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Select Board reviews FY27 capital requests and Articles including bridge program, loader and dump truck options
Summary
Board members discussed capital articles, the small bridge grant application status, and equipment choices (compact wheel loader, dump truck). The board debated using chapter 90/91 funds and balancing immediate equipment needs with preserving reserves for other priorities.
The Select Board spent a large portion of the meeting reviewing proposed FY27 capital articles and line items, including possible purchases of a compact wheel loader, a dump truck and scope and funding options for a small-bridge program award.
Members discussed whether to remove certain items from the warrant, whether Chapter 90/91 funds or targeted donations could cover purchases, and how to prioritize work requests across town buildings. The board reported that the small-bridge program had initially awarded a grant but that technical bid issues required an appeal or reapplication to cover a difference in a contractor’s price; staff planned to meet with MassDOT administrators to request an adjustment.
On equipment, members considered keeping the dump truck another year versus buying a new unit, options for stainless-steel truck bodies to extend service life, and whether to pursue a smaller dump truck or split purchases across funding sources. Members also discussed fire-department pagers (noted as pagers rather than radios), police handguns and using existing encumbered line-item funds or opioid-settlement funds for Narcan purchases. Several members emphasized the need to avoid repeatedly deferring capital replacements to prevent higher long-term costs.
No final appropriation decisions were made at the meeting; the board scheduled follow-up with advisory committees and staff to refine priorities and funding plans.
