Board of Selectmen Meeting 6/1/26

The Freetown Board of Selectmen met on June 1, 2026, to conduct regular town business ahead of the Annual Town Meeting. The board approved prior meeting minutes, the FY 2027 town clerk reappointment list, and authorized Town Administrator Deborah Pettey to finalize the contract renewal with the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District for Crapo Hill disposal services at $90 per ton following town counsel's review of an indemnification clause. Additionally, the board approved the procurement and installation of security cameras for Town Hall and the boat ramp, and awarded a $16,630 quote to G&R Truck & Utility for a water and sewer truck crane.

The board addressed several administrative and contractual matters, including approving a collective bargaining agreement with the Freetown Full-Time Firefighters Association Local 2313 running through June 30, 2027, and approving two water-related agreements with Apex Companies for asset management digitization and bleeder discharge assessments. The board also accepted a $50 donation to the Council on Aging and approved a road opening permit for 54 Braley Road. A major action involved amending the proposed FY 2027 omnibus budget to $34,854,562.50, utilizing freed-up funds from school assessment reductions and state cherry sheet increases to fund an additional full-time firefighter ($71,000) and injured-on-duty insurance increases ($10,000).

Finally, the board reviewed upcoming town meeting warrant articles, including passing over a tax-title parcel article and discussing a proposed zoning bylaw regulating battery energy storage systems (BESS). In personnel matters, the board approved end-of-year departmental transfers to advertising, acknowledged the resignation of Community Program Director Kylie Battello, noted a conflict of interest disclosure from Town Administrator Deborah Pettey regarding a family member's business permit, and approved appointments for highway department personnel and the animal control officer before adjourning at 6:08 p.m.

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