upon any public street, sidewalk, park, playground, or other public place in the Town.
(b)
The Select Board, in its capacity as local licensing authority, may authorize the consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages in or upon any public street, sidewalk, park, or other public place in the Town, other than a playground, to the extent permitted by state law.
(c)
No person shall consume any alcoholic beverage, or possess an open container of any alcoholic beverage, in or upon any private land or place in the Town without the consent of the owner or authorized person in control thereof.
[1]
Article 5 of the 2018 Fall Town Meeting amended this section on 11/15/2018. Article 5 of the 5/2/2016 Special Town Meeting amended this section.
No person shall, except as authorized or required by law, fire or discharge any gun, fowling piece, or other firearm or any air rifle in the Town. This section shall not apply to the use of such weapons by police officers in the performance of their duties, to the use of such weapons at any lawful military exercise or to the use of such weapons in the lawful defense of said person’s person, family or property by any citizen. Nothing in this section shall derogate from the rights and privileges of an owner or lessee of land as set forth in Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
No person shall cause snow or ice to be deposited on a street, sidewalk or gutter other than in line with and contiguous to snow and ice plowed by the Town.
[1]
Article 5 of the 1987 Fall Town Meeting added this new section.
All power driven crafts except those driven by battery powered trolling motors shall be prohibited from use on Wedge Pond, Big and Little Winter Ponds with the exception of: Police, Fire Rescue Craft, State Law Enforcement or Research Vessels and any other crafts as may be authorized by the Select Board.
[1]
Article 17 of the 1997 Fall Town Meeting added this new section.
No person shall engage in behavior that threatens the safety and well-being of others in any public place, or near any dwelling house, or other building in the Town, or be or remain on any sidewalk, or upon any doorstep, or other projection from any house or other building, so as to obstruct any passage to such house or building, and every person being or remaining as aforesaid when ordered by any constable or police officer, or by the owner or occupant of any such building, shall immediately and peacefully depart and stay therefrom.
[1]
Article 3 of the 1983 Fall Town Meeting deleted the language in this section and replaced it with the language now shown. Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025.
Except in case of fire or where authorized in writing by the Select Board, the Town Manager or the Town Manager’s designees, no person shall open any Town water hydrant, nor lift or remove the cover thereof, nor make any opening in or connection with any Town pipe or reservoir, nor turn on or off the water from any Town water hydrant, pipe, reservoir or fountain. For the purposes of this section, each successive day on which any violation is committed or continued shall be deemed a separate offense.
No person shall, except as authorized or required by law, remove, alter the position of, deface, or disturb in any manner, any barrier, sign, manhole cover, or grating, placed or installed in or on any street, sidewalk or public place within the Town in the interests of safety or necessity.
Except as provided in Section 8-29 of these bylaws, no person owning, possessing or having under his control real estate abutting a sidewalk next to a street, which real estate is being used in whole or in part for any commercial enterprise or as a place to which the public may be expected to resort, shall place any snow or ice on such sidewalk or suffer snow or ice to remain thereon for more than five hours between sunrise and sunset on any business day. Any person who shall violate this provision may be punished by a fine of not more than $10 for each offense. For the purposes of this section, each successive day during which any violation is committed or continued shall be deemed a separate offense.
The preceding Section 8-28 of these bylaws shall not apply:
(a)
in any instance involving property which is used solely for residential purposes;
(b)
in any instance where, due to weather conditions, snow or ice is evenly spread over a sidewalk and frozen thereto so that removal is difficult, so long as such sidewalk is kept in a safe condition by sanding or otherwise.
30.1.
Any vehicle on a public way that interferes with the work of removing or plowing snow or removing ice therefrom may be removed with Police Department approval to a convenient place and stored by or under the direction of the Director of Public Works or the Director of Public Works’ designee. The Director of Public Works shall forthwith notify the Chief of Police of any such vehicle and of the place to which it has been removed and stored. The owner of the vehicle shall be subject to the penalties established pursuant to Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.9.
30.2.
Any vehicle, wherever located, that interferes with the performance of the Fire Department duties during a fire or any other emergency, or may threaten to interfere with the performance of the Fire Department in the event of a fire or other emergency, may be removed to a convenient place and stored by or under the direction of the Fire Chief or the commanding officer. This individual shall forthwith notify the Chief of Police of any such vehicle and of the place to which it has been removed and stored. If the vehicle is in violation of these bylaws, the owner shall be subject to the penalties established pursuant to Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.9(e) hereof.[2]
[2]
Article 16 of the 2007 Fall Town Meeting deleted the language in this section and replaced it with the language now shown.
30.3.
No person shall allow, stand or suffer any vehicle registered in said person’s name, corporation or other entity to stand or park on a public way in any of the following places:
(a)
upon or over any sidewalk, except in residential districts where due to extenuating circumstances the Select Board has granted exemption
(b)
upon or over any crosswalk
(c)
within 10 feet of a fire hydrant
(d)
in such a way that blocks access or egress to any driveway, private road or public way
(e)
in any legally posted “Tow Away Zone”
(f)
No person shall allow, permit, stand or suffer any vehicle registered in said person’s name, corporation or other entity to stand or park upon a designated Fire Department approved fire lane, wherever located and properly posted, or in an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible parking space without proper authorization. Violations may result in fines as outlined in M.G.L. c. 40, § 21.[3]
[3]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this subsection on 5/1/2025 to reference the Americans with Disabilities Act and to add fines for violations.
(g)
Vehicles found in violation of any of the provision in this Subsection 30.3 may be removed to a convenient place and stored under the direction of the Chief of Police or the Chief of Police’s designee. The owner of the vehicle shall be subject to the penalties established pursuant to Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.9.[4]
30.4.
Any stolen vehicle, unregistered or uninsured motor vehicle, or any vehicle that has been unattended on a public or private way for more than 72 hours and shall be deemed by the Chief of Police to have been abandoned may be removed to a convenient place and stored under the direction of the Chief of Police or the Chief of Police’s designee. The owner of the vehicle shall be subject to the penalties established pursuant to Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.9.
30.5.
The Police Department shall keep a record of all vehicles towed or removed under the provisions of this section. Such record shall be retained for one year and shall contain at least the following information:
(a)
The registration number, if available, and identification information of the vehicle
(b)
The location from where it was towed and the time and date of the tow order.
(c)
The location to which it was towed and/or stored
(d)
The fee charged for towing and storage
(e)
Name of the Town contractor or tower
(f)
Name and rank of officer who authorized towing
30.6.
The Police Department shall give notice to the registered owner of any vehicle towed or removed under the provisions of this section. The owner, before being permitted to remove the vehicle, shall establish that person's right to do so, shall pay to the Town any fines assessed, and shall pay to the keeper of the place of storage the fees of removal and storage resulting therefrom as established pursuant to Chapter 3, Section 3-3, Subsection 3.9.
If the owner of a vehicle, that has been towed or removed, cannot be determined, then the Chief of Police may dispose of said vehicle, without liability, as in accordance with the disposition of other unclaimed or lost property. If said vehicle is worth less than the cost of removal and storage, then the Chief of Police may without incurring liability on the Chief of Police's part or the part of the Town take possession of such motor vehicle and dispose thereof as refuse.[5]
[5]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this subsection to make it gender-neutral on 5/1/2025.
30.7.
The tower shall be liable to the owner for any damage to the vehicle arising out of negligence during the course of removal and storage.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
No person owning, possessing or having under said person’s control any real estate abutting any intersection of streets in any section of the Town zoned for residential uses, shall erect, place, plant or permit or suffer the erection, placing or planting or maintenance of anything in such a manner that it shall materially impede the vision of operators of motor vehicles between a height of 2 1/2 and 10 feet above the centerline grades of the intersecting streets in the area bounded by the street lines of said real estate and a line joining points 30 feet along said street lines from the point of intersection of said street lines.
Any person who violates this provision and, after being notified of violation by the Select Board in writing , permits said violation to continue for 30 days after receipts of notice, may be punished by a fine of not more than $50. For the purposes of this section, each successive day during which any violation is committed or continued shall be deemed a separate offense.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
No person shall coast in or upon any streets or sidewalks in the Town unless such places have been designated for such purpose by the Select Board.
Whenever any provision of these bylaws imposes a duty and affixes a penalty for the neglect or violation thereof, if such neglect or violation shall nevertheless occur, the Select Board may perform or cause the performance of such duty, at the expense of the persons liable to perform the same; and such expense, to an amount not exceeding the penalty, may be recovered in contract by the Town.
[1]
Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.
35.1.
Whosoever violates any provision of this section or any rule or regulation of the Board of Health shall be penalized by a criminal complaint brought in the district court or by a noncriminal disposition pursuant to M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D.
35.2.
Any person who upon application of a criminal complaint brought in the district court and found guilty of a misdemeanor shall be fined in an amount not to exceed $300. Each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such hereunder.
35.3.
Any person who is penalized by a noncriminal disposition brought pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D, shall be subject to a specific penalty of $50, provided however, that any person who violates any rule or regulation of the Board of Health which restricts the feeding of water fowl shall be subject to a specific penalty of $5. Each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such hereunder. Violations of this section may be enforced by any member of the Board of Health, Health Director or other enforcing person as defined by the rules or regulations of the Board of Health.
35.4.
Any person who, 10 days after receipt of written notice of a violation of any rule or regulation of the Board of Health, permits such violation to continue, shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of Section 8-35 as above, provided however, that no such written notice of violation or waiting period shall be required for violation of any rule or regulation of the Board of Health which restricts the feeding of water fowl.
[1]
Article 6 of the 1991 Fall Town Meeting added this new section. Article 12 of the 1993 Spring Town Meeting amended Subsections 35.3 and 35.4.
36.1.
Any person or body having ownership and/or lawful control of improved or enclosed property designed for and/or used as an off-street parking area serving business establishments, shopping malls, theatres, auditoriums, sporting or recreational facilities, cultural centers, residential dwellings or any other place or area where the public has a right of access as invitees or licensees, shall reserve parking spaces in said places or area for any vehicle owned and operated by a person with disabilities whose vehicle bears the distinguishing license plate authorized by M.G.L. c. 90, § 2 or for any vehicle transporting a person with disabilities and displaying the special identification plate authorized by M.G.L. c. 90, § 2 or for any vehicle bearing the official identification of a person with disabilities issued by any other state, or any Canadian Province. This section shall be binding upon all such places and areas whether the same be owned by and/or under the control of governmental agencies, and education, charitable and religious institutions.
36.2.
Spaces so reserved in such place or area for persons with disabilities, or vehicles shall be in accordance with the following provisions:
If the number of parking spaces is more than five but not more than 25, one parking space; more than 25 but not more than 40, 5% of such spaces but not less than two; more than 40 but not more than 100, 4% of such spaces but not less than three; more than 100 but not more than 200, 3% of such spaces but not less than four; more than 200 but not more than 500, 2% of such spaces but not less than six.
36.3.
Parking spaces designated as reserved under the provisions of Subsection 36.1 shall be identified by the use of above grade signs with white lettering against a blue background and shall bear the words “Handicapped Parking: Special Plate Required. Unauthorized Vehicles May Be Removed at Owner’s Expense”; shall be as near as possible to a building entrance or walkway; shall be adjacent to curb ramps or other unobstructed methods permitting sidewalk access to a person with disabilities; and shall be 12 feet wide or two, eight foot wide areas with four feet of cross hatch between them.
36.5.
No vehicle shall be left unattended in such places and/or areas as described in Subsection 36.1, hereof, in such a manner as to obstruct a curb ramp constructed therein for use by persons with disabilities as a means of egress to a street or public way.
36.6.
Penalty for the violation of this section shall be not less than $25 or in excess of $100.
[1]
Article 11 of the 1998 Fall Town Meeting added this new section. Article 45 of the Spring 2025 Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025 to revise the title and text to change "disabled veterans or handicapped persons" or "handicapped person" to "person(s) with disabilities."
37.1.
Duty to Dispose.
It shall be the duty of each person who owns, possesses or controls a dog to remove and dispose of any feces left by said person’s dog on any sidewalk, street or other public area in the Town. It shall further be the duty of each person who owns, possesses or controls a dog to remove and dispose of any feces left by said person’s dog on any private property neither owned nor occupied by said person.
37.2.
Duty to Possess Means of Removal.
No person who owns, possesses or controls such dog shall appear with such dog on any sidewalk, street, park or other public area without the means of removal of any feces left by such dog. Furthermore, no person who owns, possesses or controls such dog shall appear with such dog on any private property neither owned nor occupied by said person without the means of removal of any feces left by said dog.
37.3.
Method of Removal and Disposal.
For the purposes of this regulation, the means of removal shall be any tool, implement or other device carried for the purpose of picking up and containing such feces without physical contact with said person or public. Disposal shall be accomplished by transporting such feces to a place suitable for the disposal of canine feces, or as otherwise designated as appropriate by the Board of Health.
37.4.
Complaints.
A complaint form must be sworn to by the complainant before any enforcement action is taken except when the Dog Officer, Animal Control Officer or Board of Health Agent observes the offense.
37.6.
Noncriminal Disposition.
Enforcement of Section 8-37 of the Code of Bylaws shall be pursued through the provisions of M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D, which provides for the noncriminal disposition of bylaws. The enforcing persons shall be the Animal Control Officer, Board of Health Agents and Dog Officer of the Town. This amendment does not apply to service dogs accompanied by their owners.[3]
[3]
Article 45 of the 2025 Spring Town Meeting amended this section on 5/1/2025 to change "guide dogs" to "service dogs" and to change "handicapped persons" to "their owners."
37.7.
Right to Hearing.
Any person who is the subject of a complaint by a private citizen may seek a hearing before a hearing officer designated by the Board of Health by filing a request for hearing with the Board within seven days after such person’s receipt of notice of violation. The filing of the request for hearing shall automatically stay further proceedings under M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D until such person receives notice of the hearing officer’s decision.
[1]
Article 9 of the 1999 Spring Town Meeting added this section. Article 23 of the 2024 Fall Town Meeting amended this section to make it gender-neutral on 11/18/2024.