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Select Board reviews Article 24 to expand sewer map; members debate betterment implications
Summary
The board discussed Article 24 to extend the sewer district to include Taylor School, Foxborough Country Club and nearby homes on North High Street (grant-funded). Members debated whether future sewer expansion should rely on betterment charges and warned the town could inadvertently "enrich" property owners without careful policy design.
The Foxborough Select Board discussed Article 24, a warrant article that would expand the town's sewer map to include the Taylor School, Foxborough Country Club and adjacent properties along North High Street.
Board members said the current expansion is funded by a grant and would give affected homeowners the option to connect to the sewer when the line becomes available. One board member cautioned that extending sewer lines without clear betterment policies can have long-term fiscal and equity consequences: "Every one of those houses that you're putting this sewer line past, you have enriched that property value significantly," he said, urging the town to consider how betterments or connection fees should be applied when lines are expanded.
Staff noted differences in practice: some towns assess betterment to all properties along a new line whether or not they connect, while others assess only when a property connects. Several board members discussed alternatives for funding future expansions and the importance of considering the town's long-term ability to afford further system growth if not structured with betterments.
The board recognized Article 24 is primarily a grant-funded expansion to correct a prior omission (houses left out when previous sewer work extended to the Taylor School and country club) and said it will continue to discuss betterment policy and assessment methodology as sewer planning continues.
