Rochester’s Select Board Monday signed a new contract with New England Rodeo, allowing the company to continue using the former 18.6-acre Country Fair grounds at 65 Pine Street in 2026.
The rodeos, averaging two per month, were hosted at the Pine Street property from June to October of 2025, and the town earned $41,000 in revenue from the events. Town Administrator Cameron Durant reported before the approval vote Monday what this year’s contract will add.
The pact for 2026 will include a $2,500 fee to leave the rodeo equipment on site over the winter. The fee to lease the land for next season will rise from $8,000 per month to $9,000 per month, plus the cost of the electricity the rodeo uses during its season.
Durant noted the revenue for the next rodeo season will jump to $47,000 this coming season, and he elaborated that the rodeo’s first season in town was a good one. “No disruptions to safety,” Durant said. “Police and Fire had no issues. It had a good year.”
Next, the board learned a plan is in the works to consolidate the town’s regulations and codes into a database that will be available on the town website. Durant said this would be a resource for residents, search-able by topic. He said the project has been in the works for around five years. It was started by previous town clerk and Select Board member Naida Parker, and it includes 179 changes to town codes.
After his work with a professional consulting firm on what needs to be in it, this “Ecode Project,” Durant said, is in a rough-draft stage. He instructed the Select Board to review the document materials. He said the final draft will need to be approved by the Select Board and the Planning Board, then by Town Meeting.
In other business, the board continued to its next meeting a vote on whether to exercise the town’s right to purchase two lots covering High Street, County Road, Cross Road and Forbes Road and 5 acres off of Pierce Street. Durant explained the Buzzards Bay Coalition is in the middle of negotiating with the landowner to transfer these properties to that land conservation group.
The next meeting of the Rochester Select Board was not scheduled at adjournment.
Rochester Select Board
By Michael J. DeCicco