Good evening everybody. It is Monday, January 5th, 2026 at 6 PM and with the quorum being present, I'll call to order the free town board suck meeting. Um, tonight's meeting will be recorded and will be available on the town's YouTube page. Um, all right, we'll jump right into it.
Agenda item one, discussion and vote whether to approve open session minutes from 121 2025, 1210 2025, and 12:15 2025. >> Any questions or concerns with this? >> All correct. >> All right. So, without entertain a motion to approve the open session
minutes listed on agenda item one. >> Motion meeting. I second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> All right. Agenda item two. Uh discussion of vote whether approve. Sorry, >> back up. to vote whether to open, approve, add, or remove articles. Um,
confirm selectman's recommendations as presented on the warrant. Finalize and close the special town meeting warrant for 126, 2026. All right. Should I open it first? I don't know if we have any changes. >> Yes, because we did we I know we removed
at least one. >> Okay. All right. All right. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to open the uh special town meeting warrant for 12626. >> Motion made second. >> All in favor? >> I >> All right.
So, I I know that we I don't know if we added at this meeting, but we added the approved the electricity bill credit agreement. That's for the um solar credits that we're working on. So that article got added because it's greater
than a three-year agreement has to have town meeting vote and that's the only added warrant article and then we subtract we took some off. >> Okay. What article numbers? All right. See it's 22.
>> They weren't numbered in that first one. Yeah. Was added. >> Yes. Number 22 was added. Okay. All right. And then we should also just make sure if we go through and make sure our recommendations and we'll just I think we have
consensus. We can now we can kind of take care of that. >> All right. So the first one is the installation of additional fence at free time elementary. It's submitted by us. So it's recommended by us. >> We're good with that one. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> All right. fund the purchase of an
all-terrain vehicle for the police department recommended by us. >> Yes. >> Which my buddy just had to be taken out of the woods for a mountain bike accident in Swansea on one of those was really important to have that. So,
>> yeah, the woods that we have around here makes no sense not to. Yeah. >> Um, [snorts] uh, article three, fun completion of land survey for Quaker Hill Cemetery. Good with that one. Yes.
>> And this is this is one way right on Main Street, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. Article four, fun replacement uh of communication center radio equipment recommended by us.
>> Yes. >> Yes. Article five, fun review of subdivision and storm water management rules and regulations. Recommended by us. >> Yes. Um then we have the fiscal year invoices.
So these are for article six. These are all recommended by us. We have to pay our bills. Any questions on that one? All right. [snorts] Fund the purchase of equipment for the water sewer commission. 30 grand. Makes sense. Recommended by us.
>> Yes. >> Um, article 8, replacement of the elementary school boiler. Recommended by us. Article 9, fund the purchase of a fire engine. Recommended by us.
Almost missed one. Article 10. uh supplement the tree warden's budget recommended by us. Article 11 fund resurfacing parking area of fire station 2 recommended by us. Approve north main street uh sidew
sidewalk project recommended by us. Article 13 fund engineering to modify the existing bleeder pits recommended by us. 14. Uh, supplement the board of health
budget 30 grand. This one does not have a recommendation on it. >> Yeah, >> that must have gotten dropped off. >> So, we >> we do re I mean we have to recommend >> Yep. recommend this one. >> Yep.
>> This is why we do this. [clears throat] >> [snorts] >> All right. Uh, article 15, approve transfer and sale uh of map 210 lot 108 [snorts] recommended by us.
A two/3 vote on all right. Article 16, transfer map 211, lot 35 from treasure collectors to conservation commission. Recommended by us. Uh the MBTA communities multif family
overlay district is recommended by us. Article 18, update bylaw for disposal of personal property recommended by us. Just this is a language update, right?
Just remove inconsistencies, right? Article 19 approve uh road layout for Son at four corners recommended by us. Article 20 accepting Fall Brook Lane and El Gawkman way for as town roads
recommended by us. Um article 21 is a solar pilot agreement recommended by us. Where is 18 US RV wet? >> I'm I'm assuming it's um one of the new ones either up on Copaka
or right off of um I would I must say Green's Pit, but I don't know if you know where that is. Right off of the the offramp of 24 right in the back over there. >> I've just never heard of that. that was well I and I don't know that for sure but I'm thinking that only because at one point there was going to be a
campground that was going to go in there. >> Mhm. >> I could be totally wrong. >> It's just a weird It's a weird road name that I've never seen so many roads I haven't seen. >> Yeah. I don't think it's a obviously a public. It's probably roadway.
>> Yeah, exactly. Okay. But that's fine and it's recommended by us. Article 22. This is the new one we've added which is the approved the electric bill credit agreement and it need to be added because it goes over three years that's recommended by us.
Um update position title and town personnel bylaw article 23. So this is changing the confidential secretary to administrative assistant. I think it's a no-brainer recommended by us. 20 article 24
um add employment position to bylaws >> add in the assistant animal control officer. >> That's right. Yep. Recommended by us >> in parts of the bylaw but not in other parts. >> Yeah, totally got it. [snorts] Okay. Article 25 um amend zoning bylaw
300-5.11. This is for this is the ADU related one. >> Yes. Regulations for the ADUs which are a by right use >> recommended by us. Uh then article 26
is related to that. It's just changing the um language for the ADUs recommended by us. 27 amend the zoning bylaw 300-1.4 accessory dwelling unit also related to
those other two articles and this is recommended by us. Article 28 also ADU related and just modifying the setback requirements also recommended by us.
Sorry. And that is all folks. All right. So >> we did remove some. So, I don't know if you want to make a vote that you're going to um >> Yeah. What >> recommend adding that warrant and
approving all the recommendations and then I can tell you what was removed or you want me to do those? >> Okay. So, we did the open. I'll approve all the articles that we currently have. >> Okay. >> Does that make sense? Or I say maybe I'll um approve and add. Is that what
you're saying? Right. >> Approve, add, and recommend. Okay. So, I'll entertain a motion that we approve, add, and recommend um all the articles presented in the packet tonight
for the special time meeting warrant for Monday, January 26, 2026. >> Motion made a second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> And does that do we have to vote on removing? >> I Yes, I would because you vote you already voted to approve them. So, we have to make sure we vote to remove
them. Okay. What what ones did we remove? >> So, there was the bylaw for the fingerprint uh change for the the police chief fingerprinting um certain people, mostly for the ice cream truck. Well, it came back from
town council with some questions that I couldn't I couldn't figure out. >> Get black lights on signs. I guess not. Do you want the bylaw change? This is this is the list.
>> I got to print it because town council had something. And then the second one was um height regulations of the ADU. It wasn't clear and it needed to be have some more work done. So I I met with Nancy and we agreed to remove it. It'll be on the next town
hall meeting both of those. >> All right. So with that, I'll entertain a motion to remove the uh articles related to the fingerprint submission for certain licenses with the police department as well as the um the zoning bylaws remove the heightened area regulations on the ADUs.
>> A motion made second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I [snorts] All right. Awesome. So with that, I think we can now close. All right.
>> Yeah. Finally, finalizing close it. >> What do we think we missed? >> Finalize and we have a final motion. >> Okay. Yeah. [snorts] Yep. So, I'll entertain a motion to finalize and close the special town meeting warrant for 126 2026. >> Motion made. Second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> I. [snorts] >> All right. So, that takes care of agenda item two. Agenda item three, which is related to whether to keep or sell property on Alexander Drive. We're going to pass on that. Um there's some open questions that we need to work through.
So we're going to pass on that today. Uh agenda item four. This is discussion of vote whether approve the winter 2025 2026 snowplow application from Benjamin Goldstein and L. They have all their proper
paperwork in. Everything's good. Our roads did look great after this last >> did great job. >> So we're doing something right. >> Any questions or concerns with this? >> No. >> No. >> Okay. Okay. So, with that, I entertain a motion to approve the uh snowplow application for 2025 2026 season for
Benjamin Goldstein. >> A motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> All right. Uh agenda item five, discussion of vote the uh the request from the East Freetown Congressional Church Board of Trustees to subsidize
the parking lot improvements. So, you know, we use that parking lot for the uh white library. >> So, they're asking for us to basically pay to redo the parking lot. >> Okay. >> Oh, to redo the whole parking lot. I think they're asking.
>> Yeah, >> you you should have the letter in your packet. >> Yeah, I thought it said repairs. So, that's why I was >> Well, it's Yeah, >> extensive repairs, I think. >> Yeah. [snorts] >> So, I don't know. I don't have a fund for that. like it's not like I it's not
a town owned building which makes it difficult to we're not supposed to spend money on non-towned buildings, right? So that's that makes it difficult to expend those funds. My only thought process is the is
the um donation account. >> Yeah, we we do get to use the property, right? So I mean I think that there is something to your point because we don't have we can't just go and use town funds but if we have our funds that we can use
towards it 4,800 bucks >> 4,800 yeah [snorts] >> I do believe there's money in the selectman's donation account that they could expend because it is for the good of the the library people and we do use it >> now whether you say we can pay half pay
or whatever but like I said I cannot use tax dollars Yeah, >> per se to um >> if you guys want to say sorry if you guys want to say a percentage of the whole thing I'm okay with it for the fact that they're being nice enough to us to allow us to use the parking lot
>> and it's a church >> right [laughter] we've used it for gosh decades >> right >> I used to go I I had uh a great uh win with my um derby car when I was at Boy Scouts [laughter] Yeah.
Saying nothing. >> It was the ugliest car in the whole place. As long as he runs, he took home a victory. >> I do think the library would have to shut down without the parking lot cuz where would you park? >> Yeah, exactly. I know there's no park there's no on street parking there. It's
I mean to me it's okay with that. >> Yeah, we have the donations there. And >> so if when you make a motion to make that I pay for it out of the donation account because they seem like they use regular tax dollars. >> Yep. I agree. >> Do I have to put a dollar figure in?
Right. So, I'm just trying to find it. >> It's 4,800. >> 4,800. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Y >> I can't find the agenda all of a sudden. >> Oh, yeah. >> Oh, not the agenda, the packet. >> It's definitely user error.
>> Okay, don't worry about it. >> No, it's fine. It's for I might if I have other things I might need to ask for help. Okay. So, with that, I want a motion to um to use the donation funds in the amount
of $4,800 to uh repave the East Freetown Congressional Church Board of Trustee or Church via the board of trustes to subsidize the parking lot improvements. >> Motion made. >> I second. >> All in favor? I >> that was a sloppy one.
>> It's all good. We got the gist of it. >> All right. Agenda item six. Uh discussion of vote on next steps for the COA. Vanas did not sell on the second attempt mut. What What do we get at now? >> It was 5,000. We first it was 8,000 then we went down to 5,000 and we got no bids
either time. >> You know, >> seems like a steal. >> Yeah. >> You think she people that want to make them into like a camper or something? I don't know. [laughter] What would you like me to do? >> I mean, we have to sell it, right? Like, there's no there's no use for us to keep
it. So, >> there's no use for us to keep it. We could donate it. I meant to call like Berkeley to see if they needed it. >> My next step was do we have another town around us that might want it? >> I'll make some calls. Um maybe you can make a vote that I will call surrounding
towns if anybody can utilize it >> and we'll if not >> if not we start the bid at like a thousand dollars and let it take it from there because >> let me look into it this week. We have a meeting next Monday so I should be able to get an answer for you by then. >> Okay. >> I was thinking Berkeley because you know
they're smaller. I don't know that they have a a handicap van. >> But should we vote on that now though? >> Yeah, you can. So, authorize you to give it to other towns. >> I'll have to bring that back to you guys. So, let me just see what I can find out.
>> Okay. [snorts] >> So, you can authorize it to go to another town. >> All right. So, no vote on this town. >> Could be a good way to pick up residents to bring them to meetings back and forth. >> You can use it to uh for the fire department to practice. Uh >> wonder. >> Absolutely.
>> Wonder if there is a resident that needs it. >> Yeah. I just wasn't sure if because Yeah. I just wasn't sure if it was >> food pantry. >> Yeah. >> Um >> the food pantry and they use it to pick up >> I mean I know Craig's always buying like
fridge trucks and stuff to move I mean I don't know >> crank the AC. >> Yeah. Non-p perishable. >> Yeah. I mean I would say that though if we do that first I think that that's a good step and then we can decide from there and hopefully you can come back to us and say that >> maybe the veterans >> or cushion it >> veterans
>> veterans might want it. Yeah, it work. It's not in great shape, but it works. >> Or another COA, right? Another Yeah, I'll I'll look around, see what we can find out. I'll ask the people that are in charge of these things, too. They'll know. Hey, >> got low mileage on it, right? It has low mileage. It's not like anything's torn or beat up.
>> It runs. It's I did I mean, the school was interested, but then they they so I did say, well, it's available, but then they they said, "No, it wouldn't meet their needs." >> Right. >> So, >> yeah, FW churches even, you know, who knows? Keep it local if we can. >> Yeah. Right. Absolutely.
>> Like unfortunately for us, well, fortunately for us, we're able to have another van and everything else. This doesn't fit our needs. Keep it local, great. If not, yeah. All the council of agings nearby. You know, people are always hurting for things or >> so. Yeah, I'm all for it. >> Okay.
>> All right. >> So, moving on to agenda item seven. This is discussion of vote whether to accept donations uh listed below to the council on aging. And it's Freetown Pitch Club in the sum of $180. $85, sorry. And Be
Tuesday Club in the sum of $100. Any issues accepting these donations? >> No, not at all. Thank you both. >> Thank you very much. We appreciate it. >> I want to know where the pitch club meets. >> Look into that. So with that, I'll entertain a motion to accept donations listed in the agenda item for the
Council on Aging. >> A motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. All right. Agenda item eight, discussion of vote whether the town wants to retain for town's purposes uh or sell
the location on map 240-016. >> This is the one that we've done already, right? >> Correct. >> Um so what happened is we we we voted to retain this because conservation wanted it >> and then we got the appraisal that came in at $80,000. Well, the way the new law
works that because we were owed approximately $20,000 in taxes, >> we would have to pay the difference back to the >> original owner. We don't have the funds, right? It hasn't been allocated at a town meeting. There's nowhere for me to get that money. So, conservation has
their own money. >> I went back to them and said, "Do you really want this? Are you willing to pay for it?" And they said, "No, we don't. We didn't really have a use for it, but we were going to take it because it had it's it's mostly wetlands. >> It's the landlocked, right?" landlocked and it's mostly wetlands and
when they still said it's worth $80,000. >> So, um >> they don't really want it, so they don't want to pay for it. So, now I'm like, we don't want to pay for this. So, I I went back to town, you know, council because this is brand new. In fact, we're the first town to do anything under this new law, of course.
>> So, um we can vote revote for us to now turn around and sell that. And of course any proceeds in excess of our expenses will then go back to the original owner of the land. >> So we have to have some pretty clean accounting on what all of our expenses are related to it. Like even even ad
like admin costs can we allocate admin cost? I I think we should I mean there's a lot of time that I've spent a lot of time Mike McHugh has spent >> this is it's a it's almost laughable right that we as the town have to do all the work and then
>> give them the proceeds. >> Yep. >> It it's really a great incentive for people just to >> not pay not do anything. Yeah. It's >> I mean they obviously owe more and there's a lot of fees that are associated with the fact that they didn't
>> pay the taxes along the way. So, I hope everyone pays the taxes, but you know what I mean? Like, the fact that this it once it gets to this point is okay, we're going to do a bunch of work. And so, that's why I hope that we can >> attach. >> Yes. All the expenses, the labor dollars
that are behind it, you know, account for, we'll put to this. Yeah. >> We've been having monthly meetings with the the tax attorney, [snorts] excuse me, and every meeting we go through every property. So, like a piece of that and it's Patty and Melissa, myself and Mike. Um, so we'll
do what we can do for accounting, but it's just like I said, it's a new law. It's um not the easiest. Um, but we have to hire a real estate agent to market it. >> That's the other part. >> I think we have to try to market it for
like an entire year >> there. So >> who like there's very few people who are going to want to buy this, >> right? >> Yeah. It's it's whoever. >> There's only looking at it. There's like probably five lots that are attached to it. >> Yeah.
>> Based on what I can see, maybe a few more than that. So, but beyond that, there's really not going to be many people who are going to want it >> and they're not going to want to pay market rate if it's whatever it's being >> right >> assessed at. It's an interesting problem. So, I just I need to have you vote that [snorts]
you are you want >> to sell. >> No longer want to retain it. You want us to sell it so I can put it on the market. >> All right. So, I'll intend a motion that uh for the town to sell property located at map 240-16.
>> No longer retain it. >> I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Mot motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I [snorts] All right. Moving on to agenda item nine. Discussion of vote whether to approve the agreement between town of Freetown and Kim uh fails for
uh effective 162026 to 1231 2026. This is to help with the >> she's she's a great resource uh to help out. >> She has the most knowledge. So >> we've been lucky. >> Yep. Any questions or concerns on this?
>> Nery happy that she's happy willing to help. Yeah, I'm glad she is coming back. Staying on I should say. >> All right. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agreement between town of free town and Kimber fails um effective
1626 through 123126. [clears throat] >> A motion made a second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I right now I will kick it over to personnel. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> All right. Item agenda 10. Acknowledge the resignation of Kenneth Plays as highway mechanic effective 1222 2025.
Thank you, Kenneth. Uh, item agenda 11, discussion and vote whether to approve the following appointments. A, Paul Carvalo to Parade and Fireworks Committee effective 16, 2026 through 6:30 2026. B, Robert Wally Jr. to Open Space Recreation Advisory Committee effective
16206 through 6:30 2026. C. L. James Copelan to Open Space Recreation Advisory Committee effective 16206 through 6:30 2026. D. Michael Vieiera, that's truck driver, highway department, effective 16206 through 6:30 2026. E
Kimberly fails as department assistant effective 162026 through 12312026. All right. Well, Plet, I see you're in the room. Welcome. Welcome to the to the PNF committee 250 years this year. And um let's see, we have everybody else for
open space and truck drivers. Pretty straightforward appointments, things that we need for town. Any concerns, comments, questions, sanity checks? No. All right. I entertain the motion to approve the appointments listed on item agenda 11 A through E.
>> Make that motion. >> I will second it. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> All right. Item agenda 12. Discussion of vote to approve the agreement between the town of Freetown and Cory Cubic for single lump holiday pay payout for 1
2026 through 6:30 2026. All right. Utilizing the bargain agreement, Cory Cubic, his uh request is within lines with everything that's in the union agreement. So, I see no issue doing so. >> All right. I entertain the motion to approve the agreement between the town
of Freetown and Kori Cubic for the single lump sum holiday payout of from 112026 through 6:30 2026. >> Make that motion. >> I will second it. >> All right. All in favor? >> I. >> All right. >> Anything else we need to discuss? The um
only other thing I wanted to say is that the grant application for the new library went in. It was due December 31st. So we we did get that in. >> We'll wait and see how we work out with MBTA communities and the grant. So that's in motion. The other thing that
um Nancy had worked on a grant to do the round to do a roundabout over on Gurnie and county. We did get the grant funding to do a temporary roundabout there. We're going to come in with a formal question to the board next week to make sure you want us to move forward with
that. But you did get a grant for $100,000 to do a mock roundabout over there with all that was after we had all the issues with PD coming in saying there had been a lot of accidents over there. I know Chuck has done some work that I think has helped, but we'll bring in some more details at the next meeting
to go over that. One one thing I will ask and I'll ask it ahead is will the Mach one already mean that we'll have removed the telephone pole? >> I don't I don't think we're trying to get Eversource to move that pole
>> because I I just wonder right like if we're going to do the mock roundabout how are we going to do it with that telephone pole >> be smack in the middle. >> Yeah, exactly. It's it will be in that turn based on the way that roadway is like to try and go around it would be crazy.
>> How'd that ever happen in the first place? How do we >> I don't know. >> It's crazy. >> Well, how do I mean people just turn left and hit smash into it? I don't I don't I don't know. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> But we're um but I'll bring it formally before the board. I want to make sure that um that's still the direction that
we want to move forward in and I'll have some more details about it. The town meeting is in three weeks, guys. I can't even believe it's here. >> Crazy. >> I'm flies and we're having fun. >> Oh, yeah. >> It's new year, right? So, that's all I have. I don't I've been off uh I took
some time off at the holidays, so not quite back into the full throttle of everything yet. >> Yeah, >> same here. >> Yeah, >> I think that's everyone. >> Last week was like a a weird week with days. It's like the longest possible
like time it can be, right? But like with the Thursday, it Thursday Christmas. Is that what it was? >> Yeah, it was. >> And then [snorts] >> Yeah, this year I got thrown for a lof. We got extra days off before and after Christmas. And that's a real world
problem to have. But it's you have to take all the leave at the end of the year. It's >> fortunately for us, it's use or lose. Can't buy it back, sell it back. That's why like my wife's company has the trick of like unlim unlimited vacation
which really just means just can't just don't take vacation. [laughter] >> I told you Hansen had that too and I I I would never take time. >> Yeah. No, that's it's a it's a psychological trick they play. >> It's definitely a psychological thing for people who are um you know really
conscious about their work. >> Yeah. So, I will be leaving for Canada on the 11th and I'll be back on the 29th. >> Well, that's fun. Good time of year to be in Canada. Well, for you it's a good time of year to be >> Yeah, it's going to be cold where I'm
going. >> I was on a call this morning and it was 14° here and one of my co-workers said it was -14 where he he So, he's up next to Prescal >> and it was -14 where he was. I'm like, Lou, I'd rather be on this side of the
>> I don't It was cold this morning, I thought. >> Yeah, we're up in Canada. We got down to four. Not four. Uh, New Hampshire down to like four or five degrees. This year feels colder. >> Not sure if I'm getting older, but >> Mhm.
>> All right. Good. All right. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion made. >> Second. All in favor? >> I >> I thank everybody.