Select Board Renews Police Clinician Contracts

Select Board · Meeting of July 14, 2026

Kingston's Select Board renewed police clinician contracts and split 3-1 on early voting access. Detective Lieutenant Mike Scovera presented continuing agreements for clinical supervisor Caitlin Leary and clinicians Kate Eldridge and Gabriella Cohen, funded largely through a Department of Mental Health grant and including a 1 percent cost-of-living raise. Board member Pike said future hourly contracts should include a "maximum liability" cap, noting one agreement could otherwise run as high as $25,000.

The board also voted 4-0 to accept a $25,000 Finance Committee line-item transfer and appointed three new municipal employees, including Melissa McClary as Head of Youth Services. The town's conservation agent told the board a $1.6 million MassDOT grant will fund a Lake Street culvert project that closes the road to through traffic for two months in summer 2027.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,353 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.