Town Government
Lunenburg Town Departments
Finding the Right Department
Most of what residents need from the town runs through a department, not an elected official: paying a bill, pulling a permit, reporting a problem, registering to vote. Under charter section 4-2 the Town Manager is the appointing and contracting authority for every town department except the public schools, which is why most of the names below never appear on a ballot and why the Select Board holds one person responsible for all of them.
Lunenburg keeps one large exception, and it is the first row in the table. The Town Clerk is an ELECTED office here, on a three-year term under charter section 3-12, so the official who runs your elections and keeps your vital records answers to the voters directly rather than to the Town Manager. The Board of Assessors and the Sewer Commissioners are elected too, even though each has appointed professional staff working under it.
The directory below covers the departments residents contact most, with the head the town names on its own staff directory. For the full list, hours, and staff, visit the town’s Departments page or its staff directory. Town Hall is at 17 Main Street, and its main line is 978-582-4130.
Department Directory
| Town Clerk | Records, licenses, vital records, the town census, and elections. Town Clerk Kathryn Herrick, an office Lunenburg voters elect. 978-582-4130 ext. 4. |
|---|---|
| Police | Public safety and non-emergency response. Police Chief Jeffrey M. Thibodeau. 978-582-4531. |
| Fire | Fire suppression, prevention, and emergency response. Chief and Forest Warden Patrick Sullivan. 978-582-4155. |
| Public Works | Streets, snow plowing, cemeteries, and the town’s trees. Director and Tree Warden Bill Bernard. 978-582-4160. |
| Building | Building permits, inspections, and zoning enforcement. Building Commissioner and Fence Viewer Brian Gingras. 978-582-4146 ext. 3. |
| Board of Health | Inspections, clinics, and the local rules on public health and the environment. The town’s own directory lists an administrative assistant here and a Nashoba District Sanitarian. 978-582-4146 ext. 3. |
| Conservation | Wetlands permits, and the care and custody of more than 24 publicly accessible properties permanently protected for conservation and passive recreation. Conservation Agent Herlin Jaime. 978-582-4146 ext. 431. |
| Planning | Land use, zoning, subdivisions, and economic development. Director of Planning and Economic Development Stephen Wallace. 978-582-4146 ext. 5. |
| Assessors | Property valuation, abatements, and exemptions, under an elected Board of Assessors. 978-582-4145. |
| Treasurer and Tax Collector | Tax bills, payments, and town cash management. Treasurer and Tax Collector Myleen Mallari. 978-582-4130 ext. 2. |
| Accounting | Budget, accounting, and the town’s financial reporting. Finance Director and Town Accountant Karen Barrett. 978-582-4130 ext. 6. |
| Council on Aging | Outreach, transportation and programs for older residents, guided by an eleven-member volunteer board. Director Debra Goodsell. 978-582-4166. |
| Facilities, Grounds and Recreation | Town buildings, fields and youth programs. Facilities Director Chris Ruth and Recreation Director Krista Deveau. 978-582-4146. |
| Veterans’ Services | Benefits, claims, and services for Lunenburg veterans and their families. Veterans’ Service Agent Michelle Durkee. 978-582-4146 ext. 6. |
| Animal Control | Animal complaints, strays, and licensing questions. Animal Control Officer Kathleen Comeau. 978-582-4531. |
| Public Access Cable | The town’s own cable access operation, which records and broadcasts town and board meetings on Channel 8. PAC Manager Jo Toale. |
| Public Library | Books, programs and study space at 1023 Massachusetts Avenue, governed by elected Library Trustees. Library Director Muir Haman. 978-582-4140. |
Emergencies are 911. Lunenburg publishes two separate non-emergency lines: 978-582-4531 for the Police Department and 978-582-4155 for the Fire Department. The nearest hospital emergency department is HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital, Leominster Campus.
Town departments carry out state and local law. See how Massachusetts government connects to your town.