Freetown Select Board Closes Warrant, Sets October 23 Special Town Meeting

FREETOWN — September 5, 2023 — Freetown Select Board closes warrant for a 30-article October 23 special town meeting. Meeting Tuesday, the board approved articles covering an opioid settlement stabilization fund, a $250,000 OPEB contribution, two pickup trucks at $45,000 each, up to $470,000 in road repairs, an $80,000 UTV rescue trailer, $130,000 in new fire department extraction equipment, and $10,000 to codify the town's bylaws, while setting aside a proposal to increase vacation time for bylaw employees pending union negotiations. Town Administrator Debbie Aguiar disclosed that the public safety radio project has grown to $1.25 million — roughly $300,000 above prior estimates — and that approximately $375,000 in Bristol County ARPA funds remains available as a contingency cushion. The board also approved a three-year, $89,850 post-closure environmental monitoring contract with Riverhawk Environmental LLC for the Holland Road Landfill and a $2,100 stipend MOA with Luanne Souza for boat ramp coverage. In a public hearing, Verizon representative Don Vonner disclosed that two utility poles on Chase Road had been installed before the board granted permission — an error he attributed to an internal queue breakdown — and the board approved the locations after closing the hearing.