Okay, good evening everybody. Uh, it is Monday, February 9th, 2026 at 6 PM and with the corn being present, I'll call to order the Freetown Board of Sucker meeting. Uh, tonight's meeting will be recorded and will be available on the town's YouTube page. Um, although we were anticipating going to executive
session, um, we are not going to be going to an ex executive session today. We'll just have an open session. So with that, I am going to kick off and jump down to it. >> We don't need to do agenda item number two. >> We just uh >> we're just going to push that to the next the session.
>> Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. >> Okay. Um no problem. So that I'll just jump down. Agenda item three. Discussion of vote whether accept donation from Susan Seamo in the uh to the Council on Aging in the sum of $50. Any questions on that? >> No.
>> Yep. I I think I said that be it'll be a recording. It'll be available on town's YouTube page. I write that down on the top of every meeting, Deb, so I don't forget it. It's the first thing I do. By the way, we have Deb on the phone here. Um, she's not feeling well, so she's being very kind and not spreading
any kind of germs >> to anybody else. >> Um, yeah. So, with that, so, uh, well, first of all, thank you very much, Susan, for the donation. It's greatly appreciated. And so I'll entertain a motion to accept the
donation from Susan Samo to the council aging in the sum of $50. >> Motion made. A second. >> All in favor? >> I I >> I uh ag four. Acknowledge the reserve fund transfer request uh from uh from the highway department in the sum of $20,000 for truck repair. This is our F450. um
had a catastrophic engine failure. And um per the memo from Chuck, uh it it makes more sense just based off the wait time to get a new truck to replace the engine here. And um obviously this was not anticipated and the estimate they
got was around $20,000. >> I believe it. >> Any questions on that? >> No. And and also Chuck did mention that especially in the winter season, this truck is highly, you know, utilized a lot and it's it's an important part of the fleet. So unfortunate, but I think
>> got to do what we got to do. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> All right. So with that, I'll take a motion to um Well, actually, no, there's no motion here. That's just us acknowledging it. This is uh this is under Chuck's perview. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> All right.
>> Goes to the finance committee to handle the reserve funds. That makes sense. >> All right. So then, uh, agend item five, this is on ambulance abments and write-offs for January 2026. And the total is $116,848.50. Uh, I did notice in the packet, it looks like we got like a credit of some sort.
We got $1,600 credit that Yeah. top line. >> Yeah. >> So that that's just over we under or over wrote off in a prior period. I'm assuming that's what that means. and they brought in 60,000 as well in
collect >> 60,000 is what we actually received. >> Okay. All right. So that I'll entertain a motion to approve the ambulance abatements and redos for January 226 uh for $116,848.50. >> Motion made. I second. >> All in favor? >> I.
>> I. All right. Uh agenda agenda. Well, agenda item six discussion of vote whether approve the agreement between the town of Freetown Apex for subdivision rules and regulations. So um and if I remember correctly, dollar value here is about 10 grand. And this
is agreement so that Apex can go and look through and update our um the rules and regulations as it stated around our subdivisions which have not been updated in quite some time. >> Um so and this is really just for the first
kind of phase one of this project, right? Is for the 10 grand. >> Any questions or concerns on that? No, I think it it's it makes sense on a whole lot of levels. So, I'm I'm happy to see that it's getting done. >> Well, I agree with you on that.
>> All right. >> Mhm. >> So, with that, I entertain a motion to approve the agreement between town of Freetown Apex for subdivision rules and regulations. >> Motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I I item seven, similar but different. So, this is discussion of vote whether approve the agreement between the town of Freetown Apex for storm water
management review. So um we we have decided or voted last year maybe 2024 to you know move forward with the storm water management review MS4 >> or I maybe was even a couple years ago
to continue that but this is uh for them to just ensure that all our rules and regulations are they are within the what MS4 requires. Is that right Dub? Yeah, they they they implemented um
storm water management a few years ago and apparently there's been a lot of when subdivisions come through a lot of requests for variances from it. So they need to get it really reviewed and sort of solidified for so that it's you know
where it needs to be for subdivisions coming in so we protect the land and whatever. So um it just needs to be tweaked. it wasn't brand new to the town and I think now after it's been in place for a couple years they see some things need to be changed and and developed. So
that's what they're working on. >> Okay, great. Thank you. And so this one's also about 10 grand. Um all right. So any questions or concerns for vote? >> No. I mean I think that's always one of the biggest issues that people have when subdivision beyond their privacy and all
the stuff that they can't control. They always have something to say about storm water management, right? So this helps solidify to your point what we're doing to make sure that it's right. >> Absolutely. >> So money well spent once again. >> All right. So with that, so I'll entertain a motion to approve the agreement between the town of Freetown
Apex for storm water management review. >> Motion made. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Okay. Uh agenda item eight. This is something we do every year. So this is discussion and vote whether approve Bristol County mosquito to use airspace over free for
annual uh aerial application scheduled between April and October 2024. I totally forgot mosquitoes are even a thing of >> probably going to be less of them this year. >> Yeah. Yeah. I hope I mean that would be a a silver lining to the frigid
temperatures. >> Yes. >> Sad it was 32 degrees today and it felt like it was spring. >> I know. All right. So this seems this is just something we do every year. There any questions or concerns on that? >> No. >> Okay. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve Bristol County Mosquito to use airspace over Freetown for annual aerial application scheduled
between April and October 2026. >> Motion made. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. All right. Uh, agenda item nine is update on the regional school fiscal year 2027 budget. Do we have a budget in here? Is it that's just in it's on the
go. Thank you. I'd rather not open my computer if I don't have to. Um, so bottom line here, so really is it is it what do we care about the most? It's really the increase, right? So line item 16 the bottom the increase of
1.7 million or 13%. >> Yes. And that is being driven mostly >> say mostly by um just like increases in health insurance are big in increases in
salaries is a majority of it. Um a a little bit of decrease in decrease in the chapter 70 money from the state. So this is not a final number. This is um I worked you know the keep the first number so this is going
to continue to evolve for the next month or so from the school but I just wanted you all to know where we were at um because it is a big number and it is going to impact our budgets. >> Absolutely. And I'm happy we're getting ahead of this and talking about it now
just you know it's going to be an important thing to manage people's expectations about um you know budget season. So yeah, and just for context, uh 2026 was 13.4 million assessed to Freetown
and Yeah. current current estimate, I guess, is 15.1. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean, I appreciate you putting in front of us. It's a large number, so definitely needs to be talked about.
>> Yep. Yeah. That's a concerning number, especially with looking at Lakefields as well. >> Yeah. >> So I Yeah, >> their increase is larger than ours, >> right? And then couple that with the next page.
>> Yeah, it's a lot. >> Um, okay. That is interesting. Uh, and obviously no vote on that, but I don't know if you know, I think it's just good for us to kind of maybe
publicly talk about that. And I think we just so folks are are all aware of what what we're estimating here. >> Yeah, I think the big issue is the 13% increase when we know we can only increase our budgets by 2.5% the taxes.
So, at some point, no matter how much savings we have, the lines are going to cross when we can no longer afford the school budget. And so, I've made that pretty clear to the school that it's not sustainable. Um, and so I I really think somebody needs
to start focusing on forward thinking and what are we going to do five years from now? How how are we going to handle this because it's not sustainable. And we know Lakeville's already got to do an override to to pay this amount of money. So that's my big issue is not we'll get
through this year. I think next year will be more difficult. But what do we do five years from now? We're not going to be able toain this. So it all needs to be on everybody's radar that this is not sustainable. >> It is not sustainable. Like no nothing is sustainable at 13% year-over-year
increases, right? That is just >> not something that we can >> Well, I I said it said a town meeting with with the MBTA question when people, you know, one of the residents came up talking about sustainability and accessibility to Freetown. Well, again, we only have 9,000 residents from about
3,600 households. Unless we significantly increase those numbers, which Freetown has said no to, right? We're going to be hurting in 5 years. That that that might be a good projection. It might come sooner. So, we really got to start talking to them saying, "Hey, instead of us fighting
with about this down the road, let's start the conversation now >> and maybe change a few things up. Maybe it'll be painful now, less painful down the road." I don't know. But, but Deb's right. The conversation needs to start now so that we have a better understanding of how we can address this. >> Mhm.
>> And I think it has to be in conjunction with like Phil, right? Um, we need to all kind of everyone get on the same page and not I'm I'm just throwing you under the bus, Debb saying Debb going and talking to them and then, you know, no one from
Lakeville or two people from Lakeville and no one from our town. I think, you know, we all kind of need to unite, get together, figure out what makes sense, what we can do that, you know, will make everyone feel the least amount of pain
between towns and the schools. Yep. >> We'll make sure that that's on the joint meeting agenda to have that discussion too of just where are we going to go? How are we going to proceed moving forward? Because I'd like to see a roundt discussion with the school school
committee, the two towns, and just how do we how do we handle this moving forward? It's not going to get better. So, how do we handle it? >> Um, yeah. Yeah. Not to mention like Aponic's not the the actual school itself is not getting any younger either, >> right?
>> Like it's you know it's >> right which like >> my mind is that they have not allocated money for any capital which is good because we can't afford it but on the same token it's not because it's going to all come crashing down and then what?
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. And I mean this is not a right now decision but to that point is maybe when we meet with Lakeville we talk about trying to form some sort of and I feel like we do this with everything but different almost like subcommittee where we have like you and Andrew Deb and then
you know representatives from each board uh from each of our boards as well as maybe finance committee and that way it's not a large group but it's still a group that can meet with and talk with the school and um Yeah. >> Yeah.
>> I mean, it's just too big of a group obviously to try and get us all in the same room, but I like, you know, to your idea of having a round table and kind of getting all the players involved, representatives from each that we can all kind of come up with some ideas. >> Yeah.
>> All right. >> Sorry. Sorry, Debbie. Good. Anything else on that? >> No, I missed it. >> Okay. So then I'm going to move on to agenda item 10, which is updating the Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical High School uh fiscal year 2027 budget. And
it looks like the Freetown assessment for this for 2027 is uh 2.14 million. >> Mhm. >> Um which is broken down into state minimum contribution assessment, so it's 1.5 for free town. It's 1.5.
Transportation is 46,000. Capital assessment 17,000. And then um bond debt. So you know the service charges for debt is uh about 570 grand. So total about 2.14
um which is a big number but a number that's going to get a lot bigger in the future. >> Right. >> Right. >> Right. >> And which you know it's >> that that number is almost at capacity. That bond number at 550 doesn't go much
higher than that. Okay, >> that's cool. >> With that is the open blind lottery. We don't know how many students are going to be sent there. We consistently have sent about 25 to 28 students every year,
but it could be that every student applies gets in next year or it could be that no students apply none none that apply get in because of the blind lottery. So, we're all sort of sweating that and trying to figure out what that's going to have for an impact on our budgets. to not only our budgets but
like just the chronic way they're planning. You know, if they all of a sudden have a hundred more students because they're not being sent to BP, then they have to accommodate for them and vice versa. If a hundred of their high school students go to go to BP, then they're going to they're going to
have to pivot on some level. So, it's it's a it's sort of we're in a we'll just wait and see at this point. >> Yeah, that seems like not a very u not a great way to manage it. No. So, it's and I had this conversation with
Deb. You have uh it's literally just a lottery, right? So, you could be skipping over a straight A student and having a child that gets in there who skated by with um you know, a lot of
absences and whatever. Um strictly based on the lottery draw. I could get in there and I I I wasn't the student that deserved to go. >> But so it's it is and and but beyond that system being kind of wacky that I've already brought up the biggest
issue that affects this board directly, right? Is >> yeah just try how do you plan with a 100 student which is a you know a decent percentage of the overall base. >> How do you plan you know that's tough. One thing I do suggest is when we have the round table with a ponyquit, we
invite somebody from BP as well because our budget looks at it the same way, right? Money going out to schools, whether locally or to BP, it's all the same. It's money going out from the taxpayers. So maybe include them in the whole conversation because
>> when you look at the 2.1 plus the 13%, that's real money. >> That's going to it hurts now. It's only going to hurt more. >> Yep. Okay. All right. Anything else on that or should we move on?
>> No. >> Okay. So, um, next up, so that was item 10 and then yeah, board and parks. So, I guess Jared. >> All right. So, the only thing we have is discussion on town beach improvements.
So um recently we had uh gave as you are well know we gave Stark um everything went over it with them and then they came up with some conceptuals for us. Um so what you're looking at now is the first conceptuals. So, some of
the biggest things that they were trying to do was integrate um integrate the beach right with um up front. They were trying to fix parking issues. They were pulling back. Some of the stuff was to pull back the beach,
you know, make the we had all parking lot, no beach. >> So, now they were trying, it looks like they're trying to increase it back. Unfortunately, Deb was at the meeting with them. I was unable to make it. it was sent over to the islands. So, um you know, she can probably speak a little
bit better to this, but there is definitely some upgrades based on these conceptuals, including, you know, different um uh pickle walls and stuff going on. So, >> they're going to make a formal presentation to the board in two weeks
so that everybody at home can see everything and um you can ask questions of them. Um there's two plan conceptual designs one and two. The second one is moving the football field >> which things I think fit a little bit
more better but I I don't know that that's feasible to move the football field because he said something like it might take two growing seasons to get it where it needs to be. So that that's probably the biggest that's the biggest change between one and two and that'll be something that we can talk further
about what that means or maybe we can talk to the people and I don't know that that's feasible. So that's really what we need to find out so that the board can make a decision between one and two. Um one concept design one had about 250 parking spaces which I thought was
awesome. The second concept has more like 350 which I thought was too much. I said, "I don't think we need 350 parking spots. It's good to know we can get them, but I don't think we need them." Um, so that I said we could, you know, he we could just know that that's where
we can expand if we needed to or add more um any, you know, more whatever recreation that you want to add. So, I needed this done basically because we got a grant for electricity down there and I need to I needed to figure out
where the electric was going to go. So, I've worked that out with Nick and I'll be applying with uh we'll be working on that me and the way to get that done. >> Perfect. >> So, um obviously it's an expensive plan with a lot of there's a lot of things when he shows you there's a lot of
little nuances that you're not really able to see on what you're looking at. There's a trail that goes up through it. There's a stage for concerts that I think you might want to look at because it has the concerts on the football field and I'm not sure that that will be feasible so that might need to be moved.
Um, but it has bathroom which is down close to between the beach and the football field. It has a lot of it and not I'm really when you when you can con see it all, you're going to really go, "Wow, this is awesome." And we're going
to have to get grants and we're going to have to build it in phases because it's it'll be expensive to do it all. But at least it's a master plan laying out some framework um without moving major infrastructure because that's really the the next thing is you would have to start moving the
roadways and whatnot and that doesn't make sense. So I I think it's it's exciting. Um, but you'll get the formal presentation in a couple weeks and then you can that that's more just for you to start looking at it and come up with your questions and stuff so you can ask
when when he comes in two weeks. >> Yeah. No, this is all exciting stuff and it I think based on conversations that I've had with them and listening to towns people um it looks like they did a good job of getting everything into
here. So, um, yeah, I'm excited to get the presentation from them. >> Yeah, there's there's pickle ball, there's tennis courts, there's basketball, there's football, there's a playground, a picnic area, a trail, um,
of course the football field, there's bathrooms, there's a stage for concerts. There's a lot there's a lot packed in there. Um, and there's ADA PE, you know, ADA accommodations, which is always important to me,
>> and sidewalks and such like that. So, I I think they really did do a lot of work on it, and it I'm excited for you to see their presentation. >> Yeah, I think Freetown needs this. I think it's awesome. >> I think it looks Yeah, this looks great. My only concern is with football, they
use those spaces for practice, but there's other fields they could use, I guess, right? There's Aries, I'm assuming, back there. So, that's the only concern I have at the moment that they might, you know, some moderate push back from that. >> Yeah. There's going to be obviously some
give and take. Right. >> Right. >> But I think that if we try to try to meet as many of the town's, you know, wants or needs as possible, going to have to be a little bit of a >> Yeah. I agree. But the the the beach looks amazing. >> Yeah. >> Just that diagram alone.
>> Mhm. >> Yeah. Yeah. I know. I like I said now now I'm excited to see their full presentations, >> right? >> Yeah. Like like this looks awesome. Like the the the picture that shows kind of a 3D >> Mhm.
>> I agree. >> Yep. >> Nice lights and everything. >> Yep. You already know, you know, we already went through the process for of uh the the material we use at the >> pickle bowl. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. That seems to be going well, right? >> It's under snow. So, >> we'll see how >> No one it off. I was like, I wonder if anyone was going to shovel it off to play if I saw people walking the neighborhood today. I was going to be crazy. >> All right. Awesome. >> Yeah. >> Yes.
>> Nice little destination area. >> Good stuff. All right. >> Okay. You >> All right. So, that with that, we're going to sign and then we're going to adjourn. Not a record-breaking >> meeting, but a short meeting.
or serve. >> All right. Thanks, De. You can log out. Go get better. >> Get some rest, please. >> Thank you. >> Subdivisions. Is my name?
>> It's just you. Yan just >> All right. >> Good. >> Yep. >> All right. So, with that, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion made. I second that. All in favor?