Board of Selectmen Meeting 3/30/26

The Freetown Board of Selectmen met on March 30, 2026, handling regular municipal business before holding extensive recognition ceremonies. Routine approvals included meeting minutes, an entertainment license for the Lakeside Festival on May 24, 2026, an event application for a bicycle race on town roads, and multiple donations benefiting the Council on Aging and the annual Earth Day cleanup. The board also voted to recommend that the regional school committee conduct a secondary independent audit covering fiscal years 2022 through 2025, approved a $14,376.39 quote from Patrol PC for water and sewer department vehicle computers, adjusted seasonal wage rates for parking control officers and boat ramp managers, and reappointed Nancy Durfee to the SRPEDD commission.

Town Administrator Deborah Pettey provided a major update on the proposed joint Council on Aging and library building project. Although the project had secured an expected $10.2 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and planned for $15 million in town funding, recent cost estimates surged to over $31 million, leaving a $7 million to $8 million deficit. Pettey and board members discussed the financial impossibility of borrowing beyond the planned $5 million within the tax levy without an override or debt exclusion, noting ongoing efforts with project architects and owner's project managers to reduce scope and costs ahead of the June 1 town meeting.

Following municipal business, the meeting transitioned into multiple ceremonial recognitions. The board and visiting state delegation members commended the Freetown Police Department for achieving statewide re-accreditation, followed by official citations honoring town department heads and staff for emergency response during the historic blizzard of 2026. The meeting concluded with tributes, official citations from the Massachusetts Senate and House, and a plaque presented to outgoing Board Chair Trevor Matthews in honor of his six years of service on the Board of Selectmen.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.