Freetown Select Board Sets October 23 Special Town Meeting, Advances Solar Proposal

FREETOWN — August 7, 2023 — Freetown Select Board schedules October 23 special town meeting and advances police station solar plan. The board voted unanimously Monday on a full agenda that included setting the special town meeting for 7 p.m. at the Freetown-Lakeville Middle School auditorium, with the warrant open for submissions from August 8 through September 1. Select Energy representative Dave Bisson presented a combined 163.2-kilowatt rooftop and parking canopy solar system for the police station under a 25-year power purchase agreement at 22.02 cents per kilowatt hour — nearly matching the town's current Eversource rate of 22.04 cents — with projected 25-year savings of $249,000 under Block 8 SMART incentives. The board deferred action on a solar letter of intent pending confirmation from the police chief and resolution of a recently discovered roof leak, but indicated support for moving forward. The board also authorized up to $60,000 in ARPA funds to match a $150,000 water infrastructure mapping grant, approved $20,000 in ARPA funds for part-time grant management assistance, and voted to implement two-factor authentication town-wide following a recent cybersecurity breach.