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.