Freetown Select Board Holds Library Grant Decision Amid MBTA Zoning Uncertainty

FREETOWN — January 21, 2025 — Freetown Select Board defers final vote on state library grant amid MBTA zoning compliance uncertainty. The board heard from Library Trustees Chair Amy and grant coordinator Nicole that the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has awarded Freetown a long-sought grant with a $100,000 first installment for planning and design of a joint library and Council on Aging building — a project described as "decades in the making." The central question is whether to accept and hold the funds untouched or risk a clawback if the town falls out of MBTA Communities zoning compliance after July 2025; the state has explicitly said it will reclaim the money if compliance lapses. The board agreed to revisit the decision at its next meeting, with roughly 30 days before state contracts are issued, while the town holds approximately $170,000 in local funds as a potential fallback. In other action, the board unanimously closed and forwarded a special town meeting warrant including a $685,000 municipal fiber project, a tax title payment plan amendment dropping the required down payment from 25 percent to 10 percent, and increases to senior and veteran work-off tax credit programs; it also approved a Council on Aging outreach worker hours increase from eight to 20 weekly and signed a National Van Builders sales order for a new COA van backed by $50,000 in grant money.