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Resident files state ethics complaint over proposed sale of 75 Central Street; Select Board pauses action
Summary
A Foxboro resident notified the board of a Massachusetts State Ethics Commission complaint alleging the RFP for 75 Central Street was pre-arranged and undervalued the site's strategic industrial potential; the board deferred action on the disposition while staff seeks legal input.
A Foxboro resident told the Select Board on April 14 that he filed a formal ethics complaint with the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission alleging the town's planned disposition of 75 Central Street was "pre-baked" to favor a sole bidder and did not reflect the parcel's industrial and strategic value.
Michael Flynn told the board he filed the complaint under G.L. c. 268A §23 and asked that the board stay any vote awarding the property until the ethics inquiry is resolved. Flynn said the site's proximity to what he described as an "autonomous corridor" and recent infrastructure investments increased the parcel's strategic value and argued selling at a residential valuation would transfer control of a potential security-related node to a private entity without adequate public review.
Board members asked for clarification about whether the ethics filing created a legal impediment to moving forward. Staff advised they could delay awarding the disposition until the special Friday meeting; the board discussed moving the item to that session so town counsel can review the complaint and advise whether it should affect the award timeline. The motion to award was discussed but not finalized at the April 14 meeting.
