Select Board places Special Town Meeting articles including childcare subsidies and ambulance funding

At its June 30 meeting the Dennis Select Board placed and indicated support for multiple articles to be considered at a future Special Town Meeting.

Article 1 (FY27 budget supplements): Board members discussed the $85,000 figure identified as a raise-and-appropriate amount and the town’s available excess levy capacity; the motion to place and support the article carried.

Article 2 (general bylaw amendment on fees): The board received the draft late in the meeting and several members asked for additional time to review sewer-fee language and trunk-sewer implications; the board nonetheless voted to place the article for consideration and agreed to re-review details in the coming weeks.

Article 5 (fuel assistance): The board voted to place and support an article to raise or transfer $15,000 to fund a local fuel-assistance program for residents.

Article 6 (childcare subsidies): The board voted to place an article proposing a $71,200 transfer from the landfill solar special-revenue fund to support childcare subsidies for Dennis residents; the finance director’s backup memo was discussed as evidence of increasing program uptake.

Article 7 (ambulance funding): The board heard a staff memo and discussion that there are sufficient receipts in the ambulance-reserve account to replace an ambulance. Jim Plath noted that past ambulance purchases have been paid from that fund without taxpayer impact; the board voted to place and support a transfer of $720,000 from the ambulance receipts reserved fund and to rescind the prior borrowing authorization for the same amount.

Members asked that remaining technical questions about fee changes and sewer rules be resolved before final votes and noted that some items will reappear in the September or FY28 budget cycle for further review.