Board of Selectmen 3/2/2026

The Freetown Board of Selectmen met on March 2, 2026, to address municipal business heavily shaped by the aftermath of the recent Blizzard of 2026. The board formally ratified its declaration of a local state of emergency and voted to establish a compensation rate of $225 per hour for private heavy loaders utilized during snow removal operations. Officials commended the highway, police, fire, and dispatch departments, alongside local contractors, for their emergency response efforts. The board also handled routine administrative items, including declaring non-functioning police department electronics as surplus and setting the Annual and Special Town Meetings for June 1, 2026, at Apponequet Regional High School, with warrant submissions open from March 10 to April 1, 2026.

The board approved several professional contracts and federal grant endorsement letters. These included ratifying an engineering agreement of $49,120 with Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. for the North Main Street sidewalk project, a $3,500 appraisal contract with Dailey Appraisal Services, a three-year auditing contract with Roselli, Clark & Associates totaling $81,000 ($26,500 for FY2026, $27,000 for FY2027, and $27,500 for FY2028), and a $14,000 contract addendum with P3 Project Planning Professionals for site test borings. Additionally, the selectmen voted to send letters of support for two Community Project Funding requests submitted to Congressman Jake Auchincloss: $2.5 million for Phase 1 of the sewer line extension and $3.5 million for the joint Council on Aging and library building.

A substantial discussion occurred regarding the preliminary FY2027 regional school assessment from the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District. Town Administrator Deborah Pettey highlighted that Freetown faces an estimated 13% increase ($1.7 million) toward the district's preliminary $53.6 million budget, raising major concerns regarding fiscal sustainability under Proposition 2½ limits. Board members voiced alarm over compounding budget increases and potential town layoffs, emphasizing the need for collaborative regional talks at an upcoming joint meeting with the Lakeville Selectmen and Finance Committees. Following appointments to the Conservation Commission and Cultural Council, the board voted to enter executive session regarding non-union personnel negotiations and executive session minutes.

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