The Select Board meeting opened with a pointed public comment from resident Greg Kai regarding the Martinson School roof project. Kai questioned the transparency of the board's shifting positions, stating, I rise tonight as a private citizen to air my deep concerns over the timeline of article 7 on the special town meeting warrant, the Martinson roof project. Amidst these concerns, the board formally introduced Interim Town Administrator Charles Sumner to stabilize local operations. Sumner expressed his readiness to tackle the town's fiscal challenges, noting, The financial forecast and the budgetary process is key on my mind, and I've already met with the town accountant talking about a timeline and a game plan. Motion Made by Eric S. Kelley to have the select board approve the updated interim town administrator's contract for Mr. Sumner. Vote Passed 3-0.

Following the appointment, the board addressed administrative friction regarding the town warrant process. Stephen R. Darcy supported tighter controls on future articles, remarking, I'm fine with any effort to improve communication and review well in advance of town meeting. Motion Made by Eric S. Kelley to have town council draft a policy that the select board can vote at a future meeting that follows the close of annual town meeting and special town meeting warrants, where the board will review all articles in anticipation of the preparation of town meeting warrant. Vote Passed 3-0. Discussion then shifted to the recent "Cars and Copters" event, where unauthorized helicopter rides drew noise complaints and safety concerns. Patricia Simpson shared a balanced view, noting, I'm an Air Force brat, so I don't mind helicopter rides, but I do think it should be part of the permitting aspect. Chair Eric S. Kelley expressed alarm over the lack of oversight, stating, The whole thing is my concern was wrapping around this whole helicopter rides that nobody was aware of and not being part of the permitting process.

The primary focus of the evening was a deep dive into the Martinson School roof specifications to secure a 49.3% Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursement. Superintendent PATRICK SULLIVAN warned of the risks of delay, stating, I think we need to make sure we don't lose this opportunity for funding through the MSBA because I think it would be fiscally irresponsible if we did so. Capital Budget Chair Jack Griffin argued for EPDM material over TPO, claiming, I found a 40-year warranty. It's a 90 mil. It's 40 years. It's going to cost you 38 to 50,000 dollars more. However, construction expert Ed cautioned that exceeding a $6.5 million threshold would trigger expensive accessibility upgrades, explaining, My biggest concern right now is that it's borderline of triggering the MAB board... it's two to three million dollars worth of work if we go over a 6.5 million dollar budget. Architect Matt Kazalowski added that TPO remains the recommendation due to its hot air welded seams which perform better in ponding water. Guest speaker Fred summarized the collective goal, stating, We all want the same thing. We all want the best roof, the most sustainable roof at the best price.

The board also reviewed public safety staffing and a proposal to add alternate positions to town committees to ensure continuity. Tom Miller noted that a funding decision on the roof must be finalized within 90 days of the MSBA vote. Regarding the police department, Chief Tavares advocated for lateral transfers to address vacancies, explaining, By filling these three positions, it's going to help us alleviate the problem we're having with overtime. Motion Made by Eric S. Kelley to authorize the Chief to recommend for appointment one additional officer of the local register list, making a total of three transfer officers in total approval for recommended hiring to the select board. Vote Passed 3-0. The meeting concluded with a commitment to set a formal ballot date for the roof debt exclusion in the coming weeks.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM.