Freetown Select Board Interviews Police Chief Candidate, Locks In Five-Year Electric Rate

FREETOWN — May 15, 2023 — Freetown Select Board interviews lone police chief applicant and locks in five-year electricity rate for all town buildings. The board unanimously approved a five-year term with the Massachusetts Municipal Association's municipal energy aggregation program covering 19 buildings, including the elementary school, with rates taking effect in December 2023 when the current contract expires. Sergeant Scott Rose, a 30-year law enforcement veteran who has served as the department's accreditation manager for more than a decade, was the sole interviewee for the police chief vacancy left by the departing current chief; the board indicated a decision is imminent after also receiving a written union endorsement of Rose. The board approved the fiscal year 2024 town operating budget as written — over Finance Committee objections to four department-head raises — on a 2-1 vote, with the salary difference across the four positions amounting to roughly $7,800 on a roughly $30.6 million general budget. The Freetown Regional Food Pantry secured a two-year renewal of its license for the old police station through June 30, 2025, after the board declined the pantry's request for a three-year term, citing ongoing building studies.