Freetown Select Board Approves Solar Fees, Cargo Trailer, Veterans Chair Relocation

FREETOWN — December 18, 2023 — Freetown Select Board relocated a POW/MIA veterans memorial chair, updated commercial solar permit fees, and approved a $7,500 fueling pad change order at its December 18 meeting. The board voted unanimously to move the chair from the cramped Town Hall hallway to the Council on Aging, following a recommendation from the police chief and approval from COA Director Rebecca; a local veterans agent who originally raised roughly $2,000 to $3,000 for the chairs said he had no objection. The new commercial solar fee structure, recommended by Building Commissioner Carl, sets a $500 minimum with a tiered rate of $10 per kilowatt up to 1,000 kilowatts and $5 per kilowatt above that threshold, bringing Freetown in line with neighboring towns. The board also approved $67,500 in ambulance abatements and write-offs for November 2023, a $2,499 cargo trailer for the fire department awarded to Scott's Recreation on a 2-0-1 vote, and a seasonal hiring authorization for highway department plow drivers. A failed water filtration system at the Council on Aging — estimated at $10,000 to replace — was flagged as a public health concern, with staff directed to obtain pricing on multiple remediation options including a potential connection to the new police station's municipal water supply.