East Bridgewater Select Board Approves Common Victualler License for Mission-Driven Coffee Shop

EAST BRIDGEWATER — March 2, 2026 — East Bridgewater Select Board approves Common Victualler License for disability-focused Boundless Bean coffee shop at the YMCA. The board voted unanimously Monday to license the Boundless Bean, run by manager Elena Hogan, to operate at 635 Plymouth Street inside the town's YMCA, where the shop reserves a minimum of 25 percent of shifts for workers with disabilities; a spring opening is targeted. The board also unanimously appointed Stephen Benjamin to the East Bridgewater Arts Council through June 30, 2029, authorized Treasurer/Collector Megan Crosby to list a foreclosed property at 279 Pine Street through realtor Molly Smith of Coldwell Banker, and approved SERSG regional purchasing contracts for a 12-month period beginning March 1. Town Administrator Charlie briefed members on the One Stop for Growth grant program, noting a potential planning application for the Union Street downtown corridor due in June, and reviewed the governor's FY2027 municipal aid proposal — $75 per student in school aid, worth roughly $150,000 to the town — with the board directing him to press state legislators for the Massachusetts Municipal Association's $150-per-student target. The board entered executive session on collective bargaining, non-union contract negotiations, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Town of East Bridgewater MBTA Communities Zoning litigation, and did not return to open session.