Freetown Select Board Awards $352,500 COA Parking Lot Contract, Calls January Town Meeting

FREETOWN — October 20, 2025 — Freetown Select Board awards $352,500 parking lot contract and calls January special town meeting. The board unanimously approved J&H Landscaping and Construction, Inc. to improve the Council on Aging parking lot at $352,500, beating out a competing bid of $519,775 — a gap of more than $167,000. The board also voted to install a flooring system at the Hathaway Park pickleball and basketball court, funded roughly half from ARPA money and half from a parks and recreation maintenance account holding approximately $175,000, after contractors repeatedly declined to simply paint the concrete surface due to the absence of a vapor barrier. A special town meeting was called for January 26, 2026, at Apponequet Regional High School, with warrant submissions opening October 21. Town Administrator Debbie flagged potential exposure on a $500,000 bridge design grant and a $1 million water system expansion grant following a reported federal funding pause.