Freetown Select Board Approves $48,667 Police Computer Upgrade Using ARPA Funds

FREETOWN — July 15, 2024 — Freetown Select Board unanimously approved $48,667 in federal ARPA funds to replace aging police cruiser computers and cut retiree health insurance coverage from 95 percent to 90 percent to comply with state law, both effective by year's end. The board's July 15 meeting also featured a lengthy joint session with the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Water Department Commissioners on a proposal to relocate two town departments to Fire Station 2, where a 400-square-foot back room could be converted to offices for an estimated $30,000 to $40,000 — roughly half the cost of an earlier design. Town Administrator Deborah Pelletier described the 1888 Town Hall as operating at roughly five square feet per person, well below the building-code standard of 15, with Planning and Conservation staff in a third-floor attic flagged as a fire-safety hazard. No relocation vote was taken; the board directed staff to commission architectural drawings before reconvening the joint boards. Police Chief James Harrington said the new mobile data terminals, sourced from Advanced Electronic Design Inc., will support e-citations and integrate with the town's newly upgraded radio system, replacing units seven to ten years old — more than double their rated shelf life.