Selectmen approve Beecher Road School grant resolutions after debate over public input and referendum timing

The Woodbridge Board of Selectmen on July 8 approved three resolutions needed for a state grant application to support work at the Beecher Road School campus, but the item prompted extended discussion about the town charter, public engagement and how the referendum process would interact with state grant awards.

Selectwoman Maria Madonik read the resolutions, which authorize the Board of Education to apply for and accept or reject a grant for central office facilities at the Beecher Road campus, establish the Beecher Road School building committee for the project, and authorize preparation of schematic drawings and outline specifications for a proposed new school and central office. Madonik said the resolution language comes from the state Office of Grant Administration and does not alter the town’s charter or the requirement that a referendum and grant approvals must both occur before the project proceeds.

One selectman objected and said the resolutions lacked explicit language tying grant acceptance to the charter process and criticized the level of public engagement to date, including requests for additional tours and a capital-budget forum. Madonik and other board members responded that the resolutions are a required procedural step in the grant application and that the building committee has been meeting frequently and has posted background materials, recorded meetings and a project webpage. The committee representative said the recommended option (labeled D3 in committee materials) was chosen because it addressed infrastructure and educational needs at the lowest capital/operational cost among the options studied.

During public comment, resident Cathy Wick asked detailed questions about the grant process — including whether the 5% housing incentive depends on a housing growth plan due in 2028, how the town would plan for potential state clawbacks of 10–15% on large grants, and how the town would handle a referendum if the final grant amount was less than the amount presented to voters. Madonik and Cardozo replied that the project would not move forward unless the state grants and a referendum both occurred, but Wick asked for a future information session to clarify timing and legal mechanisms.

The board voted and the chair announced the motion carried. The resolutions do not themselves commit the town to construction; the board and building committee said next steps include continuing education of the public, finalizing grant applications in the fall and, if grant priorities and bonds permit, scheduling a town meeting and referendum.