By Carol Britton Meyer 

A three-member selection committee will review the applications of eight people who are seeking to replace Diane Costagliola as director of the Hull Public Library.

Costagliola resigned recently to accept the position of library director in Sandwich. The search committee is comprised of library trustee James Curtis Miller III, Town Manager Jennifer Constable, and select board member Jason McCann.

“We will narrow [the process] to three or four candidates and interview them, moving forward as quickly as possible,” Constable said at Wednesday’s meeting of the select board. She also thanked the library staff for “holding down the fort” in the meantime.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, War Memorial Commission Chair Edward Burke proposed the creation of an Agent Orange memorial at Monument Square to honor the eight or more Hull veterans who died from its effects. The goal is to have the memorial completed by Aug. 10, 2024, which has been designated as Agent Orange Awareness Day annually. The select board was supportive of this idea.

Constable was appointed as the select board’s designee to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the MBTA Advisory Board. The MAPC is the regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston. MAPC’s mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration, and to work toward sound municipal management, sustainable land use, protection of natural resources, efficient and affordable transportation, a diverse housing stock, public safety, economic development, clean energy, healthy communities, an informed public, and equity and opportunity among people of all backgrounds.

“The MAPC is an exceptional resource to the entire region, and specifically to Hull,” Constable said. Community Development and Planning Director Chris DiIorio will serve as the alternate.

The MBTA Advisory Board plays a key role in the allocation of federal funds for MBTA capital-related projects. The board is composed of the chief elected official of each of the 176 cities and towns in the Commonwealth, or their designee.

McCann noted the importance of alerting the community to any service changes related to the Hull bus, commuter rail, ferry, or The Ride in a prompt manner. Constable suggested that the proposed select board newsletter could include such updates.

Constable reported that she, Rep. Joan Meschino, and Sen. Patrick O’Connor will meet soon with the new Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioner “to share our needs and asks of the DCR” and to provide a tour of the Point Allerton seawall – which is owned by the DCR and is in desperate need of repair – Fort Revere, and the front beach area” and to talk about climate adaptation. Constable will report back to the board following the meeting.

“We would like to see our improved relationship with DCR continue to grow,” she said.

McCann reported that there has been progress in negotiating a long-awaited, long-term Paragon Carousel lease with the DCR for the state-owned clocktower building.

The board entered into executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss former Superintendent Michael Devine’s lawsuit against the town. The school committee also held a closed-door discussion of the suit at its meeting on Monday.

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