Acton select board and finance committee split over $43 million DPW project; deadline tensions linger

Bart Wendell, resident and meeting facilitator, opened a joint session of the Town of Acton Select Board and Finance Committee to try to resolve differences over a proposed replacement for the Department of Public Works (DPW) facility.

The central dispute at the meeting was whether to pursue a roughly $43 million project at the planned scope in time for an upcoming spring town meeting or to delay and “right‑size” the project. Finance Committee members repeatedly described the cost and timing as the primary problems; Select Board members and town staff said they had provided information and that delaying construction risks higher costs and continued safety and staffing problems at the existing facility.

The Finance Committee listed two main objections: that the project’s total cost is “too large” and that it comes at the wrong time after a recent override. “The cost of this project is too large, primarily, because the timing is so bad,” Finance Committee member Jim said. Several committee members said they would prefer to push a reduced project into fiscal 2029 rather than bring the full proposal to town meeting this spring. Jason, speaking for members of the Finance Committee, said, “Our initial … answer was FY29,” adding that any future ask…